First ever BMW buying advice

[nishy63s]

Hello guys

I’m not too sure how everything works here yet as I only recently signed up as a member but hopefully I’ll learn as I navigate through the different forums. I’m Nisheel and I’m from Durban North. I have been a life long bmw fanatic despite coming from a family which only bought Mercs (hence the user name), Audis and Toyotas. I currently do not own a bmw as I drive a 2014 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI Manual. As much as I love my little A1 and it’s a special car to me being my very first car which was gifted to me in the beginning of my matric year before I even had my license lol, I feel as if now may be the right time for me to move on from it as I most recently completed my studies and I am an IT Intern.

Owning an Audi; I know for a fact that there are A4s and A5s for less than the Bmws I’m looking at, as well as being easier and cheaper to maintain, but being the huge bmw fan boy that I am, I think it’s safe to say I can only think of a bmw as my next car, regardless of maintenance costs and issues. I initially started looking at the E90 LCI M sport, however most of them were high mileage examples and they were priced too ridiculously for the condition that most of them were at. I was looking at a 320d, and any inline 6 option be it turbo or aspirated. I completely looked past an E90 320i since I hear those were one of the worst engines ever made and it was slow also since it wasn’t even turbo.

I then started to move towards an F30 seeing that E90s were overpriced. The models I found within my budget were majority 320i’s and 328i’s with +100 000kms. I am very aware that these cars share the N20 engines which were prone to timing chain problems and a host of other issues. However despite these issues, I am just curious to know the cost of owning an N20 out of motorplan.

Costs such as:
-Service costs and intervals
-Repair costs
-Replacement part costs
-insurance costs
-Aftermarket warranty costs
-gearbox service costs and intervals
-Full tank fuel costs
-Recommended BMW approved workshops
-Issues to expect on N20 engines and estimated cost to fix
-Necessary parts to replace
-Any cost related to maintenance

I travel about 10-15kms a day from work to home and I do about 30-100kms on weekends when I choose to go out which is about twice a month or so. I currently don’t have many expenses each month as they are less than a 1/4 of my salary. I am looking to buy on finance as I would like to have some money saved up for any maintenance and other unforeseen repairs.

Bear in mind that I don’t plan on immediately buying the car just yet. I plan on saving for a few months to come. Seeing that the car market and prices are way above book and insurance value, i have time to do my research on these cars. I would definitely pick a 320d or 335i if it weren’t out of my budget, especially an N52 E90 LCI if they weren’t so scarce, however I am currently in no rush to purchase a car as my little A1 is still going strong on 185 000kms with no issues. If it means me waiting a few months for a better bmw, then I won’t mind being patient. Hopefully a 320d M sport will be within my budget in a few months should the market recover.

All kinds of advice would gratefully be appreciated 🙏🏻. Thank you in advance

 

[MR_Y]

Welcome, and as a fellow ex and current VAG owner, I can categorically state that BMW (most of the good models at least) are more reliable and cheaper to run than Audis.

I owned 3 Audis and they all had issues that became worse as the mileage rocked up.

For your needs, a 320d is all the car you need. Having owned an F30 LCI 320d M Sport, I would advise against an M Sport, if you travel on bad roads, and suggest a Sport Line or a base model instead. The plumper tyres and soft standard suspension are better for our poor quality roads.

 

[Solo Man]

My son has a F30 320d auto pre lci although it is registered as a 2016 with around 120k kms on the odo. Very nice car and in very good condition. He mentioned that he will be selling it soon as he has some other cars (EV's) that he prefers driving and this car is currently parked at my place as i use it to Uber his boys to gym and such. If you are interested i could send you some pics.

 

[zabbo]

Welcome!! You will definitely get the necessary information from this community. You already on the right track with the homework which you have done and most importantly that you have the patience to wait for the right car to come your way.
Best of luck on your BMW journey.

 

[Spanky]

The man comes prepared! That's awesome.

I'm sure the forum will be able to assist with the more subjective insights.

Good luck on your search.

 

[///M Individual]

Welcome and well done on doing alot of research.

That said please hold on to your A1 until you can afford a diesel or 6 cylinder petrol BMW bud!

 

[MR_Y]

Your 185,000km mileage is impressive on the A1. I know that these cars, especially the 1.4, suffer from premature clutch wear and heavy oil consumption. Also, there was a factory fault with a clutch pin that caused a squeal on th clutch pedal itself.

 

[Steph745]

Representing the N20 gang ✊🏽, my experience below;

- Currently 211xxx KMs
- 500ish KMs per tank using the performance (otherwise +/- 630KMs achievable but boring...)
- LiquiMoly 5w-40 every 5-7k or once a year (since 2018)
- No timing-chain whine (yet!🙏🏽)
- No smoke
- No fluid leaks
- TuneTech recommended an upgrade of the coolant expansion tank to an updated unit (not yet done)

So far so good with this platform (fingers crossed it stays this way), issues I've had are generic to F30 and not N20 specific. I don't drive the car much though, travelling about 5k/Year.

 

[nishy63s]

Representing the N20 gang ✊🏽, my experience below;

- Currently 211xxx KMs
- 500ish KMs per tank using the performance (otherwise +/- 630KMs achievable but boring...)
- LiquiMoly 5w-40 every 5-7k or once a year (since 2018)
- No timing-chain whine (yet!🙏🏽)
- No smoke
- No fluid leaks
- TuneTech recommended an upgrade of the coolant expansion tank to an updated unit (not yet done)

So far so good with this platform (fingers crossed it stays this way), issues I've had are generic to F30 and not N20 specific. I don't drive the car much though, travelling about 5k/Year.

Would like to send you a PM, how do I do so ?

 

[Boomstick72]

Hi everyone. Also a new member and I was going to start a fresh intro/ buying advice thread but after finding and reading this one, I realize that I am basically in a very similar position to nishy63s 😜 Only difference being I think I'm going to stick with the E90 gen for financial reasons.

Basically everyone I've spoken to has told me to go for the 320d LCI. There are just a few things that are weighing on my decision:
1) The entirety of BM YouTube says that the N47 has timing chain issues.
2) Because my daily commute is less than 10KMs each way, I am worried that the DPF might get clogged since I might only go for longer drives one or two weekends in a month. (Similarity to OP is uncanny😂)

I have spoken to a family member who is a BMW employee and he says he has never seen a timing chain go bad in SA.
And he also said that the E90 320d doesn't have a DPF, just a normal cat.

Ive also seen all over that the N52 are pretty bulletproof, so I was considering a 330i. Apparently, because of no turbos, they are a bit sluggish at slower speeds and are very heavy on fuel.

Just wanted to find out from this amazing community, is the timing chain a legitimate concern here in SA, or do I just need to primarily concerned about the water pump, vibration dampers, and the infamous coolant pipe under intake manifold? And also, what other potential issues do I need to be prepared for?


Many thanks in advance, and sorry for piggybacking of your post Nisheel 😉

 

[Riaad]

Hi everyone. Also a new member and I was going to start a fresh intro/ buying advice thread but after finding and reading this one, I realize that I am basically in a very similar position to nishy63s 😜 Only difference being I think I'm going to stick with the E90 gen for financial reasons.

Basically everyone I've spoken to has told me to go for the 320d LCI. There are just a few things that are weighing on my decision:
1) The entirety of BM YouTube says that the N47 has timing chain issues.
2) Because my daily commute is less than 10KMs each way, I am worried that the DPF might get clogged since I might only go for longer drives one or two weekends in a month. (Similarity to OP is uncanny😂)

I have spoken to a family member who is a BMW employee and he says he has never seen a timing chain go bad in SA.
And he also said that the E90 320d doesn't have a DPF, just a normal cat.

Ive also seen all over that the N52 are pretty bulletproof, so I was considering a 330i. Apparently, because of no turbos, they are a bit sluggish at slower speeds and are very heavy on fuel.

Just wanted to find out from this amazing community, is the timing chain a legitimate concern here in SA, or do I just need to primarily concerned about the water pump, vibration dampers, and the infamous coolant pipe under intake manifold? And also, what other potential issues do I need to be prepared for?


Many thanks in advance, and sorry for piggybacking of your post Nisheel 😉

As long as the 20d is serviced every 10k kms...you generally wont have an issue with timing chains, I have not heard of many failures locally.

20d issues - swirl flaps, egr and vibration dampener...other than that, just your usual maintenance is required.

Given your short commute, I would advice looking at the 330i. The facelift models have 200kw and 310nm...depending where you are, this should be ample esp. compared to a 20d. A manual variant should be decent on fuel as well. The autos are heavy.

 

[Boomstick72]

As long as the 20d is serviced every 10k kms...you generally wont have an issue with timing chains, I have not heard of many failures locally.

20d issues - swirl flaps, egr and vibration dampener...other than that, just your usual maintenance is required.

Given your short commute, I would advice looking at the 330i. The facelift models have 200kw and 310nm...depending where you are, this should be ample esp. compared to a 20d. A manual variant should be decent on fuel as well. The autos are heavy.

First off, I gotta say: Your ride looks 😍🥵 and thanks for the advice.

Any idea on what an EGR delete + changing out rest of components on the 20d as preventative maintenance would cost?

Yeah, no matter what engine variant I take, the one thing I'm sticking to is the manual transmission.
Im in the JHB area so I dont know how much of an effect the altitude is gonna have coz of the lack of snails.
Clean, LCI Manual 330i's seem super rare though so if I find one with about 200 on the clock with FSH, is it still worth considering?

 

[Yulz9081]

First off, I gotta say: Your ride looks 😍🥵 and thanks for the advice.

Any idea on what an EGR delete + changing out rest of components on the 20d as preventative maintenance would cost?

Yeah, no matter what engine variant I take, the one thing I'm sticking to is the manual transmission.
Im in the JHB area so I dont know how much of an effect the altitude is gonna have coz of the lack of snails.
Clean, LCI Manual 330i's seem super rare though so if I find one with about 200 on the clock with FSH, is it still worth considering?

Hold out for a clean LCI 20d. I had one for 8 years for my daily commute and many long distance drives - it looked the part (Z4 wheels changed the game) and performed her duties effortlessly. I miss mine often considering the consumption I'm getting on the 40i

I averaged around R10k a year on maintenance (partly due to having most big ticket items done under motorplan) but obviously you may spend more in a particular year.
Other than cosmetic mods to your taste, for performance all I did was DP, software and XHP for the gearbox. She was quick enough for daily duties. I think my sale thread is still around for some cosmetic inspiration.

Since you're in Jhb, chat to @Danny2 for maintenance. He was responsible for most of my maintenance and upgrades in recent years. He would probably give you a more accurate and honest figure at what you're looking at roughly these days.

 

[Boomstick72]

Hold out for a clean LCI 20d. I had one for 8 years for my daily commute and many long distance drives - it looked the part (Z4 wheels changed the game) and performed her duties effortlessly. I miss mine often considering the consumption I'm getting on the 40i

I averaged around R10k a year on maintenance (partly due to having most big ticket items done under motorplan) but obviously you may spend more in a particular year.
Other than cosmetic mods to your taste, for performance all I did was DP, software and XHP for the gearbox. She was quick enough for daily duties. I think my sale thread is still around for some cosmetic inspiration.

Since you're in Jhb, chat to @Danny2 for maintenance. He was responsible for most of my maintenance and upgrades in recent years. He would probably give you a more accurate and honest figure at what you're looking at roughly these days.

Alrighty, thanks for the info.
Yeah I plan to maybe get the M sport variant of I can find one. The wheels and bumpers really arouses something in me🤣
Or maybe even that special edition/ ltd edition (Seen it said a few different ways is diff posts) with the carbon mirrors and accents looks pretty sexy too.

Will deff send Danny a feeler message for costing info, but +-R10k yearly doesnt seem that bad.

 

[Yulz9081]

Hello guys

I’m not too sure how everything works here yet as I only recently signed up as a member but hopefully I’ll learn as I navigate through the different forums. I’m Nisheel and I’m from Durban North. I have been a life long bmw fanatic despite coming from a family which only bought Mercs (hence the user name), Audis and Toyotas. I currently do not own a bmw as I drive a 2014 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI Manual. As much as I love my little A1 and it’s a special car to me being my very first car which was gifted to me in the beginning of my matric year before I even had my license lol, I feel as if now may be the right time for me to move on from it as I most recently completed my studies and I am an IT Intern.

Owning an Audi; I know for a fact that there are A4s and A5s for less than the Bmws I’m looking at, as well as being easier and cheaper to maintain, but being the huge bmw fan boy that I am, I think it’s safe to say I can only think of a bmw as my next car, regardless of maintenance costs and issues. I initially started looking at the E90 LCI M sport, however most of them were high mileage examples and they were priced too ridiculously for the condition that most of them were at. I was looking at a 320d, and any inline 6 option be it turbo or aspirated. I completely looked past an E90 320i since I hear those were one of the worst engines ever made and it was slow also since it wasn’t even turbo.

I then started to move towards an F30 seeing that E90s were overpriced. The models I found within my budget were majority 320i’s and 328i’s with +100 000kms. I am very aware that these cars share the N20 engines which were prone to timing chain problems and a host of other issues. However despite these issues, I am just curious to know the cost of owning an N20 out of motorplan.

Costs such as:
-Service costs and intervals
-Repair costs
-Replacement part costs
-insurance costs
-Aftermarket warranty costs
-gearbox service costs and intervals
-Full tank fuel costs
-Recommended BMW approved workshops
-Issues to expect on N20 engines and estimated cost to fix
-Necessary parts to replace
-Any cost related to maintenance

I travel about 10-15kms a day from work to home and I do about 30-100kms on weekends when I choose to go out which is about twice a month or so. I currently don’t have many expenses each month as they are less than a 1/4 of my salary. I am looking to buy on finance as I would like to have some money saved up for any maintenance and other unforeseen repairs.

Bear in mind that I don’t plan on immediately buying the car just yet. I plan on saving for a few months to come. Seeing that the car market and prices are way above book and insurance value, i have time to do my research on these cars. I would definitely pick a 320d or 335i if it weren’t out of my budget, especially an N52 E90 LCI if they weren’t so scarce, however I am currently in no rush to purchase a car as my little A1 is still going strong on 185 000kms with no issues. If it means me waiting a few months for a better bmw, then I won’t mind being patient. Hopefully a 320d M sport will be within my budget in a few months should the market recover.

All kinds of advice would gratefully be appreciated 🙏🏻. Thank you in advance

Welcome and good job on the research.

F30 320d is a great option even maintenance wise. The N47 is fantastic and B47 even better if you can push to go LCI.

My mother still has her pre-LCI from new in 2013, it's a low miler on 95k km and they have spent only on routine services and brakes.
The rest was minor F30 issues like sticky door handles and loose tail light clips.
I think the most my dad spent now was on a wheel refurb. The car is bulletproof and such a pleasure to drive even now.

Good luck with the search. Looking forward to seeing your showroom thread soon!

 

[Yulz9081]

Alrighty, thanks for the info.
Yeah I plan to maybe get the M sport variant of I can find one. The wheels and bumpers really arouses something in me🤣
Or maybe even that special edition/ ltd edition (Seen it said a few different ways is diff posts) with the carbon mirrors and accents looks pretty sexy too.

Will deff send Danny a feeler message for costing info, but +-R10k yearly doesnt seem that bad.

Do the carbon accessories yourself. That's what I did.
Works out way cheaper than the premium people are adding for the Dynamic editions with people thinking they have gold or something.

 

[Boomstick72]

Do the carbon accessories yourself. That's what I did.
Works out way cheaper than the premium people are adding for the Dynamic editions with people thinking they have gold or something.

Dynamic edition.🙃 That's what it's called.
I remember reading a thread on here explaining the actual naming but Ive got the memory of an ant😆

Yeah, the DIY cosmetics route is a sound idea, thanks🙏

 

[DRCraig]

Wait for a neat 320d/330d E90 LCI M Sport to pop up- pricing ranges from R160-R200K. Totally worth it every penny; compared to new car prices and what they offer.

Important things to do when buying a diesel E90:

-Decat (tuning is not mandatory)
-EGR delete (remap required)
-Check vibration damper pulley
-Gearbox service at ZF
-No timing chain issues if you do oil services every 8000km (Do oil services at BMW +-R1200)
-I replace the air filter and microfilter myself every 20 000km.
-Do a radiator flush
-Replace fuel filter every 30 000km and use liqui moly injector cleaner every 3000km or so and you're good to go.

Also, the N52 is a gem in manual- 323i, 325i or 330i. The 323i might feel somewhat underpowered, but it picks up nicely on the highways. Get the 330i if you really want a petrol E90. Consumption very similar to 325i. Very reliable engine, but has some weak point especially the cooling system.

E90 LCI M Sport wears 255/35R18 rear tyres
Rear Bridgestone Potenza/Goodyear Eagle F1's runflats will set you back R7k-R8k without balancing and alignment.

I personally wouldn't do any cosmetic modifications to an E90 LCI M Sport.

 

[Boomstick72]

Wait for a neat 320d/330d E90 LCI M Sport to pop up- pricing ranges from R160-R200K. Totally worth it every penny; compared to new car prices and what they offer.

Important things to do when buying a diesel E90:

-Decat (tuning is not mandatory)
-EGR delete (remap required)
-Check vibration damper pulley
-Gearbox service at ZF
-No timing chain issues if you do oil services every 8000km (Do oil services at BMW +-R1200)
-I replace the air filter and microfilter myself every 20 000km.
-Do a radiator flush
-Replace fuel filter every 30 000km and use liqui moly injector cleaner every 3000km or so and you're good to go.

E90 LCI M Sport wears 255/35R18 rear tyres
Rear Bridgestone Potenza/Goodyear Eagle F1's runflats will set you back R7k-R8k without balancing and alignment.

I personally wouldn't do any cosmetic modifications to an E90 LCI M Sport.

I've been building out a list everything I need to do after purchasing and this is exactly what I've been working towards. 🙏🙏
Thanks a million for the comprehensive info.

Is it worth the cost savings/ "joys😜" of getting under the car to DIY the oil change service?

I plan on non-runflats with a spare when I'm due for tyre changes for ride quality reasons.

As for cosmetics, if I do get the M Sport, then I might only make very minor changes, otherwise, I'll probably retrofit an MS splitter, mirrors n spoiler. But that'll only come once Im happy with the level of mechanical preventative maintenance.

 

[DRCraig]

I've been building out a list everything I need to do after purchasing and this is exactly what I've been working towards. 🙏🙏
Thanks a million for the comprehensive info.

Is it worth the cost savings/ "joys😜" of getting under the car to DIY the oil change service?

I plan on non-runflats with a spare when I'm due for tyre changes for ride quality reasons.

As for cosmetics, if I do get the M Sport, then I might only make very minor changes, otherwise, I'll probably retrofit an MS splitter, mirrors n spoiler. But that'll only come once Im happy with the level of mechanical preventative maintenance.

I'd rather have BMW do the oil service. 6.5l of synthetic oil costs nearly R1000 without the oil filter, sump plug and washer.
Cheaper to just take it to them for oil services.

Runflats- very debatable. Ride quality and dampered road noise, the non-runflats wins hands down. I believe, cornering is better and more confident inspiring with runflats due to harder and thicker sidewalls. Also, in the event of a tyre burst with non-runflats, one tends to drive to the nearest garage when in dangerous areas, damaging your rims will be very costly, whereas runflats negates that.
The sparewheel kit is about R3000, but will just take up space and add weight to the car.