Considering a 645ci, need help

[jftoha]

Hi everyone.

I currently own a 1999 540i Sport 6spd E39 but I am considering buying a 2004 645ci (produced 02/2004) with 55,000 miles, sport package, 6 speed manual, black on black. It has a Certified Pre-Owned warranty that expires in March of 2010 and the car is in very very good condition. A very well regarded BMW independent Service shop in the DC area that also sells a lot of BMW's, Porsches, and Audis is selling it for $32,600. I have owned 6 BMW's (E30, E24, E36, E34, E31, E39) and I am pretty familiar with them.

My questions are:

First, does this sounds like a good deal? I have checked around and it seems to be market value but I am not as familiar with these cars as most of you are. How much room is there for negotiation?

Second, once the warranty expires, is it a must that I purchase an extended warranty? The warranty in my e39 expired about 5 years ago and running costs have not broken the bank at all so far. I have probably put abut $500-$1,500 on it per year in repairs and maintenance and the car has 100,000 miles. Do E63's have a lot of expensive problems? From my research, they do not seem to be that problematic.

Third: I understand that with a production date of 04/2004 neither Bluetooth or iPod module were available. Can they now be retrofitted? The car does have a telephone integration and the communication menu on the Navigation.

Please feel free to make any comments or recommendations.

Thanks for your help.

Jo

[crazyray66]

I'm also looking for a 645/650i. What's the shops name so I can look at their selection of cars and maybe use them for service work. Thanks Ray.

[wantboost]

i guess no one can help i had similar questions

[TheSunTheSea]

Hey jftoha,

I was in a similar situation as you back in November 2008. I purchased my 2004 645ci with 33K miles for $32,600. So, in my opinion, you can probably get a little better deal than what the dealer is offering you. Although in general that's not a bad price.

I can't really answer the warranty question. I should have got one since I've been having noise issues with my front strut braces, but honestly I think it's a rare fluke with my car specifically and not 645's in general, so you don't have to worry. Aside from that problem I haven't had an issue.

As far as iPod and Bluetooth, I know you can buy an iPod module that essentially replaces the CD changer in our cars. You can control the ipod through the iDrive while the player sits in your glove compartment.

Hope that helps.

[mikenelson]

Here is the bit of price guidance I have.... I bought a 2005 with 55K miles from a Porsche dealer, 60 day warranty. I paid $27K. Now realize that I worked real hard to find that deal & many people were selling similar for $5K more.

From what I can extract from Kelly Blue Book, a 2004 should go for about $3K less than a 2005, but black & 6spd stick is worth a few $K to some buyers.

So, I consider $32,600 too high.

[AllStarBimmer]

Good luck.

[dello]

My friend has a 2005 645 with 74,000 miles on it and it has been fairly reliable. I would encourage you to look around to see if there are better deals, but if this is a one-owner and has been well maintained then go for it. I would also suggest that you contact bmw to inquire about an extended warranty through bmw and not aftermarket warranty. Although these car's engines are somewhat bulletproof-they are some area of caution that you want to have some added insurance against. The electronics on these cars are a nightmare if something goes wrong. I have had my active steering unit replaced twice, and couple of electrical things go south. As far as yearly upkeep--Expect to pay alot for brakes once your warranty runs out--front and rear with rotors at the dealer can easily run about 1,400--control arms and bushings can run about 1,100..Of course you can save yourself money by going to indy, but make sure they replace your parts with OEM, because if anything happens, bmw will try to sock it to you once they discover non-oem parts..Also you pay a little more when it comes to spark plug changes for the v8 model due to the disposition of the rear spark plug location. Also you can add a ipod interface fairly easy if you have CDC (Cd Disk changer in the glove box)unit, it's a plug play, but you have to go back to bmw for programing-about a 150.00. Really depends on your local area dealer's pricing. Second you probably can pair your car bluetooth with your phone if you have a later car-built model. I believe there were no issue with bluetooth pairing for cars builted after May 2004. If you have a earlier car, then you might have to upgrade your tcu which can be fairly expensive.--Good luck.

[Mr. BMW]

My questions are:

First, does this sounds like a good deal? I have checked around and it seems to be market value but I am not as familiar with these cars as most of you are. How much room is there for negotiation?

The deal seems just, but your negotiation leverage all depends on you a dn the seller. I would look to buy this 645ci you mentioned for no more than 30K in this automotive market. Can you get it? Sure. I bet you 1K, the mark-up on this from the seller's purchase is 10K.

Also, make sure this 645ci is not BMWNA return. (original customer had and issue with the car that took more than 3 weeks for repair).


Second, once the warranty expires, is it a must that I purchase an extended warranty? The warranty in my e39 expired about 5 years ago and running costs have not broken the bank at all so far. I have probably put abut $500-$1,500 on it per year in repairs and maintenance and the car has 100,000 miles. Do E63's have a lot of expensive problems? From my research, they do not seem to be that problematic.

Honestly, the E63/E64 do have a few problems that will cost you a nice penny ($1,200) on average for electronic issues. If you do not have the full-extended warranty, you will double your spend per year from your E39 experience.


Third: I understand that with a production date of 04/2004 neither Bluetooth or iPod module were available. Can they now be retrofitted? The car does have a telephone integration and the communication menu on the Navigation.

Run a search on my name for 6 Series BT and or iPod integration.

[realeksy]

I bought a 2005 645 conv in April thjis year, It had 15000 miles and was in excellant shape I paid 36000.00 so I guess I should have negotiated better, but I love the car

[Bankswood]

I have a 2005 645ci Black / deep red interior / brushed aluminum trim. that I am selling for $33,000. It has 54,000 miles. I have added chrome M6 style 18" wheels, an airbox and high performance exhaust. I paid $600 to add the ipod kit and mine does have blue tooth. It is pristene. Just recently "clayed" it so the paint is emmaculate. If the car is pristene then I think the price is OK.

As for extended warranty. I was quoted $8,800 that's right $8,800 for the 100,000 5 year extention.