2003 BMW 318i 2 litre auto

tomcosgrave

Hi folks,

I need to get wheels asap. I have a budget of around €2,000.

I am contemplating buying a 2003 BMW 318i 2 litre auto with 57k miles /
92k km on the clock for around this price.

I've never had a BMW before so know little enough about them.
I have not seen the car yet, and obviously I'd be getting a mechanic to look it over, but assuming the car was in good nick, could any BMW heads tell me if this is a sensible buy?

Is the price a dead giveaway that something is wrong?

Thanks...

Atlantic Dawn

Check service history (if any), see how long the current owner has the car, the longer the better. 57k on a car that age is very low, without a history I would take it as a pinch of salt, sometimes a car with 100k and history will be a better buy.

Idbatterim

how come you are looking at this car in particular? what are your requirements, mileage etc?

tomcosgrave

I need to drive an automatic - I can't drive a manual because of a physical issue, and no I can't learn.
I don't want to spend a whole lot, that car pretty much fits my needs in terms of mileage, I'm thinking it's a BMW so it will be reliable if it's kept well, and well, I'd rather something like this than a Nissan Micra or some such.

ice.cube

They are a great car to drive, I have a 2002 320d myself and I love it. If your getting a good mechanic to look over it then you should be fine. He will offer you the best advice when he examines, drives and checks over the service history of the car. Some can be prone to the brakes seizing up and also the handbrake can be bad in them too. Check the electric windows fully too they can break over time. But hey im no mechanic, just my experiences.

bazz26

BMWs at that age can be hit and miss around reliability, really depends on how they were cared for. Also low mileage is not a guarantee that it will be reliable as alot of low mileage cars tend to have servicing skipped because their owners think they don't need it do to not driving the car that much.

If your priority is reliability then I'd have a look at something like this Accord, a little above your budget but they rarely give trouble:


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Honda/Accord/2.0I-VTEC/44213942872797220/

Idbatterim

the 5 series below are a real step up on the E46, the only thing is the smallest engine is a 2.2L... Also they have the far more reliable 6 cylinder engine...

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-520-for-sale-nct-and-taxed/8204736

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-520i-auto-a-c-alloys-new-02-2016-nct-/7740680

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-520-ofers-excellent-condition/7903528

Foxhole Norman

I'd definitely be having a 5 Series over the 3, especially because you need an Auto. If you don't mind the €951 tax and don't do big miles it's a great car to waft around in.

No matter what you look at though make sure the Cooling system is in order, pretty much the biggest weakness of older BMW's.