Need some guidance on buying a 2001 E46 330i from a used car dealer.

[E46330iLove]

Hello my fellow BMW lovers, My first time here so please excuse any errors. I am looking at purchasing a 2001 330i with approx. 55K miles (yes, 55k is correct). The car was owned by a lady who did not drive it very much. It has been very well taken care of (garaged all its life) with all the regular maintenance done at the BMW dealership. It looks fabulous too! The dealership is asking 9K (USD) for it. I just wanted to get your opinions on whether that is too much to pay for it. The NADA value for the car shows to be around $4500, so they are basically asking twice what its worth. I am willing to pay a premium for it having very low miles and seen as though it has been very well cared for, but the idea of paying double what it's worth is not sitting well with me . I truly love the car and can almost taste the excitement of owning and driving it . Should I go ahead and buy it? Please let me know your thoughts. Appreciate your honest opinion on this. Thanks.

[MauiM3Mania]

Moved from BMW General Discussion sub-forum.

[RobertDenali]

If the car is a ZHP that is an amazing deal at $9k

If it is a non-zhp the car is worth $8-9k at that mileage and condition.

[Hallatauer]

Nice that it is lower mileage, but it's still from 2001... 17 years old. Driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays... okay. I was thinking more like $6,000.

[All2kool]

NADA is a guide to start with but yes, they're asking about $3500 too much in my opinion. There is a low-mileage 2001 330Cic Sport (59k) near me and it's been listed for months. Price has been dropped to $9,000 from an opening price of $11,000. Yes, it's a Cabriolet and we're entering the 'not a good time to be selling a convertible' weather but it's still overpriced.

As another responder noted, the car is still 17-years old and all the little bits and pieces that age, well, have aged.

[MarcoZandrini]

Have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) performed by an independent shop that specializes in bimmers. Try www.bimrs.org to find a shop nearby.

Be be advised that the rubber hoses are likely in need of replacement as they become brittle with age. So, be prepared for vacuum leaks in the engine. Does the car have any maintenance records? Has the crankcase ventilation system (CCV) been replaced? How many miles did the car go between oil changes? BMW used to brag about 15000 mile oil change intervals. That was a marketing ploy and not a maintenance philosophy. Does the car have an automatic transmission? It’s sue for a fluid and filter change. Be advised that BMW sourced automatic transmissions from GM of France and ZF of Germany. They are different transmissions. The GM box (slang for transmission) has a fluid pan that’s smooth. The ZF box has a rubber fluid pan. Each transmission has its strengths and weaknesses.

[MIKYZZ4]

Have a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) performed by a reliable independent BMW specialist shop,
or a good local BMW dealership, which can quote repairs needed, so there are no surprises!
Good luck, I hope the vehicle turns out to be all that it seems to be.

[jclausen]

Zhp or not it will still have all the familer repairs associated with the e46 ands Hess get a pre purchase inspection run the vin number to see if it really is a zhp car

[NYCHighwheeler]

The ZHP package was not available in 2001, so it's not a ZHP.

I just picked up the opposite end of the 2001 330ci spectrum - ~160K miles, interior/exterior in rough shape, instrument cluster not working at all, and a pronounced thunk in the rear end. However, the price was $2200.

A few things to keep in mind:
Standard transmissions are much more desirable in these cars.
Packages and even colors can affect the value of the car.
I suspect you are paying several thousand for about 50K miles of wear. For example, you could probably get a car with 120K miles in great condition for half the price.
These are not the highest quality cars. Leaving aside Honda and Toyota, e46's don't even have the build quality of the e30s, and e36s. I'm not a mechanic, and I haven't spent much time with the e46 yet, but it doesn't strike me as a really collectible car the way older BMWs were.

I say keep looking, and consider lowballing the dealer. I suspect they are not going to be able to sell that car at that price, at least not quickly.