Need Help in Buying a BMW car
- Thread starter gkadaba
- Start date
Personally, I would always choose a 3er over an Z. I'm assuming you're looking at E46-vintage 3-Series'. They're great cars, especially the I6 versions. A certified BMW used-car is not necessarily any better than a good used BMW sold privately with all the books and receipts. The only difference may be a warranty on a certified BMW.
In any case, this 'Buyer's Bible' always works for me. It'll help you find the right car.
1) If you're not buying from a dealer, make sure you're buying from the owner.
2) View the car in daylight, and NEVER in the rain. Take a torch to check for crash damage.
3) Lift carpets to check for welding across the sills and floorpan (ie, under the carpet in the boot etc). Check for rust also. Rust is VERY BAD! Run if you see rust.
4) Irregular tyre wear (ie, if the inside of the tyre tread is more worn than the outside and vice-versa) can mean steering/suspension damage.
5) Look for poorly matched paintwork, uneven shutlines and evidence of respray work or filler.
6) Check that the mileage matches the wear on the seats, pedal rubbers and steering wheel. If the odo says the car has done 30K miles and the seats are shitty and worn then you know something is dodgy.
7) Check coolant, oil, and brake fluid levels. If they're really low then this means neglect.
8) Try all the switches to make sure electrical systems are ok (ie, demister, A/C, lights etc).
9) This is important: ALWAYS test-drive the car from cold. If you go to drive a car and the temp. gauge says it's warm then go back the next day and tell them you want to drive it from cold. Cars behave very differently when they're cold and sometimes irregularities can show up when all the oils aren't warmed through. Listen for odd metally noises, squeaks, rattles etc. Anything ridiculously loud is usually a problem.
10) Look for smoke from the exhaust when you first start the car. Smoke means worn piston-rings, which is not good.
11) If you know anyone that is a mechanic then take them with you.
In any case, this 'Buyer's Bible' always works for me. It'll help you find the right car.
1) If you're not buying from a dealer, make sure you're buying from the owner.
2) View the car in daylight, and NEVER in the rain. Take a torch to check for crash damage.
3) Lift carpets to check for welding across the sills and floorpan (ie, under the carpet in the boot etc). Check for rust also. Rust is VERY BAD! Run if you see rust.
4) Irregular tyre wear (ie, if the inside of the tyre tread is more worn than the outside and vice-versa) can mean steering/suspension damage.
5) Look for poorly matched paintwork, uneven shutlines and evidence of respray work or filler.
6) Check that the mileage matches the wear on the seats, pedal rubbers and steering wheel. If the odo says the car has done 30K miles and the seats are shitty and worn then you know something is dodgy.
7) Check coolant, oil, and brake fluid levels. If they're really low then this means neglect.
8) Try all the switches to make sure electrical systems are ok (ie, demister, A/C, lights etc).
9) This is important: ALWAYS test-drive the car from cold. If you go to drive a car and the temp. gauge says it's warm then go back the next day and tell them you want to drive it from cold. Cars behave very differently when they're cold and sometimes irregularities can show up when all the oils aren't warmed through. Listen for odd metally noises, squeaks, rattles etc. Anything ridiculously loud is usually a problem.
10) Look for smoke from the exhaust when you first start the car. Smoke means worn piston-rings, which is not good.
11) If you know anyone that is a mechanic then take them with you.
![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]"){kind=icon}
The Z3 convertible actually has more head room than the coupe. I have driven both and have no problem with the roadster, but in the coupe my head is dangerously close to the "A" pillar. With a helmet on I cannot sit up straight in the coupe.
Matt you might want to go sit in one, I am about an inch shorter than you, but build and trunk legenth make the difference. I suggest you sit in one and see ow you feel in it.
Matt you might want to go sit in one, I am about an inch shorter than you, but build and trunk legenth make the difference. I suggest you sit in one and see ow you feel in it.
Personally, I think that the 3 is a really versatile package because you get the whole "big car" benefits of owning it such as being able to have four passengers in the car, plus decent space. And you also get BMWs spirited sporty performance. I think the Z is awesome, but the 3 is, in my opinion, much more practical as an everyday car, yet still an amazingly fun car to own and drive.
Follow that list of rules, excellent guidelines there.
Follow that list of rules, excellent guidelines there.
Here is my take on what you should look for.
1. Choosing the car - Look for what you prefer. Do you want a 2 seater or a sedan/coupe. Look at the resale value - what are used ones selling for? Look at how long it takes to sell the car (I expect Z's will take longer than a 3 series - then again the 318 is a tough sell)
2. Unless you are very knowledgeable about cars, don't buy private party or from a used car lot. The reason you pay more for a Certified car is because your local BMW dealer is putting BMW (the manufacturer) on the line. If the dealer blows the certification, the manufacturer pays. A car must pass certain criteria to be certified - no accidents, clean title, no rust repair, mileage limitations, fully serviced (these cars are not cheap to service/repair), tires/brakes are at least 50% or better, etc. You also get an additional year of warranty and mileage warranty increases to 100,000. If you were purchasing a cheap car, you could take a chance on a private party, but $22K is a lot to lose if you get a "bad" car.
Also, consider the reason most people get rid of their old car.
- They just had it in the shop and their mechanic told them it would cost $$$$ to fix. They would rather dump the car and use the repair cost for down payment. This is the category most sellers are in.
- The car is a lease and the term is up. Typically a good car, but you cannot get your hands on this car, unless BMW dealers refuse the car and it goes to auction (if the dealers don't want it, why would you?). These are the cars the BMW dealers keep, certify and resell.
- The seller has grown tired of the car and wants something else. A good used car, but how do you (the buyer) differentiate from the seller who knows something is wrong?
- The seller needs something different (just had another child and has outgrown the car, can't afford the car, etc). Another good car, but again, how do you know the seller isn't trying to dump his problem car on you?
- The car was in an accident, was repaired and the owner has bad feelings or the car is still under warranty, but the dealer has not been able to remedy the problem. These may seem like good cars, but I would avoid them. Cars are not designed to be smashed, then repaired (cars are designed with crumple zones - you cannot repair this to the level the engineer designed it to).
I am an auto broker and I deliver about 375-400 cars per year. I have heard all the stories about how great a trade in is, but when it goes to the dealer that purchases the car, then goes up on the lift everything changes. Most people will keep their old car until it becomes too expensive to fix. This typically happens after they've dumped some money into their car, then it needs more and finally more. They dump the money pit and start fresh with a new car.
Good luck and I hope you listen to the points I've given.
1. Choosing the car - Look for what you prefer. Do you want a 2 seater or a sedan/coupe. Look at the resale value - what are used ones selling for? Look at how long it takes to sell the car (I expect Z's will take longer than a 3 series - then again the 318 is a tough sell)
2. Unless you are very knowledgeable about cars, don't buy private party or from a used car lot. The reason you pay more for a Certified car is because your local BMW dealer is putting BMW (the manufacturer) on the line. If the dealer blows the certification, the manufacturer pays. A car must pass certain criteria to be certified - no accidents, clean title, no rust repair, mileage limitations, fully serviced (these cars are not cheap to service/repair), tires/brakes are at least 50% or better, etc. You also get an additional year of warranty and mileage warranty increases to 100,000. If you were purchasing a cheap car, you could take a chance on a private party, but $22K is a lot to lose if you get a "bad" car.
Also, consider the reason most people get rid of their old car.
- They just had it in the shop and their mechanic told them it would cost $$$$ to fix. They would rather dump the car and use the repair cost for down payment. This is the category most sellers are in.
- The car is a lease and the term is up. Typically a good car, but you cannot get your hands on this car, unless BMW dealers refuse the car and it goes to auction (if the dealers don't want it, why would you?). These are the cars the BMW dealers keep, certify and resell.
- The seller has grown tired of the car and wants something else. A good used car, but how do you (the buyer) differentiate from the seller who knows something is wrong?
- The seller needs something different (just had another child and has outgrown the car, can't afford the car, etc). Another good car, but again, how do you know the seller isn't trying to dump his problem car on you?
- The car was in an accident, was repaired and the owner has bad feelings or the car is still under warranty, but the dealer has not been able to remedy the problem. These may seem like good cars, but I would avoid them. Cars are not designed to be smashed, then repaired (cars are designed with crumple zones - you cannot repair this to the level the engineer designed it to).
I am an auto broker and I deliver about 375-400 cars per year. I have heard all the stories about how great a trade in is, but when it goes to the dealer that purchases the car, then goes up on the lift everything changes. Most people will keep their old car until it becomes too expensive to fix. This typically happens after they've dumped some money into their car, then it needs more and finally more. They dump the money pit and start fresh with a new car.
Good luck and I hope you listen to the points I've given.