Buying from a non bmw dealer

[coolusername]

Should I be worried about buying a 07 M Coupe from a non bmw dealer? The mileage is less than far below 10k miles. Ive havent had any problem with my 325ci that i bought from a non bmw dealer, except my local dealer being complete pricks. thanks

[coolusername]

Originally Posted by peakpro

in 2004 paid 36K for a new 3.0 with a msrp of 47K...

ummm what?

[epbrown]

He replied to the wrong thread - that was for the "How much did you pay..." thread, I'll bet.

I'd have the car inspected by a BMW dealer to insure there's nothing that will invalidate the factory warranty, but otherwise go for it. My Z4MC is the first BMW I've purchased from a BMW dealer.

[takedown8]

I got my Z4 from a MB dealership after a grandmother traded it in for an E-class! I think some of the best deals are to be had from non-BMW dealers since they wanna get rid of them.

I would be a more weary of buying from a used car dealership though.

[Hawkeye]

That and you don't get the CPO from a non BMW stealership. Although since you are getting an M it doesn't matter does it?

[ATX750i]

I bought my Z from a ford dealership and it is CPO, just call your local dealer with the last seven digits of your VIN and they will look it up for you and tell you over the phone. The downside to buying from a non BMW dealer is if something happens to your car and you have to leave it with your local dealer for repairs or whatever the case may be, they dont give you a loaner or rental. If you dont have an extra car sitting around, they will tell you to go to enterprise or some other rental company. I found that out the hard way.

[epbrown]

That depends on your dealer - mine always asks if I need a loaner, though I've never bought a car from them (they've serviced 3 BMWs for me so far). I've never taken them up on it - I'm single wth 2 cars, so why bother? We'll see how I feel once I have just the M Coupe...

[coolusername]

Originally Posted by JHastings0826

The downside to buying from a non BMW dealer is if something happens to your car and you have to leave it with your local dealer for repairs or whatever the case may be, they dont give you a loaner or rental. If you dont have an extra car sitting around, they will tell you to go to enterprise or some other rental company. I found that out the hard way.

I have that problem now when i take my 325ci in

[pbdm4k]

Originally Posted by JHastings0826

I bought my Z from a ford dealership and it is CPO, just call your local dealer with the last seven digits of your VIN and they will look it up for you and tell you over the phone. The downside to buying from a non BMW dealer is if something happens to your car and you have to leave it with your local dealer for repairs or whatever the case may be, they dont give you a loaner or rental. If you dont have an extra car sitting around, they will tell you to go to enterprise or some other rental company. I found that out the hard way.

Originally Posted by coolusername

I have that problem now when i take my 325ci in

Perhaps its time you guys found another BMW dealer? I think it also depends on the SA who's serving you. But I too have found that some BMW dealers tend to be pricks about you not buying your car from them.

[peakpro]

Originally Posted by epbrown

He replied to the wrong thread - that was for the "How much did you pay..." thread, I'll bet.

I'd have the car inspected by a BMW dealer to insure there's nothing that will invalidate the factory warranty, but otherwise go for it. My Z4MC is the first BMW I've purchased from a BMW dealer.

yes thanks

now..to the OP...

try to have the car inspected before purchase....if it checks out htne I see no reason to not buy the car...only downside is not getting a loaner....

BMW delaer will still fix under original warranty and they still make money on the car.

good luck

[coolusername]

how much do PPI's (pre purchase inspections) cost? ? you just take it to a dealer and request one?

[Hawkeye]

They charge $75 (at Midas) here for a 200+ point inspection on used cars. Not a bad deal for the peace of mind IMO.

Or you could have it checked out at a BMW dealer.. probably cost more and not be as good of a check though, from my experience anyway.

[Reach]

I bought my car on eBay. If you do it right, you can buy the car from anywhere and be confident in it.

I contacted the seller before I bid, and insisted on a PPI. He took the car into his local BMW dealer and just requested a service and inspection. They actually performed several maintenance items under warranty / ultimate service contract, since the car was at 25k miles and still well within coverage. As a result, when I drove up to sign and pickup the car, I had already talked to the dealer who serviced it on the phone. They assured me that it was in good condition aside from some maintenance items which they handled for free, and its warranty was valid and the balance of the standard 4yr/50k coverage would remain for me (since I'm not buying CPO). They faxed me the inspection and service writeup, so I saw all the work that was done, including an oil change, 4 new brake rotors, pads, and a fluid flush, new wiper inserts and a couple other minor things. The seller paid $0 out of pocket for all this, other than the effort to drop off the car for a day's dealer work.

And of course, it was a killer deal. I was prepared to pay more than what I did, but I had spent months looking for a 2005 3.0i SMG that I would like, and this ended up being my first choice (silver / black). Thats the benefit of buying used from a non-BMW dealer. If I had bought this car CPO it would have been easily $7-8k more.

[coolusername]

SMG comes in Z4's? I didnt know that.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by coolusername

SMG comes in Z4's? I didnt know that.

They're just hard to find. Very limited production (I wish I had the actual #s, but I don't) and only available 2003 - 2005. They had some serious problems until mid 2004 when a software update was released which fixed the gear lockout issue and some starting issues. The later the better, which was why I really wanted to limit myself to a 2005, which are super rare.

[epbrown]

Pretty rare option, and not the same SMG used in the E46 M3. It was also offered in the regular 3-series. Not many people picked it, so BMW stopped offering it after a couple of years.

[smidley]

lol, I got mine from the local Gran Tourismo Ferrari dealership. :P I think I bought the cheapest car they had there on the lot!

[erdoran]

There's an '05 Z4 2.5L sitting at a Lexus dealer in W. Palm Beach for about $25K with about 5K miles on it...am I nuts if I don't jump on the next plane for Florida and drive home in it? it's on ebay and the feedback this dealership has--and I read all writeups--is stellar.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by erdoran

There's an '05 Z4 2.5L sitting at a Lexus dealer in W. Palm Beach for about $25K with about 5K miles on it...am I nuts if I don't jump on the next plane for Florida and drive home in it? it's on ebay and the feedback this dealership has--and I read all writeups--is stellar.

This is the equivalent of what I did! Found my dream on eBay, checked out the dealer (turned out legit with most of their eBay sales being 30k+ cars and high praise)... called them on the phone and said I'll take it, drove up a week later with a friend and drove back in my current Z.

Just make sure its perfect on paper first. Don't jump too quick or make an impulse decision is my only warning. I was actively searching for a Z when this one popped up on eBay and I knew immediatly... "this is the one." If thats what it is for you, I'd pick up a phone tomorrow during their business hours and tell them its sold.

Just don't forget the 3 most important letters... PPI!