Buying a 320d

[veroxious]

Hi guys,

Been trolling the forums for a while and after considering many things I have decided to buy an E46 320d. The only problem is the car I am interested in is in Randburg, JHB and I am in CPT. Spoke briefly to the dealer but he was not all that forthcoming. He says they do not have the cars books or service history - so I asked him for the VIN no to which he replied that the car was not serviced at BMW.

I have been searching for an E46 320d for months now and this particular one ticks all my boxes in terms of spec and look.

So to cut a long story short I need someone who knows 320d's well and can check out the vehicle for me. Seeing that I have never owned a diesel car before it would be pointless for me flying up to JHB only to not make a good assessment of the vehicle seeing that I have no experience of what a healthy 320d sounds and drives like.

Anybody willing and able? Pretty please with a BMW badge on top.........
:ty::ty::ty:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

How can the car not have been serviced by BMW, when it once had motorplan. This one sounds a bit dodgy to me.

 

[veroxious]

How can the car not have been serviced by BMW, when it once had motorplan. This one sounds a bit dodgy to me.

I assume he bought the car on auction which is very popular with dealers these days and therefore did not get the service books with the car....

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Well he should be able to give you the vin.

Look at this E46 320D:

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=46324

 

[Midas335i]

This dealer sounds dodgy :nonono:

 

[netercol]

He says they do not have the cars books or service history - so I asked him for the VIN no to which he replied that the car was not serviced at BMW.

forget about this car..

 

[Midas335i]

How about posting the ad details and I'll call the dealer to quiz him :rollsmile:

 

[Yuben]

Personally I would not go for the E46. Heard of plenty issues on them. Think BMW perfected those issues on the E90.

 

[RAArmstrong]

Personally I would not go for the E46. Heard of plenty issues on them. Think BMW perfected those issues on the E90.

I think you're okay provided its an LCI E46, heard that pre LCI had turbo issues :dunno:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Lci E46 is fine.

 

[Dippies]

He says they do not have the cars books or service history - so I asked him for the VIN no to which he replied that the car was not serviced at BMW.

forget about this car..

+1 :nonono: Forget about it

 

[Nikhil]

Rather go for a 2004 - 2005 330d :thumbs:

 

[veroxious]

How about posting the ad details and I'll call the dealer to quiz him :rollsmile:

Thanks...... I need a need a diesel enthusiast to actually test drive it....I had a look at Leon's car post listed by Sabretooth and it looks like a really solid buy....... dunno why this particular one is making my head spin....

Anyhat, here it is http://www.rightcars.co.za/showroom/

Anyone had any dealings with this dealer? Down here in CPT ...... places like O & J car sales have a reputation for ripping the public off. Is this the JHB equivalent of O & J?

On a side note...... this is a temporary measure ..... I intend upgrading to an E90 after 2-3 years. I do not want to have big financing on a car at the moment....... my gut is telling me interest rates are on the verge of climbing...65K is my max budget for now. Also the 320d represents a substantial saving on my current fuel bill as my current car uses almost double the amount of fuel per 100km. A 330d is a more sensible buy but it is also quite a bit more and less frugal than the 320d.

Thanks to everyone who posted a response.

 

[Naruto]

Hmmm not to scare you or anything but that dealer isn't top notch, maybe look at something else.

 

[veroxious]

Hmmm not to scare you or anything but that dealer isn't top notch, maybe look at something else.

Thanks for the honest feedback.... I really need some of that.:=):

 

[sash]

Right cars are known for buying cars on auction and selling them at lower prices than other dealers. I was looking at a E90 from them and they no information on it and after questioning them they mentioned that the car was from an auction and they had no history. They also make no attempt to get the history prior to the sale. You will be lucky if you can get an AA test out of them.

 

[Leon]

I'm neg. on my car
You are welcome to have a look
I can PM you the VIN if you want

 

[Forza ///M]

Like most replied, I will also settle for an E90 320D. They have decent power and the fuel economy is awesome.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I'm neg. on my car
You are welcome to have a look
I can PM you the VIN if you want

this one comes with history and a seller willing to state every thing on it. Why take the chance with Right Cars?

 

[Gilbert]

When you want to buy a car the deal must feel right.
This deal doesn't feel right.
Like the guys said, rather look for something else.