BMW newbie, looking to buy - Any advice wanted

[MaiaB 3]

Hi team, 

I have been lurking on this website for awhile without having an account. However, I’ve been getting serious about buying a BMW. Admittedly I am no mechanic, but merely an enthusiast of German auto engineering brilliance we know as BMW.

I’ve been doing a ton of research on E91 320i’s and 325i’s, as a wagon is perfect for my lifestyle. 
 

Is there any advice for a potential purchase? I’ve seen info warning to stay away from N46 engines, and other advice on here explaining  that N46/N43 4 pots are gutless and not worth the hassle. 
 

Is it worth looking at a 6 cylinder N43 over a N43 4 pot? 
 

No other station wagon in my price bracket comes close to BMW for looks and ride, however as a first time buyer I don’t want to get in over my head. 
 

Cheers

Edit* - Not too sure if I should be asking purchase/advice questions on a different topic - happy to move it if needed 🙂 

Edited October 4, 2021 by MaiaB

[balancerider 701]

Welcome @MaiaB! Good choice, E91 with a 6 cylinder is very much the sweet spot. Don't bother with a 4cyl, engines are nothing but trouble and not even much more economical than the 6. The pre-facelift ones (2005-2008) have the N52B25 which is a bit more robust than the N53 in the facelifted ones (which have trouble with coils / injectors / NOX sensor). Worth checking if waterpump / thermostat have been done on the N52.

[qube 3568]

E91 325i wagons are great value, msport is much nicer than the normal spec and preferably one with some service history is good

post up some trademe links if you want opinions

[MaiaB 3]

7 hours ago, balancerider said:

Welcome @MaiaB! Good choice, E91 with a 6 cylinder is very much the sweet spot. Don't bother with a 4cyl, engines are nothing but trouble and not even much more economical than the 6. The pre-facelift ones (2005-2008) have the N52B25 which is a bit more robust than the N53 in the facelifted ones (which have trouble with coils / injectors / NOX sensor). Worth checking if waterpump / thermostat have been done on the N52.

Hey mate, thanks heaps for the advice. I get you, so the E91 325’s have N52. I’ve found a couple on trademe which I’m keen to test and potentially do a ppi if they tick enough boxes. How regularly would you recommend the service intervals? 10,000 kms? Any other watch outs aside from thermo and water pump? 

[MaiaB 3]

3 hours ago, qube said:

E91 325i wagons are great value, msport is much nicer than the normal spec and preferably one with some service history is good

post up some trademe links if you want opinions

Hey qube, thank you. I’ve scouted a few on trademe, would be great to get your thoughts. 
 

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-3275983626.htm

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-3287149893.htm

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-3211712797.htm

if you come across any you’d recommend on trademe etc I’d be super keen to have a look.

 

 

[boyish 40]

Welcome! My opinion would probably be save to spend a little more, get an early facelifted model with relatively low k’s benefiting from modern day usability (i.e CIC iDrive as they’ve aged better than the CCC) also if you’re worried about maintenance costs you could most likely strike a great deal with a dealership (seeing as COVID still lurks) & negotiate a price that includes a mechanical warranty and even a NZ radio/gps conversion if it’s an import. That way you have some piece of mind.

[NZ BMW 368]

I wouldn’t go for anything which has had aftermarket screens added but that’s just me. They can be added properly but a lot of the time they are not and don’t integrate with the car. Additionally, a lot of the stuff out of Japan will be all in Japanese and impossible to use. 
 

 

[balancerider 701]

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/325i/listing/3278720378 looks reasonable too - on a full set of Bridgestones (albeit the RE050s are not great, but at least implies the owner hasn't skimped on maintenance) and has a BMW workshop plate surround. Look for blue (OEM) coolant rather than green. Probably 1 yr / 15k km is the sweet spot. One without any idrive is probably fine too, fit a Grom / Dension unit for Bluetooth.

[MaiaB 3]

2 hours ago, balancerider said:

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/325i/listing/3278720378 looks reasonable too - on a full set of Bridgestones (albeit the RE050s are not great, but at least implies the owner hasn't skimped on maintenance) and has a BMW workshop plate surround. Look for blue (OEM) coolant rather than green. Probably 1 yr / 15k km is the sweet spot. One without any idrive is probably fine too, fit a Grom / Dension unit for Bluetooth.

That looks very promising, clearly owned by a BMW head as well, so should be in very good nick. 
 

Why do people go for run flats on E91’s? 

[gjm 3191]

17 minutes ago, MaiaB said:

Why do people go for run flats on E91’s? 

I think runflats are factory original fit.

You can change to 'normal' tyres, but you'll probably find you don't have a spare wheel.

[qube 3568]

white one looks cheap considering the kms but the japanese looking aftermarket headunit is a bit meh for me

blue one looks quite nice but a bit expensive at 11k

silver one pretty good for 9k with 4 new michelin tyres, yes aftermarket headunit but looks like a decent one thats done in NZ

dark grey one also not bad looking, lightly more expensive and higher kms than the silver one and more expensive.

 

I think with these models, there are plenty to choose from so just find one you like the colour/option of and go ahead if its in good condition.

 

There is a 2011 black face lift one for sale for 9k but its done high kms around 160k, pretty nice being facelift if you dont mind the kms. been for sale forever maybe could negotiate down to 8k and have 1-2k for servicing/maintenance. 

[balancerider 701]

I wouldn’t rule out based on km but condition rules with cars of this age, 120k hot running way better than 75k round town. 
I saw that 2011 one, looks quite nice and has a towbar but would want to check it’s running Index 11 coils or there goes your 2k maintenance fund

[MaiaB 3]

8 hours ago, qube said:

silver one pretty good for 9k with 4 new michelin tyres, yes aftermarket headunit but looks like a decent one thats done in NZ

dark grey one also not bad looking, lightly more expensive and higher kms than the silver one and more expensive

Thanks for your advice Qube, helps a lot. I think I’ll check out both the dark grey and silver one when alert levels allow. Both seem to be owned by people who seem to know what they are doing.

Got another few on my watchlist at dealerships to consider as well. 

 

The Blue one looks so bliss but not keen to overpay for a certain color. 
 

[MaiaB 3]

14 hours ago, balancerider said:

I wouldn’t rule out based on km but condition rules with cars of this age, 120k hot running way better than 75k round town. 
I saw that 2011 one, looks quite nice and has a towbar but would want to check it’s running Index 11 coils or there goes your 2k maintenance fund

I’m looking for a car with lower KMS than my current one, so keen to get something between 80-110, unless the vehicle is in great condition, I.e the dark grey one.
 

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-3289355486.htm

Am going to look at this as well, as seems cheap considering the K’s. Mechanical warranty would be nice.

[qube 3568]

wouldnt bother with mechanical warranty personally, the cost of the warranty itself and having to pay for "proper" (aka, expensive) services means you end up paying $3k ish all up which could just be used on preventative maintenance. This is assuming you dont have a catastrophic failure like engine/gearbox which then the warranty might be worth it. Usually these cars are pretty good and if it drives good, engine sounds healthy, and gearbox shifts smooth, dont think its necessary. a gearbox service is around $700-1000 so put that money on doing that instead cuz 90% of the cars for sale wouldnt have had a gearbox service done imo and it makes a big difference.