Hopefully soon to be new BMW Owner

[IVIr_D]

Hi BMW Fanatics. I came across a BMW 120d 2013 that has 150 000km on. There has only been 1 previous owner and it seems like he took care of the car very well. He always had it serviced at BMW and kept all the invoices of each service, so I just want to hear some opinions before I buy the car.

I just recently started working after graduating as well and wonder if it is a wise choice to go for the car?

Any help would be appreciated a lot.

 

[r0ckf1re]

Hi BMW Fanatics. I came across a BMW 120d 2013 that has 150 000km on. There has only been 1 previous owner and it seems like he took care of the car very well. He always had it serviced at BMW and kept all the invoices of each service, so I just want to hear some opinions before I buy the car.

I just recently started working after graduating as well and wonder if it is a wise choice to go for the car?

Any help would be appreciated a lot.

What price ?


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[IVIr_D]

What price ?


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220k

 

[AshG108]

Great car, but at that mileage and you recently started working...go for something with lower mileage and newer. you don't want to fork out any major costs on a vehicle and a vehicle at high mileage could be anything especially if the history is unknown.

Ideally, you should go for a vehicle which will be newer, with warranty, service plan if possible then can possibly earn you some equiity into your next car.
Then go for the BMW but one within motorplan still rather... the 120d is a brilliant car but if something goes wrong...it might jump into costs.

This is my personal opinion, I do not favour vehicles over 150 000km, I would rather buy then with under 100 000km, maintain then to run into or over the 150k km mark.

 

[IVIr_D]

Great car, but at that mileage and you recently started working...go for something with lower mileage and newer. you don't want to fork out any major costs on a vehicle and a vehicle at high mileage could be anything especially if the history is unknown.

Ideally, you should go for a vehicle which will be newer, with warranty, service plan if possible then can possibly earn you some equiity into your next car.
Then go for the BMW but one within motorplan still rather... the 120d is a brilliant car but if something goes wrong...it might jump into costs.

This is my personal opinion, I do not favour vehicles over 150 000km, I would rather buy then with under 100 000km, maintain then to run into or over the 150k km mark.

I would also prefer to get a newer one, but they are a little expensive at the moment. I can also get a mechanical warranty that lasts for 2 years and unlimited km's which would only cost a little more.

 

[AshG108]

I hear you on the mechanical warranty but what are their payout costs over major ticket items like turbo for instance?
Brakes can cost you around R7k if you doing discs and pads and that is with discounts - without it can cost you more.
Turbo failure can also cost you minimum R10k and upwards, dependent on the warranty payable part you will pay a bit in too.
Dampner Pulley replacement is around R8000 with a good price, OEM prices i have seen are higher and that is excluding fitment.
These are general items but there is the waterpump that will need to be replaced later on as well.

If you got the cash or slush fund to fund there then that will help a ton. I and many others were once where you are now...and if we knew what we do now...many of us would have made slightly different choices.

Up to you bud! Good luck!

 

[Preggie Naidoo]

Could not agree more!
Rather start your automotive ownership journey with reliability and minimum cost impact. The BMW will come but perhaps at a later stage when you’ve built up the capital and or reserves to manage.
Case in point, my daughters Audi 1.4tfsi gave up the water pump over the weekend and replacement cost is R10.5k! She just graduated and this is a cost that Dad will bear!

 

[YozTruly]

In general agreement with what everyone has said. New information might change this though.

Here are some questions for you:
1. How handy are you with tools? Or do you know someone who can help you for free?
2. Are you financing the whole R220k or will you pay cash for the bulk of it and have “free cash” to use for parts (labour would be covered if you answer yes to question 2).
3. How deep are daddy or mommy’s pockets in case you need to lean on them?

3 of my mates all bought 1 series BMWs straight out of uni and they had great ownership experience out of them. One of them was particularly handy with tools (and bought a 130i with over 100k kms but he knew BMWs inside out) so he was the best placed of them all and he did his own services, etc. They have all since upgraded to better BMWs now.

TLDR: it’s not a black and white matter. If you have the resources to support BMW maintenance (and possible repairs), it’s not a bad idea. If not, look for something get with a service plan and warrantees as suggested above.

 

[IVIr_D]

I am not the most handy with tools but I know a lot of people including my cousin who are and I would like to learn how everything works and get to know the car inside and out.

So I am be able to put down a pretty hefty deposit, but would rather not do the whole deposit so that I can still have some backup if needed and also I do make enough per month to be able to fully finance the car without a deposit. (Sorry if the information I gave at the beginning led to misleading information)

And I prefer not to bargain on my parents' money but they would be able to help me out if needed.

 

[henriZA]

You're gonna lose a lot of money on that car. My advice: buy a cheap daily cash, save what you don't spend into a money market / ETF etc. and in a few years you buy a much better car. Or buy an apartment / property first.

 

[YozTruly]

I am not the most handy with tools but I know a lot of people including my cousin who are and I would like to learn how everything works and get to know the car inside and out.

So I am be able to put down a pretty hefty deposit, but would rather not do the whole deposit so that I can still have some backup if needed and also I do make enough per month to be able to fully finance the car without a deposit. (Sorry if the information I gave at the beginning led to misleading information)

And I prefer not to bargain on my parents' money but they would be able to help me out if needed.

Having someone knowledgeable in your corner is a great start. Maybe just have a word with your cousin and see what he has to say about these cars (diesel BMWs) and how much he would be willing to assist.

Take him along to see the invoices for the work done. The invoices will give you a fair idea of how much it costs to run the car with BMW parts. You can then decide from there if you are in for that type of costs.

The reason you are being warned against this is because BMW (and the other highly desirable German cars) are not cheap to run and most recent graduates do not have the money to keep one going.

 

[Maljan]

As cool as that 120d may look, this outoppie doesn't think it is a good idea. Especially if you plan to finance it. Rather look at something uncool but reliable. I can recommend the Toyota Starlet a.k.a. Suzuki Baleno. You can get a get nearly new one one with low kilos for about R200k. I have one that I use as a grocery getter. My daughter borrows it a lot as well, hehehe. It may not be cool but it is extremely dependable. In a year of ownership absolutely nothing has gone wrong. As a bonus it sips fuel at the rate of 15km/l.

If you want something cool and cheap, get an E36 or E39. I have an '02 530i manual but it is more of a project than transportation. It is way better to drive than the Starlet, but it is in need of new shocks, suspension bushes, door rubbers etc. etc.

 

[Teezoh]

My 2cents if I may. You sound super keen on wanting this specific car, any reason for it?
As mentioned by the other guys, we've been in your shoes but you need to guide us on why you want it. The look, is it in stock form or modded, something normally pulls a young guys chain and we need to figure what that something is.

My first response would have been on par with @AshG108 but being past that now, it's been 1 week since you posted this, is the car still available? If it is you need to start questioning why? Great finds sell within hours, not days and you buying a first BMW you want a great find. Also, is it with a dealership or private? If dealer, share a link, there's guys on here with eagle eyes that can point out valid problems by looking at pics.

Don't buy the car coz if something goes wrong cuzzy can just fix it, not everyone actually knows how to work on BMW's. My cuzzy also knows a thing or 2 about cars but I won't let him touch mine personally unless he;s helping me wash it, if he messes up you're just gonna get a sorry. Rather make sure there are good guys around in your area or ask on the forum for pointers on mechanics in your area, if there are maybe reach out to them to have a chat about their estimations in the past 6 months with 1series cars coming in for work.

My recommendation would be to take your time with this, you already know how much you're gonna pay monthly so put that aside now until you find a great buy. Then you'll have extra for a deposit or even to keep aside as an oh shit fund coz trust me, oh shit comes when you least expect it.

When it comes to buying cars or houses you should live by one rule regarding affordability and maintenance, take whatever it will cost you monthly and double the amount, if you can put away that amount for the next 6 months without touching it then go for it, you should be fine. If not, then you're not ready for it yet.

 

[6spdmanual]

One thing I regret is buying an out of plan BMW 1 Series as my first car. Don’t do it bro, no matter how much you love it.