[Shane.]

Hey guy's, Ive found a 2006 56 325d M sport with 67k Manual no i drive, Below is the spec

67,000 miles
MOT and Road tax until October 2012
18" M Sport alloy wheels
Driver and passenger airbag
Central locking
Multi-function M Sport leather steering wheel
Rear armrest
Black Dakota Leather interior
Blutooth
Radio & CD Player with aux input (for iPod)
Air con
Climate control
Cruise control
Auto lights
Rear Parking Sensors
Electric mirrors
Front/rear electric windows
Foglights
Rain sensor
Split front armrest
Remote central locking
First aid kit

Its got a full BMW service history, its had 4 previous owner so i would be 5th,

Would the amount of owners put people off? The guy has had it 2 years, Is there anything to look for with these cars? I would like one with i drive but i don't no if not having it will really bother me

How much do you think the above car is worth? I have an idea of what i think but want to know if im in the right area before offering

[makkan00]

I would stay away from that car. We all are different but too many owners give you some message.

[scottishpete]

i would not say the 4 owner thing is a hude deal
if the car is nice,genuine and well looked after who cares

Get it at a good price and enjoy

i take its a e90?

i would say around £9k

[Falmouthboy]

The current owner has had it 2 years so I wouldn't be too put off. Is it a private sale?

[A_P]

Hey bud,
In this instance i would suggest a few things.

* It has full BM history, so why not phone them up and check out its past, you will be able to get a feel for the cars pervious life. - In this regard the 4 previous owners is not a huge deal

* Visually what condition is it in? How does it run? look? feel? Does it still feel premium? If not then obviously your bidding price will have to reflect that and it will give your more bargaining power.

* Have a look around on Piston Heads and Auto trader maybe a quick look on Parkers to get a feel for similar priced cars and what the market is saying... bare in mind in this day and age and economic climate the market favours buyers more than sellers... Also remember... that something is only worth, what someone else is willing to pay for it.

* And lastly... if the car you saw was from Big Motoring World then my friend there is a "sticky" on this very forum to a thread regarding these traders.... From which you can draw your own conclusions.

Peace.

[Shane.]

Cheers guys, The car is a private sale, Reason for sale is the guy has moved to Belgium and left the car with his father in Wiltshire,

Im just trying to find out a few more bits of info about the car before going to have a look but was thinking of offering 8.5k

[A_P]

Originally Posted by -shane-

Cheers guys, The car is a private sale, Reason for sale is the guy has moved to Belgium and left the car with his father in Wiltshire,

Im just trying to find out a few more bits of info about the car before going to have a look but was thinking of offering 8.5k

Fair enough bro, In that case, if you havn't already then do a quick search for any issues, I know petrol models have issues with Ignition coils which are really cheap at £30 a piece so no biggie, But diesel owners have been reporting issues with DPF's. Maybe some diesel owners could provide a few nuggets of wisdom for you...

Just a bit more ammo for your arsenal before you go check out the car.

Good luck

[Falmouthboy]

Also - be aware if the person you are dealing with isn't the name on the log book and/if you are going to a different address to that on the log book. You need to speak to the owner and do a full HPI at the very least. He SAYS he is selling it for his son!

[edowen]

too many owners for me - think of resale. hardly a rare car, hold out for another.

[Mart1000]

Originally Posted by edowen

too many owners for me - think of resale. hardly a rare car, hold out for another.

Sorry but without sounding stuck up, I agree with the above. These aren't a rare car and I'd be asking why has it changed hands so many times.

I'm always a firm believer that if something doesn't sound quite right, or you question it, then leave it alone and move on.

My 2p only...

[edowen]

the other question (IMHO) is why a 325d? Barley any more performance than a 320d but the fuel economy of a 330d. Ok so it will sound a bit better but I'd be going 330d if I wanted 6 cyls.

I guess it all comes down to price.

[Mart1000]

Originally Posted by edowen

the other question (IMHO) is why a 325d? Barley any more performance than a 320d but the fuel economy of a 330d. Ok so it will sound a bit better but I'd be going 330d if I wanted 6 cyls.

I guess it all comes down to price.

F**k I find myself agreeing, again!

[edowen]

Originally Posted by Mart1000

F**k I find myself agreeing, again!

[BGM]

Originally Posted by edowen

the other question (IMHO) is why a 325d? Barley any more performance than a 320d but the fuel economy of a 330d. Ok so it will sound a bit better but I'd be going 330d if I wanted 6 cyls.

I guess it all comes down to price.

i disagree, but hey.. i own one

[Ryan87]

I ended up going for a 325D for 2 reasons,

One, all the 330d's i viewed looked like they had been ragged to within an inch of their lives where as the 325's looked better looked after.

Two, I can insure a mapped 325d for £180 less than a standard 330d, so more power less money to pay on insurance. Not sure how the insurance companies worked this out but I decided it was a fair deal incase i ever decided to map it!

[scottishpete]

Originally Posted by edowen

the other question (IMHO) is why a 325d? Barley any more performance than a 320d .

Mine must be a limited edition then as its got loads more power than a 320d
when i test drove a 320d it would not pull the skin off a rice pudding,but the 325d on the other hand Woosh!

[The_Bear_Yid]

If the current owner has had it for 2 years then it had 3 owners in 4 years. I would wonder why it had so many, but it could have been a demo or pre-registered? Or a company car.

Are there any receipts for work done?

I wouldn't fancy it with those miles. I'd look in to what service it would need next and what costs you'd face.

Seems like a nice spec though.

[dopper99]

Bear in mind the spec you have listed is pretty much standard for that car. The only extras you are getting over standard is the leather and bluetooth.

So unless its outstanding in some way - or you get it cheap, there should be plenty more about - and prob with a better spec.


Oh, and dont get a 325d ................... get a 330d

[Falmouthboy]

Originally Posted by Ryan87

I ended up going for a 325D for 2 reasons,

One, all the 330d's i viewed looked like they had been ragged to within an inch of their lives where as the 325's looked better looked after.

Two, I can insure a mapped 325d for £180 less than a standard 330d, so more power less money to pay on insurance. Not sure how the insurance companies worked this out but I decided it was a fair deal incase i ever decided to map it!

This is a fair point - I think anyone wanting power and able to look at a 6 cyl diesel will choose a 330d (or 335d), hence the 325ds will have been bought by those 'old boys' that want the smooth quiet delivery as a priority, not out and out speed. That is also why, when you look there are far more SE 325ds about, often in 'pipe and slippers' trim (beige leather and wood).

I stand by my point that if the last owner has had it 2 years it's probably not a 'lemon'.

[dobbo99]

mines had 4 owners since 2007, was a demo at BMW, then it was a company car, then the guy who used it bought it from the company when they made him redundant, then me.

so doesnt really mean there definately something wrong with it.

[jrah]

I've just sold my 2007 325d, it had done 56,000 miles and was still running superbly, never had any issues with it, was a fantastic car. However the car had only had one previous owner, however I would't let a high number of owners put you off, the engines are pretty much bomb-proof.

I looked at a few 325d's and 330d's prior to buying mine and as mentioned most of the 330d's I looked at had been ragged in comparison to the 325d's.

[Bmwjc]

Which 325 is it? I had two from the same year on was 2.5 litre the current one is actually a 3.0 litre with I think it's about 20bhp less than a 330d. If like me you just want a reasonably nippy car without paying extra insurance and tax look at one of those models. You could always remap it if you want the extra horses.

Also do check the DPF condition as there are a few out there with the wrong software on causing filter problems!