New and looking to buy

[Junz]

HI Guys,

Happy New year and all the best for 2012.

Im new to the BMW experience and looking to get my first one, iv always tried to buy a car thats not older than 2years,but after looking at the BMW prices from 2010 + its really expensive, I have about R350k that i can spend on a car.

Im looking at the following

323I
320D
325

does year model really make that much difference in a car ?

---

what are your thoughts on the 320D over the 323I

 

[XMAX]

Hello and welcome.

The year model makes a difference to some models.

in 2008 the e90 went through the Facelift model which included cosmetic as well as drive train changes. On the 320d for example, in 2008 there was an engine change from the 130kw to 135kw.

Any car from 2008 to 2011 you should be about the same. Therefore if you go back in year model you should get other models available for that amount of money.

You might be able to get a 330i, 330d, 335i for that kind of money. All with motorplans still active.

the 320d, 323 and 325i are all still great cars. the choice would depend on your needs. the 323 and 325i are 6 cylinder Normally aspirated petrol engines. the 320d is a four cylinder turbo diesel.

like i said above, if you older year model you can expand your options.

still dependant on the application and need. daily driver vs weekend cruiser vs fuel saver.


basically,

323i, 325i, 330i: 6 cylinder Normally Aspirated Petrol:

335i: 6 cylinder turbo petrol:

320d: Four cylinder turbo diesel:

330d: 6 cylinder turbo diesel:


your choice of engine. then you still have to decide on the gearbox..... i.e. Auto or manual.... Thats heated debate on this forum.


Dunno if this helps. But i thought it would be uncool to not say hi.

 

[AshG108]

XMAX! i didnt need to kow all that but i thanked you for giving very good information Junz! good spirit and valued information!
well done!raise:raise:raise:

 

[Junz]

Thanks,

Its goings to be mostly for my wife to drive and for me to have fun with over weekends,

im thinking the 323 with a dsg,will that make for a good drive or rather a 325

 

[Karthik]

Thanks,

Its goings to be mostly for my wife to drive and for me to have fun with over weekends,

im thinking the 323 with a dsg,will that make for a good drive or rather a 325

If you like spirited driving , I wouldn't advice on a 323i , go for a 320d or 325i though at 350k you can find a nice 335i or 330i I must say

 

[frikkieh]

Thanks,

Its goings to be mostly for my wife to drive and for me to have fun with over weekends,

im thinking the 323 with a dsg,will that make for a good drive or rather a 325

If you like spirited driving , I wouldn't advice on a 323i , go for a 320d or 325i though at 350k you can find a nice 335i or 330i I must say

Don't forget the 330d :joy:
:sorry: I was day dreaming again :rollsmile:

 

[Doomsdaya]

If it was just for you then I would say 325i, but since your wife will be using it most of the time, go for the 320d :thumbs:

 

[Yuvan]

its 2012, the world might come to an end, what the hell just get the 335i

LOL

 

[prospect]

At that price I would buy a 335i or a 330d. I wouldn't recommend the 323i and 325i for "spirited driving".

Here is a 2009 335i M Sport for R330k at Club Motors.

 

[Junz]

Thanks, it looks stunning. wonder how the wife will react to this one.

 

[msm]

Thanks, it looks stunning. wonder how the wife will react to this one.

Don't worry about the wife - just buy the car. If you spend the next few nights on the couch, then welcome to the true BMWfanatics club - your gold membership card is in the mail :fencelook:

 

[Junz]

hehe... il check the mail tomorrow

I spoke to a BMW dealer today and he mentioned that the new spec 3 series is coming out in march...does this mean prices on prior models will drop ?

 

[frikkieh]

hehe... il check the mail tomorrow

I spoke to a BMW dealer today and he mentioned that the new spec 3 series is coming out in march...does this mean prices on prior models will drop ?

Nice try, perhaps on some of the older models.

---

:rollsmile:

 

[Charlie Brown]

Hi there Junz

In posted a similar thread about weeks ago, have as quick read through it - great insite from the guys etc. My budget is about the 220k mark and trust me there are heaps of option out there. I have spent a huge amount of hours on the net over the past 2 weeks looking at cars.

With regards your purchase can you give me an idea of the aveage monthly milage you expect do cover in the car and the type of driving she'll be doing.

The new 3 series (F30) is imminent and will definatley have an effect on the later models pricing - so perhaps wait 4 - 6 weeks. I've noticed that on the BMW website they have already removed the 3 series configerator - this leads me to think that they have already started making the F30.

On a budget of 350k, I'd suggest you look at 330i and 335i - you'll loose a lot more on the others you mention - otherwise spend less, you can get a facelifted 323 / 320d for between 245k and 280k.

My 5 cents worth - good luck with the search - I'm in Dbn shout if you want me to go and look at something locally.

 

[msm]

hehe... il check the mail tomorrow

I spoke to a BMW dealer today and he mentioned that the new spec 3 series is coming out in march...does this mean prices on prior models will drop ?

IF, and that's a big IF, the new 3 is priced at a substantial premium, then E90 prices will remain stable for a long while ....

Invariably, prices will drop due to depreciation, mileage, age, etc, but don't expect huge bargains.

 

[XMAX]

The 335i, 330i and 330d are good cars.

for 350k i would definitely say that your best choices are the 335i or the 330d. theyre both awesome cars for spirited driving yet still quite cool low speed cruisers.

both offer super amounts of power standard, and have even better gains when tuned (due to the turbo)...


the f30 will bring down the prices of the e90s, but I suspect that these will most likely be the 320i and 320d variations due to the hi number of them on the roads at present.

 

[Junz]

thanks for the great info guys, will be posting some gems i found on the net soon

 

[prospect]

Prices for the F30 are expected to be 5% more than the E90.

 

[Junz]

ok, so i was at the BMW dealer in RTB and saw a nice 320D exclusive for R350k brandnew....

i think its a good compromise , but also can have a little fun with it

thoughts ?

 

[prospect]

Try and get an M Sport model with 18-inch wheels; Looks 1000 times better! Obviously depends on your maintenance budget, i.e. tyre budget.