[98005xi]

Originally Posted by Blackbird

I would recommend taking extra precaution when buying from any "corner lot," including one that has been around a long time. But, every stealership is out to get you. That said, there can be good deals out there. You just have to be willing to do your homework.

1. Run a free VIN check on the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) site. You’ll find out if the car has ever been reported stolen or as a salvage title.
https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud...check/vincheck

2. Run a Carfax or Autocheck report. Both offer limited “guarantees” that if something has been reported to them, they’ll included it on the report. Frankly, not much of a guarantee, but it gives you some additional information. Some are of the opinion that Autocheck offers more information than Carfax, and for less money. I’m among those.

3. If you are buying from a “corner lot” used car dealer, they likely purchased the car at auction from Manheim / OVE.com. Ask where they bought the car. If they tell you at auction, ask for a copy of the auction report. Much more is disclosed here than on any Carfax/Autocheck.

Through an arbitration process, the dealer purchasing the car at auction may return the car within 14 days if they discover undisclosed damage. As such, sellers tend to disclose all available information for the auction. Not all auto body shops report to Carfax and Autocheck. Cars have been known to look clean on a Carfax when in fact the frame has been damaged. Again, Carfax only reports what has been reported to it.

The Manheim policies aren’t perfect, but they’re one more piece of info.
http://mmsc400.manheim.com/MABEL/html/autograde.html
https://www2.manheim.com/market_policies?WT.ac=ManTWI

If the dealer won't show you the auction report, that's a huge red flag. Run, do not walk, as fast as you can in the other direction.

4. Get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done by a qualified mechanic before you buy. Eastside Bavarian and Strictly BMW are two good local shops for this.

5. Read the Washington Department of Licensing’s page on buying a car. http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistr...uyingacar.html

Good info. Thx for typing that all up as well.

[VeloTime]

Good thread with valuable info! Thanks guys!

Currently shopping for a 328i xdrive wagon, manual if I can find a clean one. It seems like a lot of what I'm finding have come from auctions.

[raver]

I had purchased a car from definitive once. As others say, no different from other dealers. Their cars are clean (physically) and detailed well. Their pricing is accurate based upon features, options, car condition, market value etc.

So as long as you do your homework you are good.

They do publish CARFAX for each car. CARFAX is good at collecting and reporting data from individual establishments but misses tittle condition and auction report details. I have found AutoCheck to be better at reporting tittle condition and auction report details. So always check AutoCheck and CARFAX before purchase.

Autocheck gives 1 month unlimited membership. When I was buying, I had run entire inventory from definitive motors through AutoCheck. I found that 28% of vehicles didn’t qualify for AutoCheck buy-back due to two main reasons – (1) collision reported on auction report (not from bodyshop / CARFAX) (2) California Lemon title. CARFAX was clean for all vehicles. Don’t expect the sales person to tell you which cars have this condition - it’s conflict of interest for him

[pratan158]

I've never buy a car from definitive but I had a bad experience with them. In oct 2012, I went there to look at a 370z nismo (before I got my 335xi). The guy that work there wasn't helping me at all. I asked him could I take it for a test drive and I also tell him that I'm a serious buyer with cash in hand. Instead of doin that. The guy told me that we need to agree on the price first before I take it out for a test drive. Seriously, if I haven't drive the car. How can I kno that the car is good and doesn't have any problem? So I just decided to leave just because of the way that salesman was acting.

I'm pretty sure he talked to me like that because he think that I'm just a kid who wanna do test drive for fun and doesn't have money to buy it.

[Revlis]

Kero is well known to be pretty shady, lots of issues with rebuilt crap that will never be the same. You cannot trust carfax, they spend far more money on advertising than anything else and rely on insurance claim history etc. Broke bastards in over their heads don't contact their insurance company if they damage something, just patch it on the cheap, send it down the road Carfax may never find out, and Kero is there to " pass on the savings". Bad idea.

As for "stealerships" it's a business, not a charity. Holy crap, folks you take an entitled BS attitude anywhere and you'll be treated like the assclown you're pretending to be. It's surprising how far polite and friendly will get you in life. A chip on your shoulder, heading into any business will result in a negative experience.

Anyhoo, to the point, avoid pot lots "corner lots" at all costs, and if it seems to good to be true... It is. Always.

[DFR]

Definitely disappointed in definitive motors. I would not buy from there. We went by today to check out one of their cars, and the car smelled like a used and abused and then reused ash tray. It smelled so bad inside, as a non-smoker, I could only sit in it for a couple of second. Oh and keep in mind the car was fully detailed and clean but the smell was horrid.

[CivicKilla]

I have an 09 328 xdrive coupe with 27k you can have for 26k

[KoolHerk]

Originally Posted by CivicKilla

I have an 09 328 xdrive coupe with 27k you can have for 26k

Killa, do you have pics?

[Dustpunk]

A lot of info on here, thanks guys! I am in the market for a 335xi and they are hard to find in this area.

[Blackbird]

If you want to be really thorough, buy an Elcometer. Basically it measures paint thickness. You hold it against multiple panels on the car. If there's a significant difference in the paint thickness readings there is a good chance that panel was re-painted.

Usually about $300 on eBay, but you can probably resell it for similar value once you are done with it.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=elcometer

I went in on one with a buddy when I was shopping for my car. It was kind of fun explaining what it was to the dealer when I used it. He looked dumbfounded.

My friend used it when he was considering buying a Ferrari Dino to restore. Turns out there was blue paint under the red paint on top that the owner didn't even know about.

[grassfeeder]

Originally Posted by Dustpunk

A lot of info on here, thanks guys! I am in the market for a 335xi and they are hard to find in this area.

Elliott Bay has a ton of 335xi's

[biz77]

For anyone in the Seattle area thinking about buying a used BMW and are the least bit concerned that it may have been in an accident, you should pay a few bucks to have a professional check it out. I recommend Jeff Butler at Haury's Lake City Collision. They specialize in BMW/Mini and are BMW enthusiasts. I've used their services in the past.

[liebemeinauto]

Apologies to resurrect a thread from the dead (there should be a smiley for that!) but just wanted to comment on my some-months-ago buy from Definitive Motors in Bellevue.

Thought all was awful, and even posted up commentary and reviews accordingly, and boy what an idiot I turned out to be -- and here's the story:

The shop I went to, that inspected my car, post-purchase (I was having a pre-tune inspection done, looking at Cobb AP and associated mods) gave me a laundry list of supposed repairs I needed, and, based on past used car dealership nightmares, I assumed the worst, and figured Definitive (and their partnered shop, LBR Automotive) had royally screwed me.

I was royally wrong.

The General Manager, Fred, saw my review and called within hours to ask me what happened, and so I explained things, and he invited me down to have a look at the car, plus provided a loaner, and was just overall about the best guy ever in being patient and understanding about the whole mess.

My sales guy, TJ (who was completely amazing during the sale -- even got me a lower rate and lower payment than I was carrying on my trade-in) was equally terrific and patient, and assured me that, if there were any problems that had been missed, they would be made right.

Michael, at LBR Automotive, was also outstanding, and took me right under the car on the lift, flashlight in hand, to go over every supposedly needed repair, and it turns out that things were fine. Whether over-eager for preventative future maybe jobs, or just hoping to bilk my after market warranty (or my wallet) or maybe just plain crooked, it turns out (thankfully) that my car is not in need of thousands of dollars in repairs.

The way the situation had all come together was just a perfect storm of paranoia, and a textbook case of circumstantial evidence that, happily, fell apart once I had all the facts at hand -- and my thanks to Fred, TJ, and Michael for sorting through it all, and being a perfect example of the BEST in customer service.

So, not only did I get an OUTSTANDING car, but they even were patient with my meltdown -- thanks to my trust in a misguided shop -- and helped me get things figured out, and saved me literally thousands upon thousands in unnecessary repairs I would have otherwise pursued.

Just a drawback of not being my own mechanic, but I'm very glad it had a happy ending, and I highly recommend Definitive Motors in Bellevue for anyone looking for a great BMW backed up by a great dealership!

[Buratino117]

I usedto work for BMW Seattle a few years back, so remember that a big dealership does care about the word in the community. They respect themselves more than the smaller dealer with less overhead. They are in the business to make money and stay in business. A big dealership may want you to be their client for life (even that no longer exist) and for service work as well. Profit is a magic word in any business not only car business. I think a great car can be bought anywhere as long the emotions do not take over and you know what you want. I have seen cars that had major body work that had a clear Carfax while others with tainted ones simply had plastic cover replaced. So, pay attention to details, have an inspection for a piece of mindanyou should be good.