[ardy121]

Hi all,

New member here, but have been lurking on the forums a while!

Looking at buying an 2008 325i e92 to upgrade from my 2003 Honda Civic (lol) as I have am just finishing uni. Now I know everyone is going to say get a 335 etc but a) I can't afford it by myself b)Rents are helping me out for graduation present and don't want me to get a 335.

Just wondering what to look out for or if anyone has experience with this paticular car? I see that most 2008 325i are between 80000-100000km and I am looking around the 80000km mark. There is one on car sales from a dealer for around $29k. Just wondering how much do you guys think I could haggle this down? Would it be worth trading in my civic?

Also how hard is it to get the M-Sport wheel installed? My Dad has it on his car and it feels amazing!

Cheers

[Maverick27]

If I were you I would save for the 335i.

E92 325i is nice but you will regret it after while cause of the lack of power.

Plus if you are gonna spend 29k on a 325i it worth waiting abit saving some more for a 335i for some good km etc. Plus most 335i are better equipped than 325i higher spec car.

Ive got a E90 325i full kitted out with all extra's but am still on my P's so I couldnt get a 335i.

try reach a compromise with the rents. 335i faster but bigger brakes more safety and holds more value.

Mtech steering wheel is very easy to install. Either find one with Msport bit more or go for M3 wheel much nicer feel.

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by Maverick27

If I were you I would save for the 335i.

E92 325i is nice but you will regret it after while cause of the lack of power.

Plus if you are gonna spend 29k on a 325i it worth waiting abit saving some more for a 335i for some good km etc. Plus most 335i are better equipped than 325i higher spec car.

Ive got a E90 325i full kitted out with all extra's but am still on my P's so I couldnt get a 335i.

try reach a compromise with the rents. 335i faster but bigger brakes more safety and holds more value.

Mtech steering wheel is very easy to install. Either find one with Msport bit more or go for M3 wheel much nicer feel.

Hahahahah we will see how we go. I don't see my parents falling for the bigger brakes = safer strategy. How is your 325i anyway? Do you really regret buying it that much?

[LotusBMW]

I just picked up a 335i for $32.5k private. 75k klms and I think a good spec (not sure and don't really care). So that's not far off the asking price of the 325. Mine needs rear tyres and prolly a few other small items. Not drive away either. I'd suggest a lot of prices are fairly negotiable too. Food for thought. All that said don't buy a 'cheap' car, buy the 'right' car, but at a good price. Either way you're winning. Fresh out of Uni I had a shitter, so lucky you

[Maverick27]

Originally Posted by ardy121

Hahahahah we will see how we go. I don't see my parents falling for the bigger brakes = safer strategy. How is your 325i anyway? Do you really regret buying it that much?

I dont totally regret it because I still cant drive one due to P plate restrictions. But I plan on skipping the 335i and going for M3 for potential next car anyway.

My 325i is good, keeps me out of trouble with the cops, plus it was my first manual car so really great car to learn in.
It is a fairly quick car and has decent power but its no 335i.

But also being an under 25 uni student, 335i was hard to justify getting for the insurance alone is ridiculous.

But yeah like LotusBMW says you gotta buy the right car.

I flew to Adelaide then drove it back to Sydney to get my car because It had everything I wanted plus was a great price. But I was looking for my car for 6 months!

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by Maverick27

I dont totally regret it because I still cant drive one due to P plate restrictions. But I plan on skipping the 335i and going for M3 for potential next car anyway.

My 325i is good, keeps me out of trouble with the cops, plus it was my first manual car so really great car to learn in.
It is a fairly quick car and has decent power but its no 335i.

But also being an under 25 uni student, 335i was hard to justify getting for the insurance alone is ridiculous.

But yeah like LotusBMW says you gotta buy the right car.

I flew to Adelaide then drove it back to Sydney to get my car because It had everything I wanted plus was a great price. But I was looking for my car for 6 months!

How has your 325 been maintenance wise and what year is it? One of the ones I was looking at just went off the market.

Kind of annoying that e92 is more expensive than e90....it has 2 less doors shouldn't I get a discount hahaha

I think I may have to wait a while to get the perfect one. Looking for sparkling graphite or alpine white and they are rare. Can't wait to get out of the civic!

[sjf430]

hey man, i was in the same situation as you, finished uni and got me a e92 325i, worked my ass of during uni to buy it. at the time it was the right choice, now......i wish i got the 335i...need boost!!! haha so id say if u have same money, and have a job, get the 335i. as for maintance, ive been a bit unlucky, i had my DME get water in it somehow and needed changing 2.8k, then about a week ago my sun roof had a little leak, had to be adjusted, cost me a few hundred. other than that its been solid, usual maintance, serviceing is EXTREMELY easy and you can do everything urself.

If you want a 325 then make sure it is manuel to make up for it, you will love it, something i regret is not waiting for one with better speakers (i got base) and the updated idrive, or whatever one had the usb input (i just have aux, although i do have professional nav). other than that you should be good!

[DR-JEKL]

Originally Posted by ardy121

How has your 325 been maintenance wise and what year is it? One of the ones I was looking at just went off the market.

Kind of annoying that e92 is more expensive than e90....it has 2 less doors shouldn't I get a discount hahaha

I think I may have to wait a while to get the perfect one. Looking for sparkling graphite or alpine white and they are rare. Can't wait to get out of the civic!

E92's look heaps better and AFAIK all E92's are made in germany, whereas E90's are made in south africa.

[sjf430]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

E92's look heaps better and AFAIK all E92's are made in germany, whereas E90's are made in south africa.

that i didnt know!

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by sjf430

hey man, i was in the same situation as you, finished uni and got me a e92 325i, worked my ass of during uni to buy it. at the time it was the right choice, now......i wish i got the 335i...need boost!!! haha so id say if u have same money, and have a job, get the 335i. as for maintance, ive been a bit unlucky, i had my DME get water in it somehow and needed changing 2.8k, then about a week ago my sun roof had a little leak, had to be adjusted, cost me a few hundred. other than that its been solid, usual maintance, serviceing is EXTREMELY easy and you can do everything urself.

If you want a 325 then make sure it is manuel to make up for it, you will love it, something i regret is not waiting for one with better speakers (i got base) and the updated idrive, or whatever one had the usb input (i just have aux, although i do have professional nav). other than that you should be good!

I was thinking manuel but they seem to be really rare? what are the paddles like on the 325? any good or pretty ordinary?

Overall have you been happy with the car though? what colour did you end up getting? im so obsessed I spend like 4hrs a day on carsales ffs

[Maverick27]

Originally Posted by ardy121

How has your 325 been maintenance wise and what year is it? One of the ones I was looking at just went off the market.

Kind of annoying that e92 is more expensive than e90....it has 2 less doors shouldn't I get a discount hahaha

I think I may have to wait a while to get the perfect one. Looking for sparkling graphite or alpine white and they are rare. Can't wait to get out of the civic!

2006 325i (ive changed most things on it so its got LCI look to it)

Only little issue Ive had is the SAS steering angle sensor error on myn, pretty common in all E9X. I tried to fix it myself but ran out of time and needed the ABS for a drive I was going on so got a new one imported from BMW USA and got a mate to code it for me for 1/4 the price of getting a shop of BMW to do it.

Other than that it is rock solid, very little things in a 325i engine wise which can break unlike a 335i, plus if you get a 6MT even less stuff to break plus more fun.

Yeah sparkling graphite was the colour I was going after but couldnt get one with the feature I wanted. The E92's do definitely look better but Ive always had a sedan.

It also depends on your driving needs etc if you just want to cruise around 325i may be good but more power is never bad

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by Maverick27

2006 325i (ive changed most things on it so its got LCI look to it)

Only little issue Ive had is the SAS steering angle sensor error on myn, pretty common in all E9X. I tried to fix it myself but ran out of time and needed the ABS for a drive I was going on so got a new one imported from BMW USA and got a mate to code it for me for 1/4 the price of getting a shop of BMW to do it.

Other than that it is rock solid, very little things in a 325i engine wise which can break unlike a 335i, plus if you get a 6MT even less stuff to break plus more fun.

Yeah sparkling graphite was the colour I was going after but couldnt get one with the feature I wanted. The E92's do definitely look better but Ive always had a sedan.

It also depends on your driving needs etc if you just want to cruise around 325i may be good but more power is never bad

What colour did you end up getting? I was thinking of just adding the lip spoiler on the back to start and then go from there and maybe add some black rims.

Just have to wait for that perfect car really, not sure if space grey is any good will have to have a look at the dealer. Are there any rules for general dealers (i.e. not official bmw) regarding test drives (im only 22).

[Zen]

Originally Posted by ardy121

What colour did you end up getting? I was thinking of just adding the lip spoiler on the back to start and then go from there and maybe add some black rims.

Just have to wait for that perfect car really, not sure if space grey is any good will have to have a look at the dealer. Are there any rules for general dealers (i.e. not official bmw) regarding test drives (im only 22).

I think it varies between dealers to dealers? Some dealer will just accompany you, while some will take a photocopy of your licence and ask you to sign a form for saying you will be liable for any costs if you happen to damage / crash it.

[sjf430]

Originally Posted by ardy121

I was thinking manuel but they seem to be really rare? what are the paddles like on the 325? any good or pretty ordinary?

Overall have you been happy with the car though? what colour did you end up getting? im so obsessed I spend like 4hrs a day on carsales ffs

i got sparkling graphite, and the paddles are perfect, when i drice my brothers s2k it feels like shit, and when he drives my car he loves it. and yeah manuels are rare....but worth the wait. overall i am happy, have you drive a wrx sti? i was tossing up between the two.... i saw go and drive it, if the 335 is putting u of coz of maintance etc then defs check out the 08 hatch

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by Zen

I think it varies between dealers to dealers? Some dealer will just accompany you, while some will take a photocopy of your licence and ask you to sign a form for saying you will be liable for any costs if you happen to damage / crash it.

Thanks mate!

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by sjf430

i got sparkling graphite, and the paddles are perfect, when i drice my brothers s2k it feels like shit, and when he drives my car he loves it. and yeah manuels are rare....but worth the wait. overall i am happy, have you drive a wrx sti? i was tossing up between the two.... i saw go and drive it, if the 335 is putting u of coz of maintance etc then defs check out the 08 hatch

I am going to look at a 325i in Sydney on saturday I think. I want to check out this space grey colour and see if I like it. Not sure I have ever seen one before. Realistically how much do you reckon you could knock off a $29k price from dealer? Better off going after a private seller?

[LotusBMW]

Originally Posted by ardy121

I am going to look at a 325i in Sydney on saturday I think. I want to check out this space grey colour and see if I like it. Not sure I have ever seen one before. Realistically how much do you reckon you could knock off a $29k price from dealer? Better off going after a private seller?

Personally I'd get it inspected. This will give you peace of mind and a list of things that will need fixing which you can then bargain from. Personally I'd prefer to buy from a private seller as the kind of person they are will tell you a lot about how the car has been looked after. You can also get a fair idea of the history of the car. Buy from a dealer and they will have the service books if you're lucky, and they're all the same, they just want to sell the car and frankly they won't give a crap about it. Offer anything up to 20% off the asking price but use your judgment. Don't forget there are other elements to the offer, like how quickly you'll take it, whether finance is involved, how picky you get over small things. If you've got the time save cars from carsales and watch them over time. If they've been around for a while the dealer will be keen to shift them. That said good cars will sell quickly on average, but I don't think you need to be in a hurry (like you need to be if you're buying an aircooled 911 right now). Personally I'd try and avoid buying cars from Sydney as the roads are stuffed up there and nobody seems to give a shit (sorry Sydney-siders!). SA and ACT are the good states to buy from IMHO.

[sbce90]

I think some 325i suffer from high oil use.

[Zen]

Originally Posted by ardy121

I am going to look at a 325i in Sydney on saturday I think. I want to check out this space grey colour and see if I like it. Not sure I have ever seen one before. Realistically how much do you reckon you could knock off a $29k price from dealer? Better off going after a private seller?

If you are looking at a BMW along one of the dealers on Parramatta Road in Sydney, good luck. A lot of dodgy dealers along that road so be wary. Also you should definitely do a pre-inspection before you buy it (that is if the dealer allow you to take it to a independent mechanic and not one of their buddies mechanic).

If you decide to do a PPI, ring up Peter @ Advan. Very nice guy and he will give you a good run down on the vehicle and possible advice on what needs to be fix.

[RIDERDIE]

I own a 335 and honestly while I love it I wouldn't mind a non turbo. There is always that curiosity in the back of my mind that I am going to have to shell out $3 - 5k in repairs. I'm coming from an e36 m3 and e46 m3 and would almost rather spent the money that I did making my car nearly fbo on suspension bits and knowing I can easily make it to 200k miles + if I wanted to. I've got a 94 e34 with 235k which still gets 30mpg. The straight six is bullet proo,f turbos are fun but not so much considering their longevity. Hopefully my n54 proves me wrong...

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by Zen

If you are looking at a BMW along one of the dealers on Parramatta Road in Sydney, good luck. A lot of dodgy dealers along that road so be wary. Also you should definitely do a pre-inspection before you buy it (that is if the dealer allow you to take it to a independent mechanic and not one of their buddies mechanic).

If you decide to do a PPI, ring up Peter @ Advan. Very nice guy and he will give you a good run down on the vehicle and possible advice on what needs to be fix.

Yeah was planning on getting a PPI for sure and probably will give Peter a call...see his name floating around on the forums a lot.

Probably just got to wait for that perfect car! Yeah I am always wary of the dealers up there, went and looked at a 318i for my brother up there ages ago and the whole place felt dodgy.

[ardy121]

Originally Posted by LotusBMW

Personally I'd get it inspected. This will give you peace of mind and a list of things that will need fixing which you can then bargain from. Personally I'd prefer to buy from a private seller as the kind of person they are will tell you a lot about how the car has been looked after. You can also get a fair idea of the history of the car. Buy from a dealer and they will have the service books if you're lucky, and they're all the same, they just want to sell the car and frankly they won't give a crap about it. Offer anything up to 20% off the asking price but use your judgment. Don't forget there are other elements to the offer, like how quickly you'll take it, whether finance is involved, how picky you get over small things. If you've got the time save cars from carsales and watch them over time. If they've been around for a while the dealer will be keen to shift them. That said good cars will sell quickly on average, but I don't think you need to be in a hurry (like you need to be if you're buying an aircooled 911 right now). Personally I'd try and avoid buying cars from Sydney as the roads are stuffed up there and nobody seems to give a shit (sorry Sydney-siders!). SA and ACT are the good states to buy from IMHO.

Yeah I agree I lived in Sydney for 4 years and the driving and the roads were shocking. Affected my car a lot more than i thought it would. The only problem with looking at cars in A.C.T and S.A is there isn't a lot of variety and if outside ACT transport to look at the car etc could be an issue. But thanks for the advice, didn't think about looking how long listings were up for and how that transfers to how desperate they are for sale!