Upgrading to new 3 series

[minh]

Afternoon all!

I have come here seeking some advice.

I am currently the owner of a 2004 E46 318i Exclusive. I have had this car for about 7 years now. over the past year I have spent about 13k on repairs and have another 4.5k coming up for a control arm replacement, my one xenon headlight is not working (HID replacement needed) and a rattle coming from what i think is the gearbox, airbag light is on and I believe an oxygen sensor needs to be replaced, the windscreen washer water pump also needs to be replaced (it leaks)

The car has been serviced at the required intervals and I have a full service history. engine is in very good condition, no oil or coolant leaks, there are no other issues i have, interior is also in very good condition. The current mileage is 197,000.

I found myself a 2012 E90 320i, 50,000KM on the clock, stock standard and appears to be in very good condition. His asking price was R169k, and he said the dealership offered about R149k. So price is negitioable.

I am going to see the vehicle this weekend and I want to know what to look for, are these reliable 3 series (more reliable then the E46), and a genreal opinion of the model of 3 series.

Also I am hoping to get like R60k for my current E46, is that reasonable?

I look forward to your responses!

 

[Dirtydeedsman]

I found myself a 2012 E90 320i, 50,000KM on the clock, stock standard and appears to be in very good condition. His asking price was R169k, and he said the dealership offered about R149k. So price is negitioable.

R169k sounds a bit high, does it have a really nice options list?

 

[Schalk94]

As far as I know the e90 320i shares more or less the same motor as the e46 318i

 

[minh]

I am not going to offer R169k, I was thinking of offering R155k. Looking around online i cannot find one for that price at that mileage. 50,000 KM is very low mileage in my view.

It does seem to have what my current vehicle has, PDC, Rain sensors, tyre pressure sensors etc.

I do feel R155k is a fair price.

The guys also said there was one problem with it, some whining noise at high speed. But he said it is currently at the dealership having it sorted out. So by the time i see it this weekend it will be fixed.

 

[yush1]

I would make double sure on that mileage. Its low for a 2012.

 

[minh]

I would make double sure on that mileage. Its low for a 2012.

Yes i was suspicious as well, however he has told me the previous owner, one of his friends, broke her foot and got herself an automatic, he then bought the vehicle off her, but has barely driven it, he claims that the vehicle only did 3000km in the last year.

I am going to check service history and get hold of the dealership to see what work has been done on it etc..

 

[KPM3_30]

In my opinion you should fix what you can on the e46 and then mark it for sale, this would help you sell for the most. Depending on what has been done, I think R60k may be a bit much.

- HID replacement needed: Contact one of the forum advertisers, depending on where you are from.

- Rattle from gearbox: How is your clutch feeling? Possible that the flywheel is rattling/knocking.

- Airbag light: Common issue, A scan of codes would reveal what exactly. Possibly caused by one of your sensors.

- Windscreen washer pump: Goldwagen for around R100.

My opinion would be to give the 320i e90 a miss, as they have their own issues for the most part (valvetronic, valve stem seals, oil gaskets tend to leak) and offer no real performance to justify the maintenance cost. The quoted price does seem a bit high as well, have a look at what they retail for on the common sites.

Based on the above, I would much rather opt for a 320d (brilliant all-rounder) or 6 cylinder (325i and up).

This looks rather good: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=85227

Good luck :thumbs:

 

[minh]

In my opinion you should fix what you can on the e46 and then mark it for sale, this would help you sell for the most. Depending on what has been done, I think R60k may be a bit much.

- HID replacement needed: Contact one of the forum advertisers, depending on where you are from.

- Rattle from gearbox: How is your clutch feeling? Possible that the flywheel is rattling/knocking.

- Airbag light: Common issue, A scan of codes would reveal what exactly. Possibly caused by one of your sensors.

- Windscreen washer water pump: Goldwagen for around R100.

My opinion would be to give the 320i e90 a miss, as they have their own issues for the most part (valvetronic, valve stem seals, oil gaskets tend to leak) and offer no real performance to justify the maintenance cost. The quoted price does seem a bit high as well, have a look at what they retail for on the common sites.

Based on the above, I would much rather opt for a 320d (brilliant all-rounder) or 6 cylinder (325i and up).

This looks rather good: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=85227

Good luck :thumbs:

Thanks, this seems to be a general consensus on this forum, seems like a 320d is the way to go, but may I ask, even with the mileage difference? R155k, for a 320i on 50k KM does seem good, question is, is it worth paying that amount for a low mileage 320i or the same amount for a 320d with double the mileage? i am reluctant to go for anything over 110,000km as well.

my budget is around R155k, so if you have other suggestions i am all ears :smilebounce:

*EDIT*: I am also reluctant to get a vehicle that has been modified. I would prefer stock standard. I am planning on leaving the country in 5 years time and i want to have as little issues with it as possible and I want to be able to sell it quick as well when the time comes. I am only expecting to put a little over 10,000 km a year on it, so by the time i am done with it, it will only be on 110,000 km

My clutch has always felt a bit high, ever since i bought it, on cold mornings a bit of a shudder.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, its tough to find a decent auto electrician here

 

[KPM3_30]

In my opinion you should fix what you can on the e46 and then mark it for sale, this would help you sell for the most. Depending on what has been done, I think R60k may be a bit much.

- HID replacement needed: Contact one of the forum advertisers, depending on where you are from.

- Rattle from gearbox: How is your clutch feeling? Possible that the flywheel is rattling/knocking.

- Airbag light: Common issue, A scan of codes would reveal what exactly. Possibly caused by one of your sensors.

- Windscreen washer water pump: Goldwagen for around R100.

My opinion would be to give the 320i e90 a miss, as they have their own issues for the most part (valvetronic, valve stem seals, oil gaskets tend to leak) and offer no real performance to justify the maintenance cost. The quoted price does seem a bit high as well, have a look at what they retail for on the common sites.

Based on the above, I would much rather opt for a 320d (brilliant all-rounder) or 6 cylinder (325i and up).

This looks rather good: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=85227

Good luck :thumbs:

Thanks, this seems to be a general consensus on this forum, seems like a 320d is the way to go, but may I ask, even with the mileage difference? R155k, for a 320i on 50k KM does seem good, question is, is it worth paying that amount for a low mileage 320i or the same amount for a 320d with double the mileage? i am reluctant to go for anything over 110,000km as well.

my budget is around R155k, so if you have other suggestions i am all ears :smilebounce:

A well looked after diesel engine can last ages. The diesel Audi (B6 A4, 1.9 TDI) I had, was bought by my dad at 90k km and sold at 320k. Maintenance costs and reliability weren't an issue.

To answer your question, I drove an e90 320i (auto) for quite a while and the power deficit always got to me. Personally, I would never consider one, but that is just me. Test drive the 320i and see how you feel after that.

I would rather buy a higher mileage (well looked after) diesel but at your budget, with mileage parameters, I fear you may not find what you are looking for.

 

[minh]

Just one other thing, if i go the 320d route, I assume that manual transmission is the way to go, i have found one 320d, for the same price at 104,000 km but it is automatic

 

[KPM3_30]

Just one other thing, if i go the 320d route, I assume that manual transmission is the way to go, i have found one 320d, for the same price at 104,000 km but it is automatic

Depends on your preference, I prefer manual but settled with an automatic e90 because it ticked all the other boxes.. The 320d in auto is a gem (given the torque of the motor), the only thing I would caution you on with the automatic is the car's gearbox will need to be serviced at ZF (cost is about R3.5k) and at that mileage, it is due for the gearbox service.

 

[///Dees]

I moved from a 318i to the 320i and regretted it. Even though the e90 was 115kw compared to the 105kw on the e46 the car was absolutely sluggish with that 6 speed gearbox and you had to change down often on inclines and when overtaking. Valvetronic was replaced at 10 000 km. There was also abnormal rear tyre wear even though the alignment was fine.

Shop around for a 320d auto:thumbs:

---

Just one other thing, if i go the 320d route, I assume that manual transmission is the way to go, i have found one 320d, for the same price at 104,000 km but it is automatic

Go for the auto - the clutch on the 320d will take getting used to and is horrible in traffic. Its difficult to release slowly as it has a spring effect.

I experienced this when driving my brother in-laws 320d

 

[minh]

Thanks for your responses guys! I am going to approach my mechanic, as there was a guy there interested in buying my E46, looking around I am probably gonna sell for 50-55k. then im going to go shopping around for a 320d auto. One of my friends just got himself an X3 3.0d auto and it is an absolute dream.

So tell me, any things i should be on the lookout for when checking out the 320d auto?

 

[tman]

Thanks for your responses guys! I am going to approach my mechanic, as there was a guy there interested in buying my E46, looking around I am probably gonna sell for 50-55k. then im going to go shopping around for a 320d auto. One of my friends just got himself an X3 3.0d auto and it is an absolute dream.

So tell me, any things i should be on the lookout for when checking out the 320d auto?

Even if you meet the seller halfway @ R159 000, that is still a lot of money for a E90 320i.

I realise the Kms are quite low, if i were in your condition, I would try to get a 320d with less than a 100 000km in that price range. They are scarce, but they do still exist. I can not seem to remember the exact details, but there was one advertised on this forum late last year with something like 65 000km on the clock for R165 000 - Maybe someone else can share the link.

320d maintenance schedules have been discussed at length (try the search option). In a nutshell, get one with a full service history, review 0-100 000km motorplan report.

Post 100 000km, gearbox service, damper pulley, shocks and disks.

 

[Xeqtr]

I would make double sure on that mileage. Its low for a 2012.

Its not impossible to have low mileage. I just bought my 2012 with that on the clock. And my parents for example have their offices 200m from home. So they do like 5km's a week

 

[hereticangel]

E90 320i is pap, get the 320d and call it a day

 

[Preshen14]

Since you considering spending so much on an E90. Why don't you look at the 320D dynamic edition that is for sale on the forum?

Very little car for that money. An E90 320i was a flaw in my opinion and experience.

 

[Jeremy.d]

Dude, you're from PMB? PM me, I know a guy who will sort your airbag story out. he could probably find that rattle for you too.

As above, washer pump is cheap.

If you're only here for another 5 years, why not just stick it out with the e46 and stash the R150k for your destination? Just my 2c.

 

[jannie1510]

I would make double sure on that mileage. Its low for a 2012.

Its not impossible to have low mileage. I just bought my 2012 with that on the clock. And my parents for example have their offices 200m from home. So they do like 5km's a week

My (March) 2012 E90 320d auto has less than 60 000 km mostly as I work from home so not impossible. I was only quoted R 120 000 by the BMW dealership as a trade in at the end of last year with an ACTIVE motorplan! I told them to forget it and decided to rather keep my vehicle. So I really think the high trade in value mentioned by the 320i E90 owner is not the truth.

 

[minh]

Hi everyone

So just an update, i have found a 2011 320d auto, from CMH nissan dealership. vehicle has full service history with the agents, it has just come out of motor plan. Mileage is 105,000 km. i took it for a drive, and it is very smooth and I dont hear anything funny, high speeds the vehicle is still smooth.

I noted an error with Tyre pressure, (I think it just needed recalibration). boot open warning kept coming on so I instructed them to look at that.

one other concerning thing is i noticed an oil patch under the car. I opened up the bonnet and had a look at all the common areas for oil leaks and everything looked fine, so oil cooler, tappet cover (atleast around that area, i had that issue in my last BMW) and it all looked clean. so I suspect maybe it was coming from the sump. had that issue too on my last vehicle.

Shocks seemed to be in good condition and I didn't notice any other issues at all.

I have asked them to address the oil leak, tend to the sensors picking up errors before I go ahead and take delivery.

I have also asked that they put the vehicle up on the ramp and i get to take a look underneath when i take delivery, in addition I want to take a look at the diagnostic readout when i take delivery.

That should be fine hey? He did say they give it a once over check by the mechanics to ensure everything is in working order and that there are no issues and he did say they will sort out the oil issue, should i trust them? they do seem to be reputable dealership, with both my mechanic recommending them and one of my friends recently bought a 2014 x3 3.0d from them.