Need help buying bmw

carsey

Just wondering which is the nicest bmw you can buy for under 7k
im thinking about buying one
been looking on carzone.ie but im a bit clueless to be honest

HungryJoey

What age are you? Liscence? You after a saloon or a coupe or anything with 5 doors? What kind of driving will you be doing?

bazz26

What size engine are you most comfortable with the running costs? There are alot of BMWs out there. Are you looking at the 3, 5 or 7 series?

Either way on a budget of €7k I'd be looking at a private sale. The likes of Autotrader might be a good place to look. I'd also consider going to the UK for one. Much nicer spec, cheaper and generally better maintained.

carsey

23 full licence
not sure id prefer a coupe but some saloons look nice dont know which types are what though
driving to work mostly but i would like a car that is nice to look at compared to the car i have now
up to a 1.6
what kind of milage would be too mcuh for a car like that
dunno what series 3 series i suppose

bazz26

If your trying to keep insurance down then maybe a late 1990s E36 318iS. It is a coupe and had 130bhp and should be insurance friendly.

Just an example:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=865228

carsey

wow that looks perfect
would prefer if it was a little cheaper though
is the milage not a bit high?

bazz26

To be honest your looking at 10 year old cars so most will be in or around the 100k mile mark at this stage which is still around average for a car of that age.

In this range of car, the current condition of the car and service history are more important than what the odometer reads imo.

I'm not too clued up on BMW prices so I'm not sure if it is a good price or not. You would probably bring one in from the UK alot cheaper.

There are plenty of BMW owners on here would can advise you too.

carsey

would it a bmw with good service history with 120,000 miles last a good few years or would it be
how would i bring one from england, go over and get it myself and bring it back or go to a dealership to bring it back?

Eoin

If you're not at all sure what BMW you want, then why are you limiting yourself to the brand? Are you just buying it for the badge? A 1.6 is going to be a little sluggish in any of its guises, when another brand could be a much better buy.

carsey

well i assume bmws are supposed to be really good cars to drive and really smooth am i wrong?
another brand? like what?

HungryJoey

carsey wrote: »

well i assume bmws are supposed to be really good cars to drive and really smooth am i wrong?
another brand? like what?

They are really good cars, but it depends what you mean by a good car? Performance or reliability etc.. A 1.6 wouldn't be all that impressive to drive, which is what a BMW is all about, its drivabiliy. Its a drivers car. A BMW with a 1.6 engine, isn't what BMW is all about, IMHO Its a 1.6 engine with the "BMW" badge on it, personally if I was limited to a 1.6 I wouldn't be buying a BMW. BMW have some of the most amazing cars and I am not biased at all towards other makes.

Another thing to consider is the high running costs. A 1.6 in a heavy car isn't going to be the most economical car to run, also repair bills will be quite high. They tend to get quite pricey to repair also with high millage as things start to go wrong such as *suspensions, steering and various joints. They are reliable cars, but unfortunetly as the miles go up, it is going to need work done to it and parts aren't cheap.

My honest opinion is if a BMW is what you definetly want, make sure it has FSH and a long list of replaced parts so that there is less money for you to spend later on. I also suggest maybe looking in the UK for one as they would generally be properly maintained and consideribaly cheaper.

As I mentioned above about parts you should look out for to be replaced or common faults with these cars, I am not an expert and cannot advise exactly what to look out for, but as Bazz26 said there are plenty of BMW owners on this forum I am sure can advise you what to look out for.

Hj

*Only an example

Eoin

The 1.6 ones really aren't that much to write home about. Will your insurance stretch to a 1.8? If so, then the likes of the e36 that bazz26 linked to earlier would be a good buy. For a lot less cash, you'd also get an Alfa 156 - they are very nice cars to drive. Do a search on carzone and put in your upper price limit, your upper engine size and see what comes back - there could be a lot of options out there that you haven't considered yet.

unkel

Perhaps a proper BMW?

See my sig...

HungryJoey

unkel wrote: »

Perhaps a proper BMW?

See my sig...

You just keep on trying, ey! Nice motor, a pity it is 2L and 4 cylinders too big for the OP .

Hj

unkel

Indeed!

Perhaps the OP should force himself to another few years of Hondas or Micras and then buy a V8 BMW. I've owned several low end Japanese cars and I am not ashamed to admit it (well, actually I am a bit ashamed to be honest)

magooly

carsey

Ive a 318is mtech silver coupe 97 Ill sell for 5k. PM if interested, Il send u some pics.

roadruner

Hi carsey,
I've owned 6 BMW's in as many years
I’m not into modding cars even though kits on some cars look the biz
I chose bmw Firstly for the simple fact of reliability, then of course style and comfort.
I've owned various other cars previous to that
Mercedes, Volvo, Ford, Toyota & Alfa Romeo
to go through the history of all of them would take ages

Here are the BMW's I’ve owned
1 1994 3 series E36 1.6 (316i)
This car was trouble free, aside from replacing linkages & a few other bits n pieces, which is not unusual for an older car nor is it expensive.
The 1.6 easy on insurance and light on running and servicing costs, (I spotted it driving by only 2 weeks ago still going strong)

2 3 series 1999 E46 1.8 (318i)
This also caused me no problems, once properly serviced on a regular bases any car will be trouble free
Slightly higher running costs but insurance isn’t much different

3 1999 520i Tiptronic, E39 www.adverts.ie/44243
4 2001 520i 2.2 litre E39
5 2003 525i Mtech sports E39 (my current car)
6 2004 745i 4.4 Sports E65 (my current car)
Compared to driving a 3 series the 5 and 7 are a total different animals, comfort silence and handling are on different levels.

The 3 Series a compact executive car all in all is the ideal car to start with as an entry-level luxury car, the comfort handling and reliability of the 3 series are excellent.
If you are looking for power well the 316i will get you there 318i will get you there faster but if you can afford the insurance the 320 323 325 328 330 will get you there with a BIG grin on your face as long as pc plod doesn’t wipe the smile off

Servicing at a main dealers can be a bit OTT at €120 per hour labour + parts + VAT, but there’s no crime in getting a reliable garage to service your car, you’ll still have a service history for when you sell on the car.

I bought my last 3 cars in from the UK prices are a lot cheaper than Ireland, but bear in mind you have to pay VRT to the Customs & Excise when registering the car on Irish soil (BUMMER) :rolleyes:.
It doesn’t have to be done straight away and any Irish insurance company will cover you to drive a UK registered car, but I would advise you to pay the MAN as it’s really not worth the hassle if the customs come a looking for you.
History checks (collision damage, outstanding finance etc) are a very easy and common thing to do both here and in the UK so my advice before you buy any car would be to get a check done on the car you want.
You can also get a car fault check and roadworthiness test done by many companies like the AA, RAC etc.
If you are buying from a garage in the UK or Ireland they should offer a 3 or 6 month warranty on the engine and gearbox (depending on the age of the car),
The UK warranty will cover you even here in Ireland but get that on paper first!

As for mileage well 80k for a 99 isn't bad but the price of €7300 is nuts,
It’s a buyers market at the moment as second hand cars are everywhere.
Under €7,000 can get you a really good car with low mileage and it doesn’t have to be an ancient model have a look at www.autotrader.co.uk then go to https://www.ros.ie/VRTEnquiryServlet/showVRT to see what VRT you will pay.

Personally I think a short trip across the water could be worth your while.
You can do all you enquiries from home find the car get it checked by the AA arrange details price, cover etc and a time with the garage.
My last trip over (I drove one BMW over and came back with two) I left at 6am Saturday arrived home at 10pm Saturday with my new car.

So I hope all this has helped you on your quest to buying a Beemer and if you find one you like and buy it keep us up to date.

Lex Luthor

carsey wrote: »

well i assume bmws are supposed to be really good cars to drive and really smooth am i wrong?
another brand? like what?

something with a soul.....

Alfa Romeo

quarryman

bazz26 wrote: »

If your trying to keep insurance down then maybe a late 1990s E36 318iS. It is a coupe and had 130bhp and should be insurance friendly.

Just an example:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=865228

150bhp no?

also the insurance on these might be heavier than you think as they can be a boy-racer target....

Lex Luthor

eoin_s wrote: »

For a lot less cash, you'd also get an Alfa 156 - they are very nice cars to drive. Do a search on carzone and put in your upper price limit, your upper engine size and see what comes back - there could be a lot of options out there that you haven't considered yet.

someone who talks sense

carsey

are all bmw sport 1.9s?

Slidey

a 156??? Christ he doesnt want to get on first name basis with a fiat mechanic... sorry i mean alfa, always get the 2 mixed up

Eoin

slideways wrote: »

a 156??? Christ he doesnt want to get on first name basis with a fiat mechanic... sorry i mean alfa, always get the 2 mixed up

any more cliches you wish to trot out?

Carsey, what bmw are you asking about in particular? The model number isn't really a reliable indicator of the engine size.

E92

quarryman wrote: »

150bhp no?

also the insurance on these might be heavier than you think as they can be a boy-racer target....

The E36 318is had 143 bhp. OP the E34 5 series is said to be a cheaper car to insure than the 3 series, and you would get that super sounding straight 6 if you get a 520i as well. The E36 is a fairly common car to be modified these days unfortunately, while it's very rare an E34 is modded, so that is probably why the E34 is a cheaper car for insurance(its a really nice car too, seriously thinking about getting an E34 520i next year).

Eoin

A modified e36 may just mean M3 or m-tech kit, which I think looks pretty nice.

JHMEG

unkel wrote: »

Indeed!

Perhaps the OP should force himself to another few years of Hondas or Micras and then buy a V8 BMW. I've owned several low end Japanese cars and I am not ashamed to admit it (well, actually I am a bit ashamed to be honest)

Comments like that can be offensive to owners of other marques, and put people off coming to this forum. Not the first time you've belittled Japanese cars in the recent past.

boomboombazza

i dont know if this is acceptable behaviour but i reckon i have exactly what your after...

a 1998 318is with the M3 looks

as the guys said buy one with a good service history- mine has a full service history with all the bmw stamps etc there are common problems with these cars around 90k, waterpump etc i had all that stuff done

just had it fully serviced

i am also within your budget and open to negotiation...

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=876665

i'd also advise against a 316 for the simple reason that its not big enough to pull the car so becomes less economical than the 318.

also to answer your question about these cars being 1.9. the 318 came in two versions pre 1996 they were powered by the m42 which is 1796 cc and post 1996 the were powered by the much more refined and better m44 which is 1895cc. mine is the latter as its a 1998

cheers barry

E92

boomboombazza wrote: »

i dont know if this is acceptable behaviour but i reckon i have exactly what your after...

a 1998 318is with the M3 looks

as the guys said buy one with a good service history- mine has a full service history with all the bmw stamps etc there are common problems with these cars around 90k, waterpump etc i had all that stuff done

just had it fully serviced

i am also within your budget and open to negotiation...

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=876665

i'd also advise against a 316 for the simple reason that its not big enough to pull the car so becomes less economical than the 318.

also to answer your question about these cars being 1.9. the 318 came in two versions pre 1996 they were powered by the m42 which is 1796 cc and post 1996 the were powered by the much more refined and better m44 which is 1895cc. mine is the latter as its a 1998

cheers barry

Thats the 318is only though;). Any other E36 318i had a 1.8 all it's life. The standard 318i had the M40B18 initially, and in 1995 gained the M43B18 engine(the 318is started off with the M42B18 from the E30, and gained the M44B19 in 1996, and was killed off in 1999 when the E46 Coupé came out as BMW couldn't get it to reach Euro III emissions regs).

boomboombazza

^^^^cheers for that

Eoin

boomboombazza wrote: »

i dont know if this is acceptable behaviour but i reckon i have exactly what your after...

a 1998 318is with the M3 looks

Looks lovely, good luck with the sale.

Oilrig

Lex Luthor wrote: »

something with a soul.....

Alfa Romeo

Agree on that, but reliability levels are south of the Antartic... especially at the OP's price range. (had a couple but eventually gave up)

Question. What are the chances of getting a FSH on a ten year old car? realistically.