Team-BHP - Buy pre-owned BMW 325i, or wait for Skoda Octavia vRS?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditbelw (Post 3632994)

What should be the right price for a 2004 325i e46 Delhi registered done about 65,000 Km?

You can get the E90 325i for anything between 8-12 lakhs. As you are looking at the E46 anything between 6-8 lakhs depending upon the no. Of owners, service history.etc. Should be good.

Guys, I have come across a 2005 BMW X5 E53 4.8is, which has done 75,000Kms with second owner!

The car is in good condition and the V8 is making me go weak on my knees.

What are the odds am looking at?
What would be the worth in current market?
Is 75k on odo and the age of the car should deter me in perusing it?

Any other pointers from experts is highly appreciated!

Thanks in Advance !

Quote:

have come across a 2005 BMW X5 E53 4.8is, which has done 75,000Kms with second owner!

That's too low mileage for 2005 Year , do watch for service history and the time & odo reading of last service and present date . One reason of low Km can indeed be V8 :)

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What would be the worth in current market?

Difficult to tell - 2009 or similar models in Diesel goes for 20 Lac , maybe you can start with 7-8 Lac if condition is good

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Is 75k on odo and the age of the car should deter me in perusing it?

Yes , there are many known issues on engines , suspension and electronics, parts might be difficult to find and expensive

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...-i-worry-about

:OT

Instead of investing & paying for maintenance on such cars , you should book a package for couple of days every year

http://www.exoticsracing.com/Ferrari...-vegas_1_1.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditbelw (Post 3656097)

Avoid it. This would defnitely be an import as BMW officially started selling in India only in 2007 IIRC. And, being a petrol and probably a V8, the odds are in favour of the vehicle giving a lot of issues which would be difficult to sort out.

And, IMO, Petrol SUV's don't make much sense. SUV=Diesel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditbelw (Post 3656097)

Note: This is a 10 year old car and will probably require wear and tear replacements. Make sure you get it inspected thoroughly and check if the parts are affordable.
Also see how long the second owner has kept the car for, and the reason for the sale. If he has used it for a relatively short time and does not have a good enough reason - it could mean he's selling the car due to expensive spares / reliability issues.
Lastly, google the model (year and engine) for known common issues, and keep a look out for the same.

75,000 on the odo shouldn't be a deterrent - the car has run 7,500kms/year which is about average for most of these premium cars (at least in Mumbai, as owners typically have other cars for chores and general work, with the premium only being used by the saahib).

A more fun alternative might be an E60 530i / 530D (better to drive, local support available, and still as quick!!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 3616412)

- Tell you what, you can have your cake and eat it too. Buy a pre-owned 320D for now. Enjoy it. Look at cars already depreciated (3 - 4 year old examples). I've seen pristine 320ds in Mumbai in the vicinity of 10 - 11 lakhs.

btw - are there any standard good sources (in Mumbai) you can think of for well priced pre owned Mercs and BMWs? Are the official dealers good sources or would they charge too much? any other dealers that come to mind who generally have reliable stock at sensible prices?

My pal in delhi just bought a lovely 18 month 18,000 km run 320d for about 23L and I thought it was a pretty good deal. Never really come across similar deals in Mumbai.

Thanks,

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditbelw (Post 3656097)

I wouldn't go near that.

It will give you far too many issues to make ownership enjoyable.

Try and find a nice 6 cylinder 530i instead.

Thank you all for your valuable feedback!

Taking advice of all here, I will not be perusing the X5 anymore as it just might turn into a horror story which I want to avoid!

I have an option of going for a 2008 525i E60 which share the same engine as 325i but I am not very fond of the design E60 got and have preferred the F10 always. Currently F10's are going at premium in Bangalore pre-owned market which beats the purpose of going in for a used premium vehicle.

Hunt is still on..will keep you all posted to take your suggestions and advice!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 3616412)

Have you driven the 325i? I found it a-w-f-u-l. The motor is very weak below 3,000, the steering is too heavy for the city and the ride bone-jarring. I wouldn't touch the 325i unless I got it at half the market price (and even then, I'd take my time to think). Equally, have you driven a 320d? It's far superior! Torque'y, driveable and double the fuel-economy. I'd pick a 320d over a 325 10 times out of 10.

Dear Rushabh - buying a pre-owned BMW is on my "to do" list for quite sometime now. I want a good looking, cost effective, automatic transmission car in black color with MH01 number which I can drive rather than send to garages for doing this thing and that thing. Your comment above will be useful to me, so thanks! :).

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

My first response was,
Did I create this thread without me knowing about it?

aditbelw, I agree to most of your first thread except the getting older bit :)
Getting bolder, dreaming bigger and imagining a BMW in my garage, Yes and big yes.

I had almost bought myself a 1 series, 118d after a test drive of this car for around 200 KMS. When the 320d came along the 118d looked pale. I have respect for the 320d be it the amazingly tight E90 chassis or the swing happy F30.

Having test driven a few Beamers now, I think the only BMW that makes sense in a no-logical world is the BMW 328i.

Why?
1) A turbo petrol, with a quick variable steering rack
2) Endless drifting opportunities
3) A more livable car

If you have thought of a vRS, you should be ok to shell out 30 lakhs. Which is where you will find this car's range to be in. A 30ish lakh range should get yourself a good 328i.

vRS is no slouch, pitting one turbo petrol with another is how a petrol head's life should be.. but I would still go for the sweet RWD 328i chassis over the understeering FWD.

If and only if you are the one who drives it to the limit.
Just under the limit, both cars are comparable in terms of fun.
The Skoda, being new would be a more logical choice.

PM me, if you are one of the illogical types :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditbelw (Post 3615467)

...Does it make sense to get hold of one from Mumbai & Delhi and pay road tax in Karnataka after procuring the NOC?

i think you should consider this route. while i don't have personal experience on this, but have read on another automobile forum i am active on. there a fellow member was in search for a used diesel powered BMW. eventually he got it from Delhi and got it registered in Bangalore, which worked out to be much cheaper than Bangalore used car prices!!

all the best for your hunt! :)