over hyped / overpriced / junk
Not the same BMW as years ago
cman
 

When you purchased a BMW or Mercedes before the mid '90s you got what you paid for.  They were expensive cars, relatively, but they were very well designed.  Properly cared for they would last essentially forever.

From the mid '90s forward it was clear that those companies determined that there was a flaw with that system.  People bought cars from them less often, and they could make more money selling cars that were more failure prone, because it forced consumers to buy a new one sooner or get nickle and dimed to death (more like $100'd and $1,000'd to death with those cars though).

They also decided that what people were buying was a status symbol, not a reliable car.  The primary motivation they determined was the hood ornament, and what that said about the owner. 

Its really a shame.  They allowed companies like Toyota and Honda to supplant them as the most reliable cars on the road.  Now, if you check, BMW and Mercedes have the highest incidence of repair under factory warranty of any vehicles sold in the US.  I'd imagine that the record after the warranty expires is even worse. 

If Toyota or Honda built a rear drive, powerful four cylinder, decent looking, automatic convertible, that is probably what I would drive.  I really like the way the bimmer runs and drives, but these 36 miles drives to leave it at the dealer every week are getting old, and only 21,000 miles on it.
I am certain they screwed up the top while working in the taillight wiring, as that is when the problem showed up.

GM must have pioneered design to fail with the Silverado. As of now with 84,000 miles
All brake and gas lines replaced
All power steering, engine oil cooler and transmission cooler hoses replaced (don't replace them, with org. GM as they leak also
The 4L80E trans destroyed itself by 62,000 miles (first time towed the camper hour away from home
Transfer case inside pump chewed a hole thru to the case (dumping oil out)
Front driveshaft rusted thru in several spots (lots of pin holes)
Engine exhaust manifolds studs broke off on both side several times (lot of fun drilling them on alum. heads)
Both front wheel bearing worn out by 50,000 miles (need replacing again before next inspection)
Lots of electrical ground gremlins
Can't imagine what would happen if I ever drove in winter road salt ( hibernates with the stang all winter)

MS wrote:

Cooled down a bit now.  It is 74.  Today I decided to forego working on the Mustang brakes and go for a sunny cruise in the BMW convertible.  Only problem is... the top quit working.  It would not go down.  It worked fine before I took the car in to the dealer to get the non-functional third brake light repaired. JUST GOT IT BACK FROM THAT LAST WEEK.  That, along with two trips to the dealer to repair a warm anti-freeze smell when the ac or heat is on.  After a new water pump and a second return visit, it still smells.  Those of us who own old Mustangs know that smell when a heater core is leaking.  The dealer says it holds pressure and is not losing coolant, so there cannot be a leak.  I think the leak has been determined to be in my wallet.  You guys already advised of the wisdom of buying that thing.  Now, reality is settling in.
I think a classic Mustang convertible is on the horizon.

  Hard to Believe a 1999 is a classic now...LOL 
 

Some of it is that every manufacturer builds a handful of lemons each year, and when you get unlucky enough to own one it sours (hah!) you on the brand.  My wife had a Kia and it was a total lemon.  It jumped time before the change interval on the belt was due leaving her stranded.  Fortunately it was not an interference engine so no damage, just a PITA cam belt change.

It had a rear wheel cylinder explode (still never figured out why).  Fortunately it was a stick and the e-brake still worked.

It had a bearing in the rear fail.  The cruise control module failed.  Finally the t-stat stuck closed and caused it to overheat and ruined the radiator.  I had to fight that one with a dishonest service manager (fortunately the dealership's comptroller was one of my mom's best friends and I was able to go around his cheating @$$).  Got it fixed and bought our '02 WRX.  Drove it from the Kia dealership to the Subaru dealership and left it there. 

So it becomes fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...

There is definitely planned obsolescence, but I will say this for Subaru, not only do they seem to last, but parts continue to be available.  There's still next to nothing I can't buy directly from Subaru for a car that's now 17 years old.  It seems they take keeping them on the road seriously, as purported in their commercials.