buying first bmw

[joele]

Hey guys,

IM new here thought id give this forum a try. nice.

Im from melb, Australia...looking at buying a 318i. I have budgeted around the 20,000 AUD mark give or take.

Ive been searching the net for a good set of reviews of the main problems with the 318 (years 94- 98) dunno what year ill end up getting depends what i find second hand. hopefully mid 90's. but n e how i just wanted to know if any one can help me in knowing what to look for when looking at a second hand 318.

I hope to get one with leather if i can as ive seen a few advertised on www.carpoint.com.au and www.carsales.com.au. also a sunroof would b great for summer!

id appreciate any wisdom you guys could give me.

thanks heaps

Joel

 

[knightpitt]

Hey, welcome! Well, uh, one of the best things that you can do is have the car checked out by a mechanic. Also, do a title check on the car to make sure that it's not a salvage title.

By the way, how much is 20k AUD in USD?

 

[joele]

hey thanks for your reply.

i will most definately get it checked out b4 i buy it. always do.

just curious as to what are the main things which go wrong with that particular model. ne help would b appreciated.

$20000 AUD in USD is around $33000 i think? not sure.

cheers

Joel

 

[knightpitt]

I wouldn't know exactly what to look for in a 318. Specifically on the e36's, there's a problem with ball joints going out and something about the rear shock tower. Those are hard to check without the car in the air, though. They're not deal-breakers, either, just a price negotiation point, typically.

Oh, and if your dollar conversion is correct, then perhaps you should be looking at a brand new 3 series instead of a used one. $33k USD is a heck of a lot of money to spend on a used car. That's above the price for a brand new WRX STi or Mitsubishi Evolution.

 

[Tom]

I'll add Profile Gasket and Plastic Impalers in the Waterpump to the problems list.

 

[jcsmfever]

Damn BMWs are expensive down there! I did adjust for the exchange rate too. What's up with that?

 

[jjjjjjj]

That's really, really expensive for a 4 cylinder BMW that will lack the power (and fun!) of the 6 cylinder. You should be able to find a 1994-1998 325i or 328i here for around $10,000 US dollars!! you buy a brand new 2004 or maybe even 2005 325i here for $33,000. Have you considered buying one here and having it shipped there?