Thoughts on buying an E90 BMW 325 coupe

logie101

As the title says I am looking at buying an E90 BMW 325 coupe. I've always wanted a 6 cylinder petrol BMW.

The tax doesn't look too bad €570 and fuel economy should not be too bad.

Any advice or things to look out for?

MarkN

See if there's any evidence of there having been fuel injector changes. I had an E92 335 and they went when it was fairly new. Other than that, the straight six engines are fairly solid. Timing chain etc shouldn't be an issue. Is it a grey 08 by any chance?

logie101

MarkN wrote: »

See if there's any evidence of there having been fuel injector changes. I had an E92 335 and they went when it was fairly new. Other than that, the straight six engines are fairly solid. Timing chain etc shouldn't be an issue. Is it a grey 08 by any chance?

Thanks for tor the info. Yes I was looking at a grey 08 one but I was undecided about the auto box.

Rowley Birkin QC

From what I can see, your biggest issue will be finding a decent specced, well kept post 08 petrol BMW and managing to get to it before anyone else!

bmwguy

If you can find one you like absolutely go for it. It's a little bit heavy on fuel around town (but most decent sized cars are) if you are doing big mileage I.e. motorway travel you will be well up in the mid 30s. All BMW are pretty spec dependent and this model is no different. I would personally only consider the sport spec in any bmw and I believe this particularly true in coupes. That's the problem with looking for a post 08 petrol there won't be a big choice available. Look in northern Ireland and UK anyway if you don't want the travel hassle/vrt hassle there are companies that will import them and sort it out for you. That obviously has its downfalls too but check it out get a reputable company and you will find the right car for yourself

Idbatterim

right I am driving a 325 now a 2003. Was thinking about going for an E92 325 or 330 coupe. they are a total joke price wise in my opinion and the E46 m sport is a better looking car and the 6 cylinder engine is more reliable...

are you looking for SE or m sport? the 325 is a good choice on the cc system as its a good balance on the power / motor tax front. Just saw this beauty below...

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/bmw/3-series/used-2006-bmw-3-series-320ci-m-s-dublin-fpa-201214498542486540

to put it into perspective a 2008 m sport E92, will cost close to triple that... just went into the ad and looking at that car now, yeah close to tripple that. The cost of depreciation and loan interest if applicable, will dwarf the motor tax "saving"...

MarkN

Idbatterim wrote: »

right I am driving a 325 now a 2003. Was thinking about going for an E92 325 or 330 coupe. they are a total joke price wise in my opinion and the E46 m sport is a better looking car and the 6 cylinder engine is more reliable...

are you looking for SE or m sport? the 325 is a good choice on the cc system as its a good balance on the power / motor tax front. Just saw this beauty below...

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/bmw/3-series/used-2006-bmw-3-series-320ci-m-s-dublin-fpa-201214498542486540

to put it into perspective a 2008 m sport E92, will cost close to triple that... just went into the ad and looking at that car now, yeah close to tripple that. The cost of depreciation and loan interest if applicable, will dwarf the motor tax "saving"...

The E92 is a step up though in many ways, particularly comfort and size. Even reaching around for the seat belt in an E92 is easier! Possibly not as raw a car but then the E46 ain't as raw as an E30. I've an E46 325 m-sport at the moment and it really is such a well balanced car, handles bends superbly particularly for a factory suspension.

Go a year older and Harford Motors have a 335d for the same money as the grey 2008 one in a dealer on Carzone. **edit - it's gone already!!**

Idbatterim

The E92 is a step up though in many ways, particularly comfort and size. Even reaching around for the seat belt in an E92 is easier! Possibly not as raw a car but then the E46 ain't as raw as an E30. I've an E46 325 m-sport at the moment and it really is such a well balanced car, handles bends superbly particularly for a factory suspension.

that is true, the E92's do have some pro's, the seatbelt would be very minor for me, size wouldnt effect me at all, I am in my own on the car 99% of time. But the cost differential is a total joke in my opinion...

MarkN

Idbatterim wrote: »

that is true, the E92's do have some pro's, the seatbelt would be very minor for me, size wouldnt effect me at all, I am in my own on the car 99% of time. But the cost differential is a total joke in my opinion...

Yeh that's true. At 15k for an 08 there's still quite a bit to go. A well minded E46 325 should be bottomed out at €2-3,000 depending on spec/year/condition.

commited

I have a 2006 BMW 335i. I originally went out shopping for an e46 330i but made the mistake (or blessing) of driving an e92 335i and I was hooked. Some advice:
- Only consider with full service history and ideally receipts etc
- The 325i is a relatively tried and tested recipe but the 3.0 unit isn't without it's issues and not as robust as the 2.5l predecessor - HPFP, injectors and coil packs have issues.
- Spec is important - it's a premium car so I'd expect nav, sport heated seats, xenons etc
- Manual vs auto is always down to preference - I personally love the auto with paddle shift, the power delivery is relentless.
- Don't get obsessed by road tax - the prices are massively inflated.
For example:
2006 325i e92: https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-325-coupe-automatic/11189096
€7k, likely to get it for a bit less than that. FSH, good spec (nav, sport seats, auto, heated seats etc), 3 owners and only 94k on the clock (which is nothing for a modern BMW). Tax is €500/year more so would take 18 years to make the savings of the 08 model being discussed here.

My advice would be to go for a 06/07 model and bank the savings! Over twice the price for a car that's a matter of 15 months newer is crazy.

Idbatterim

that car is a beauty committed. Personally I would throw an m sport bumper onto it, change the angel eyes to white, instead of the yellowish colour the factory ones throw out and you have a car, which looks like it cost a hell of a lot more than E7000...