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      12-31-2008, 12:08 PM   #1
34dean
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Newbie considering my first Bimmer... Need HELP!

Hello gents...
GREAT forum. I have learned quite a bit already in a day here!

Here's my deal... I am turning 40 and treating myself to my first Bimmer, a 2006 330i. The car is loaded with sports package, cold package, Nav, Sirius etc. It has 25K on it and the dealer is asking 23.9K. It is immaculate and looks to have been pamapered.

About my driving habits - I am in sales, drive 20-25K per year almost entirely highway (I-95). I am looking to use this car as a "luxury business car" to enjoy the amenities. I drive lightly, usually 75 or so on the highway. "Performance driving" is not important to me. (I know I know... go easy on me!)

Here are my concerns that are keeping me up at night:

1. Tires - The car has "newer" tires ( I am assuming the 2nd set) which are run-flats, 225/45/17. The dealer claims the backs have 3/32" and fronts 1/4" tread on them. They have given me the option of swapping with a set of high-performance all-season tires which I am strongly considering. Thoughts and opinions?

2. Weather - I have read that these RWD cars are not good at all in any bad weather. How "not good" would this car be with a good set of AS tires? Any issues in heavy rain as well? Does the traction control help considerably? I'd rather not have to have a set of winter/snow tires and have to swap every November.

3. Common issues/concerns with this model - Are there any common problems I should be absolutely certain the car hasn't had/does have? Is it "proper" to ask for a CarFax report from the dealer or should I just pony up and buy one on my own?

4. Warranty - The car has the balance of the 4/50 warranty. What does this cover and not cover? Should I negotiate for the 100 CPO now or wait? Any opinions on after-market warranties?

5. Gas mileage - From what I have read, the car should get 22 in city and 30 on highway if one drives relatively lightly. Is that correct?

Any other adviceor opinions any of you can give would be greatly appreciated. I am going down on Friday to either drive home in this beauty... or my old car.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Todd
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      12-31-2008, 02:29 PM   #2
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I used to have the exact model. Based on your description of the tire size, it doesn't sound like the car has the sport package. The sport package comes with 18 inch wheels (225-40-18 in front and 255-35-18 in rear). You can also tell by the slightly smaller, but thicker steering wheel, more aggressively bolstered seats with thigh adjustment, and lower suspension).

As far as winter driving goes, I drove my car through the snow of NYC and also upstate NY without any problems. But I DID have a 2nd set of 17 inch snow wheels/tires. If you go that route, having a set of performance tires are a very worthwhile upgrade. I had loaner cars with the all-season run-flats and they were horrible. Very noisy and actually had a rougher ride despite having a taller sidewall (17" all-season vs 18" performance).

The only problem I had with my car was an annoying squeak from the brakes. The mileage was great (up to 32mpg on the highway). I was working in NYC with horrible traffic, so I used to get about 15-16mpg in the city.

Good luck with your purchase.
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      12-31-2008, 06:47 PM   #3
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First off, welcome to the forums Todd. I'm also a newbie here as well as in the BMW world. I purchased a car very similar to yours, except no Nav. That's a phenomenal price on that car if it indeed has what you think it has. Let's see...

1. If it has 17" rims stock, then perhaps you don't have the sport package. The original tires should be 220/40-18 (fronts) and 255/35-18 (rears). The wheels should look like this:


2. If you have non all-season tires you will be screwed even in a dusting of snow. If you get a good set of AS tires, since the car is not all-wheel drive, you'll still have to adjust your driving a bit in winter. It probably will be on par with a front-wheel drive car with AS tires (at best). I'm not sure how much snow or ice you get in CT, but here in Cleveland I bought a dedicated winter tire/wheel package from Tire Rack, and it's phenomenal in the snow (let me know if you need suggestions for your car). I have the same car you're considering and it sticks to the snow/ice here noticeably better than my friend's A4 quattro with AS tires.

3. If it's a BMW dealer and this car is certified, they should have no problem giving you a CarFax report, a CPO report, etc. If not, definitely ask them for a CarFax and if they don't give it to you for free, get one yourself. So far the only problems I've had are a bad O2 sensor and door handles were replaced because they were sticking.

4. The original warranty pretty much covers most things. So far the only thing it hasn't covered for me is a piece of plastic that fell off from my undercarriage. Fortunately it was less than $10 to replace. So I assume this car you are looking at isn't a CPO then? I strongly recommend getting the BMW CPO warranty. Since you drive a lot, it'll save you some time and headache in the future.

5. In the past 2000 miles I can safely say I've averaged 21 in the city and 33 on the freeway. Half-and-half I'm getting about 24 mpg. If the road is flat and you use cruise on the freeways and stay under 80 you should get ~34 mpg easy. It basically all depends on how you drive.

Good luck with your negotiations!
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      12-31-2008, 11:28 PM   #4
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Thanks, Chewy. Great info!

If I make this deal, I will be making it with this dealer swapping the RFT's with a set of good all-seasons like the Kumho's. I think I can "get away" with these as all year tires as my wife has a Yukon Denali I can use in bad weather. I am definitely going to go with an extended warranty as mine will be running out in September of this year.

Looking forward to getting that 34mpg too!
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      01-01-2009, 12:14 AM   #5
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Todd - I saw your other thread, and the car you are looking at does NOT have the sport package (ZSP). FWIW, most of us here would give up all other options for the sport package, in large part for the much better seats. ZSP also comes with nicer wheels (staggered 18" 225/255 style 162), a tighter and lower suspension, a nicer steering wheel (smaller diameter and thicker), and a higher speed limiter (155 mph instead of 130 mph, not that this matters in the US!).

You should have a decent choice of 330i models available, so if ZSP is important to you, as it is to most of us, I wouldn't settle for non-ZSP.

To answer your questions:

1 - For tires, I don't have any major problems with the Potenza 050A RFTs that come with ZSP. The non-ZSP tires (Turanza RFTs) have a poor reputation for uneven wear and road noise.

2 - No issues in heavy rain. Traction and stability control helps a TON. A/S tires are fine, but a compromise. They aren't great when the weather is good and aren't great when it's bad. IMO, it's well worth the minimal pain of keeping two sets of wheels, winter wheels for December to March, summer wheels for the rest of the time.

3 - No real major issues with this car. Read the "ticking engine" thread for a problem with unlubricated lifters that has plagued some 325/328/330 vehicles, but that doesn't appear to be a widespread problem like the fuel pump issue on the x35.

4 - Warranty covers everything. If you can get CPO to extend to 6/100, damn right, you should get it! I doubt the dealer can just throw it in, though.

5 - You should get 18 city and 30+ highway, not even trying to drive lightly.

Take a look at the 330i thread for more info, links to reviews, and general love for the car. This is a very fine car. I could not be more pleased with mine. But I would again caution you to consider looking for one with ZSP, if that's important to you.
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