My scooter was stolen so I'm looking at buying a BMW.

[AndrewH 2]

Hello, I recently had my motor-scooter stolen, so it's prompted me to buy a car.
I'm asking for advice on a BMW.
I'm looking at a:

New Zealand New- 2005 BMW 120D E87 2.0, Diesel.
Automatic, two wheel drive.
Odometer is 207,281 km.
Rego expires 19 October 2018.
WOF expires 2 May 2019.
It is from an auction house and the 'vendor is in trade'.
They have $6,990 on it.

People I know have said:
-"offer $4,000 and don't go over $5,000 because it's probably from a dealership trade-in and they just want their discount-money back".
-"The km are border-line high for a BMW and if anything happens outside the Mechanical Breakdown Insurance it costs an excessive amount and you won't be able to afford it".

To describe what I see of the car
Exterior:
It has small paint chips (say 40) across the front edge area of the bonnet- the biggest is about half the size of a matchhead, the majority are smaller down to just-visual spots.
There don't appear to be any real scrapes on the plastic underneath the car (although it's hard to see properly) but there is a small ding in the mudguard area of the front left wheel.  
Interior:
There is an obvious stain-outline down the side of the front passenger seat (wing? part of the seat, on the window side), a quarter of it. 
Also another stain on the center side of the front passenger seat - total area of that one would be the size of an A4 sheet of paper - in the shape of an upside-down L and some on the front door armrests- both sides. 
I assume either spilt drinks, and/or rain spreading has left the stain outlines.
There are also three stains on the back seats, each the size of a deck of cards or less .
Of the two cup holders, the forward has one of the four tabs pushed in and it is stuck inside the mold.
Under the boot floor panel, forward from the electrical boxes, are two molded areas but nothing is in them.
There is a pouch with a screw-in tow ring and a small screwdriver.
Other:
The BMW booklets are all there and have services and wof paperwork in a pouch.
They are continuous (10-15,000 km services) for the first 111,000 km finishing in 2011. 
There is no paperwork after that, for the next 96,000km? (But then, also not that many km's either for 7 years).
Aside from all that, as far as I know about cars, it looks very tidy for the rest of the interior, exterior and visually, under the bonnet.
A pre-purchase vehicle inspection check from a BMW service centre will cost $267. From a long-term established independant garage, would be $69.
The auction house says they have done a pre-purchase check already?

The questions (3) I would like advice on are:
1- Should I get a pre-purchase check done and does the garage really matter that much- independant; BMW; or European-Cars garage?
2- Mechanical Breakdown Insurance has the condition of services every 10,000km and can't be renewed when the car is over 299,000 km (but will continue for the time the policy has left regardless of km over that).
It costs $1,000 one year or, $1,500 two year or, $1,700 three year; it pays the first $6,000 on repairs to parts of the vehicle that are not expected to wear out. It's a big chunk of money.
Is it worth it?
3-What view do you have on the price the auction house is asking?

[Contrails 316]

Hi Andrew,

I am guessing you are a new member? Welcome. 

200k is a high mileage car.  Does it come with full service history? I would highly recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection done and from an independent BMW garage. 

If I was shopping for a car around the 7k budget, I would be looking at a different car.  Maybe an E46?

Regards

[Eagle 1661]

1. Definitely get it checked out. If the independent BMW garage has a good rep then id go with them, if not the dealer.

2. If it checks out fine it may not be worth it given the price of the car but no one knows for sure what can happen or not. At those k's i would hope its had a transmission services and suspension work along the way.

3. Hard to say without exactly seeing the car. Sounds a bit overpriced to me gives its a high k 1 series.

+1 to E46 

[Allanw 1071]

If you had a scooter before, and are planning to do lots of short trips in town (like you would on a scooter?) a diesel is the last thing you want.

You sound quite conscious of the repairs, and if you are I'd suggest buying something VERY different for that money. A common rail diesel turbo is a far more complicated car than SOME other options, and there can be eye-watering expensive repairs.

What do you really want from a car? and what sort of use will it get?

Edited September 8, 2018 by Allanw

[eliongater 718]

Why not buy another scooter? You can get electric ones with cruise control etc now

 

http://www.niuscooters.co.nz/

Edited September 9, 2018 by eliongater
Link

[SmithyInWelly 212]

1- Yes, go with the independent.
2- Can you predict the future? In general, yes - it will give you peace of mind.
3- It seems a little optimistically priced (you could get my e92 330i for not much more ?)

4- (and most importantly) how are you going to use the car and does that suit a diesel? Are you better with a petrol? Or another type of vehicle with likely running costs? Follow your own instinct.

[AndrewH 2]

Thanks for the replies.
The car has actually been sold already- hope the buyer got a good price as the mileage with it was the big problem- pretty much forces MBI which amounts to paying almost quarter the price of the car again! I'd rather not have to need that.

I bought the scooter brand-new to use while getting a degree (4 years) and it had just passed 61,000km when it was stolen.
I do alot of driving (Other-Peoples cars for the 4 years!?). I estimate I'll do around 25- 30,000km per year once I have a car of my own again. 

The reason I'm looking at buying BMW is that I want a car that makes me feel good, not a Japanese car- I understand they are just as reliable, fuel efficient etc...... but I would rather buy a nice car.

Diesels are supposedly 15-20% more efficient but I'll be happy with a petrol.

It'll be a hatchback that'll I buy $5-9,000- any suggestions on possible problems that are experienced with those?

 

[Eagle 1661]

Most of us here work on our own cars and have good reasons for preferring them for certain requirements but they aren't the be all and end all esp these days. No one with crediblity is going to recommend buying a BMW because its a BMW  Plenty of good options for 'nice' hatchbacks these days. 

 

[kiwi535 538]

a 120 hatch is a very "nice" car.they have  nice steering and brakes and would be a nice neutral but pleasimg handling car given that the brakes,suspension,and steering have all been maintained.As far a s a hatchback goes the BMW will not be as space efficient as a front wheel drive equivalent.If you do high Ks a 120d will be quite efficient.My 120d manual did 6.5 l per 100 k aroundd town and easily 5.5 k per 100 k on the open road.Dont forget the ruc is 6 cents a kilometre and rego/acc is more expensive than petrol.Always get a ppi from a bmw specialist if you are buying a bmw.There is a bmw 320 d wagon on here with very high ks....although i dont think it is running at the moment.