The Unix Nerd's Domain
BMW Buyers Checklist
Where To Buy
If you are spending a lot on a fairly new BMW a proper franchised dealer is the only Choice. Non BMW dealers won't have the proper tools and computers to service your car nor the experience to spot common BMW faults. Your warranty will be invalid if the car isn't serviced by a main dealer.
That said don't just assume you local dealer has the best selection. I bought my last two cars from dealers adverts in AutoCar, this gave me a bigger selection of vehicles and saved me money as I live in an expensive area. Phone around for the best deal.
If you're spending a bit less on a slightly older car, one outside the five year maximum used car warranty extension period, try a German car specialist. They have a good range of cars and the mechanics tend to be BMW or VW/Audi trained. They often provide better deals and service than the official dealers and if you don't need to worry about new car warranties go for it!
For old BMWs your best choice is probably a private sale. The dealer markup on cars at this price level is very noticeable and most reputable dealers won't touch older cars anyway as they feel they spoil their image. Get the FAQ for your model and give the car a good once over. If it seems OK get the vehicle checked by the AA or a BMW specialist.
For even older classic BMWs you could try auctions, specialist dealers, such as Munich Legends (UK), or look in the classified section of a magazine such as BMW Car. If you buy a car with a few warts you must carefully consider the price of fixing them vs the cost of just buying a nicer car. Things like paintwork are important as the cost of a good respary may cost thousands. If something IS broken be sure you know what it will cost to fix. Most BMW parts are not too hard to find at specialist parts centres.
No matter what kind of BMW you are buying you should beware of a really dirty trick purpetrated on all of us by BMW. They have deliberately made almost all of their cars so downright fun to drive, good looking and stylish that it is almost impossible not to want every car you look at! At all cost you must resist the temptation to buy the first car you see and succumb to this trickery. Somehow you must view the whole process coldly and clinically, do all the sums and find the right car for you.
In the UK both Exchange & Mart and Auto Trader have good BMW web pages.
What About Extras?
Look carefully at what your prospective purchase does and DOESN'T have in the way of extras. Adding things like fog lamps, heated seats or a limited slip differential to a car can be very expensive yet you'll pay next to no extra for a car that has them. A good example is the OBC (onboard computer) which cost hundreds to fit to a new car, is very difficult to retrofit but has no bearing on the vehicles second hand value.
In the UK the things which DO affect used value are alloy wheels, sunroof, leather seats and automatic transmission. As air conditioning begins to filter into the UK market as standard equipment cars without it may be penalised. Certain models can be worth more if they have metallic paint, personally I don't see why.
Don't forget the last minute sale clinchers either. Once you have "almost" agreed to buy the car and have given the salesman all the buying signs try the following before signing on the dotted line:
Buying Warranties
In the UK used BMWs come with a very comprehensive one year warranty. This can be extended annually until the car is five years old. For my E36 318iS it cost about 340 GBP to renew the warranty this year, not cheap. The price also includes roadside assistance, certain types of insurance and a few other services.
I've had to call out BMW Assistance three times in six years. Once for a flat battery (my fault), once for a broken door hinge (a friend's fault) and once for a dodgy breather tube (the car's fault). They averaged 20 minutes to attend and very quick and efficient. I have found all my BMs to be very reliable.
Non BMW warranties are much cheaper. This is often because they cover everything that isn't likely to go wrong. They are often not worth the paper they are written on and tend to come in around the 100-150 GBP price range. They normally don't include roadside assistance either.
And Finally....
Don't just buy the first nice BMW you see. Unless you are looking for something rare it pays to think really hard about your purchase. Can you really live with that colour? Have you got an acceptable insurance quote? I use Guardian Direct on 0800 282820 as they are much cheaper than anyone else for me. Eagle Star Direct are very competitive too.