[Mustard3]

I've been looking to replace my aging M3 E46 smg for a few months now, with 335d or 335i being top of the list.

Armed with great info and advice from this forum I decided to look for for an AUC car from a BMW dealer. Shouldn't have bothered.

The first car I tried (27,000 mile 335d / £19k) I got a speech from the salesman about how thorough their car preperation was, I soon found several flaws with it that I guess theyd missed. I just didn't bond with that car, maybe it was the wrong colour or interior - it makes a big difference to how you feel about it.

The next car I tried from BMW, a 35,000 mile 335d / £20k, was caked in oily deposits around the red boost hose and and the under-tray below it. The gearbox in sport mode 'thumped' between gear changes and engine sounded a bit 'clattery'. The salesman offered me £1500 off that car without me even attempting to negotiate.

Next was a '07 335i, which I liked very much, made a nice noise. At £17.5k it was top of my list.

I tried looking at a 335d from a non BMW garage which looked very un-cared for including a badly kerbed wheel which they would 'put right after I'd bought it' but they wouldn't let me drive it unless put a deposit down first. I'm 52, not a bloody teenager looking for a joy ride!

So I ended up buying privately, an immaculate '08 335d M sport LeMans blue with pro-nav, Logic 7, DAB, heated seats, f & r sensors tax & mot etc. for £15.5K. It's done 80,000 miles but is in better condition and drives better than any other I tried.

Trouble is it has to sit on my drive on SORN until the M3 is sold!

[Kerr]

People are so hung up on AUC when it's often meaningless.

They pay top dollar for a car and don't benefit from it.

Plenty of good and bad examples can be bought anywhere.

[Mike oxlong]

I bought a AUC from Soper BMW in Lincoln..........with loose wheel nuts! waiting over two weeks (after 3 calls to BMW head office) for some sort of appology/explanation from Sopers and still nothing.

[zltm089]

Yeah, some dealers really take the pi$$ ....I was told by a very arrogant tw*t salesman that I would NEVER find a 335i for under £20k........he actually said "good luck".....

To that salesman, I now say F*CK YOU.

[pani_K3]

BMW salesman don't half chat a load of trollop. I went in last year to have a look at a few E92 coupes they had and to see if they had a 330d in. Ended up speaking to a bloke who gave me a fantastic heartfelt speech on the BMW brand and its premium aura and how they are the best cars in the world. Cheers for that mate, but I know its merits and isn't going to sell me anything. Next he proceeded to tell me that all used cars are selling like hot cakes and people put deposits on them over the phone and cars sell themselves...I'm sorry? All this economic doom and gloom, companies ringing at my workplace cold calling offering lease car and purchase plans trying to drum up business and you seem to think cars are selling themselves nowadays?

And to top it off when I was talking to him about performance, he reckons a 197bhp 325d has the same horsepower as a Astra VXR (240bhp) and on performance terms is on par if not better and trying to tell me a 325d was a planet stormer compared to a Focus ST225.

Oh and another AUC gem, my dad bought his E60 520i and it was only after he went to collect it, the wipers and indicators packed up, the traction control packed up and the iDrive went all funny. And they tried to tell him it had 4 new tyres when 2 were below the legal limit!

[The_Bear_Yid]

The other recent thread about a dog of an auction car turning up as an AUC car worried me and put me off of travelling far for an AUC car.

I think people trust AUC cars more because it in theory should suggest you'll have a years problem free motoring.

Some of the experiences experienced above sound very poor though. Name and shame is due imo.

[davyk31]

You do have somewhere to go back and complain if you buy AUC and have BMW UK as a further port of call for complaints. Buying private or from a one man back street indy garage you may well be told to f*** off.

[MEGA]

I don't fully understand the point of this post! You always need to be careful when buying a car.. AUC or not.

But congrats on finding a good one ..

[Mustard3]

The point really is just to say that don't assume that because it's an AUC car that it's necessarily going to be any better or as thoroughly inspected as you might hope from a 'premium retailer'.

You do of course have 1 years AUC warranty and somewhere to go back to with problems, this alone makes it worth buying a BMW AUC, but I just wished some of them cared a little more about their quality control.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Mustard3

The point really is just to say that don't assume that because it's an AUC car that it's necessarily going to be any better or as thoroughly inspected as you might hope from a 'premium retailer'.

You do of course have 1 years AUC warranty and somewhere to go back to with problems, this alone makes it worth buying a BMW AUC, but I just wished some of them cared a little more about their quality control.

It is disappointing when the garages, don't live up to expectations.

But on the other hand an AUC car has a warranty. My son has bought two X3 models blind, without even a test drive. One was driven up from Park Lane, the sales guy said there wouldn't be anything wrong with it, "you will be completely satisfied", that was their confidence in the example. It was exactly how described over the phone. And the deal was far better than any local BMW garage. My brother in law had also bought 'blind' from Park Lane, Z3 driven up to the Highlands and the guys had breakfast with the family, while sorting the final detail.

Second X3 for my son, he did the deal with the garage, sorted it all over the phone and just made one trip to Aberdeen to change over. Totally satisfied with both cars. As he says, "if it is faulty the garage will sort it, what's the issue?" But neither had to go to a BMW dealer for anything to do with the sale.

HighlandPete