How does someone with very little mechanical knowledge ideally buy a used BMW?

PeterL

Member
You mentioned the Lexus IS as an alternative, so I assume you are looking at compact executive sedans?

I would throw in the VW Passat 1.8T, Honda Accord 2.4 and the Volvo S60 (one of the 5 cylinder models) to also consider. The A4 of that generation (the B8) would have the oil consumption issues in that 1.8T iteration (note that the Passat motor is slightly different). The C-Class is also worth checking out, but may end up being less reliable than the E90 320i. My personal choice would be the Honda 2.4 Accord with a manual box.
I mentioned the Lexus IS since I've read it's an exceptionally good car. Being a Toyota quality is excellent and maintenance is cheaper than other high end cars. I think it's probably also undervalued in the used car market compared to say BMW or Mercedes which have better name recognition in SA. Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong.

I appreciate that you came up with other possible cars, but I've decided to focus on BMW 3-series and Lexus IS. Like MR_Y said above "researching and vetting a car takes significant time and effort and I need to limit the search tree in some way or else I'll spend 80 hours a week on car forums :)
 

PeterL

Member
So I've found a couple of BMW 320d in Capetown. Do you think these two cars look reasonably priced? Anything else that stands out do let me know. I'm curious what you forum regulars look for wen you read car ads.

2011 BMW 320D AUTO - 137 000KMS - R 139,900

2009 BMW E90 320d LCI MSPORT - R 128,999
 

///M Individual

Well-known member
So I've found a couple of BMW 320d in Capetown. Do you think these two cars look reasonably priced? Anything else that stands out do let me know. I'm curious what you forum regulars look for wen you read car ads.

2011 BMW 320D AUTO - 137 000KMS - R 139,900

2009 BMW E90 320d LCI MSPORT - R 128,999

The first one looks good and I think worth it for the price if the accident free and service history part checks out.

Second one looks neglected and doubt true mileage is 100 000kms.
 

Diesel

Active member
The second one i asked Coisman to do a check.

NUR58676 – Silver BMW 320d Auto, 2009-06-04 model, with 207401kms listed 2018-09-22 on the last roadworthy.

No SAPS marks and owner history shows 6 owners, plus 4 dealerships, plus in 2016-12-01 Momentum Short Term Insurance, so Insurance written off as not viable to repair, then in 2017-10-17 Salvage Management and Disposal, so again written off as not viable to repair. In between there was a Mr Thomas that owned it.

Vehicle is currently owned by a Mr Chetty as from 2018-10-03, and is roadworthy and disc valid till 2022-09-30.
 

PeterL

Member
The second one i asked Coisman to do a check.

NUR58676 – Silver BMW 320d Auto, 2009-06-04 model, with 207401kms listed 2018-09-22 on the last roadworthy.

No SAPS marks and owner history shows 6 owners, plus 4 dealerships, plus in 2016-12-01 Momentum Short Term Insurance, so Insurance written off as not viable to repair, then in 2017-10-17 Salvage Management and Disposal, so again written off as not viable to repair. In between there was a Mr Thomas that owned it.

Vehicle is currently owned by a Mr Chetty as from 2018-10-03, and is roadworthy and disc valid till 2022-09-30.
Thanks man. So the second one is basically a scam if I understand your post if it's at 200kkm and not not 100kkm? Do you think they have played around with the odometer or are they just betting the potential buyer will forget to check?
 

///M Individual

Well-known member
Wowsa, looks like you were right about the mileage. How can you tell?

The overall condition of the car was definitely not in line with the mileage bud. This was confirmed by Diesel's post from Coisman. Yes the car mileage has been tampered with to show 100k kms while it has way over 200k kms.
 

PeterL

Member
The overall condition of the car was definitely not in line with the mileage bud. This was confirmed by Diesel's post from Coisman. Yes the car mileage has been tampered with to show 100k kms while it has way over 200k kms.
Good call on your part. Perhaps I could have spotted it in person, but I sure didn't realize it from the pictures.
 

zabbo

///Member
The second one i asked Coisman to do a check.

NUR58676 – Silver BMW 320d Auto, 2009-06-04 model, with 207401kms listed 2018-09-22 on the last roadworthy.

No SAPS marks and owner history shows 6 owners, plus 4 dealerships, plus in 2016-12-01 Momentum Short Term Insurance, so Insurance written off as not viable to repair, then in 2017-10-17 Salvage Management and Disposal, so again written off as not viable to repair. In between there was a Mr Thomas that owned it.

Vehicle is currently owned by a Mr Chetty as from 2018-10-03, and is roadworthy and disc valid till 2022-09-30.

The value and benefits of consulting the forum once again helps everyone out!! One of the best online communities!!
 

PsyCLown

Well-known member
@PeterL As mentioned already, I would not even consider a 320i in the E90 shape. In the F30 shape it would need to be the LCI model with the newer B48 engine as the F30 320i with N20 is also very problematic.

E90 320d is a lovely car, although infotainment is outdated. Good luck trying to find one in good condition at a good price though.
The links you posted, the first one has some changes to the exhaust and no xenon lights. I feel it is a bit pricey for what it is.

As you have just seen, it is not difficult to change the mileage on BMW's, more so than some other cars but it is achievable and it is done on a fairly regular basis by the people who buy them written off and fix them up to resell.
Generally speaking these cars do not have the spare key, also the service history is often missing or they only have up until the motorplan ended. Otherwise there is generally a gap in terms of time on the service ie. The 145k KM service was done in 2019 and now it's 2022 and being sold with 153k KM on the clocks - does not add up that the car would have barely been driven for that long and there should have still at least been the yearly service done. This is the BS the people like to try and pull on you when mileage has been tampered with.

For accident damage, check what is easy - do the body panels and lines of the vehicle line up (top of the doors, spaces between doors and all body panels, bumpers, bonnet etc.), check the stickers on the lights for date of manufacture, do they match and are they inline with the year of the vehicle (2009 model with lights from 2010 or later means its been replaced).
Also take a look and see if there are any mods or things which do not add up - like Msport bumpers but normal steering wheel, or Msport rims with nothing else Msport, rims from F30 or a different range (often they are replica rims and where are the originals?).
Small things like these can help you avoid a bit of a lemon as I feel these cars often have had a hard life or some dodgy shit has gone down with them.

With that being said, you can't go wrong with an E90 320d if you can find one in good condition. They have decent power, they're reliable and decent with fuel consumption and maintenance is lower than other cars and probably cheaper to maintain than a Honda, Volvo or newer VW.
 

PeterL

Member
The links you posted, the first one has some changes to the exhaust and no xenon lights. I feel it is a bit pricey for what it is.
If you don't mind me asking what do you think is a decent price for the car I posted? It's a 2011 320d with 137kkm and he is asking R139K. I sent him a message asking to view it so I can test drive a 320d at least. Assuming it's not yet more trickery is R125000 fair price or would you want to go even lower?
 

Kyle

///Member
If you don't mind me asking what do you think is a decent price for the car I posted? It's a 2011 320d with 137kkm and he is asking R139K. I sent him a message asking to view it so I can test drive a 320d at least. Assuming it's not yet more trickery is R125000 fair price or would you want to go even lower?
Considering the prices of car these days, I would say R130k is fair..... Big ticket items on this car would be the vibration dampener and vbelt service and gearbox / diff service. And then depending on maintenance records it would be a good idea to keep a little aside for suspension related stuff (control arms are very common on E90s). I would say you're in for approx R15k on preventative maintenance.

Another common minor issue on the E90 320d is boost pipe seals, you will notice some sweating around the pipes. The seals are around R800 from BMW.

You also want to look for a 2011+ model as they have the N47T engine with the upgraded timing chain tensioners, also to note is that the above car does not have xenons which is a bummer. IMO the best E90 to look for is a an M Sport with at least xenons and sunroof. Finding one with idrive is rare, but it does make it much more enjoyable on the daily run.
 

PeterL

Member
Considering the prices of car these days, I would say R130k is fair..... Big ticket items on this car would be the vibration dampener and vbelt service and gearbox / diff service. And then depending on maintenance records it would be a good idea to keep a little aside for suspension related stuff (control arms are very common on E90s). I would say you're in for approx R15k on preventative maintenance.

Another common minor issue on the E90 320d is boost pipe seals, you will notice some sweating around the pipes. The seals are around R800 from BMW.

You also want to look for a 2011+ model as they have the N47T engine with the upgraded timing chain tensioners, also to note is that the above car does not have xenons which is a bummer. IMO the best E90 to look for is a an M Sport with at least xenons and sunroof. Finding one with idrive is rare, but it does make it much more enjoyable on the daily run.
Great post man. I'm sure 130K is doable, because the guy just sent me a PM and without me asking he says 130K is as low as he will go.

Also I wrote down the stuff you told me to check. I can't do it myself, but now I know what to ask the mechanical shop to check for (y)
 

PeterL

Member
For me, personally, the E90 320i is such a vanilla car (poor fuel consumption, mediocre performance) that it does not warrant all the admin/effort to find a good one. I feel that admin/effort may be better spent on a more desirable BMW (say, E90 320d or 325i).
I actually just found a 325i within my budget. It's a 2007, but only 100kkm so lowish mileage. Thoughts?

 

Kyle

///Member
Great post man. I'm sure 130K is doable, because the guy just sent me a PM and without me asking he says 130K is as low as he will go.

Also I wrote down the stuff you told me to check. I can't do it myself, but now I know what to ask the mechanical shop to check for (y)
Where are you based? I'm sure someone here will be able to direct you to a reputable shop.
 

KPM3_30

Moderator
Staff member
I would still go with the 320d/330d over the equivalent petrol model anyway, unless you are a die-hard petrol fan. The only exception I would make is the 335i, the trade off for all that performance is the maintenance schedule - par for the course I suppose.

The diesel offers enough torque to keep you entertained (even more so when tuned), stellar fuel consumption and offers a bit more reliability (in my own experience) than the petrol. The N52 motors are notorious for sludge buildup due to stupidly long service intervals, there's also the cooling system, valvetronic and solenoids to be wary of.
 

FILV

Well-known member
I also say wait for a good 320D, although in this current car market, the prices are ridiculous
But the difference is night and day in terms of drive,power and consumption compared to any Petrol alternative. Especially resale value.

Why not look at an X1 20D too? Based on a E90 Touring, has the same benefits as a 320d, Plus a bit more ground height which is always a must.

That first 320D from Gumtree you listed was a great deal.
 

PeterL

Member
I also say wait for a good 320D, although in this current car market, the prices are ridiculous
But the difference is night and day in terms of drive,power and consumption compared to any Petrol alternative. Especially resale value.

Why not look at an X1 20D too? Based on a E90 Touring, has the same benefits as a 320d, Plus a bit more ground height which is always a must.

That first 320D from Gumtree you listed was a great deal.
I'm viewing the 320D from Gumtree today in the afternoon so perhaps that works out. /Edit
 
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