My friend wants to buy a preowned BMW say 4 to 5 yrs old. Which are the best models to go for. Budget is $15,000. How would that compare to buying a Lexus/Acura/Infiniti ? Is maintenance higher? Is insurance also higher? He is an experinced driver with over 15 yrs driving experience in USA and Canada. Appreciate responses from knowledgeable guys like Chittesh etc...

The maintenance cost of BMW is higher the Lexus/Accura/Infinity that's the reason the resale price of BMW is less then these cars.

I use to own BMW 540I, its was a mistake i paid for.
First it was catalytic converters which went bad and i end up paying 4000 USD for its repair.
Then it's fuel pump gave problem, another 1100 dollars.
In short, please go through the reliability rating of BMW using consumerreports and you will be surprised to see how many problems German car have.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

Now on the other hand i used to love the drive and comfort of its V8 engine and its ride very well on corners, but given the amount of money you have to spent to maintain it, i think its not worth.

Lexus is the most reliable car in Luxury segment and it would be best.

Just my 2 cents