Backtrack to April last year and I had an itch for a newer/faster and larger vehicle, initially I had my eyes on a G01 X3 30d. I had gone to view one in May last year and was left underwhelmed, considering what my money was buying coming from the F25. The G01 is an awesome car and the 30d feels amazing, especially with a back-to-back comparison to the 20d but I was underwhelmed, it didn't feel like 3x the car.
The quality to me wasn't up to par and it wasn't much larger than the F25, which for me was a big consideration point seeing as though we were expecting a second baby. At this point I decided that for similar money to the G01, I could consider a slightly older model that offered me what I was looking for. Enter the search for the F15, I had almost pulled the trigger on a X5 M50d that had all the bells and whistles and decided to do as much research as possible on the diesel models offered and the reliability thereof. Thanks largely to forum input, I was quickly able to deduce that the 30d would be best placed for my requirements. The 40d and 50d models as ‘exclusive’ as they were, did require a penchant for risk and I am not at that stage in life where I can throw away hundreds of thousands on repairs and maintenance – if ever.
Finding the right model has not been easy and I have been actively looking for the last 10 months for the one the ticked my admittedly, many boxes. I had a wanted thread on the forum and BMW Car Club looking for a <2 owner car that was a 2018 model with sub 90k mileage but never got much traction, I was open to older, higher mileage models but I knew what I was looking for, having viewed over 10 different cars. I had been pestering Nev to sell me his for many, many, many months and the timing just never aligned. All the while I had said that when I find the right model, I would instantly know and it so happened that in late January I had spotted ‘the one’.
This car ticked every box I had except one, there was no 7 seater option which I was REALLY keen on but decided I would call the seller and ended up having a 45 min chat, while I went through my usual list of questions to determine if this was worth my time. Second owner from new, a lot of preventative maintenance over the years and someone as pedantic as myself, meant that this was very promising. Myself and @Riaad went to view the car early in February and the moment I saw the car, I knew that this was the one. We went through the motions, inspecting the car and doing a test drive but I already had it in my head, that I would be taking this one home.
I had done all of the required checks on my end and everything had come back clean, the last step was for BMW to conduct an inspection on the car and I went through to JSN. The workshop manager personally vouched for the car as well, and so began the final stage of negotiations with the seller, which lasted some time. We reached an agreement a few weeks ago and he went through the process of getting the car settled and transferred, so that we could do a deal between ourselves. He requested I bring the M3 through so he could have a look at the car and hear what it sounds like, while chatting I found out that he is a forum member that hasn’t really been active @Brendonr
This is probably the best specced 30d I had seen in my 10 months of searching, with almost R250k in extras, the original purchase price back in 2016 was a whopping R1.3 bar! Not that I was searching exclusively for the best spec but rather a combination of spec and condition, given that I was buying an older car. The car has had a host of preventative maintenance done under plan and after plan expired, including the gearbox, transfer case and diff oils being changed – indicating that the owner had gone the extra mile to ensure the car was looked after. This is by far the newest and best specced car I have ever owned.
Already visited ABM and @deago.parts@abmbmw for some goodies for the car, that are a must for me.. All weather mats for the interior and boot, along with floating centre caps to compliment these stunning wheels.
I don’t say this lightly, this is the cleanest F15 I have ever seen and I cannot believe the condition for an 8 year old car, it practically looks brand new! I took delivery of this just before my second baby boy was born and it has been parked since, given everything that has been on the go. I purchased this for my wife but she is apprehensive to drive this given the size, it is a proper luxo-barge. I finally managed to take this out on the weekend for a drive and it feels marvelous.
The quality to me wasn't up to par and it wasn't much larger than the F25, which for me was a big consideration point seeing as though we were expecting a second baby. At this point I decided that for similar money to the G01, I could consider a slightly older model that offered me what I was looking for. Enter the search for the F15, I had almost pulled the trigger on a X5 M50d that had all the bells and whistles and decided to do as much research as possible on the diesel models offered and the reliability thereof. Thanks largely to forum input, I was quickly able to deduce that the 30d would be best placed for my requirements. The 40d and 50d models as ‘exclusive’ as they were, did require a penchant for risk and I am not at that stage in life where I can throw away hundreds of thousands on repairs and maintenance – if ever.
Finding the right model has not been easy and I have been actively looking for the last 10 months for the one the ticked my admittedly, many boxes. I had a wanted thread on the forum and BMW Car Club looking for a <2 owner car that was a 2018 model with sub 90k mileage but never got much traction, I was open to older, higher mileage models but I knew what I was looking for, having viewed over 10 different cars. I had been pestering Nev to sell me his for many, many, many months and the timing just never aligned. All the while I had said that when I find the right model, I would instantly know and it so happened that in late January I had spotted ‘the one’.
This car ticked every box I had except one, there was no 7 seater option which I was REALLY keen on but decided I would call the seller and ended up having a 45 min chat, while I went through my usual list of questions to determine if this was worth my time. Second owner from new, a lot of preventative maintenance over the years and someone as pedantic as myself, meant that this was very promising. Myself and @Riaad went to view the car early in February and the moment I saw the car, I knew that this was the one. We went through the motions, inspecting the car and doing a test drive but I already had it in my head, that I would be taking this one home.
I had done all of the required checks on my end and everything had come back clean, the last step was for BMW to conduct an inspection on the car and I went through to JSN. The workshop manager personally vouched for the car as well, and so began the final stage of negotiations with the seller, which lasted some time. We reached an agreement a few weeks ago and he went through the process of getting the car settled and transferred, so that we could do a deal between ourselves. He requested I bring the M3 through so he could have a look at the car and hear what it sounds like, while chatting I found out that he is a forum member that hasn’t really been active @Brendonr
This is probably the best specced 30d I had seen in my 10 months of searching, with almost R250k in extras, the original purchase price back in 2016 was a whopping R1.3 bar! Not that I was searching exclusively for the best spec but rather a combination of spec and condition, given that I was buying an older car. The car has had a host of preventative maintenance done under plan and after plan expired, including the gearbox, transfer case and diff oils being changed – indicating that the owner had gone the extra mile to ensure the car was looked after. This is by far the newest and best specced car I have ever owned.
- Style 468M wheels
- Adaptive LED headlights with High Beam Assist
- Surround View
- Extended Lighting Package
- Multifunctional Instrument Display (Sport Dials)
- Rear Window Roller Sun Blinds
- Comfort Access
- 4 Zone Climate Control
- Harman Kardon Surround Sound
- Professional Navigation
- Panoramic Glass Sunroof
- Electric Towbar
Already visited ABM and @deago.parts@abmbmw for some goodies for the car, that are a must for me.. All weather mats for the interior and boot, along with floating centre caps to compliment these stunning wheels.
I don’t say this lightly, this is the cleanest F15 I have ever seen and I cannot believe the condition for an 8 year old car, it practically looks brand new! I took delivery of this just before my second baby boy was born and it has been parked since, given everything that has been on the go. I purchased this for my wife but she is apprehensive to drive this given the size, it is a proper luxo-barge. I finally managed to take this out on the weekend for a drive and it feels marvelous.
