[Tokengrip]

I would also add that with the scrappage policy coming into place in 2024 for private vehicles there is a chance that major metros might implement a very heavy charge for registration renewal, especially for diesel cars.

I would imagine that compulsory scrapping even in megacities would be a step too far..

[quattroa4]

Originally Posted by karanskumar

Folks - I have never bought a luxury car. A friend is off-loading his BMW 320D for 10L - wanted to know if it's a good buy for a few years? Details below

- BMW 320D
- 2011 model
- 40,000 KM done
- Overall clean, minor scratches on bumpers.

Single owner. Not used much.

thoughts?

Make one thing absolutely clear to your mind , that it's a E 90 with a hydraulic power steering , rest can be compromised !
Go through the reviews of modern BMWs and one thing will be common to all of them that the presenter of that review solely missing the good old legendary hydraulic steering from older BMWs .
Now if you go through the international BMW forums like Bimeerfest and so on , you will notice many of them searching for that feeling of hydraulic steering and willing to pay much for for that stuff .
Decision is yours after all , choose wisely !

[lamborghini]

The E90 is one of the best driver focussed, reasonably priced BMW's on the market.
However, this is at the cost to everyone else in the car thanks to the limited legroom & hard ride quality.
Since this will be the LCI, the steering would be lighter than the pre-LCI models and is perfectly weighed.

That being said, Rs. 10L + re-registration in your state is a little steep for an 11 year old BMW (more so if this is the CE or Dynamic edition - the highline with sunroof, premium sound system, iDrive is still worth considering); and you also need to factor in maintenance : while the engine may be rock solid, other components like suspension, rubber parts and linings, some interior trim may start giving away and will need replacing.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by quattroa4

Make one thing absolutely clear to your mind , that it's a E 90 with a hydraulic power steering , rest can be compromised !
Go through the reviews of modern BMWs and one thing will be common to all of them that the presenter of that review solely missing the good old legendary hydraulic steering from older BMWs .
Now if you go through the international BMW forums like Bimeerfest and so on , you will notice many of them searching for that feeling of hydraulic steering and willing to pay much for for that stuff .
Decision is yours after all , choose wisely !

E90 LCI has an Electric Power Steering and not a Hydraulic one.
Even though its supposedly not as great as HPS Unit, it's still nicely weighted and provides excellent feedback.

[ajs85]

I would suggest please get it inspected at BMW, they will do a comprehensive check-up for a minor fee (because it will save you from a major headache). Mileage might be low but underlying issues may be there.
I foresee the following things that will require immediate change/attention:
1. Suspension arms bushings (you can go for TRW one's that are direct fit and are from M3) complete set is about 600 Euro if someone can carry it from Europe. All front and rear arms will be changed in that way.
2. Battery - get any din80 battery (if m not mistaken for the configuration) AC Delco, Exide are good options, should cost you about 9k.
3. AC condenser and cooling coil (they are known to leak after a certain period) and will suggest changing in combination. About 35k for the combo
4. If you hear any kind of rattling noise from the Engine (which I think is not normal at this mileage) you need to change the timing chain kit (upgraded parts introduced in 2011 mid are easily available) should cost about 21k including chain gear and Febi timing chain.
5. Transmission fluid, filter Mhale and ZF transmission fluid (I insist on ZF transmission fluid) will be another 13-14k
6. Shocker mounts (rubber parts and thus gets brittle and break at about same 40-50 k mileage), lamforder ones for about 8k
7. Dampner pully again rubber part and can deteriorate with time and crack (about 15-16 k for Corteco one)
8. Engine and transmission mounts again rubber parts, about 8k for engine mounts/ pair and about 4k for transmission one both from Febi Bilstein.
Also, notice for any abnormal jerking in changing of gears

The above things as mentioned on basis of my experience, these things are bound to fail sooner or later, except this I have not faced any issue with this car E-90 platform. Timely attention to the things and OEM route does not necessarily mean hefty bills but yes as rightly mentioned above things fail and the parts are expensive if major failures.

If BMW clears the car and history is as per your statement go for the car, it will surely be fun to drive daily driver, wish you luck.

PS. negotiate for the price it's about 30% higher side if it is the Highline model and 35% if it is the corporate model. (Disclaimer: All the above is as per my experience and may or may not fit your case)

[indrangiri]

Originally Posted by ajs85

2. Battery - get any din80 battery (if m not mistaken for the configuration) AC Delco, Exide are good options, should cost you about 9k.

I was under the impression that BMW uses only VARTA AGM batteries as these are heavy duty and meant for the Start/Stop function and cost around 25-30K.
Not sure if its a good idea to use regular batteries on the 3 series

[Macfreak7]

Hi,
Having owned an E90 330i 6 speed many many moons ago, I can totally agree with those saying this car was super fun. HOWEVER, when I test drove an E90 320d also back in the day when they were still selling brand new, I was extremely disappointed.

So again it really depends on your perspective and what ride you're coming from. Since you say it's going to be an upgrade for you, my suggestion is jump in and enjoy it for a few years. BUT, if you can find a petrol E90 then that would be an absolute keeper for a lot more than a few years.

Cheers!

[Thegermanbadger]

I have a pre lci 325i it's a great car. The steering is moons better than my f25 x3. It's very heavy compared to the newer cars but the feedback is unmatchable. The ride is firm too. I have Dunlop sp sort plus tires with a profile of 50 on 17 inch rims just for the sake of ride comfort .

I the e90 is brilliant but 10 lakh is way too high. I know some 2012-2013 vintage cars for like 7-8 lakhs with the same mileage 30-40k kms.

[vredesbyrd]

While the idea is exciting, I'd say stick a few more lakhs and get a 2013+ F30 320d.
Agreed that it's a little dull compared to the E90 but still miles ahead of anything in that price range.

More so it's well-equipped and way more comfortable than the E90.

Whenever you pull the trigger, do take it to BMW authorized service center for a proper inspection.

[ajs85]

Originally Posted by indrangiri

I was under the impression that BMW uses only VARTA AGM batteries as these are heavy duty and meant for the Start/Stop function and cost around 25-30K.
Not sure if its a good idea to use regular batteries on the 3 series

That's true AGM batteries are required and what I got was AGM only but I'm not a fan of start-stop function thus have coded it to permanently off, A humble Carly device has served me well in such situations. EXIDE makes AGM batteries too, The new models require re-registration with the car to recalibrate the current flow as AGM batteries are very sensitive to current and get easily damaged if not recalibrated and that's where the service centre quotes high costs (they had quoted me about 27k about 2 years back).

[BennyA23]

Originally Posted by karanskumar

Folks - I have never bought a luxury car. A friend is off-loading his BMW 320D for 10L - wanted to know if it's a good buy for a few years? Details below

- BMW 320D
- 2011 model
- 40,000 KM done
- Overall clean, minor scratches on bumpers.

Single owner. Not used much.

thoughts?

The car doesn't cost just 10 lakhs. It will cost anywhere from 50k to 1 lakh per year to maintain as well.

So keep that in mind.

All in all, once you go German, you never go back.

[karanskumar]

Thank you so much everybody for your inputs. The 50k/1L a year for a 10 year old car seems a bit much. Have decided to let this one go. Thanks again!

[musclecar]

Hi Folks!

I landed up on the thread with a similar dilemma. Recently came across a 2006 E90 330i done 45k kms with 4 owners. Three out the four owners were parsi’s and have personally spoken to 2 of them. The current owner just bought it a few months back spend good 2 lacs on it and now willing to sell it.

Now the question arises, Is it okay to buy 4 owner 16 year old car with green tax due.

Mechanically a lot of work has been done and the list of work done is as below-

BMW 330i

1. Ball Joint & Tie Rod
2. Front Shock Absorbers
3. Front Shock Absorber Mounting set
4. Front Shock Absorber Kit
5. Rear Shock Absorbers
6. Rear Shock Absorber Mounting
7. Rear Shock Absorber Kit
8. Buffer Kit
9. Balance Rod Bush
10. Front Linkage
11. Hight Sensor Linkage
12. Full Suspension Removing & Fitting Labour
13. Engine Mounting set of 2
14. Gear Mounting
15. Mounting Removing & Fitting Labour
16. Front & Rear Brake Pads with Sensor
17. Brake rotors new
18. Rotor skimming charge
19. Turner Labour for Front & Rear Wheel Bearing Changing
20. Brake Pads, Rotor & Sensor Removing & Fitting Labour
21. Key Battery & Cover
22. Rust Off
23. Brake Cleaner
24. Scanning Charge
25. Washing Charge
26. Petrol
27. Wheel alignment
28. Exhaust muffler
29. Tuning
30. Engine oil 6lt
31. Oil filter
32 . Air filter -------
33. Ac filter
34. Front display
35 ac pannel
36. All door glass switch
37. Both headlight wring repair
38. Wheel speed sensor

Shall I take a plunge, have been drooling over the straight six from years now. Would be happy to understand more point of views.

Thanks
Musclecar

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by musclecar

Hi Folks!

I landed up on the thread with a similar dilemma. Recently came across a 2006 E90 330i done 45k kms with 4 owners...Now the question arises, Is it okay to buy 4 owner 16 year old car with green tax due.

You have to ask yourself a few questions before you take the plunge for this

1. Are you fine with the harsh ride quality of an e90?
2. Are you okay with lack of space at the back?
3. Are you comfortable with niggling issues every now and then (true for any German car)?

My point being, walk into this with eyes wide open, and you'll be fine.

However, if I were you, I would steer clear of this car for the below reasons

1. It might be immaculate mechanically, but bills might suddenly crop up due to age and wear and tear
2. The interiors and design are quite dated
3. The car is bone-rattlingly stiff (and this is coming from someone that has no qualms with a stiffer ride/chassis)

I would look elsewhere if I were you for a fun ride. Let us know how it goes.

[rrsteer]

Hi all, I have been thinking of adding an E90 for sometime. I intend to just keep the car for myself - occasional rides. I recognise buying a 1 lac kms driven/ 12 year old car is not advised commonly, but I am looking at this as a hobby car only. A car that will only only be used by me and how I want to use it. Don't think I'd be driving it more than 500 or 600 kms a month. I am mentally prepared to deal with any surprises that such a used car potentially comes with.

With the above said, I found a 2010 320d Corporate Edition, single owner driven, 62k miles (~1 lac kms) run car. Importantly its registered in my city only. (this is a huge +ve for me)
I test drove the car today and it felt really nice to drive.
The one negative I found was that the owner has refurbished the interior recently with second grade material and third grade workmanship. If I buy, this is one thing I'd have to rectify straightaway.
It has a new battery and the tyres (Michelin's) are new too.
Overall the car is bone stock. All electricals etc were working as intended, no unwanted noises, lights etc. The iDrive is absent and I consider that as a positive. Another positive was the car was usually parked inside a garage, so the roof isn't slacking (like almost all other cars I have seen.)
The owner is demanding INR 6.5 lacs. I have countered him with an offer of INR 5.25 lacs, but the owner isn't budging from his demand. Is it a reasonable deal to be had?

I will be arranging for another visit of the car with a good mechanic to evaluate the car mechanically. Don't have a BMW workshop in my city.

PS: Apart from E90, the only other car that catches my fancy is a W212 (with the split headlights). So far have not been able to find a well kept W212.