[Blu_*Marine]

Hi. It’s my first time buying a used car, previously I had a car but I had to leave it behind and I’m now at a university miles away from home and in desperate need of a car, but I don’t know how to go about the process. I have a car in mind and the exterior condition looks great, but I’m not too sure about the engine or transmission. Right now, I’m looking at a ’98 BMW 3-series with an asking price for $7000 and the lady selling the car is willing to reduce the cost by $1000 because she said the only problem with the car is that it misfires (??? whatever that means ???) and I would have to have that replaced, otherwise according to the lady the car has a clean title and the mileage on it is 160K. I don’t know what to do, I’m kind of skeptical because the car seems relatively cheap, so I’m wondering why. I want a nice car that’s reliable and I need it to last me a good 3-4 years without any major problems and I can’t afford to buy costly parts. Do you guys think I should make an offer? Are there any tips or information for buying a car? Help please!!!!

[jphase]

well if u can't buy costly parts, i'd stay away from european cars like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, VW... european cars cost alot to fix..

What's ur price range? Honda's and Toyota's seem to be the best car for college students since they're good on gas, cheap to maintain, and are reliable.

[krn]

E36 isn't exactly the car to buy if you want a reliable car without having to maintain it. And the price isn't even good (probably a 318 or 325). Especially with 160K miles, even if it was maintained extremely well, you'll need to replace some parts. Ask the owner if they already replaced the common problematic parts - rear trailing arm bushings, rear shock mounts, lower control arm bushings, 02 sensors, thermostat, water pump, radiator, and some other misc. suspension/cooling parts. With the misfire, you may need to replace the pre-cat O2 sensors, spark plugs, coils, or any intake parts. In other words, just get a Honda/Toyota.

[gbk]

I never bought a used car before, I always by them new when they come out.But I could give you some tips since alot of my buddies are all car collectors and they buy used cars all the time.

1st it would be best if you have a friend or know one who owns their own car shop or works on one.My buddy owns a car shop that deals w/ certain types of imports.whenever I get a friend who needs help on tips on buying and making sure that they get a great deal on a used import model, I tell them to bring it to my buddies shop to get it looked at and to see if there is anything wrong w/ it for free.The owner of the car that you are buying it from shouldn't have a problem w/ their car having it looked at.If they do, then that's a hint that there's something wrong w/ it.

[v8subie]

bought my car used from the dealership. which was the best thing i ever did by buying a used car. if you test drive a used car from a dealership and note any problems with the car during the test drive, try and get them to fix it before you buy it.

if you are going to buy it used, take it to a dealership (w/ permission of the owner) to see what's wrong with it (everything on the car). not to mention to look at the the car's maintenance records. note any flaws with the exterior (i.e., body, the undercarriage, wheel wells, paint), interior (i.e., gauges work, rips and tears, stains). talk to other people who have bmw's, or go the car internet forums (preferrably bmw) they'll usually share their experiences with bmw.

8 year old car for $7k, if you want to look pimp that's up to you. i rather feel smart than look pimp. i dont know what's the lifespan on bmw engines, but 160k miles is up there. anyways, do whatever you want to do with your money and good luck in the transaction.