New member who needs advice

[Polarys95]

Hi all. 
So i am new and (shocking though it may be) do not own a bmw?. I used to tell my father and brother that i wanted a bmw just to irk them (mercedes fans). In any case, recently i have considering trading in my current car (Kia sportage). And I am now seriously considering a bmw. More specifically a 3 series (f30) possibly a 320i or 320d. Unfortunately my budget is a bit limited (200k). What can i realistically expect in maintenance costs? Are they reliable? What mileage do they start to go wrong? Am i being foolish?
What started off as a joke turned into a strong desire to go bmw?. 
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

 

[Riaad]

Welcome... first bit of advice is to stay away from the f30 320i

 

[BeemerFanatic]

Welcome . 320i prone to timing chain self destructing issues.

 

[UpNcOmiNg!]

Welcome to the forum mate. This place will do very little to help rid you of that itch other than getting you into the seat! :roflol:

The f30 320d is a magic car! Really it is! Well rounded. But get the M-Sport variant, they just feel way more solid on the road than it's other spec couter-parts.
Do some research on the tyre costs as the 19" RFT's come in at around R3.5k each if I am not mistake. The 18" options should be cheaper, but honestly, get the space-saver kit and go Non-RFT if possible.
Other than that, let someone at the dealer run the VIN for you to check for outstanding campaigns as well as comments on the vehicle, you only need the last 8 digits.
Price other things like a full service, a gearbox service with ZF (should be done every 100k Kms DESPITE what BMW says).
They are solid cars otherwise, I think the only other thing would be the usual dampner pulley replacement in time.

All the best with the hunt and maybe chuck a WANTED post up when you feel you are ready! All the best bud! :thumbs: