Should I buy a cheaper BMW 330i M Sport with high miles, or buy a more expensive low miles version from BMW Used Approved?

I recently almost bought a silver 2006 BMW 330i M Sport coupe for £9400, but I pulled out because of the mileage - it had covered 91,000 miles. What do you think of such a purchase, of a fairly young car that's done around 25,000 miles per year? It must have been covered mainly on motorways. Is there anything major that might have excessive wear at this kind of mileage?

I ask because there are quite a few similar cars available, all well maintained (BMW dealer serviced) yet with very high miles. The alternative would be to buy a BMW Approved Used car, with much lower mileage but a much higher price. For example, a local BMW dealer has a 2004 330i M Sport Coupe with 36,000 miles at a hefty £14,995. A huge difference for a car two years older. What's your opinion?

Asked on 14 July 2010 by Richard Nunn

Answered by Honest John
A very fair price. If you want a young car like this for low money then it will have a high mileage. High mileage clocked up quickly is good for an engine, as it rarely gets cold. But these engines can suffer turbo failures duel to blocked oilways to the turbo bearings. Older versions (pre 2006) also had inlet manifold swirl flap problems.
Similar questions
I'm in negotiations to buy a 1997 Ford Galaxy TDI with all the equipment like air conditioning. I don't understand cars much, so is this a good car? What are the car's good characteristics, and what I...
I have been looking around for a car for my son and have found a Ford Fiesta 2006 Ghia 1.4 five-door with 31,000 miles, petrol engine and manual gearbox. The asking price is £5000 - do you think this reasonable...
I’ve recently purchased a 2001 Jaguar XK8 Coupe with about 46,000m on the clock. It has immaculate bodywork and the interior is also pretty good. It also came with four new tyres. I paid £10,350 – is that...
Related models
Superb to drive. Great handling and steering. Upmarket image. Economical diesel engines culminating in amazingly efficient 320d Efficient Dynamics at 109g/km of CO2.
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer