paulr

Hi,
I'm looking to buy a used BMW compact in the summer and wondered if you could give me any general advice.

My first instinct is to buy from the local BMW dealer,which is actually in my village.I know you pay more but you do get peace of mind, a warranty,and a large choice.
The other choice is to buy privately,but i would have to get it checked out first.

My questions are;

1.Is there any way of getting it cheaper from a main dealer or is it just a case of haggling.What other advantages do you get from main dealers?

2.If you buy it private who would you recommend to do a check.The AA do one for about £150.Are their any guarantees with this?

3.Is it possible to buy an independant warranty,ie buy a car privately but also buy an independant warranty from a third party.
Does such a thing exist?

Anyway any tips about buying a used car would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.
Paul.

PS.I know its not a Subaru but i was recommended this board, and i'm sure buying a BMW can't be much different from buying a 'scooby'.

MattN

main dealers will always be expensive. Private sales are always cheapest and you never know they may be desperate to sell and you get a good deal.

You can buy after market warranties for about £200 but they are not a sgood as a main dealer warranty both in respect of hassle and actually paying out.

An HPi check guarantees against incorrect information but as for an inspection I doubt it. Always do an HPi if a recent one has not been perfomed by the dealer.

Personally I'd go private if you have no car to sell. If you do p/ex saves a lot of hassle and in todays market it is aLOT of hassle indeed.

jbryant

Paul,

May be worth checking what they offer in PX on your current car. My dealer gave me £2k Part exchange on a battered 8 yr old Escort I would have taken £200 for. I guess it was just so he could get a sale - this makes the price differential between private/dealer come down a bit further.I can't reiterate enough what you've said about getting over-excited about a car. After an old car like escort/astra, anything you look at will be fantastic. You've got a motor at the moment so you can afford to be fussy. Know what you want EXACTLY before you go in and don't be swayed (unless you gives you a mad PX then you can bite his hand off!)

Good luck!

Cheers
Joolz

Steve Ellis

buying privately? here goes...

DONT GET excited because you'll up the price of the car (as the owner will see that you like it) and you will also miss faults, as you have stated.

Get it HPi checked. Doesnt matter if the seller says it is clear, we have a certificate already etc, DO IT again.

Check that the Log Book is in the sellers name and address. If it isnt then walk away, it's a trader trying it on.

Always view the car at the owners address.

Dont buy a car from someone who is selling it for their 'mom/dad/aunty/dog/dead goldfish'. A trader again.

Always try and look at a few of the same cars, drive them. You'll be amazed at how the same model of car can so feel different ie. good example and a bad example.

If you're not mechanically ok, take someone who is. Check all that you can. Take a compression tester (borrow one/buy one), a h/gasket tester (£40). Look for oil leaks etc etc (you get my drift)...

You simply must drive it for atleast 1/2 hr to check it's all ok.

Dont underestimate your instincts. If something does not 'feel' right then walk away. There will always be more cars.

Remember that YOU, the buyer, is in control. You can walk away, the seller cannot. It's definately a buyers market at the moment.

Dont be pressured into leaving money. Stay in control, think mean, remember you earnt your cash, dont waste it!

ps do a search on the web, loadsa stuff on what to do.

paulr

Thanks Guys,

What you've said tends to reinforce my instincts.Getting from a dealer you tend to have more time and choice.Ok you may pay a bit more,but i'd rather pay an extra £1000 and get what exactly what i want ,than £8000 and regret it weeks later.
Also p/x may be worthwhile.I always thought you got a better deal without p/x?.Maybe not.

Finally you're right about getting exited.I know from experience that in the past,when i've found what i want,i tend to gloss over problems.
I think the best way to buy privately is from someone you know and have time to think about it before it gets advertised.Buying one thats advertised can sometimes be a bit of a rush,'someones coming tomorrow to see it' etc,etc

Anyway cheers.
Paul

father_jack

Paul - not sure if you want the old or new shape compact, but if it's the old shape one I wouldn't. You can't get a 6-cylinder engine in them in this country - what is the point of a 4 cyl BMW anyone? old M3 excepted.
Plus the rear suspension is crap cos there's no room.
Just my €0.03 worth.

IanWatson

Simple tip - not original but it's a winner!!

If you're calling up what looks like a private ad - ask initially for information about 'the car'. Don't mention what make/model/colour the car should actually be or when/where you saw the ad.

Easy to spot and avoid the traders, 'cos they won't have a clue which motor you're talking about.

Having said that, I'm a salesman by career and think I'm a fairly shrewd negotiator blahblahblah - but I always let my heart rule my head when it comes to cars!!

Best of luck.

paulr

Old shape.The 1.8ti is a 4cyl ,i think.Has to be a balance between performance and economy,cos i drive so many miles per year.30 miles /day to work.
Other choice is Audi A3,but seem expensive for what is a posh VW.

DavidBrown

There's a guy I use who will buy a car to order from main dealers at trade price and just adds £500 to cover his effort.

The Land Rover I bought was up for £15.5K on the forecourt from a main Land Rover dealer. He paid £11,500 for it. I paid him £12K. Job done.

Nick Hall from Crosshall Motors is his name.

Can give you full details if you're interested.

paulr

Hi David,
Would you still get a main dealer warranty?

father_jack

Why not get a Mini - thats a modern 1.6 BMW - cheap servicing, warranty etc.

DavidBrown

"Also this guy,if you dont mind me asking,how does he do it?"

He's just a trader. It's quite common for dealers to move cars around for the same money they paid for them (and not the bloated figures you see on the forecourt)

Just take a look at a guide like Glass or Parkers, there's always a A1, Good, Fair price, and then a trade price which is much lower than A1/Good.

paulr

Thanks Dave,
I'm not getting the car till the summer so i'll keep it in mind.
Its definately worth thinking about.
Cheers
Paul.

MattN

couple of points I picked up on,

firstly about the reg doc. It doesn't need to be the sellers address ata ll. It should be but don't dismiss it, listen the reason. I (until recently) lived in a short term rented accomodation and as such had all my post put to my parents address including the V5 (reg doc). They live in Devon and I lived near London. I simply stated that it was my 'home' address, I supported it with recent bills etc to prove it was in fact my address, the point being, don't dismiss it on the basis the address you are viewing it at is not the address on the V%, as long as there is a decent explanation.

A car on a forecourt doesn't mean it's a good car, my friend traded in a Rover cabriolet which was f**ked, on the main dealers forecourt now.

And to really set the cat amongst the pigeons - full service history, not worth the paper it's printed on, I had a nissan 200sx with full Nissan Service History, great I thought, until the turbo packed in due to the wrong kind of oil being used. Muppets.

Basically, it's a minefield, make sure your happy with whatever you do, any doubts walk away.

paulr

Hi
Thanks.
The only thing buying private is i tend to get over-exited about getting a new car and overlook faults.Then regret it afterwards.


[Edited by paulr - 1/11/2002 7:00:17 PM]

DavidBrown

No, but:

1. The car will be on main dealer forecourts, and therefore isn't the usual second hand rubbish that ends up and back-street places. i.e verified mileage, checked thoroughly for accidents, and usually low mileage. Prepared for sale, with the 70-point check (or whatever) already done.

2. Main dealer warranties can be bought, after all, they're only an insurance policy. Whenever I've bought a second hand car from a deal, I'm surprised to find that the purchase price included a £500 warranty.

So, you could buy a main dealer policy for say £700 and you'd still be £2-3K better off for a main dealer car.

[Edited by DavidBrown - 1/9/2002 7:34:03 PM]

paulr

On the BMW site there's loads for sale,typically

T reg,32,478miles 316i,cosmos black metallic.£10,495,at a Manchester dealer.

As you say,it won't be any old crap.Full service history,etc.If its £10,495 on the BMW site what sort of price could i get it for.
Secondly,can you specify an exact car at a specific dealer,ie the one above,or do you just give him a model/mileage/years/colour etc and get whatever comes along?
Also this guy,if you dont mind me asking,how does he do it?

Thanks
Paul.

[Edited by paulr - 1/9/2002 9:27:01 PM]