bimmer adviceee :)

[personman]

hey im about to get a new car and i know like jack about cars, so i was hoping someone could help me out.
i'm looking at a 1996 BMW 318ti coupe/hatchback for 5,900 with 71k miles(although im going to try to work on that price a little, i think its a good deal)
i test drove it today and it was kinda small, and the backseats were cramped but overall it drove pretty nicely. then again im used to driving a caravan so i dont know much about how smaller cars drive.



im going again in the morning except im taking my dad with me and we're going to look into it more. we're going to get a carfax and my dad is going to drive it, he knows a little more about cars than i, and if we think we want the car we're going to try to get a safety inspection done by a local mechanic and make sure nothing is wrong with it..

this is my first car, do you guys have any experience with these cars and advice on whether or not I should get it? I mean it gets good gas milage, good safety ratings, drives nicely, and hell its a BMW it should last.. is there anything yall think i might be overseeing? is it a good deal?

thanks

here's the ad:
Very nice 1996 BMW 318 ti , incredible 71 thousand miles , automatic , 2 doors hatchback , BMW sound system with CD changer , power windows , power locks , electric mirrors , power sinroof , runs and drives like new , 4 new continental tires , factory BMW wheels from newer BMW model , this vehicle has incredible gas mileage , gorgeous black color

[surfbum]

if you want to know what the actual value of the car is you can go to kelly blue book (kbb.com) and you can see the going price
i put it in for you with the information you gave me
the price if it is in excellent condition is $5,630
definately take it to a mechanic to get it checked out
looks in good condition
one warning: BMWs are know to have problems, especially as they get older, so that is something to take into consideration

overall: looks pretty good, should definately talk him down on the price you can even quote kelly blue book when you talk about the price because kelly blue book is THE used car value assessment, dealers use it, everyone uses it

hope i helped

[deathstalker]

Thank you for not calling it a beemer. My only beef about the ti series was realizing how much some people would pay for a hatchback (that and I always thought BMW's 4-bangers were way underpowered). And I thought GTIs were expensive!

Before you buy, price the cost of maintenance like oil changes, brakes, and regular service intervals. German cars are expensive to maintain and even more expensive to repair. Sometimes it's not the part that costs money, but the labor. Of course, I had six cylinders.

Does the current owner have service records? Sometimes, low miles on a 10-years old car isn't a good thing.

[slateman]

It also might be a good idea to check autotrader.com's used car section. Just to see what other cars with similar milage are going for

[personman]

I actually found this one on autotrader. Its hard to find good deals but I think this is one. The guy is bringing it over to my house in an hour so my dad can take a look at it.
It looks like its going to work out. Thanks for the KBB link, I think my dad only knows about the NADA website.
Surfbum I thought it was the opposite. Everyone I've talked to says that a bimmer has a very long life.. like up in the 150ks no biggie.
The maintanence stuff is going to be expensive, I can already tell.. thats why I want to get this car checked out and make sure its mechanically sound because I dont wanna dump alot of money in this car.
The car doesnt have alot of power, but it has enough for me, and it gets pretty good gas milage so im not going to complain about that. I'd rather have $ than speed
We're going to try to talk him down, I think the goal will be lower than 5.5k

Thanks everyone for the help

[Lohman446]

Surfbum I thought it was the opposite. Everyone I've talked to says that a bimmer has a very long life.. like up in the 150ks no biggie.

That is not relative long life for the record. Most modern cars can get in the 200K mile range with reasonable repairs / maintenance. I routinely run my Ford Taurus's under less than gentle conditions to the 250 to 300K range.

[personman]

That is not relative long life for the record. Most modern cars can get in the 200K mile range with reasonable repairs / maintenance. I routinely run my Ford Taurus's under less than gentle conditions to the 250 to 300K range.

meh whatever i know jack crap about cars. all i know is that ive heard bmws hold their miles better than average.

[Lohman446]

meh whatever i know jack crap about cars. all i know is that ive heard bmws hold their miles better than average.

To some degree. Do BMWs/Mercedes/VWs/Toyotas average fewer repair costs than most American vehicles? Yes, they do. Is this because they are better vehicles or because there owners tend to spend more on (and do better) maintenance? Just make sure you know what your getting. There nice cars. They have a prestige factor to them. Many people who deal with vehicles on a daily basis do not consider them mechanically superior and those rumors seem to start from people who have limited experience / knowledge.

[Fred]

le gasp... any bimmer but the 318...

unless you don't plan on doing anything performance related with it...

check out www.floridagerman.com the guys there had a pretty long discussion on this model not too long ago (I post in the VW section there and am a mod, bigger gasp!).

-Fred

[MagMan5446]

craigslist.com

you can find tons of better deals on there.

look around at the 5 series. at least a 325, 318s aren't too great and 4 door cars are so much better.

[xmetal2001]

The 318's are underpowered, but still have some of the BMW performance perks. I'd try to stay away from the 4 cylinder if you can though.

[Cow hunter]

The 318's are underpowered, but still have some of the BMW performance perks. I'd try to stay away from the 4 cylinder if you can though.

seconded, unless you arent much into performance.....

/if you DO want some performance, i know where to get a great condition '98 M3 4-door for about $16000, and this thing is a beast!

[personman]

The guy with this car will not contact us. He's pretty much an *******.

I dont give a crap about having a fast car, I just want something that runs well and cheaply.

[ShooterJM]

seconded, unless you arent much into performance.....

/if you DO want some performance, i know where to get a great condition '98 M3 4-door for about $16000, and this thing is a beast!

What's the milage?

[Lohman446]

I dont give a crap about having a fast car, I just want something that runs well and cheaply.

Then why are you even considering a BMW?