[ankur_g]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

I live in Bangalore, I am thinking of buying a used 3 series from Delhi and use it in Bangalore. Even after paying the road tax, it would still be cheaper than a similar car being sold in Bangalore. And then I can sell it in Bangalore 3-5 years later losing less in depreciation.
What do you say, BHPians?

What prices are you seeing in delhi?

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by ankur_g

What prices are you seeing in delhi?

A low run 2014 320d in Delhi can be found for around ₹ 13-14 Lac while in Bangalore a simlar car is priced at around ₹ 20 Lac.
1. Buying from Delhi
2. Getting it transported to Bangalore
3. Paying the road tax and
4. Getting a refund from Delhi RTO
It's a tedious process. But even if I sell it after 3-4 years, I won't be loosing too much.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

4. Getting a refund from Delhi RTO
It's a tedious process. But even if I sell it after 3-4 years, I won't be loosing too much.

Pls check if you are eligible for a road tax refund from Delhi RTO & that too it will be pro-rata I reckon.
Generally most RTOs don't refund money back to the owner, even if the owner is shifting states - having them refund it to a second owner who is from a different state will be more difficult.

[Steer-safe]

Dear Friends,

I need your valuable suggestion for buying my next car
I was using ciaz vdi+ shvs till 2019 however sold it once lockdown was announced. It was a three year old car with 50k mileage. I had no issues apart from damaged knees due to hard clutch. I stay in Ghaziabad and office is in Gurgaon. Knee pain became unbearable ,so I kept a driver however with lock down that chapter is over
Now that office is opening from Jan2022, I need a new car.
Here I have a dilemma. I am 37 years old and this will be my last car where I will be able to live my dream of driving for pleasure. I am have done length and breadth of this country multiple times in alto, ciaz and scorpio.
In my current budget I can afford MG Astor, Hector, Xuv 700 , Jeep compass longitude or used BMW/ Mercedes/ Audi. 25 lakh is the max budget.

I want your suggestion if buying a used luxury car will make sense, what will be annual maintenance charges and will it allow me to travel across India.
My previous used car experience in college days were nightmare. Please guide me if I should buy new hector, Astor, 700 compass or used German car. If your suggestion is used German, then tell me where I can find car with peace of mind

[Starfire]

Got my pre-worshiped beast this June. Its a 2013 Silver 320d Sportline. It had 45000 km on the odometer. While a lot of people might stay away from such a car, I got it from someone I knew well personally. I’ve been seeing the car with my very own eyes since 2016 and it came with all company service records and a non-accidental history with just 2 insurance claims for minor touchups.

Have driven it around 7500km in the past 5 months and I must say its a PURE JOY to own. The car is very well maintained and not given me a single hiccup till now touch wood. Upgraded the Screen to a Android 10.25 inch one which supports iDrive as stock and also comes with Wireless Apple car play (I love using that). I also added a HD reverse camera with adaptive guidelines which completes the car. After a lot of research, I also changed the Goodyear runflats to Michelin Primacy 4 ST 225/55/R17 (yes its upsized) and managed to source a space saver spare as well.

The beast is all about amazing performance, razor like cornering dynamics with decent fuel economy. Toyed around with an Octavia 1.8 TSI in a signal to signal drag a couple of days ago. In fact after the tyre upgrade, on brake boosting right at 2200 Rpm (the sweet spot), it launches even harder than my good friend’s 530d which struggles to gain traction and put the power down. Woah!!. Economy wise, have managed a fuel efficiency of 18 kmpl on my trip from Mumbai to Pune on the expressway in Eco Pro mode (WHATT??? Is it a 2.0L really??). Sprinted runs in Sports mode see’s me get around 9-10 kmpl. Not bad considering my Polo GT TSI gives 7kmpl when driven hard . Simply put the best of both worlds.

On the flip side, the engine is definitely a tad bit loud by Luxury car standards, but something that I can surely live with. Also there are some clatter like niggles that I felt had developed around the left passenger door (probably due to the cars age) but that reduced by a solid 80% when changing to the Primacy 4. Perhaps less vibrations filter through with the new tyres. And before anyone asks, the up side of upsizing from 225/50 to 225/55 has worked like magic. The ride quality has become as good as my friend’s E-class while still preserving its dynamic cornering characteristics, and no the wheel well does to rub the tyre even when the car is fully loaded. It clears 9/10 bumps that it used to touch earlier and also barely noticed any speedo error (confirmed with GPS speed tracking).

I’ve always been a person whose bought a car brand new, but after seeing so much positivity and guidance about buying pre worshiped cars on Team-Bhp, I decided to take the plunge and I must say, i’m happier than ever touch wood.
After a whole 2 years of COVID, working 12-18 hours of daily in a PPE (I’m a doctor) and hearing the echo of patients crying and the screaming of Ambulances with sadness all around, the Bimmer has finally bought the pre-pandemic smile back to my face and converted tears of sorrow to tears of Joy!!

Thank you Team-Bhp for guiding me and helping me make the decision to buy this absolute gem! I Will be uploading a detailed review of it soon when I get some free time in hand. Until then, will leave you guys with a few pics for your viewing pleasure

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Starfire

Got my pre-worshiped beast this June. Its a 2013 Silver 320d Sportline.

Wow! Beautiful car! Congratulations on your 320d. The F30 in Silver looks absolutely stunning. This is a rare color (just the other day we were discussing in some other group how rare silver F30s are) and it surely is a timeless color. Your car looks so appealing compared to even today's brand new cars. I also have a F30 320d Sportsline (LCI) and it is a lovely car to drive. It is an amazing car for driving down on long fast highways as well as taking those corners in a hilly road.

Wish you many happy miles on the car, and looking forward to photos and travel stories of this lovely silver F30!

Great upgrade with the Android headunit too! Could you please post some details of where you got this and what unit is this? It might help other F30 owners who do not have Android Auto or CarPlay in their cars (like me ).

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Starfire

While a lot of people might stay away from such a car, I got it from someone I knew well personally.

This is absolutely critical for a car like this. As long as the car comes from a reliable source, you're all good. You do need to brace for expensive repairs if something were to happen and this is known only after a period of time and as you own, use the car.

I picked up one from the same year. A petrol 328i. I sampled a 2012 Comfort and a 2013 Sport and picked up the latter as I found the cloth seats on the Sport to be more snug. For some odd reason, the leather on the Comfort trim was not as snug. Also, the alloys on the Sport were better looking.

Check if your door lock stubs are rattling. This is a problem in my car and they all rattle. Ask someone to hold them gentle and see if it goes. Its an easy DIY but requires you to pry out the surrounding plastic bit. I have not done it for fear of breaking some other plastic bit which will cost an arm and leg. Besides; I do not have a plastic trim tool remover and don't want to use a flat head screw driver and scratch anything.

Originally Posted by Starfire

Upgraded the Screen to a Android 10.25 inch one which supports iDrive as stock and also comes with Wireless Apple car play (I love using that).

Can you share some information on the equipment you installed to get this going. There is a thread on two Audi's that did a similar job and the OEM does make for other car manufacturers too. I am keen to know of yours is the same.

[casnov]

I have a noob question. I don't really get these model names E90, F30, W124, why are they called this way. I mean they are 3-series and E-series respectively aren't they? and how do we find out which is what?
Next not so noob question is, somebody I know is selling his BMW 320i(2012) which has done genuinely 45k kms. Is it worth considering ?

[thechinmay]

Congrats on the car! The F30 is a great used buy - reliable, (relatively) abundantly available and a lot of fun to drive.
Wish you many miles of happy motoring!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by casnov

I have a noob question. I don't really get these model names E90, F30, W124, why are they called this way. I mean they are 3-series and E-series respectively aren't they? and how do we find out which is what?
Next not so noob question is, somebody I know is selling his BMW 320i(2012) which has done genuinely 45k kms. Is it worth considering ?

E90/F30 they both are 3 Series but different model E90 was Sold from 2006-2011 and F30 from 2012 Onwards.
W124/W210/W211 and So on are all E class's from different years.
E90/W124 are model codes for same Series car.

What year 320i is it?
E90 320i is a slow car and not worth it.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by casnov

I have a noob question. I don't really get these model names E90, F30, W124, why are they called this way. I mean they are 3-series and E-series respectively aren't they? and how do we find out which is what?

E90, F30 etc. are the code names of different generations of 3-series. Yes, they are all 3-series cars. But they are not the same. BMW is selling 3-series since 1975, and obviously from time to time they would introduce a brand new platform and relaunch the 3-series on that platform. Those platforms have these code names. For example, E90 was the fifth generation of 3-series, sold between 2004 to 2011. F30 was the sixth generation of 3-series, sold from 2012 to 2018. And G20 is the seventh and the current generation of 3-series, sold internationally from 2018 and in India from 2019.

Here is a Wikipedia page that explains this well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series

Similar platform code names exist for Mercedes cars with Wxxx format.

Next not so noob question is, somebody I know is selling his BMW 320i(2012) which has done genuinely 45k kms. Is it worth considering ?

2012 320i would be the F30. The very early F30. This car is a bit underpowered, and had a lot of kit missing compared to the 328i/320d. Basically this would be a base model with lot of features missing. While the engine is underpowered compared to 328i or 320d, it is not too bad in absolute power numbers. The engine produces 184hp and 270Nm. That is not bad at all on absolute terms. Therefore, while I would personally not prefer a 320i, if you get seriously good deal, and if the car is well maintained, you could consider it.

However, make sure it is actually an F30 320i, and not a previous generation (E90 320i) sold in 2012 at heavy discounts. E90 320i was seriously underpowered and had a much worse gearbox than the ZF8 on the F30.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

2012 320i would be the F30. The very early F30. This car is a bit underpowered, and had a lot of kit missing compared to the 328i/320d. Basically this would be a base model with lot of features missing. While the engine is underpowered compared to 328i or 320d, it is not too bad in absolute power numbers. The engine produces 184hp and 270Nm. That is not bad at all on absolute terms. Therefore, while I would personally not prefer a 320i, if you get seriously good deal, and if the car is well maintained, you could consider it.

However, make sure it is actually an F30 320i, and not a previous generation (E90 320i) sold in 2012 at heavy discounts. E90 320i was seriously underpowered and had a much worse gearbox than the ZF8 on the F30.

A friend of mine recently picked up a 2012 320D Sportsline.
Another friend has same car but 2013.
2012 car does not have Sunroof, and my friend says he is unable to play music via bluetooth, even though he can take calls. My E90 has A2DP.
How come 2012 F30 Does not?

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by casnov

I have a noob question. I don't really get these model names E90, F30, W124, why are they called this way. I mean they are 3-series and E-series respectively aren't they? and how do we find out which is what?
Next not so noob question is, somebody I know is selling his BMW 320i(2012) which has done genuinely 45k kms. Is it worth considering ?

Every vehicle has a code name for each generation and even different bodystyle in each generation. But the Germans got popular as they are globally available without market differences and they were consistent with their model series. The only non German vehicles I can remember by code names is the Landcruiser and Patrol, since they are also old name plates and consistent over the years.

The best place to learn model codes is Wikipedia. I learnt it from there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_5_Series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_E-Class

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_S-Class

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Patrol

[Thegermanbadger]

Congratulations for the brilliant car.

The f30 is a more matured ride than the e90 which I have. The 328i was a serious car when it came out.

The 320d is also very nice with loads of torque and a revvy (for a diesel) engine and bmw is known for fantastic engine and drivetrain blending. Ratios and power delivery are very well synced for the best performance.

Many happy miles!

Cheers

[vijayk]

Though I have posted my query here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5197667,

I find this thread is the right one to get help from experts.

I am looking for a 320d preowned in Chennai. How much I can expect a price of a Aug'20 manufactured, Feb'21 registered G20 320d luxury line single owned which has done 9.5K kms? Anything to check and take care before taking delivery particularly to this model? Thanks in advance. Should I consider manufactured month or registered month for depreciation calculation?