Brand new to BMWs - advice on buying?

[JBBroadShot]

Hi all, new to the forum and BMWs (well, honestly, luxury cars in general), but looking to purchase my first beemer and thought I'd see if anyone could tell me whether I'm getting a good deal and/or any tips or things to look out for.

Right now I'm looking at a 2006 330i, 33.6k miles, warranty/maintenance through Sep 2010, navigation/sport/premium packages, titanium exterior, gray interior w/ aluminum trim for about $23 or $23,500 plus tax/reg. Car's in very good shape aside from a few scratches in the paint. One owner vehicle with a carfax history showing no recurring problems and frequent regular maintenance.

My only real concern after driving it is really just wondering how quickly the gray leather seats will show wear and tear compared to black leather.

Any thoughts on whether I'd be getting a good deal, or any other tips for a new BMW-buyer like myself would be very much appreciated. Thanks all.

[Car54]

First things first - Beemers are BMW motorcycles, Bimmers are BMW cars, hence "bimmer"forums.

The BMW leather is really pretty good and if you enter and exit the car properly and not tear up the bolster...it generally outlasts a lot of other car's leather.

Looks like a terrific price for the options/mileage. Call BMW North America for the dealer it was serviced at, then call them for the repair history....they should give it to you verbally.

good luck

[rob328xi]

Welcome. I am sure you probably already have done this but you can get some rough idea of market value by looking at sold 2006 330i's on ebay. Asking prices are also on autotrader.com, etc. The fact this car has a warranty is a plus, allowing you to sort out any issues which may have arisen, though you of course will be on your own in less than a year.

[moonliterhythm]

It doesn't actually have a warranty aside from the original factory warranty. As it turns out, 2006 + 4 = 2010 so I'm assuming that you'd be catching the tail end of the car's warranty =)

I am in a similar boat as you actually, looking at a very similar model for a similar price. After doing some more snooping, I'd say you could even snag that car at low 22's with tax title and license. The reason for this is because there are a freaking wealth of these 330i's on sale, and furthermore, the 2007 328i's are creeping into the same price range (with the 335's just a few grand more)

RE: the price, if it's acceptable to you, don't haggle. just go for it. i am looking at a black one that has everything loaded, and they're fetching 24k for it with about 20k miles.

[Bahnstorming335]

You have to be careful though because is the car was made in say 11/2005 and they say its an o6 model your warranty will end in 11/09.. thats what happened with my 335i. Its an 07 but made on 11/06 and my warranty it up in 11/10.. sucks huh?

[C5StateTrooper]

We have owned 5 BMWs - all bought brand new. I bought one recently that was a CPO and after learning about the CPO process and all the perks, I wondered why I never did this before. Best wayt o go to get the right car with the right protection.

[mryakan]

Originally Posted by Bahnstorming335

You have to be careful though because is the car was made in say 11/2005 and they say its an o6 model your warranty will end in 11/09.. thats what happened with my 335i. Its an 07 but made on 11/06 and my warranty it up in 11/10.. sucks huh?

The warranty timer starts from the time the car was sold not the time it was manufactured. In your example, a car manufactured on 11/05 will usually not be delivered before 01/06, so should be covered till the end of the year at least.