Thinking About Purchasing a High Mileage e9x Thoughts?

[motoringobsession]

So, I've been searching around this forum looking for maintenance schedules of an e9x and I came across an e92 with 2009 118k miles black on black 6 spd. Carbon Roof, Navi, Cold Weather, and Premium. The car has 0 accidents according the car fax and looks to be BMW dealer maintained from the 1st owner who leased it for 3 years and put 94k miles. They're currently asking for $29,000. Fair price? According to KBB I'm seeing I should be paying $24k but NADA is saying $33k.

The car was sold at auction (my presumption because of the mileage.) The second owner had it for a year and put another 12-13k miles on it and I can't tell if there was any service done from 94k to 118k. I took the car for a test drive and it seems okay. The clutch seemed kinda light where I'm used to the clutch of an 04 ZHP coupe. So I'm not sure if I'm going to need to replace the clutch soon. I currently have a 2013 335i drive coupe and the engine seems so smooth in that car.


When taking the car for a test drive I noticed the engine seem to be rough at first but then smoothed out over the course of the drive. Could this be a spark plug issue or something worse? I don't hear any knocking or ticking come from the engine. The engine seemed very finicky or that could just me being used to a 335i. I noticed the car was in sport plus when going through the iDrive so I thew it into comfort. It seemed to help but on the test drive I was only able to get the car up to 40MPH because of traffic. Also, the back tires were a little worn down so I definitely need to replace those asap. I also noticed from some of the posts that I should be doing coolant, diff fluid, and transmission fluid around this time. Possible I can get negotiate tires with my dealership. What are your recommendations or thoughts?

I was looking on the forums to see possible third party warranties but I haven't seen a general one that people are happy with it. I'm not too concerned about the brakes, tires, gas, or oil changes. I know I'm getting into a m3 so those costs are given but what about everything else? I see very few m3 owners here with post 100k life. I'm looking for what I should be checking when I go back on Tuesday for a second look at this vehicle. Possibly take it on the highway. This would be my 4th BMW. 2004 ZHP coupe manual. 2006 ZHP coupe auto. 2013 335i auto.

[Ezio]

IMO if i couldnt get a low mile high end German car i wouldn't get one. I feel like paying 30 grand which is a lot of money for a car that has around 100k miles is pretty dumb.

There are so many cars i would rather have for 30 grand with way less miles. like a 370z, or mustang GT.

That my opinion, i hate problems. Also the M3 is rough at start up, its normal.

[templarklimek]

look at worse case scenarios. The engine bearing issues(search) are the biggest possibly endemic issue the S65 M3 has. New engine costs 25K if it blows.

Maybe consider drivetrain warranty? Defiantly do all the maintenance you listed if you intend to keep this car. It's an m motor and drivetrain thus requires detailed maintenance.

Maybe a BMW dealer inspection as well.

[phrozen06]

maintainence record is more important than miles IMO.

[FormulaMMM]

Did you look at the specific service intervals and items? I would suggest you look beyond just "BMW maintained." At that mileage I'd want to see a very healthy service history. Better than 12-15k mile oil intervals, plugs once if not twice, brakes, etc.

$29k is $4-5k too much. Can find with 1/2 that mileage, and well maintained in the low 30's.

Rough engine when cold is typical.

If you move forward, check out Easycare Powertrain warranty.

Yes, make sure you get up to highway speeds. Get on the brakes, engine warm and all the way to redline, take some on/off ramps with decent speed, see if anything seems off.

Provided the service history doesn't disqualify a purchase, yes, I'd insist on a number of maintenance items reflective of absences in the service history.

Good luck. If you want my opinion, pass on this unless they come down meaningfully on price, and they're willing to address all prudent maintenance items, including tires. Like I said, great deals out there for low to mid 30's.

[rttn]

some things to think about:

used car prices in general have been ridiculous since cash for clunkers.

based on the longevity of the vehicle, $29k might be realistic if it weren't for reliability issues with high mileage european cars.

if you think about it, about 40% of the typical lifespan of the car is used, so proportional to the original sale price it's not bad...until you take into account that the control arms, control arm mounts, etc. will all have fatigued a bit and the most reliable miles are definitely behind it.

a < 30k mile car like this is great, < 50k miles is still good, but by 100k, a lot of the life is gone from the feel. you can get some of it back by replacing bushings and control arms and whatnot. you've still got most of the performance and all the prestige, you'll just loose the edge of the feel.

[Quicksilv3r]

Having owned some higher mileage M-cars in the past, I can honestly say your experience will depend almost entirely upon how well that previous owner(s) cared for the car during their ownership. I've seen thrashed 30K-50K mile cars and like-new examples with as much as 150k+ miles on the odometer. Look at the condition of high wear areas like driver seat bolsters, steering wheel, buttons/switches/knobs, driver door, kick panels, etc. Normally if these locations actually look as-new and not simply cleaned-up to appear that way, some one probably cared about the car and treated it with best intentions. Match that condition with a well documented, clean service history and you've likely got a winner.

[Devant]

I wouldn't, have you seen all the rod bearing failures? And some are not even high mileage cars.

I am going to be selling mine next summer. Going to jump into an M4.

[X5-User]

OP, high mileage doesn't concern me as long as it is maintained properly. Also you should save up for some rod bearing change just incase

[s85e90]

You can tell most people here just flip cars and don't know much about long term reliability. M models are some of the most reliable made and with proper maintenance you can find lots with well over 150k running great.

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by FormulaMMM

Did you look at the specific service intervals and items? I would suggest you look beyond just "BMW maintained." At that mileage I'd want to see a very healthy service history. Better than 12-15k mile oil intervals, plugs once if not twice, brakes, etc.

$29k is $4-5k too much. Can find with 1/2 that mileage, and well maintained in the low 30's.

Rough engine when cold is typical.

If you move forward, check out Easycare Powertrain warranty.

Yes, make sure you get up to highway speeds. Get on the brakes, engine warm and all the way to redline, take some on/off ramps with decent speed, see if anything seems off.

Provided the service history doesn't disqualify a purchase, yes, I'd insist on a number of maintenance items reflective of absences in the service history.

Good luck. If you want my opinion, pass on this unless they come down meaningfully on price, and they're willing to address all prudent maintenance items, including tires. Like I said, great deals out there for low to mid 30's.

Eh 4-5k too much? The car doesn't depreciate to $0. It does bottom out irregardless of miles. Your pricing is a little unrealistic.

[Cbozz]

hmmm, I paid 33k for my 2008 m3 coupe with 50k miles... I think you should just look around some more... my car came from a dealer and it has CPO till 100k and one more year...

[///M Power-Belgium]

Don't do it !
Invest in ///M3 with about 35-45K miles on it ,think about the damn bearings !

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by s85e90

Eh 4-5k too much? The car doesn't depreciate to $0. It does bottom out irregardless of miles. Your pricing is a little unrealistic.

"Eh" yourself brah!

Really we can't be that far apart on perceived value on this. Are you $27-29k? I'm $24-26k for a leased E92 with almost 100k miles, and a less than ideal service history (most likely).

My value suggestion is not based on the expectation of depreciation to zero, but available data --

Guy that posted above bought one CPO with 50k miles for $33k.

Few weeks ago I sold my 2 owner E90 with 48k miles, excellent condition + near perfect service history, with a few months of warranty remaining for $32.7k (after 3+ months on the market).

This is typical from what I've seen. 40-50k mile 2008 E9X's going in the low to mid 30's. So another 40-50k miles on top of that (3-5 years of typical miles) = $3-4k price difference? Not in my view. At least $6-7k seems more appropriate, which makes it a mid-$20's car.

KBB private party has a range of $22.3k "fair" condition, to $26k on the mark for "excellent" condition for OP's E92.

Want a glimpse into the future of E9X values look at the E39 M5. Starting MSRP was very similar, and year 2014 pricing on 2008 E9X's is nearly equal to year 2009 pricing on 2003 M5's (when I bought mine).

Long story short, we're not yet bottomed out, and the bottomed out price certainly isn't $29k.

[s85e90]

My value is based on being an appraiser for higher end autos but your selling price of that e90 is a little disheartening... Private sale I assume.

[s85e90]

We also can't compare the e39 m5 to this car. This car is a simple m model. No real issues that plagued the older m cars really exist here which is nice and will help the future high milers. Also the e90 is a special car and a limited model compared to e92 numbers. The valuation models are tougher when it comes to supply demand of a niche car

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by s85e90

My value is based on being an appraiser for higher end autos but your selling price of that e90 is a little disheartening... Private sale I assume.

So what is your value on OP's car??

Take or leave the M5 comparison. That too was a simple M model though, not sure what you mean. I'm just saying values are in lockstep 6 years in at equal miles and MSRP was close.

Actually I'd surmise that an excellent condition E39 has and will retain more value than an excellent condition E90. Given my familiarity with both platforms and my personal experience selling both (fwiw) -- E90 on the market for 3 months, sold at < blue book. E39 on the market for 3 days, sold at notably > blue book. Different group of buyers. I had limited interest in the E90 service history, and a few guys who wanted to talk wheels... "can I fit 20s?" E39 buyers were all enthusiasts who wanted to discuss condition, history.

Yep, private party, but my selling price wasn't far off of sale prices at dealers as illustrated in this thread and elsewhere. My sense is that I could have held out for another $1-2k more, but when I was listed at $35k and above I was getting zero interest.

But I hope you're right. I went from one E90 right into another, so long term I hope the prices will stabilize and we're close to the "bottom" now.

[motoringobsession]

Appreciate all the advice guys! Thought about it and I decided to pass on this opportunity. Car had 0 service history, many bottomed out scratches below the bumper giving me the impression it wasn't driven carefully, heavily smoked in and significant wear on the steering wheel and shifter. After doing the research on the e92 the throttle actuators, rod bearing issues, and among the other issues concerns me. I feel less issues with a 6spd e46 m3, however I found a few mint condition 04-06s still selling high 20s to low 30s all with 60-70k miles.

[tinman831]

Originally Posted by alpinemsport

Appreciate all the advice guys! Thought about it and I decided to pass on this opportunity. Car had 0 service history, many bottomed out scratches below the bumper giving me the impression it wasn't driven carefully, heavily smoked in and significant wear on the steering wheel and shifter. After doing the research on the e92 the throttle actuators, rod bearing issues, and among the other issues concerns me. I feel less issues with a 6spd e46 m3, however I found a few mint condition 04-06s still selling high 20s to low 30s all with 60-70k miles.

Zero service history would be a big red flag unless the owner has provided history from an independent shop. I would just go ahead and pass on any smokers car from now on. You will NEVER get rid of the smell. E46's aren't without their problems either. They still have rod bearing issues AND vanos/vanos bolt issues.

[phrozen06]

Just make sure it's well maintained like i've done with mine.

[Sinful]

Originally Posted by Ezio

IMO if i couldnt get a low mile high end German car i wouldn't get one. I feel like paying 30 grand which is a lot of money for a car that has around 100k miles is pretty dumb.

There are so many cars i would rather have for 30 grand with way less miles. like a 370z, or mustang GT.

That my opinion, i hate problems. Also the M3 is rough at start up, its normal.

Agree with comments above.
A 370z is one of the most reliable sports car around and you can buy a used NISMO for around 30k with low miles! Or a brand new one for 42k. I was looking at them before I bought my M3.

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by SinfulM3

Agree with comments above.
A 370z is one of the most reliable sports car around and you can buy a used NISMO for around 30k with low miles! Or a brand new one for 42k. I was looking at them before I bought my M3.

the 370z is the most overlooked sports car IMO. Its such a great setup.