well.....

if you look at it as an "investment," mas OK yung Bimmer assuming all other things are equal. why? BMW's retain their value better than Hondas.

but a 3-series BMW will still be more expensive to maintain than a Civic. Maybe less than an Accord though.. the 1988-92 E34 5-series is also an interesting suggestion. Costs less than an E36. But the parts probably cost an arm, a leg, and a left nut -- the reason an Accord would cost more than a 316 to maintain is because it's mid-sized. The E34 is mid-sized as well.