discussion Inexperienced buyer - How does this car look? (2016 320D sport line)

JordanB

///Member
Send me an email

[email protected]

Please send me as much of the details as follows.

EXAMPLE:

Name and surname: Piet Pompies
Reason for the query: Potential purchase. Want to confirm all is in order
Registration number: BMW 325 GP
Full VIN number: WDC12345A678B910
Full Engine number: BDSV1234
Register number: BMW123GP
Description of the vehicle - Blue BMW E46 325i
Contact phone number: 082 123 4567

As I am audited on all checks I run, I will need as much of this info as possible to comply.

Thank you

Francois
You are awesome! I will email you now :D
 

jld010

Active member
Okes buying 93k mileage BMWs for the badge...respect for making it work..I wouldnt have the guts..do all the necessary checks..VIN..SH..phone The dealerships where the services took place.
 

MR_Y

Well-known member
Okes buying 93k mileage BMWs for the badge...respect for making it work..I wouldnt have the guts..do all the necessary checks..VIN..SH..phone The dealerships where the services took place.
I guess if one buys an almost new car at that mileage, then alarm bells would ring.
But if car is old enough, then that mileage is reasonable.
 

FILV

Well-known member
i agree... i bought my 2012 X3 with 162000km on the clock. i would rather buy a well looked after 10 year old German vehicle than a new cheapie. Personal preference. Also the days of Bmw parts and maintenance being more expensive than Japanese or Korean cars ceased a few years ago.

Run flats being the exception. Although the Author of this thread has the option of buying normal tires that are way cheaper, and just have a mobility kit with him (if budget is tight) and can get a spare wheel at a later time when finances allow.

You should always have at least R10 000 stashed away regardless of what car you own, just in case.

Wonder if he ended up buying the car?
 
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YozTruly

Well-known member
Okes buying 93k mileage BMWs for the badge...respect for making it work..I wouldnt have the guts..do all the necessary checks..VIN..SH..phone The dealerships where the services took place.
Welcome to the forum @jld010 . You have come to the right place to be educated about BMWs. Lots of folks here have real world experience with the brand and offer insight not found on mybroadband or any other “ha ha ha you bought a BMW” forum.

As an aspiring BMW owner myself, I have learned and continue to learn a lot from the folks here.
 

TurboLlew

Honorary ///Member
Okes buying 93k mileage BMWs for the badge...respect for making it work..I wouldnt have the guts..do all the necessary checks..VIN..SH..phone The dealerships where the services took place.

These checks apply to literally any car in SA market including demo stock. You cannot take anything at face value.

circa 100000km/mi is a psychological point (as I've mentioned many times). There are several reasons for this: Here in SA the trope is that cars are meant to last for as long as the motorplan exists which is 100000km... ignoring the fact that many brands only have 45 and 60000km plans and other markets don't have a motorplan at all and those same cars are sold there. This also ignores the fact that you can extend even a Ferrari to 200000km of coverage (granted at cost).

In a market using miles 100K is also that 'magical' point just in miles as opposed to km, despite it being 60000km more.

Sort of the same as someone buying something for R29.95 but not R30. Either way, there are some models to watch out for from every brand out there and they tend to be well documented.

As for new cheap cars: When it costs more to service one (like for like, major and minor) than it does an F10 M5 with double the cylinders, plugs, oil capacity etc then something is very wrong. I have experienced this for myself.
 

Benji

Well-known member
I have never owned a car with less than 100k km and have never owned a running BMW with less than 200k... My current garage mileage:
  • 166k (the only non runner lol)
  • 205k
  • 230k
  • 264k
  • 320k
  • 500k
The way I see it, I am saving the environment by not buying a new appliance :ROFLMAO:
 

jld010

Active member
Welcome to the forum @jld010 . You have come to the right place to be educated about BMWs. Lots of folks here have real world experience with the brand and offer insight not found on mybroadband or any other “ha ha ha you bought a BMW” forum.

As an aspiring BMW owner myself, I have learned and continue to learn a lot from the folks here.
I can learn alot..thanks for that. Cant wrap my head around buying an M car with high mileage..but maybe I need to build a network of fanatics to advise if something goes wrong. I just recently purchased a F82 with 34kmt on the clock..mint condition. Gonna a be asking you guys some questions. Also in my search..lots of M cars had comments. Didnt fill me with lots of confidence regarding these cars. Had a choice between a 2015 M3 per facelift and the 2019 M4..decided the lci was probably the best bet. Maybe I should have broadened my search to higher mileage examples
 

TurboLlew

Honorary ///Member
Thing is that you can have a car that has no comments but which has been involved in a serious crash. You can have one with a R200K comment that was purely cosmetic. A comment is just that: Part of the history. You can decide whether its a 500K structural issue you aren't comfortable with or a fender bender with a panel and some paint. I have come across many with no comments but obvious work. Sometimes this is serious, sometimes just cosmetics and the owner wanted to avoid it having a comment... because this quest for no stories/no comments/low mileage cars in a country where we have crap roads, unlicensed drivers and drive long distances in heavy traffic (generally) sort of feeds the hiding of history, 'adjustments' to mileage that we regularly see in the spotted and for sale threads and the additions of flowery stories.

In my view it is better to have the comment with the history behind it rather than seeing obvious work with no comment. High mileage also trumps a car that presents poorly but has lower mileage. It makes you wonder what else is missing from the story. (Obviously a genuine no comments car is preferable)

I guess what I am saying is that it is ALWAYS buyer beware and the mileage/comments mean little without having all your due diligence done.
 

YozTruly

Well-known member
I can learn alot..thanks for that. Cant wrap my head around buying an M car with high mileage..but maybe I need to build a network of fanatics to advise if something goes wrong. I just recently purchased a F82 with 34kmt on the clock..mint condition. Gonna a be asking you guys some questions. Also in my search..lots of M cars had comments. Didnt fill me with lots of confidence regarding these cars. Had a choice between a 2015 M3 per facelift and the 2019 M4..decided the lci was probably the best bet. Maybe I should have broadened my search to higher mileage examples
I get your point when you speak of M cars. However, most people don’t start there. They start at a 320x. Once they have a feel of the brand, they get more comfortable buying M cars, even with “high mileage”.
 
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