Newbie- Dealership or private buy?

[NTD7]

Hi Everyone, newbie here and soon to be first time BMW owner. I'm stuck between a car at the dealership and a colleague's car. Colleagues' car is in mint condition (I will be getting a condition report from DEKRA before buying it). The colleague's car is a G20 330i, dealership car is a G20 320D both cars are similarly specked and have MP expiring in April 2025. I know it's not apples and apples in terms of comparison, but I would be happy with either car, the sticking point now is where I'm sourcing the car from. My issue is that I will be financing the car. So, the big questions are:
1. Is it wise to buy privately on finance?
2. What should I look out/ check for before committing?

 

[PsyCLown]

So when I sold my Audi it was a private deal and the buyer was doing finance, the process was quite thorough and it was managed via a 3rd party finance house if I could call them that.

They first did a background check on the vehicle (I assume via the VIN) and gave that report to the seller, I had to take the car to Dekra (IIRC) for an inspection which also went to the seller for review so that they could decide if they wanted to continue with the deal.

The seller was in CPT, I am based in JHB and he opted to have it trucked down to CPT and even that process was arranged and assisted via the 3rd party company and funds were only relased to me after proof of the being having been dropped off at the trucking company.


So doing finance for a private deal is not something to be concerned about IMO, it can be a bit of a hassle for the seller though and takes longer.
Ultimately I feel you need to decide which car you prefer and/or which car you feel you're getting the better deal on.

330i has a bit more power but revs need to be higher up before it starts to make power, I found the B48 lacking lower down in the rev range.
320d has quite a bit of torque, makes it easy and effortless to drive and fuel consumption will be lower but it does run out of steam.

 

[NTD7]

So when I sold my Audi it was a private deal and the buyer was doing finance, the process was quite thorough and it was managed via a 3rd party finance house if I could call them that.

They first did a background check on the vehicle (I assume via the VIN) and gave that report to the seller, I had to take the car to Dekra (IIRC) for an inspection which also went to the seller for review so that they could decide if they wanted to continue with the deal.

The seller was in CPT, I am based in JHB and he opted to have it trucked down to CPT and even that process was arranged and assisted via the 3rd party company and funds were only relased to me after proof of the being having been dropped off at the trucking company.


So doing finance for a private deal is not something to be concerned about IMO, it can be a bit of a hassle for the seller though and takes longer.
Ultimately I feel you need to decide which car you prefer and/or which car you feel you're getting the better deal on.

330i has a bit more power but revs need to be higher up before it starts to make power, I found the B48 lacking lower down in the rev range.
320d has quite a bit of torque, makes it easy and effortless to drive and fuel consumption will be lower but it does run out of steam.

Hi, thanks for the response. Do you remember if you did a condition report or technical inspection at Dekra?

 

[KPM3_30]

Westbank private to private finance would be ideal, if you go the route of your colleague. They have a process in place to help private deals and the car will require the full Dekra testing.

Decide first if you want a diesel or petrol, do some research on potential upsides and draw backs of each - They are different cars.

 

[PsyCLown]

Hi, thanks for the response. Do you remember if you did a condition report or technical inspection at Dekra?

Seems it was Roadworthy & Condition report which was done at Dekra.

 

[TurboLlew]

The last time I did a private to private deal (I was the seller), I had to do the full technical multipoint inspection at Dekra for the finance to be approved. I guess this will vary by finance house.

That said, this is the safest kind of private deal where you know the car and the seller though. I'd go with the 330i

 

[NTD7]

@KPM3_30 & @PsyCLown I looked up the Wesbank process on their website and they recommend a technical inspection which is more detailed than a condition report.

@TurboLlew I think I'll go with a full inspection as well. Turns out 330i had a comment and repairs done, from the insurance quote, looks like the car was hit front and back (sandwiched) in the accident.

As a first time BMW buyer, this is pointing me towards the 320D since I don't want to have bad first experience, along with fuel efficiency. In all fairness, the 330i looks great, just need to test drive it to get a feel.

Will update, once decided. Thanks for advice guys, appreciate it.

 

[PsyCLown]

@KPM3_30 & @PsyCLown I looked up the Wesbank process on their website and they recommend a technical inspection which is more detailed than a condition report.

@TurboLlew I think I'll go with a full inspection as well. Turns out 330i had a comment and repairs done, from the insurance quote, looks like the car was hit front and back (sandwiched) in the accident.

As a first time BMW buyer, this is pointing me towards the 320D since I don't want to have bad first experience, along with fuel efficiency. In all fairness, the 330i looks great, just need to test drive it to get a feel.

Will update, once decided. Thanks for advice guys, appreciate it.

I agree, a technical inspection would have been better. I had to dig out the form I had to take with me to Dekra and I recall there was a copy of the report shared with me by the buyer but I could not find that in my emails.

Provided a car is repaired properly, it should not be an issue but it can be difficult to tell whether a proper repair job was done or if they took shortcuts.
All can look good from the exterior but that is only one aspect of a repair.

 

[tamgoem]

What is the pricing delta between the two deals?

 

[TurboLlew]

I agree, a technical inspection would have been better. I had to dig out the form I had to take with me to Dekra and I recall there was a copy of the report shared with me by the buyer but I could not find that in my emails.

Provided a car is repaired properly, it should not be an issue but it can be difficult to tell whether a proper repair job was done or if they took shortcuts.
All can look good from the exterior but that is only one aspect of a repair.

Agree here: The owner should be able to show you the extent of the damages if he is a colleague @NTD7 ?

Very easy for this to just have been a front and rear bumper. My wife had this kind of traffic incident on her Kia, Merc and Hyundai to varying degrees - Provided the affected underlying crash structures were replaced and not repaired (and if car was on plan and has been recertified then these were likely done) you are good to go.

Bear in mind values for comments can seem extremely high but it could just be 2 lights, some electronics, a bumper and repairing a fender. This can be a R150K comment but off the grid you may have gotten away with repairing/plastic welding hangers for the lights and plastic welding the bumper etc. That isn't to say panel shops don't take chances - they ALWAYS do - I've had hidden things fixed with Sika/QBond hoping nobody would ever see it even when they charged insurance for eg: new water bottles or sensors with cracked mounts. Anyway, the state of the industry aside, this is where the 'off grid' repairs get sketchy. Plenty of guys willing to pay <50K cash on an (admittedly overpriced and unnecessary) 150K job and maintain the car as 'comment free"

Don't be complacent just because a car has no history of repair or comments. You actually have zero idea whether the 320d has also had a similar repair without a thorough inspection including undercarriage. Also bear in mind that for panels like fenders, bumpers, skirts and doors... anything that isn't the unibody... the used/dodge market sometimes uses the same colour panels sourced from breakers to create the impression of factory paint and maintaining stickers etc.

 

[PsyCLown]

Agree here: The owner should be able to show you the extent of the damages if he is a colleague @NTD7 ?

Very easy for this to just have been a front and rear bumper. My wife had this kind of traffic incident on her Kia, Merc and Hyundai to varying degrees - Provided the affected underlying crash structures were replaced and not repaired (and if car was on plan and has been recertified then these were likely done) you are good to go.

Bear in mind values for comments can seem extremely high but it could just be 2 lights, some electronics, a bumper and repairing a fender. This can be a R150K comment but off the grid you may have gotten away with repairing/plastic welding hangers for the lights and plastic welding the bumper etc. That isn't to say panel shops don't take chances - they ALWAYS do - I've had hidden things fixed with Sika/QBond hoping nobody would ever see it even when they charged insurance for eg: new water bottles or sensors with cracked mounts. Anyway, the state of the industry aside, this is where the 'off grid' repairs get sketchy. Plenty of guys willing to pay <50K cash on an (admittedly overpriced and unnecessary) 150K job and maintain the car as 'comment free"

Don't be complacent just because a car has no history of repair or comments. You actually have zero idea whether the 320d has also had a similar repair without a thorough inspection including undercarriage. Also bear in mind that for panels like fenders, bumpers, skirts and doors... anything that isn't the unibody... the used/dodge market sometimes uses the same colour panels sourced from breakers to create the impression of factory paint and maintaining stickers etc.

This.

I was at WBC this festive season looking at a 530d and I ended up paying for a Vin Docs Report actually for interest sake.
The report had no record of any damage, the vehicle had FSH with BMW and this matches the Vin Docsreport.

However in person you can clearly see the front bonnet & rear bumper were repainted and it was a very poor paint job with a rough texture in certain areas and the clear coat did not look right on the bonnet. The front bumper looked alright though. he rear bumper still had some scratches from loading / unloading items into the boot though.

Obviously lots of plastics in the engine bay so I could not check the headlight stickers to try match Date of manufacture of the vehicle with to the headlights, but the headlights had the normal wear & tear on them (small little chips). At first I was not too sure and was trying to figure out if it had been in an accident and if the headlights had been replaced with used ones or brand new and the damage was just from a while back.
I decided against purchasing this vehicle and after thinking about it a bit more, I think that maybe the pedestrian protection was activated and that lead to damage mainly on the bonnet - still unsure though and the poor paint job worried me.

Here is a link to the Vin Docs report for interest sake if anyone wants to see what it shows: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tvzl...ey=lyz6ccfwangfjo9el9ygwns1e&st=61ih3c1x&dl=0

 

[NTD7]

What is the pricing delta between the two deals?

Hi, no difference, I managed to get them both to the price I wanted.

 

[NTD7]

Agree here: The owner should be able to show you the extent of the damages if he is a colleague @NTD7 ?

Very easy for this to just have been a front and rear bumper. My wife had this kind of traffic incident on her Kia, Merc and Hyundai to varying degrees - Provided the affected underlying crash structures were replaced and not repaired (and if car was on plan and has been recertified then these were likely done) you are good to go.

Bear in mind values for comments can seem extremely high but it could just be 2 lights, some electronics, a bumper and repairing a fender. This can be a R150K comment but off the grid you may have gotten away with repairing/plastic welding hangers for the lights and plastic welding the bumper etc. That isn't to say panel shops don't take chances - they ALWAYS do - I've had hidden things fixed with Sika/QBond hoping nobody would ever see it even when they charged insurance for eg: new water bottles or sensors with cracked mounts. Anyway, the state of the industry aside, this is where the 'off grid' repairs get sketchy. Plenty of guys willing to pay <50K cash on an (admittedly overpriced and unnecessary) 150K job and maintain the car as 'comment free"

Don't be complacent just because a car has no history of repair or comments. You actually have zero idea whether the 320d has also had a similar repair without a thorough inspection including undercarriage. Also bear in mind that for panels like fenders, bumpers, skirts and doors... anything that isn't the unibody... the used/dodge market sometimes uses the same colour panels sourced from breakers to create the impression of factory paint and maintaining stickers etc.

Hi, I did inspect it, and you can't see any of the damage. The car looks and drives like new; accident was in 2020. The repair was done to the T.

I ended up going for the diesel though for the fuel savings (R2K based on my very reliable calcs). I do a 120km roundtrip daily, so I'll be adding the savings to my building budget.

@PsyCLown you were right about power at the lower revs, but my god that thing runs when it gets up to speed. It just keeps asking for more It's definetly next on my list.

 

[///M Individual]

Great choice.

Congratulations and please post a showroom thread with some pics.

 

[PsyCLown]

Hi, I did inspect it, and you can't see any of the damage. The car looks and drives like new; accident was in 2020. The repair was done to the T.

I ended up going for the diesel though for the fuel savings (R2K based on my very reliable calcs). I do a 120km roundtrip daily, so I'll be adding the savings to my building budget.

@PsyCLown you were right about power at the lower revs, but my god that thing runs when it gets up to speed. It just keeps asking for more It's definetly next on my list.

Do yourself a favour and test drive a 30d before deciding to go for the 30i.

I did this recently and there is no comparison, the 30d far outperforms the 30i and returns better fuel consumption as well.
The thing is, the 20i with a tune will make more power than a stock 30i. So if you want cheap power, then a 20i is a cost effective option (provided you will have software done).

For the next step up the 30d is hard to beat in terms of performance & fuel consumption, otherwise it becomes the 40i which is on the heavier side in terms of fuel consumption.
Pitty they discontinued the 30d in South Africa (see my thread here: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/when-was-the-30d-discontinued-in-sa.101813)

 

[NTD7]

Great choice.

Congratulations and please post a showroom thread with some pics.

Will definitely post!

 

[NTD7]

Do yourself a favour and test drive a 30d before deciding to go for the 30i.

I did this recently and there is no comparison, the 30d far outperforms the 30i and returns better fuel consumption as well.
The thing is, the 20i with a tune will make more power than a stock 30i. So if you want cheap power, then a 20i is a cost effective option (provided you will have software done).

For the next step up the 30d is hard to beat in terms of performance & fuel consumption, otherwise it becomes the 40i which is on the heavier side in terms of fuel consumption.
Pitty they discontinued the 30d in South Africa (see my thread here: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/when-was-the-30d-discontinued-in-sa.101813)

I was shocked they discontinued the 30D here as well. I would have thought they would keep that instead of the 30i as the general consesus among their customers is that the 30D is better. The Germans are making some funny business decisions of late though

 

[TurboLlew]

I was shocked they discontinued the 30D here as well. I would have thought they would keep that instead of the 30i as the general consesus among their customers is that the 30D is better. The Germans are making some funny business decisions of late though

Only amongst diesel enthusiasts. The average person sees the cost of diesel and the 'performance' version using even more. The economy crew is already into hybrids and electric. The time has passed. Development of diesel hasn't really gone anywhere and costs to maintain and refuel are high. I am not a diesel person so I haven't done the math in detail, but the numbers from a cost saving perspective just make no sense relative to new petrols. If you can find a 30d by all means go for it. I get that the torque is also addictive but that's also put to better use in an SUV. No doubt the sales numbers were also reflecting this as these things are not exactly common.

Anyway more to the point: The 330i 'competes' with the 320d (but offers 190kw vs. 140-ish and not much worse economy (1.5l/100km more). The 330d would likely cost close to M340i territory as a 6 cylinder performance focused offering (at best somewhere in between the 330i and M340i. If you're after fuel efficiency, the 20d is going to be a better proposition and if you want performance, why wouldn't you buy an M340I for R1.3M?

Not even the most dedicated of diesel fans could have made a 330d make sense brand new... and unfortunately you need those guys to buy the cars before you can buy them second hand heavily depreciated. The market has shifted when it comes to these things. Same story with lots of cars that second hand buyers would want. There aren't enough guys who would be able to afford them new that are interested in them let alone buying them. Wagons are an excellent example of this. Manuals as well. As far as manufacturers go, they only really care about making cars that are going to be attractive to those able to buy brand new. Sad reality.

 

[NTD7]

Only amongst diesel enthusiasts. The average person sees the cost of diesel and the 'performance' version using even more. The economy crew is already into hybrids and electric. The time has passed. Development of diesel hasn't really gone anywhere and costs to maintain and refuel are high. I am not a diesel person so I haven't done the math in detail, but the numbers from a cost saving perspective just make no sense relative to new petrols. If you can find a 30d by all means go for it. I get that the torque is also addictive but that's also put to better use in an SUV. No doubt the sales numbers were also reflecting this as these things are not exactly common.

Anyway more to the point: The 330i 'competes' with the 320d (but offers 190kw vs. 140-ish and not much worse economy (1.5l/100km more). The 330d would likely cost close to M340i territory as a 6 cylinder performance focused offering (at best somewhere in between the 330i and M340i. If you're after fuel efficiency, the 20d is going to be a better proposition and if you want performance, why wouldn't you buy an M340I for R1.3M?

Not even the most dedicated of diesel fans could have made a 330d make sense brand new... and unfortunately you need those guys to buy the cars before you can buy them second hand heavily depreciated. The market has shifted when it comes to these things. Same story with lots of cars that second hand buyers would want. There aren't enough guys who would be able to afford them new that are interested in them let alone buying them. Wagons are an excellent example of this. Manuals as well. As far as manufacturers go, they only really care about making cars that are going to be attractive to those able to buy brand new. Sad reality.

Very solid points.