Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
First, in 3 years and 50,000 miles, my "free" maintenance amounted to 3 oil changes, 2 sets of wiper blades, a micro filter and changing the break fluid. I paid for 3 additional oil changes, rotating and balancing tires every 7500 miles and I cannot remember what else. Additionally I just purchased my 2nd set of tires and had to get a wheel last year and had my original wheel repaired.
Secondly, Kipplinger several months ago listed expected 3 year maintenance costs for most all cars. I do not know if they are right or wrong, but I trust their numbers are relative. Again from memory I think they had different 3 Series from $2500 to $3000. Since your car is used I would expect it to tend to the high end.
Therefore, if $1000 per year fits your budget for maintenance, you should be alright; $1500 per year would be no problem. Remember a set of tires will cost approximately $700.
You will hear these numbers are way out of line. I'm just saying how much you should budget to keep from being surprised.
The problem I see is that a large number of BMWs are leased and I am afraid the only maintenance during the lease will be the "free" services BMW performs. I believe these cars will be more problematic as they age and will hurt resale values of all BMWs.
CPOs have an extended warranty. Service II is not a warranty issue and is scheduled at 60,000 miles, post warranty and "free" service.
I have been thinking of buying a 3 for almost 2 years now. Finally saved enough money to get one - I am looking at 2003 330i w/ manual trans, xenons, grey leather and the usual options. The car has 16k miles on it. The dealer is agreeing to sell at $28k.
1. Is the price right? KBB and Edmunds price it a little higher. Am I looking at a car with problems?
2. I am assuming that the warranty is tranferable and so is the service deal (free oil changes).
3. Any particular problems that I should be watching out for.
I'd appreciate everybody's help. I plan to keep the car for at least the next 3 years if not more.
Is the one you are buying CPO from a BMW dealer?
2) All warranty and maintenance plans transfer with the car.
3) Check for previous paint work or body damage... that will kill the re-sale value of a late-model BMW.
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
This is not a CPO car, which is the reason for my anguish. The dealer sells a lot or premium used cars and I have been to their location but I haven't actually seen this car yet. Did all of the talking on the phone. I plan to see it this weekend.
Thanks for your input.
It's almost time to replace the tires on my 330i SP, & I'd appreciate hearing your picks & pans. I know that some of you like the Michelin PS2, but I've also seen favorable reviews of the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 & the Kumho ECSTA MX on Tirerack.com. FWIW, I live in a suburb of NYC & I'd describe my style of driving as moderately spirited but far from crazy. I ride the train to work, so my 330i is for fair-weather weekend recreation. TIA for your thoughts on this.
If you want more performance, I would probably get the Michelins but I've been pretty happy with the Kumho's (I was willing to make the small trade-off to save some money).
I found these while looking on the net.
http://market.autopartsfair.com/bmw-wheels_rims/catalog-item-2832.html
Mine are the standard Star Spoke Styling 45 wheels. :shades:
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Do they also fit the 2005's and the ads just aren't updated, or is the 2005 different? Anyone know?
Thanks
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
I'm with jamesspot... check on Ebay or the classified sections of other bimmer forums (google that, and you'll find them)..
I'd just stick with style '45s.. They are plentiful, and plenty of people are upgrading and have them to sell... From your link, it looks like you could buy new ones for $720/set, so let that be your guide to prices.... I'm thinking under $400 for a set of used ones...
Alternatively, you can buy upgraded wheels from a 325i sport package (17 X 8), and use your current wheels for the snows... But, only if that is something you think you'd like to do... More money for tires, etc. with 17" wheels, but they will improve the look of your car...
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
I'm looking on ebay right now. A guy with 100% rating has four for sale with the Continentals still mounted. I offered him $300 for two, shipped to my house and insured.
I'll Google in a minute.
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Here is the link to the set I bought:
BMW Wheels
There are more and more of these popping up on ebay all the time. :surprise:
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Don't even think about only putting winter tires on the rear of your car.... That will not be a good set-up... Get four of them..
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
I didn't know that either. I just remember that people always put winter tires on the rear of their cars.
Is it because of the handling, or what?
I guess I'll change my strategy then and go looking for 4.
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Conventional wisdom these days are to put winter tires (which are in no way shape or form similar to old fashioned knobby snow tires) at all four corners. Think about it, why would you want good traction to "Go" if you don't have any traction to "Turn" or "Stop"?
docky
My 530i was essentially undrivable with even a quarter of an inch of snow on the ground, with the OEM tires that is. Once I mounted a set of four winter tires on it, the only thing that would stop it was when the snow would get deep enough to turn my car into a snow plow. ;-)
Save your money and buy a set of winter tires, which can be had fairly inexpensively. I just checked TireRack.com, and they have a set for your 2001 325i for $864 plus shipping and taxes. That set includes (4) Borbet Type T Silver wheels with a Machined Lip in the 16x7.5 size, (4) Michelin X-Ice Blackwall tires in the 205/50 R16 size, and twenty wheel bolts. Substantially cheaper than upgrading to an "xi". ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
It makes perfect sense. Isn't it amazing how it becomes painfully obvious when explained?
I ordered the same wheels & tires from Tirerack,com that you recommended to docky except the tires are 225/50 QR16. They should be here in PA in a few days.
Thanks to you & kyfdx for the help
2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
Great info, again, many thanks!
I'm kind of a winter tire bigot who used to believe that a set of all-season rubber was "Good enough", however, since I moved my family (with two young children as well) up here to southern New Hamster I've discovered the error of my ways. The difference between a winter tire shod BMW and one that's not is almost unbelievable when you get into the white stuff.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Has anybody done the BMW CCA rebate after leasing a vehicle I mean the $500 cash back on 3 series, what are the procedures? and does anyone know if there is any reason the new E90 will not be included.
Thanks in advance.
DL
Ne ideas??
Regarding using Nokians all year round, that solution is at best a compromise, trading off maximum performance in both hot summer conditions and wintery conditions. The fact is that there is no such a thing as a year round tire that performs equally well in the snow as it does on hot dry pavement.
Best Regards,
Shipo
For winter tires, If you can afford a $35,000 to 45,000 machine, you should be able to afford a $400 set of wheels to put your snow tires on. If you can not afford the wheels, you should never of bought the BMW in the first place!! IMHO
>I learned from it. Its a hassle...
Let's see... it takes me all of @30 minutes to change all four wheels and tires on my 3er or 5er. Of course, I'm not a "pro", so instead of using an air wrench to tighten the lug bolts to 200 lb. ft. I use a calibrated torque wrench to tighten the bolts to factory specs(I've found that most tire shops don't even require their new hires to have opposable thumbs). I also don't get to flip through all the neat tire industry trade mags that lay scattered about the pro's customer lounge.
Silly me; I guess I just haven't learned enough about BMWs yet... :P
Fair enough, but in my case, time is. I spend about an hour per year dealing with swapping my tires. If I only had a single set of rims I would spend several times that number.
There are other factors too, if you only have a single set of rims you must deal with the following issues:
1) Extra time messing around waiting for the shop to do the job (as previously mentioned).
2) Assuming wheels are sized for optimal summer driving (ie. greater diameter and width), you will then be forced into buying winter tires that will fit those larger and wider wheels, which are usually both more expensive AND less effective in the slippery stuff.
3) All of the mounting and remounting takes its toll on the tires, and even to a certain extent on the wheels, potentially shortening their useful life.
Then again there is the cost. In my case, I spent $1,007 ($500 for the wheels, the remainder was for the tires and the shipping) on my winter wheel set for my 2002 530i, which I had for exactly 36 months. In exchange for buying the set, I was able to avoid six trips to the local tire shop, at about $100 per trip for the mounting and balancing. I figure that I also saved myself between 5 and 7 hours per year dealing with the logistics of using a shop to remount the tires as opposed to doing it myself. Now that the car is gone coupled with the fact that my winter set will not fit on an E90, I have a perfectly good set of winter tires that I can sell to an E39 owner next fall for about $500. Speaking of the E39, when I had it inspected prior to lease end, the inspector told me that I wouldn't be charged for any new tires because the OEM Michelin Pilot Primacy tires all had more than enough tread on them. Had I not used the winter set for four months in each of the last three winters, I would have had to buy a second set of summer rubber at some point during the lease.
Said another way, over the three years I had the 530i, I had three options regarding the tires (using 2005 TireRack.com dollars):
1) Leave the OEM rubber on the car year round (replacing them when they wore out), and not drive the car when there was snow on the ground. Total cost: $930 (four new Michelin Pilot Primacy 235/45 R17 tires, plus shipping and mounting)
2) Buy a set of 235/45 R17 winter tires and have them swapped for the OEM rubber every Spring and Fall. Total cost: $1,284 ($684 for four new Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 tires, and $600 for six trips to the tire shop for remounting and balancing)
3) Buy a complete set of winter wheels and tires (225/55 R16 tires and 16 x 7.5 wheels), performing the tire swap in my driveway, and then selling them when the lease on the car is over. Total cost $430 ($930 for four Michelin X-Ice tires mounted on Borbet Type H wheels, -$500 reselling the winter set)
Best Regards,
Shipo
This is true, however I reckon new snow tires can be used say for four winters before their effectiveness wears off (say 20,000 miles) - the question is will seven mountings/dismountings (you dont have to worry about the throwaway last one) result in an unsafe tire for that fourth winter?
Then again there is the cost. In my case, I spent $1,007 ($500 for the wheels, the remainder was for the tires and the shipping) on my winter wheel set for my 2002 530i, which I had for exactly 36 months. In exchange for buying the set, I was able to avoid six trips to the local tire shop, at about $100 per trip for the mounting and balancing
It costs me 11.95 for balancing - free mounting - and 2.95 for valve stems (are these REALLY necessary each time I wonder?) so that works out at an incremental $120 a year or $476 over 4 winters. And I reckon that I spend the same amount of time waiting in my car to get into the shop as I would jacking up the car four times for wheel changes (and it often works out that I cant get the friggen wheels off anyhow!).
If you'd rather not get other wheels, that is your prerogative... As you said, cost was not a factor for you... I doubt it is a big deal other than cost and time..
I'm in the other camp... If I had to guess, I'd say popular opinion will be about 20 to 1 in favor of a second set of wheels..
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Never bought a leftover new car before - what should we offer?
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
-Paul
Hmmm, I'm going to have to take issue with that one. My Michelin Arctic-Alpin tires have three seasons and probably 15,000 miles on them, and they still look practically new. I figure they're good for an easy 6 years and 30,000 miles.
"It costs me 11.95 for balancing - free mounting - and 2.95 for valve stems (are these REALLY necessary each time I wonder?) so that works out at an incremental $120 a year or $476 over 4 winters."
I have no idea where you are getting your tires done, but around here ain't nobody does free mounting, even if you bought the tires from them in the first place. The anomaly of your deal not withstanding, the "Real World" price for swapping tires on a set of rims is about $100 per set, twice a year.
"And I reckon that I spend the same amount of time waiting in my car to get into the shop as I would jacking up the car four times for wheel changes..."
Ummm, okay, but how long does it take you from the moment you walk out of your home to the moment you walk back in. In my case it's about a half an hour, twice per year. I'm having a difficult time believing that you can go out to your car, load the tires into it, fire it up and drive to the tire place, wait for them to swap the rubber, drive home and unload the car, all in a half of an hour, or even an hour for that matter.
"...(and it often works out that I cant get the friggen wheels off anyhow!)."
Ahhh, now we have another issue. As div2 touched upon yesterday, most (all?) tire shops in the world employ ham fisted mechanics who use a pneumatic impact wrench to mount your wheels. The effective torque on the lug bolts is often well over 200 lb-ft, which is almost two and a half times the torque called for in the BMW Owner's Manual. All of that extra torque can have a number of very nasty side effects, none of which I'm willing to live with. Side effects can include (but are not limited to):
1) Damage to the (expensive) alloy wheel.
2) Warping of the brake rotor, causing the pedal to pulse under braking (potentially dangerous, and expensive to fix)
3) Inability to remove a wheel with the lug wrench in the event of a flat tire (annoying, time consuming, and potentially life threatening)
If you absolutely insist on having someone else do your tire swap (and since you only have one set of wheels, you have no choice), please, do yourself a favor, buy a torque wrench and re-torque the lug bolts to 88.5 lb-ft, and of course remember to use the "Star Pattern".
Best Regards,
Shipo
You are right about that, but are dealers any different? I wonder whether they use pneumatic impact wrenches as well.
Maybe it would be best if you just bit the bullet and bought some new Michelin or Pirelli winter tires (anybody but Dunlop/Bridgestone/Firestone). Annoying? Truly. End of the world? Nope, it might just be one of those times when you need to move on. I feel your pain none-the-less.
Best Regards,
Shipo
To be perfectly honest about it, I have no idea, and I'm not willing to find out any time soon. Having said that, my bet is that they too use a pneumatic impact wrench on the wheels. The sad fact is that the mechanic can turn more cars per hour that way, and that is how he/she gets paid. :-(
Best Regards,
Shipo