[Danielali]

I am currently looking to buy a BMW 2011 X3, x28i. I've zeroed down on two sellers, both are same color/options.
Black with red leather, bi xenon headlights, navigation, panoramic roof & heads up display.
I'm having a tough time deciding between the two cars since there are minor pros and cons to both. Hope you guys can pitch in and help me decide.

Car 1:
-Current mileage 86K Kms
-No warranty
-Service pack until 100K Kms
-Single owner
-Full Service History @ BMW Dealer
-Newer RFT, set of 4 Pirellis
-Body scratches on pretty much all the body panels. (The scratches are under an inch but are deep) I took it to the BMW repair shop and they said the best thing to do is repaint the whole car! Independent body shop is asking around $600 for "fixing" the scratches (He says he will patch em up I will not even know the difference) ----I'm attaching pictures of these scratches to give you an idea. There are around 8-10 scratches which are similar in depth and are on most body panels ie all doors, fenders etc.
-Seller is selling for US$ 19,000.

Car 2:
-Current Mileage 96K Kms
-Warranty up until 100K Kms
-Service pack up until 100K Kms
-Second owner, she bought it Certified from BMW (This was a BMW management used car. BMW dealer had it for their internal purposes for upto 60K kms. They sold it last year to this lady who put on the additional 36K kms on it).
- Full Service history
-New rear tires RFTs
-Body is in impeccable condition, one or two scuffs if you notice closely.
- Seller is selling for US$ 21,700

As you see the difference in price is 2700 US$. Given the details of both the cars which would you choose?
Any input is much appreciated

[Portimao318]

I would not buy any of those. A 20.000 dollar car without a decent warranty ? Those deals suck if you ask me.

[MartinHattingh]

Endre2, remember that currencies aren't directly comparable.

I bought my 2012 2.0i with similar spec for the equivalent (important point here) of US $32k.

- It had 86,000km on it at purchase, with full Motorplan until 100,000km. In South Africa, plans cover literally everything except tyres and fuel.
- Had new rear tyres fitted at around 75,000km, but the fronts only have about 30% tread left.
- One careful owner, I checked the full plan history with details on all work done.
- Exterior has normal chips/rash on the bonnet, bumper and mirrors as to be expected at the mileage.
- Interior is in *superb* condition, with no noticeable scratches or damage. It's clear that the previous owner was as pedantic about cars as I usually am.

Danielali, I would go for the one with 96k because of the factory warranty and then pay very careful attention and try to get them to fix any and everything suspicious as soon as you can.

[Portimao318]

yes, on second thought.... about 20.000 dollars is really cheap for a 2011 X3 , I would think.

I would than choose the 2nd car for 21.700 $. Don't buy a car full of scratches.

[Danielali]

Thank you for both of your comments.

I am currently in the UAE. BMW offers measly warranties out here. Both the cars are priced well below the market going rate for the X3. At least 2-3K Dollars lower.

I appreciate your input. I was leaning towards the 96K one with warranty too.

If you have any ideas of what things to look for and get fixed before the warranty is up, please let me know.

[Portimao318]

Can't you bring it to a vehicle inspection point to have it thoroughly checked , before you buy it ?

[plymjack]

2nd one should be the much better buy.... good luck

[Danielali]

Endre2
I went to the BMW Dealer where its been maintained. I've been shown the service history and they've got a technical report on the car where everything's checked OK on it. There is a factory warranty for another 4K Kms on it left.

Do you think it is a good idea to take it to an independent mechanic and have them double check it?

[Portimao318]

Originally Posted by Danielali

Endre2
I went to the BMW Dealer where its been maintained. I've been shown the service history and they've got a technical report on the car where everything's checked OK on it. There is a factory warranty for another 4K Kms on it left.

Do you think it is a good idea to take it to an independent mechanic and have them double check it?

Yes, it could never harm. Important is to know if it was involved in an accident.
Have the thickness of the paint checked. Well, that's what I would do.

[MartinHattingh]

Originally Posted by Danielali

Thank you for both of your comments.
If you have any ideas of what things to look for and get fixed before the warranty is up, please let me know.

One or two things you could get them to check:

- Check that there is no white smoke on start up after standing overnight. If there is, it could point to a problem with the turbo or its oil feed pipe. BMW usually opens a PUMA case to get this resolved.

- If you have an automatic tailgate, check that it doesn't make groaning/creaking sounds when opening/closing. Whirring is fine, but groaning requires attention.

- If the brake pads or discs are very close to worn, try to get them replaced within service plan. They're expensive.

- If the windscreen has plenty of scratches and chips, try to use this as a bargaining tool with the dealer.

- Being 100% sure that it wasn't in an accident as Endre2 has mentioned is also a good thing to check, before you buy obviously.

[Danielali]

MartinHattingh
Thank you for those excellent pointers. Little information like this comes in handy and this knowledge can only be found here from users as yourself.

Tailgate is non-automatic.
I will check on the breakpads/windshield and paint thickness
The x28i I'm buying has an inline 6 cylinder, are they turbo? I will look for the visual indication anyhow.

Again, many thanks

[BeeMdblU]

2011 2.8 is non-turbo, if you can buy extra warranty with car 2 get it, if not, get car 1

[MartinHattingh]

A quick follow-up on the white smoke issue I mentioned...

My dealer just called, they replaced the turbo's oil feed pipe yesterday and tested it this morning. Still not resolved, so they're today replacing the turbo in its entirety within plan!

It's a good thing I read in two other threads in this forum that it's something one needs to look out for, have saved myself the hassle of a pretty large expense later on! At least now I'm confident that I most likely won't have to worry about turbo issues for the remainder of my ownership.

[Danielali]

Originally Posted by MartinHattingh

A quick follow-up on the white smoke issue I mentioned...

My dealer just called, they replaced the turbo's oil feed pipe yesterday and tested it this morning. Still not resolved, so they're today replacing the turbo in its entirety within plan!

It's a good thing I read in two other threads in this forum that it's something one needs to look out for, have saved myself the hassle of a pretty large expense later on! At least now I'm confident that I most likely won't have to worry about turbo issues for the remainder of my ownership.

You're lucky to have it replaced under plan. Awesome.

At another forum someone suggested this about the car's I am looking at buying:

Both cars need about $2200 in service right now. Radiator complete flush and refill, Transmission fluid and filter, Transfer case fluid, Differentials fluid, Brake fluid flush, Power steering full flush and fill, All spark plugs replaced ,etc... All the stuff the dealership will say is "not needed" but is actually very much needed.

My question to you (since you bought yours also with around 86K kms) is are you familiar with any of these procedures? If so under what circumstances did they dealer perform them for you? Or are they considered under general maintenance where I will have to pay for it?

[MartinHattingh]

Originally Posted by Danielali

You're lucky to have it replaced under plan. Awesome.

At another forum someone suggested this about the car's I am looking at buying:

Both cars need about $2200 in service right now. Radiator complete flush and refill, Transmission fluid and filter, Transfer case fluid, Differentials fluid, Brake fluid flush, Power steering full flush and fill, All spark plugs replaced ,etc... All the stuff the dealership will say is "not needed" but is actually very much needed.

My question to you (since you bought yours also with around 86K kms) is are you familiar with any of these procedures? If so under what circumstances did they dealer perform them for you? Or are they considered under general maintenance where I will have to pay for it?

I guess the question on each of those is whose opinion is it that they are very much needed? I myself don't actually know (and thus by extension can't prove) that any of the procedures you've mentioned *have* to be done.

So, I think it comes down to: the dealer will at scheduled services only do what the standard maintenance guide (which I don't have, but I'm going to try and track down) tells them they should be doing. Anything over and above that you won't be able to convince them to do unless it directly addresses an issue with a symptom you've raised. They're not going to do preventative maintenance which a careful owner would do, that's for sure.

With mine, I searched the forums for common issues and their symptoms, then pointed these symptoms out specifically to the dealer. That's how the turbo got replaced. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't complain about white smoke at start-up (which I think most people wouldn't even have noticed) they wouldn't even have gotten close to looking at the turbo.

Another example: Just after I bought the car, I brought it in and asked them to balance the wheels. They misheard me and said "sorry, we can't just do alignment for no reason, is there a specific problem you're seeing?" I explained that the steering wheel was vibrating at over 100km/h and also that I asked for balancing, not alignment. This is a good example though of their thinking (no reported symptom, no work done). Me? I balance and align every 5000km even if I don't feel anything wrong.

The same goes for anything else I suspect. No demonstrable problem, no service outside what the standard consumables replacement schedule tells them.

[Danielali]

Martin, thank you for the input. I've been busy with a few things couldn't respond earlier. You are right about dealer attitude and it is even more apparent in the place I live. I've currently got a 2013 Corolla and it's got a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty [Seems like a no-brainer right?]. Never mind the dealer prescribed oil changes every 5K kms and the several different levels of services ranging from secondary/intermediate/general/major! All at costs of course 3-5 times above the market. Then the dealer calls my wife one day while the car was on one of its oil n lube changes "recommending" (although my wife says he said it was absolutely required) a engine cleaner for $150. She nodded and I ended up having to swipe the bank card later on. The best part of this story is that the Corolla has a spoiler tail light which is not working since the last year or so and the very first time I complained they diagnosed it by saying the light harness is faulty because the bulb is fine. So, I asked them to replace the harness under warranty (since, I never did anything to damage it in any way). And, they refused stating it is not coverable! Then a few other times the rep said he will get back to me after consulting management - - which of course has never happened. So, sometimes in the presence of symptoms also the dealers would not perform.

Regarding the X3, I am finalizing the purchase. I will recheck everything I can. If you have any idea of what other things or red flags I can check for b4 the warranty expires on this one please do drop me a line. It will be a massive help.