[om21braz]

Vox,
If you see an interesting car in the Piedmont, NC area I'd be willing to give it a look see for you. I'm no ASE mechanic, but pretty particular about the condition of autos.

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Murph335

$22.9k
http://www.carmax.com/enus/search-re...2-cbe028f4e3dc

And 335i all over craigslist. In Arizona when you buy private party you pay no Tax! My car was a CPO takeover private party = no tax w/ warr.

Tischer sells all the trim pieces, it came to About $700 with the sunglass tray. yep I hated the wood that much, dark wood doesnt look right with gray interior.

Thanks for checking out those 335i listings. I wish I could pull it off, but $23k+ $650 transfer fee + transporting the vehicle to Fl puts it out of my price range. I'm trying to hit $21k or less out the door, and would bump it to ~$22 if absolutely necessary.

Good tip on the Arizona option. I'll start looking at listings out of Phoenix!

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by om21braz

Vox,
If you see an interesting car in the Piedmont, NC area I'd be willing to give it a look see for you. I'm no ASE mechanic, but pretty particular about the condition of autos.

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. Quick question- isn't Piedmont in SC?

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Murph335

$22.9k
http://www.carmax.com/enus/search-re...2-cbe028f4e3dc

And 335i all over craigslist. In Arizona when you buy private party you pay no Tax! My car was a CPO takeover private party = no tax w/ warr.

Tischer sells all the trim pieces, it came to About $700 with the sunglass tray. yep I hated the wood that much, dark wood doesnt look right with gray interior.

Originally Posted by vox humana

Thanks for checking out those 335i listings. I wish I could pull it off, but $23k+ $650 transfer fee + transporting the vehicle to Fl puts it out of my price range. I'm trying to hit $21k or less out the door, and would bump it to ~$22 if absolutely necessary.

Good tip on the Arizona option. I'll start looking at listings out of Phoenix!

So I started checking out Az listings, and one of the first I came across was this one:
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/1985290456.html
I think I'm in love. What's a reasonable offer assuming a ~$21k trade in value? How does private-party buying in Az work?

Edit: never mind on that one, I contacted them and it's sold. (or was never avail, either way...)

[om21braz]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. Quick question- isn't Piedmont in SC?

The Piedmont (Triad) area of North Carolina is actually the greater Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point region.

[vox humana]

Help! Can anyone look at a history report and/or pull an options list for [edited out]?

My local dealership's service shop is closed on Sundays, and the vehicle's dealer is trying to insist I look at them on-site. It's a typical ploy, but throws up red flags for me. I'm considering checking out this vehicle, but would prefer to know what's what before driving the 2 1/2 hours down to Hollywood!

Thanks in advance!!

Edit: ponied up for the Autocheck sub and ran it - checks out clean.
Spoke to the dealership and they confirmed it includes sport, xeons, dynamic cc., bluetooth, and leather.

[vox humana]

Ok so I have a deposit down on this vehicle and I'm going to check it out today:
http://www.autostylewholesale.com/de...d-6122549.html

It's an 07 335i, 43k miles. Called my local BMW Dealer to run the VIN, but despite wanting a full options list, all he had time for was to state it has sport pkg, xeons, and bluetooth.

A couple questions:
This appears to have a constant diameter steering wheel thickness. If it has the sport pkg, shouldn't it have the sport wheel that has thumb notches? (Pics at the website above)

Also, isn't Bluetooth only available as part of the Premium pkg?

I asked if it has the factory oil cooler installed, but haven't heard back yet. Realistically, how important is this? I live in hot Florida, but don't anticipate autoxing/tracking this car.

Anything else I really need to consider before purchasing?

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Ok so I have a deposit down on this vehicle and I'm going to check it out today:
http://www.autostylewholesale.com/de...d-6122549.html

It's an 07 335i, 43k miles. Called my local BMW Dealer to run the VIN, but despite wanting a full options list, all he had time for was to state it has sport pkg, xeons, and bluetooth.

A couple questions:
This appears to have a constant diameter steering wheel thickness. If it has the sport pkg, shouldn't it have the sport wheel that has thumb notches? (Pics at the website above)

Also, isn't Bluetooth only available as part of the Premium pkg?

I asked if it has the factory oil cooler installed, but haven't heard back yet. Realistically, how important is this? I live in hot Florida, but don't anticipate autoxing/tracking this car.

Anything else I really need to consider before purchasing?

From the pics, it looks like it has the steering wheel with paddle shifters, which is only available if the car has the sport package. Not sure about Bluetooth, that could also be available as part of the upgraded stereo system.

As for what else to consider.... make sure that you still get the BMW warranty extension on the HPFP - I think you do automatically, regardless of CPO, but it's worth double-checking. Maybe buy an extended warranty, since you're getting the 335i vs 328i? You should have until 50K miles, so no need to buy right away. Did the carfax show whether the turbos/wastegates were replaced?

good luck!

[Kruz]

-I believe BT was a standalone option.
-I dont recall that wheel package, but its definitely not the sport package with 18" wheels which came with 162s.
-The oil cooler was important to me and its expensive to do afterwards.

[Outlaw 06]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Ok so I have a deposit down on this vehicle and I'm going to check it out today:
http://www.autostylewholesale.com/de...d-6122549.html

It's an 07 335i, 43k miles. Called my local BMW Dealer to run the VIN, but despite wanting a full options list, all he had time for was to state it has sport pkg, xeons, and bluetooth.

A couple questions:
This appears to have a constant diameter steering wheel thickness. If it has the sport pkg, shouldn't it have the sport wheel that has thumb notches? (Pics at the website above)

Also, isn't Bluetooth only available as part of the Premium pkg?

I asked if it has the factory oil cooler installed, but haven't heard back yet. Realistically, how important is this? I live in hot Florida, but don't anticipate autoxing/tracking this car.

Anything else I really need to consider before purchasing?

See attached pdf for a list of options available on the 2007 335i Sedan.

The car definitely has ZSP.

I doubt a 2007 with Steptronic has the factory oil cooler installed, but I could be wrong.

One last thing to consider before purchasing a BMW with the N54 engine: Be prepared for some potentially big maintenance bills after the warranty expires. By big I mean up to 4 figures for turbo problems, waste gates, etc.

[vox humana]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's very much appreciated!

So I went out yesterday afternoon to look at it, and it looks great. Test drove it for around a half hour, and it drove great. Unfortunately, due to the nature of Miami rush hour, I didn’t have a chance to cruise much at highway speed. Of course, after I purchased it, I had three hours of open interstate on my way home. During that ride, I noticed a couple things:

First: The steering has something funny about it. Every once in a while, it feels like it’s floating for a split second – almost like an extremely brief hydroplane. It seemed to occur while going around bends and changing lanes.

Second: The engine feels great. It’s a beast, and runs very smooth. However, once or twice while cruising at 80mph, it felt like it had a momentary dip in power – almost like a stutter or hesitation.

I want to take it in to the dealership to be looked at while it’s under warranty, but is there anything I need to do first to ensure there’s nothing hidden that they’ll refuse warranty work over?

[vox humana]

Anyone have advice for transporting a vehicle approx 160 miles?

My local service center inspected the vehicle and the list of things wrong with it was too long for the box on the shop papers, and they reiterated three times that the vehicle is not safe to drive (good to know now) lol

I got a couple quotes from towing companies and they're coming in at around $500-$600 for the job.

[ChargePositif]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Anyone have advice for transporting a vehicle approx 160 miles?

Check out the local chapter of the BMWCCA or the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and see if there is anyone who would help you out.

Another option is to get a AAA membership and start driving towards your destination. You'll probably make it just fine, but if you don't AAA will tow up to 100 miles to where you want them to tow it before you start getting charged. And even then the per mile charge after 100 miles isn't bad.

http://www.aaasouth.com/Automotive/auto_ers.aspx

Finally there are a number of transport companies that could probably do the job for a reasonable price if your window to transport is flexible, i.e.: they may not be able to pick up your car for a couple of days.

Originally Posted by vox humana

My local service center inspected the vehicle and the list of things wrong with it was too long for the box on the shop papers, and they reiterated three times that the vehicle is not safe to drive (good to know now) lol

OK, so things were "ok" as long as you didn't know, right? How well do you trust the shop that performed the inspection? I'm not insinuating that they are trying to scare you into repairs, but it has happened before.

Originally Posted by vox humana

I got a couple quotes from towing companies and they're coming in at around $500-$600 for the job.

They are charging you for mileage/time there and back, not unusual. They have to pay the driver and the cost to run the truck for a day. Figure 3.5-4 hours each way so an 8-hour shift, and the driver/truck would be not earning money on the way back (empty) so they have to charge you.

Any reason you don't want to take it to the "local" BMW dealership or independent BMW shop? Yah, the "local" BMW dealership might be overpriced, but they'll probably do a good job. I'm new to this site (just started looking for a car and fell in lust with a 335i after test driving it) but I seem to recall that there is a thread for dealership recommendations and I would imagine that extends to Service Advisers(SA). Every dealership has a good SA, you just have to find him or her.

Good luck,

- John

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by ChargePlus

Check out the local chapter of the BMWCCA or the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and see if there is anyone who would help you out.

Another option is to get a AAA membership and start driving towards your destination. You'll probably make it just fine, but if you don't AAA will tow up to 100 miles to where you want them to tow it before you start getting charged. And even then the per mile charge after 100 miles isn't bad.

http://www.aaasouth.com/Automotive/auto_ers.aspx

Finally there are a number of transport companies that could probably do the job for a reasonable price if your window to transport is flexible, i.e.: they may not be able to pick up your car for a couple of days.



OK, so things were "ok" as long as you didn't know, right? How well do you trust the shop that performed the inspection? I'm not insinuating that they are trying to scare you into repairs, but it has happened before.


They are charging you for mileage/time there and back, not unusual. They have to pay the driver and the cost to run the truck for a day. Figure 3.5-4 hours each way so an 8-hour shift, and the driver/truck would be not earning money on the way back (empty) so they have to charge you.

Any reason you don't want to take it to the "local" BMW dealership or independent BMW shop? Yah, the "local" BMW dealership might be overpriced, but they'll probably do a good job. I'm new to this site (just started looking for a car and fell in lust with a 335i after test driving it) but I seem to recall that there is a thread for dealership recommendations and I would imagine that extends to Service Advisers(SA). Every dealership has a good SA, you just have to find him or her.

Good luck,

- John

Those are all great points and ideas for transporting, I'll definitely look into them. Thanks!

Actually, I did take it to the local dealership service center. I could tell there was some sort of issue on my maiden voyage home, which is precisely why I wanted to get it checked out asap, and gladly paid the $120 to get it inspected. I have no doubt of the issues they found as many of them are visually identifiable.

Oh god yeah, the 335i can move. I've driven sports cars before that had more power or agility, but none of them had them both at the same time and can serve as a daily driver.

So my question is: What are the negatives of owning a 335i vs the 328i?

Thinking out loud... there's gotta be a hundred threads on this question, so I'll start searching. But off the top of my head, the obvious ones that come to mind are:

• The 335 is more expensive to buy. Duh.
• A bit more expensive to insure.
• Slightly lower, but negligible difference in fuel economy.
• Higher long-term ownership costs due to mechanical repairs as mentioned by TJDiCandido. (I'm sure if I go with a 335 it'll be CPO, so some additional extra cost there).
• And I'm absolutely positive that I'll end up with more tickets with a 335... almost found one last night. Driving home on a 2x2 local road with someone in the passing lane pacing the guy to his right, both going 10mph under the speed limit. At one point a gap opened up, so with a gentile tap of the throttle I passed them, and experienced the joy of watching everyone in the traffic jam disappear in the rear view -- except for that trooper that I didn't know was around. I didn't do anything reckless, and thankfully I maxed out at about 10mph over the speed limit, so he just tailed me for a bit and went on his way. But if I wasn't paying attention to the speedometer, I just as easily could've been 40mph over the limit and in jail. The power is just that effortless.

So now, thanks to this thread, and a bunch more experiences in different vehicles, a lot of my original "must haves" are up in smoke. I fell in love with the Montego Blue Metallic, on black in interior (!!) no less. I think I'm willing to spend more to step up to the 335i, but I doubt I'll walk out the door for a CPO 335i sport with leather for $24k. So many options, and all of them are good.

The epic journey continues...

[ChargePositif]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Actually, I did take it to the local dealership service center. I could tell there was some sort of issue on my maiden voyage home, which is precisely why I wanted to get it checked out asap, and gladly paid the $120 to get it inspected. I have no doubt of the issues they found as many of them are visually identifiable.

To be honest, I'd go back to them and work with the SA to address the mostr critical issues. And I'd go back to establish a rapport with them. I'm thinking that you won't be interested in driving 320 miles round-trip to have the car serviced.

I went out of my way to take my truck to a 5-star rated (and maintained) Dodge dealer 30 minutes away, even though there were other Dodge dealers closer. I told them up front why I chose them, and they thanked me. I got to know the SA and never got gouged for work, or charged for "extra" parts. In fact when I had the starter replaced after ~200k miles they mistakenly ordered the more expensive of the two options, but charged me for the lesser because that's what I had ordered.

Originally Posted by vox humana

Oh god yeah, the 335i can move. I've driven sports cars before that had more power or agility, but none of them had them both at the same time and can serve as a daily driver.

I've driven a number of reasonably powered and decent handling cars for years. My daily driver for quite a while was a 1988 RX-7 Turbo. I also road-race RX-7s with the SCCA (will be at VIR next weekend ).

I went to the dealership with three cars that I wanted to test drive all '07s. A TiAG/Black 328xi, a Black/Terra 335i, and a TiAG/Black 335i. All had the Sport package and 6-spd manual. Turns out that the Black/Terra 335i was gone (was not on the lot, we looked at all of the cars), and the TiAG was not on that lot, so I drove the 328xi.

I liked the 328xi a lot, really. It handled very nicely, it was reasonably quick, comfortable, and an all around joy. After the test drive I was chatting with the new car manager and my CA, and told him that I wanted to test a 335i 6-speed so I could compare the 328xi and the 335i, but there weren't any used 335i 6-spds on the lot. The new car manager said, "No, but we have a new 2011 335i 6-spd with sport package..." So I test drove it and fell in lust with it. Not quite hopelessly in lust, but pretty close.

Originally Posted by vox humana

• And I'm absolutely positive that I'll end up with more tickets with a 335...
  (stuff deleted)
  But if I wasn't paying attention to the speedometer, I just as easily could've been 40mph over the limit and in jail. The power is just that effortless.

Yep, I found out that first hand as well in both the 328xi and the 335i. The 335i just got there faster, significantly faster.

So in closing, turns out the TiAG/Black 335i was at another dealership under the same "auto group" umbrella. I made a deposit Thursday to have it brought to my local dealership, so I'll be test driving in about 60 minutes or so.

Good luck in your search,

- John