Quote:
Originally Posted by englishguy84
Yes, it does. The B46 is a super-ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) version of the B48. It has some differences to meet stricter emissions standards in states like California. The layout and engineering is the same, so the VANOS and timing chain is in the back. There's no reported problem with VANOS or the timing chain in these engines thus far, btw. It's more that the N20 and N47 engines have had timing chain issues, and VANOS issues have come up over the years on many engines. Both should not be an issue if you are leasing. If you are buying, it depends on whether you have a warranty and your appetite for risk.
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My issue is whatever car I buy next I plan on keeping. I realize that VANOS has been an issue on earlier models (E46 comes to mind), but none of them required an engine out service to fix it, meaning it remained relatively affordable to fix. It seems as though modern BMW is engineering their vehicles like modern phones. A disposable appliance that will just be thrown away when it's time has come. I realize most purchasers dont care what happens to their car post 7 years or ~100k miles, but there are those of us who would like to drive a car till 200k+.
The most frustrating thing for me is that from a product standpoint (forgetting current or future reliability) BMW is the only one who is offering a practical RWD offering with a manual transmission. As the poster above said, I'm not expecting Honda Civic like affordability or reliability, but having a massive Achilles heel designed into the motor from the start just seems like poor foresight from the engineers.