[Nitronium]

I'm between a rock and a hard place on this issue.

I've got a price of 19.8L including the body kit for the Accord, which is a car i positively loved during the test and subsequent drives.

On the other hand, i do have the option of buying a used 320d Beamer with about 30K kms done on the odo. The car is in good shape, and i can get it for abou 25L. The driving dynamics of the car were nothing short of a revelation to me( the first german car i'd driven).

Opinions and suggestions would be very helpful. Also there any other car you can recommend for me under say 23L?

Thanks in advance

[GTO - Touring]

You ain't between a rock and a hard place. More like sofa and a fluffbed. That's a pretty nice situation to be in!

Firstly, this 320D is way overpriced. A 3 series with 30K on the clock should be atleast 3 - 4 lakhs cheaper. Now, between the two, it really depends on what your usage is going to be :

1. I see you are 19 years old. If the car is going to be used by your parents / family / chauffeur-driven too, the larger Accord is your choice. It is substantially roomier on the inside and the back seat is a great place to be driven around in. I can tell you from experience that entry-level german luxury cars aren't the best for 3 to 4 well-built adults onboard.

2. I am not a big fan of the 3 series, primarily because of its weird looks (front end especially), hard steering (within the city) and stiff ride. It is outclassed by the new C class. That said, the 320D is a fantastic car to drive on the limit. And despite being a diesel, it will be as fast as the Accord in a straight line, while beating it in the mid-range. Dynamically too, the Accord isn't a patch on the 320.

3. The Accord will be far cheaper to own in the long run. You can take the extended 4 year warranty; this coupled with Honda's stellar reliability and cheap services will have you smiling year on year.

Thus, if this is going to be your personal car, get the 320D (but at a better price). It will land you some hot dates too . On the other hand, if your family is going to use the car as well, then the Accord it is.

[Nitronium]

Thanks a ton GTO!

The Car will be used by family primarily, but we have another car for all the trips to the local supermarket, and the neighbourhood jobs. The beamer will most likely be used more sparingly. So the main criteria is driving pleasure, and we have not intentions of handing the keys over to the driver

and in my reckoning, the beamer is the car to buy. Is there anything i should check for in particular while inspecting the car?

[Raja]

Can you tell us exactly how old the 320D is? 30K km is fairly high for a car that can't be more than 18 months old? (or even less). Why so many high miles, cars like these are usually second or third cars? 30K km sounds like it's been the main car? BMW engines can take abuse, but what's the condition of this one? Has it been thrashed and trashed and your going to take the overhaul costs?
It's also probably the non upgraded spec, which means you miss out on the little touches like Xenon lights. More in-depth details on the 320D please?

[Sahil]

Just to be on a safe side make sure you take the 3 or 5 year service plan, maybe the dealer can work on contributing for that too.this way your purchase is secure regardless of the cars past.
Check for suspension damage...and if its 30k driven,it probably is due for the tire change,this way you can get rid of the run flats and get regular tubeless.

[ashish22]

i'd say go for the beemer, be it over 23 lacs or below it a beemer is a beemer and accord though a brilliant package cannot match the aesthetics of the 3-series. However if you are going to use this car sparingly then why not a 325i, its an outright drivers car and would be faster then an accord left, right and center. Also being a petrol it depriciates lot faster then a diesel sedan and thus you will be able to find a 325i at a good price.
trust me nothing like revving a 325i, and at your age it all feels too heavenly!
and as GTO said it wouldnt hurt to get some hot dates

[speedzak]

19 years old, eh?
Bimmer it is! No matter what others say/advice. Ain't it?

Just follow the advices regarding the service, warranty etc.. Make sure the car has no spurious parts/accessories fitted which may spoil the warranty.

Be sure to get the car approved by one of the BMW dealers.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

dealer of bmw mumbai (navneet motors) is a patient of mine. He says, don't pay more than 23lakhs.
He advised me the following three points to check for:-
- ask if 30,000kms service is done. Because that's one of the expensive ones in which they change a lot of parts.
- ask for all the duplicate keys. very difficult to get one later.
- remove rims and check inside for minute cracks. low profile tyres known to damage alloys on indian roads.
- rest look at the team-bhp check list for buying cars

-Tejas

[canonball]

Why not look at more beemers for sale there were a lot going cheap with just 3 to 7000 km's recently...be patient and you will find a good one....a lot were and are still up for sale as people don't realise that all you need to do is get rid of those stupid run flats and the car ride improves...mind you although German cars are great product and driving experience...maintaince will make u cry if you value your hard earned money more than the normal joe..cheers

[etch]

Ok both cars are nice i myself own an Accord and BMW 320i....ill give u advantages and disadvantages of both which might help you.

Accord (advantages):-
- lots of leg room and space for sitting
- lots of lights inside
- fuel efficient car
- huge boot space
- light feel i.e. u can turn the car virtually with just a finger
- can access the boot from the rear seat arm rest

Accord (disadvantages):-
- in comparision to BMW interiors are not that rich
- doesnt have motorised front passenger seat
- no xenon lights with washers
- no automatic wipers
- no sensors to monitor tyre pressure
- huge body so some people have problem with the judgement of the car

BMW (advantages):-
- Rear wheel drive, means more grip better stability and u can take corners at high speeds without any worry
- rain sensor wipers
- tyre pressure monitor
- service date reminder
- oil levels can be checked without opening the bonnet
- you can automatically set the car to lock itself after touching 20km/hr
- both front seats are adjusted automatically
- driver seat has 2 memory buttons which u can set seat adjustment along with side view mirrors adjustment
- rear view mirror has sensor which automatically darkens in the night so the headlight glare of the behind cars dont hurt your eyes
- you get 2 electronic keys which are unique to your car and each key u can store different settings for the entire car like a/c temp seat and mirror adjustments headlight setting sunroof setting basically two keys u can have totally different setting for the car
- sun-roof
- automatic transmission has 3 modes:-
1) regular automatic
2) sports mode will gv u better pick up and sporty noise
3) manual mode u can change gears yourself but will be assisted by car
- the arm rest in the front there is vent for your drinks so u can keep drink cool or hot as you want
- lot of cup holders
- rear window is provided with a screen which can be pulled up or put down with the help of a button so sunlight can be blocked from hitting the passengers necks
- DTC buttom is added security feature which u can activate while climbing wet ghats
- no lever for opening petrol tank or dicky its all centrally locked and opened
- when you open the bonnet you dont need to put rod to keep it from falling on you it is hydraullic
- RUNFLAT tyres these are special tyres which even if punctured you can drive on them for 100 km at 80km/hr they will never burst so feel safe to drive fast on expressways

BMW (disadvantages)
- no spare tyre provided
- leg room comparitavely less than Accord
- not as many interior lights as Accord
- boot room lesser than Accord
- cannot access boot from back seat like in Accord
- in Accord you can put all 6 cds from the front but in BMW they provide you with 6 cd changer which is in the boot so its a hassel and occupies boot space too
- steering wheel heavy so is the horn hard to press

In my view you should go in always for a new car than second hand.

hope i have helped you.

BMW is a great car so is Accord im in love with both but if u drive BMW u will fall in love with it

[DocG]

Just remember that the 3 that you're looking at is a 320D...Those are really crappy IMO. Look for a good 325i at the minimum.

Also IMO the new 3s are sooooo ugly! The new C and A4 are so much better to look at.
Yeah chicks will dig the car for the price, but if you want them to dig it for the looks, get the new C with the sports grill!!!

cheers:

[Nitronium]

Thanks a ton, tejas and etch in particular

Originally Posted by Raja

Can you tell us exactly how old the 320D is? 30K km is fairly high for a car that can't be more than 18 months old? (or even less). Why so many high miles, cars like these are usually second or third cars? 30K km sounds like it's been the main car? BMW engines can take abuse, but what's the condition of this one? Has it been thrashed and trashed and your going to take the overhaul costs?
It's also probably the non upgraded spec, which means you miss out on the little touches like Xenon lights. More in-depth details on the 320D please?

Spot on, the car is a year and a half old, baseline.The engine has been serviced regularly, so didn't identify any problems(i'll have to drive her again to make sure though). the previous owner has maintained the car well enough, and the tires were changed 4000 kms back, i'll remember to check for alloy damage though. The car was used to shuttle between chennai and pondy quite often, which i'm guessing is the main reason for the staggering mileage figures.

We're buying the car from the BMW dealership in chennai, KUN Exclusive, and they say the price is negotiable. I have a feeling though that they won't reduce it past 25L. ( Is 23L the ideal price??)

I'd love to get the 325i, but we can't stretch the budget to 37L which is the on-road price here (!), plus they don't have any second hand cars as of yet ( not too many people want to let go of a car lik that ). I was kinda hoping for a 320d highline, but that is even harder to get, considering it's relatively fresh in the market.

And has anyone with a beamer actually had any luck with hot dates ? :P

Originally Posted by Sahil

Just to be on a safe side make sure you take the 3 or 5 year service plan, maybe the dealer can work on contributing for that too.this way your purchase is secure regardless of the cars past.
Check for suspension damage...and if its 30k driven,it probably is due for the tire change,this way you can get rid of the run flats and get regular tubeless.

The suspension is fine, i saw the car while it was getting serviced,and spoke to the technician. Plus, we're insisting on renewing the BMW Secure scheme.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by DocG

Just remember that the 3 that you're looking at is a 320D...Those are really crappy IMO. Look for a good 325i at the minimum.

Also IMO the new 3s are sooooo ugly! The new C and A4 are so much better to look at.
Yeah chicks will dig the car for the price, but if you want them to dig it for the looks, get the new C with the sports grill!!!

cheers:

how is the 320d crappy? its about as quick as the 325i and gives better FE and has much more torque. also now it comes with the same goodies.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

On the other hand, i do have the option of buying a used 320d Beamer with about 30K kms done on the odo. The car is in good shape, and i can get it for abou 25L. The driving dynamics of the car were nothing short of a revelation to me( the first german car i'd driven).

What year is the BMW? Is is the E90, made in india one that came out in 07 ?? Do some research and make sure its a good price before taking the plunge. Bombay and Delhi prices will always be a little lower. The '08/'09 BMW 320 is a much improved model with new engine and softer ride, so this one should go cheap.

[Nitronium]

Originally Posted by Mpower

What year is the BMW? Is is the E90, made in india one that came out in 07 ?? Do some research and make sure its a good price before taking the plunge. Bombay and Delhi prices will always be a little lower. The '08/'09 BMW 320 is a much improved model with new engine and softer ride, so this one should go cheap.

I'm not sure my dealer will help me source second hand cars from as far as mumbai/delhi. Will ask though
This is the E90 assembled in india version. (the version prior to the engine+suspension/chassis upgrades)