Should i buy this 3 series??????????

[Taylor77]

Hi all, I've been looking for months for a black 3 series coupe with idrive,29inch alloys ,auto, for a reasonable price. I work in the NHS as an HCA so I'm not exactly flush for cash (my budget is £6k) I've seen one on auto trader (2011) that ticks all my boxes and has 81k on the clock, I realise it wont be perfect at that price but obviously want to do the best I can with it. I've looked into the cars MOT's online and it passed its last one in December 2019 but had a list of advisories that worried me,

.front brake discs worn-pitted-scored but ok

.rear brakes discs pads worn but ok

.x2 shock absorbers corroded slight dampening

.offside wheel fractured above valve

parking brake only just passed requires repair or adjustment

the guy is selling the car for £6.500 do you guys advise me to skip it completely? are these common problems or should I use them to maybe get the price lower? how much do you think it will end up costing me down the line? I really want to be sensible but if I fall for it on sight I will trick myself into thinking its all ok! ive been looking everyday for months and its very rare that they come along and tick all my boxes. Thanks in advance for the advice guys

[Taylor77]

Not to worry ,I decided against it when the owner claimed he  didn't know what a service history was!!!!!!!!

on to the next one I guess, any advice would be greatly appreciated though!

[Greydog]

Morning Will

First and foremost well done walking away from the car above.

When buying I have always used Car Dealers as it gives protection under the Sale of Goods Act (I have sold 3 of my cars privately but to friends who have wanted them) 

When buying my first action is to decide on Model Colour and Accessories, then how far am I prepared to travel. Then I would search (these days Google) the Model and check out the adds to give a feel for average price/mileage.

Then MOT History check always a good testament to a well looked after car if advisories are there over a couple of years to me that points towards a driver not an owner. When I have selected the car/cars I want to view I would talk to the seller to get as much information as possible, confirmation of history/evidence of work done tyre condition etc.

The viewing I want time on my own to check the body/interior condition colour outside and in does it smell right. Check under neath for any evidence of leaks open the bonnet check that the engine is stone cold I would always be suspicious of a car that was running or had been run before I got there (Why is there a cold start issue??) Then start the car while it is idling again check for noises/leaks etc and inside make sure everything works every button every switch. You don't want or need to begin your new ownership fixing replacing stuff unless of course your confident in doing it and can use it as a stick to beat the seller with. Then the drive is it what you expected/want if it all comes together then it's just a case of negotiation. 

I don't know where you are but just Googled BMW 3 series Coupe and came up with a Black 2008 car 72k £4999 looks tidy in the pictures it is at the Car Supermarket in Hayes Middx

Good luck buy with the Head not the Heart

Dave

[Taylor77]

Thanks Dave really appreciate the advice, I’m looking at a promising looking 3 series on Thursday it’s a 2 hour drive away but ticks ALL the boxes,it’s only bad point (which might not be a bad point) is it has the ivory colour interior,I’m a little worried about getting 11 year old carpets to my OCD levels of spotless! But I can get dark mats and carpet shampoo! It also has the wood grain looking panels but they can be replaced easily in time, it has 117k miles on the clock which is obviously something to give a lot of thought to but on my wage it’s not possible to get one with low miles, someone gave me similar advice over tyre brands (if they’ve shelled out on a decent brand they’ve probably looked after the rest of the car) the cold start tip was a great one! I definitely think some time alone with the car is vital, it’s easy to be rushed or feel pressured and I like to look in every nook and cranny! Once again thanks so much for your reply! 

[Harvey]

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