BMW 3 Series - any advice/experience etc?

CZfool68 said:
Ha! Pretty funny. I am the last guy to go cheap. I was just giving the OP options. Taking a little emotion out of it. Plus there is a difference between buying a nice Dan Wesson or Les Baer 1911 and springing $10k for a Cabot or something crazy. There is more optins than a cheap piece of crap and highest priced status symbol.

And for the record there is a BMW sitting in my garage right now. :confused:

But nice try. Know your audience mext time. :p
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I know my audience. I asked a valid question. Why the need to piss on the OPs thread. Seems like you just wanted to be a dick. In the end the difference between a Les Baer and something like a Cabot is very similar to the difference between buying a Subaru vs a BMW. There are tons of options between the 2 and there are even better options above the BMW or Cabot. Personally would not ever buy a Cabot but not because of the price tag more about the philosophy behind them. If you think a BMW is the highest priced status symbol you don't know much about high end cars.
 
To get back to the OP. I would pass on this unless it is a super deal or can be checked out by a knowledgeable BMW mechanic. German sport wagons can be awesome drivers. Let us know how it ends up.
 
wvsig said:
To get back to the OP. I would pass on this unless it is a super deal or can be checked out by a knowledgeable BMW mechanic.
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+1

And the seller may be willing to extend the auction if he thinks having it inspected would yield a higher bid (which it should if the car checks out great, as any rational buyer would be willing to pay more for a car with a great inspection report vs a car where only the seller's assessment is available).
 
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wvsig said:
I know my audience. I asked a valid question. Why the need to piss on the OPs thread. Seems like you just wanted to be a dick. In the end the difference between a Les Baer and something like a Cabot is very similar to the difference between buying a Subaru vs a BMW. There are tons of options between the 2 and there are even better options above the BMW or Cabot. Personally would not ever buy a Cabot but not because of the price tag more about the philosophy behind them. If you think a BMW is the highest priced status symbol you don't know much about high end cars.
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Why is it that a bunch of gun guys are such a bunch of over sensitive snowflakes? I offered the OP another option. That's all. I also stated if he is what I would term a 'car guy' that wants to spend his money on an old BMW then go ahead. No trashing. Gee, this is like a Glock thread. Sorry I didn't praise your favorite group of cars. I also figure that most people wpuld be astute enough to see the lack of seriousness in the hooker comment. Sorry if I offended any other delicate sensibilities.

Sorry @HMP. I didn't realized I would offend the German Car fan club by throwing out another idea. I'll go wax my little old 3 Series now to make amends to the German car Gods.
 
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kcult said:
Yes sir, with the Anthracite interior. If you say that in Thurston Howell III's voice, it becomes very impressive.
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Sorry to burst your bubble @kcult but you settled for second best. The truly discerning buyer accepts nothing less than Fine Corinthian Leather. :cool:

 
wvsig said:
To get back to the OP. I would pass on this unless it is a super deal or can be checked out by a knowledgeable BMW mechanic. German sport wagons can be awesome drivers. Let us know how it ends up.
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Honestly, depending on price and availability, I disagree, on this particular vehicle. But what do I know? I'm using my microwave to improve the acoustics of my BT speaker.

Poor people gonna poor.

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HMP said:
I have before, and dont mind doing tinkering.
This wouldnt be my primary vehicle, wouldnt drive it as often as my car now, so, hopefully, maintenance would be minimal.
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That's all well and good but as I found out BMW parts are harder to find and still high in price. We had a 06 BMW 325i we loved it. Very fun to drive, not the fastest car but fast enough and handles great. If I had to do it over I would have got a SHO or a mustang. Less trouble.
 
kcult said:
Honestly, depending on price and availability, I disagree, on this particular vehicle. But what do I know? I'm using my microwave to improve the acoustics of my BT speaker.

Poor people gonna poor.

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Price is everything. There are lots of these wagons out there if you are willing to have them shipped or go get them. Unless the price so exceptional I would not yield to the pressure of an auction and would take my time picking the "right" car at the right price after an inspection.

Edit:

At $3,000 which is the current price of the auction I might go for it but the car has issues. It has been in 3 accidents. It has had 4 owners. The most recent owner, who is not selling the car, has only had it for 6,000 miles since 2016. Sunroof has minor issue. There is also a known idle issue on cold start. Maintenance records seems pretty complete. to the OP Good luck.
 
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wvsig said:
Price is everything. There are lots of these wagons out there if you are willing to have them shipped or go get them. Unless the price so exceptional I would not yield to the pressure of an auction and would take my time picking the "right" car at the right price after an inspection.
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I was under the impression these wagons weren't that plentiful, based on what little bit I read here.

Was the OP wrong? Should he keep looking?
 
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I have a 2003 525 E39 wagon with less miles than that and I wouldn't do it again. - Add to the fact it's a 325 and not the more powerful 330 (or in my case the 530)

They're cool, and it wasn't a horrible buy, but I can pretty much tell you all of the trouble areas. - Granted, in NC, it's not gonna deal with the same issues as where I'm at.

Problem areas off the top of my head:

Ignition switch
Rust around the glass on the gate (road salt from winter can get trapped there)
Parking sensors
Window electronics
Door lock mechanisms get old and can seize
Hatch shocks worn out and doesn't hold the gate up well
Shocks need replaced
Mine is automatic, so it's an old trans and shifts rough when cold - shouldn't be an issue on a manual

If you want a badass wagon that's not super expensive, checkout the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. 2012's are in the 15k range.

Depends what the price is on this and how well it was maintained. Could be a great car, could not be. If it has lived in the south its entire life, I wouldn't be as concerned...but it will need more work than an oil change on occasion, I'll tell you that much.
 
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Love the E46 style. No idea what the wagon is selling for but if its priced so that you can do anything it might need and still come out at the cars value, whats the harm ?

But absolutely do not pay grade A price for a pig in the poke car you cannot inspect. For example, if most of those cars that age need tranny rebuild, water pump, rear diff seals, new radiator, alternator rebuilt , all new hoses and a new fuel pump subtract that from your max price. These days a decent set of tires runs a grand.

My concern would be with the electrics. Older BMWs develop some strange electrical faults that are spendy to fix. I have a 2003 that is starting to misbehave - drivers door lock wont unlock, etc.
 
IrishCannon said:
I have a 2003 525 E39 wagon with less miles than that and I wouldn't do it again. - Add to the fact it's a 325 and not the more powerful 330 (or in my case the 530)

They're cool, and it wasn't a horrible buy, but I can pretty much tell you all of the trouble areas. - Granted, in NC, it's not gonna deal with the same issues as where I'm at.

Problem areas off the top of my head:

Ignition switch
Rust around the glass on the gate (road salt from winter can get trapped there)
Parking sensors
Window electronics
Door lock mechanisms get old and can seize
Hatch shocks worn out and doesn't hold the gate up well
Shocks need replaced
Mine is automatic, so it's an old trans and shifts rough when cold - shouldn't be an issue on a manual

If you want a badass wagon that's not super expensive, checkout the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. 2012's are in the 15k range.

Depends what the price is on this and how well it was maintained. Could be a great car, could not be. If it has lived in the south its entire life, I wouldn't be as concerned...but it will need more work than an oil change on occasion, I'll tell you that much.
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The car has had 4 owners. Originally bought in FL then moved to LA it is now in AZ. Current price is $3,000.

kcult said:
I was under the impression these wagons weren't that plentiful, based on what little bit I read here.

Was the OP wrong? Should he keep looking?
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Depending on the year they are out there. They are not so rare that I would rush into a purchase without more info. With used German cars I have found you are better off paying more for the best examples you can find with "all" maintenance records and the fewest # of owners than buying ones that have changed hands multiple times. Often you will pay to keep them running one way or another. With solid records and knowing the weak points of the car and making sure they have been addressed goes a long way. Paying more for a cherry example often is cheaper in the end.
 
I think BMW forgets to put this in the manuals, but there's a lever on the steering column that makes lights outside flash to indicate the direction you are planning to turn or merge.
 
wvsig said:
At $3,000 which is the current price of the auction I might go for it but the car has issues. It has been in 3 accidents. It has had 4 owners. The most recent owner, who is not selling the car, has only had it for 6,000 miles since 2016. Sunroof has minor issue. There is also a known idle issue on cold start. Maintenance records seems pretty complete. to the OP Good luck.
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3 accidents, and most recent owner having it for only 6k miles, is a huge red flag. It might be innocent - maybe he/she changed jobs and needed a pickup truck instead of a wagon, or some other innocent reason. But it could very easily be they know there is a large repair coming up and they want to get out while the getting is good. E.g., maybe the clutch is just barely starting to slip a little between 4th and 5th gears and they don't want to pay for what I assume will easily be over $1k in parts/labor.

@HMP, I'd heed @wvsig's advice on this. Get it inspected, and if that's not possible, let this one go. There will be others.

If you haven't already done so, price out some of the more common parts that need to be replaced on this model as they get up into the high mileage range this one is in. And also determine if these more common issues/parts changes are things you can DIY. With German cars, there are some specialty tools and they can be pricey.
 
drypowder said:
3 accidents, and most recent owner having it for only 6k miles, is a huge red flag. It might be innocent - maybe he/she changed jobs and needed a pickup truck instead of a wagon, or some other innocent reason. But it could very easily be they know there is a large repair coming up and they want to get out while the getting is good. E.g., maybe the clutch is just barely starting to slip a little between 4th and 5th gears and they don't want to pay for what I assume will easily be over $1k in parts/labor.

@HMP, I'd heed @wvsig's advice on this. Get it inspected, and if that's not possible, let this one go. There will be others.

If you haven't already done so, price out some of the more common parts that need to be replaced on this model as they get up into the high mileage range this one is in. And also determine if these more common issues/parts changes are things you can DIY. With German cars, there are some specialty tools and they can be pricey.
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Often on the forums for the spec years and builds there are buyer's guides. I know that for Audi A8s there are places like Audipages that have detailed buyers checklists. Each car chassis and generation have weak points and it is key to make sure that these were addressed at the proper time. If they have been ignored it serves as a red flag in terms of the maintenance being up to date.
 
wvsig said:
The car has had 4 owners. Originally bought in FL then moved to LA it is now in AZ. Current price is $3,000.



Depending on the year they are out there. They are not so rare that I would rush into a purchase without more info. With used German cars I have found you are better off paying more for the best examples you can find with "all" maintenance records and the fewest # of owners than buying ones that have changed hands multiple times. Often you will pay to keep them running one way or another. With solid records and knowing the weak points of the car and making sure they have been addressed goes a long way. Paying more for a cherry example often is cheaper in the end.
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Would definitely agree with the service records comment. I don't have a ton of experience with german cars other than my E30 325 I had in college which was fantastic. I'm cheap or maybe frugal now and have all Toyota's and Subaru's now other than an old CJ5 but look forward to the time the kids are out of the house and I can have a german sports car. My dad has owned multiple BMW's over the years and in retirement decided to buy a used Carrera 4s to play around with. Looked around for months to find the right one and it has been great. Gorgeous car in great condition but thousands of dollars a year to keep up in routine maintenance. He has had service visits that cost more than the Subaru I bought my daughter for her first car.
 
As a mechanic, I involuntarily cringe at the thought of owning a German car (without a warranty) on purpose. The $$ our longtime customers throw at these things willingly makes me shake my head. Seriously, some of them are basically making two car payments worth of repairs to us monthly on a car that’s been paid off for 15 years. I don’t get it.
 
Gspec said:
As a mechanic, I involuntarily cringe at the thought of owning a German car (without a warranty) on purpose. The $$ our longtime customers throw at these things willingly makes me shake my head. Seriously, some of them are basically making two car payments worth of repairs to us monthly on a car that’s been paid off for 15 years. I don’t get it.
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Hey, you shut up! :p
 
Recent owner is selling due to the fact he's got other projects, has four bimmers currently.

Manual wagons are NOT easy to come by, unfortunately. In fact, after reading bimmerforums, they are a bit rare.

Im not sold yet, got time to think about it.

It does have the rough idle at times, but seller has stated that he HOPES to have it fixed before new owner arrives

I dont know, we'll see
I'll let you know if I get it.
Or maybe i just back off and take more time, I dont know.
 
Gspec said:
As a mechanic, I involuntarily cringe at the thought of owning a German car (without a warranty) on purpose. The $$ our longtime customers throw at these things willingly makes me shake my head. Seriously, some of them are basically making two car payments worth of repairs to us monthly on a car that’s been paid off for 15 years. I don’t get it.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^And me too.....don't get it......
 
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I have a 2001 325i 5speed 3rd owner. Tuff little car just replaced vacuum lines and top thermostat. Window regulators are it biggest weakness. ( but not hard to replace)There are a couple of Bmw savvy mechanics around W-S one works for Flow and does work at home on side. He is in Lewisville . The other used to work part time for a friend near Atlas guns and did some work for me at a decent price. I have had no problem with the after market parts I have used. Has 285,000 plus miles still runs better that my newer vehicles. $2,500 is about where I would top out on price though.
 
I ended up walking from this one, didnt bid.
Which, wouldnt have mattered if I did, as the high bid was much more than I was willing to spend on this car, about 6500, IIRC

Best of luck to the new owner, it's a great looking car that I would love to have, but not worth that for me
 
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