Buying a Used BMW 1 Series Convertible

LAllahazam on 27/06/2018 - 11:45
Last edited 27/06/2018 - 14:46 by 1 other user

I'm thinking of buying a Used 2013-2012 1 series BMW convertible.
Does anyone have any suggestion around maintenance costing?
Reliability of a 5-6yr old car?
Should I completely stay away from BMW, as I have read some discouraging things about them.
Thinking of buying from a dealer so at least have 3 month warranty, any advice with dealing with dealers?

https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/BMW-120i-2012/OAG…
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/BMW-120i-2013/OAG…

Thanks in advanced for the advice.

Automotive

Comments

        • plmko on 27/06/2018 - 19:15

          LMAO Ozbargain should stick your comment in the Wiki under the definition of 'Wooden duck'.

          • resisting the urge on 28/06/2018 - 00:05

            @plmko: Hahah. I have many bimmers, One with different coloured panels that flies (though it looks like its a scrapper). Some blue, some grey… not exactly exciting plumage really :-(

          • altomic on 28/06/2018 - 09:06

            @plmko: @resisting the urge: my father has a BMW. it's his pride and joy (his retirement car after 40 years of dull "family" cars. personally I think it's a POS. it looks nice, but is so boring to drive. admittedly it's a stock standard BMW. I was expecting something more when I drove it for the first time. e.g. some power - i.e. floor the accelerator and the car takes off. sorely disappointed. my diesel turbo outlander has far better acceleration.

            I don't doubt that a proper sports BMW would be nice to drive, but it's just car.

          • [Deactivated] on 28/06/2018 - 18:01

            @plmko: @altomic: BMW makes as many boring cars as Toyotas. Your dad obviously bought a dad BMW. The difference is, unlike Toyota, BMW takes those same models and puts amazing engines in them for a lot more money.

          • resisting the urge on 01/07/2018 - 13:43

            @plmko: @altomic: Common scenario. People who get used to them love them to a fault. Lots of ugly gold ones with tan interiors around, as popular as gold watches for retirees- and mostly badly maintained at age. Some get sluggish and uninspiring and older owners fail to notice.

      • AlexD on 27/06/2018 - 21:06
        +1

        I had a super similar experience, though I didn't find the build quality anywhere near as good on the Veloster!

        I had a 330i - when mine hit 10 years old, I had to replace lots of bits and pieces and it cost a fortune, but I really missed that extra engine power (albeit 20kw), and the exhaust note.

        I bought a 2015 Veloster SR Turbo + and had quite a few problems - lots of rattles, weird noise in the steering column, and poorly thought out features - even the screen in my BMW dimmed at dusk, and I no longer had auto wipers, auto dimming mirror, or a bunch of other nice features. It felt so much cheaper.

        I generally recommend the European style hatches as good middle-ground.

        • resisting the urge on 27/06/2018 - 23:58
          +4

          Unfortunately 330i is the M54 and M56 3.0L which is the nicest but worst e46 reliability wise, if that version is what you had. The oil rings suffer with wear so once >120k you can start to see problems w compression. There are 2 fixes; one is a rebuild using M54 oil rings to never see the problem again, or a recent invention is a simple mod involving an extra vacuum hose to prevent the level of pressurisation that forces oil past the rings causing them to squash inwards at a certain point in each stroke loss of compression and oil consumption.

          Only the 3.0L ones suffer this, (hence my comment about low production models). Later 330i/ci (US designed, on port injection, i-drive, etc.) using N54 engines didn't suffer from this. But they have more plastic in the engine as a trade-off against better emissions and higher performance, so will suffer at age from other parts degrading in harder to reach places. e46 is all-alloy and plastic engine parts (other than chain guides of course), are external so mostly cooling, intake (ie peripheral to the engine).

          Like modern cars, especially newer ones, e46 require all the hoses and plastics replaced every 10 years maximum. If I buy one, I do as much as I can in one go, hoses, belts, pulleys, water pump, filters, plugs, cooling system, engine seals, PCV system- in order to ensure reliable operation. Takes me a week with beer and $2k worth of parts maybe more if I have to do VANOS seals as well. An e46 is a 13-20 year old car now, so you buy a nice one for 5k with problems and spend 5-10k making it new (new suspension, bearings, brakes, etc, and enjoy new car reliability. If you don't do that, you do something in between or over a period. IMHO, better than a newer model at a higher price and more enjoyable as you can rely on it like a new car, and the parts are so common and cheap its better than modding something designed more for economy, or fitting into a price-point.

        • Peace Maker on 28/06/2018 - 18:54

          @resisting the urge: This guy BMWs

        • resisting the urge on 29/06/2018 - 16:45

          @Peace Maker: Pretty much any car that is well designed, thoughtfully engineered and not too dumbed down by marketing attempting to prove some worth wins my respect. Even cheap ones, so long as they are smartly done.

          And BMW fails to deliver good designs quite a lot (In my mind, when any Germans do the design its obvious). They are not like Italian, French or English designers as they always miss flair in the rush to achieve something supremely efficient. However marketing and management at BMW fails to work with engineering and production to prevent prototypes moving into production too soon, and costing too much. And engineering are held back by marketing too far.

          As a result, there are quite a few I just wouldn't own, or care to look at. The less flawed ones are masterpieces. None are designed as appliances, and knowing that saves you a lot of pain when deciding how much you are prepared to do maintenance wise.

    • whooah1979 on 27/06/2018 - 16:49
      +7

      I lose out on the 'prestige' of a BMW.

      prestige won't do you any good when your six year old bmw is on the side of the road waiting for road service.

      you're better off being the guy in the 86 waving while you drive pass the driver that purchased the bmw.

      • HighAndDry on 27/06/2018 - 17:09

        Also it's a 1-series…..

      • altomic on 28/06/2018 - 09:07
        +2

        remove the badges from the 86 and replace with ebay bought BMW badges.

    • HighAndDry on 27/06/2018 - 17:30

      86GT/BRZ all the way. Basically go with the one with lower miles, with better features (if you care), and that's up to scratch after being mechanically tested.

      I think the rear seats, while next to useless in either of these, will still come in handy from time to time and be worth it over an MX5.

      And over the BMW 1-series Convertibles? Oh-ho-ho-ho. Toyobaru > BMW reliability, and 50,000 kms less on the clock to boot? For newer models/build dates? That's a no-brainer. A convertible looks and feels cooler - that's true. And it might have zero issues. But personally if I bought a 2012 year BMW convertible with 70,000kms on the clock I'd have trouble enjoying it because everyday I'd be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

      • [Deactivated] on 28/06/2018 - 18:03
        +1

        (profanity) me, people going round in here like BMWs fall apart as soon as they are 2 years old. It's a 2012 (!!!) model with UNDER 100,000kms on it. Let alone the fact that BMW ranks higher in Consumer Reports' reliability ratings than Subaru (who made the engine in the BRZ/86).

    • spackbace on 27/06/2018 - 17:43

      The BRZ/86 is underpowered. I sell them, and I have to say that. Sure, they stick to the road well (once you change the stock tyres), have a good formula (front engine/rwd), and are fun to sit in and throw around, but on a straight line just leave you wanting.

      • Oz8argain on 28/06/2018 - 10:07

        any good deals on one this week? :)

    • Illian on 27/06/2018 - 17:44
      +1

      'BMW'

      'Prestige'

      Ha! Non-car people are consistently hilarious. It's a very very easy choice, the 86, I don't even need to explain why, it's just so obvious. Though I will say that personally I dislike convertibles so I can't understand your desire for one or how important that would be to you, you should factor that in.

    • smuggler on 27/06/2018 - 18:48

      Toyota Corolla Hybrid

      Just do it mang

    • bobbified on 27/06/2018 - 19:10
      +1

      Merc A200 "AMG"?

      Make sure it's got all the bells and whistles! lol

    • Halo375 on 27/06/2018 - 19:11
      +1

      The service costs of the BMW would wipe you out. Go the 86/BRZ/MX5 route instead.

    • jug123 on 27/06/2018 - 19:49

      Love my 86 GTS

      • kahn on 27/06/2018 - 21:00
        +1

        Is that a command?

        • freakatronic on 29/06/2018 - 20:55

          Probably, and I'm willing to obey.

    • reno on 27/06/2018 - 21:02

      check out the 86/brz buy/sell fb pages. you'll get a better price there buying off known members =)

    • SydStrand on 27/06/2018 - 22:06
      +3

      A 'gently used' 86 will 100% come pre-thrashed by your friendly neighbourhood hoon and all 30 of his cousins.

      • HighAndDry on 28/06/2018 - 10:29
        -1

        Except…. really so would the 1-series convertible.

      • freakatronic on 29/06/2018 - 20:56

        Just buy from a middle aged lady. Ladies also don't mind the odd but of 86.

    • Euphemistic on 28/06/2018 - 10:22

      Just get the manual, unless your brother is a complete gumby. It doesn't take long to learn to drive a manual if you are reasonably coordinated and there isn't much damage you can do if you teach them the right way to drive (ie don't ride the clutch)

      • CMH on 28/06/2018 - 14:11

        Why look at these cars if you're buying an auto?

        Might as well buy a corolla.

        You could slap on a bimmer badge on it if you want. Or maybe a Ferrari badge. Chicks like horses right?

  • mini2 on 28/06/2018 - 11:21

    Just buy a coupe, less things to break, do your due diligence and hope for the best. 5-6 years old should still be fine provided the engine's not too sludged up (25k+ oil change intervals….lovvvvely) and throw it away in a couple of years' time. The longer you're in the game the more likely the house will finally beat you.

  • ozzpete on 28/06/2018 - 18:11

    At this age range of used vehicle, be sure to buy 1 that is still under new car warranty. This largely mitigates any risk of buying a lemon with faults and issues the seller is hiding and/or unaware of. Ie. If still under new car warranty, the owner would have gotten anything and everything fixed.
    I dont know what warranty options this car came with, but I believe most cars have an option for at least 5 years new car warranty . If the most any have is 5 years, then it would be well worth getting a 2013/2014 model, just to have that safety of warranty. Be sure to check that owner has followed all service rules etc, so as warranty is still current.

  • test123123 on 28/06/2018 - 18:57

    Always buy brand new with these luxury cars

  • lostn on 28/06/2018 - 22:56

    these things are expensive to maintain. The reason used ones are cheap is because their repair costs are about to get expensive for the new buyer. You're about to inherit those costs.

    People who buy these get them new, and when their lease is done, they change it for a new one. It is reliable during the time they have it, and under warranty.

    The germans over engineer their cars. That makes them fun to be inside, but their complexity means more parts, which means more ways something can fail. Simpler cars are boring but have fewer potential points of failure and are cheaper to maintain when old.

    If you can afford the maintenance costs, go for it. Replacing the same part in a luxury german car is going to cost more than other makes. But you're going to have more parts that will fail and need replacing.

    Thinking of buying from a dealer so at least have 3 month warranty, any advice with dealing with dealers?

    Heheh. If 3 months is enough for peace of mind, go for it.

    • resisting the urge on 30/06/2018 - 01:38

      Or by extension, buy a simple German one, it'll delight you more than a complex lesser brand, drive a lot better and even be more reliable and cheap to maintain.

      But like anything it's horses for courses perhaps. Many people don't notice. But every time I go in a non-German car, I am surprised at how under-or at least strangely engineered they are.

      But oh, never buy a convertible, never… it's like putting a tow-bar on the back and finding the corners seem harder and the tyres are wearing out

  • greatlamp on 28/06/2018 - 23:10
    -1

    • Parts for a BMW are more expensive than a Toyota, but that is not an equivalent car.
      When you compare to a performance car that is japanese built, costs are not that different.

    • the biggest expense will be labour, not parts, as many mechanics will charge more to work on a BMW, even though they are designed to be easily maintained.

    • unlike some rarer japanese or european brands, you will never have a problem sourcing parts.

    • A brakes service includes replacing the pads, and the discs, and the wear sensors. Expect to pay up to a couple of thousand dollars to replace the brakes on all 4 wheels at a dealer.

    • If you have some intuition around cars, there are a couple of websites that will ship parts from the USA. You then need to find a local mechanic willing to use your parts.

    Mechanically these cars are built very well. Normal wear and tear costs are high compared to a holden or a Toyota, but the parts you are wearing out are of a much higher performance level.
    Your biggest problems will be electrical issues.

    BMW models have an 8 year lifecycle, with a refresh at year 4. Aim to buy a refresh model, and avoid the early models. Most of the design faults will have been ironed out.

  • djmm on 29/06/2018 - 07:27

    BMW = Brings More Women

    • mini2 on 29/06/2018 - 11:43

      Break My Window?

  • compugrid on 29/06/2018 - 12:50

    I hope 1 series built in Germany, otherwise I wouldn't touch it at all. . BMW 2 series are the best reliable model among BMWs and no 5 ranking among all cars in 2018. Maybe you can get it in Convertible, will cost you more as it is not available in 6 years old range.

    • boostpak on 30/06/2018 - 10:01

      subjective opinion - terrible advice

  • myusername on 29/06/2018 - 16:56
    +2

    if you can't afford a brand new one you can't afford to maintain a second hand one

  • DiscoJango on 29/06/2018 - 19:14

    a bmw is looking to buy a 6-7 year old human. is this a good buy for the bmw? the human comes with a 3 week warranty.

    • hashtagbargain on 29/06/2018 - 23:18

      What are you smoking

      • gezza90 on 30/06/2018 - 13:33

        He's smoking 'hash' at a 'disco' party.

  • casho on 30/06/2018 - 02:01
    +4

    My last 3 cars have been BMW's and I generally purchase them 10 years old or more, so most of the depreciation has occurred. One had a failed alternator, a few hundred to fix and the other had a failed water pump which warranty fixed. Those issues are typical for any 10yo car. Just service them and keep driving it. And speaking of German my latest car is 30 years old and going strong. Buy a well serviced car and keep up regular servicing and you will be fine. People seem to be stuck in some weird logic where they don't like fixing something that broke, might be an alternator which typically lasts 10 years on any car. "oh I have to spend $500 on an alternator, this old car is costing me too much. I know what I'll do. I'll spend $20,000 or $30,000 on a new car with a warranty and that will save me money". WTF!? Tens of thousands on a fast depreciating car. And that SAVES you money!? Yeah sure. This is ozbargain.

    • DiscoJango on 30/06/2018 - 09:01
      +1

      this is ozbargain? no sir, this is ozdepreciation

      or sparta

    • boostpak on 30/06/2018 - 10:02
      +2

      people on here have never owned a german car and typically have no clue at all, they are just talking out of their arse. All sound like boring old camry drivers hating on people with nicer cars

    • HighAndDry on 02/07/2018 - 11:09

      There's a heavy bit of survivorship bias if you buy cars generally when they're 10+ years old already - at that point any vehicles which needed very expensive repairs or replacements have either had those already or been junked. Not to mention, to date that means you would've been buying the older BMWs which are surprisingly more reliable than newer models as the newer ones are turbo'd more which stresses the engine more, and have fancier electronics which not surprisingly are also common points of failure.

  • charles6666 on 30/06/2018 - 12:04
    +1

    Just my personal experience as reference - bought a brand new 430i gc and had to go back to dealership over 10 times in the first year. Just problems after problems. I think 6 times was within the first 3 months. Though within warranty it got to a point I can't put it up it due to dealership incompetency. Had to get independent mechanics to fix all issues out of my own pocket in order to sell it. Now sold it and got a corolla - no problem what so ever since very happy with it. The handling may not be that precise but does its job. The acceleration may not be that fast but no annoying lag especially at low speed. So the warranty does not necessarily give you full cover. If you go ahead with it I just wish you the best of luck. Make sure get a proper mechanic. There will be risk of investing your time/effort to put up with the potential QS issues. If you value the badge and/or driving experience more than the troubles it gives you then probably it wouldn't be a problem for you.

  • gezza90 on 30/06/2018 - 13:18

    Is it me or are standards really going up. 50-60yrs ago owning a car was a luxury and only the wealthy could afford them. To me, anything less than 10yrs old feels brand new. I drove a 1995 Toyota celica for over 8years up to 300xxxkm until the paintwork gave in otherwise mechanically it was fine. Maintenance was only a simple oil change every year. I also had a 1999 Hyundai excel for 3years and then a 2006 Mazda 6 MPS for 2years and now a 2010 Audi A3 6sp man S line ($9700) which to me feels like a brand new car. My Audi has 98xxxkm on it and have been topping up a cup of oil every 2xxxkm so I'm smelling a piston ring failure coming even though it was driven by an old man it's whole life and full Audi service history. I am also gentle with my cars. For that reason I'm going to continue the Audi servicing so they can't say, "we can't help you, you took it to another mechanic".

    My advice if you are going to get a BMW:
    1. manufacturer's full service history
    2. How many previous owners and suss out the type of trips they did. There are cars with 60xxxkm and only highway so less start stop
    3. Certified inspection just like some of the suggestions here
    4. Research online for service intervals. Some dual clutch cars can cost $2k just to change tx oil and done every 60xxxkm. Or just opt with a manual like I always do :)
    5. (imo) think about depreciation and resale value. If you're spending over $20k on a car like that, you're most likely not to get that money back in a few years. I bought my MPS for $15,600 and sold for $15,300 2yrs later, bought my Hyundai for $800 from auction (53xxxkm) And sold for $4000 3 yrs later. I'm convinced that my Audi a3 will sell for $11k now even though I bought for $9.7k. Brought him down from $13k. You need to negotiate effectively
    6. Check insurance quotes and don't forget to search ozbargain for promo codes or gift cards like I did with woolies

    Good luck. Buying a new car should be a fun process :)

  • PerthectDeal on 30/06/2018 - 18:08

    Hello Allahazam,

    I have this same car, brought from BMW dealer when 3 years old and now almost 10 years old.

    The main thing is to check service history if you buy either private or from a dealer. Mine has good service history and has been trouble free.

    Enjoy the car.

  • ccrap on 01/07/2018 - 02:20
    +1

    Hi OP. So many opinionated folk on here who have no idea what they are talking about in terms of actually owning this specific car or even convertibles of a BMW or Mercedes standard generally. We bought 2 of these - mine a 2011 135i alpine white and the wife a 2013 120i carbon black. Both brand new from dealer, msport, lci, 5 year corporate service plans and therefore regularly serviced for free by BMW.

    I sold mine in 2016, had done 75k kms. Car still looked showroom mint. Never had a single problem. Recently met the purchaser at Bondi by sheer coincidence. Still running perfectly. Soft top roof of the highest quality. Does a surprisingly good job at isolating sound, obviously not as good as a hard top vert (currently got a 2016 440i), but the best amongst the soft tops. Convertibles are lots of fun and we drive around with the top down whenever we can (we're a young couple not 'seedy old men' who apparently are the only ones who do this according to some here lol). I even drive like this at night, the heater is so strong on these it's quite refreshing and the wind deflector can be popped on if it starts getting chilly.

    About to sell the wife's one in a few months, it's only done 45k kms. Same as my sold 135i in that it looks mint, no issues and drives like a dream. Backseat space is more than sufficient and have regularly driven with rear passengers. The only thing that is a PITA with these cars are the runflat tyres which affect ride quality a little and are expensive to replace - nearly $2k at the dealers for 4. Had to change the wife's ones last month so I spent an hour looking up tyre shops online and calling around as well. Got a few to price beat eachother in true ozbargainer style and got all 4 done for $960 - exact same tyres.

    As others have said, just make sure whichever car you get has a regular service history and if possible take it along an independent BMW accredited specialist to do a once over check for you before buying. I would also recommend you getting your services done there as they are often as good, if not better, than dealers.

    My wife's one sounds like what you are looking for. OP, if you decide a 1er vert is for you, PM me and I might sell earlier for an ozbargainer :)

    • gezza90 on 01/07/2018 - 12:01

      How much did you buy your car for and how much did you sell it?

    • dp1 on 07/07/2018 - 14:42

      I recommend swapping the standard Continental run-flats for something better, I just got a combination of bridgestone turanza rear /potenza front and they don't even feel like run-flats. No longer gritting my teeth over drains and pot holes!

  • AustriaBargain on 01/07/2018 - 04:37

    Why not lease a 2017 model every second weekend instead.

  • citybargainhunter on 01/07/2018 - 12:33

    one owner, < 40,000 KM, regularly serviced, you'll be right.

  • dp1 on 07/07/2018 - 14:34

    Hi OP I've come late to this thread but I did exactly what you are planning 2 years ago with no regrets. 2011 125i 3.0 convertible with 68k km and full BMW service history. I have added 14k kms in 2 years, and I am keeping the BMW service history going. $650 service last year which was cheaper than both the Mitsubishi lancer and the Ford I used to have. Condition-based servicing means that only necessary service items are done so you don't have a 'major service' costing $2000 every 3 years like other brands. I was going to say that so far my repair bills are $0 (as opposed to new tyres which are wear + tear not really repairs) BUT yesterday the 3rd brake light cracked into 3 pieces, which will be $230 from BMW for the part or $130 from eBay and should be an easy DIY fitting. Before I bought it I had a line in the sand which was to sell it if any repairs cost over $5000 in future.

    The only drawback is that it spoils all other cars for you, I'll never again be able to enjoy driving any other car without wishing it was a BMW!

  • [Deactivated] on 09/07/2018 - 10:51

    Check out Pickles Auctions. Heard they do pretty comprehensive checkups before selling/auctioning off the car. Might get a bargain from there.
    They mostly have ex government cars which are well maintained.

    • dp1 on 10/07/2018 - 22:46
      +1

      Not many BMW convertible ex-government cars!

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