[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

Thank you everyone for your inputs.
A question to all- is it better to stay away from 320ds that are listed as second owners and also being sold through local car dealers? I’ve got one or two for about 34L but I'd have to go through a dealer. Besides luck at play, would it be easy to thoroughly check the car when it’s with a used car dealer?
Thanks again everyone.

320Ds are available dime a dozen. Why buy a second owner one. Besides, a second owner 320d for 34 lakhs just sounds WAY overpriced.

Look out for a great single owner 3 series or 3GT and I’m sure the right car will come by.

Cheers.

[adi.mariner]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

is it better to stay away from 320ds that are listed as second owners and also being sold through local car dealers?

Yes definitely. Your budget is healthy enough to go for 1st owner cars. A 3GT would be the perfect choice considering the space on offer compared to the regular 3 series. If you are not getting a car which is not under warranty, I would suggest to lower your budget to around 30 lakhs and keep the extra 5 lakhs as an emergency fund for unforeseen maintenance. All the best for your search.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

A question to all- is it better to stay away from 320ds that are listed as second owners and also being sold through local car dealers? I’ve got one or two for about 34L but I'd have to go through a dealer. Besides luck at play, would it be easy to thoroughly check the car when it’s with a used car dealer?

Cars typically get serviced very well by 1st owners. Subsequent owners typically tend to cut corners on service - not all but most do. German cars become very risky once the service is compromised.

If you can verify the full service history with BMW, then the type of the seller and number of owners become less important.

You can always test drive new cars (petrol and diesel) to figure out what appeals to you more. Personally I feel petrol+ZF8 is worthy of a bucket list item.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

A question to all- is it better to stay away from 320ds that are listed as second owners and also being sold through local car dealers? I’ve got one or two for about 34L but I'd have to go through a dealer.

The issue with going through the dealer is that they'll hike the price up by a bit. Try to find a personally owned, first owner 320D. That would be the ideal scenario. Failing that, locate a first owner one with a dealer.

More than the number of owners, it's more critical that the car is in good nick. Give me a well maintained second owner car over an abused first owner car any day of the week.

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

Besides luck at play, would it be easy to thoroughly check the car when it’s with a used car dealer?

Don't leave it to luck; once you zero in on a car, get it checked out at BMW. It'll cost you a couple of thousands, but it's well worth it for the peace of mind that clean chit offers. When you know the car is "the one", tell the dealer you'd like to send it in to BMW for a checkup, at your cost. He shouldn't have an issue with that. If he does, well, that's your red flag.

[speedfreak77]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

Thank you for opening up some new very tempting options. We just can’t find a VRS. We are looking at used 530ds, so far the ones that fit the budget are quite old. We’ve got them on our list. Oh my god, RS5 and M3? I didn’t even think of those, but I’ve started looking at those too now!

I saw a beautiful race blue metallic VRS enlisted for 26.5L in Mylapore, Chennai. Driven 20K km and it has been checked thoroughly by the Škoda service centre and has no faults. You can go for this. Also saw a Nardo grey VRS parked in Navi Mumbai which has been driven 19K kms and the asking price is 25.8L. This car I suspect has gone through a minor accident but you can sure contact them and check it out. For now these are the only two VRS I could find.

Try to find a 530d under 35-40k km mileage. More than that is not advisable. You can PM me I’ll help you find one in the price bracket.

Also saw a satin red CLA45 AMG in Delhi. Enlisted for 35L. It’s a second owner car and has been drive 40k km but I know it was in good hands and has been taken care of because the first owner is a friend. It has been fitted with a lot of mods and it sounds like a popcorn machine. The second owner bought it and drove it for a few months and then decided to sell it off. You can check for more AMGs on pre-owned car websites like BBT.

The V8 duo are going to be hard to come across. Especially the M3. That car is a unicorn and as soon as one is seen enlisted in the market anywhere in India, It is bought in a few hours. You can ask dealerships to find one for you. You can easily get one under 40L and I think for a unicorn, it’s a steal.

Before you decide to buy any of the cars, I’d suggest that when you take them for a test drive, take them to the nearest service center/dealer to check for any faults. You may read the “Buying a pre-owned car” thread on the forum. That thread will be very helpful. Also if you want to verify if the car you’re buying is worth the money the dealer is asking for, you can verify it with the BHPians on the forum in the “used car price check” thread.

Cheers!

[Gaboonviper04]

Originally Posted by speedfreak77

I saw a beautiful race blue metallic VRS enlisted for 26.5L in Mylapore, Chennai.

Hey, thanks for being so helpful. I had actually reached out to the dealer who's selling this VRS, and he says this one was also involved with a "minor" accident. Let me see where that goes, and I may take you up on your offer with the 530!

[speedfreak77]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

Hey, thanks for being so helpful. I had actually reached out to the dealer who's selling this VRS, and he says this one was also involved with a "minor" accident. Let me see where that goes, and I may take you up on your offer with the 530!

I’m sure the accident was nothing major in both these cars, merely some body damage but it is very important to check with the dealer to know if anything major happened. Other than that the car is a good buy.

[Maverick_4662]

As an owner of a 2018 3GT Diesel , I would recommend this car hands down! It looks good , is safe , has loooaads of room in the back and the boot is huge! Not to mention the 2L diesel is all the engine you would practically need in our conditions. The ZF8 Speed gearbox is beautiful and has converted me from a manual to a good automatic guy.
If looking for a new option, may I suggest the Skoda superb sportline? It looks smashing in blue and I remember reading that sweet discounts are on offer on it. That said. If I were you , I'd go the BMW way.

[vredesbyrd]

Here's my take on this:

If you can do it, buy a used F10 530d in NCR/Mumbai and drive it down to Bangalore.

The initial price would compensate well enough for KA RTO extortion racket.

However, the car needs to be in top shape to do that trip and you need a functional spare tyre and an inflator.

Do that and you're having a reliable fun-to-drive car that is efficient as well without breaking the bank.

Again, I cannot stress it enough. Get it checked at the authorised service center and also note down the parts that might fail in the near future.

For a journey right after the purchase, the following will need to be in the best possible condition:

1) Timing chain
2) Battery
3) Alternator
4) EGR
5) Engine and Gearbox oil

By the time you reach Bangalore, you'll be well-adapted to the behaviour of the car as well.

[ais]

Originally Posted by Gaboonviper04

This may seem like a stupid question- I’m sure the 320d is a great car, but in your experience, is it almost as fun a car to drive as the petrol 330i? I haven't driven a diesel 3.

In F30, I've owned both 320d pre LCI and 330i LCI.

I'd go for the 320d because the steering feel is too light in 330i probably because its a variable sports steering. The LED headlights are also not good for illuminating the road surface ahead, despite being 4 headlamps compared to 320d's 2 working headlamps (xenon projector). The 320d was totally stable at high speeds too.

[BLACKRiVAL]

If you are less than 5.10 ft and dont mind the low seating of the 530d, go for it eyes closed. Late (2015-17) F10 530ds are changing hands at under 30 lakhs in mumbai. I have seen a G30 530d initial lot going for 38 lakhs. I would prefer to go for late F10 than an early G30.

[xavierk]

if your game and eligible to do a BH registration, a new car may just work out better. my guess is that you could land a 330i Sport for less than 45L onroad. and that I think is worth waiting for.

If Tesla bring a dual motor to the country, and your ok all electric it may be the fastest 0-60 car on the market.

I don't know if its possible to reregister a car using the new BH scheme but if that works buying a resale car elsewhere in the country getting it transferred to BH and then bringing it into karnataka may be an awesome option. Ive driven the S60 Polestar BTW and its a monster of a drive.

[Lowflyer23]

But all the experienced members kindly put up links or lesser known website URLs here so we all can get info on good pre owned luxury car dealers. I'm in the market for a new car with a budget of around 35 lacs too but I don't have contacts or much information apart from the big players in the used car market (who sell at ridiculous prices). Mods and members kindly chip in, this thread could benefit a lot of guys like me and OP.

[adi.mariner]

Originally Posted by Lowflyer23

But all the experienced members kindly put up links or lesser known website URLs here so we all can get info on good pre owned luxury car dealers.

A relevant thread which might help
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...used-cars.html (Where do you buy used cars from?)

[noufal.ps]

You should clarify requirements a bit more mate.
- Are you concerned about brand value? Arrive in style kinda stuff
- Are you okay with higher maintainance cost aka investing more time in finding aftermarket options?
- Is it just driving pleasure, corner craving for you?
- How important is back seat comfort?
- What about mods? Are you a remap guy?

While Skoda Octavia is a great choice and probably the best in 'new' car, RS has higher mod potential, used superb is closer in handling but much better space and comfort.

My only thought would be, stick to petrol turbos for better acceleration. Europeans for better handling