Should you buy something other than an 8 year old 1 Series with a 4 cyl diesel?, yes!

But If you absolutely must buy one of them, should you buy an import?. Tricky one, I'm not against the notion of an imported car, but only under certain circumstances. These would be, a car not (or rarely) available in the UK, a classic of which there are not many good examples around, or a "nearly classic" for the same reason.

But a 118D is not a rare car in the UK, and 2016 is not old enough that you should have too much difficulty finding a UK car n decent.

So even setting aside my own opinion on the 1 Series in general, or the fact that a 4 cyl diesel* example of that age is probably not going to be that reliable, I really wouldn't bother with it.

And yes, I would expect the insurance cost for an import to be higher. But, I wouldn't expect it to be much higher given body and trim panels should be the same.

*Just to be clear, an ageing diesel of any make is not that wise a choice. Even if you do the miles (12k+) to make it a viable choice, the potential bills should anything go wrong will most likely wipe out (and then some) the money you saved on fuel.

Be VERY careful about buying anything advertised on facebook marketplace, it has something of a reputation!

Make sure you buy from the address on the V5 and not just from the driveway or some car park. Check out the vendor, do they have other cars for sale, making them a dealer posing as a private seller?

Is the price too cheap, another warning sign?

I've been tempted by cars on marketplace, but always swerved them after little investigation.

Thanks for all the replies. I knew I would get some good impartial advice.

Ive been having a think on the purchase,and with hindsight, I think it was more a want than a need. I currently have an Astra GTC auto.Nothing wrong with Car. I need to stop looking at Facebook Marketplace. And as commented it’s like the Wild West on their. Virtual Minefield.

their are genuine sellers on their. Then you get the People who when you click on their details have 20 or 30 Cars for sale. None of which belong to the, ??

Im thinking of putting my Phone in a Coffe Can weighing it with some concrete then dropping it in the Sea the only thing stopping me is I’d be adding more pollution to the Ocean.