Considering buying a 97 BMW 318i, comments? (PIC!)

[Lucky]

Car im considering buying Its black, but hard to tell in the picture.


Fully loaded except for leather, upgraded 17" rims, BMW roof rack, 5 speed, 6CD changer, butt-warmers, the works. Not a single scratch on the outside, 72K miles. Its my brother's car, he'd be selling it to me for ~12-13K. This would be replacing my 92 civic with 120K miles, worth about ~2.5K in present condition. Im basically looking for somethign more luxurious than the civic with lower miles and in better condition, and this seems like a good deal with everything it has.

Anyone else own an e36 beamer like this? Comments on how it looks?

 

[N8Magic]

Linky no worky.

Keep in mind it is a 4-cylinder and a hatchback. I wouldn't exactly call them luxurious, but they are a nice car nonetheless.

 

[b0mbrman]

A definite uprgrade from the Civic but at that price, it's not a once-in-a-lifetime deal (was looking at 3-series' a while back)...

 

[Lucky]

sorry, fixed link.

its a 4door with the 1.9 engine, which I think has 130 horses or so. Still an upgrade over my civics 106. I would consider chipping it if I thought performance was that bad.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Looks pretty nice Luckster, if you've got the cash, I say go for it. Although, I must admit I don't like the rims, but hey, that's just my opinion.

 

[atom]

Well, the price is alright but he's not exactly giving you a super discount or anything. The E36's are nice cars. I would rather have one of them with the inline six though.

 

[cmdavid]

i dont think thats too hot of a deal.. not to brag or anything, but my sis got a 325i w/ 55k miles on it for less than 10K... granted it was a 94, but the models dont look all that different between 94 and 97... i say you look a bit more for a better deal...

here's pics of her car...

here's the thread about my sis' car

 

[Emos]

12K for a '97 E36 4-pot seems a bit high to me...especially with 72K miles on it. Check Edmund's or kbb.com and see what the going market value is on that model. Oh, and you might need to get new rims!

 

[luvya]

I drove 318 before. BMW's 4 cylinder is very very smooth!! Not as fast as some of the V6...but definitely smoother than japanese 4 cylinder. I think you will be glad to have this car. Enjoy

 

[Lucky]

<< 12K for a '97 E36 4-pot seems a bit high to me...especially with 72K miles on it. Check Edmund's or kbb.com and see what the going market value is on that model. Oh, and you might need to get new rims! >>




Actually between those two sites (i priced them earlier) the rates range from 13-18K. I suspect its closer to the former but the car really is fully loaded and in *mint* condition.


any other opinions on the price?

 

[dirtboy]

Looks nice. Just do a ton of research to make sure you're getting a good deal. You may want to check Autotrader to see what a comparable BMW goes for in your area.

 

[vi edit]

If you want something halfway luxurious with respectable amount of pep, check into an Audi A4 around the same age and same miles as the bimmer.

I think you'll find the A4 a better car all around for the $$$.

Just my $.02

 

[Lucky]

kbb.com

Engine: 4-Cyl. 1.9 Liter
Trans: 5 Speed Manual
Drive: Rear Wheel Drive
Mileage: 72,000

Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Compact Disc
CD Changer/Stacker
Premium Sound
Dual Front Air Bags
ABS (4-Wheel)
Traction Control
Sliding Sun Roof
Premium Wheels
Consumer Rated Condition: Excellent

Private Party Value $15,145
Private Party value represents what you might expect to pay for a used car when purchasing from a private party. It may also represent the value you might expect to receive when selling your own used car to another private party.




edmunds.com

1997 BMW 3-Series 4 Dr 318i Sedan
Prices for: Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail
Base Price
(excludes options)$11,550 $12,759 $14,237



Ebay Auction-'97 slushbox with limited options, ding & dents, 152K miles for $8850

 

[Lucky]

looking for a few more comments if you dont mind. Im leaning more towards getting it for sure but want comments on performance and the price (12.5K) I'd be paying.

 

[Type-S Zero]

That's way too much for a 318. Don't get a 318 anyway. It's not a real BMW. Part of having a BMW is the silky smooth six, and the power that comes along with it. Also, those values you posted are very deceptive. They start with a 97 model and subtract for added mileage but as you get to such a high amount of mileage the amount they decrease the value in the valuation guides isn't as much as it should be. Realistically, on the market, it's probably worth less than that $10k. For 12-13k, get a mint condition 94-95 325i/is, with the same mileage, and be much more happy.

 

[Type-R]

The cars are quite nice. Typically BMW's 4 cylinder engines aren't the best, they tend to have more problems and just aren't as nice as the straight sixes.

You can get a 1995 M3 with the same amount of mileage in the same condition for 3-4 thousand more dollars if you look hard enough. The benefits are the outstanding engine, better looks, more options, and more satisfaction. If you ask me, that's easily worth the extra dough. But if you're not an enthusiast [which you probably aren't, considering you drive a civic (read: not a sports car) and are considering buying a 4-cylinder bmw] its not really worth it.

If that's too expensive, you should be able to find a 1996 328i (exactly the same as a 1997 328i) with around 80,000 miles and maybe a couple less options (in the same condition) for like 1-2k more. That'd be worth the extra money no matter who you're talking to.

Conclusion: Look for a 96 328i for one or two grand more. OR buy it from your brother and sell it on the used car market, and then use the profits to buy the M3.

 

[Type-R]

oh lol and btw type S and I are best friends (he drives a 1994 325is and loves it) and i pointed the thread out to him. i have a 745i, so i'm not exactly in the e36 group

(we both love bmws, so take our advice)

 

[Lucky]

well I've heard a few people say that but from everything I've seen online, I would be paying about ~2K (or more) less than its worth. Autotrader.com confirms this and so does kelly blue book and edmunds. Are you saying that the car (in general) is not worth that much or that 12K is overpriced compared to other 97 318's? Even allowing for your generous description of milage deductions (we're talking a 80K difference between mine and that ebay one)-this car still has ALL the options plus the 17" BMW sport wheels and the BMW roof rack, two things I REALLY like about this car.

I havent test driven it yet so comments (if you have experience) are appreciated, but if you do give a couple details and dont do a general praise/bash only. Im also concerned about reliability, according to consumer reports this model and year are one of the few cars (in that price range) that got excellent reliability marks in every category.


edit: reading your reply type r gimme a few minutes.

 

[Lucky]

well reading your advice on the 328 i checked out autotrader for 96's in chicago.

Average Price: $20236 Lowest Price: $16995 Highest Price: $24950

Granted those are retail dealers but we're talking at least a 5k difference for the CHEAPEST listed (30 or so) while it has the nicer engine it doesnt have the goodies or the options. Im also unsure if I would be able to get financing for anything other than my brother's car (long story) but thats not an issue right now until I decide what I want.

 

[Type-S Zero]

Well, when you're talking about 5 speed BMWs it's hard to apply pricing guides to them. The rarer and better models like the M3 will be higher than the guide, while things like the 318 will be lower. I don't know much about the 318 market, but when you can get a good 325 with equal to lower mileage for the same price, it's a no brainer to me. About the reliability, I have heard that the 318s have more problems than other 3 series, mainly with the timing chain. I have only had to replace 1 thing on my 8 year old car in 2 years of ownership.

To find out more information go to:

bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e36/
www.bimmerforums.com

 

[Lucky]

fantastic, I was looking for a couple good BMW sites. Of course if I could get one close to 12.5K I'd jump on it, but it doesnt appear that way. (but I could be wrong!) I was solely basing my reliability statements on the CR survey, which may or may not be real-life but I thought they were pretty accurate.

thanks for the links.

 

[Type-R]

Here's some info on the cars for sale in the Atlanta area:

BMW 328is 1996. Dk grn metallic, tan lthr, good cond, 84K mi, $14,500. 678-778-8399
BMW 318i 1996 4dr, 5spd, blk/tan, 81K, extra nice, $12,900 770-329-7632 Motorbahn (Dealer)
BMW 328i 1997 blue/tan, 5-speed, 77K miles, prem., pkg., heated seats, HK stereo upgrade, $14800, 770-944-0088, 404-742-4230 (Dealer)

You're getting a good deal on the 1997 318i, considering the condition. But you can get a 1995 325i or M3 for around the same amount or a little more. If you're into it b/c of the performance aspect, don't buy the 318. If you just want a luxurious car and don't care so much about power (the 318 will be as fast as / a little faster than your civic) buy it.

If you decide you don't want it, tell your brother to sell it to someone else for more money.

Dealers should not even be considered as an option. They make a good $2000-$3000 off every used car they sell (easily). That's a good $2000 you could be saving by going private party.

As far as the test drive, you'll love the car. If you don't love it (with the exception of low power), you're crazy, do not enjoy nice things, and should stick with the civic. The following searches include dealer and private parties, so the private party market will actually be cheaper than the prices shown. They also include convertibles and are for within 200 miles. Atlanta zipcode used was 30332

Atlanta search for 1996 328i's
Average Price: $16901 Lowest Price: $11200 Highest Price: $19987

Atlanta search for 1996 318i's
Average Price: $15282 Lowest Price: $12500 Highest Price: $18850

Atlanta search for 1995 M3s
Average Price: $18551 Lowest Price: $10000 Highest Price: $26500

Atlanta search for 1996 M3s
Average Price: $24427 Lowest Price: $20000 Highest Price: $27000

Atlanta search for 1994-1995 325i's
Average Price: $13212 Lowest Price: $8500 Highest Price: $23900

 

[Muadib]

If you ask me, your brother is making out in this deal. He would be lucky to get what he's selling it to you for. If I were you, I'd see what you would get if you were to trade it in, and go from there. I'm betting 10k would be more than fair.

 

[amnesiac]

Why the hell do you want a 318? You'll just look like some guy driving a bimmer just for the sole reason that you could say you're driving a bimmer. It's like a bimmer "lite". Not to say they're bad cars, but for the money you could do better without looking like a poseur.
*edit*

Do the right thing and get a real BMW like the 325 or M3.

 

[chuck2002]

save up some serious $$ for maintenance and repair costs. it takes alot of cash to keep one of those babies on the road.
-they are great cars, don't get me wrong, but the facts are the facts.