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I'm looking at a 2001 325i BMW with 77,000 miles. It's a manual tranny (stick shift) and the owner has taken great care of it. The own is a mechanic for a private jet and he knows what he's doing. He's changed the oil every 5,000 miles regardless. (BMW recommends every 15,000 miles). Everything about the car is immaculate.
I'm a bit worried about the mileage, but love the car and think the BMW with stick shift if the best driving car around.
This one has Sport and Premium package. It's a 2-door coupe. He's asking $15,000 for it.
I'm pondering... do you think the mileage is okay? I don't want to have to end up taking it in the shop all the time.
The 325i line is great...has been for years. 77K shouldn't worry anybody. I bought my 5-series with 84K miles on it (mint condition). Now has 105K miles, no worries.
What you'll find is that fixing things is very pricey, but no sport sedan is more fun to drive than a BMW. Just stay on top of maintenance issues if any arise.
I ran that one on autotrader.com and found quite a few in some metro areas for that price with 10-20K fewer miles, so you may want to price shop a bit more, huh? Or maybe in your area they're just harder to come by?
i used to work at a bmw dealership, right around when that car was new. we called them bmtroubleyoo's because we had to push so many of them into the shop lol. i recall 3 series getting new control arms constantly, seeing the top end of the engines opened up quite often, and lots of electrical problems. i recall no one manufacturing the correct battery for the car beyond bmw's OEM mfg, so you've got to get a battery at the dealer and it's insanely expensive.
they are terrific driving cars. and i am a stickler for maintenance and keeping your car tip top. but would i ever buy a modern day bmw out of warranty? no. ****ing. way.
You pay a lot for the warranties though and they don't cover everything.
The one I'm looking at is extremely well taken care of, in perfect condition. I just wonder how long it will last and how many additional things will go wrong after 100K miles.
The 325i line is great...has been for years. 77K shouldn't worry anybody. I bought my 5-series with 84K miles on it (mint condition). Now has 105K miles, no worries.
What you'll find is that fixing things is very pricey, but no sport sedan is more fun to drive than a BMW. Just stay on top of maintenance issues if any arise.
I ran that one on autotrader.com and found quite a few in some metro areas for that price with 10-20K fewer miles, so you may want to price shop a bit more, huh? Or maybe in your area they're just harder to come by?
The one I'm looking at is a manual stick with the SPORT package. I wouldn't even consider automatic. Manuals are hard to find.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenMachine
I mean, do you guys really think I'll have this thing in the shop every week?
I really would not be concerned about the shape of a six-yr old car w/ 77000miles. I bought a Honda (bout the same or better reputation as BMW) with 75000 miles earlier this year and it hasnt given me any problems of any kind. Now 100,000 miles another story.
Have you done any reading on the Bimmerforums for this car yet? I think these cars are nice, but just expensive to maintain. But my Civics have spoiled me terribly. I believe that for instance when the brake pads need to be replaced, the rotors have to be changed at the same time. And with city driving, I remember someone saying that he had to do it every 12k miles or so. I'll pm you a funny photochop that someone made of him and his BMW. He bought his 325 used and it was from the same era as the one you are looking at.
Have you done any reading on the Bimmerforums for this car yet? I think these cars are nice, but just expensive to maintain. But my Civics have spoiled me terribly. I believe that for instance when the brake pads need to be replaced, the rotors have to be changed at the same time. And with city driving, I remember someone saying that he had to do it every 12k miles or so. I'll pm you a funny photochop that someone made of him and his BMW. He bought his 325 used and it was from the same era as the one you are looking at.
you know you should be replacing rotors with the pads on a civic too. hondas typically equip their cars with weak brake components; usually if you turn the rotors instead of replacing them, they'll get too thin and will warp soon enough.
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