Advice on buying a BMW, any info appreciated.
 

I'm thinking of changing my car soon which is a Focus, i've never owned a BMW before and i wouldn't mind one. I haven't got a clue about BMW's to be honest, my average mileage per year is quite low around 10k, would that rule out a diesel as i've heard the BMW diesels are very good with quite a bit of torque. I'm open to suggestions, from what little ive read via google the 6 cylinder ones seem to be the best, is that correct ? The 3 series appeals but i wouldn't have a clue which one to get, ideally something with a bit of torque and a nice sound from the exhaust. My budget will be around £10 - £15k, obviously it's a used one i'm after, ideally something with as low a mileage as i can get and as late a plate as i can get.

Thanks

I had a BMW 530 e60 for a while (used out of warranty). I've been driving old cars now for almost 20 years, and in the two years I had the BMW I spent more on repair costs on that than all the other cars combined (Leaked oil from every single gasket at some point during the two years, and also the cooling system had to have several parts replaced, and the car was on its THIRD cooling system by the time I got my mitts on it according to the paperwork)

​​​​​​Unless I could get an extensive all inclusive warranty I'd never, ever own a used BMW again.

True that, they are nice cars and the 6 cylinder diesel engine is a peach BUT they are not as well built as you may think.

I had an x5 e53 3.0d sport and to be fair it was pretty reliable and I loved it but everything was so expensive. My mate currently has 1 with a knackered diff, most diffs can be rebuilt but not BMW as they never released rebuild kits so other than 2nd hand his only other option is new from the dealer...........£££££

The auc Warranty is very very good though so buy through the dealership and haggle an extra years warranty in with the deal.

I have owned 2 BMW's in the past (both 3 series variants) and I swore I would never buy another. They both brought me zero driving pleasure.

BMW's are ace mate. I'd 100% have another one. I've had an E36 328i coupe with M3 cams etc which was a good laugh and very solidly built. And also an E60 530D which was lovely for daily driving. Had no real trouble with either of mine, although I did clog up the DPF on the 5 series as I cover low mileage only driving round town with occasional motorway. Had to get the DPF gutted and the car mapped.

My good friend also had an E36 - loved it, had an E93 335i - loved it, and currently has an E38 740i - loves it :)

If your mileage is low, I'd consider a petrol 6cyl. You just have to bear in mind that parts costs etc are higher than other marques. And depends what you need to move around on a daily basis? Got kids - get a saloon or tourer. Just you and the mrs - get a coupe or conv. If you get one with good BMW history and from someone who hasn't been afraid to spend a bit of money to maintain (right tyres etc) - you wont go far wrong

I also had an e36 m3 most reliable car i have ever owned had it for 7 years only thing what went wrong was the abs pump and a window regulator other than normal service items obviously

Had one BMW. 318 d. In black

Did not like anything about it.Torch in glovebox nice

However would love a spin in any proper M series and the new 8 looks bloody stunning

Thanks for the feedback, it seems a bit mixed.

I miss my scooby, so if you had a choice between a 2005 Blobeye Sti which is now almost 14 years old or a BMW around 2 years old with low milage, i'd go for a 2 door probably as i think they look more sporty.

every impreza ive sold i have regretted it. age doesnt matter and in my opinion older cars are better than newer cars.

Subaru impreza hold their value extremely well a bmw will lose a chunk every year after you buy it something else for you to think about.

If you get an Xdrive just make sure its got Star Rated Tyres, mates chief technician at BMW Bradford, and you wouldn't believe how much trouble and issues they have with Xdrive and customers not buying the correct tyres, it seems that mixing the tyres hurts the drivetrain somewhat......

this is correct, it screws up the transfer box and you wouldnt want to know how much they are from bmw.

plenty of info over on xdrivers about this

wealth of info on here mate

https://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=60

Hate the sight of them. When someone drives into the yard with one I cringe knowing it's going to be hassle. Parts ridiculous prices accessibility to work on is ridiculous build quality poor. bushings, rose joints, rear wheel bearings etc etc etc. In my opinion buy new trade in before the end of warranty or leave alone. Nothing special about them to drive either. BMW, Mercedes went to pot when they started building diesels. Rant over.

I only like the older ones and quite like my E36 M3 3.2. But in my experience the Subaru parts are far more expensive than BMW's, especially small items like plastic clips,bolts and hoses. I don't know what's up with that but I guess it's mostly Subaru Nordic. I have to order everything overseas. Pretty much all suggested dealer prices on parts.subaru.com equals X2 or more for me. And ebay.de is great for BMW parts. Can't speak for quality on the newer models but my 530i E39 I had for more than 4 years was absolutely brilliant.

As said both petrol and older generation not the new rubbish :thumb:

I'm a similar vein, my 2001 E39 M5 is a wonderful old bus and still going very well with 165k miles under its wheels. It's the only car I've not been tempted to sell within a year. Later ones rather lost their appeal in my eyes 😐

Ive a 2008 325i 3 litre 6 cylinder with the M sport pack.

Very smooth and quiet for long journeys. There's a little exhaust note at the right revs too, but its no comparison to an Impreza. Check the rims for cracking! I've had to get one rim welded twice, and the 'spare' already had 4 welds on it. Tyres aren't cheap either 19 255 30 for the rear (runflats) and 19 225 35 for the front. If I had the choice I'd go with the 18" option for a little more comfort.

I went for an M2 in the end

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...fc91113d86.jpg

That's a lot of bang for buck! :D

It's amazing what you can find if you shop around :lol1:;)

I had a rethink, i was going to do sensible and get a basic BMW but i don't do sensible too easily.

Your 10-15k budget won't have gone far with an m2

How much was it, 30k?

36.5k, it's a 2018 plate DCT with 4,700 miles. You'd be looking at a prefacelift for 30k or a manual.

nice

325i (2008) 3l 6 cylinder: What ever you do don't get the MSport suspension package with the extra low profile tyres... Loves a drop of oil, takes ages to warm up, regular consumables (discs, pads etc) more expensive that most, don't take the traction control off in the wet/greasy conditions... almost wiped out pulling off the drive.

Fairly comfortable over long distance - good a motor way cruising just got 410 miles out of it on trip to Wales and back. Feels like it lacks low end grunt, but that's probably what happens when your used to wodge of power once the turbo kicks in.