[Theog]

Evening all,

Just wondering if you guys could help shed some light on the following as only this weekend I'm contemplating an F31.

For quite some time I've been quite set on buying an E91 335i or 335d, but I get the impression the twin turbos and additional gear of the N54 have all kinds of issues, and this makes me a little worried.

That coupled with the fact that the E91 335i tax being £550 per year vs the £150 for the F31 335d makes me think actually the F31 might be a better economic decision in the long run when it comes to depreciation + expenses + gear needing replacement.

So far I get the impression you can get quite a good F31 335d X-Drive M-sport with 70-90k on the clock for around £17-19k.

Given that I have only just started looking into the F31, I was wondering if anyone could help with these questions. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Questions:
- This a tricky one, but if I buy a car with 70-90k on the clock (2014 ish) and I do 10k per year for the next 10 years and I keep it in good condition, very very roughly speaking, how much do you think the resell will be? Could I look at current E91 335d for inspiration?
- Considering all the bad press diesel are getting at the moment, would you go for petrol over the diesel, or not worth the extra £4k in difference. That brings it to ~£24 which is over my budget realistically.
- XDrive does sound interesting, but this is yet another thing to go wrong down the line. Does anyone have an indication of when major work will need to be done to this, and costs associated? Worth looking for non XDrives?
- Anyones (excuse lack of technical terms) had any 'clear protective wrapping' to reduce scratching. If so, rough costs?
- Do you think the new 3 series will reduce the value once out? If so, by much?
- I've heard of bad build quality on interior resulting in creeks etc. Is there fixes for this?
- If xyz parts go wrong, would like for like parts of the e91 cost similar to the F31? Or are more modern F31 parts generally expensive? I'm just trying to factor in future expenditure of parts.
- My Z4 had run flats which were horrendous. Changed to Michelin PS4's and makes world of difference. I'm assuming same principles apply?
- If buying at the 70-90k mileage, are there any benchmarks I should be looking out for in terms of servicing / parts breaking / additional costs around that mileage?
- Would the F31 be much safer in comparison the e91, as I have a little boy on the horizon to worry about now.
- Extremely vague here, but any estimates of average servicing costs of this model over the years? Just trying to think of future costings once again.
- Any advice on things to look out for in terms of kit / spec when looking for used cars?


Sorry for geeking out here, but quite a significant purchase, so I want to get it right.

Best

T