[shortie]

Well as some know i have had endless problems with my E90 320i and it is being purchased back by the dealer (Yes i know i should have researched the engine before buying lol).

So that leaves me with a dilemma, the car should fingers crossed be gone by the end of the week so i am going to have to act fast as i going to be without a car.

Do i trust BMW again and just put it down to buying a bad one or do i go elsewhere. The way i see it now is my choice of manufacturers is Audi, BMW, Jaguar or Merc as anything else will feel like a backwards step.

So max budget is 15k but less if possible lol. Has to be atleast half leather interior, preferably full leather and has to be 4/5 doors. Estate would be ok but they seem to carry a hefty premium so may have to just make do with the roof box and it has to be 2007 (07) plate or newer for my private reg.

So far things that have stood out

Spotted this E90, slightly less common colour but reds tend to fade.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...1501?logcode=p


And this E60:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...port?logcode=p


Neither are highly spec'd but livable. Also with the current horror stories of the N47 engine and timing chain issues i am not sure either is a good choice.


Leaves the outsider option which i do not know a lot about:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...56az?logcode=p


If you can find anything better spec'd i am looking for options lol

[mtr123]

i'm thinking about an estate c-class next so i would look for them if i was you.

saying that i haven't driven one but ive been a passenger and the interior is a lot nicer than bmw imo

[shortie]

Originally Posted by mtr123

i'm thinking about an estate c-class next so i would look for them if i was you.

saying that i haven't driven one but ive been a passenger and the interior is a lot nicer than bmw imo

What was the ride like? Better than the BMW?

[briers]

Yes in my opinion the mercs ride much better. Lci cars did get some suspension adjustments but my old mans c class estate does have more comfort. Without run flats on the BMW it is improved a lot but the suspension is still hard for a non m car.

[mtr123]

Originally Posted by shortie

What was the ride like? Better than the BMW?

ride is comfy/luxurious
i'm looking to test drive one in the next few months as i don't know a lot about them, i imagine they don't handle like a 3

[sixpot]

I like that red E90, you are right you don't see many about in that colour.
If you start looking at the Mercs, sometimes they are advertised as having full leather when in fact it is 'contico' an artificial leather.

[shortie]

Decisions decisions

Would be so much easier if i had faith in BMW's reliability!

[Rudz]

I would not recommend a private sale especially to u considering the problems u've had with ur car, go to a dealer mate, u'll have warranty for peace of mind

I've not heard many problems reported on the 330d or 330i, good mpg, 6pot etc pre lci would be my preferred option as the m57 is durable and reliable, the n57 is great too but I have seen the odd reports of drivetrain issues

325 could be another option, same engine as the 330, the only difference being ecu tweaks?

I would not be put off buying a BMW, they r great cars and urs I am sure is a one off unfortunate experience

My OH has a merc w204, it's fully loaded and has a luxurious feel to it, it's just not as exciting to drive though

[jayakrishnanv]

Hi mate, there is a 325d in Lemans blue with stratstone chesterfield...its a M-Sport slightly over your 15K budget by £200 pounds...like mentioned above you can get a good 3L engine and one year AUC warranty as well...here is the link if you find it interesting..All the best

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/...tance_ASC|list

[peterg1965]

Originally Posted by jayakrishnanv

Hi mate, there is a 325d in Lemans blue with stratstone chesterfield...its a M-Sport slightly over your 15K budget by £200 pounds...like mentioned above you can get a good 3L engine and one year AUC warranty as well...here is the link if you find it interesting..All the best

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/...tance_ASC|list

I would go with this one. Stick with approved used.

[xPETEZx]

That AUC car looks very very nice!
Would go with that.

Dont go from a 320i and all your problems with that, to another engine with a history of problems.
The 20d 177 engine was what I was looking at too, but all the bad stories put me right off.
Went with a 325i in the end, and havent looked back!

[Dr Dave]

It's gotta be a later pre-lci 330d!

[dobbo99]

should be able to get AUC 525d or 530d for that money, if you need something that big of course.
you want a hassle free process with this car, based on your previous experience I would stick to a main dealer car.

[briers]

Originally Posted by shortie

Decisions decisions

Would be so much easier if i had faith in BMW's reliability!

Unfortunately the 2 litre variety are a lot more prone to failure, the only other is the 335i with its hpfp / injector issues. So don't be put off.

Just buy something with a warranty and 3.0l engine

[Mr Singh]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

It's gotta be a later pre-lci 330d!

This!

[AWBimmer]

330D is known for being one of most reliable engines out there in BMWs and they will easily keep with up with the likes of other mid level cars (diff league after remap )

Any of the 325, 330, 335 should certainly change you mind completely from your 320i mishaps as unfortunately and rightly pointed out by others, they aren't the most reliable motors out there. Now that you know to avoid 320i and you have a wealth of info to hand before pulling the trigger + some very knowledgeable people on here.. I'd weigh up your options between what engine in the BM range will suit you best, compare it to your other manufacturers pointed out and make a decision based not just on the fact most here will praise BMWs ofcourse, but what you like the look of and what deal can be had that best fits your budget

[phil200tdi]

With a lump of cash in hand, right now I'd be leasing a new car.

The deals are just too good to pass up and the warranty provides relatively worry free motoring.

[shortie]

Originally Posted by Rudz

I would not recommend a private sale especially to u considering the problems u've had with ur car, go to a dealer mate, u'll have warranty for peace of mind

I've not heard many problems reported on the 330d or 330i, good mpg, 6pot etc pre lci would be my preferred option as the m57 is durable and reliable, the n57 is great too but I have seen the odd reports of drivetrain issues

325 could be another option, same engine as the 330, the only difference being ecu tweaks?

I would not be put off buying a BMW, they r great cars and urs I am sure is a one off unfortunate experience

My OH has a merc w204, it's fully loaded and has a luxurious feel to it, it's just not as exciting to drive though

Definitely needs to be a dealer, not going private. Would luv approved used BMW but depends on finding one in budget. Seams the 6 cylinder is a better option.

Originally Posted by jayakrishnanv

Hi mate, there is a 325d in Lemans blue with stratstone chesterfield...its a M-Sport slightly over your 15K budget by £200 pounds...like mentioned above you can get a good 3L engine and one year AUC warranty as well...here is the link if you find it interesting..All the best

http://www.approved.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/...tance_ASC|list

Good spot mate, that is definitely on the short list, thank you

Originally Posted by peterg1965

I would go with this one. Stick with approved used.

Yeah i think your right about an AUC.

[shortie]

Originally Posted by xPETEZx

That AUC car looks very very nice!
Would go with that.

Dont go from a 320i and all your problems with that, to another engine with a history of problems.
The 20d 177 engine was what I was looking at too, but all the bad stories put me right off.
Went with a 325i in the end, and havent looked back!

Yeah. although there is lots to choose from, the N47 engine seems just as prone to issues as my 320i

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

It's gotta be a later pre-lci 330d!

All in my budget seem to be high mileage and cloth interior lol

Originally Posted by dobbo99

should be able to get AUC 525d or 530d for that money, if you need something that big of course.
you want a hassle free process with this car, based on your previous experience I would stick to a main dealer car.

Hassle free is what its all about, i need a reliable car. Up until december it was ok as i could always just jump into the Mrs car, unfortunately with her passing away its just one car now so i cannot have something that goes into the garage for a week nearly every 6 weeks

Originally Posted by briers

Unfortunately the 2 litre variety are a lot more prone to failure, the only other is the 335i with its hpfp / injector issues. So don't be put off.

Just buy something with a warranty and 3.0l engine

Good advice, cheers mate

[shortie]

Originally Posted by AWBimmer

330D is known for being one of most reliable engines out there in BMWs and they will easily keep with up with the likes of other mid level cars (diff league after remap )

Any of the 325, 330, 335 should certainly change you mind completely from your 320i mishaps as unfortunately and rightly pointed out by others, they aren't the most reliable motors out there. Now that you know to avoid 320i and you have a wealth of info to hand before pulling the trigger + some very knowledgeable people on here.. I'd weigh up your options between what engine in the BM range will suit you best, compare it to your other manufacturers pointed out and make a decision based not just on the fact most here will praise BMWs ofcourse, but what you like the look of and what deal can be had that best fits your budget

Do the 3 litre diesel's suffer with DPF issues???

[shortie]

Originally Posted by phil200tdi

With a lump of cash in hand, right now I'd be leasing a new car.

The deals are just too good to pass up and the warranty provides relatively worry free motoring.

There seem to be half decent business deals out there but it doesnt seem competitive to me for a personal user. Deposit plus £300 to £400 a month for 2-3 years seems expensive to had the car back at the end and not own it lol

[briers]

Yes all diesels in the range suffer from DPF problems (unless you guy a 2005 320d with the downturn tailpipe they dont have them). All depends on what the car is used for. Frequent and exclusive short journeys are going to clog the DPF much quicker. I think with normal driving and a working thermostat they usually last until 120k before needing a replacement at a cost of around £1,500.

You will never know the true usage of a car but a good indicator might be to check the hidden coolant temperature. I keep my eye on this and i have seen it fall slightly recently. Whilst it was still in ok range if i left it any longer it might have prevent the DPF from functioning correctly so as i precaution i changed the stats.

Most people have no idea about this so i bet there is a lot of cars driving around with woolly stats which will eventually lead to DPF failure.

Keep it burning and you shouldn't have any problems. If you are really bothered i'm sure you could ask them to run a diagnostic on the car to check the back pressure mB readings for the DPF at idle, 2k and redline plus check the coolant temp after 15 mins of driving.