Buying a used BMW

FINN1

Hi All,

Looking for a bit of advice.

I have always wanted to own a BMW and am considering buying a second-hand BMW 3 or 5 series c.2009-2012 with a budget of €10,000.

However, reading Boards and many other forums, it seems that buying a used BMW can be a bit of a minefield and I appreciate with my budget that any car bought will have a fair bit of mileage under its belt.

What would people recommend by way of a reliable BMW (year, model, engine type etc.) within this range? And would there be a huge overhead to maintain such a car?

For info, I do a 50/50 split of motorway and city driving, c.15-20,000kms a year in total.

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Stallingrad

Put simply BMW's of the age and mileage you are looking at are best avoided if you want trouble free motoring. At this age the bills and failures start to mount up. I cant speak for the 3 but I've just moved on from a 2014 F10 that had €2000+ worth of warranty work and felt like a long term liability. Parts are expensive and if anything major goes wrong (gearbox,turbo) you could spend a significant portion of the cars value to put it right.

Putting all that to on side I also found the N47 engine (which populates most of the 3 and 5 series) to be an unrefined and underwhelming unit. That is before you even mention timing chains or EGR cooler failures (now being covered under recall).

If you want the best engine look for a 6 cylinder diesel or petrol, still not problem free but so much nicer to drive. If you like the cars, and go in eyes open, prepared to spend money then do what makes you happy. Just make sure you get a few drives in the car in question beforehand to make sure it is right for you.

Sorry not to be more positive. I had lusted after a F10 for years and sold it within 8 months.

MTBD

I always wonder when I see so many young enough lads (invariably with beards) driving 5 series of between 5-10 years old what they actually see in them. To my eyes they are not a good looking vehicle with the f10 being an incredibly bland piece of design and they aren't fun to drive as they are all 2l diesels (no car of that size is fun to drive quickly on Irish back roads). The interiors are again bland, dark and lacking flair and the reputation for unreliability is becoming legendary.

I just don't get it beyond lads falling for a badge which has somehow become synonymous with sportiness all the while building less and less sporty cars.

But anyway going back to the point...our 320d with 80k miles was the most expensively uninspiring way of going from A-B. Less than a year and 3k in (BMW used approved) warranty work. Couldn't see any reason to go back to the brand. They are designed to break as far as I'm concerned and the dealers are arrogant tools who don't really care when it goes wrong.

FINN1

Thanks for the candid advice, it is appreciated.

It seems like a re-think might be required!

bazz26

Timing chains are the biggest problems with 2.0 diesel BMWs of that vintage. Evidence of frequent oil changes is a necessity with them and don't go off of the BMW official intervals as it's too long.

I've owned one 3 Series (2008) and three 5 Series to date (2011, 2014 and 2015). I never had any major problems with any of them. I did need an oil level sensor replaced on one and the idrive replaced on another, all done under warranty. I know a few people though that have had more issues with theirs so there is no fast or hard rule around their reliability. Funnily enough I had a VW in between that needed a new gearbox, clutch and flywheel at 2 years old and only 65k km on the clock. Would I consider another VW, yes if they had something that interested me.

If reliability is your primary desire them best stick with something Japanese though they are not without their issues either. The diesel engines in the Lexus IS220 and Mazda 6 are hardly rocks of reliability either.

lalababa

Don't know Jack bout BMWs but asking for benefit to the op:

If op likes the idea of the badge and he doesn't mind age, are there older bmw models that are fairly reliable?
Also would put my two pence in and say there are exceutive/luxury mid range saloons that are more reliable such as Honda/Hyundai/Volvo/mazda, that might suit.

Stallingrad

lalababa wrote: »

If op likes the idea of the badge and he doesn't mind age, are there older bmw models that are fairly reliable?

Define 'fairly'. On any old BMW you have to be prepared to send money, simple as that. Any well maintained, old BMW with a FSH will probably be reliable, but that is still no guarantee against potential big bills.

Squidgy Black

As someone who owns an older BMW, you might not run into many problems if the car has been well maintained and stuck to service schedules etc, but when you do it can be costly. Parts and labour involved generally tend to be of a premium compared to other brands.

Heres Johnny

I've bought plenty of used BMWs and they were all great reliable cars but I do feel I got a bit lucky. But I did research and get each one checked out and kept care of them myself. So just be careful, but great cars to drive and be in, especially the 5 series

sk8board

I’ve bought new and second hand bmws over the past 6 years. The 2nd hand one was 4 years old, from a main dealer with their 2 year full warranty - that’s where I’d be buying if second hand, or at least get a garage warranty of some sort.
Incidentally that car (2008 520d touring msport) had two big issues, sudden and instant engine failure (injectors) at motorway speed, and also blew a turbo when accelerating normally at low speed, the former under warranty and the latter cost €1800 for new turbo.
I then got a new 420D GC msport in 152, and it’s been flawless bar having to replace the now infamous EGR sensor twice (car went into limp mode, both times nearby a bmw main dealer beside my office, so it was bearly an inconvenience), and I then purchased a years extension to the comprehensive warranty for €420 when the 3 years were up, which I’ll be doing again this July.

Overall, I’ve LOVED both cars, no doubt about it.

PaulKK

Is it worth holding out for a B47 520d (2015) over a 2014 (N47)?

I was reading that the chain tensioner and guide rails are the same on the B47 as the final version on the N47.

Wondering if a low mileage 2014 is a better option than a higher mileage 2015.

Stallingrad

PaulKK wrote: »

Is it worth holding out for a B47 520d (2015) over a 2014 (N47)?

I was reading that the chain tensioner and guide rails are the same on the B47 as the final version on the N47.

Wondering if a low mileage 2014 is a better option than a higher mileage 2015.

B47 is much the same as late N47t. Engine is a bit quieter, though not much. DPF regen is more vocal and newer car sits in a lower tax bracket while being a bit more powerful.

The most expensive car you can buy is a cheap BMW,

PaulKK

Stallingrad wrote: »

B47 is much the same as late N47t. Engine is a bit quieter, though not much. DPF regen is more vocal and newer car sits in a lower tax bracket while being a bit more powerful.

I read the engine is only quieter from new and they are pretty similar once run in?

If they are that similar it may change my thinking on an F10, I was going to hold off for a 2015.

bazz26

I've had F10s with both N47 and B47 engines. The B47 engine is a bit quieter than the N47 but it's still loud especially at idle, however the F10 is a well insulated car so you don't hear it as much from the inside unless you put the window down. B47 has a bit more lower end grunt than the N47, both have similar mpg.

PaulKK

bazz26 wrote: »

I've had F10s with both N47 and B47 engines. The B47 engine is a bit quieter than the N47 but it's still loud especially at idle, however the F10 is a well insulated car so you don't hear it as much from the inside unless you put the window down. B47 has a bit more lower end grunt than the N47, both have similar mpg.

I know you've had a couple F10s, so a hypothetical question for you.

2014 Msport (50k km) vs 2015 se (100k km)?

Currently being offered a 2014 se with 100k km for 16k + a 2011 e90. Main dealer. They've had it at least 10 months.

LillySV

Have a e60 520d m sport and absolutely love it... wanted a 530d but couldn’t find any suitable ones at time so went for the 2 liter... they’re known to have a few bad ones but mine has been good so far... great handling and good power ... read some of the previous posts here and they’re unfair...one guy called them bland! F”k sake in comparison to what!? He drive a Ferrari!? In comparison to Ireland’s fav brands vw/Audi... they a lot better to drive ...

bazz26

PaulKK wrote: »

I know you've had a couple F10s, so a hypothetical question for you.

2014 Msport (50k km) vs 2015 se (100k km)?

Currently being offered a 2014 se with 100k km for 16k + a 2011 e90. Main dealer. They've had it at least 10 months.

I've had both SE and M Sport, for me the M Sport wins hands down unless you really drive crappy roads. Imo they just look better and the standard sports seats are way more comfortable than the standard SE seats. The F10 due to it's size and weight feels bargy especially coming from an E90 but the M Sport suspension makes the F10 sharper to drive whereas the SE feels like a comfy armchair. Worth driving both for comparison.

Is a 530d an option:
https://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=2181451&r=s.php%3Fm%5B%5D%3D10%26o%5B%5D%3D87%26nn%3D22%26yn%3D2013%26yx%3D2015%26pp%3D50%26g%3D0