Ohdoom

Hi all.
I'm new to the forums due to the fact that I have recently been infected with the BMW bug. I have never had one and being that I am ready for an upgraded ride with comfort in the fore-front of my considerations, I have been looking at 335's and 535's. I am leaning towards the 535i for the comfort. While I would rather have the faster, sportier, and driver enthusiast's choice, I am 6'3" and am suffering in my compact size vehicle. The sport package equipped 535i seems like it would fit the balance I am looking for. I'm considering 2008 models, as they fall into my price range. I am looking for certified cars with relatively low miles, <60 ideally. There is plenty of opinionated threads that have been helpful but they are all from 2007-9 era. Can anyone give me some insight or opinion that may help my decision? What might resale be like in 2-3 years? Should I expect to loose a big chunk? I plan to find a loaded model (sport,premium,cold,nav etc) that is certified and in clean condition. Thanks for reading!

pukka

If you are in the market for an '08 then most of the depreciation would have already been taken off. However, because of the HPFP issues and as the 10 year warranty for this failure approaches one could argue the predicted resale value in another 2-3 years could take a worse hit.

Be very careful when considering a Certified Pre-Owned car. The warranty excludes almost all of the electronics which are prone to fail before the mechanical parts do. Better to find one you like and have an Indy shop inspect it - then purchase an aftermarket warranty should you buy it.

Be warned these cars are definitely not cheap to maintain/repair. It definitely helps if you know how to do services (fluid changes, brakes, etc.).

Ohdoom

Thanks for the response. That's interesting to hear about the bmw cert. Maybe I am weighing that too much? I figured it would help the car retain it's value better. How heavily should I weigh in finding a car that has remaining maintenance warranty left and or low miles? I feel I am well informed on the maintenance costs etc. and am capable to handle it. Thanks for the heads up.

bmwgroup

N54's are fantastic cars, period. BMW has resolved the HPFP issue. It is extremely fun to drive and are eye catchers. Just go in and buy one. You won't be disappointed. You should weight in HEAVILY on the Maintenance warranty!! If it don't have one, then buy one. You will need it, just in case.

Rez

I bought my car 2 months ago, and couldn't feel happier. I also started looking at CPO 2008 535i vehicles, but got burnt a couple of times by the "stealers" and decided against it. My car had 33000 miles when I bought it, so its still under the BMW warranty for another 11 months or upto 50K miles. I plan to buy an extended warranty once I near the end of the manufacturers warranty.

You can't go wrong with the 535i.

mrich1353

You won't be disappointed in an E60.
You might want to check out my old 2010 which I traded in September a bit north of you; the rear drive seems to be a resale problem in Pennsylvania...Details on options in my signature; they certified it and replaced my Michelin Pilot Sports with new run-flats, but have it at a great price.
http://www.applebmwofyork.com/car/38...s-535i-York-PA

corey

All the 2010's at my dealership are $42k - $48k. They are also xi's but even so, there's not that much price difference for a RWD. That is a great price.

mrich1353

Car just sold to one of my neighbor's friends; Just passed on the window sticker and maintenance history!

Ohdoom

That was a sweet deal! I can't find an 08 with the options I want at that price. Thanks for the heads up. And thanks to all for the input. I will continue to look for a certified 535i or just negotiate that cost into the sale. I drove a sport 535i 08 today and am in love. Im hooked on Black with black interior though. I didn't mind using the shifter for gear changes (automatic), but have been looking for one with the paddles thinking it will be a bit easier and a bit more fun. Can anyone give me their opinion on paddles vs. no paddles on the sport packaged 535i?

and if anyone has search recommends, please send them my way. I have tried Cars.com, Autotrader, carguru, Ebay, searchtempest (craigslist search engine).

Maninder

I'm in the exact same situation as the OP as I'm debating between a used E60 or a newer E90. I'm leaning towards a used E60 as well and currently hunting for one with <50k miles.

In regards to a used E60, would someone mind weighing in as to if there is a considerable difference between a 528i E60 and a 535i E60? The car will be for my parents and they aren't automotive enthusiasts so if the difference is negligible, then the less expensive 528i seems to be the better choice, however, I'd rather not skimp out and not buy a car that is drastically better.

Any tips, hints, tricks, and things to watch out for in the used E60 market would also be appreciated.

Thanks