Question about buying a used car

asuresh8 · 07-27-2011, 02:00 AM

So my Dad is looking for a new car and he found a 2010 CPO 328xi listed for $5k under kbb value. The car is about a 2 hour drive from my parent's home, so I told him to call and set up an appointment to look at it. Well he emails be back saying that he called them and apparently the car has a manual transmission (which he doesn't want as my mother can't drive stick). I look at the ad for the car again this morning, and it clearly has a Steptronic transmission. On top of that, the dealership dropped the price again by $500, making it $5500 under kbb!

At this point, my Dad says he doesn't want to look into the car anymore as something seems fishy. What would you all suggest?

JunkStory · 07-27-2011, 02:24 AM

show us the link, and check with carfax

asuresh8 · 07-27-2011, 02:40 AM

http://www.graysonbmw.com/certified/...96a99ac0ab.htm

Carfax looks clean

JunkStory · 07-27-2011, 03:03 AM

Looks good to me. I doubt there's anything wrong about it, just not popular because it doesn't have sports package perhaps.

Kolyan2k · 07-27-2011, 07:43 AM

31-33k is a good price for that car.....not more

apc3libras · 07-27-2011, 08:22 AM

What makes you think there's something wrong with it? Looks clean to me. I agree on the sports package thing. They are probably just trying to get it off the lot. Seems like a good deal though.

bbbuzzy · 07-27-2011, 08:48 AM

Definitely not a manual transmission if the pics are accurate. Not sure what the concern is about. Good luck with your decisions

Tom K. · 07-27-2011, 10:52 AM

The ad now says "Transmission Unspecified" but one of the photos clearly shows Steptronic. So either the photo is of another car, or the dealer doesn't know much about what they are selling.

I think your Dad's intincts are spot on and he should pass on this one.

BTW, will he really need AWD in Atlanta? It really saps the power on an automatic 328i.

Tom

apc3libras · 07-27-2011, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom K.

The ad now says "Transmission Unspecified" but one of the photos clearly shows Steptronic. So either the photo is of another car, or the dealer doesn't know much about what they are selling.

I think your Dad's intincts are spot on and he should pass on this one.

BTW, will he really need AWD in Atlanta? It really saps the power on an automatic 328i.

Tom

It may just be a typo or something, or they selected the wrong option. It's been done before. I don't think it means there's something wrong with the car.

I do agree with you about the AWD.

asuresh8 · 07-27-2011, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom K.

The ad now says "Transmission Unspecified" but one of the photos clearly shows Steptronic. So either the photo is of another car, or the dealer doesn't know much about what they are selling.

I think your Dad's intincts are spot on and he should pass on this one.

BTW, will he really need AWD in Atlanta? It really saps the power on an automatic 328i.

Tom

I live in Atlanta, My Parents live in Northeastern Tennessee right in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. Even with snow tires, his e46 325i can't get out of our driveway in the winter, so AWD is his biggest concern.

Tom K. · 07-27-2011, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilballa

I live in Atlanta, My Parents live in Northeastern Tennessee right in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. Even with snow tires, his e46 325i can't get out of our driveway in the winter, so AWD is his biggest concern.

Understood - that's a beautiful part of the state!

Tom

Kolyan2k · 07-27-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilballa

I live in Atlanta, My Parents live in Northeastern Tennessee right in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. Even with snow tires, his e46 325i can't get out of our driveway in the winter, so AWD is his biggest concern.

snow tires are also different.......you probably used high performance winter tires, ice/snow studless tires are much better. Maybe look into Audi A4 6-speed too. 2.0T is a great little engine and highly tunable too.

Propagator · 07-27-2011, 02:41 PM

Well it's very common for dealers to get the details wrong on sales postings. Partially because they deal with a lot of cars, and partially because they usually don't know much about the cars they are selling. Unless you go there and find that the pictures were fake, I think it looks legit.

asuresh8 · 07-28-2011, 10:57 AM

It turned out the car was a smoker's car

AddictedToBavarian · 07-28-2011, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilballa

It turned out the car was a smoker's car

07-27-2011, 02:00 AM	#1
asuresh8 Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 262 Posts Drives: 09 911 C4s Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Seattle iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i [0.00]	Question about buying a used car So my Dad is looking for a new car and he found a 2010 CPO 328xi listed for $5k under kbb value. The car is about a 2 hour drive from my parent's home, so I told him to call and set up an appointment to look at it. Well he emails be back saying that he called them and apparently the car has a manual transmission (which he doesn't want as my mother can't drive stick). I look at the ad for the car again this morning, and it clearly has a Steptronic transmission. On top of that, the dealership dropped the price again by $500, making it $5500 under kbb! At this point, my Dad says he doesn't want to look into the car anymore as something seems fishy. What would you all suggest?
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07-27-2011, 02:24 AM	#2
JunkStory Major 160 Rep 1,307 Posts Drives: E92 M3, 8V RS3 Join Date: May 2008 Location: 98230 iTrader: (3)	show us the link, and check with carfax
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07-27-2011, 02:40 AM	#3
asuresh8 Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 262 Posts Drives: 09 911 C4s Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Seattle iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i [0.00]	http://www.graysonbmw.com/certified/...96a99ac0ab.htm Carfax looks clean
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07-27-2011, 03:03 AM	#4
JunkStory Major 160 Rep 1,307 Posts Drives: E92 M3, 8V RS3 Join Date: May 2008 Location: 98230 iTrader: (3)	Looks good to me. I doubt there's anything wrong about it, just not popular because it doesn't have sports package perhaps.
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07-27-2011, 07:43 AM	#5
Kolyan2k Major General 930 Rep 5,538 Posts Drives: 2006 S2000 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston iTrader: (1)	31-33k is a good price for that car.....not more
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07-27-2011, 08:22 AM	#6
apc3libras Lieutenant Colonel 36 Rep 1,691 Posts Drives: E36 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: UTAH iTrader: (3) Garage List 1999 BMW M3 [4.00]	What makes you think there's something wrong with it? Looks clean to me. I agree on the sports package thing. They are probably just trying to get it off the lot. Seems like a good deal though. __________________ 2007 BMW 328I Monaco Blue /// 1999 BMW M3 Titanium Silver /// 2007 BMW 328I Sparkling Graphite (sold)
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07-27-2011, 08:48 AM	#7
bbbuzzy Lieutenant 18 Rep 481 Posts Drives: '13 335is convertible (manual) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: north of Boston iTrader: (0)	Definitely not a manual transmission if the pics are accurate. Not sure what the concern is about. Good luck with your decisions __________________ '13 335is convertible (manual) '11 X3 xdrive35i '15 Sienna Limited AWD (road tripper) '06 330i MT, sport,premium (retired)
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07-27-2011, 10:52 AM	#8
Tom K. Major General 124 Rep 5,627 Posts Drives: '07 328iT, '13 Boxster Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	The ad now says "Transmission Unspecified" but one of the photos clearly shows Steptronic. So either the photo is of another car, or the dealer doesn't know much about what they are selling. I think your Dad's intincts are spot on and he should pass on this one. BTW, will he really need AWD in Atlanta? It really saps the power on an automatic 328i. Tom
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07-27-2011, 02:41 PM	#13
Propagator Captain 14 Rep 808 Posts Drives: 2011 328i LMB 6MT Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Well it's very common for dealers to get the details wrong on sales postings. Partially because they deal with a lot of cars, and partially because they usually don't know much about the cars they are selling. Unless you go there and find that the pictures were fake, I think it looks legit.
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07-28-2011, 10:57 AM	#14
asuresh8 Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 262 Posts Drives: 09 911 C4s Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Seattle iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i [0.00]	It turned out the car was a smoker's car
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