Best place to buy a used BMW?

Iceweasel

gilberto wrote: »

Given their high complexity and performance, BMWs are generally unreliable and VERY expensive to fix when it goes wrong - and it will.
They are a dream to drive, but you need deep pockets to run one...

What a load of rubbish.

Looking on the DARK side of things as usual - no MATTER what.

Crazystar

Thank You All for the replies. Even I am inclined to go to the dealer for the peace of mind but main dealers are 4-5k more expensive than places like Cargiant.

wrt reliability, I have heard different opinions - some say its been very reliable for them and others say its been a crap. Difficult to judge the reliability as there is no real data.

Other question, how expensive it is to maintain a car like bmw x3, what would be the yearly costs??

Zandoni

I found this company good http://www.ebbsfleetspecialistcars.co.uk/used-cars

adom_thomas

I would suggest to search the seller online to get the best price. There are many online portals such as v cars, auto traders and more where this can be done!

gamston

have you thought about car auctions, many have BMW days where they sell 1-4 year old cars

motorguy

Crazystar wrote: »

Thank You All for the replies. Even I am inclined to go to the dealer for the peace of mind but main dealers are 4-5k more expensive than places like Cargiant.

wrt reliability, I have heard different opinions - some say its been very reliable for them and others say its been a crap. Difficult to judge the reliability as there is no real data.

Other question, how expensive it is to maintain a car like bmw x3, what would be the yearly costs??

Confirm you are comparing like with like


Cargiant cars will generally be ex lease and higher miles. Whilst they look shiny in the pictures, a lot will have scuffs and scratches that haven't been repaired.


Also confirm the spec on the cars - dealer cars may have a higher spec. Ex lease cars tend to be standard spec cars.


Also, the likes of car giant will add costs on to the price such as an admin fee, etc.


And the main dealer will be more able to give you a discount on his price - maybe £500 to £1000. Cargiant and their ilk notoriously wont discount.


If you are comparing an absolutely identical car - same spec, same miles, same history, same condition and theres £4,000 difference, yes go for the Cargiant one, but I think in the real world that wont be the case.


Also, check around nationally on BMWs site for cars. There can be several thousand of variance on pretty much identical cars between dealers. Whilst they might be further away, it could be the best paid Saturday morning you've had, if you can save £2,000 by doing so.

motorguy

gamston wrote: »

have you thought about car auctions, many have BMW days where they sell 1-4 year old cars

Cars of that age going to a public auction are there for a reason. BMW main dealers get first crack at cars like that via closed dealer only auctions. The ropier high mileage stuff ends up at public auctions.


There are, yes, bargains to be had though if you've a lot of time and experience on your hands.

Tothepoint.

gilberto wrote: »

Car giant is okay but you have to know what you're looking for. 99% of their BMWs are ex fleet/company cars meaning pretty much all are diesels with standard spec or entry level petrols. A lot of their cars also don't come with main dealer history, they are serviced in house by the old company owners. Assuming the OP is looking for the bog standard BMW X3 with the 2 litre diesel then yes, Car Giant is fine. If the OP is looking for a particular spec like their upgraded leather or Le Mans blu upgraded paint, electric controlled dampers, M performance parts upgrades, Alpina models, or even a 335i engine let alone an M4 you definately won't find this at Car Giant.

The OP's not looking for an M4.

AdrianC

gilberto wrote: »

No OP isn't but if the OP is looking for the 3.0 diesel M Sport X3 with upgraded leather in particular rather than their standard Dakota leather or even the upgraded Sport auto gearbox, Car Giant isn't really the place to get it.

Am I going to have to block another one of your identities? You seem to form a sizable proportion of the user IDs in there. At least the other serial repeat offender could take a hint eventually, and seems to have given up.

gilberto

AdrianC wrote: »

Am I going to have to block another one of your identities? You seem to form a sizable proportion of the user IDs in there. At least the other serial repeat offender could take a hint eventually, and seems to have given up.

Sorry but rather than derailing this thread why don't you actually help the OP with information? Don't waste everyone's time by trying to play a game of "catching DM" and rather, just contribute with useful advice.