Hi. I've been surfing on this forum for a few months now but never posted anything yet...

I've been looking for a few months now for a good 325Ci. I had found something nice earlier but it sold.. :(

Anyways, now I found a 2002 325Ci in white. Seems pretty good to me, but I don't have that much experience and this is my first car so I thought I'd get some advice.

It's got the sport and premium package, tan interior. 38k miles, automatic.

I'm probably going to go see it tomorrow, but I was wondering what would be a good price for it. I've been saving up but I'm not exactly made of money (about to get out of HS) so I'd only want to get something if it's a killer deal.

So I'm wondering how much I should offer? I looked up edmunds and blue book pricing and they're pretty high — higher than the asking price of 17,700. Edmunds says 18,400 and KBB is 20/19.

Ideally I'd want something that I could resell easily for the same or a little less if I needed to.

How should I go about getting it checked out by a mechanic, etc. It's got low miles but it's out of warranty now. If I like it, what should I do? Should I give a deposit and ask if we can take it to a mechanic and then if everything is good then buy it? At 38k and 5 years, how much repairs/maintenance would be needed?

ALso when should I negociate the price? Before or after the checkup. How is this sort of stuff usually done?

Sorry I'm asking so many questions — this is a pretty big decision and purchase for me so any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers :)

1st off to get automatic..you will regret it, on top of that some not all automatic transmission fail. Now for an 02' you shouldnt pay no more than 16k.

IMO, you first ask the owner to provide all the paperwork from any visits to shops for repairs/maintenance, etc. Ask to see the owner's manual. Ask if they have the Bentley shop manual (if they do any work themselves). Look them over. Would you want to buy anything from them? Is it a one-two-or three owner car? (The fewer, the better, imo.) Is the owner presenting a good image, generally, of themselves or are they a slob, nervous, etc?
Ask questions like, "Who does your maintenance?" How often do you change oil and filter, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid? (Sometimes, often, never?) You are looking for good, correct answers. Look at tire wear and pressures. Cold tire pressures may indicate an owner who keeps up with the little "unimportant" details. Is the air filter filthy? Look at the interior and under the hood. Does it look like someone really cares for it and has taken care of it? Did they smoke and eat in it? Are you buying a car or a restaurant here, eh? Did kids hurl in it? Do they transport dogs or goats on a frequent basis?

Beforehand, talk to a good shop with bmw experience and tell them you are looking and will need a good, thorough pre-purchase inspection. You will want it up on a lift so all suspension components, steering, brakes, driveline, can be inspected... as well as general condition underneath. Have them take off the underbody tray so the underside of the engine, hoses, etc. can be looked at. Look for any fluid leak evidence. Look for any problems with the differential carrier/body mounts area (potential subframe cracks/tearing, especially). Look for any warning lamps on the dashboard indicating problems. Have them read any stored codes. If anything is needed, get a good estimate and use it when negotiating the final price.
Arrange with the vehicle's owner so it can be taken for the insp. but don't pay out any money as yet without a solid, written, signed agreement so if it isn't right, you can recover your deposit. No need for a mega-deposit. A couple hundred will indicate your sincerity.(If under 18, you may not be able to enter into legal agreements, etc. Depends on the State's laws.) Based on the shop's written report, blue book values and newspaper prices, etc., you will be better prepared to make an offer. A good inspection may cost a good hour of labor. If compression or leak-down is checked, it will be two hours or so. You want it all in writing... like a checklist.
Drive it. How does it start? How is the idle? How does it run out? Any "bad" vibrations? Any braking vibes, pedal pulsation, pulling to one side? Does it track straight with no hands on the wheel? Does it feel tight, crisp, responsive generally? (A good thing.) Does the A/C put out cold air or smell bad? Do all lights and controls work?
Look over the body carefully for any signs of bodyshop work, repainting overspray, etc. Look at the wheels for curb rash. Was it driven carefully? Is the owner a clown or a pretender; a youngster or a "wheeler-dealer" and a big talker?(All negatives, imo.) Did they have the cash to take care of it? Did they race it or track it? Was it cared for or was it a somewhat abused status symbol? Have them drive you and observe their manner, perhaps. It will be good if they are an enthusiast as contrasted to "just" an average, know-nothing, owner. Take your time, keep your mouth closed generally, keep your wits and don't be over-driven by your emotion.
Offer somewhat low and gradually come up to meet the seller in the middle, if it's a good, clean example. There are lots of good ones, so don't fall for an "almost" good enough. Very small things can be lived with but problems are another matter.

It is generally easier to spend money than to earn it. Don't throw it away! If rich, don't worry about it. Party on, Wayne.

Just covered a few basics here. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice Lee. I guess I'll go look for a good bmw mechanic. Trouble is the seller is very far (like an hour away) so I'd have to find something in that area.

SMILEZ, I was on the fence between manual and auto. Manual is more fun but auto is safer (well since I'm new to it that'd probably be my weakest point for now) and more convenient stuck in LA's rush hour traffic. Also adds value to the car (as a package) — I wonder which are easier to resell..

Can you tell me more about the automatic transmissions failing. About when does that happen (like 100k miles?). How much would something of that magnitude cost and what are my chances?

Also it's an 02 but it's got pretty low miles (about 40k) — does time affect the engine and car as much as mileage? Like just because it's 5 years old is it more prone to break or will it still be as reliable as a 2 or 3 year old car with the same amount.

Thanks again and I'm keeping an eye out for other good ones. As for the pricing, does anyone else agree that I shouldn't pay over 16k? Cause I had been willing to do 17k or so earlier. But I don't know anything :p