Buying a used BMW need help

Lockheed · 08-14-2010, 12:05 AM

Hey Guys,

I am new to the forum and looking to buy a used 2007 328i coupe. This coupe has around 48k miles and looks/drives great.

In my area there are very few coupe manuals so I am incling towards buying this car.

The car has all the maintenace records but the only catch here is that this is German delivery car.

I read about what a German delivery is "nothing wrong in having it" but this car has around 30k miles in germany. So the car fax of US gives the histroy starting 30k miles onwards.

The car is clean has all the maintenace records from day one..nothing wrong..paint looks good..

what you gurus suggest? Is this worth a buy or a trap? Would I lose too much in case I sell this later (say 2 years and 15k+ miles)

Appreciate your help here..

Michaeljh2000 · 08-14-2010, 11:17 AM

I'm not a guru, but if you have time, try to find a CPO if your worried. Or, just buy this one and buy an extended warranty. Good luck.

Bartman619 · 08-14-2010, 11:26 AM

i believe the German delivery cars were the same cars exported to the U.S. Was the owner in the Miliary stationed in Germany or was working in Germany at the time the car was purchased ? I don't think it would be an issue owning the car. Also, since the car is under 50K, you can try to have it CPO's at a local BMW dealer to have that extra piece of mind.

z4ps · 08-14-2010, 11:55 AM

All i can say is paying extra for CPO is probably worth it!

bimmer_335 · 08-14-2010, 12:37 PM

yeah CPO for $3k... not worth it in my opinion.

crazydrummer · 08-14-2010, 07:36 PM

Yeah from what I've read cpo is *kinda* a waste. You get what? Few hundred worth of maintenance. Hpfp is covered anyway. Slim chance anything "really" expensive blows up anyway. Ie engine, tranny, etc

badassfajita · 08-14-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazydrummer

Yeah from what I've read cpo is *kinda* a waste. You get what? Few hundred worth of maintenance. Hpfp is covered anyway. Slim chance anything "really" expensive blows up anyway. Ie engine, tranny, etc

CPO saved my a$$ on my e46--total of $5-6000 of repairs and I paid maybe $250 ($50 deductible each time). Its hit or miss!

cb1111 · 08-14-2010, 08:17 PM

The amount of incorrect information on this board is astounding.

CPO certification extends parts of the warranty by two years and 50k miles. It does not extend the free maintenance. In general terms, CPO is similar to an extended warranty.

How much does it cost? It depends on the dealer and the specifics are well guarded. The actual certification costs the dealer in the vicinity of $1k to $1.5k plus whatever is needed to bring the car up to spec. Accordingly, the actual cost can vary pretty wildly.

The car the OP is looking at is, like another poster said, probably previously owned by a servicemember in Germany. That isn't necessarily a negative but information about this car's early history will be hard to come by.

The OP should have the car looked at by a local dealer. Tell them you're interested in getting the car CPO'd and get some pricing for that process.

Add those approximate costs to the price of the car and see if it is a "good buy."

BMW335iSilver · 08-15-2010, 08:53 AM

335i are coming onto the used market more now then ever. I would recommend finding one that you can see in-person. I would also do the extend warranty if you are not one to take a chance on something.

ENINTY · 08-15-2010, 09:03 AM

Here is a crazy idea... why not take it to an independent BMW mechanic and have the car evaluated?

I'm not sure why you would rely on CarFax to tell you what the mechanical condition of the car is or asking a bunch of guys on the internet what the condition of the car is.

BenTrovato · 08-15-2010, 01:19 PM

Something to keep in mind about CPO... when a car comes in off lease, the BMW dealership has an option whether to keep the car or not, if they decline, the car is "auctioned" to other bmw dealers. If no one wants it, gets sold to private dealerships.

If a bmw dealership labels it CPO, they have concluded that the maintenance/warranty costs for the vehicle will not be high and is in good condition. So while it is not always worth the money because you can find excellent vehicles elsewhere, the CPO vehicles are "generally" very good cars.

The best CPO cars are leased vehicles returned to the same dealership it was sold at, and that dealership decides to sell that vehicle.

luv135i · 08-15-2010, 04:21 PM

I didnt think you could buy a car private party or from some non-BMW dealer and take it to a BMW dealer and CPO it

08-14-2010, 12:05 AM	#1
Lockheed SeaM4 5 Rep 27 Posts Drives: m4 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	Buying a used BMW need help Hey Guys, I am new to the forum and looking to buy a used 2007 328i coupe. This coupe has around 48k miles and looks/drives great. In my area there are very few coupe manuals so I am incling towards buying this car. The car has all the maintenace records but the only catch here is that this is German delivery car. I read about what a German delivery is "nothing wrong in having it" but this car has around 30k miles in germany. So the car fax of US gives the histroy starting 30k miles onwards. The car is clean has all the maintenace records from day one..nothing wrong..paint looks good.. what you gurus suggest? Is this worth a buy or a trap? Would I lose too much in case I sell this later (say 2 years and 15k+ miles) Appreciate your help here..
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

08-14-2010, 11:17 AM	#2
Michaeljh2000 Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 211 Posts Drives: 2009 M3, 69 Vette, GSXR 1000 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NoVA iTrader: (0)	I'm not a guru, but if you have time, try to find a CPO if your worried. Or, just buy this one and buy an extended warranty. Good luck.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-14-2010, 11:26 AM	#3
Bartman619 Captain 25 Rep 701 Posts Drives: Bimmer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: SDCA iTrader: (2)	i believe the German delivery cars were the same cars exported to the U.S. Was the owner in the Miliary stationed in Germany or was working in Germany at the time the car was purchased ? I don't think it would be an issue owning the car. Also, since the car is under 50K, you can try to have it CPO's at a local BMW dealer to have that extra piece of mind.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-14-2010, 11:55 AM	#4
z4ps Lieutenant 28 Rep 507 Posts Drives: F32 M4 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Socal iTrader: (13)	All i can say is paying extra for CPO is probably worth it!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-14-2010, 12:37 PM	#5
bimmer_335 Major 177 Rep 1,123 Posts Drives: 540 mSport Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: In the middle of nowhere, TX iTrader: (1)	yeah CPO for $3k... not worth it in my opinion.
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08-14-2010, 07:36 PM	#6
crazydrummer Captain 84 Rep 760 Posts Drives: 335i 08 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: arkansas iTrader: (14)	Yeah from what I've read cpo is kinda a waste. You get what? Few hundred worth of maintenance. Hpfp is covered anyway. Slim chance anything "really" expensive blows up anyway. Ie engine, tranny, etc __________________ Current: 2009 E90 Dinan M3. Alpine White Over Bamboo
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08-14-2010, 08:17 PM	#8
cb1111 I ask the questions you're afraid to ask. 44 Rep 2,489 Posts Drives: 335xi Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: DC iTrader: (2)	The amount of incorrect information on this board is astounding. CPO certification extends parts of the warranty by two years and 50k miles. It does not extend the free maintenance. In general terms, CPO is similar to an extended warranty. How much does it cost? It depends on the dealer and the specifics are well guarded. The actual certification costs the dealer in the vicinity of $1k to $1.5k plus whatever is needed to bring the car up to spec. Accordingly, the actual cost can vary pretty wildly. The car the OP is looking at is, like another poster said, probably previously owned by a servicemember in Germany. That isn't necessarily a negative but information about this car's early history will be hard to come by. The OP should have the car looked at by a local dealer. Tell them you're interested in getting the car CPO'd and get some pricing for that process. Add those approximate costs to the price of the car and see if it is a "good buy."
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-15-2010, 08:53 AM	#9
BMW335iSilver New Member 0 Rep 14 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	335i are coming onto the used market more now then ever. I would recommend finding one that you can see in-person. I would also do the extend warranty if you are not one to take a chance on something.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-15-2010, 09:03 AM	#10
ENINTY Banned 173 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Here is a crazy idea... why not take it to an independent BMW mechanic and have the car evaluated? I'm not sure why you would rely on CarFax to tell you what the mechanical condition of the car is or asking a bunch of guys on the internet what the condition of the car is.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-15-2010, 01:19 PM	#11
BenTrovato Driver 37 Rep 1,577 Posts Drives: e92 335i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto iTrader: (4)	Something to keep in mind about CPO... when a car comes in off lease, the BMW dealership has an option whether to keep the car or not, if they decline, the car is "auctioned" to other bmw dealers. If no one wants it, gets sold to private dealerships. If a bmw dealership labels it CPO, they have concluded that the maintenance/warranty costs for the vehicle will not be high and is in good condition. So while it is not always worth the money because you can find excellent vehicles elsewhere, the CPO vehicles are "generally" very good cars. The best CPO cars are leased vehicles returned to the same dealership it was sold at, and that dealership decides to sell that vehicle.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-15-2010, 04:21 PM	#12
luv135i Major 60 Rep 1,073 Posts Drives: White Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: GA iTrader: (0)	I didnt think you could buy a car private party or from some non-BMW dealer and take it to a BMW dealer and CPO it
	Appreciate 0 Quote