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Hi everyone
Girlfriend was looking for a compact good looking sedan in the price range of 10-15k. We found a 2005 BMW 330xi (which actually was sold right before we got to the dealership, but then I received a call saying the guy's loan didn't go through and car was available). Asking price is 14999 and low miles (69k). Reviews online are pretty good, I checked carfax and everything's good, has 3 owners and every time it was sold it was sold as certified. I doubt there will be any sort of warranty included now, but salesman claims car is very clean, and probably is with such low mileage.
I was just wondering what you guys think of this car in terms or reliability and value. If everything checks clear (including low apr) should we go ahead with the purchase?
69k miles is in the average range for a 2005, so don't pay for a low-mileage car. The AWD BMWs require a bit more attention than the RWDs. Three owners also seems like a lot, and the vehicle was certified by BMW twice? I would definitely get an independent mechanical inspection, and see if you can get a service advisor who can give you the car's repair/maintenance history with BMW. The car could be fine, or it could be problematic. If it was leased to owner one, that's not an issue, but why did owners two and three dispose of the car? I would thoroughly investigate it before handing over a check.
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Hi everyone
Girlfriend was looking for a compact good looking sedan in the price range of 10-15k. We found a 2005 BMW 330xi (which actually was sold right before we got to the dealership, but then I received a call saying the guy's loan didn't go through and car was available). Asking price is 14999 and low miles (69k). Reviews online are pretty good, I checked carfax and everything's good, has 3 owners and every time it was sold it was sold as certified. I doubt there will be any sort of warranty included now, but salesman claims car is very clean, and probably is with such low mileage.
I was just wondering what you guys think of this car in terms or reliability and value. If everything checks clear (including low apr) should we go ahead with the purchase?
Thanks
Not a cheap car to own compared to a Honda. Luxury cars depreciate in value quickly for a reason - they're expensive to maintain / repair.
I'd say the mileage isn't that low, a tad over 11,000 a year, a little more or less depending on when the vehicle was first purchased. It will cost some to maintain the vehicle, as stated luxury cars cost more to keep up...but personally i don't view a 3 series BMW as a luxury car as much as it's just a German sports sedan. Either way, with mileage hovering close to 70k, things like brake pads / rotors will most likely be coming due (if they haven't been performed already). Brake fluid flush should have been completed already, but who knows if it was? I'd check for maintenance records, see if anything has been stamped in the owners manual by the dealerships that performed the work.
Typically speaking, BMW's run synthetic oil, but I believe the oil change interval is still only 5k miles...it might be 10k, but i thought it was less than that. Dealership oil changes on this vehicle are going to be in the $100 range, doing it yourself will probably be about $70...so depending on how much you drive the car that could get expensive too...not to push you elsewhere, just have the car checked out and push push push for maintenance records.
I too would be wondering why the car has three owners in 6 years?
Based on "Girlfriend was looking for a compact good looking sedan in the price range of 10-15k", there are lots of brands out there in used car land, that fit that description, even though I am a BMW owner.
What the previous posters said, imo...
You will warranty-less, and it is a considerable leap of faith to take on that car as a 4th owner, unless you are a handy DIY/BMW knowledgeable, imo. Even 'normal maintenance' at a less expensive Indie, (vs a BMW dlr), will cost her considerably for the inevitable brakes, cooling system, etc. repairs.
Very good car for northern winter conditions with the AWD, but unless you/she are deeply smitten, I would keep looking, and at other brands. 'Carfax' and the sales jerk's opin, and 3 bucks, will get you a coffee...
GL, mD
I like the car. But if this is for someone who doesn't appreciate the performance of a BMW, I'd consider the usual Camry/Accord/Maxima (or smaller) Corolla/Civic/Altima routes. They'll be far cheaper to maintain and arguably more reliable.
I'm not a fan of FWD Japanese sedans, but I saw a dark blue Camry a couple days ago that looked pretty good.
I personally would not buy this car. BMW's are know for major electrical issues and questionable quality. As others have said the AWD systems require a fair bit more attention that the standard RWD. You also have to ask yourself why this car has changed hands three times in six years. Something is obviously wrong somewhere.
Don't walk away. RUN. Tell her to buy a nice Honda or Toyota and she'll be happy long term. BMW's are nice cars if you have the money to fix them. For the common person they are a waste of money.
I don't think that's a bad car outside of the three owners, but that can be explainable with a little research, especially if owner one was a short term lease as 24 month leases were all the rage back then. What I would be worried about is if owner three was a short term owner as that may indicate the car had some issues and they dumped it as soon as their CPO warranty was up.
However, as others said, this wouldn't be my first recommendation or choice for a decent, reliable compact sedan in that price range. While the maintenance factor is a little overblown by some, it is true that it will cost more to maintain than "regular" vehicles. Given that you could get a newer, lower mileage regular sedan in that price range (possibly even certified) I would look at other options. Maybe something a like a Mazda 3 would be a good choice for her. More aggressive styling than other options and a more engaging driving experience, while still being a good basic reliable compact sedan.
For $15K, you can get a pretty decent new car like a Kia Forte, Corolla, Civic, Mazda 3, Sentra or Elantra sedan, with 100K full warranty and lots of good deals from dealers. Nearly zero repair expectations for quite a few years, and much much cheaper routine service, like tires, brakes, fluids, filters, probably better gas mileage. You can even move up to Camry, Altima, etc., for $20K, which is how much your BMW is going to actually cost you over five years.
Mid-range used cars have gotten very expensive in the past few years, compared to new cars. And, there is a reason why luxury cars are called luxury cars: They are for people who can afford them.
At that point, most of the issues were weeded out, BMW tends to produce it's best cars at the end of the production run for any given model and 05 was the last year of the E46 (sedan).
Expect issues with the window regulator (electric motor), they're a $700 repair at a shop or a $75 repair at home, outside of that, and any additional maintenance on the AWD system, most of the bugs should be out of that car, the more common serious faults, such as rear subframe damage and such is unheard of on these later year models.
The general rule of thumb, as far as I've gathered is to expect around $1000 a year on maintenance and repair on average.
As for the specific car in question: The price isn't by any means spectacularly good, and you should be able to get it down quite a bit, the number of owners could also be cause for concern, especially when you (or your girlfriend) at some point decide to sell it.
Unless you need it, the AWD system is also somewhat pointless and just extra weight and maintenance to drag along.
So to sum up, I think I'd let that one go, I think it's overpriced and could be troublesome, if you want a BMW though, I wouldn't be deterred from the brand itself, and you can find very nice examples for sale, especially if you check out model specific forums.
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