Manual 2006 330I w/ manual transmission, sport + premium package, navy blue, CPO (currently at 45,000 with CPO for 1.5 years or mileage to 100,000).

Seller is asking for 21,500.

Good price point? Should I consider buying or no? Don't really need it, but it looks purdy!

6/12/2010 5:21:04 PM

Quote :

"Don't really need it"

6/12/2010 5:36:51 PM

I'd spend $25k and get a 335i, personally, before I bought that car.

[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 5:40 PM. Reason : but as a 24 year old grad student, I'd probably just spend 1/4 to 1/2 that on a car and call it good]

6/12/2010 5:38:04 PM

lol, i graduated, and i still don't have that kind of cash to drop on a car. Mortgage and student loan payment FTL.

6/12/2010 5:58:28 PM

i'd either go /// or pay a bit more for a 335i. seems silly to spend 20k+ on a non m e46

6/12/2010 8:06:10 PM

Clean trade in value is $21,500. Average trade in is going to be around $19,750...

I'd also opt for a 335i (about 5-6 grand more), however, I'm always a bit weary of long term reliability of FI vehicles... more parts = potential for higher maintenance costs... But that could just be the paranoid side of me...

^ +1



[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 8:13 PM. Reason : /]

6/12/2010 8:12:45 PM

Quote :

"i'd either go /// or pay a bit more for a 335i. seems silly to spend 20k+ on a non m e46"

'06 could be E46 and it could be E90. If it's E90 and CPO with that mileage and option that's a good price. 335i CPO is not 25k. It is 28-30k. That's not insignificant difference.

I would never own 335i without warranty. Fact it doesn't have an oil dipstick is scary.


[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 10:03 PM. Reason : lo]

6/12/2010 10:02:27 PM

oh, spending that much on an E46 would be insane.

6/13/2010 1:38:17 AM

Yeah spending more than 20K on an non m e46 would not be a smart move. I'd drop that money if I had it in a heartbeat on a e46 m3 though

6/13/2010 4:05:33 PM

20k will get you one helluva E46 M3.

I can't imagine spending more than $15k for an E46 330i/330ci, and it would have to be a very, very nice example even then.

6/13/2010 4:38:34 PM

I wouldn't say $20k would get you a hell of an e46 m3, but it will get you A e46 m3. I'd be inclined to spend a bit more.

6/13/2010 6:20:16 PM

you mean

AN

6/13/2010 6:58:44 PM

Quote :

"Clean trade in value is $21,500. Average trade in is going to be around $19,750... "

If someone wants trade in value they'll just trade it in and not deal with cheap fuckers. That's why they list trade in value separately from private party sales and retail value.

6/14/2010 12:24:00 AM

Quote :

"I would never own 335i without warranty. Fact it doesn't have an oil dipstick is scary."

Whaaaa? Maybe not a huge deal now, but are they assuming the car will never age?

6/14/2010 10:10:08 AM

It was hard to believe that the new BMWs dont have a dip stick, and I had to google it. Simply amazing, but true.

Also, they seem not to have a water temp guage.

My car would not have made it to 245k miles (97 BMW Z3 2.8) without those two guages, and the water temp guage was critical. My car has had tons of cooling problems. As soon as that guage gets above center and doesnt stop moving up, I cut the car off and have it towed. Its been done probably 4 times for problems with the cooling alone.

Now that the car is at 245k, it is burning a little oil. after a lot of time with the car, when I start hearing the lifters tick, I know it is 2 quarts low, and I have to top it off, but without a dip, it would be hard to keep it properly topped.

This is bullshit.

6/14/2010 11:04:49 AM

There is probably a light that turns on as soon as it goes ~1 quart low. My 1989 325i had one and I'm surprised your Z3 doesn't have it too. I'd add oil after the low oil light came on but before the oil pressure light came on if I drove it long enough between oil changes to be affected.

I don't know how you're supposed to tell if you overfill it though.

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 11:17 AM. Reason : l]

6/14/2010 11:11:57 AM

I'm not too happy with the direction BMW (and other manufacturers) have taken. No dipstick? No engine temp gauge? Two ridiculously simple items that can prevent catastrophic failure. Instead, they use a fancy computer to notify you when something's amiss. I wish they'd stop trying to re-invent the wheel.

And don't even get me started on them phasing out use of the manual hand parking brake...such bullshit

6/14/2010 11:25:56 AM

Honestly Pat I would be more up in arms about the fact that more and more new cars are taking direct control of the throttle and brakes away from the driver. The reality is that dipsticks and engine temp gauges can be unreliable and most people these days pay no attention to them. The average driver today has an expectation that their vehicle will tell them when it needs service and give them directions on how to get there.

6/14/2010 12:52:07 PM

Skack, from what I can tell, BMW is going in the opposite direction about notifying drivers of problems. When I borrow Deitrich's 20 year old 5 series, it has indicators to tell you about all kinds of stuff, like your head lamps being burned out. Mine is pretty bare bones, but it does not indicate low oil. Just oil pressure.

From what I read online, while the cars do tell you that you are low on oil, the guages cant really be trusted.

But as others have mentioned, most drivers are stupid. My mechanic said he has a client that allowed his wife to drive his new M5 to the beach. The car started to overheat, and she ignored multiple indicators until the point that the engine seized. Completely totaled engine.

I am not a mechanic, but I know enough to pull over immediately when someone looks bad. I know its saved my car on a couple of times.

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 1:10 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2010 1:06:55 PM

Quote :

"Honestly Pat I would be more up in arms about the fact that more and more new cars are taking direct control of the throttle and brakes away from the driver. The reality is that dipsticks and engine temp gauges can be unreliable and most people these days pay no attention to them. The average driver today has an expectation that their vehicle will tell them when it needs service and give them directions on how to get there."

6/14/2010 1:15:11 PM

Quote :

"When I borrow Deitrich's 20 year old 5 series, it has indicators to tell you about all kinds of stuff, like your head lamps being burned out. Mine is pretty bare bones, but it does not indicate low oil. Just oil pressure."

Weird. My old 325 had all types of indicators too and, surprisingly, it all still worked as far as I could tell. It notified me of low oil, headlights out, coolant low, etc.

6/14/2010 1:36:00 PM

I also don't like new aluminum and Mg blocks. Yes, they are lighter, but iron block is much better with fatigue and it will not warp as easy if car overheats.

S54=all Fe block!

[Edited on June 14, 2010 at 3:29 PM. Reason : wr]

6/14/2010 3:28:11 PM

2006? Fuck no.....

6/14/2010 4:24:17 PM

Never heard of a warped BMW I6 block, trouble generally comes from a warped aluminum head on an overheated inline 6 iron block. Granted, aluminum blocks are technically weaker, but I doubt in the real world that's much of an issue other than on an e46 323i, which, should really be avoided anyway...

6/14/2010 4:24:58 PM

Quote :

"Never heard of a warped BMW I6 block, trouble generally comes from a warped aluminum head on an overheated inline 6 iron block. Granted, aluminum blocks are technically weaker, but I doubt in the real world that's much of an issue other than on an e46 323i, which, should really be avoided anyway..."

I was talking about block fatigue, forgot to insert head in that sentence regarding overheating. Yes, you are correct, head will warp, not block.

Whats wrong with 323i? I know their auto transmission from '99-00 is GM garbage, but didnt know motor had problems too.

6/15/2010 1:49:02 AM

Block fatigue? Sometime tells me there's only a possibility of that happening if the car is tracked in competitive events over and over.

6/15/2010 8:26:52 AM

Quote :

"Block fatigue"

judt say the junk is gonna blow up. thats the dumbest fucking two words ive ever heard put next to each other

6/15/2010 8:55:33 AM

^right, because you have't heard about it we should consider it dumb.

google, metal fatigue and hairline cracks.

6/15/2010 1:33:06 PM

I think half of the posters in this forum are homosexuals. Its amazing some of you even know how to replace your air filters.

6/15/2010 2:44:12 PM

air filters need to be replaced?!?!?!

6/15/2010 4:04:48 PM

I just wash mine in the dishwasher.

6/15/2010 4:12:47 PM

i just smack mine on the driveway and put it back in

6/15/2010 4:51:02 PM