hmmmm mileage on this bmw

[bad2dabone]

hey all, i'm looking for a cheap 3 series touring and this one http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-S...t?channel=CARS is very well specced for the price, but the catch is 200k miles. What do you think ? Too many miles?

[batperson]

200,000 miles in a petrol engine? NCT up in under 3 months.... I wouldnt touch it with a 200,000 ft pole!

[Magnus]

Only a dealer can describe a 200K mile car as in "mint condition"

Offer 800

[bad2dabone]

i doubt i'ld get it for 800, would 1,500 be a decent starting point? and what should i be looking out for when i go view it?

[EPM]

TBH, it says FSH and it's a very good spec. If it checks out I wouldn't discount it straight away. Just not maybe at the full asking price. Looks mint

[cruizer101]

Car looks in good cond and says has full BMW service history.

One thing that does seem a bit strange is NCT just done but up early next year, why was it left so long to go through the NCT, just something to ask.

Otherwise nice looking car, just cause there is a lot of miles doesn't mean its going to break, far better with well kept car with more miles than a crap kept car with less.

[SV]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Only a dealer can describe a 200K mile car as in "mint condition"

Offer 800

That's funny, I wasn't aware the miles on a car denoted the condition..

[Tigger]

i appluude the people who didn't "correct" the milage here

[bazz26]

I'd have no problem buying a car with 200k miles on it if the car is running perfectly and has some sort of service history with receipts for any major work carried out on components that have already come to the end of their usefulness.

However it would have to be very cheap to tempt me. I would not spend €4k on a car that might cost half or more of that to replace naturally worn parts at that mileage such as gearbox, clutch, cat converter, etc. I'd buy it as a cheap drive it till it dies car only.

[Les Paul]

Originally Posted by Tigger

i appluude the people who didn't "correct" the milage here

Agree 100%. Most uk imports here are clocked. If it was well maintained 200k isn't much. Sure if you got a year out of it ?

[R.O.R]

^^^+1 Bazz26

I'd only pay about €750 regardless of condition. If it's bought at a price as though it's disposable then it's worth it.

If not then it's too big a risk as there is a likelyhood that large bills are on the way.

I've driven a few huge mileage machines that came back here. Doesn't matter how well they've been maintained, they just never feel the same as something with 80 - 100k miles.

[cruizer101]

Originally Posted by Les Paul

Agree 100%. Most uk imports here are clocked.

Who ever said it was imported, according to mywheels its not anyway.

[00D911]

Originally Posted by batperson

200,000 miles in a petrol engine? NCT up in under 3 months.... I wouldnt touch it with a 200,000 ft pole!

Nct doesnt expire until 01/2011 if you do the math thats 15 Months away !!!!!!!!

[Dark-Mavis]

Originally Posted by Tigger

i appluude the people who didn't "correct" the milage here

I was very surprised myself too.
Loads of cars out there like this one with really shiny steering wheels and worn bolsters on the seats!

[rebel.ranter]

They seats & wheel can go like that after 50k miles. This car just goes to show that you would really want to know your stuff to spot a clocked car, particularly a BMW of this era (e46/e39).
I sold a 5 series back in 2000 with 180k miles to a friend of mine, he brought it over the 200k miles mark in 18 months then sold it in 2002. I spotted it 3 years ago still driving so that was 4 years after it had 200k miles!

A quick check of mywheels.ie shows it was last taxed in Oct 2006 though So it has probably finally retired.