Renewed COE BMW 318IA - worth buying?

[Pisces69]

  On 2/17/2009 at 5:37 AM, Elmo said:

Thanks for all the advise!

 

Looks like not really worth it.

 

I was just thinking with the low PQP, this may be a good (if not the only) time that I can afford to buy a Beemer.

Guess the issue is not the purchase but the maintenance.

 

I saw 92/93 reg ones still running around so I thought they would be lasting and low maintenance.

 

Got friends who are driving >15 yrs Merz E200 and maintenance seems cheap - only normal servicing.

=============

 

Merc is a better option as spares got plenty at scrapyards & they r more solid cars. The older Merc r built to last.

 

I did consider a COE Merc E200 b4 but the price the dealer was asking was too high although the condition was very good & also I needed a car that can fold down the rear seats to load bigger/longer stuff in the boot.

 

But b4 u consider a COE Conti car, u better have a very good, reliable & HONEST ws/mech to handle your car otherwise u gonna die with your repair bills. Mechs love to COE Conti car owners, especially those that dont know much about cars.

 

 

 

[Pisces69]

  On 2/17/2009 at 8:20 AM, Elmo said:

Yeah...I agree that if the maintenance cost is too high, then might not be worth it. I am on tight budget hence looking at COE car in the first place. Was just trying to see if this is a good chance to get a good deal for a good car

 

I was looking at JDM Accord prior to spotting these Beemers. avg 55K for 2.5 yrs old which I thought was quite good bargain too.

 

It is like only during these tough times do cars out of my reach suddenly become more reachable. But as I am probably going to drive my next car till COE-exp-do-us-part, just want to get the best possible deal out of it.

 

Think a Jap car is still more suitable for my budget then....

 

===================

 

If u on a tight budget, forget Conti. Get a COE Toyota better. Look for 1 in very good condition with a few more years to scrap & bargain bargain bargain the price down.

 

If u dont know about cars, get a fren or trusted mech to check the car b4 buying.

 

I had a COE 1989 Toyota Corona CD & drove till it was 19 years old & traded for my current Optra. That Toyota was damm solid. Never gave much trouble & was comfortable, spacious & economical to own/drive. But I found a good 1. U must know how to find a better car otherwise u get a Lemon then u wil curse & swear every day.

 

Selling early is not an option cos the moment u buy it, it wil depreciate till only the balance scrap value is left. U must use till COE expires.

 

Even I sold mine 1 year b4 COE expire I lost more than if I drove till scrap. But I no choice cos that time everybody thought COE was going to skyrocket so I changed car b4 it hit the roof.

[Pisces69]

  On 5/2/2010 at 12:41 PM, W124 said:

If you would like to know more about the local W124 scene, please take a look at the W124 thread over at onemotoring forum

 

The W124 is a workhorse; designed for reliability and durability. Performance is certainly not tarmac scorching; indeed some have complained that it is underpowered. Some skill is required for quick acceleration.

 

On the other hand, maintenance is really economical and infrequent; if you own a good specimen. It is extremely tough, indeed most Mercs have been designed to take right and left frontal collisions with the same force as a full frontal collision. Very safe.

 

Fuel consumption varies between 8.5 - 9.5 km/litre; there are a few versions - 8 valve (carburettor and mechanical injection) and 16 valve (electronic injection). Almost all are automatics. The few manual transmissions are very rare - so caveat emptor.

 

Singapore versions are mostly sedans - the 230TE or estate version are also rare. Parts may not be widely available or cheap. The sedans' parts are really abundant and can be cheaper than some Jap cars - not kidding! I read somewhere here that a BMW repair works at PML set the owner back by $8k (this is about the full amount I spent on my W124 for the five years I have owned the car) Maybe the BMW offers really that much more performance than my W124

===============

 

B very careful of the Estate cos most r 2nd hand imports from UK/Europe & even some Saloons r from there.

 

Most of these have very questionable reliability as many r just held together with paper clips & rubber bands & sold overseas with just enough staying power to get sold. After that everything will go wrong & its now your baby.

[W124]

You're right! The reconditioned cars may not be such a good buy. However, I do think that the W124 (the first E-class from MB) is able to match the Toyota Corona in terms of reliability and low maintenance. It becomes an even better deal if the owner is rather big sized, cos the W124 is longer and more spacious

[Pisces69]

  On 5/4/2010 at 9:25 PM, W124 said:

You're right! The reconditioned cars may not be such a good buy. However, I do think that the W124 (the first E-class from MB) is able to match the Toyota Corona in terms of reliability and low maintenance. It becomes an even better deal if the owner is rather big sized, cos the W124 is longer and more spacious

================

 

True. One of the reasons I was considering getting an E200 was cos of the space & comfort of the car.

 

And I know those models r bullet=proof in terms of reliability.

 

[Throttle2]

Pisces, this is a very old thread. i think TS should have already made up his mind by now

[Qes78]

I loved the W124 i drove and owned for 2 years. Only problem with it was the poor fuel economy.

[Swt996]

every car is different - best is to take it to a mechanic to do a check up to ascertain the condition of the car. wear and tear is common among any cars...for replacement of bmw parts, u can always opt for cheaper non-german parts which are common. i drive a old e36. not perfect, then again which car is. no matter what pple say, there is nothing quite like driving a beemer. ;)

so i say go for it after proper inspection. i used a workshop in tampines that specialize in old beemers, e36 and e46 etc. buying second hand coms with risk, so just do whatever due diligence u can to avoid a lemon...my advice is talk to experts in the local beemer forum.

[Mini-itx]

  On 2/17/2009 at 3:54 AM, Elmo said:

Hi all,

 

Was looking at a few Y2K registered BMW 318IA which is renewing their COE and selling at under $50k in sgcarmart.

Hope to get any advice on whether they are worth buying:

 

Are BMWs generally durable enough to last another 10 yrs w/o major problems?

Anyone driving the 318IA can share their experience with it?

 

 

I haven't drove a conti b4 so not sure how much more I have to spend on maintenance as compared to Jap rides.

 

Thks for your advice!

 

If you want to buy this car. You must be prepared to spend lots of money on maintenance. BMW parts are very expensive and labour is expensive as well. As long as you are prepared to do that, you can go ahead and buy the car.

 

Btw, old BMWs are never durable..... One of thing that will go is the gearbox...... Usually after 150K then you have to replace it. Prepare at least 3K for a gearbox.

[Ikennyg]

  On 5/21/2010 at 9:34 AM, Swt996 said:

every car is different - best is to take it to a mechanic to do a check up to ascertain the condition of the car. wear and tear is common among any cars...for replacement of bmw parts, u can always opt for cheaper non-german parts which are common. i drive a old e36. not perfect, then again which car is. no matter what pple say, there is nothing quite like driving a beemer. ;)

so i say go for it after proper inspection. i used a workshop in tampines that specialize in old beemers, e36 and e46 etc. buying second hand coms with risk, so just do whatever due diligence u can to avoid a lemon...my advice is talk to experts in the local beemer forum.

 

I agree with what stw996 said.MQ auto work at tampines, BVO, eruo auto, just for car, riverview and few other workshop are all specialize in repairing all bimmer models.There are lot of use parts at propel scrap yard and local stocklist like golden link and eng soon. Parts are cheap and lot of oem parts which made in germany. The maintenance cost no doubt will be higher than japanese car but the ride handling is super.

 

Sit in one of my friend E46 330ci before doing 230km/h in NSHW I can feel like the car is sticking on the road at that speed, stable and don't have car flooding problem. In the end I sold my FD2 and change to E46 320i and now still enjoying every minute on the road with this car .

 

 

[Vinceng]

  On 2/17/2009 at 3:54 AM, Elmo said:

Hi all,

 

Was looking at a few Y2K registered BMW 318IA which is renewing their COE and selling at under $50k in sgcarmart.

Hope to get any advice on whether they are worth buying:

 

Are BMWs generally durable enough to last another 10 yrs w/o major problems?

Anyone driving the 318IA can share their experience with it?

 

 

I haven't drove a conti b4 so not sure how much more I have to spend on maintenance as compared to Jap rides.

 

Thks for your advice!

 

In today's context, $50K or $5K annual dep for a 10 year old BMW 318 is dirt cheap.

 

This money can't even get you a 10 year renewed COE Lancer or Altis nowadays. 5 year COE renewal Jap 1.6l  cars are already going for $40K

Edited May 14, 2017 by Vinceng