Want to enter the luxury car market, but don’t have a budget quite big enough to buy the latest model? No one needs to tell you that BMW, one of the best-known names in luxury driving, offers options that are chic, sleek, stylish, and comfortable, and buying used doesn’t change the badge. It’s a smart way to get behind the wheel of one of the planet’s highest praised vehicles without breaking the bank. But what’s the best year and model you can find preowned from Bavaria’s best?

There is a BMW for just about every type of driver, from X-series SUVs to fast, sporty coupes, but most drivers looking to enter the luxury car market should probably first look at 3 series sedans. The 2009 E90 BMW 3 Series sedan was Car and Driver’s first pick in the luxury sports sedan market when it initially came out, and in retrospect, the fifth generation sedan from 2006 to 2011 remains one of the best value pre-owned vehicles you can get. It was described as seductive, with great handling, smooth driving, and the six-cylinder engine was described in words that were practically sensual.

Buying a used luxury car can sometimes feel like buying a vintage wine – every year has its own qualities, a unique set of pros and cons, things to watch out for, and features you will love. According to Autoguide, the most reliable engines you can find in a used E90 are the 2006 325i and 330i, or any naturally aspirated engine used in this model. They provide better reliability in an engine class that has been known to require a little bit of extra work, and it still delivers the handling and performance that bring Bimmer fans back to the brand vehicle after vehicle.

The BMW 3 series does need a bit of maintenance, and owners have reported nuisance issues like rattling as well as problems with fuel pumps. When you’re buying a used used BMW sedan online, don’t be afraid to look around, take test drives, ask questions, and make sure you’re getting a quality used car.

There’s some great advice out there on how to inspect a used car before you purchase; start by getting an Actron scanner, which connects to just about any car made since 1996. They can be affordably purchased for as low at $40 in some cases and let you check for trouble codes and drive cycle monitors.

You should also check for oil leaks, looking at the underside (especially the transmission, to make sure it’s dry and not leaking), and check for any wobble in the tires. For the right price, you may also want to look into buying your own replacement BMW parts online, such as new wheels and tires. You can also tell that a car has suffered body damage in the past if the hood doesn’t align perfectly, or if the door seams are mismatched.

Third-party sites online should be your first destination for used BMWs, as sites like Kijiji collect used car deals from both dealers and individual owners. You no longer have to go from dealer to dealer looking for used cars, as they’ve realized that most of their customers go to third parties first. Using the cars section on Kijiji can save you time and stress when you’re looking for a used BMW Sedan. Remember, the smartest way to look for a preowned vehicle is to be thorough from start to finish.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Used BMW 3 Series Delivers Top Luxury Sedan Value appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

There’s an M3 currently on the market. It’s a great car but there’s a problem with it. We’re all aware its replacement is around the corner and there isn’t too much interest in it.

Buying one of these cars just in order to get it in your driveway will put you into a very unpleasant situation. Your new car will be outdated far too soon in your ownership experience.

Spending some extra money on tuning bits might make you feel better about it but then you might have spent more than the new car everybody’s talking about.

Is that really a chance you want to take? Can you seriously afford the money to do that just for some extra attention?

If you can, you might want to consider really going out on it. Why not have a car that’s brilliantly done for track racing?

That’s a place where you and your buddies can enjoy the pleasure of driving without having to worry about peer pressure and what reviewers thing about new models.

RS Racing can hook you up with a custom car that will really put you in the lead of any friendly competition. Just the engine might be enough to do that.

For instance, the 4.0 liter V8 gets pumped up from 420 to 450 horsepower without any loss in power delivery quality.

There’s a roll-cage, bucket seats, six-point harnesses, 19 inch wheels, racing tires and a fully adjustable Brillstein suspension.

On top of that we get a lightweight racing package which takes 420 pounds off the final weight of the E90 M3. Who cares about the F80 when this acts as a dedicated fun machine?

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post E90 BMW M3 by RS Racing appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It’s becoming almost a usual event to see people being a little harsh on the F30 BMW 3 Series lately. If you fear their mocking or just aren’t interested in the new car, why not have a look at what alternatives are on hand.

One of the finest such offerings comes from traditional BMW tuner, Alpina, and it focuses on the previous generation of the 3 Series, the E92.

Unveiled at the recently ended 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the Alpina B3 GT3, as the model is called, is far from anything as discrete and understated as we imagine a BMW being.

Boasting a very loud exterior we find a paint coating of candy green teamed with silver and blue striping on the side and a usual (for a street racer) set of decals on the doors. I will admit, not to my liking in terms of design.

It’s also not to my liking in being a show off when it doesn’t really have the bite to match its bark. The Alpina B3 GT3 is powered by BMW’s infamous 3.0 liter twin-turbo straight six engine.

This powerplant has seen life in plenty of other Alpina creations only here, thanks to a new exhaust from Akrapovic it gains 8 horsepower.

The total power now goes up to 408 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. Certainly this is a considerable boost over any regular E93 3 Series, but it’s still not as powerful as the M3.

Speaking of which, you don’t see the M3 running around with colors that flashy, not even in racing liveries.

For that reason, teamed with how the Alpina B3 GT3 is offered as an alternative to the new 3 Series I’d say it’s not worth it. Alpina did much better in coming up with the B6 in Tokyo.

It may be a racer for the road, but it’s not good enough to win me over.

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post An Alpina alternative to the BMW F30 3 Series appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Tom Ford, renown British motoring journalist and TV presenter managed to achieve a record breaking run in terms of vehicle autonomy by managing a 1013 mile trip on a single tank of diesel.

The car he used for this feat was a BMW E90 320d and the journey was destined to take Tom Ford from the UK to Munich and back, but unfortunately the car needed a refill back at Lille.

The fact that he didn’t manage to complete the trip is a bit disappointing but this is still an amazing achievement by distance in itself.

There’s more too, Tom Ford stated that he did not use the air conditioning but he also didn’t do a completely economical run using techniques such as coasting, or driving deliberately slowly for the trip. The trip was covered in yesterday’s Sunday Times newspaper.

BMW can be proud and owners of the E90 320d who must have known the car was capable of such range. Biggest reason for the good news is that the car achieved figures of 75.9 mpg UK (63.2 mpg US or 3.7lt/100km), and never went below 65 mpg UK (54.1 mpg US or 4.4 lt/100km) for the entire trip. The overall figures for Tom Ford and the BMW 320d come in at an average speed of 59.3mph (95.4km/h) and 68.9mpg UK (57.4 mpg US or 4.1 lt/100km).

All things considered, if you’re a bit less careful you should be able to achieve at least 700-800 miles on one tank which would easily cover a medium sized commute for a month on a single tank.

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW 320d EfficientDynamics did 1013 miles on one tank appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

2012 will be an excellent year for people looking into buying a small hatchback as it’ll be the year we will be seeing the launch of the Audi A1, the Mercedes A and B Class and, of course, the BMW 1 Series.

The latter will be the one of most interest to us and what gets our attention in particular is the components that will go into it.

Most likely, BMW will shove quite a lot of the components that are to be found on the 3 Series into the next generation of 1 series.

This may happen either because BMW want to create a sensation of downsizing without downgrading or perhaps because of the new plans to cut costs at BMW. Either way this is pretty good news as the 3 Series is well built and well equipped.

The most important component to be found placing in both platforms will be the new four-cylinder turbo engine from the E90 3 Series added to which there is the possibility of a new three cylinder engine on both vehicles.

Should we take into account the success of the implementation of 7 Series components to the F10 BMW 5 Series the 2012 1 Series shows great promise.

News on any BMW 1 Series hybrid or electric are still unavailable.

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post 2012 BMW 1 Series will share parts with the 3 Series appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.