Ryou
Club Guest
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
- Messages
- 216
- Points
- 0
Hi guys, New to the forum, but i been looking for a recond 335i for quite a while, thought i just post abit of the research and findings during my search. All is my personal opinion, feel free to correct any mistakes or if you disagree I been to many many dealers and looked at countless units, to be honest, its the most confusing vehicle to research for in my years of car ownership, so many types, specs, rims, options and trim levels. My best fren was also in the market for one, so we did alot of the visiting on sat mornings. Guide only covers recond unreg 06/07 e92/e93, i honestly dunno anything about other BMW models, i dont even know the codes for the other modelsDEALERS big and small dealers both have thier pro's and con's. A bigger dealer would have more then 1 unit to look at so u can compare, however u might be able to find a gem of a car in a small less populor dealer.Bigger dealers would also be able to give you better trade in values for your used carexample - Sri Changgong on Jalan Damansara has over 7-8 units on display, Cahaya Auto in Cheras has 3-4 units as well.Msport or not?Official Msport cars come with- M steering- M suspension- M rims- M front bumper- Oil coolermany units in dealers have the msport kit or rims, but this does not mean they are msport spec cars...esiest is to look at the drivers side wheel fender and see if theres vents for the oil cooler..if its not there..its not a real MsportMsport cars are around +5-15k more then non Msport, its up to you whether u think its worth the differenceIdriveI cant understand why importers will bring in cars without idrive? its so strange...personally i wont touch a car without idrive, no matter how much cheaper it is...without idrive...u dont have BT, Navi, PDC display etcMilegeSad to say...many units have tampered milege, do not pay a deposit if the dealer will not let you bring the car for a full diagnostic in the workshop of YOUR choice...not the dealers choiceWorkshops like Obermaier would be able to give your a full diagnostic to show real milege, the factory specs of the vehicle and options (so u know if things have been removed or added)Year of manufacturemost of the dealers dont even know this...when u pop the hood, theres a metal plate with month/year of manufacture right next to the hood catch. At one dealer, we found 2 335, same spec, same price...but one was jan 2007, the other was Nov 2007...so obviously the newer unit is better buyThere a grey unit on mudah.com, reg card, AP all states its a 2007 car, but when u pop the hood, the plate says oct 2006. So up to you whether u are ok with itFreebiesTry to get the following from your dealer- Complete fluid change (engine oil, coolant, transmission oil, brake fluid) if he is not willing, try to offer to pay 50%- New tires if the old ones are already worn- replacement of any part that has error codes during the inspection (dealer agreed to replace HPFP on frens car b4 delivery)MiddlemenTry to cut out the brokers/middlemen. For many cars, they are just "displayed" at a yard, but the yard doesnt actually own it. Or if u see mudah.com, its advertised by dealer A, but actually owned by dealer B.OptionsMany cars come with options that the previous owner decided on from the dealer. These normally do not add to the price of the car in msia (most dealers are ignorant) but it will cost a BOMB to retrofit it yourself, so take note of these...it really adds value to the carAux USB - Located in the armrest, allows you to play songs via USB thumdrive and other devices, will show artists/genres/albums etc. over Rm2.2k to retrofit locallyFront PDC - You can tell by the PDC sensors in the front bumper, really useful in msian carparksLogic 7/ or other upgraded soundsystem - you can tell by extra tweeter in A pillar and rear passenger seat sideCD changer - located in the boot on the leftTrim - there are about 4-5 common trim options, the 2 most common is silver and cherry (looks like the fake wood on nissans) its very personal, but i really dislike cherry and the normal silver looks common. I will only go for the dark walnut trim or artic silver trim (silver with cross design)Hidden costs
We all "think" we can afford the 335....cos we calculate monthly payment...add in for fuel etc.....but frankly the 335i is a monster to maintain. i paid over RM15k in the 1st week of ownership...not even on mods.. just to get it in running condition- 3k insurance- 2k road tax- 5k tires- 3k windscreen/rear glass- 2k tint- 1k full servicereally pengsan. but in my 11 years of car ownership..can say this is THE best car i have ever owned. Power delivery, quality, cabin...noise.....its freakin awesome car. and i have owend some nice cars b4. all used of course for better value. (FTO, 147, Wrx, GTI, Roc)more to come