[klrgen]

Hello all,

Potential first time BMW owner here. I was looking at purchasing a car and started to look at different options. I stumbled upon a 2015 320i RWD with 74k miles at my local CarMax, reserved it, took it out, and want to buy it. It had a bunch of extras like heated seats, parking assist, power seats, etc, which I could take or leave, the car was just great. I guess it has the Cold Weather, Driver Assist, and Premium packages if that matters.

My question is whether the price is a bit steep. I'm not sure if manual 320i's are just rare and I can't find them, but this dealer in particular is asking for $21,000 on the sticker. When I look at other 32x's in the area with similar year and mileage, they're basically hanging around the 15k range. KBB is saying that the 320 with the options I entered is 11k-12k max.
Is $21,000 a high asking price? Or is that the going price for a 320 in Very Good/Excellent condition?

I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on the sale, but I also don't want to be overpaying for the car by that seems like almost double. Thank you in advanced for any advice!

[tturedraider]

Price sounds pretty high. Want to post a link so we can take a look? I did a search on CarMax’s website and couldn’t find a manual 2015 320i. A manual 320i is fairly rare, but certainly not unheard of.

[klrgen]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Want to post a link so we can take a look? I did a search on CarMax’s website and couldn’t find a manual 2015 320i.

I guess when you put the vehicle on hold, it pulls it from the site so it can't be viewed while on hold. I'll see if I can pull up the ad on my end. I can provide the VIN number if that helps, but otherwise, I'm not sure I can even pull up the ad for it.

Edit: I hope this link works. https://www.carmax.com/car/beta/23098541

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by klrgen

I guess when you put the vehicle on hold, it pulls it from the site so it can't be viewed while on hold. I'll see if I can pull up the ad on my end. I can provide the VIN number if that helps, but otherwise, I'm not sure I can even pull up the ad for it.

The VIN would probably get it. Also, you can use the VIN to check the equipment at www.bimmer.work or www.mdecoder.com

[klrgen]

I threw the link in the previous edit. Just in case the VIN helps, WBA3B1G53FNN91366

[tturedraider]

It is fairly unique in that it has the Sport pkg and it’s a manual. Not many 320i’s equipped that way. Edmunds puts the Outstanding Dealer Retail value at $20,000 , so the price isn’t completely out of line. Having said that, it is very high. You’ll need winter tires with RWD. I would get a dedicated set of wheels and tires.

If you want a manual 320i with the sport pkg you’ll be hard pressed to find another one like it. There just aren’t many out there.

[tturedraider]

It was produced in January 2015, which was just prior to the update to the timing chain guide improvement that reduced the likelihood of having a timing chain failure. That improvement was made with March 2015 production.

[klrgen]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

It is fairly unique in that it has the Sport pkg and it’s a manual. Not many 320i’s equipped that way. Edmunds puts the Outstanding Dealer Retail value at $20,000 , so the price isn’t completely out of line. Having said that, it is very high. You’ll need winter tires with RWD. I would get a dedicated set of wheels and tires.

I guess it being unique in that regard, makes sense that I was having trouble finding vehicles that match the price accordingly. If it's priced fairly (in dealerships pricing,) I wouldn't mind it picking it up. It ran nicely, was very clean and otherwise seemed like it was in great shape.

Regarding tires, I wouldn't mind getting a set. I mount my own tires, so with a set of cheap steelies, winter should be a breeze.

I might take advantage of their 24 hour test drive to really decide on the vehicle.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by klrgen

I guess it being unique in that regard, makes sense that I was having trouble finding vehicles that match the price accordingly. If it's priced fairly (in dealerships pricing,) I wouldn't mind it picking it up. It ran nicely, was very clean and otherwise seemed like it was in great shape.

Regarding tires, I wouldn't mind getting a set. I mount my own tires, so with a set of cheap steelies, winter should be a breeze.

I might take advantage of their 24 hour test drive to really decide on the vehicle.

I run a square 17” setup of dedicated winter wheels and tires on my RWD 340i and I have no problems. You could probably get a fairly inexpensive set of wheels from TireRack. I also do my own wheel/tire swaps.

[tturedraider]

It’s kind of funny. Normally with an Edmunds appraisal you’ll get an offer from CarMax to purchase, but this time it said they didn’t have an offer. Even though they have it for sale here in Chicagoland I guess a RWD, manual 320i Sport pkg is a little too unique for CarMax to make an offer to buy one here in Chicagoland.

[klrgen]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

It’s kind of funny. Normally with an Edmunds appraisal you’ll get an offer from CarMax to purchase, but this time it said they didn’t have an offer. Even though they have it for sale here in Chicagoland I guess a RWD, manual 320i Sport pkg is a little too unique for CarMax to make an offer to buy one here in Chicagoland.

Would you recommend test driving any other BMW models before I jump on the 320? I've seen very few manual sedans unfortunately, but I guess that's my fault for limiting myself to manuals.

In regards to power after purchasing it, I've read that with a catless downpipe and BM3 tune, I could get close to 300 hp. Is that accurate? Is it even worth doing with a 320i?

[dangerus_car]

In my opinion, a unique car has two very different spectrum of buyer, the left and right. Left being very undesirable car, and right being very desirable car, therefore that’s why carmax don’t offer to buy the car when you do edmunds.

With that said, since this is the car you really want, if it pass health check, then try to bargain it down to the low end. If they won’t sell it, if you have the patience, then wait it for a month and try again if it doesn’t sell.

You will have to count the risk that it may be sold during that span, but if not, you will get the car you really want at bargain price.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by klrgen

Would you recommend test driving any other BMW models before I jump on the 320? I've seen very few manual sedans unfortunately, but I guess that's my fault for limiting myself to manuals.

In regards to power after purchasing it, I've read that with a catless downpipe and BM3 tune, I could get close to 300 hp. Is that accurate? Is it even worth doing with a 320i?

I’m not a modder and can’t really comment on the potential with the 320i N20. It’s not quite the same N20 as in the 328i. Some of the internals are different. So, you need to be a little careful about how much stress you put on the motor.

I’m a RWD snob and I’m a pretty big fan of the 320i. I love my inline six 340i, but the reality is I can’t really use all that it has to give. One of the things I like about the 320i is that you can wind it up and use everything it has to give. And it’s a peppy little motor. Whenever I’ve driven one I’ve had no problem accelerating and passing most of the traffic on Chicago freeways. And the manual gives you even more ability to take full advantage of the power the 320i has to give. There are manual 328i’s and 335i’s out there, but they’re hard to find and in Chicagoland finding one that’s not xDrive is just next to impossible. I went to Houston to get my RWD 340i.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by dangerus_car

In my opinion, a unique car has two very different spectrum of buyer, the left and right. Left being very undesirable car, and right being very desirable car, therefore that’s why carmax don’t offer to buy the car when you do edmunds.

With that said, since this is the car you really want, if it pass health check, then try to bargain it down to the low end. If they won’t sell it, if you have the patience, then wait it for a month and try again if it doesn’t sell.

You will have to count the risk that it may be sold during that span, but if not, you will get the car you really want at bargain price.

The thing about CarMax is they don’t negotiate. The only option for a lower price is to wait. If it doesn’t sell they will eventually reduce the price, but who knows what their timetable is for that?

[tturedraider]

One other little fyi - the sport pkg on the RWD 320i includes the 704 M Sport suspension. It’s only available with RWD. Can’t be had with xDrive.

And the car you’re looking at also has the 840 High Speed Synchronization, which means it came from the factory with high performance tires on staggered wheels and a 155 mph speed limiter. The regular speed limiter is 130 mph. 225/45 18 front and 255/40 18 rear. 8” wheel width in front and 8.5” width in back.

[klrgen]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

One other little fyi - the sport pkg on the RWD 320i includes the 704 M Sport suspension. It’s only available with RWD. Can’t be had with xDrive.

And the car you’re looking at also has the 840 High Speed Synchronization, which means it came from the factory with high performance tires on staggered wheels and a 155 mph speed limiter. The regular speed limiter is 130 mph. 225/45 18 front and 255/40 18 rear. 8” wheel width in front and 8.5” width in back.

Well, if I wasn't sold before posting here, you surely did it. I'm probably going to end up picking it up. I know that I wasn't able to get the smile off of my face while test driving it and at the dealership, so walking away from this one is going to be difficult.

I'll keep doing more research. I'm not looking to do anything crazy with mods, just maybe get a little more out of the car. I saw some tunes could get it up to 260 or so, which would be fine.

I'll keep you posted on what happens today at CarMax. Shame they don't haggle, but I can't find another one like this, so they may have me hooked.

[dangerus_car]

That’s exactly why i said a unique car has two very different spectrum of buyer. And he is in the very right end of it. Will pay mark up just to get it.

The car ends up at carmax because previous owner can not sell it and take a beating on it. Since carmax is a corp, it has all the time it needs to find buyer just like you to make a killing profit, buy low sell high.

Just remember when it is time to sell it, you need patience to find someone exactly like you. Otherwise you will take a beating on your resale value.

Originally Posted by klrgen

Well, if I wasn't sold before posting here, you surely did it. I'm probably going to end up picking it up. I know that I wasn't able to get the smile off of my face while test driving it and at the dealership, so walking away from this one is going to be difficult.

I'll keep doing more research. I'm not looking to do anything crazy with mods, just maybe get a little more out of the car. I saw some tunes could get it up to 260 or so, which would be fine.

I'll keep you posted on what happens today at CarMax. Shame they don't haggle, but I can't find another one like this, so they may have me hooked.

[klrgen]

Originally Posted by dangerus_car

That’s exactly why i said a unique car has two very different spectrum of buyer. And he is in the very right end of it.

I feel that. I more or less posted to see if I could be talked out of it as well. At the end of the day, it's the first BMW I've driven. I drove a WRX a few days prior, and was nowhere near as impressed with the car as I was with this one.

That being said, if I could get a 320i closer to 15k without the extras, most of which seem like I could add if they're for tuning and performance purposes, I'd be down for that as well.

In terms of opinions on CarMax, I haven't heard a lot of bad stories come from their cars, so if it should be avoided, I'm all ears. It's gonna be hard to walk away, but I feel it would be easier than dealing with headaches later.

[Chihuahua]

I would never, ever buy an N20/N26 powered car that didn't have updated timing chain guides, that was one of my main criteria when I was shopping F30s. 21K for a 320i in any trim level seems high to me, but obviously used car prices have been skewed the past few months. I'd keep looking. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[dangerus_car]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

I would never, ever buy an N20/N26 powered car that didn't have updated timing chain guides, that was one of my main criteria when I was shopping F30s. 21K for a 320i in any trim level seems high to me, but obviously used car prices have been skewed the past few months. I'd keep looking. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

He wants to pay 21k because it’s manual and has sports package. That combo itself is very rare which is what i said a unique car. A unique car, most of the time, is undesirable and will sell lower compare to a similarly optioned car but with zf8, however when this unique car finds a buyer like him, this car is very desirable for him, such that he will pay top dollar to get it since it’s rare and unique to him.

You see the logic here?

[thatgarrett]

For perspective, I bought my 335i with 70k on it for $5k less than what they listed yours for, still had sport package, hk, rwd, and a decent amount of other packages. I was also shopping CarMax for a few months for F30’s (and F36 and F31) and the price you have seems fairly in line with what I was seeing. I was leaning away from the N20 and was trying to find a 30i but happened upon the 335i for a great deal. Yes you’ll have less power, but I almost feel that the packages you find can have a bigger impact. For what it’s worth, mine was from a BMW dealer that had service records and replaced the Oil Pan Gasket, OFHG, and rear brakes and discs right before I got it, along with new tires. But I searched for 3-4 months before seeing a deal like that.

CarMax is also pretty good with warranty as well, I bought a Forester from them a few years ago that I knew had a recall campaign on the engine, CarMax paid ~$6k for all the testing and refreshing of seals to satisfy Subaru, who turned around and put a brand new drivetrain in. All of this at no cost to me, and I just had the basic 30 or 60 day warranty. All that to say, if there were signs of a timing chain failure when you were buying it you could probably get them to pay BMW to either swap the block or put a new timing chain kit in. Even if that’s not the case, that price doesn’t seem totally out of line with CarMax’s prices from what I’ve seen.

[tturedraider]

This is a fair amount over your price point and it’s really far away, but it’s REALLY nice and it has the superior B48 motor. In all honesty if the price was doable it’s the one I’d choose. https://www.carmax.com/car/23458996 If you can take the time it would be less expensive to go pick it up and drive it home rather than pay CarMax’s price for shipping. I have traveled for all of my BMWs, but 2,000 miles is pushing it even for me. I’d still probably do it.

edit: this car has Apple CarPlay, which is very nice. I prefer being able to use Apple Maps for the navigation. It will also read and transcribe texts. It has LED headlights. Much better than the halogen on the 320i. It does have the 704 M Sport suspension, but it doesn’t have staggered wheels and performance tires, which means only the 130 mph limiter, but in U.S. driving that’s really a nonissue. https://bimmer.work/vin/n660167dce3a...4ec39/options/

edit 2: I just noticed, apparently a previous owner put a 340i exhaust on the car along with the appropriate bumper. At least from the mufflers back. The 330i came from the factory with two exhaust outlets/tips on the left side.

edit 3: just fyi - Edmund’s rates the outstanding condition dealer price right at the asking price for this car, too.

edit 4: small detail, but this car has folding rear seat backs. The 320i doesn’t. That was an option on the 320i.