Looking to buy a 2nd hand BMW and could do with some advice please!

[BuffetSlayer]

Hi all

We are looking at finally replacing my wife's car with something a bit more up market and more family orientated. She currently drives a Pug 206 3dr Verve 1.4 petrol.

Anyway, I have decided we should look at getting a BMW 3 series, probably a saloon, but would consider a Touring.

So having found some lovely Le Mans blue 320D's knocking around I decided to do a bit of research.

It seems the diesel engines have some issues with the timing chains. Now, I try to be pragmatic as clearly you only read about the bad things on the internet, but these engine issues are coming up pretty high on the list on any discussions regarding the diesel BMW 3 series. My wife is mad into her MPG figures, so wants moaaaar MPG!! lol.

Anyway, she will predominantly be using it for commuting the 10-12 miles or so each way to work every day (depending on the route she takes), plus any ancillary journeys for shopping, family visits etc etc. So all in all the mileage is probably around 10k miles per year at the very most (in reality it is probably closer to 7k-8K).

Based on a bit of paranoia that if I buy a 320D it will blow up after 5 minutes, and considering her low mileage vs the additional cost of a diesel car over petrol, I am now thinking a petrol variant of the 3 series instead.

Do the petrol versions of the 3 series also have known issues like the diesel ones? I would probably be looking at a 320i of some description, probably an M-sport, or Sport Plus Edition. Looking at spending in the region of up to £18,000. Primarily looking at around the 2011-2012 mark as I don't really like the new 3 series as much. That said the new shape petrol models seem to be cheaper than their diesel equivalents, and they are still a nice motor!

Oh, and does anyone know what the crack is with approved used BMW and the APR rates on their PCP agreements? They are all over the place depending on which dealership the car car is coming from! For example, Knights BMW in Stoke, which is closest to where I live, offers a very reasonable 9% ish APR, but Synter Coventry only offer 13%!

I am also open to suggestions on other cars too, as I like quite a few of the other types too! So far, the cars that I am interested in are (its a mixed bag!):

BMW 3 series
Alpha Giulietta
Alpha 159
Honda Civic
Lexus CT200H
Audi A3 Sportback
VW Golf
Mercedes C Class


Looking at 2011 plates onward, depending on the manufacturer and what I can get for the money.

I would welcome peoples thoughts and advice.

Cheers

 

[Phemo]

Well I may not be able to offer much advice but at the very least, with that kind of mileage there's absolutely no point going diesel. So that will help narrow things down a little

 

[IC3]

Skoda SuperB
Seat Leon FR

P.S Avoid Alpha Romeo

 

[snapdragon69]

Well I may not be able to offer much advice but at the very least, with that kind of mileage there's absolutely no point going diesel. So that will help narrow things down a little

Diesels are nicer to drive.

 

[IC3]

Diesels are nicer to drive.

Are they really? IMO depends on drivers preference... But for sure they cost more to repair, many will say that 10k is nothing and that there's no point for buying a diesel

 

[[TW]Fox]

This is way too much to spend on the old shape 3 Series, its a car design that's now almost a decade old.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Well I may not be able to offer much advice but at the very least, with that kind of mileage there's absolutely no point going diesel. So that will help narrow things down a little

This is my line of thinking really. The extra cost of buying a diesel means to make it pay for itself in real terms my wife would have to cover at least 30K+ miles before we broke even. She probably wont do that in 3 years, so the extra vehicle cost is cannot be justified.

Are they really? IMO depends on drivers preference... But for sure they cost more to repair, many will say that 10k is nothing and that there's no point for buying a diesel

I like driving a diesel. I love the torque and the power. I like riding v-twin motorbikes for the same reason. That said I also loved the high revving Type R we had. I want another one but the wife says no

This is way too much to spend on the old shape 3 Series, its a car design that's now almost a decade old.

I said my budget is around £18k. I didnt say I would spend that on a BMW 3 series What cars are worthy of my £18k then, in your opinion?

Bearing in mind I would like to achieve around 45 MPG from a petrol engine, if possible. Size wise, anything from Golf size up to 3 series size