BMW Buying Advice Required Please

RobG

RobG

RobG

Associate
Joined
21 Jul 2004
Posts
252
Location
West Midlands, UK
Hi,

I'm in the midst of deciding on my next car and having spent a couple of hundred hours on the 'net, my short list is as follows:

335i/d, 330i/d
Coupe or touring (or face lifted saloon)

My requirements are quite open as my wife has a family friendly vehicle which can stay if I choose a coupe or will go if I get a touring. I'm not over concerned about absolute economy but would want to be able to achieve 30mpg on a steady motorway run at 80ish (think this can be done in a 335i?). I'm coming from a fairly low starting point of a 2005 Astra CDTI 1.9 150bhp which I have owned for a shade under 6 years. I car share for my commute and by friend has a Merc CLC220 Sport auto which is a nice motor. I'm looking at BMW because I want a step up in quality over the Vauxhall (not hard) and keep hearing how they're great drivers cars.

I have a budget of circa £15k with some room move a few k if it gets something appreciably better. Here's the parts of the spec I'm almost certainly fixed on:

Auto (99.9% certain it has to be auto for comfort on my daily crawl to work on the M42)
Heated leather
Nav
Xenon
M Sport depends on other factors such as body shape.
18" wheels (max) as heard 19s can crack and want to preserve ride comfort.
Grey, blue, red (maybe) or white paint (sick of black and don't fancy silver).

So, here are the questions I have:

1) With a N54 335i being the current front runner, does anyone have any comments on overall reliability? I'm hearing things about turbo failures (waste gate leaking?) which are in the £2k+ region to fix. I know the reliability of any given car is only as good as the servicing it has received, but assuming I got a well maintained one with 50k on the clock, how much trouble am I looking at over the next 3 to 5 years of motoring at 8k miles per year?

2) The second question is an extension of the first. Assuming I will buy private (which I generally tend to) where do I stand on getting a BMW (or another brand) extended warranty? How much would one cost and are they 'worth it'?

3) Of the cars mentioned, are there any stinkers/gems to look out for? By this I mean engine gearbox combos or avoiding a model altogether for some reason.

4) Finally, in this budget is there anything else I should consider? Had looked at the VW Passat CC V6 but don't think they look at good. Also looked at the 135i but heard a few issues about water ingress on the 1 series. The old M5 is tempting but I don't think I could stomach the running costs. Audi cars seem expensive and I don't want an A5 as everyone at work has them. I'm hoping there are some other gems I've missed.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and reply.

Cheers

Rob
 
If the car has under 60k miles you can buy the BMW Comprehensive Warranty at the lower rate. It's under £50 a month. Pay monthly and the rate is fixed even when you go over 60k miles.

If you are going for the warranty there is no real reason not to buy the 335i - it's not as if a 330i or a 330d will be any cheaper to run with that low mileage, tyres and servicing etc are the same price anyway.
 
Thanks for the info.

Can take a BMW warranty even if the car has been previously serviced by an independent? I assume that BMW servicing is a must once you take out the warranty policy? If so, what are the service intervals and approx cost for BMW servicing on a 335i?

Sorry for so many questions all at once, I just need to get this straight in my head and do the sums.

Cheers

Rob
 
RobG said:
Can take a BMW warranty even if the car has been previously serviced by an independent?
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Yes.

I assume that BMW servicing is a must once you take out the warranty policy?
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Yes.

If so, what are the service intervals and approx cost for BMW servicing on a 335i?
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Not that bad really - an oil service approximately every 15k miles depending on how you drive, a vehicle check every 37k miles, spark plugs/air filter every third oil change IIRC.
 
topbanana said:
Seems they switched to DCT at the same time (?). There's one on Autotrader at just under £17k but 60k miles.
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No, DCT was introduced from September 2008 build whereas the N55 didn't arrive until the facelift in March 2010.

The one on AT isn't an N55, it has an N54. That said it could be a really good buy - it's very well priced because of its mileage but the spec is very good and the mileage just scrapes into the lower rate warranty.

Tempting.
 
Make sure it doesn't have Nankan tyres and don't buy at night

If your buying a 330i or 330d I wouldnt be bothered about a warrenty only on a 335i/d
 
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335i is a good all rounder, sporty suspension is up to you.
Non-sporty is softer and more comfortable. Sporty is harder.
 
DannyW said:
Make sure it doesn't have Nankan tyres and don't buy at night

If your buying a 330i or 330d I wouldnt be bothered about a warrenty only on a 335i/d
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All depends upon the OP's preference - petrol or diesel - the 330i/d makes a lot of sense, not quite as complex as the 335i/d models are - look at the 335i water pump - £450 in parts alone for the pump!
 
DannyW said:
If your buying a 330i or 330d I wouldnt be bothered about a warrenty only on a 335i/d
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Errr.... the 330i has the N53 stratified direct injection engine. It is as complex as the 335i, if not more so excluding the turbochargers. The 335d is an older 330d engine with an extra turbo.

The only E90 6 pots where a warranty isn't a no brainer are the older N52 engined 325i/330i's which were phased out in 2007.

There is therefore no real logic in that comment - if you wouldn't warrant a 330d then why warrant a 335d, and if you would warrant a 335d why not a 330d.
 
Thanks all for your input thus far. I will do the sums on the warranty + dealer servicing etc versus keeping a pile of cash to one side in case of a breakdown and using an independent / DIY service.

I plan to get a test drive in some cars soon, but would also love to hear of any other suggestions for makes/models I should also test. Hopefully my first post gives a good flavour of what I'm after so get creative and throw out some suggestions!

Thanks

Rob
 
RobG said:
Thanks all for your input thus far. I will do the sums on the warranty + dealer servicing etc versus keeping a pile of cash to one side in case of a breakdown and using an independent / DIY service.
Click to expand...

A decent independant is hardly any cheaper than a main dealer these days so there are limited savings to be made here. The great thing about the warranty is that it gives you complete peace of mind - and at under 50 quid a month it is trivially expensive.

I plan to get a test drive in some cars soon, but would also love to hear of any other suggestions for makes/models I should also test. Hopefully my first post gives a good flavour of what I'm after so get creative and throw out some suggestions!
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Before I purchased a 335i I also test drove an Audi A5 and a Mercedes C Class. Neither were as good - the Audi was fairly bland to drive and I was very suprised at how poor the interior fit and finish was, especially after how everyone raves about Audi quality. The Mercedes was nice but the interior just looks cheap, sadly.
 
Hi,

Just thought I'd update this thread to say that I'm off to collect a 335d SE Coupe tomorrow. It came at the right price / spec leaving me a small fund for repairs (and possibly a remap in a few months).

Thanks all for your help last week.

Cheers

Rob
 
maccapacca said:
Does a fund for repairs mean no warranty?
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Not sure yet. It has full BMWSH so it certainly is an option - just not sure if the numbers stack up (for me and this car).

I'll probably give my local dealer a call next week to discuss my options.
 
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