help: considering buying 2006 330i

[r shackleford]

i'm completely new to bmw's so go easy on me...
i'm considering an 06 330i sedan with manual transmission.
1) is there anything major i should look out for?
2) how does bmw handle warranty claims for buyers of used cars? for instance, suppose the engine needs rebuilding - maybe its burning oil for some odd reason. if i purchased the car used and can't show maintenance records, can they deny the claim?
3) is there a simple way to tell which models came with the sport package other than by doing a vin search? (such as by the wheel style)?
4) is there any major inspections/preventative maintenance required at specific intervals? for instance, my friend's m5 required an expensive inspection at 60k miles.
5) how well do these cars hold up over the years when it comes to interior squeeks and rattles? it was this issue (along with engine nvh) that caused me to sell my 2005 g35 6sp sedan - an otherwise awesome car.

THANKS!

[Schm]

Do a Carfax/Autocheck of sometype. Do a good inspection of the car, make sure bits and things aren't falling off at random times, and that all electronics function properly.

You'll have to ask someone with a longer history with the 3er, as I just got mine, but I understand that the BMW 4-year warrenty is transferable, and is valid at any BMW dealer. I opted for an extended warrenty, (through the seller) and it is valid at any shop, including the main stealerships, uhmp, I mean't dealerships.

I just started here and I'm already out of control.

All luxury German cars are expensive to maintain, mostly becouse labor very high.

As far as long-term durability, I've heard very good things about BMWs. Things may get pricey, but Bimmers always score well on JDpower and CR (Take them or leave them) surveys.

[mryakan]

All luxury German cars are expensive to maintain, mostly becouse labor very high.

Last I check my BMW dealer charged almost the same hourly rate as the Ford dealer where my brother works :confused.

OP, do you want to check whether a car has the sports package without having access to the car or photos of it you mean? Yeah a VIN search would help (you can get a full listing of options) but you may not be able to do that yourself. If you have access to the car, the easiest way to tell if it has a sports package is looking for the thigh extender on the seats.

Non M cars don't have any specific maintenance intervals, they are all CBS (condition based service) where the car tells you when service is needed at various intervals. Depending on what needs to be done, it could be a bit expensive, but having maintained my previouse e36 at the dealer for the whole 10 years I had it, I can say it is not what people make it out to seem, the scheduled maintenance means less chance of costly repairs so 500-800$ per year isn't that bad. It may be a bit more by the time your car is out of warranty.

[r shackleford]

mryakan - thanks for your input. yes, i didn't know what visual clues i could look for to determine if the vehicle had the sport package or not - internet descriptions aren't always the greatest.

[Lifted07Sierra]

what does the sport package include?

[mryakan]

what does the sport package include?
Depends on which car it is, it varies from model to model. The common items are upgraded wheels/tires, an increased speed governor limit (149mph vs 129), sports seats, and a different steering wheel. Sport suspension is also part of it on non x-drive model but not part of it on the e92 since it is standard. Also wheel/tire size upgrades vary by model.