BMW 335i pre purchase questions

[spicey]

Hi all.
I am very keen on a automatic 2007 BMW 335i 4 door sedan, white in colour. The price is R205k. The car has the sports pack and navigation system. It has pedal shift gearing as well. I had a look at the car and it is in an immaculate condition. All 4 tyres have been replaced with new run flats.
The car has just come out of plan some time in July and the 100 000km has been done. The milage is around 102000km.
I have never owned this kind of car before and have a few reservations based on some quick research on the net.

My questions:

1. Is there a possibility of extending the motor plan and if so, what are the costs
2. I intend using this car for business use (I do about 2500km a month). How practical is it
3. What will be my average running cost in terms of maintenance and wear and tear
4. What can I expect to pay for business insurance (I'm 30 odd)
5. How reliable is this car
6. What are the known issues and are these very costly to remedy
7. What would be my average fuel consumption for city and highway driving (for both heavy foot and economical driving)
8. Is the auto gearbox problematic

Thanks guys.

 

[Twinz]

To answer your question in a nutshell.

A 2007 335i is not suitable for your business purpose especially being out of MP. Try a diesel.

The 335 is an enthusiast vehicle. The 2006/7 335s had quite a few issues which can be fixed but costly out of MP.

 

[spicey]

Howzit dude
Thanks for your reply.
I am very much a motoring enthusiast and enjoy the thrill of the car. I have driven a few 335s now, and really appreciate the car.
This car has been meticulously maintained and was driven by an elderly guy. Its stock and appears to be in excellent mechanical condition. I did however pick up some electrical issues with the windows etc.
Bmw is gonna do a full report on the car on Monday and repair whatever needs to be sorted before i sign for it.
Does this change your opinion on the car in any way? Do u still have reservations if i use it for business usage if everything has been sorted?

 

[Bayn46]

Honestly, if I was doing 2,500km a month, I'd grab a low mileage, still under motorplan, facelift 320d auto.

Good amount of power, great economy and benefit of an active motorplan.

As Twinz mentioned, putting 2,500km a month on a 2007 335i could cost you in the long run. It's luck of the draw really.

 

[Raybimmer]

Hi , welcome to the fanatics forum .

1 . Motorplan extension may be say R25K , it depends on the kilos done -this car has done 100000 km , maybe a bit high .
2 . That is 30000 km a year , so 2 services . Practical - maybe but not cheap for this ammount of kilo's .
3 . 2 services a year and a few small items...R10K a year and up .
4 . Profile dependant .
5 . No worse than others , depends on how you look after it , it can be a money pit when neglected .
6 . Google and do not get a big surprise . Will be expensive unless you do ow kilos , so be warned .
7 . Its not an economical car , gets thirsty when working .
8 . The auto will be an issue if it has been abused .

Good luck , look at a 330d with software and a few mods its an economical workhorse , do not forget the 320d - can be made to move !!

 

[spicey]

Honestly, if I was doing 2,500km a month, I'd grab a low mileage, still under motorplan, facelift 320d auto.

Good amount of power, great economy and benefit of an active motorplan.

As Twinz mentioned, putting 2,500km a month on a 2007 335i could cost you in the long run. It's luck of the draw really.

Thanks Bayn and Twinz.
Your advice is good and i will definitely sleep over it.
Not too keen on the 320d. Your opinions on the 330i E46 and E90.
Sweet looking 330 Bayn. I love that car with the individual kit!
:inlove:

---

Hi , welcome to the fanatics forum .

1 . Motorplan extension may be say R25K , it depends on the kilos done -this car has done 100000 km , maybe a bit high .
2 . That is 30000 km a year , so 2 services . Practical - maybe but not cheap for this ammount of kilo's .
3 . 2 services a year and a few small items...R10K a year and up .
4 . Profile dependant .
5 . No worse than others , depends on how you look after it , it can be a money pit when neglected .
6 . Google and do not get a big surprise . Will be expensive unless you do ow kilos , so be warned .
7 . Its not an economical car , gets thirsty when working .
8 . The auto will be an issue if it has been abused .

Good luck , look at a 330d with software and a few mods its an economical workhorse , do not forget the 320d - can be made to move !!

Thanks very much for those answers bro.
It seems like you guys have saved me from kaing a huge mistake so i really appreciate your inputs. I will steer clear of this one.
So would you guys think that the 330i or 330d will suite my needs? I want a car with some grunt and good all round performance, whilst still having money for bread and milk. :thumbdo:

Your thoughts....

 

[CamZo]

330d ftw! Check out promotecs page he is a forum sponsor.... They did 2 330d's, with amazing results

 

[///Shaun]

To answer your question in a nutshell.

A 2007 335i is not suitable for your business purpose especially being out of MP. Try a diesel.

The 335 is an enthusiast vehicle. The 2006/7 335s had quite a few issues which can be fixed but costly out of MP.

100% agreed with TWINZ

 

[Jacques24]

I would do it (buy it), the price is good and if the car gets checked by BMW even better, if you know the history, excellent

 

[Quartermile300]

To answer your question in a nutshell.

A 2007 335i is not suitable for your business purpose especially being out of MP. Try a diesel.

The 335 is an enthusiast vehicle. The 2006/7 335s had quite a few issues which can be fixed but costly out of MP.

+1

The 330d has alot of power you will get that rush and also economical in my opinion

 

[msm]

330d ftw! Check out promotecs page he is a forum sponsor.... They did 2 330d's, with amazing results

:+1: :rollsmile:

 

[Bayn46]

Thanks Bayn and Twinz.
Your advice is good and i will definitely sleep over it.
Not too keen on the 320d. Your opinions on the 330i E46 and E90.
Sweet looking 330 Bayn. I love that car with the individual kit!
:inlove:

Thanks I love the car, found the perfect setup. A good condition 2004 E46 330i is very hard to come by, so if you're not in a rush, it's worth the wait, otherwise a good E90 will be a bit easier to find, being newer.

Since you're up at altitude, I'd take the 330d over the 330i, also because the auto box is better suited to the turbo'd cars (I assume with all that driving that you would prefer an auto).

If you get a pre-facelift 330d (2007ish), you can do what the Promotec guys suggest and take it to BMW to have the software updated to the facelift specs (about R800 I think). It won't be as quick as a 335i, but hell, it's pretty damn close.

 

[Reese130]

to me it would depend entirely on how much cash reserves you have. if you can afford to cash out 10k or maybe even 30k for repairs if something goes wrong then do it. If you have a heavy foot you more likely to develope problems and use shit loads of fuel. If you want good power and dont wanna use lots of petrol then you cannot beat a 330d! take one for a drive you will be shocked how awesome they are. apparently with software almost as quick as a 335. but with half the fuel consumption... i have a 135i and i do lots of mileage, my fuel bill is not light to say the least.. I think a factor would be what car are you driving at the moment? E90 320d is also an awesome car if its an upgrade on your current ride!!! again the power will surprise you! and the fuel consumption is unbelievably good! with software the diesels are sleepers of note!

 

[Mike1]

The 335i is a magnificent car, its a great motor with great thrills but for what you are after I dont think its the best car for the job.

Whilst the diesel may seem like a less "exciting" car I urge you to go drive a stock 330d and not come back giggling like a little girl. :rollsmile:

Add software and you have 185kw at the wheels with enough torque to kick-start a small planet whilst averaging 6.6L/100km on the long road and 7.4 to 8 max in heavy town driving.

Even the 320d with software can give you around 150kw of fun with even better economy.

If you go for the diesel, make sure it is an auto as the diesels do a lot of shifting which can be tiring at the end of a journey.

Besides, the 335i is a car to be enjoyed when at its limits and honestly - Where are you in your daily drive ever going to utilise even half the power that car has, whereas with the diesel you get all the benefits and a lot of poke when you need it.

Reckon I closed this one nicely. :roflol:

 

[///M_Diesel]

Whilst the diesel may seem like a less "exciting" car I urge you to go drive a stock 330d and not come back giggling like a little girl. :rollsmile:

Giggling :roflol: i see u enjoyed the short spin :rollsmile:

 

[Twinz]

Reckon I closed this one nicely. :roflol:

A strong argument Mike :thumbs: Also the reason why my 120d is my daily drive for business. The 335 is just to show off :rollsmile:

 

[outlaw335]

Have to agree with Mike here! I think diesel is the way to go.I do the same mileage a month and the diesel saves me bucket loads,can't imagine my fuel bill if i had to use the 335 daily :flyfun:

You sound alot like me i.e before the diesel came along.I would consider anything,anything except a diesel lol.My old man bought a X5 3.0d and i was so impressed i got the 320d.I don't think i'll ever not have at least one diesel in the garage,they are awesome cars with plenty of grunt.

Another thing is due to the mileage we do daily,oil changes are a bit frequent but ag,nothing serious.Take one for a test drive,it will completely change your outlook on them :thumbs:

 

[Raybimmer]

Barkie on the forum had his e46 330d eat swirl flaps . After having the engine repaired he did around 5 litre per 100 km on the open road from Fort Beaufort to East London and back .:thumbs::thumbs:
I get about 11.5 with the e34 540i 6-speed :thumbdo:
Maybe pm him and ask what he thinks after he had the software done .
I hate tractors , but take my hat off to the economy and torque .:thumbs:
Good luck .