Hello,

I am new to this forum and would like to ask you guys for your advice.

I have the opportunity to buy a 1995 325i, manual transmission, leather interior, rear spoiler, power everything except for the seats, and ASC. It has 153k km on the odometer, is in very good condition, no rust. They tell me it has the sport package, but I sincerely doubt it: seats don't look or feel especially sporty to me (less lateral support than in a Focus), wheels are the std BMW mags, and as for the suspension, I didn't have a reference so couldn't determine if it was stiffer or not. All for 13500+tax. From what I have seen, it seems to be a good deal, at least I don't think I'm getting ripped off. What do you think?

I noticed that the airbag indicator stays on for 1 to 2 minutes after the engine is started. Is that something that is common or that I should worry about. Does this mean that the airbags have already been deployed? The dealer hasn't mentionned any accidents in this car's past...

Thanks in advance for your advice
Vince
BMW owner-to-be

Hi there fellow canuck, normally sport packages in the 3 series came with sport seats. To tell if they are the sport seats, check the seat cushion. It should be 2 pieces with the front part (about 3-4 inches) that extends forward and back, kind of a thigh support. If it has that, they are the sport seats.

1-2 minutes is pretty long, but as long as they stay off they are ok. You can't tell if they were deployed by the light. The light tells you if there is a malfunction in the electrical circuit that deploys it.

Take the VIN number and call BMW Canada. You can get some information about the vehicle from them, as well as if the vehicle was a salvage or not. If a vehicle was in an accident and declared to expensive to repair the insurance companies anti-fraud departments notify the manufacturers that the vehicle was declared a salvage. You can not put an extended warranty on a salvage vehicle, even ifit has 100 Kms on the odometer.

Other than that, did you compare the 13,500 sticker price with other 1995 325's to make sure its a good deal?

Good luck...