BMW Problems

Consider the campaign officially launched, although all of the CarsGuide team have been complaining about harsh riding from low-profile tyres for a long time.

For maximum space and tow rating you should definitely be going for the Touareg V6 TDI. It will do both your jobs with a 3500kg tow rating and 280kg ball weight.

Our experience is that older BMWs suffer problems with things like the plastic fittings on the engine, the plastic radiator tanks etc. that can add up to a sizeable sum of money when you have to replace them. One car, an older 3-Series that had done around 250,000km developed a problem with the power steering that had mechanics completely stumped. After four visits to the workshop, having replaced the steering rack, the power steering pump and many other steering parts, it was finally found that the fault was in the steering column. That was replaced and the problem fixed, but it cost more than $2000, and that's using second hand parts. That said the engines and gearboxes, etc., are bulletproof. We don't have the same feedback on the C-Class, but remember all cars have problems; no car is completely free of trouble.

The BMW GT has a brilliant boot but, if I were doing what you're doing, I'd get a Hyundai Genesis. Perhaps not as prestigious, but the same interior and boot space as the Benz. And there is a five-year free service deal and a five-year warranty, as well as talk of a guaranteed future value scheme.

Range Rover does not have a great reputation for reliability or resale but the Sport is a great drive. So the X5 is the safe choice but the Range Rover is likely to give you more enjoyment.

Take it to an independent mechanic who specializes in BMWs or European brands and have them assess the problem for you. The quote from the BMW dealer would suggest that they want to replace the gearbox, but an independent mechanic might be able to repair it at a much-reduced cost, and even if the gearbox does have to be replaced it will be cheaper.

The response of carmakers amazes me at times. VW's current problem with its diesels is enough to tell you that some carmakers don't care about their customers once they've bought their cars and taken them home. It seems they then don't exist. BMW's response to you smacks of this attitude; I'd call it arrogance. It's not acceptable, as you say. Take the car back to the dealer and park it in their driveway and tell them to put up with it, or justify to your satisfaction that it is something inherent in all their cars. It sounds to me like it could be a bush problem, or a shock absorber issue. Whatever the cause it should be fixed.

BMW’s warranty is pretty pathetic in this day and age, but that’s their deal. If you wanted a better deal you should have negotiated with the dealer before you signed up. You might have been able to twist his arm and get the extended warranty thrown in for free. I’m not a fan of extended warranties; dealers suggest them because they cop a decent whack out of the deal. I’m probably not the best one to ask about BMW warranty because my ownership experience with a BMW has been a nightmare and I wouldn’t own another one.