1st Used BMW Purchase

Hello everyone, I am very new here. Just joined. Ive always been a Japanese car person (Currently own a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS with 56K Miles)

I am thinking about trading in my Lancer for a 2009 BMW 328XI with 49K miles on it.
328xi includes the Cold Weather Package
Car is CPO - 1 Owner
They're asking $23,000

Now I am sort of an aggressive driver. I will be putting on about 12K miles/year.

When I went to my current Mitsubishi lancer, they offered me 2K more for my car than its currently worth. (I quoted myself a 2012 Ralliart (Touring Package)) I suspect I'll get the same sort of offer from BMW dealer

So whats the rational conclusion here. Should I
A: Keep my car and pay it off
B: Trade in for a New 2012 Ralliart (or other car)
C: Purchase BMW 328XI

Ive always wanted a BMW 328XI

I know I want AWD, and I know I want a Turbo with at least 230hp+


I guess what Im trying to decide is, is it really all that rational to trade for a bmw with the same miles on it as I currently have. I figure Maintenance for my lancer will begin to pickup (Ive had VERYY Minimal maintenance costs thus far). IDK just at a cross roads at the moment.

Any input you all can put in would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much!

Nice to meet you all!

Is the car certified? Is there any of the original warranty left? Is the carfax clean?

They're closed today. Ive been working with one particular agent there. They just posted this BMW on their site this weekend so I dont know about the carfax yet. I did email my SA to see if he can send it to me.
Secondly, it is CPO, so I am assuming there is an extended warranty I can purchase or they offer. Not sure on this aspect yet.
I am supposed to meet with him tomorrow

He did email me this weekend and said this:
When you buy a certified pre-owned BMW you essentially extend the warranty to six years from the date of first use, and the mileage extends out to 100k miles..

Originally Posted by twhisten

Is the car certified? Is there any of the original warranty left? Is the carfax clean?

IMO having the CPO warranty is a requirement for purchasing a used BMW outside of the factory bumper to bumper warranty. Unfortunately The CPO warranty is not an apples to apples warranty compared to the original factory warranty.

I would review the BMW website to view limitations, deductible information, and covered items.

Good luck with the decision.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...Warranty2.aspx

Is this a BMW dealership? The price seems a bit low for a 335i. I would be a little suspect. Make sure you price the tires before purchase (if needed) You might be surprised that the tires are as much as you are going to get for your trade in.

When a private party sells a vehicle that was certified as a pre-owned make darn sure you call and check with the bmw dealer that it is valid. It also seems that private parties think they can sell a previously certified car as a CPO, that is not the case. Yes it may have been a CPO, but the criteria that was previously met may no longer be able to pass a CPO process.

I looked at a 09 328i sp/prem/nav 40k miles at a BMW dealership for $26999. It was a CPO, but the hood had been adjusted and painted. The front fenders had been removed (noticed the paint on the screws were marked). I couldn't believe that they were trying to sell it for so much.

Buyer beware. Just because a BMW dealership is selling it, it may not be as good as you think. I went to 2 BMW dealerships here in Houston, tx. BMW North had perfectly pristine clean 2011's (but wanted a fortune for them). BMW momentum SW had very suspect cars.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Hutchman

Is this a BMW dealership? The price seems a bit low for a 335i. I would be a little suspect. Make sure you price the tires before purchase (if needed) You might be surprised that the tires are as much as you are going to get for your trade in.

When a private party sells a vehicle that was certified as a pre-owned make darn sure you call and check with the bmw dealer that it is valid. It also seems that private parties think they can sell a previously certified car as a CPO, that is not the case. Yes it may have been a CPO, but the criteria that was previously met may no longer be able to pass a CPO process.

I looked at a 09 328i sp/prem/nav 40k miles at a BMW dealership for $26999. It was a CPO, but the hood had been adjusted and painted. The front fenders had been removed (noticed the paint on the screws were marked). I couldn't believe that they were trying to sell it for so much.

Buyer beware. Just because a BMW dealership is selling it, it may not be as good as you think. I went to 2 BMW dealerships here in Houston, tx. BMW North had perfectly pristine clean 2011's (but wanted a fortune for them). BMW momentum SW had very suspect cars.

Good luck.

Yea this a really reputable dealer out here. I should have my hands on the carfax tomorrow, Hope not to see any ugly things on there. But I too agree, the price seemed a bit low.

Im going to swing by the dealer today so i can really inspect it without them breathing down my neck

Thanks.

If the car looks tired it is... Worn seats, paint, dirty engine r all signs of a driven hard and put away wet car.

Originally Posted by BryanK97

So whats the rational conclusion here. Should I
A: Keep my car and pay it off
B: Trade in for a New 2012 Ralliart (or other car)
C: Purchase BMW 335XI

Ive always wanted a BMW 335XI and I feel the price is pretty descent on this one.

I know I want AWD, and I know I want a Turbo with at least 230hp+

I guess what Im trying to decide is, is it really all that rational to trade for a bmw with the same miles on it as I currently have. . .

My guess is that everyone here has a BMW because they had to have it. I'm also going to guess that everyone here knows it is always cheaper to maintain your current ride than to get a new one. The "rational" decision is to keep your car. Getting a new car before you need it is probably more of an "emotional" decision. I think anyway.

It's your money! Good luck whatever you do.

To the OP:
If 230 horsepower is enough, you might wish to consider a 328, instead of a 335. A 328i or 328Xi has good performance, especially when coupled with the 6-speed manual transmission. It would also be a bit lighter on the fuel consumption, and maybe more reliable. The 328i has a very good reliability record.

The 335Xi you are researching may be perfectly fine. But some of the 335 series cars had a lot of problems with the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) system. There were also some issues with the turbochargers. This car may have a history of these problems (or even be a BMW buy back), which could explain the lower-than-expected price tag. BMW has now recalled most of these cars, as well as extended the warranty, so there should be fewer problems in the future.

Go to the dealer and review the car's history, and see what you find.

Originally Posted by alpinweiss

To the OP:
If 230 horsepower is enough, you might wish to consider a 328, instead of a 335. A 328i or 328Xi has good performance, especially when coupled with the 6-speed manual transmission. It would also be a bit lighter on the fuel consumption, and maybe more reliable. The 328i has a very good reliability record.

The 335Xi you are researching may be perfectly fine. But some of the 335 series cars had a lot of problems with the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) system. There were also some issues with the turbochargers. This car may have a history of these problems (or even be a BMW buy back), which could explain the lower-than-expected price tag. BMW has now recalled most of these cars, as well as extended the warranty, so there should be fewer problems in the future.

Go to the dealer and review the car's history, and see what you find.

OK, So i went to the dealer today, Found the 335xi in question.. turns out they mislabeled the price tag online. it was actually 35K... So in any event, Now I am looking for a 328 (which was what I was looking for originally)

Thanks for the above info. Helps me with deciding which direction to go.

SO, now I can revise my thread to reflect a 328 for 23K with 49k miles

Originally Posted by BryanK97

OK, So i went to the dealer today, Found the 335xi in question.. turns out they mislabeled the price tag online. it was actually 35K... So in any event, Now I am looking for a 328 (which was what I was looking for originally)

Thanks for the above info. Helps me with deciding which direction to go.

SO, now I can revise my thread to reflect a 328 for 23K with 49k miles

I just ended up purchasing a 2011 328i prem with 20k for $27500. I originally wanted an 09 for $24k-$25k but could not find one in good enough shape. I feel I got a borderline great deal since the BMW dealerships were in the $30-33k range for an 11. If you don't know what damage repair looks like I suggest you have someone look it over for you just in case. Good luck, I found mine at a Chevy gmc dealer that took it on trade.

An 09 might be close to needing a brake job, battery, and tires. The CPO part of the warranty doesn't cover much. No belts, hoses, brakes, sensors, gaskets (most any oil leak!). A CPO'ed one should have a front brake job and new tires, but it all depends on what they are worn down to when they are inspected.

Originally Posted by BryanK97

Hello everyone, I am very new here. Just joined. Ive always been a Japanese car person (Currently own a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS with 56K Miles)

I am thinking about trading in my Lancer for a 2009 BMW 328XI with 49K miles on it.
328xi includes the Cold Weather Package
Car is CPO - 1 Owner
They're asking $23,000

Now I am sort of an aggressive driver. I will be putting on about 12K miles/year.

When I went to my current Mitsubishi lancer, they offered me 2K more for my car than its currently worth. (I quoted myself a 2012 Ralliart (Touring Package)) I suspect I'll get the same sort of offer from BMW dealer

So whats the rational conclusion here. Should I
A: Keep my car and pay it off
B: Trade in for a New 2012 Ralliart (or other car)
C: Purchase BMW 328XI

Ive always wanted a BMW 328XI

I know I want AWD, and I know I want a Turbo with at least 230hp+


I guess what Im trying to decide is, is it really all that rational to trade for a bmw with the same miles on it as I currently have. I figure Maintenance for my lancer will begin to pickup (Ive had VERYY Minimal maintenance costs thus far). IDK just at a cross roads at the moment.

Any input you all can put in would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much!

Nice to meet you all!

interested to hear what you decided, and also how you liked the lancer as currently considering either a 2008ish 323i or 328i or a 2009 Lancer GTS.