Hi, Someone I know is looking into buying a used BMW and came across 3 promising candidates. He wanted to stay under 20K and preferably near 15k. He has good credit. The first candidate is a 2001 330i with Sports and Premium package and the Harmon Kardon upgrade with CD Changer. Its in very good condition. It has 58500mi, and was listed for $17k, which made someone haul tail to the dealership selling it. Checked it out, test drove it, got googly eyed over it, and was ready to sign. Then the sales guy came back from his Mgr and said there was a terrible mistake and the price advertised was incorrect, it's actually just under $22k. Dejected, as he thought he found a deal of a lifetime, he still thought it was and ok deal as the KBB price was above $22K. He wants this car but it's out of his price range he was trying to stay under. But...he did see a crack in the front windshield which the dealership promised to replace, then he noticed the covers for the xenon lights were cracked, which he asked the dealership to fix also. But all in all, very good condition and drives good. The second was in dealership across the freeway is a 1995 M3 Coupe that has 66,000mi. It's going for just under $16K. Very good condition. But when the car's info was fed into KBB, it's value there was $2000 less. Nonetheless a sweet ride. The 3rd is a private party's 2000 323i that has just under 77,000mi. Owner is asking for $15,500. Also in very good condition and drives clean. But KBB private party sell value is $14580. Any BMW experts care to chime in which seems like the better deal and the pros and cons of each selection? Thanks.
I would keep looking. The 323i has too small an engine, IMO. The M3 is already 10-11 yrs old. And the 330i sounds kind of shady with the cracked windshield and headlight cover. Are these actual BMW dealerships? In any case, my understanding is that BMW's don't hold up to well with age. At least not as well as Benz's. You should ask to have the car seen by your personal mechanic before agreeing to any deal.
I would stay away from the BMW---very expensive to perform normal service on....not durable...Insane cost to replace a head gasket- $2500.00 The Benz is more durable- though just as expensive to work on-better made I think than BMW. I like the Japanese cars - better dealer networks and parts = cheaper - more reasonable service cost....
Benz = reliable? Give me what your smoking. After purchasing a BMW, I would never own a vehicle other than a BMW as long as I can afford it.
I would avoid the M3 because of its age. The cost of ownership would likely be pretty high. The 323 IMO is underpowered but he is more likely to find one of them around 15k. I did a lot of research on the 3 series a few months ago when I was looking for a new car. My general conclusion was that the E46 (1999-2005) model was it was a pretty reliable car but the repair costs could get a little high. One thing to pay attention to is the seat material. Leather was an extra cost option on the 3 series and the standard in was leatherette (vynel) Also the wear of the leather on the E46 is also notoriously poor so be sure to look at it closely. I would think that if he is patient he could probably find a nice 2001 330i for around 20k or maybe less. With the new model being launched you may see a deprecitaion hit on the old ones. Depending on where he lives there should be quite a few 330i automatics around. If he is looking for a Ci (coupe) he may have to look a bit harder. I would suggest that he spend some time pricing them on autotrader. Also here is a link to a very active 3 series forum: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/
i read in Car magazine (yenno the euro one) about europeans' ratings on car manufacturers and their reliability. Benz was like 9th or 10th or something like that. I mean that's still pretty high, but when you're below the likes of toyota and honda and you're cars are thousands more, it's pretty funny.
Go for the '01...The M3 is sort of intriguing(Low miles for a 10 year old car), but it's still 10 years old.
7/14/04 - The Diesel making a point of his premium value in the marketplace as compared to otherwise more mundane assets: "Im the Benz sittin on chrome 24's, spinnin, black on black, faster than the V-12 ridin down I-95 to miami. Not the BMW. I'm the Benz."
First of all, are you basing these on internet "facts" or real life facts? I can attest to Benz unreliability first hand. Something in the motor broke right after the warranty expired, cost $5,000 to fix it. Door locks doesn't work. Tranny is starting to go out. Check engine light is constantly on from a o2 sensor thats defective/broken. This is just a small list of "reliability issues" with our Benz.
I've had 2 Benz's in the past. The vast majority of my relatives have or had em at some point. Most of my (non-Jewish) friends have at least one. Never heard of all these problems that you mention. Only hear good things, in fact. But from the few trips I've taken to Germany, it seemed like BMW is just their version of Pontiac over there! Perhaps GermanRoxFan or SJC could corroborate this for us
M3.... (MOUTH HANGS OPEN).. I got to drive one (it was a 2002) and DAMN I was blown away at what that car could do.. I dont think I would sink that much cash into that old of a M3 though,, but out of those that's the one I would pick..
The M3 is at an actual BMW dealership. The 330i is at an Infiniti dealership that got it in a trade in. He received the carfax to it and it's clean with one owner. I kinda didn't want this turn into BMW vs. Benz. I think he's already looked into Benzes. Autotrader has pretty much the same prices for comparable 330is. And he lives in Htown. I fully agree with you on waiting but I'm afraid that guy has gotten attached to that 330i and has that "If I pass this up there won't likely be another one in this condition and features again" syndrome. But I think he's strong enough to walk away.
The 95 M3s are not the same as the 2001+ M3s, the newer ones are much more powerful. I believe the 95 has 240HP while 2001 has 333. I would go for the 2001 330, it has 225HP which should be good enough, the 323 is a bit underpowered. All of them should handle very nice.
Why does so many people love the European cars? Is it just the performance factor? I am sure the Japanese cars are more reliable and much cheaper.
It's a status thing. What would you be more impressed with? A guy pulling up in a brand new Toyota Corolla or a guy pulling up in a 3 yr old MB C230. They are about the same price so why?
But look at the cars talked about in this thread. 2001 BMW for 22K or I could buy a brand new Camery or Accord for less, count me as one of those that would never go about trying to impress someone with an USED BMW or Benz.
OK maybe this will make it clear. How many people say "If I win the lottery I'm gonna buy a new Honda"? I don't think many. People equate BMW and M-B with wealth.
