Want to buy a 2001 - 2003 3 series but have some questions, please.

[BeepBeepZipTang]

Hi all. I dont own a bimmer yet but have a few questions before I do. First, how much more are repair costs in relativity to repairs on say a honda?

I have my eye on 2 bm's in CT. Both are 2001 sedans, both manual, both sport pkgs. one is an xi and the other an "i". They are both listed for $25k but one has 36k(the xi) on it and the other 45k miles... how does that work out that they have the same prices? Its looks as though they both have all the same options with the sport pkg and all. You would think the xi with only 36k miles would be more than the one with 45k on it and it isnt an AWD.

Also they are at the North Haven BMW. Is anyone familiar with them? I live in Boston. Thanks for any help.

 

[aNoodle]

Repairs - BMW is much more expensive than Honda

Miles - I think miles are a poor measure in that range. An extra 10-20,000 miles doens't diminish a car that much, but that's how we seem to value cars. I agree it doesn't make much sense...certainly not with a BMW which will run to 250,000 no problem if properly maintained.

 

[BeepBeepZipTang]

Exactly. I guess I wont know till I contact the dealer and find out. A shot in the dark but would you gather that the AWD consumes more gas than the RWD considerably or is it trivial?

 

[gizzy]

I think that part of the price difference between the two cars could be that there is not as much of a demand for the xi as there is for the i, therefor the xi might depreciate more than the i does.

I'm sure that the AWD consumes more gas than the RWD does but it is probably trivial. My 325xi is getting an average of 23.4 right now with a mix of highway(rush hour) and city. If I'm on an open highway driving about 70mph, I get about 33-35 mpg.

 

[Blue]

is this a BMW dealer you're shopping at? If yes, are these CPO cars (certified pre-owned)? Go with a CPO and don't worry about the repair costs...