[Danmcgarrett]

I'm new to the forum so it's only polite to say hi and acknowledge what a friendly forum this forum is. Everyone seems to be genuinely interested in cars and actually share helpful advice and information which is more than I can say about the other car forums I visit haha.

I have tried using the search function but for some reason it's not working so I am probably missing something; I am looking at buying an F31 330d xdrive and would love some buying advice.

• Are there any hidden downsides at looking at cars with over 100k mileage or would you advise to get a younger car with less mileage?
• How much would you advise putting aside a month to cover maintenance costs such as tyres, servicing etc?
• Any advice for buying privately as I have not bought privately at this amount of money (15-16k)

Any and all advice and input is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Watsey]

Welcome to the forum

A lot of it obviously comes down to the service intervals, how the car is used (motorway mileage versus short journeys, etc), whether it's been modified, and the degree of mechanical sympathy.

Apart from the obvious condition of bodywork (also check for crash damage on the insurance database), paint, interior and consumable parts (i.e. discs and pads) this would be my inspection priorities for a car which had done ~100k miles :

Turbo, specifically turbo seals (oil leaking into the boost pipe).

The amount of coking (soot deposits) in the inlet manifold and inlet ports.

Whether the EGR cooler/valve had been replaced as part of the BMW global recall.

Transmission. Apparently the ZF units are not made 'like they used to be' (too much aluminium and thinner gauge components for the sake of weight reduction) and problems can start to develop from around 100k miles.

Dampers.

Hydro bushes in the front suspension (leaks).

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by Danmcgarrett

• Are there any hidden downsides at looking at cars with over 100k mileage or would you advise to get a younger car with less mileage?
• How much would you advise putting aside a month to cover maintenance costs such as tyres, servicing etc?
• Any advice for buying privately as I have not bought privately at this amount of money (15-16k)

My view is cars that have done a high mileage in short period of time do represent value, say a 90-100k miler that's 3 years old, it's been sat on a motorway for hours at steady revs those are the easiest miles a car does, the servicing is more regular so you're not getting a car that sees fresh oil every 2 years but one that sees it every 8 months or so, cars are made to move and don't like being sat still getting cold and old, time (age) is the killer to a car not mileage.

I did 90k in an F80 M3 in less than 3 years it was as fresh as a daisy and on the button when I sold it discs and pads were still original as well, I'd rather grab a well serviced/well priced 3 year old high miler than an over priced 7 year old 30k "minter" that's never been warmed up and stop started all its life on 5 mile shopping runs.

But opinions will vary.

As for budgeting well that's up to you some like to others just pay when the bill comes it's a personal thing, I like buying from a main dealer as it gives you peace of mind and access to BMW AG good will should the worst happen.

[ArthurKing]

Looking on Autotrader, there are a number of F31 330D's with 60-70k on the clock for within your budget and those are from garages, private sales should be slightly less so its worth looking further afield if you are not already.

As cars pile on the mileage they are going to need some maintenance and often 100k+ miles is where things like suspension components, bushes etc can need replacing.

We bought an AUC F36 a few months ago and one of the suspension struts on the front needed replacing as it was leaking oil a little. Car has done 60k miles so 10k a year but I have no idea if those were motorway or daily trips over speed bumps so its luck of the draw.

In terms of budget, you are buying into something deemed a 'luxury' brand and although there is nothing stopping you putting on cheap tyres, I wouldn't want to be breaking in the wet with budget tyres on a 260bhp car personally. We stick £150pm away for 'maintenance' on both of our Fxx cars but that includes paying insurances yearly too so I would look so stick away maybe £50-£75 a month for maintenance and it should cover any bills you get.

Something else to be aware of is the brakes so if you find an F31 with the M-Performance option, the discs and pads are more expensive (twice the price I think) as the standard brakes so something to factor in when looking.

The N57 engine is pretty good in terms of reliability but as with any Turbo engines car, regular oil changes are key. We get our servicing done every 2 years as per the CBS but I have the oil changed in both every year without fail as more frequent changes seems to equate to less issues later in life. Check the history, if all the servicing is up to date and done on time then great but if there is doubt or you are missing stuff, walk away.

Buying privately is more of as risk as you literally have zero comeback if the car has issues. At least with a garage you have some rights as a consumer. You should get a feel when meeting the owner and seeing the car. If its clean, service history all complete, has four premium star rated tyres then as long as it drives ok and there are no strange noises, there is little more you can do.

Before I buy a car, I get the reg and stick it into the MOT checker website to see if its failed on anything recently or if anything has come up on an advisory more than once. If something like a shock is leaking slightly and was an advisory three years running, it would put me off as it suggests the owner is not doing the maintenance properly.

[Danmcgarrett]

Thanks everyone so far their help and advice it's been very helpful. The main reason I asked regarding 100k mileage is I have seen a silver 62 plate that's on 125k and I would only need to put £1500 in on top of part exchanging my Leon but was worried that it was going to be a false economy. I think I'll discount that one and get one with less mileage 👍

Cheers everyone 👍

[rG-tom]

one consideration is that the bmw extended warranty is absolutely amazing, but only worth buying if the car has under 60k miles - i personally wouldn't buy a modern bmw with more than 60k on the clock for that reason!

[AndyCKent]

Originally Posted by rG-tom

one consideration is that the bmw extended warranty is absolutely amazing, but only worth buying if the car has under 60k miles - i personally wouldn't buy a modern bmw with more than 60k on the clock for that reason!

Ours was on 58k but as it was AUC, I get the first years included anyway but will be well over 60k by the time I get a quote for year 2 so won't be spending £1k+ on it.

Definitely a smart move if you buy a non AUC car though, make sure its under 60k and get the BMW warranty

[Andy07841]

My 66 330d is on 111876 miles and apart from a pre cat 02 sensor and split boost hose it's running brilliant,oil is changed every 5000 miles for peace of mind👍🏼still drives like new.