[rahul_jo]

Originally Posted by ramb

Is the service and parts cost for 328i more than 320d? Also I cant opt for Bsi since the car is 5 years old.

My advice might probably go against the current, however, if you are stretching your budget and are on the upper end of the spectrum, then it is rather better to stay away from a second hand German car.

One breakdown or an issue would be enough to push you back several lakhs. If I was in your shoes, I'd go for a new 320i (since it had mouth watering discounts a while ago).

The best time with a German car is usually the honeymoon period (first 3 years). After that it's basically a gamble since you have no idea how the previous owner handled the car.

I've seen many folks here who've successfully bought a second hand German and had tons of fun with their ride. So I am not trying to turn you against the idea.

Nevertheless, from a pure financial point of view, especially if you're thinking about stretching your budget, it's best to be careful as the emotional distress if something goes wrong could be immense.

P.S Do not buy a 5 year old German car. That is almost like adopting a dog when it has a few months to live. You might love it to bits, but it'll still cause you emotional trauma to see it slowly die.

[ramb]

Originally Posted by androdev

I don't think you have a lot to gain by buying directly from the dealer. Whatever checks they do to buy a car, you can also do the same. The cash you save will make up for the warranty they offer.

The problem was due the floods in chennai that happened 2 years ago. The chennai dealer certifies that they deal only with non flooded vehicles. So that prompted me to go with the dealer

[ramb]

Originally Posted by rahul_jo

My advice might probably go against the current, however, if you are stretching your budget and are on the upper end of the spectrum, then it is rather better to stay away from a second hand German car.

One breakdown or an issue would be enough to push you back several lakhs. If I was in your shoes, I'd go for a new 320i (since it had mouth watering discounts a while ago).

The best time with a German car is usually the honeymoon period (first 3 years). After that it's basically a gamble since you have no idea how the previous owner handled the car.

I've seen many folks here who've successfully bought a second hand German and had tons of fun with their ride. So I am not trying to turn you against the idea.

Nevertheless, from a pure financial point of view, especially if you're thinking about stretching your budget, it's best to be careful as the emotional distress if something goes wrong could be immense.

P.S Do not buy a 5 year old German car. That is almost like adopting a dog when it has a few months to live. You might love it to bits, but it'll still cause you emotional trauma to see it slowly die.

Grateful for your advice Rahul. I have seen people burning their hands when something happened to their german cars. I do not want to be in the same boat. I am planning to speak with the sales executive on the deals available on new 320i.
I am planning to use the car for atleast 4-5 years. Based on the advice here and logically thinking, its better to go for new german car than used ones.
Will update once i get a quote for the new 3 series.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by ramb

Yes Akshay. I quoted 20 lakhs for the car. But they are not coming below 24 lakhs.
One more problem is the showroom people had the car for more than a year and used it internally, so my guess is it could have been abused.
Is the service and parts cost for 328i more than 320d? Also I cant opt for Bsi since the car is 5 years old.
As of now I am geeting good deal on a Mercedes cla 2014 car sports edition with odo reading of 12000 kms for 22 lakhs. I am tempted into this deal. Now I have to decide between power(328i) vs looks(cla)!

First drive the car and see how it feels. If it feels new, and the suspension feels tight then it may make sense to just come to a deal with them, as the 328i is rare. And a lot of fun.

If its not feeling good, then either work into the deal for them to address all the points of concern, or drop the car as a last resort.

I would then look at a 320d. The CLA feels very barebone, and is lacking on space, not to mention a front wheel drive.

[ramb]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

First drive the car and see how it feels. If it feels new, and the suspension feels tight then it may make sense to just come to a deal with them, as the 328i is rare. And a lot of fun.

If its not feeling good, then either work into the deal for them to address all the points of concern, or drop the car as a last resort.

I would then look at a 320d. The CLA feels very barebone, and is lacking on space, not to mention a front wheel drive.

Planning to td the car next week. Meanwhile the premium selection people told me that diesel 3 series(used by executives from bmw factory) are coming in with less odo reading. Planning to wait and watch and then decide.


Also there is white 520i 2016 with odo reading of 15000 kms in the showroom used by bmw factory executives. They are quoting 36l negotiable . What would be an ideal price for the car?

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by ramb

I am planning to use the car for atleast 4-5 years. Based on the advice here and logically thinking, its better to go for new german car than used ones.
Will update once i get a quote for the new 3 series.

If you are planning to keep the car for 4-5 years, better get a new one. These cars without valid warranty make little sense.

Knowing BMW, you can get better offers in November/December when they are under pressure for numbers.

[manne]

Originally Posted by rahul_jo

My advice might probably go against the current, however, if you are stretching your budget and are on the upper end of the spectrum, then it is rather better to stay away from a second hand German car.

One breakdown or an issue would be enough to push you back several lakhs. If I was in your shoes, I'd go for a new 320i (since it had mouth watering discounts a while ago).

The best time with a German car is usually the honeymoon period (first 3 years). After that it's basically a gamble since you have no idea how the previous owner handled the car.

I've seen many folks here who've successfully bought a second hand German and had tons of fun with their ride. So I am not trying to turn you against the idea.

Nevertheless, from a pure financial point of view, especially if you're thinking about stretching your budget, it's best to be careful as the emotional distress if something goes wrong could be immense.

P.S Do not buy a 5 year old German car. That is almost like adopting a dog when it has a few months to live. You might love it to bits, but it'll still cause you emotional trauma to see it slowly die.

I am not inline this comment on 3 years.

"The best time with a German car is usually the honeymoon period (first 3 years). After that it's basically a gamble since you have no idea how the previous owner handled the car.".

It depends on the way you treat your car. My car E90 320D I have driven for 5 years, never faced a single issue. The love towards 320D made to buy a new 320D again. Suggest to move out from RFT's to avoid suspension issues Apart from that this this car simply great. Take 6 years 1 .2 lakhs KM warranty.

[rahul_jo]

Originally Posted by manne

I am not inline this comment on 3 years.

It depends on the way you treat your car. My car E90 320D I have driven for 5 years, never faced a single issue.

Exactly. However, you can't compare a true enthusiast with an average buyer. Enthusiasts constitute less than .01% of the entire purchases made (maybe even less).

It will always be different when you buy a second hand car from an enthusiast Vs. the average man (99 out of a 100 cars on sale will usually be from the average man).

An enthusiast doesn't look at a car as just a car. Rather he looks at it like his obsession, passion and in some cases even a family member (many here have given their cars pet names).

Enthusiasts are always focusing on the details and attempt to keep their car in perfect condition. Heck, I've ordered 11 different types of car waxes from abroad to keep the paint work in pristine condition.

But will an average man ever do that? Probably not. I've seen people buying new German sedans and barely care about it's upkeep or maintenance because they aren't passionate about their rides.

As a result, after the first 3 years, it is not surprising for these cars to act up or develop issues.

However, if a car is owned by a true enthusiast then it will definitely be trouble free for even a longer duration due to the constant upkeep and very detailed maintenance.

[ramb]

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

If you are planning to keep the car for 4-5 years, better get a new one. These cars without valid warranty make little sense.

Knowing BMW, you can get better offers in November/December when they are under pressure for numbers.

Since we are almost towards the end of the year, better to wait and watch and see what offers i might be able to get. Spoke with bmw sa and he told that he would get back to me with a good offer. Will update once i get the call from him.
A4 tech edition, they are offering 9 l discount for pre cess rate. I told the bmw sa About audi and he told he will speak with his manager and get back to me.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by rahul_jo

Exactly. However, you can't compare a true enthusiast with an average buyer. Enthusiasts constitute less than .01% of the entire purchases made (maybe even less).

However, if a car is owned by a true enthusiast then it will definitely be trouble free for even a longer duration due to the constant upkeep and very detailed maintenance.

I'd honestly expect only an enthusiast to pick up the 328i over the 320D.
If the car runs fine, and if the dealer is offering an extended warranty, I don't see anything wrong with going the pre-owned way.

Trick is to do research on the car service history, insurance history, and also the variant before picking up a pre-owned example.

For instance - our 2008 525D is treating it's new owner very well, whereas our E270CDi would be a little more problematic because the engine in the 270 was prone to turbo and other issues.
An E220d on the other hand wouldn't have had half those issues.

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

I sold my 2013 for 23.5, it cost 45+ new. You can't put a price on rare enthusiast cars. It depends on supply and demand. Also don't make such comments without due research on how much car cost, etc. before making blanket statements. It causes unnecessary distress to owners like us who are trying to sell our vehicles since others read it and treat it as fact.

Sorry for being a bit ignorant about how much the car would have costed new.

The problem is a lot of people would perceive it the same way. That is the bane of discounting. Once it's started , it's a death trap and tough to prop up resale values. We can only make a guess about whether the car was discounted or not.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by ramb

I am looking to buy a pre owned 3 series. Contacted kun bmw dealer in chennai. They have 2012 manafactured but 2014 registered 328i and they are quoting 29 lakhs(negotiable). The car has done 36000 kms. I have quoted 20 lakhs for the car.
It would be helpful if someone gives some information on the market value for this car.
Also the sales executive told me the owner upgraded to M3 and the car has been in their showroom for a year and used internally.
Enquired for extended warranty and the sales executive quoted 2lakhs for 1 year.

Is this a good deal or shall i just skip this deal?

I think this is the same exact car I have seen almost a year ago at BMW Chennai. Even then, they were not lowering the price below 28 lacs or so. Did the car have beige upholstery?

The car seemed to be a testing or factory trial production piece, because 328i was never launched in a luxury line trim. It was launched only in sport line trim in 2012 with black upholstery as far as I can remember.

I decided to avoid the car, since it appeared to be not a variant launched in India, so one could have problems finding parts etc. later. Also the car seemed to have too much wear for a 35000 km run car (at the time). So if it is same car, I would recommend not going for it, given it is unused and in the showroom for so long. I believe the dealers also cannot provide extended warranty for cars older then 5 years.

[ramb]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

I think this is the same exact car I have seen almost a year ago at BMW Chennai. Even then, they were not lowering the price below 28 lacs or so. Did the car have beige upholstery?

The car seemed to be a testing or factory trial production piece, because 328i was never launched in a luxury line trim. It was launched only in sport line trim in 2012 with black upholstery as far as I can remember.

I decided to avoid the car, since it appeared to be not a variant launched in India, so one could have problems finding parts etc. later. Also the car seemed to have too much wear for a 35000 km run car (at the time). So if it is same car, I would recommend not going for it, given it is unused and in the showroom for so long. I believe the dealers also cannot provide extended warranty for cars older then 5 years.

Yes. This car has beige upholstery. The colour is imperial blue. Was this the same car that you saw? The showroom people have now come down on the price. As you have mentioned, the car is in the showroom for a year now.
The Sa told the owner of the car upgraded to M3. Now I am not sure if this was a trial car.
Should i avoid this car?

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by ramb

Yes. This car has beige upholstery. The colour is imperial blue. Was this the same car that you saw? The showroom people have now come down on the price. As you have mentioned, the car is in the showroom for a year now.
The Sa told the owner of the car upgraded to M3. Now I am not sure if this was a trial car.
Should i avoid this car?

Yes, seems to be exactly the same car. It was in pretty poor condition with many exterior scratches and discoloration of various interior parts. The plastic on the door handles were totally coming apart. Please see if they fixed all these things? Also, how far have they come down in price? I offered 20-22 as well last year and they refused. Now it is a year older, so I would expect a further price drop. I was surprised how relaxed they appeared to be with no urgency at all to sell the car.

If you go back to page 1 of this review, it describes the 328i launch back in mid 2012 and refers to only the sportline trim with heads up display etc. being launched for the petrol car.

[ramb]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Yes, seems to be exactly the same car. It was in pretty poor condition with many exterior scratches and discoloration of various interior parts. The plastic on the door handles were totally coming apart. Please see if they fixed all these things? Also, how far have they come down in price? I offered 20-22 as well last year and they refused. Now it is a year older, so I would expect a further price drop. I was surprised how relaxed they appeared to be with no urgency at all to sell the car.

If you go back to page 1 of this review, it describes the 328i launch back in mid 2012 and refers to only the sportline trim with heads up display etc. being launched for the petrol car.

On the bmw premium selection website, they have mentioned the car as 328i sports libe which I think is wrong. Its got beige interior, no heads up display, chrome on the windows, etc which shows that the car is a luxury line model. Planning to go ahead with the deal.