'98 328i (125,000 miles) Buy or No?

[rjplunk9]

Hello there,

I might buy a 1998 328i with 125,000 miles but the problem is I don't have a lot of money to put into a car, i.e. I can't constantly be making repairs and putting money into this car. I do like the car a lot but it's a question of practicality. Should I just spend my money on a car like a Jetta with only 40,000 miles on it that I know won't have many problems? Or should I go for the 328i? Thanks.

-Ryan

 

[Big Daddy]

Have the car inspected and throughly checked out. 125k is not a lot of miles and you can expect 200 plus from that car. You do not mention the price, and even than it is a decision you have to make. Any used car is a risk, that is why I would have it checked out by a good mechanic first.

 

[ryanf]

I would suggest skipping the 328i if you can't really afford anything other then the buying price. My 98 328i costs >1k a year to maintain, and I don't even bother with the inspections that cost several hundred bucks. And that's with no major problems, and me doing most of the oil changes and simple repairs myself.

 

[Tom]

How much is the asking price?

 

[mjbst111]

1K a year!?! what kind of things are going wrong?

 

[iDriveSMG]

The most things a mechanic would check is the engine, trans, chassis, electrical, exhaust system. but i think the car would be fine... just keep up with the maintainence.
if there are not maintainence records, i do recommend you do to a service, like performance tune up, oil & filter change, have mechanic inspect tires and brakes.

 

[rjplunk9]

Hey, sorry my internet was down for the past two days. The asking price for the 328 is $8,000. It has recently been inspected and the seller says that it has been regularly serviced by a BMW specialist. Thanks.

 

[~SUN-XTC~]

Make sure you get proof of that before you buy it.

Is $8k what you are looking to spend? That's a pretty good price for the 328i, but if you're really worried about reliability I'd go shopping for a Honda/Toyota/Nissan unless you are looking for a German made car in particular. Jetta's are alright but they don't hold their value for squat.

 

[Zack]

Like Big Daddy, I also say get it checked out by a mechanic, For around $65.00 to $100.00 you can have inspected and know what troubles might been hidden, make sure they put it on a lift and do a complete inspection. A little money now to avoid any big money later.