# Whack-a-mole with used 335d's



## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

In my hunting for 335d candidates, it seems that at least certain configurations of used models are moving.

There have been 7 or 8 different models at CarMax that were there and are now gone. Similarly, my loaded "decode" car from an earlier thread is gone, as are another two candidates that were similarly equipped. (Sport, Nav, heated seats or full-blown Cold Weather package are my most desired options, but not all of these had everything.) Cars are there one day, gone the next.

These have been 2010's or 2011's, typically in the 7,000 to 30,000 mile range, priced from $34,000 to $42,000. Some CPO, some not.

I'm using cars.com, autotrader.com, the carmax.com site, and the BMW CPO search feature.

I'm learning that if I want a particular car, I'm going to have to move quickly or else it will be gone!

This has been since mid-April!

It's not that I'm against getting a new 2011, but it seems that my equipment wish list isn't compatible with a new 2011 price point. (I want to stay around $43,000 or under.)


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

If you're lucky enough to find a left-over 335d, there is no doubt the dealer will be actively trying to get rid of it. It's essentially two model years old (BMW has MY13 cars on the lot now)


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

I just looked at Auto Trader within 200 miles of my area in South Florida and found 13 units from 2009 to 2011, prices range from a High of $48k with 3k miles on a 2011 to a low of $33.5k with 21k miles for a 2009. There are some nicely equipped 2011 with low miles in the $36k-$38k range. A lot more available than when I was looking back in 2010.

What's wrong with buying one further away, get a good price, and enjoy the drive back?:thumbup:

Just clicked off the miles away and found 235 models available in the US of A. Certainly you can find one you like someplace!


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Definitely don't have a problem with thinking of buying remote - however, many of the deep south cars I've looked at often don't have either Cold Weather or heated seats, which is pretty much a must-have for me. If I could give up on that, this would be my favorite so far.










But I will retrace your steps and see what I see.

Thanks!

To be totally fair, I do want more than heated seats. In a perfect world, the car wouldn't be black, wouldn't have a tan/beige interior, and it would have sport package, heated steering wheel, nav, and premium package.

No wonder I'm having a hard time ;-/


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Nice color combination. It says it is well equipped, sport, premium, etc... but It looks like it has chrome trim around windows so that should not be a sport package.

It does have the 195 wheels which I have, these are 18" sport wheels.

What are you waiting for? Get the carfax and check the VIN. You can do the drive from Albany,GA to Nashville in about 7 hours and not use a full tank of fuel!:thumbup:


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Here's the VIN 

WBAPN7C53BF183908 

Ask someone to decipher.:thumbup:


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

I think you may be seeing a reflection on the trim - Take a look at the seats; those are definitely sport seats, aren't they? And the dealer description does say sport package (not that they ever make mistakes!).

I really do like it, but no heated seats or cold weather package! So far, not willing to give up on that.

It seems that I'm either finding cars that are not quite equipped how I would like, or may have the wrong color interior or exterior, or are perfectly equipped, but priced higher than I want to go!

Patience is a virtue!



Flyingman said:


> Nice color combination. It says it is well equipped, sport, premium, etc... but It looks like it has chrome trim around windows so that should not be a sport package.
> 
> It does have the 195 wheels which I have, these are 18" sport wheels.
> 
> What are you waiting for? Get the carfax and check the VIN. You can do the drive from Albany,GA to Nashville in about 7 hours and not use a full tank of fuel!:thumbup:


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## dnaer (Jan 13, 2011)

That's a sport package. Your in Nashville.... it's not that cold. I'm in Michigan and hardly even use my heated seats. Pull the trigger and enjoy the ride home.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Trim appears to be black, steering wheel is the sport wheel, I don't see the paddle shifters but know they were changed to buttons in 2011, so assume they are the ones on either the left or the right, or both. 18" 195 wheels should also be Sport.

I have the heated seats in my Tahoe. Use that option plenty down here! Right.

The car actually warms up very quickly, I think it has some sort of electric heating to get it up to temp quicker in order to meet exhaust emissions. Recall reading something about that on here.

Buy it already!:thumbup:


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## EYE4SPEED (Apr 19, 2010)

You can buy my car...


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

The saga continues - found a 2011 described as new, but used as a service loaner. Or at least that's what I thought based on our phone call. Lots of the equipment that I want, paint and interior in colors that I like, listed for just over $40,000.

HOWEVER... there's always a "HOWEVER". The car is described by the dealer as new, yet it has almost 10,000 miles on it and it has an in-service date of late 2010! 

I must have misunderstood what was said on the phone, because what was in the emails doesn't line up with what I thought I had heard. 

But I tried to Google the VIN like I've done for others, and absolutely NOTHING shows up! Same thing with another service loaner. Don't want to waste money on a CarFax if there isn't any info out there!

And as I'm typing that I realize that it's odd that the dealer's own info doesn't show up in the Google results. I found them in a very roundabout way - googled the words "335d service loaners" and ended up finding them that way.

Anyone ever see that before?


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

dnaer said:


> That's a sport package. Your in Nashville.... it's not that cold. I'm in Michigan and hardly even use my heated seats. Pull the trigger and enjoy the ride home.


Trust me, that thought keeps running through my head. But when you've had heated seats in all of your recent cars...

I'm surprised no one has busted me about the oyster interior on that car. I do think that the gray with the oyster/black interior is just sharp.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

I like the looks of it, but could not maintain it. The contrast with the black trim is sharp.:thumbup:


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

Maybe335d said:


> The saga continues - found a 2011 described as new, but used as a service loaner. Or at least that's what I thought based on our phone call. Lots of the equipment that I want, paint and interior in colors that I like, listed for just over $40,000.
> 
> HOWEVER... there's always a "HOWEVER". The car is described by the dealer as new, yet it has almost 10,000 miles on it and it has an in-service date of late 2010!
> 
> ...


Service loaners were never sold thus some dealers consider them new (I consider them used). But they are used to you as far as in serivce date on the warrantly and the mileage on the ODO are concerned. I purchased such a vehicle with 8K miles on it. Have 16K now and not a single issue. I did opt for the BMW extended warranty (platnium 7/100K) but no so much for the engine, more for all the electronics and technology in the car.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

Maybe335d said:


> Trust me, that thought keeps running through my head. But when you've had heated seats in all of your recent cars...
> 
> I'm surprised no one has busted me about the oyster interior on that car. I do think that the gray with the oyster/black interior is just sharp.


Keep in mind that the 335d has a ceramic pre heater and will have the inside of the car toasty long before most other cars can achieve that. I'd personally not make heated seats a deal breaker, I definitely would not make a heated steering wheel a deal breaker. But of course at the end of the day do not settle on something that is not exactly what you want. I got something that was not exactly what I wanted and routinely kicked myself in the tail ever since then.

Also make sure and run CarFax'x on the cars you are interested in, most dealers have links to do this for free. The ones at dealerships should show up when exactly they put them up for sale. Sometimes what you will find is they show up on some of the online searches after they have been sitting on the lots for a couple months with no local success. There is going to be a tipping point where they will drop the price in hopes of it selling and then a tipping point after that where it is auctioned off if the sale is unsuccessful. I only mention this because if you are in fact seeing this happen sometimes it might make you feel urgent to jump onto a car for sale when you see it since past ones disappeared on you so quickly. A feel to urgently jump onto something might hurt your price negotiation tactics.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

Snipe656 said:


> Keep in mind that the 335d has a ceramic pre heater and will have the inside of the car toasty long before most other cars can achieve that. I'd personally not make heated seats a deal breaker, I definitely would not make a heated steering wheel a deal breaker.


The ceramic heater is there because diesel cars don't heat up quickly, not because cars don't heat quickly. My Toyotas warm up just as quickly as the 335d's ceramic heater.

Agree with steering wheel comment - I don't use mine unless I've been outside and my hands are cold. Heated seats, hmmm: an incredible option worth every penny.:thumbup:


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

floydarogers said:


> The ceramic heater is there because diesel cars don't heat up quickly, not because cars don't heat quickly. My Toyotas warm up just as quickly as the 335d's ceramic heater.


I know it is there because it s a diesel but the end result is my 335d's cabin gets hot quicker than any of the other 4 cars I have at my house right now. It also has been quicker than any of the probably half a dozen rent cars I have had this year.


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## Donjhen (May 31, 2004)

I also was in the market for a 335d in the past few weeks. I purchased a 2011 over the weekend equipped mostly as I liked. 8,800 miles, Nav, Cold, Premium, White/Black. $36.8k I'm happy with the price! I previously owned a 2006 330i with sport package but wanted a more supple ride this time around. As much as I wanted to like the sports package, I just really never did for road trips. Never was able to get comfortable and the ride was tiring. So far so good! I'm blown away by the torque!


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## jashearer (Nov 9, 2011)

Snipe656 said:


> I know it is there because it s a diesel but the end result is my 335d's cabin gets hot quicker than any of the other 4 cars I have at my house right now. It also has been quicker than any of the probably half a dozen rent cars I have had this year.


I agree, my x5d heats up amazingly fast, the cabin warms up as fast as the seats do 

Way faster then my Escalade or my CTS-V, and much much faster then my other diesel 

Jay


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Donjhen said:


> I also was in the market for a 335d in the past few weeks. I purchased a 2011 over the weekend equipped mostly as I liked. 8,800 miles, Nav, Cold, Premium, White/Black. $36.8k I'm happy with the price! I previously owned a 2006 330i with sport package but wanted a more supple ride this time around. As much as I wanted to like the sports package, I just really never did for road trips. Never was able to get comfortable and the ride was tiring. So far so good! I'm blown away by the torque!


Great price - was that through a dealer or private sale? How did you find it? AutoTrader? Did you have to do much haggling to get to that price?

Also interesting comment regarding the sport package. I have the Sport package on my Mini Countryman, which many find too harsh. But I have swapped out the run flats. And this is coming from an R32, which was a pretty stiff ride.


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## Donjhen (May 31, 2004)

I purchased the car from a dealer a couple of hours away. I found the car on cars.com. I also looked at BMWUSA.com. I did look at a privately owned one. It was clear the owner didn' care about things as much as I do.

There seems to be many diesels on the market right now, at least in CA. New ones are lingering on dealer lots now that the 2012 F30's are available. 

I too also have a Mini - a 2009 Convertible S. It still has the runflats. I may replace those when it's time.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Man, 
I went and did a search and some of the cars that I had my eye on back when I was looking for the 335d are gone. There was one that was $41,900 that was silver with black interior, cold weather package, sport package, premium package, nav, etc. Only thing it did not have was paddle shifters and Harmon Kardon stereo. That dealership charges a $600 "processing fee" and was not willing to negotiate, so I stayed away from them. 

My advice would be to stay away from loaner cars with over 5k miles too. If you do the math on a loaner car with 10k miles.. and assume each person drove the car 100 miles.. than that is 100 different people that drove that car. Even if you guess the average person drove it 200 miles.. then that is 50 people who drove it. Not to say the car couldn't still turn out to be good.. it's just an insane number of people who drove it.. and you know some of them abused it. I would rather buy one with 10k-20k miles that was a one owner that came in off of a lease etc.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Here are a few...This first one is loaded... Sport package, Cold weather package, Premium package, Harmon Kardon stero, park distance control(This is awesome), etc. Don't settle though man.. just keep holding out until you get what you want. I did and I'm so happy that I did. I LOVE the black interior. The only other color I would have taken would be the light grey.. but everything would have to be perfect.. including price.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...PORT&searchRadius=0&listingId=319114855&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...PORT&searchRadius=0&listingId=321962389&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...PORT&searchRadius=0&listingId=321178891&Log=0


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## need4speed (May 26, 2006)

Keep looking, the D is worth it. I just hope BMW bringd the 335D back in a year or two, it will be a shame if they don't. N4S


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

ufcrules1,

Funny you find those particular cars - have been in touch with the first dealership where the first two cars are. Helpful guy on the phone - but some pretty harsh words about the dealership on Yelp.com from a number of folks.

The last car is the only green - er, sorry "Tasman" car that has come up in my searching. (Don't think I've ever seen one in person.) Also one of the few grey interiors, let alone a grey sport interior. The grey might the worst of both worlds re interior colors - light colored seats, but also light carpeting and trim. That's not to say that I would disqualify it <grin>. Almost half the warranty is up, which is a little worse than ideal.

It is a nice car.


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

Tasman Green is a pretty ugly color. I had a loaner E90 with it once.


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## torifile (May 4, 2011)

I'll sell you my 2010 d, titantium silver/black, sport, logic7, premium, winter package with the CPO and extended warranties. It even has paddle shifters. For the right price.


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## Donjhen (May 31, 2004)

I considered all 3 of those cars. Weatherford also has (or recently had) 2 Ocean Blue d's in stock. They will not come down a penny on their cars. And the "internet" department is a joke - a very young guy who seems to report to the regular floor manager. He had no clout whatsoever. 

As I shopped I observed the market is flooded with diesels right now. Many new ones aging on lots as they are passed over for F30's, many loaners now being sold, and others now coming off lease. I was a happy shopper! The guy who owned mine bought it while he waited for his special order F30. 

I originally wanted the Sports pkg and nothing more. I think the sports pkg will always be rare, unique, and desirable on a 335d. But ultimately, I came to grips I just didn't want it after living with it for several years. After 600 miles this weekend, my backside tells me I chose correctly.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

The Sports package is rare on a 335d? Seems like most of the users on here all have it.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Maybe335d said:


> ufcrules1,
> 
> Funny you find those particular cars - have been in touch with the first dealership where the first two cars are. Helpful guy on the phone - but some pretty harsh words about the dealership on Yelp.com from a number of folks.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I just did a brief search to try and help out. Sounds like you are on top of your searches though. Just hold out until you find the perfect one. I waited like a month and a half before I found mine and thought I was going to lose it. You may want to give the guy a call at Autobahn West..(619.885.7789) he goes to auctions every weekend and buying a car from him is such an easy experience. He also doesn't charge a processing fee like the BMW dealerships. Last dealership I talked to said they had a $600 fee. Screw that! Anyway, just be as patient as possible.. the wait is well worth it.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Donjhen said:


> I originally wanted the Sports pkg and nothing more. I think the sports pkg will always be rare, unique, and desirable on a 335d. But ultimately, I came to grips I just didn't want it after living with it for several years. After 600 miles this weekend, my backside tells me I chose correctly.


Sounds like you "settled" for the non sports package. I'm glad your backside likes it.. because I can't go 10 miles in the non sport package without hating those seats. It's odd for me because I feel that the sport package seats are 10x's more comfortable than the non sports seats.


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## torifile (May 4, 2011)

Sport in a d is a must. The torque makes the extra handling much more worthwhile. Keep looking. I honestly don't know that there's a single car on the market, by any brand, that I want more than my d. And I've looked! I have frequent car wanderlust.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

torifile said:


> Sport in a d is a must. The torque makes the extra handling much more worthwhile. Keep looking. I honestly don't know that there's a single car on the market, by any brand, that I want more than my d. And I've looked! I have frequent car wanderlust.


Same here. I've never loved a car like this one. I smile every time I grab my keys.


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## torifile (May 4, 2011)

ufcrules1 said:


> Same here. I've never loved a car like this one. I smile every time I grab my keys.


My only complaint is that I don't get to drive enough! This weekend, I went camping with my family (wife and 2 kids) and there just wasn't enough room in it to fit our gear. I would have loved to drive it up the mountains. Instead, I had to drive my wife's CR-V. While a very comfy car to drive, it's not my d.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

I work from home.. so I too don't get to drive it enough. Heading down to Austin, TX in June for vacation... which is a 3 hour drive. I can't wait.. and it will be cool to see the MPG I get. 

One of my only complaints is the windshield wipers... they suck and the fluid gets all over the car. Other than that.. I'm cool.


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## Donjhen (May 31, 2004)

Yes, I "settled" for a non-sports. After having had a 2006 330i for a few years I just didn't want it this time around. The seats just weren't comfortable for me (and I'm slim) and I tired of feeling each expansion joint. Old fart at 53 now, maybe that's what changed.

Did get pulled over doing 100 in Arizona...cop only wrote me up for 75! Nice guy, he was more interested in talking about the car.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Curious as to your dislike of the Sport option - do you think it's the shape of the seats or is it the stiffness of the suspension with the sport tires that are to blame?

I'm an older fart - 54, let's say "not slim" - and am still leaning towards the sport package.



Donjhen said:


> Yes, I "settled" for a non-sports. After having had a 2006 330i for a few years I just didn't want it this time around. The seats just weren't comfortable for me (and I'm slim) and I tired of feeling each expansion joint. Old fart at 53 now, maybe that's what changed.
> 
> Did get pulled over doing 100 in Arizona...cop only wrote me up for 75! Nice guy, he was more interested in talking about the car.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Sorry Don.. I read your original post wrong. It sounds like you didn't want the upgraded suspension.. you wanted a more quiet, less bumpy, old guy feel. haha. I test drove both non sport and sport and felt the sport seats where much more comfortable. With that said, the steering was tighter and so was the suspension so you do feel the road a little more, although I love that feel but I'm also 20 years your junior.


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## bigjack (May 7, 2012)

torifile said:


> My only complaint is that I don't get to drive enough! This weekend, I went camping with my family (wife and 2 kids) and there just wasn't enough room in it to fit our gear. I would have loved to drive it up the mountains. Instead, I had to drive my wife's CR-V. While a very comfy car to drive, it's not my d.


I've enjoyed putting 3,200 miles on my new M Sport 'd in the first month. :thumbup: Had 16 miles on it when I took delivery in April. Aside from my normal daily driving around Houston, I drove it 400 miles round trip to Austin, and a 650 mile round trip to Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge trip was about 5 hours each way, there one day and home the next...have to admit I felt a little butt hurt at the end of that trip. But I was still grinning ear to ear. When I wanted neck snapping torque it was there in spades, and just for grins I managed to keep it between 65 and 70 for about 180 miles on the way back...over that stretch was getting 43 MPG according to the computer. The performance when you want it, and the crazy MPG economy when you can resist the temptation to torque...indeed intoxicating. Never had a car like it.

The Harmon Kardon sound system on the 2011 is awesome too.


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## HIREN (Jul 14, 2006)

You guys that have spent time searching around and seeing whats out there. What would you say my car would sell for?
'10 335d 39k miles
Montego Blue / Oyster / Aluminum
Sport / Prem / Nav / paddles / rear shades / pdc / prem audio / auto hibeam / comfort access / fold down rear seats / heated front seats / ipod / anti-theft / 
19" BMW Performance 313 Wheels, black grilles, interface kit with backup camera
dent and swirl free exterior with front clear bra


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

You need to deal with Maybe335D, he's hard up for a D with Heated Seats!:thumbup:


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

bigjack said:


> I've enjoyed putting 3,200 miles on my new M Sport 'd in the first month. :thumbup: Had 16 miles on it when I took delivery in April. Aside from my normal daily driving around Houston, I drove it 400 miles round trip to Austin, and a 650 mile round trip to Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge trip was about 5 hours each way, there one day and home the next...have to admit I felt a little butt hurt at the end of that trip. But I was still grinning ear to ear. When I wanted neck snapping torque it was there in spades, and just for grins I managed to keep it between 65 and 70 for about 180 miles on the way back...over that stretch was getting 43 MPG according to the computer. The performance when you want it, and the crazy MPG economy when you can resist the temptation to torque...indeed intoxicating. Never had a car like it.
> 
> The Harmon Kardon sound system on the 2011 is awesome too.


Baton Rouge trip in 5 hours? You must been that 335d I passed when I was hauling a truck load of MBZ parts because I did the round trip in 10 hours but that included all the time to load the truck


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## BB_cuda (Nov 8, 2011)

Flyingman said:


> Trim appears to be black, steering wheel is the sport wheel, I don't see the paddle shifters but know they were changed to buttons in 2011, so assume they are the ones on either the left or the right, or both. 18" 195 wheels should also be Sport.
> 
> I have the heated seats in my Tahoe. Use that option plenty down here! Right.
> 
> ...


My 2011 has paddle shifters. I live in south Houston and still enjoy my heated seats. I'm a cool weather person [honestly don't know why i haven't moved to Colorado yet] but sometimes my back gets sore and the heater is great for my back. Girlfriend gets cold easily even for our lame winters here and likes the heated seat on her tush.

Car engine doesn't actually warm up faster. Manual says diesel engines are more thermally efficient and thus have less waste heat. This means it takes longer to warm up. To compensate for this, there is an electric heating element in the HVAC system that warms the air while engine is cool. It is near instant heat like you say but for a different reason.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I must be a hot weather person. My previous two Mercedes and previous truck all had heated seats and I never used them except when I'd accidentally engage them on the truck and wonder why my bum was on fire.


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## bigjack (May 7, 2012)

Snipe656 said:


> Baton Rouge trip in 5 hours? You must been that 335d I passed when I was hauling a truck load of MBZ parts because I did the round trip in 10 hours but that included all the time to load the truck


Heh, that was with two stops, one to grab a burger (NOT eating in the car yet) and one for getting pulled over because the trooper thought my window tint was too dark (it is).

But the funniest thing on that trip was when I used the SOS button to call the BMW concierge for an address, something in the data transfer fouled up and got rebooted the system before the voice connection was made, so the concierge, getting an SOS signal and unable to communicate with me the driver, called the state police and put out an APB on the car. Luckily, I got that all straightened out before anything more "interesting" happened with the authorities. :angel:

Lesson learned: use iDrive to call concierge, not SOS button.


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## bigjack (May 7, 2012)

Snipe656 said:


> I must be a hot weather person. My previous two Mercedes and previous truck all had heated seats and I never used them except when I'd accidentally engage them on the truck and wonder why my bum was on fire.


I do miss the ventilated seats in the Acura I traded in on the d, those things actually helped in the summer heat.

I'm with you on the heated seats though, about 5 minutes of seat heat is all I can take. But different strokes...it's the "settling" that should be avoided IMO.


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## Axel61 (Mar 10, 2011)

I am glad I have the NON sport edition my ass and back would of killed me. I had an 02 MCS and retrofitted it with Koni FSDs and the car ran after that Like a Cadillac, I have purchased the FSds for the "D" and should install them in the upcoming weeks, will keep you posted. BTW I live in Puerto Rico and it is a must to have NON sport suspension, otherwise you will pay with ass!! LOL though the cars with sport look SUAVE I can imagine what th owners feel about it.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Axel61 said:


> I am glad I have the NON sport edition my ass and back would of killed me. I had an 02 MCS and retrofitted it with Koni FSDs and the car ran after that Like a Cadillac, I have purchased the FSds for the "D" and should install them in the upcoming weeks, will keep you posted. BTW I live in Puerto Rico and it is a must to have NON sport suspension, otherwise you will pay with ass!! LOL though the cars with sport look SUAVE I can imagine what th owners feel about it.


Yeah, you live in an area that has terrible roads. I would guess if you had decent roads you would have bought a sport.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I live in an area with terrible roads and had I had a choice then I'd gotten a sports package still. But after being on these forums since then, I doubt I'd buy one even though I really like the looks of the 335d with the M-Sport.


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## bimmerdiesel (Jul 9, 2010)

So did OP get his 335d? No updates??


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## Axel61 (Mar 10, 2011)

@ufcrules1 very true in you assumption, I could not see myself going thru hell, even though eventually I would of bought the FSds like I did with the Mini


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

*Update*

Still haven't picked a car - some interesting options, some complications. All this while hustling to get a house on the market, so sometimes the car pursuit does have to take a back seat.

Still very much planning to go the 335d route - spending way too much time on Autotrader and searching, in general!

Is there a VIN decoder available to the public? Found another car not too far away, but given that it's not at a BMW dealership, sometimes the description can be a bit difficult to interpret. If one isn't publicly available, if anyone has access, could you decode this for me?

WBAPN7C5XBA780843

Thanks!


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## bigjack (May 7, 2012)

Dang, that car looks super clean.


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## torifile (May 4, 2011)

Looks nice but no cold weather package. (I didn't realize that they changed the paddle shifters between '10 and '11. I like the change. ) No nav either. Personally, I'm not a fan of that gray interior but I like the space gray.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

torifile said:


> Looks nice but no cold weather package. (I didn't realize that they changed the paddle shifters between '10 and '11. I like the change. ) No nav either. Personally, I'm not a fan of that gray interior but I like the space gray.


No cold weather, but it does have heated front seats. The lack of Nav is unfortunate, but that's sort of been the story of my searching so far. Find a car that is about 90% of what I like. Is that good enough? Many say "don't settle", but how long do you stick to your guns?


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

Maybe335d said:


> No cold weather, but it does have heated front seats. The lack of Nav is unfortunate, but that's sort of been the story of my searching so far. Find a car that is about 90% of what I like. Is that good enough? Many say "don't settle", but how long do you stick to your guns?


Only you know what is so important to you that you will be miserable if you "settle" for less. Figure that part out, stick to your guns on it and if you never find exactly what you want then by that time perhaps better new cars will be out to pick from.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Found a nicely equipped 2011 Titanium Sport, Navigation, Active Cruise, CWP, black interior, CPO. Not too high, mileage-wise. All the equipment I'm interested in, all very nice, but about $4,000 - $5,000 over what I'd like to pay! 

Maybe just need to make an offer. All they can do is turn it down.


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## ufcrules1 (Apr 6, 2012)

Maybe335d said:


> Found a nicely equipped 2011 Titanium Sport, Navigation, Active Cruise, CWP, black interior, CPO. Not too high, mileage-wise. All the equipment I'm interested in, all very nice, but about $4,000 - $5,000 over what I'd like to pay!
> 
> Maybe just need to make an offer. All they can do is turn it down.


They will turn it down. Most of these dealerships aren't negotiating much at all.... they all use the same line... "Well we wouldn't want to lose your business over a couple hundred bucks.. so how about I drop the price $200?"

You can tell them you don't need the CPO and can they take 3k off for that.. but they won't do that either. The most they will take off for the CPO is 1k typically.

Are you in any position to make a quick decision? If not, don't settle, you will regret it if you do.


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## torifile (May 4, 2011)

Absolutely. Make an offer. They have a lot of room to move on used cars. But don't be the first to call back or follow up. That will tip your hand. Don't settle. I was surprised when my car fell in my lap. It was exactly what I wanted with the exception that the color was my second choice. The extended service plan more than made up for it. Patience will be rewarded.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Have engaged with a sales person at the dealership - read positive comments on him on some reviews of the dealership.

He is away on vacation, but we at least have begun communicating. This dealership does have a Mini franchise, too, so that could make the trade more appealing.

Curious as to what folks think a loaded 2011 CPO with about 30,000 miles should be realistically priced at? Sport, CWP, Premium, Nav, dynamic cruise, Harmon Kardon, etc.

Thanks for all the advice.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

Has anyone here actually purchased the extended warranty from BMW? from any of the Bimmerfest sponsors?

If you found a car with just a smidge of warranty left, what do you have to do to qualify and purchase the warranty?

The warranty write up talks about BMW having discretion as to whether or not the car is eligible for the top warranty. Understandable. But if a car has had no accidents, maintained completely by BMW, why wouldn't it be eligible?

Found a car that could be attractive - local, but only a few hundred miles of warranty left. Don't want a 335d, though, without warranty coverage. These are just too complex. Local dealer hasn't responded re buying the warranty from them.


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## bimmerdiesel (Jul 9, 2010)

Maybe335d said:


> Has anyone here actually purchased the extended warranty from BMW? from any of the Bimmerfest sponsors?
> 
> If you found a car with just a smidge of warranty left, what do you have to do to qualify and purchase the warranty?
> 
> ...


You might get more answers if you post this link under Ask a dealer or E9x section.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

I did end up getting a quote from the local dealership shortly after my post - I knew it wasn't cheap, but dang!

While I do understand that the cost of these warranties is negotiable, it isn't going to be marked down 75%. I was quoted prices from $2300 to $4300, depending upon how extensive the coverage was that I wanted and the amount of miles/time I wanted it for.

I was most interested in the highest level of coverage, which would include the electronics - $3800 and $4300 for 2years/100k miles and 3 yr/100k miles, respectively.

Unfortunately, the seller wants too much for the used 335d such that the numbers don't make sense.

Oh well - you don't ask, you don't learn!


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

Maybe335d said:


> I did end up getting a quote from the local dealership shortly after my post - I knew it wasn't cheap, but dang!
> 
> While I do understand that the cost of these warranties is negotiable, it isn't going to be marked down 75%. I was quoted prices from $2300 to $4300, depending upon how extensive the coverage was that I wanted and the amount of miles/time I wanted it for.
> 
> ...


I'm still undecided on the value of the BMW extended warranty. What diminishes the value for me is the fact that It is NOT a "bumper to bumper" plan. It's a named coverage plan that is vague on diesel specific components. And, As in all named coverage plans - if it's not named it's not covered. For instance, it only references the "SCR transfer pump and dosing module". It seems like there's a lot more to the system those two components.:dunno: I would feel more comfortable if it just said the SCR SYSTEM period.

At the numbers you mentioned, the cost comes down to $1400 to $1900 per year. Assuming that doesn't include maintenance - thats a lot. Granted BMWs are expensive to repair, but I haven't had those kind of repairs on any of my cars.

Since I have just under two years left on my warranty, my decision will come down to monitoring everyone's repair experiences on their cars as they report in on these forums. So far, with just a few exceptions, the D's appear to be pretty reliable. And I've not had any problems - so far - with my D at 2 years and 28k.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

I had a different explanation as to what the different tiers of the program covered. Have you looked at this brochure?

On the second page, you see the SCR you mentioned is covered under the lowest tier of the warranty, "Powertrain Plus". Then there are two tiers above that, "Gold" and "Platinum", which add additional coverage. "Platinum" covers electronics such as navigation and radio.

The "Platinum" level sounds very close to a bumper-to-bumper plan. The price I quoted in my post was to get "Platinum" level coverage for this used 335d.

I agree, that it's not cheap, but if there were a major item to repair... it could be worth it. But only if the selling price of the vehicle makes sense. Say a seller wants $33,000, then you're faced with adding $3,000-$4,000 on that to get warranty coverage. It makes more sense to either buy a used car with less miles, or go the CPO route, although it is my understand that the CPO coverage isn't as extensive as the "Platinum" level.

Thoughts?



boooomer said:


> I'm still undecided on the value of the BMW extended warranty. What diminishes the value for me is the fact that It is NOT a "bumper to bumper" plan. It's a named coverage plan that is vague on diesel specific components. And, As in all named coverage plans - if it's not named it's not covered. For instance, it only references the "SCR transfer pump and dosing module". It seems like there's a lot more to the system those two components.:dunno: I would feel more comfortable if it just said the SCR SYSTEM period.
> 
> At the numbers you mentioned, the cost comes down to $1400 to $1900 per year. Assuming that doesn't include maintenance - thats a lot. Granted BMWs are expensive to repair, but I haven't had those kind of repairs on any of my cars.
> 
> Since I have just under two years left on my warranty, my decision will come down to monitoring everyone's repair experiences on their cars as they report in on these forums. So far, with just a few exceptions, the D's appear to be pretty reliable. And I've not had any problems - so far - with my D at 2 years and 28k.


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

Maybe335d said:


> I had a different explanation as to what the different tiers of the program covered. Have you looked at this brochure?
> 
> On the second page, you see the SCR you mentioned is covered under the lowest tier of the warranty, "Powertrain Plus". Then there are two tiers above that, "Gold" and "Platinum", which add additional coverage. "Platinum" covers electronics such as navigation and radio.
> 
> ...


Yes I looked at the brochure... It's the problem with named coverage plans.

For instance, The heading says SCR emission Control system. It would be better If they stopped there. But underneath it lists what's included. The implication is that if there are other parts (??) - they're not included. Contrast that with the paragraph above labelled Induction systems and right below it lists Turbocharger assemblies. Thats comprehensive. I'm not a lawyer - but I've spent too many years analyzing construction contracts. Lawyers write these contracts and the wording is deliberate.

Another example, on my '80 diesel rabbit i was constantly going through glow plugs. It seems as though every winter I had to replace them at about $150 a pop. I didn't see any mention of glow plugs in this warranty. And I suspect they would cost ALOT more than $150 to replace on the BMW.

I'm not saying this is a bad deal & I might end up doing it myself - it's just that it is less value than it could have been.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

Maybe335d said:


> ...
> On the second page, you see the SCR you mentioned is covered under the lowest tier of the warranty, "Powertrain Plus". Then there are two tiers above that, "Gold" and "Platinum", which add additional coverage. "Platinum" covers electronics such as navigation and radio.
> 
> The "Platinum" level sounds very close to a bumper-to-bumper plan. The price I quoted in my post was to get "Platinum" level coverage for this used 335d.


If you search around a bit, I just went through this stuff (I'm at 48K miles). I asked the dealer's person on these questions: 1) The SCR injector/mixer and pump are covered by gold/plat. 2) The SCR catalyst and the DPF & Catalyst are part of the exhaust system and are not covered. 3) The EGR system is covered as part of the engine under gold/platinum.

Lots of things are not covered. In no way should even platinum be regarded as "bumper-to-bumper." It won't, for instance, cover body modling, interior stuff, seat heaters, etc. If you don't have iDrive/Nav, platinum is a waste of money (as it only covers the radio in addition to the gold stuff.)

One other thing: the Gold plan for 2 years/100K really only costs around $2500. You can certainly negotiate things down from their initial offer by a lot. Even platinum for the 2 years/100K is only around $2900.


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

floydarogers said:


> If you search around a bit, I just went through this stuff (I'm at 48K miles). I asked the dealer's person on these questions: 1) The SCR injector/mixer and pump are covered by gold/plat. 2) The SCR catalyst and the DPF & Catalyst are part of the exhaust system and are not covered. 3) The EGR system is covered as part of the engine under gold/platinum.
> 
> Lots of things are not covered. In no way should even platinum be regarded as "bumper-to-bumper." It won't, for instance, cover body modling, interior stuff, seat heaters, etc. If you don't have iDrive/Nav, platinum is a waste of money (as it only covers the radio in addition to the gold stuff.)
> 
> One other thing: the Gold plan for 2 years/100K really only costs around $2500. You can certainly negotiate things down from their initial offer by a lot. Even platinum for the 2 years/100K is only around $2900.


Interesting - I didn't see EGR listed in their brochure. I wonder if the dealers have a more detailed list of what's covered and or what's not covered.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

The woman at the dealership had to ask BMWNA:
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From: <[email protected]>
Date: May 17, 2012 6:29:47 AM PDT
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Subject: Diesel EGR and particulate filter
Hello Erika,

Below is the research and response chain to yesterdays diesel part coverage questions.

I have copied in both our in house program (EVP administration) manager and claims analyst with the most knowledge on ESC claims.

In summary the EGR = yes under gold/platinum - particulate filter = no but see Luis' CA. emissions comments below.

Have a great day!

BMW Group
Hugh Pear
Warranty Program Operations Specialist
B2-US-A-44
200 Chestnut Ridge Road.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677-7731


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

Maybe335d said:


> I
> ....I agree, that it's not cheap, but if there were a major item to repair... it could be worth it. But only if the selling price of the vehicle makes sense. Say a seller wants $33,000, then you're faced with adding $3,000-$4,000 on that to get warranty coverage. It makes more sense to either buy a used car with less miles, or go the CPO route, although it is my understand that the CPO coverage isn't as extensive as the "Platinum" level....
> 
> Thoughts?


According to BMWNA's website the CPO warranty is a "Bumper to Bumper" warranty (with named exclusions like wear & tear items) for 2 years past the new car warranty expiration date and up to 100k which ever comes first.
FWIW - I think that's a much better warranty than the platinum tier.


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## 831Doug (Dec 20, 2011)

Oh my, this is a painful saga. ;-)


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

831Doug said:


> Oh my, this a painful saga. ;-)


Oh, come on now 

It isn't that bad, is it? The story of the hunt for an acceptable 335d! No shortage of ignorance, throw in some stupid questions, stir in some esoteric B.S. - Bayerische World, the Diesel Edition. The Great Race meets Survivor Tennessee, with noisy, clanging valves as background sounds and thick, black smoke filling the air. <grin>!

Hopefully the season finale will be coming soon - the cliff hanger? Which car will he chose? Will it be a CPO? What color will the interior be? How much will he spend!?!?!?


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

boooomer said:


> According to BMWNA's website the CPO warranty is a "Bumper to Bumper" warranty (with named exclusions like wear & tear items) for 2 years past the new car warranty expiration date and up to 100k which ever comes first.
> FWIW - I think that's a much better warranty than the platinum tier.


Thanks for that - somehow, I'd been given the opposite impression.

I'd heard bad things about Audi's CPO program, and perhaps that colored my thoughts. Friend of mine ran into major reluctance to cover quattro problems. Dealership tried to say that quattro was explicitly excluded from CPO coverage.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

boooomer said:


> According to BMWNA's website the CPO warranty is a "Bumper to Bumper" warranty (with named exclusions like wear & tear items) for 2 years past the new car warranty expiration date and up to 100k which ever comes first.
> FWIW - I think that's a much better warranty than the platinum tier.


CPO is not the same or better than Plantinum. You seemed to miss the point that the following is NOT covered, exactly the reason I purchased Platinum:

Accessories
Radio/CD (or cassette) player, telephone, navigation system, CD changer, DVD player or any components of those systems


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

KeithS said:


> CPO is not the same or better than Plantinum. You seemed to miss the point that the following is NOT covered, exactly the reason I purchased Platinum:
> 
> Accessories
> Radio/CD (or cassette) player, telephone, navigation system, CD changer, DVD player or any components of those systems


Keith,
You are correct. The entertainment/nav system isn't covered. And the platinum plan is available for an additional year. All Good stuff. And I might end up there with you buying that policy.

My discussion was in context with someone like MayBe335D who is about to buy a used 335D and can theoretically make a choice between the two coverages.

In that context, a bumper to bumper policy with named exclusions is better coverage than a warranty that covers named items - such as the platinum plan. Especially for us diesel owners. Too many diesel specific parts are not mentioned in the extended warranty brochure and that causes me to have concerns about the value of that warranty. The brochure for the CPO policy does not EXCLUDE any diesel specific parts.

And for me, that's where I see the need for extended coverage.

All that said, apparently, the brochures themselves aren't the final documents. As FloydARogers reported, these warranties are open to some interpretation by BMW. And thats a bit disconcerting. If I'm about to spend $2k, $3k or $4k for a product - I'd want to see the specific document that BMW uses to make the call on what's covered. Maybe when you sign up for the policy they issue a more detailed document??:dunno:


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

boooomer said:


> ...All that said, apparently, the brochures themselves aren't the final documents. As FloydARogers reported, these warranties are open to some interpretation by BMW. And thats a bit disconcerting. If I'm about to spend $2k, $3k or $4k for a product - I'd want to see the specific document that BMW uses to make the call on what's covered. Maybe when you sign up for the policy they issue a more detailed document??


Much of the document is warnings that amount to "we don't cover anything wrt you modifying your vehicle, or problems caused by you improperly maintaining it", "you agree to arbitration (rather than courts)", "other stuff we don't cover", procedures.

If you want a copy, pm me with an email address.


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

*335d pursuit update*

Well, making progress. Am engaged with a dealer in a somewhat distant city on a car. Nicely equipped 2011 still under warranty.

I found it interesting that the dealership found a vibration that to the service techs indicated some problem. They gave the impression that the problem might not have been covered by warranty. Car very much still driveable and safe, so they say. They asked if I'd prefer to delay the transaction for a few days while they repair it - it required a part from Germany. Of course, I said to fix it.

I haven't asked for details yet - but can anyone envision what sort of problem this could be, that would benefit from a repair yet would not be covered by the warranty?

I have seen and driven the car - I was nearby for work, and was able to sneak off to the dealership for a few hours. It's very nice,

Curious... I'll try to get some more info re the nature of the problem/repair.


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## BMW Power (Jul 25, 2007)

Any updates?


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## Maybe335d (Apr 24, 2012)

See the Resetting Emissions topic for details. But the car is now in my possession, hopefully all working OK!


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