Change cars or stay?

[kili1]

Hi

So I own a 2012 F30 BMW 320i auto. My mileage is currently sitting at 101000 KM and I did not extend the m-plan. The car does not have any problems or issues so far (touch wood). The car has been maintained well with oil changes every 10000km or so. Last year there was a whining noise from the engine and it was found out to be the oil pump chain so that was replaced under warranty.

Now here's my dilemma. I heard notorious stories about N20 engines that fail etc. and would cost 100k and up to get the engine fixed/replaced. Extended warranties doesn't cover that much. And, I got told that BMW 320d/330d hardly gives any issues.

Would it be better to trade-in my car for a newer BMW 320d/330d so that I can be at peace or should I just stick with my current car?

Thanks!

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

Get the 320d that motor is a ticking timebomb..

 

[SubLoaded]

I'd trade :chef:

 

[S1NGH 911]

Trade up and get rid of the N20!

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[CTR]

Get the diesel

 

[Nikhil]

you better off with a 4 or 6 cylinder diesel

 

[TurboLlew]

Get the diesel IMHO

 

[FerdiBotha]

Definitely get out of that car

 

[Carmad]

Well it sounds unanimous but as a matter of interest what is going to happen to this engine? It's a BMW at 100 000! I have seen posts of timing chains going on older N20 but is the cost really enough to justify getting out of the whole car?

 

[Tinuva]

Well it sounds unanimous but as a matter of interest what is going to happen to this engine? It's a BMW at 100 000! I have seen posts of timing chains going on older N20 but is the cost really enough to justify getting out of the whole car?

Is that the same N20 as in this car? https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=85079&pid=1336405
Guess lower powered version at least.

 

[FerdiBotha]

Well it sounds unanimous but as a matter of interest what is going to happen to this engine? It's a BMW at 100 000! I have seen posts of timing chains going on older N20 but is the cost really enough to justify getting out of the whole car?

Is that the same N20 as in this car? https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=85079&pid=1336405
Guess lower powered version at least.

Yes, it’s the same motor. Different turbo etc though.

 

[Fuzz123]

Diesel FTW:fencelook:

 

[Ratslaaf]

If you worried about spending R100k on a motor, how much of a loss you think you gonna take on trading your car in and getting a 320d? It’s all relative

 

[lebofa]

If you worried about spending R100k on a motor, how much of a loss you think you gonna take on trading your car in and getting a 320d? It’s all relative

it depends on how you look at it, trade in and spend the same R100k which will be financed or keep the car and have to fork out the R100k cash out of your pocket. I would trade it in even if it will cost R300k extra, atleast that will be financed and you will pay it back in instalments rather than a huge lump sum you will have to pay when the motor goes to the moon

 

[Wes]

If you worried about spending R100k on a motor, how much of a loss you think you gonna take on trading your car in and getting a 320d? It’s all relative

it depends on how you look at it, trade in and spend the same R100k which will be financed or keep the car and have to fork out the R100k cash out of your pocket. I would trade it in even if it will cost R300k extra, atleast that will be financed and you will pay it back in instalments rather than a huge lump sum you will have to pay when the motor goes to the moon

That's how people stay upside down in finance agreements.

Using that reasoning, you'd be out of pocket for the extra money towards the newer car for a full term, gap cover, potential residual (because the current car is worth less now that it's over 100k km) and so on and so forth.

All of that over a MAYBE?

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[btz461]

Sell it

 

[TurboLlew]

If you worried about spending R100k on a motor, how much of a loss you think you gonna take on trading your car in and getting a 320d? It’s all relative

it depends on how you look at it, trade in and spend the same R100k which will be financed or keep the car and have to fork out the R100k cash out of your pocket. I would trade it in even if it will cost R300k extra, atleast that will be financed and you will pay it back in instalments rather than a huge lump sum you will have to pay when the motor goes to the moon

The numbers need to make sense of course. If they are offering an absurd trade in, then no it doesn't make sense. If the swing is the same ballpark as the cost of a new motor, then the 20/30d starts to make sense as there is also nothing really special (IMHO) about the N20 or F30 that you would want to spend 100K or the time fixing it or getting a new sub etc... R300k swing - not for me thanks (unless it is a major change, much newer car, much better spec etc). I'll take my chances. OP give us some numbers to work with here. What I am trying to say is that financed or not, lucky or not, do you want to potentially spend R100K fixing a 320i N20 at all?

The OP also needs to have R100K cash in his slush fund in case it is required. If I had a car that required a R100K slush fund, I'd buy an E60/3/4 TBH. At the end I'd still have a great car after spending the R100K and not a 320i...

 

[GillesE]

Sorry but there’s nothing cheaper than a paid off car. If you spend the rest of your life trading in and “paying off” the only people getting richer are the banks, not you. Cash is king if you cant afford it cash, you cant afford it.


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[Ratslaaf]

^^^ Sage financial advice. Unfortunately you’ve just excluded 99% of potential consumers out there of being able to purchase a car. And probably 99.99% of people buying a house.

Yes, N20 motors are known for being troublesome. Chain guides, timing chains and turbos. In that order. While you at it, replace the gearbox radiator as well, as the seals in these perish and you end up with coolant in the gearbox. These are the problematic areas. If I owned one out of MP, I’d rather suggest these items are attended to as a preventative measure, and it will be nowhere near R100k to do so. In fact, getting the chain guides and timing chain done will probably be under R20k. R5k for the gearbox radiator. Put another R20k away for the turbo, in case that fails down the line, and you’ll be pretty safe as far as reliability goes.

You’ll take a horrible bath trading in a 320i F30, probably 30% less than trade, simply because there’s so many of them. The secondhand market is saturated with them. Trying to get into even a decent secondhand 320d will be much more than an additional R100k.

 

[lebofa]

Sorry but there’s nothing cheaper than a paid off car. If you spend the rest of your life trading in and “paying off” the only people getting richer are the banks, not you. Cash is king if you cant afford it cash, you cant afford it.


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True, but I would rather trade before paying off the car to be in a newer and much better car. After all a car is not an investment, treat it same way that you would treat spending on an overseas holiday once every year. The only people you are making richer is the travel agents :fencelook: