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  1. #1
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    Lord, I hate car buying (used BMW related)

    I want to get my wife a new (used) car. Small SUV. She had an old CRV she loved

    Locally there is a 2006 BMW X3 3.0. It only has 48,000 miles on it. $9000 includes new Blizzaks and nice all season tires.

    Does not leak oil. Drives great. Both interior and exterior are immaculate. Garage kept.

    I can’t find a crv/rav4/etc for anywhere near $9000 with such low miles.

    Bad idea to buy a 15yo beemer? I know the answer (yes). But I’m so tempted. My wife would look extra-milfy in a bmw too. We are historically total dirtbags so the thought of owning a bmw is lol.

    Someone talk me down. Or reassure me I’m not crazy.

    Hard to find comps with such low miles.

    Anyone?

  2. #2
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    There is a thread for this...


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  3. #3
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    There is a thread for this...


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    There’s a thread about potential issues with purchasing a 2006 BMW with 48,000 miles?!

    Amazing coincidence.

  5. #5
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  6. #6
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    Lord, I hate car buying (used BMW related)

    Well, goddamn.

    Still, not helpful.

  7. #7
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    Lord, I hate car buying (used BMW related)

    It’s pretty simple, repairing a European car is more expensive than repairing the Japanese cars (which really are domestic at this point), because the parts are expensive, there’s not many of them relatively, and not many mechanics. Can you afford the difference? Are the Milfy characteristics and the driving characteristics worth it?
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tech Tonics View Post
    I want to get my wife a new (used) car. Small SUV. She had an old CRV she loved

    Locally there is a 2006 BMW X3 3.0. It only has 48,000 miles on it. $9000 includes new Blizzaks and nice all season tires.

    Does not leak oil. Drives great. Both interior and exterior are immaculate. Garage kept.

    I can’t find a crv/rav4/etc for anywhere near $9000 with such low miles.

    Bad idea to buy a 15yo beemer? I know the answer (yes). But I’m so tempted. My wife would look extra-milfy in a bmw too. We are historically total dirtbags so the thought of owning a bmw is lol.

    Someone talk me down. Or reassure me I’m not crazy.

    Hard to find comps with such low miles.

    Anyone?
    if you don't mind budgeting a few k for the shop every year that you may or may not spend, go for it.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  9. #9
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    Jan 2004
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    The first gen E83 X3 are known to be a pretty bomber unit (built by Magna in Austria). Engine and trans are both good in it. Only real weakness is going to be age of plastic hoses. Old BMW plastic and rubber will have possibly dried out and cracked and you'll chase small vacuum leaks.

    I bought a 2005 X3 with 6spd manual a year and a half ago and it's been good. I had a rear ABS sense go as the tone ring is going and it swelled and damaged the sensor. New sensor with a small washer to give some clearance and problem solved without doing the tone ring.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by shirk View Post
    The first gen E83 X3 are known to be a pretty bomber unit (built by Magna in Austria). Engine and trans are both good in it. Only real weakness is going to be age of plastic hoses. Old BMW plastic and rubber will have possibly dried out and cracked and you'll chase small vacuum leaks.

    I bought a 2005 X3 with 6spd manual a year and a half ago and it's been good. I had a rear ABS sense go as the tone ring is going and it swelled and damaged the sensor. New sensor with a small washer to give some clearance and problem solved without doing the tone ring.
    thanks! Exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for.

  11. #11
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    It is always the $64,000 question if buying a low mileage, but older car is a good idea. Who knows for sure. The older X3 has questionable reviews from a quick google search. If a $5k tranny is going to blow your savings out, you may want to skip it.
    My mechanic has told me to buy the newest car I can afford, so there is that point to think about.
    Quote Originally Posted by leroy jenkins View Post
    I think you'd have an easier time understanding people if you remembered that 80% of them are fucking morons.
    That is why I like dogs, more than most people.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by liv2ski View Post
    It is always the $64,000 question if buying a low mileage, but older car is a good idea. Who knows for sure. The older X3 has questionable reviews from a quick google search.
    In his case its a $9000 question.

    Have the car put on a lift and checked by an independent mechanic. I tell this to everyone buying a used car. I can't believe most people don't do that before buying. In the olden days you looked at their teeth.
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  13. #13
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    Mar 2008
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    Buy a new car and drive it for a long time
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  14. #14
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    Budget ~1.5k/yr in maintenance plug plus probably 1-2k on purchase and 20mpgs on premium then compare ownership costs to a newer japanese crossover. Water pump/thermostat is a 1-1.5k job that will be required at some point and can strand you. I am guessing TCO/mile is higher on the bmw than a 15k rav4/crv up to you if that's worth it.

    Source I drive a 2006 325xi wagon that had ~1700 in shop bills in january.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    From someone who has been down this road before (twice): don't do it unless you are willing to budget $2000-3000/year for repairs and ready to deal with issues that range from mildly annoying to leaving you stranded. My anecdotal highlights:

    2007 328xi wagon, owned from 2010-2014 (just off a lease with 25K miles, must be like new!) - odd transmission leak; total water pump failure on I70 that left us stranded; door lock system failure that locked our toddler in the car; two window actuator replacements; recurring alignment issues and irregular tire wear; and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. I mistakenly did the math about two years into ownership and realized we would have been better off buying new.

    2003 X5, owned from 2016-18. About 65K miles on this when I bought this dirt cheap from a family member (so cheap, how could I go wrong?) - various sensors required replacement; engine randomly stalling and/or going into limp mode while driving; all four window actuators crapped out at different times (to be clear, when these fail the window collapses open and can't be closed); rear hatch rattle that couldn't be improved; dash lights and display failures in various ways. The AC totally crapped out while my wife and I were driving to trade it in on a hot summer day and we just laughed.

    Yes, super fun cars to drive and awesome in the snow (especially the wagon). But you've gotta be ready for the tradeoffs....

  16. #16
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    I started typing something, but then shirk posted what I was going to say, so I'll just add this: at only 48k there's a good possibility that it's missed services that should've been done for its age like trans fluid and both diffs oil change, water pump, belts + hoses, etc. Unless there's a service record that says otherwise, I'd budget for all of the things that weren't supposed to last a decade to be done.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tech Tonics View Post
    There’s a thread about potential issues with purchasing a 2006 BMW with 48,000 miles?!

    Amazing coincidence.
    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Tech Tonics View Post
    Well, goddamn.

    Still, not helpful.
    We had a discussion on this exact engine yesterday in the Wagon Stoke Thread:

    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-Stoke/page144



    Anyone seen Bobby Stainless lately?
    I still call it The Jake.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timberridge View Post
    In his case its a $9000 question.
    Yes, but trying to determine whether it becomes a $64,000 question.

  19. #19
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    Dec 2009
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    2015 X3 for sale. 25,000 miles. Like new, $5,000. Paypal only to notascamthistime@paypal.com

  20. #20
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    Dec 2012
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    Will he be paying in Bitcoin?
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  21. #21
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    Mar 2006
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    2006 German built Mercedes W211 wagon is magnitudes better in every way than that American built X class

  22. #22
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    The only people driving 15 yr old Mercedes's by me are Indian dudes. I'm not sure if they live in their mom's basements though.
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  23. #23
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    Mar 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by liv2ski View Post
    It is always the $64,000 question if buying a low mileage, but older car is a good idea. Who knows for sure. The older X3 has questionable reviews from a quick google search. If a $5k tranny is going to blow your savings out, you may want to skip it.
    My mechanic has told me to buy the newest car I can afford, so there is that point to think about.
    My mechanic said "never never never never never never buy a euro car...unless you like to give me lots of money"

  24. #24
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    Mar 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by canyonrider View Post
    From someone who has been down this road before (twice): don't do it unless you are willing to budget $2000-3000/year for repairs and ready to deal with issues that range from mildly annoying to leaving you stranded. My anecdotal highlights:

    2007 328xi wagon, owned from 2010-2014 (just off a lease with 25K miles, must be like new!) - odd transmission leak; total water pump failure on I70 that left us stranded; door lock system failure that locked our toddler in the car; two window actuator replacements; recurring alignment issues and irregular tire wear; and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. I mistakenly did the math about two years into ownership and realized we would have been better off buying new.

    2003 X5, owned from 2016-18. About 65K miles on this when I bought this dirt cheap from a family member (so cheap, how could I go wrong?) - various sensors required replacement; engine randomly stalling and/or going into limp mode while driving; all four window actuators crapped out at different times (to be clear, when these fail the window collapses open and can't be closed); rear hatch rattle that couldn't be improved; dash lights and display failures in various ways. The AC totally crapped out while my wife and I were driving to trade it in on a hot summer day and we just laughed.

    Yes, super fun cars to drive and awesome in the snow (especially the wagon). But you've gotta be ready for the tradeoffs....
    Similar story about a close friend...started having a few probs with his 2000-ish X5 that he paid $50K for...did his own valve job on it for fixes and immediately put it up for sale - got $10,000 for it with 80,000 miles on it. Turned around and paid 2x ($20K) for a Toyo Landrover with 200,000 miles on it instead!

  25. #25
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    Sep 2005
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    The problem is that you can't be shocked by a $6000 repair bill in 3 mos. Transmission, motor mount, suspension, engine block, steering column: they are all in play with a 15 year old car. Good car, fun to drive, but repairs come along with it. My son has a 2006 550i. Great car that would be fun forever, but things have started to go.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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