BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Wed 16 Mar 2016 07:32
BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose - Fyldeboy

You must have had a million of these questions on here, but I have been struggling for days to make a choice - by the time I do, all will have been sold ;)

I am looking for the best choice of these to take account of insurance, economy, tax and ongoing costs - ie anything to do with £££s.

Also in a quandary about age/miles balance.

  • 2008 (58) 318i SE 39k with extras £7,399
  • 2006 (56) 318i SE Auto 37k £6,500
  • 2011 (61) 318d Olympic/Performance Edition 112k £7,500

All have good MOT histories (minimal/no advisories) and full service histories and are in a similar condition - ie good for age.

If you guys (and girls) could offer any comments, I would be grateful

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 16 Mar 2016 08:39
BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose - RobJP

Have you driven any of them ? Some people like the torque of the diesels and find the petrols a bit gutless. Only you can decide on that though.

Whilst the 318d might look cheap, with that sort of mileage you could well be looking at a new DPF. Which would cost anywhere up to £1000.

The 06/56 is now virtually TEN years old, and looks very expensive to me. Ask yourself if a 'normal' saloon car of that age is worth so much !

Even the 08/58 one isn't particularly cheap.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 16 Mar 2016 10:00
BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose - DJ2404

I think the prices are due to the mileage - but should I be wary of cars that have done so FEW miles per year?

Power not an issue - current car has a 1L engine.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 16 Mar 2016 10:20
BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose - RobJP

There is another thread with going regarding the MOT history check site. Might be worth a nosey on through that to see if any issues, mileage discrepancies, advisories, etc.

Low mileage can be bad as high mileage. It all depends on the owner, maintenance, exactly what sort of use the car has had (a 30 mile round trip once a week is far better than 10 3 miles trips from cold).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 16 Mar 2016 17:43
BMW 3 Series - Which one to choose - DJ2404

Thanks for the suggestion, none of them have ever failed MOT (as far back as site goes) and what few advisories there are are minor - occassional tyre or headlight out of line, that sort of thing. Mind you, covers underneath can hide a lot I guess.

Interesting that low-mileage is not AUTOMATICALLY a bad thing.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide

From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.

Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...