[justinapps13]

I found a 2016 428i xDrive Gran Coupe for sale with 88k miles for $17000. Black Sapphire Metallic on Saddle Brown with 1 Owner no accidents good service history done by the same BMW dealer it is listed at. I plan on taking a 5-year loan for the car and want to know if I can rely on it as long as I keep up with maintenance and 5-7k oil changes. It has Technology, Premium, Navigation, Driver Assistance and Assistance plus, cold weather and Harman Kardon packages.

Edit: I also plan on doing most maintenance myself once I graduate school in 2 years and have a little more free time / away from the tundra of north country New York

[keithyo88]

No offense meant, but have you gone through this information:
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=941384
I am totally ignorant about the car but my advice is do research and then some more on its specs, strengths, weaknesses and any TSB's. BMW's are great but cost a lot to maintain, especially if you don't do basics yourself.

[justinapps13]

I have looked into the n26 engine a lot and have read it is fairly reliable, especially after the timing chain fix. I just want to see if people have more opinions because, by the time the car is paid off, I will have around 150k miles.

[justinapps13]

I did also find a 2018 430i with 97k miles 2 owner that seems to be in mint condition. Wondering if the mostly highway miles and more reliable engine (B46) could be better than the n26 with 88k

[eff32fl]

Originally Posted by justinapps13

I did also find a 2018 430i with 97k miles 2 owner that seems to be in mint condition. Wondering if the mostly highway miles and more reliable engine (B46) could be better than the n26 with 88k

I would definitely go with the B46 engine the B series engines have been pretty bullet proof so far. You get all the LCI goodies as well like bigger iDrive screen and newer iDrive version, LED lights etc.

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by eff32fl

I would definitely go with the B46 engine the B series engines have been pretty bullet proof so far. You get all the LCI goodies as well like bigger iDrive screen and newer iDrive version, LED lights etc.

That is what I am leaning towards but 97k miles (even with it being majority highway at 24k a year with second owner) is the only thing worrying me especially for 2k more than the 428

[eff32fl]

Originally Posted by justinapps13

That is what I am leaning towards but 97k miles (even with it being majority highway at 24k a year with second owner) is the only thing worrying me especially for 2k more than the 428

True. Try and find a lower mile 430i. Don't rush an important decision imo.

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by eff32fl

True. Try and find a lower mile 430i. Don't rush an important decision imo.

My problem is that I won't have a car when I come home from school in a month. I don't want to rush a purchase but I also feel like I am running out of time when I need a car for the summer and beyond.

[keithyo88]

Originally Posted by justinapps13

My problem is that I won't have a car when I come home from school in a month. I don't want to rush a purchase but I also feel like I am running out of time when I need a car for the summer and beyond.

If you rush and are unlucky that costs $$$$.

[charlie fairmont]

You want to "know if I can rely on [a used BMW] as long as I keep up with maintenance."

How would you define the terms "rely" and "maintenance?" At those higher mileages, maintenance means more than fluid changes. How much do you plan to drive each year? Low usage is still probably 10k miles per year and by the end, you'll be approaching 150k miles. I'm not sure any brand just needs "maintenance" at the age. Things start to break, leak, and wear out and on German cars, those things can be expensive. You good with (and prepared for) that?

Why do you "need" a car this summer? Is there truly an imminent need, or could you get by on a bus or some ubers until you found the right car?

The smart money would definitely not do what you're proposing. Assuming (based on the "about to graduate" comment) you're late teens/early twenties, financing a German car that old, for 5 years, will probably have you in an 8% loan, in the best case scenario. That's not great. Go buy a brand new or barely certified, strip-o Nissan or Kia or Mitsubishi for 17k with 100k warranty if you're dead set on spending that amount of coin. Would the 20 year old me listen to the middle age me and take my advice? Definitely not and there'd probably be some curse words involved but I throw it out there just because someone's got to be a dutch uncle. My drug of choice back then was an s2000 that I put about 140k on, tracked all up and down the east coast, and drove all over the US with. I loved that car dearly and miss it daily. If you decide to make the foolish move that I did, I hope you also have as much fun as I did.

[thatgarrett]

For what it’s worth, seems like a fine car and a good deal- I was also looking for a later year N26 or B48 (and I ended up in an N55), seems like a reasonable choice for your situation. Yes, cars can be expensive, but any car can be expensive- I’ve known plenty of people that have had to replace a transmission on a newer Honda or Ford, or a motor on a decently new Toyota- so any car in a sense can be a gamble. I ran a 528i all throughout HS and college up to 220k miles, did my own work on it, and never had a major expensive repair for it (totaled due to an accident). My parents liked mine so much they bought a 530i, which looked clean but required a few thousand of engine work within a few months of owning it, along with a few control units going bad.

Shop around for a good rate, don’t be afraid to look at a credit union or similar, both of the cars I’ve financed in adult hood were for 5 years in your price range and never had any problems getting a loan at a good rate. Just be honest with yourself if you can actually do work in your situation right now (I’ve done plenty of jobs on driveways and in parking lots, so it’s possible for a lot of the stuff you’ll see, but it’s not always fun). If you can do it, go for it, just be willing to accept the possibility you might have an expensive repair you can’t control, but you should be wise about any car with that in mind. There’s so much support online for DIY it helps a ton- other cars that don’t have this support are much harder for a shade tree mechanic to work on.

Shop around though, I think you can probably find some better deals and lower miles at your price point, a good dealer near me keep an eye on has a 340i msport with ~90k miles for less than 20k, and I’ve seen plenty of 4 cylinders come through it from 14-18k with 80k or less miles, so expand your net a bit and you might be able to snag a deal, many on this forum take months of searching to find the right one, and it usually pays off. I was looking casually for 6 months and looking intensely for the last 2 months until I landed on mine

[F36Vader]

TLDR:
I suggest you find a decent N55 435i or B48 430i that meets your price range, or wait until one comes by. Dont rush into it.
&
Avoid the F series 28i models all together.


My first car was a E90 335i Sport & Premium package, non-msport *rip* and I scouted the market for 6-7 months before pulling the trigger… I could have gotten into any stripper 335i but I wanted specific packages and options and I’m so glad I waited.

With my current F36, at time of purchase I was at a decent financial situation, however I couldn’t afford a B58 440i, my set budget could afford a somewhat stripper B58 340i or a decked out N55 F36…

I chose the latter and still don’t regret it, the little creature comforts do add up to a very enjoyable overall experience. But to each their own, everyone has different goals.

I suggest to keep searching the market for a B48 or an N55 that meets your budget and requirements. Remmeber as summer comes around more owners will put their vehicles up for sale, while waiting it gives you more time to save for future maintenance/mods.

Good luck on your search!

[eff32fl]

Yeah it took me a year to find the exact spec 440i I wanted. Glad I took my time.

An N55 would be better and more fun than a B46/B48 if you can find a 435i.

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

You want to "know if I can rely on [a used BMW] as long as I keep up with maintenance."

How would you define the terms "rely" and "maintenance?" At those higher mileages, maintenance means more than fluid changes. How much do you plan to drive each year? Low usage is still probably 10k miles per year and by the end, you'll be approaching 150k miles. I'm not sure any brand just needs "maintenance" at the age. Things start to break, leak, and wear out and on German cars, those things can be expensive. You good with (and prepared for) that?

Why do you "need" a car this summer? Is there truly an imminent need, or could you get by on a bus or some ubers until you found the right car?

The smart money would definitely not do what you're proposing. Assuming (based on the "about to graduate" comment) you're late teens/early twenties, financing a German car that old, for 5 years, will probably have you in an 8% loan, in the best case scenario. That's not great. Go buy a brand new or barely certified, strip-o Nissan or Kia or Mitsubishi for 17k with 100k warranty if you're dead set on spending that amount of coin. Would the 20 year old me listen to the middle age me and take my advice? Definitely not and there'd probably be some curse words involved but I throw it out there just because someone's got to be a dutch uncle. My drug of choice back then was an s2000 that I put about 140k on, tracked all up and down the east coast, and drove all over the US with. I loved that car dearly and miss it daily. If you decide to make the foolish move that I did, I hope you also have as much fun as I did.

The town I live in doesn't really have options for public transport and my job is not within walking distance. My parents are making the down payment and taking out/ paying the first 2 years of the loan and then I will finish off the last 3 years of payments when I graduate.
I've been browsing since late December and have been looking pretty religiously for the past 3 weeks. If there is nothing worth buying before I come home, I don't think we will rush the purchase but it is definitely a massive inconvenience to my family when I am home without a car. (last car broke over winter break and I was being driving around everyday)

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by F36Vader

TLDR:
I suggest you find a decent N55 435i or B48 430i that meets your price range, or wait until one comes by. Dont rush into it.
&
Avoid the F series 28i models all together.


My first car was a E90 335i Sport & Premium package, non-msport *rip* and I scouted the market for 6-7 months before pulling the trigger… I could have gotten into any stripper 335i but I wanted specific packages and options and I’m so glad I waited.

With my current F36, at time of purchase I was at a decent financial situation, however I couldn’t afford a B58 440i, my set budget could afford a somewhat stripper B58 340i or a decked out N55 F36…

I chose the latter and still don’t regret it, the little creature comforts do add up to a very enjoyable overall experience. But to each their own, everyone has different goals.

I suggest to keep searching the market for a B48 or an N55 that meets your budget and requirements. Remmeber as summer comes around more owners will put their vehicles up for sale, while waiting it gives you more time to save for future maintenance/mods.

Good luck on your search!

i did find a '18 430 listed at a porsche dealer with 58k miles but its in sunset orange which I quite frankly am not a fan of at all. Obviously I can't be picky for a car but when you like everything except the color its hard to choose it even with everything else about it being good

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by eff32fl

Yeah it took me a year to find the exact spec 440i I wanted. Glad I took my time.

An N55 would be better and more fun than a B46/B48 if you can find a 435i.

for the same mileage (<90k) would you recommend 435 (or 440 if I could find one) over the 428/430?

[eff32fl]

Originally Posted by justinapps13

for the same mileage (<90k) would you recommend 435 (or 440 if I could find one) over the 428/430?

In order of preference in my opinion.
1. 440i
2. 435i
3. 430i

The B58 in the 440i is wonderful and you get LCI options.

I've never driven one but the N55 in the 435i is greatly liked also. But you don't get LCI options with the 435i is one down side.

The 6 cylinder engines are the funnest and sound the best and are more tunable if you plan on doing so.

The B46/B48 in the 430i is a good engine and you get the LCI options it's just not as fast being 4 cylinder or as fun in my opinion.

You should get the most car that your budget will allow in my opinion.

I'd personally recommend against a 428i.

I bought a 430i originally but I wasn't happy with it power and sound wise so I traded it for a 440i. That's just my personal experience though.

[rlesko]

What type of work are you comfortable doing on cars and what type of resources do you have to said work? Do you or your parents have tools? Garage? Are you or a relative skilled enough to do work?

I would stay away from higher mileages. You have no way of verifying if someone’s car was actually driven highway miles despite what is claimed. These are great cars but I can’t help but be concerned that you arent in the proper financial situation to weather the storm if something goes wrong. Two recent anecdotes on my N55 -

1. Last winter, my water pump died. But it manifested as a dead battery. So I actually spent almost $300 replacing the battery (replacing it and registering it myself), and then I spent $550 on a water pump kit from FCP Euro. This is doing the work myself.

2. Last summer, One of my VANOS solenoids went bad. Scanned the car for codes myself to find the issue. Each solenoid was over $200, and I probably could have just replaced the one but ended up replacing both since they were both of the same age and I Was already there.

If either of these situations would cause you serious financial hardship, Don’t buy a BMW.

[justinapps13]

Originally Posted by rlesko

What type of work are you comfortable doing on cars and what type of resources do you have to said work? Do you or your parents have tools? Garage? Are you or a relative skilled enough to do work?

I would stay away from higher mileages. You have no way of verifying if someone’s car was actually driven highway miles despite what is claimed. These are great cars but I can’t help but be concerned that you arent in the proper financial situation to weather the storm if something goes wrong. Two recent anecdotes on my N55 -

1. Last winter, my water pump died. But it manifested as a dead battery. So I actually spent almost $300 replacing the battery (replacing it and registering it myself), and then I spent $550 on a water pump kit from FCP Euro. This is doing the work myself.

2. Last summer, One of my VANOS solenoids went bad. Scanned the car for codes myself to find the issue. Each solenoid was over $200, and I probably could have just replaced the one but ended up replacing both since they were both of the same age and I Was already there.

If either of these situations would cause you serious financial hardship, Don’t buy a BMW.

I'm honestly comfortable doing as much work as possible. I have no experience but badly want to start. (Obviously night and day different but I have built PCs for the last 4 years and love doing anything relating to taking apart/putting together and have wanted to work on cars my whole life (our cars that have broken were the end of life for the car things so not able to work on them)
It will also be in a garage that has plenty of space for work if/when needed

I'm working as many hours as I possibly can between 2 jobs (both $16/hr+tips) so that I have a foundation for repairs etc. once graduated

My last car was a 2011 Range Rover that I did interior work on but nothing mechanical
- needed brake lines and suspension replaced (over $10k) so we sold it

[keithyo88]

[It will also be in a garage that has plenty of space for work if/when needed]

Allow me to state some boring facts. The garage will need at minimum:
2 low profile jacks
4 jack stands topped with connectors that work with BMW jack pads
portable lights for working on engine or other areas
portable lights for working below car
metric socket set, socket wrenches, open end sockets, breaker bars, adapters, torx sockets, socket set for lug nuts, allen wrench set
assortment of flat, phillips and torx screwdrivers
code reader
containers for collecting fluids
fluid extraction tools
wheel ramps
wheel stops
reliable internet access to see the youtube that showed the how to, and to ask questions
option: air compressor with fittings
option: source of transportation to buy urgent items that were not planned
for(I am guilty for sure)

Sure I left stuff out but I have these and am only perform basic cosmetic, fluid, brake and minor repairs.

[ggrcrash]

There is nothing wrong, per say with a 90k vehicle...If your paper is that short that you HAVE to finance a 90k BMW. It probably isn't the best financial decision to make. SERIOUSLY. Will the car last, most definitely. I have a 2016 f36 with about 175k on it currently, it hasn't been ,what I would consider bullet proof but it looks and drives like new, when it does. It's been paid off since 2020, just before prices went through the roof, interest rates as well. But I come from a generation where 400.00 car notes were pushing it. Don't take my word for it, plenty of threads on here about about there is nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW. My opinion, make sure you have extra money for repairs. Shit happens and usually does. You will be smiling driving it and crying fixing it.

[shoman24v]

Go for the 430i instead.

Try to find an M-Sport too.