BMW

Germany · parts cost 3/5 · specialist network: widespread

Model families

Model	Segment	Generations covered	Variants	Price span
3 Series E90 · E91 · E92 · E93	mid	4	65	€2,600–€61,150
1 Series E87 · E81 · E82 · E88	compact	4	38	€2,200–€73,250

Only families with researched data appear here. See coverage for what is planned next.

Brand-wide ownership notes

Parts supply is excellent and the independent specialist network is dense, which keeps repair costs well below dealer rates on cars of this age. What defines BMW ownership from roughly 2005 to 2015 is the cooling system: plastic expansion tanks, electric water pumps and plastic thermostat housings that are wear items with a service life rather than lifetime components. Budget for cooling on any car of this era regardless of model. Electronics are a second theme — modules are cheap to reflash at a specialist and expensive at a dealer.

Chassis

Chassis	Body	Years	Character
E90	sedan	2005–2011	The volume car of the generation and the cheapest way into it — everything good and bad about the E9x, in the body most of them were sold in.
E91	wagon	2005–2012	The practical one, and the only body here you can genuinely use as a family car — with a panoramic roof that will try to fill it with water.
E92	coupe	2006–2013	The last 3 Series with hydraulic steering and a straight-six worth having, in the body people actually want — priced accordingly.
E93	convertible	2007–2013	A folding hardtop convertible that drives well and weighs 200 kg more than the coupé — cheapest body to buy, most expensive to keep watertight.
E87	hatchback	2004–2011	The volume body and the cheapest way in — a rear-drive hatch that drives better than its price, let down only by a firm ride on run-flats and a tight rear seat.
E81	hatchback	2007–2012	The three-door, sold only from the 2007 facelift onwards — mechanically identical to the E87, rarer, and no more practical for the compromise.
E82	coupe	2007–2013	The body people actually want — the last small rear-drive BMW coupé, home to the 135i and the collectible 1M, priced accordingly.
E88	convertible	2008–2013	A cloth-roofed convertible rather than a folding hardtop — lighter and simpler than the E93 3 Series, but with the same rule: the cheapest body to buy is the most expensive to keep dry.