I have never owned a BMW, but we are really looking at the X3 seriously. Leasing vs Buying a CPO
What would everyone recommend and why?
BMW 335i 8 Year Analysis of True Ownership Cost nj start by reading this. And then consider BMW out of warranty repair costs. I think it will be an easy decision
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Payment wise the lease will be cheaper, especially if you catch it when the deals strong, and look for a loaner.
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The old BMW CPO program was much better when I bought my car. I had a full year of the remaining and 4 years of CPO. Keep in mind BMW doesn’t cover the tech if it fails after the original warranty. I never had anything seriously wrong break with my car and would never own a BMW long term again. That’s my 2 cents. Tax also plays a big roll for me since in CA you are only taxes on the monthly lease payment.
My aunt and I got a 3 series at about the same time 3 years ago. She bought for around $43k cash. I leased for $350/mo and my 3GT had a $54.5k sticker. Now I’m in a demo X3 that I just picked up this week for $399/mo, same sticker. It will take many more years to hit the $43k she paid and I’ll continue to have new cars covered by warranties all the way through…
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I would never contemplate owning anything over than a Lexus out of warranty and even then I’d be nervous.
It comes down to your tolerance of risk. My limited experience with a fairly old and decrepit 1 series diesel, was that any repairs (and there were a lot in just 6 short months of ownership) were nearly always at least twice what you would expect them to be. I don’t want the risk of a crazy repair bill so anything German should be leased in my humble opinion.
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Lease, hands down.
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That’s a prime example of leasing is cheaper, her $43k could have paid for 3 36mo leases at $400/mo, but she probably thinks you’re the dummy for renting cars…lol
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She did until I told her my monthly payment, then she regretted not talking to me first.
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If you like having cars in warranty and don’t have grand illusions of owning a depreciating asset then leasing is really the key to getting the best bang for your buck.
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with all the tech in cars these days…who wants an 8 year old car anyway?
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Someone who’s in a 9yr old car. 
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I know someone who bought a three year old X5 50i CPO for around $45k and thought it was a great deal given the original sticker of almost $80k. Nothing but trouble, so I told him to dump it once the warranty ran out 3 years later. Trade in value was now $18k. Decided to keep driving it without a warranty and no joke, the motor seized up. Replacement engine was more than the value of the car, but luckily BMW put him in a rental and replaced it for $6k out of his pocket. I told him to dump it again before something else happens and he keeps driving it. Now the check engine light is on for something. Thats’s roughly $900 a month for POS that keeps breaking down and could serve up another huge bill at any moment. No thanks.
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owning BMW out of warranty = financial suicide
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The only thing more foolish than owning an out of warranty German car is owning an out of warranty British car.
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I don’t even want an in-warranty British car. I LOVE Range Rovers, but when (say hypothetically) an 85k Velar gets to its new home for the first time, and piddles all the transmission fluid on the driveway like a rescue dog - of course they apologize (and lie THAT NEVER HAPPENS) flat bed it out and leave a brand new Disco Sport as a loaner - which itself won’t start the next day either and needs to also be towed out of said hypothetical gated community. No thanks!
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Wow. Just wow.
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Thanks everyone
Guys, now you make me feel bad I kept my 2016 X5…and it has 49k miles…
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I once bought a CPO 2008 135i and having had German cars that broke before it I elected to purchase the extended warranty.
Sure enough about a year in to owning the car I had to have the entire automatic transmission replaced.
The parts and labor came out to over $10,000 at the local BMW dealership, I paid a $50 deductible.
Since then I got rid of that car and only have done leases where everything is covered by warranty.
Lease is the way to go unless you are or are really good friends with a good mechanic who specializes in Zee Germans