Here's my ditto...pile on...beat dead horse contribution.
If you hang out in front of the hospital everyday...then you're gonna see a lot of sick people...and may soon feel that everyone is dying! But how long have the staff (doctors, nurses, volunteers, etc) been working at the same hospital and are doing fine?
If you work in law enforcement/court system...you can become jaded into thinking that the world is all full of scum bags, theives, and degenerates...and loose hope in humanity.
Hanging around here is similar to hanging out around a hospital...must come here because they have a problem that they're trying to solve. But some of us (usually the regular posters that actually respond to posts) are not having issues...and either bought and maintained their BMWs, or shopped around for good examples and have gotten on a routine maintenance schedule...or found a project and brought her back to life.
If buying a used BMW...know that you may be getting a deal (as far as buy in price)...but even 10 years or more later...the vehicle is still a LUXURY vehicle and the cost of upkeep stays in that catagory. There's a lot of "extra" stuff that some brands/models don't have and are easier to maintain because they are simpler vehicles. The more "goodies" you add...the more it will cost to maintain that vehicle.
So yes, a 16 year old may be able to get into a formally $65K vehicle for $2500...but the cost of maintaining a 10-20 yr old used luxury vehicle is not for the faint of heart or heft of wallet or lack of mechanical experience or aptitude (especially if you're not a DIY'er or "hands-on" owner).
PPI's are a good start (
pre-purchase inspection or
post-purchase inspection) is highly recommended...from either a BMW dealership or good Indy. Even if the dealership's
"list" causes you to go into slight heart palpitations...at least you have an idea of the condition of the car. You can look at it multiple ways...run because it's more than you want to take on...or you can look at the things that need to be done immediately...determine if you can do them or if you'll need to pay to have it done...then look at the things you can put off to do later in the near future as you shop & collect the parts to do the work...and also know what maintenance/repair work that may be looming in the next few years. You may also be able to negotiate the price downward if the PPI reveals a lot of work needed. Again, its the best $100-$200 dollars you can spend...you'll know whether to walk away, run away, or buy.
05-17-2017, 05:51 PM
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