Buying a second hand bmw

[Avrock]

Hello everyone..I'm planning to buy a second hand bmw preferably 07-09 320 or 325i & although I know about Japanese cars but when it comes to bimmers I'm completely blank..I've seen some very nicely maintained 8ok to 100k kms done bms. . Now id like to know if it is good idea buying a second hand bmw in thailand.. how about the annual maintenance costs...I must say I'm one of those people who are used to maintaining jap cars which here in Asia are quite cheap as easily available low costing parts & abundantly available local mechanics...when it comes to bmw there's a whole lot of technical electrical things involved...so basically is it a financial suicide??I hope my enthusiasm & excitement doesn't lead me to a long term headache..

[NeverSure]

Parts can be very expensive for a BMW anywhere in the world. If it's a BMW only part, it can actually be outrageous.

[Avrock]

I'll be of course having a first class insurance in case of accidents so that would be covered..it's the maintenance & the small things I'm worried about like in case of oil leaks etc..I don't think second hand parts would be available even if they do they would be hard to get here won't they ??

Edited November 22, 2015 by Avrock

[AlexRRR]

Buy it and forget about the headaches you MIGHT have, Ive owned 2 in AU, the last one was a 3 series and in 10 years only an oil switch and just before i gave it to my son i had new wheel bearings put on the front, a total of $AU1200 spent on it apart from service tires and a new battery.

Your only real worry is servicing.....if you take it to a BMW centre it will cost you a fortune other than that my last BMW was the best car i have ever owned.

[richardt1808]

Hi,

I had the same thoughts as you a while back and was trying to choose between a 525 or Mercedes C180K. I spoke to my wife's uncle, who runs a car dealership upcountry as I thought his opinion would be particularly helpful. His advice was:

If you are buying second hand, you are safest with Honda and Toyota in terms of reliability, repair costs and re-sale value. Mercedes is okay, provided you can find a good private mechanic. BMW, in his opinion, is like a crying baby. It continually demands attention and no matter how much money you throw at it, there will always be some new problem the next month. I went with the C180K and it served me very well for 5 years, but I did take a huge knock on the re-sale value.

There are thousands of BMW for sale around Thailand, and almost zero demand because of the reasons mentioned above. Unless you have your own diagnostic unit, or a really reliable private mechanic, I would forget BMW here. But, if it is less than two years old and being sold with Motor-plan - that's another story.

Cheers

Edited November 23, 2015 by richardt1808

[mortenaa]

I had three BMW's in Thailand (still have two)

If you buy less than 5 year old, they still have warranty. There are great mechanics, and the prices for part are similar for what you would pay in Europe. There is also a huge BMW scene here with fans, clubs, meetings, retro-fittings etc.

My M3 is now seven years old - and still quite problem free.

Edited November 23, 2015 by mortenaa

[mortenaa]

Hi,

I had the same thoughts as you a while back and was trying to choose between a 525 or Mercedes C180K. I spoke to my wife's uncle, who runs a car dealership upcountry as I thought his opinion would be particularly helpful. His advice was:

If you are buying second hand, you are safest with Honda and Toyota in terms of reliability, repair costs and re-sale value. Mercedes is okay, provided you can find a good private mechanic. BMW, in his opinion, is like a crying baby. It continually demands attention and no matter how much money you throw at it, there will always be some new problem the next month. I went with the C180K and it served me very well for 5 years, but I did take a huge knock on the re-value.

There are thousands of BMW for sale around Thailand, and almost zero demand because of the reasons mentioned above. Unless you have your own diagnostic unit, or a really reliable private mechanic, I would forget BMW here. But, if it is less than two years old and being sold with Motor-plan - that's another story.

Cheers

Toyota are more reliable, because they don't have as many parts as a BMW They are terrible cars to drive, they rattle like hell, and don't have any gadgets.

BMW's owners are mostly people who enjoy driving. BMW are amongst the most reliable cars in the world. You can check that from the the 2nd hand statistics in Europe and the US. That said, you can run into trouble with every car. But if you maintain it properly, shouldn't be any problems.

Every BMW model has a 7-year lifespan. Its better to buy a model at the end of its lifespan, than the beginning. They usually change or update problematic parts during a models lifespan. Make sure you buy a model with M-sport package. They look better, and are easily re-sold in Thailand.

[Avrock]

Guys I'm way over my head here...I've seen a decent 2009 325i...the car is in immaculate condition & boy does it feel nice to be seated inside such a beauty..the owner is asking 800k..it's a grey market import but all taxes have been cleared..the only problem is that it doesn't have the idrive system..now I've spent all day trying to figure out how to get one installed & how much this project would cost me..now I'm a guy who wants to go an extra step to save a few bucks..any suggestions from the experienced enthusiasts out here

[luk AJ]

A BMW in Thailand looses value quite fast. In many cases close to 50% after 2-3 years. So the 800k for the 2009 seems too high. It is true that a BMW is often like a crying baby as richardt1808 describes it, but because of the relative low second hand value there is some room left for maintenance. I have a 525i and my next one will be again a BMW probably the 7 series because they loose value even faster. No highso wants to drive a second hand 7 series.

[Avrock]

A BMW in Thailand looses value quite fast. In many cases close to 50% after 2-3 years. So the 800k for the 2009 seems too high. It is true that a BMW is often like a crying baby as richardt1808 describes it, but because of the relative low second hand value there is some room left for maintenance. I have a 525i and my next one will be again a BMW probably the 7 series because they loose value even faster. No highso wants to drive a second hand 7 series.

So what in your opinion should be the market value of such a car?I've seen some decent 5 series as well but that car matches my expectations..there's still room for negotiations

[luk AJ]

I said "seems to high" but so many factors are involved.. Kms, is maintenance done by the book, added accessories ? Take a test drive and decide. Good luck!

[Avrock]

I said "seems to high" but so many factors are involved.. Kms, is maintenance done by the book, added accessories ? Take a test drive and decide. Good luck!

LOL good one..ya it's been really taken care of below 100k km mark..any idea about an idrive installation ??

[luk AJ]

I said "seems to high" but so many factors are involved.. Kms, is maintenance done by the book, added accessories ? Take a test drive and decide. Good luck!

LOL good one..ya it's been really taken care of below 100k km mark..any idea about an idrive installation ??

I have no idea if this is possible I would be very surprised if BMW offers an I drive kit. You could try EBay but a I think it is close to impossible. If you really want an idrive you better look for another car..

[mortenaa]

Guys I'm way over my head here...I've seen a decent 2009 325i...the car is in immaculate condition & boy does it feel nice to be seated inside such a beauty..the owner is asking 800k..it's a grey market import but all taxes have been cleared..the only problem is that it doesn't have the idrive system..now I've spent all day trying to figure out how to get one installed & how much this project would cost me..now I'm a guy who wants to go an extra step to save a few bucks..any suggestions from the experienced enthusiasts out here

Send me a PM. I have retrofitted three iDrives and a whole bunch of other stuff

This is one of my cars: http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1182160

[mortenaa]

I have no idea if this is possible I would be very surprised if BMW offers an I drive kit. You could try EBay but a I think it is close to impossible. If you really want an idrive you better look for another car..

Nothing is impossible my friend

[mortenaa]

Guys I'm way over my head here...I've seen a decent 2009 325i...the car is in immaculate condition & boy does it feel nice to be seated inside such a beauty..the owner is asking 800k..it's a grey market import but all taxes have been cleared..the only problem is that it doesn't have the idrive system..now I've spent all day trying to figure out how to get one installed & how much this project would cost me..now I'm a guy who wants to go an extra step to save a few bucks..any suggestions from the experienced enthusiasts out here

If I were you, I would have looked for a 2009 320d M-sport instead. Much better torque, same HP with a tune (I can help you with that), much better gas milage.

Edited November 23, 2015 by mortenaa

[Avrock]

Guys I'm way over my head here...I've seen a decent 2009 325i...the car is in immaculate condition & boy does it feel nice to be seated inside such a beauty..the owner is asking 800k..it's a grey market import but all taxes have been cleared..the only problem is that it doesn't have the idrive system..now I've spent all day trying to figure out how to get one installed & how much this project would cost me..now I'm a guy who wants to go an extra step to save a few bucks..any suggestions from the experienced enthusiasts out here

Send me a PM. I have retrofitted three iDrives and a whole bunch of other stuff

This is one of my cars: http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1182160

that's simply AWESOME..I was looking into the retrofits myself..I'm gonna send you a pm

[luk AJ]

Guys I'm way over my head here...I've seen a decent 2009 325i...the car is in immaculate condition & boy does it feel nice to be seated inside such a beauty..the owner is asking 800k..it's a grey market import but all taxes have been cleared..the only problem is that it doesn't have the idrive system..now I've spent all day trying to figure out how to get one installed & how much this project would cost me..now I'm a guy who wants to go an extra step to save a few bucks..any suggestions from the experienced enthusiasts out here

Send me a PM. I have retrofitted three iDrives and a whole bunch of other stuff

This is one of my cars: http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1182160

Waaw impressive!

[luk AJ]

This is my 525i ESS supercharged.

[steelepulse]

This is my 525i ESS supercharged.

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1448328752.996057.jpgImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1448328767.685412.jpg

What's your hp and torque numbers there luk AJ?

[luk AJ]

Not really impressive, it is a N52 engine and they don't want to overcharge this. Torque 250NM 240 PS. It would have been better just to swap engine for 535 or 540 right?

[steelepulse]

Not really impressive, it is a N52 engine and they don't want to overcharge this. Torque 250NM 240 PS. It would have been better just to swap engine for 535 or 540 right?

Thought the supercharger would get you a bit higher. The thing with bigger BMW engines here is they are damn expensive just for the engine. Sorry OP. slightly O/T.

[mortenaa]

Since we are talking about 2nd hand BMW's, I'm actually selling my M3 as well

Its a E92 2008, 62,000Km - and NOT a gray market import. Probably the only one in Thailand..

Actually made a blog about with all the details: http://e92m3bkk.blogspot.com

[mortenaa]

Not really impressive, it is a N52 engine and they don't want to overcharge this. Torque 250NM 240 PS. It would have been better just to swap engine for 535 or 540 right?

I think it's strange they can't do more than that?? I have a 116i (1.6l) with 136hp, and i tuned it to an amazing 215hp and 300nm (http://mcchip-dkr.com/en/chiptuning/car_bmw_1er_f20f21_116i_136ps). OEM exhaust.

Go for a M5 V10 engine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_S85

[luk AJ]

Not really impressive, it is a N52 engine and they don't want to overcharge this. Torque 250NM 240 PS. It would have been better just to swap engine for 535 or 540 right?

I think it's strange they can't do more than that?? I have a 116i (1.6l) with 136hp, and i tuned it to an amazing 215hp and 300nm (http://mcchip-dkr.com/en/chiptuning/car_bmw_1er_f20f21_116i_136ps). OEM exhaust.

Go for a M5 V10 engine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_S85

I would if I could

[mortenaa]

Not really impressive, it is a N52 engine and they don't want to overcharge this. Torque 250NM 240 PS. It would have been better just to swap engine for 535 or 540 right?

I think it's strange they can't do more than that?? I have a 116i (1.6l) with 136hp, and i tuned it to an amazing 215hp and 300nm (http://mcchip-dkr.com/en/chiptuning/car_bmw_1er_f20f21_116i_136ps). OEM exhaust.

Go for a M5 V10 engine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_S85

I would if I could

Btw, did u have the ESS supercharger done here? I have purchased a few products from them, but just bought directly online.

[augustwest]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems M series and AMG are all show and no go in Thailand

[luk AJ]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems M series and AMG are all show and no go in Thailand[/quot

AMG I don't know but M is blingbling no power enhancement.

[luk AJ]

Purchase through garage Driver Motorsport Lad Phrao

[kannot]

I had a 120i once in the Uk......never again, brand new broke down 2 days later some battery or electrical fault dealer said they would let me use a mini if I arranged my own insurance for it!! then the water bottle for the wipers got blocked after two months said I should use bottled water to fill it ( huh always used tap on all cars) and no they wont clear it under warranty cost £100 to clear its an known fault I read, warning lights kept coming on for no reason, brake light was the worst, they kept resetting it. Got rid of it

Japanese cars WAY more reliable in almost all surveys Ive ever read

I think insurance wont let you repair it at a BMW dealer if its over a few years old they want you to use some other places no doubt inferior unless you pay the extra