I'm looking for a car to replace the Nissan in my signature which I have a pending sale on. I like both the Cadillac ATS 2.0T and new F30 BMW 3-Series. But in doing some searching, I found a couple of very nice-looking certified 2009 and 2010 E90 328i sedans available with less than 30K miles. Are there things that I should look out for in the E90, or are they as rock-solid as my research indicates? I haven't yet had a chance to drive one, but it sounds like the inline-six and six-speed automatic (which is GM's 6L45 if I'm not mistaken) is a great match.
2009-2010 BMW E90 3-Series
- Thread starter barlowc
- Start date
- Status
This should answer your questions:
http://edgemotorworks.com/wordpress/e90-93-2005-2012-3-series-including-m/
Broken valve cover bolts on some of them are also not uncommon:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312532
http://edgemotorworks.com/wordpress/e90-93-2005-2012-3-series-including-m/
Broken valve cover bolts on some of them are also not uncommon:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312532
A friend of mine buys nothing buy 3 year old CPO 3 series. Right now he has a 2009 328i, he has had good luck with them for the most part, just an occasional trip to the dealer for minor stuff. He trades them as soon as the warranty is up.
I haven't driven his 2009, but from being a passenger I feel like I am riding in a Jetta. It does seem to have more interior room than my ATS, but is no where near as comfortable or as luxurious. I also can't get over the radio display, it looks like it is from an old VCR. The other really odd thing is that it has push button start, but you have to insert the key fob into the dash and then push the start button, most other cars you leave the fob in your pocket.
I haven't driven his 2009, but from being a passenger I feel like I am riding in a Jetta. It does seem to have more interior room than my ATS, but is no where near as comfortable or as luxurious. I also can't get over the radio display, it looks like it is from an old VCR. The other really odd thing is that it has push button start, but you have to insert the key fob into the dash and then push the start button, most other cars you leave the fob in your pocket.
Originally Posted By: barlowc
I'm looking for a car to replace the Nissan in my signature which I have a pending sale on. I like both the Cadillac ATS 2.0T and new F30 BMW 3-Series. But in doing some searching, I found a couple of very nice-looking certified 2009 and 2010 E90 328i sedans available with less than 30K miles. Are there things that I should look out for in the E90, or are they as rock-solid as my research indicates? I haven't yet had a chance to drive one, but it sounds like the inline-six and six-speed automatic (which is GM's 6L45 if I'm not mistaken) is a great match.
In July my wife bought a CPO 2009 328i slushbox for her daily driver.
She absolutely loves it(we turned her 2004 X3 2.5 over to my son). It is a little big and soft for my tastes, but it is an excellent cruiser that still handles pretty well when carving up a twisting two lane country road- note that it is fitted with summer tires, however(it has a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires for December through March). The I6 and autobox are very reliable; just make sure that you change the ATF every 60k miles and the BMW coolant every 3-4 years. At @120k you may need to change the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket, but that's about it.
The ATS has recievd glowing reviews but I haven't driven one. I have spent some time in the F30 328i and 335i, and it is way to numb and isolated to suit me. The steering in particular is totally devoid of feel; the N20 I4 is spunky but doesn't feel nearly as polished as the N52 I6(the M42 in my ti is much smoother).
Now, having said all that, guess what car my bride prefers to drive when A/C is not needed?
My 1975 2002:
Me, I'm looking for a CPO 135i M Sport or a Z4 M Coupe- although I might pick up a 500 Abarth to drive for a couple of years- then flip it and find a nice Cayman S or E46 M3 ZCP...
I'm looking for a car to replace the Nissan in my signature which I have a pending sale on. I like both the Cadillac ATS 2.0T and new F30 BMW 3-Series. But in doing some searching, I found a couple of very nice-looking certified 2009 and 2010 E90 328i sedans available with less than 30K miles. Are there things that I should look out for in the E90, or are they as rock-solid as my research indicates? I haven't yet had a chance to drive one, but it sounds like the inline-six and six-speed automatic (which is GM's 6L45 if I'm not mistaken) is a great match.
In July my wife bought a CPO 2009 328i slushbox for her daily driver.
She absolutely loves it(we turned her 2004 X3 2.5 over to my son). It is a little big and soft for my tastes, but it is an excellent cruiser that still handles pretty well when carving up a twisting two lane country road- note that it is fitted with summer tires, however(it has a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires for December through March). The I6 and autobox are very reliable; just make sure that you change the ATF every 60k miles and the BMW coolant every 3-4 years. At @120k you may need to change the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket, but that's about it.
The ATS has recievd glowing reviews but I haven't driven one. I have spent some time in the F30 328i and 335i, and it is way to numb and isolated to suit me. The steering in particular is totally devoid of feel; the N20 I4 is spunky but doesn't feel nearly as polished as the N52 I6(the M42 in my ti is much smoother).
Now, having said all that, guess what car my bride prefers to drive when A/C is not needed?
My 1975 2002:
Me, I'm looking for a CPO 135i M Sport or a Z4 M Coupe- although I might pick up a 500 Abarth to drive for a couple of years- then flip it and find a nice Cayman S or E46 M3 ZCP...
Originally Posted By: MCompact
In July my wife bought a CPO 2009 328i slushbox for her daily driver.
My local dealer has two 2009 CPOs listed that look just like your red one there. One is Jet Black and the other is Space Gray Metallic; same wheels. They both have around 28K miles. I may stop by for a look tomorrow night.
I also found a 2010 in "Le Mans Blue Metallic" with only 18K miles listed at the local Honda dealer. I swung by there this evening and found it on their lot. Excellent condition, but had puny 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires. The lug-nuts were horribly corroded and you could tell they'd been hit with some black spray paint. That all kind of killed it for me, as I'd have to drop $2K to put a decent set of rims/tires on it.
I'm just starting to wonder if a 2009 MY is too old at nearly 5-years.
In July my wife bought a CPO 2009 328i slushbox for her daily driver.
My local dealer has two 2009 CPOs listed that look just like your red one there. One is Jet Black and the other is Space Gray Metallic; same wheels. They both have around 28K miles. I may stop by for a look tomorrow night.
I also found a 2010 in "Le Mans Blue Metallic" with only 18K miles listed at the local Honda dealer. I swung by there this evening and found it on their lot. Excellent condition, but had puny 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires. The lug-nuts were horribly corroded and you could tell they'd been hit with some black spray paint. That all kind of killed it for me, as I'd have to drop $2K to put a decent set of rims/tires on it.
I'm just starting to wonder if a 2009 MY is too old at nearly 5-years.
Originally Posted By: barlowc
My local dealer has two 2009 CPOs listed that look just like your red one there. One is Jet Black and the other is Space Gray Metallic; same wheels. They both have around 28K miles. I may stop by for a look tomorrow night.
I also found a 2010 in "Le Mans Blue Metallic" with only 18K miles listed at the local Honda dealer. I swung by there this evening and found it on their lot. Excellent condition, but had puny 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires. The lug-nuts were horribly corroded and you could tell they'd been hit with some black spray paint. That all kind of killed it for me, as I'd have to drop $2K to put a decent set of rims/tires on it.
I'm just starting to wonder if a 2009 MY is too old at nearly 5-years.
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
As for five years being too old? My BMWs are 38, 18, 9, and 4 years old, so to me a 2009 Bimmer is just a pup!
My local dealer has two 2009 CPOs listed that look just like your red one there. One is Jet Black and the other is Space Gray Metallic; same wheels. They both have around 28K miles. I may stop by for a look tomorrow night.
I also found a 2010 in "Le Mans Blue Metallic" with only 18K miles listed at the local Honda dealer. I swung by there this evening and found it on their lot. Excellent condition, but had puny 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires. The lug-nuts were horribly corroded and you could tell they'd been hit with some black spray paint. That all kind of killed it for me, as I'd have to drop $2K to put a decent set of rims/tires on it.
I'm just starting to wonder if a 2009 MY is too old at nearly 5-years.
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
As for five years being too old? My BMWs are 38, 18, 9, and 4 years old, so to me a 2009 Bimmer is just a pup!
Originally Posted By: MCompact
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
So the Honda dealer selling it has the wrong color listed and on the window sticker. When I put the VIN in to that site, it says it's "BLUEWATER METALLIC (896)".
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
So the Honda dealer selling it has the wrong color listed and on the window sticker. When I put the VIN in to that site, it says it's "BLUEWATER METALLIC (896)".
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: MCompact
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
So the Honda dealer selling it has the wrong color listed and on the window sticker. When I put the VIN in to that site, it says it's "BLUEWATER METALLIC (896)".
This is Bluewater:
This is LeMans blue:
Originally Posted By: MCompact
Le Mans Blue is an exclusive M Sport color, so it should have 17" wheels at a minimum- plus whole raft of M Sport upgrades- seats, steering wheel, bodykit, etc. You can use this BMW VIN decoder to find out what options a car has been equipped with.
So the Honda dealer selling it has the wrong color listed and on the window sticker. When I put the VIN in to that site, it says it's "BLUEWATER METALLIC (896)".
This is Bluewater:
This is LeMans blue:
Here's the one I looked at. It's Blue Water Metallic.
I like it except for the wheels. The 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires look too small on it.
MCompact, what size of rims/tires are those on your wife's red 2009 328i?
I like it except for the wheels. The 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires look too small on it.
MCompact, what size of rims/tires are those on your wife's red 2009 328i?
Originally Posted By: barlowc
I'm looking for a car to replace the Nissan in my signature which I have a pending sale on. I like both the Cadillac ATS 2.0T and new F30 BMW 3-Series. But in doing some searching, I found a couple of very nice-looking certified 2009 and 2010 E90 328i sedans available with less than 30K miles. Are there things that I should look out for in the E90, or are they as rock-solid as my research indicates? I haven't yet had a chance to drive one, but it sounds like the inline-six and six-speed automatic (which is GM's 6L45 if I'm not mistaken) is a great match.
I would stay away from 335i, their HPFP are problematic, google BMW HPFP. Also I would stay away from x-drive, my wifes x3 xfer case failed at 43k miles. They seem problematic as well. The only other thing I could think of is they also seem to have issues with motor mounts failing. Seems the issues is corrosion between the diff metals of engine block and bolts of motor mounts.
I'm looking for a car to replace the Nissan in my signature which I have a pending sale on. I like both the Cadillac ATS 2.0T and new F30 BMW 3-Series. But in doing some searching, I found a couple of very nice-looking certified 2009 and 2010 E90 328i sedans available with less than 30K miles. Are there things that I should look out for in the E90, or are they as rock-solid as my research indicates? I haven't yet had a chance to drive one, but it sounds like the inline-six and six-speed automatic (which is GM's 6L45 if I'm not mistaken) is a great match.
I would stay away from 335i, their HPFP are problematic, google BMW HPFP. Also I would stay away from x-drive, my wifes x3 xfer case failed at 43k miles. They seem problematic as well. The only other thing I could think of is they also seem to have issues with motor mounts failing. Seems the issues is corrosion between the diff metals of engine block and bolts of motor mounts.
Originally Posted By: raaizin
Also I would stay away from x-drive,
Agreed. Get a proper BMW, that means RWD.
Besides, a set of winter tires will be more helpful than AWD in winter.
Also I would stay away from x-drive,
Agreed. Get a proper BMW, that means RWD.
Besides, a set of winter tires will be more helpful than AWD in winter.
Originally Posted By: barlowc
Here's the one I looked at. It's Blue Water Metallic.
I drove this one the other night. It was just like new inside and out and under the hood. I just found one small paint chip by the passenger's side door. It drove excellent, as expected. But it's as bare-bones as you can get; not even a power driver's seat. And I see dishdude's earlier comment about the interior not being nearly as luxurious as the Cadillac ATS. It was nice - with perfect fit and finish - and functional, but no extra bells and whistles.
It's a 2010 with 18K miles. The Honda dealer selling it wants $24K and says they can't budge because they'd only be making $900 on it as is. Taking that statement at face-value and having to pay 6% sales tax and then spend $1500 for a decent set of rims/tires (and floormats), I'd be at $27K for a bare-bones 328i with only the original warranty until December.
Here's the one I looked at. It's Blue Water Metallic.
I drove this one the other night. It was just like new inside and out and under the hood. I just found one small paint chip by the passenger's side door. It drove excellent, as expected. But it's as bare-bones as you can get; not even a power driver's seat. And I see dishdude's earlier comment about the interior not being nearly as luxurious as the Cadillac ATS. It was nice - with perfect fit and finish - and functional, but no extra bells and whistles.
It's a 2010 with 18K miles. The Honda dealer selling it wants $24K and says they can't budge because they'd only be making $900 on it as is. Taking that statement at face-value and having to pay 6% sales tax and then spend $1500 for a decent set of rims/tires (and floormats), I'd be at $27K for a bare-bones 328i with only the original warranty until December.
I'd be looking at a CPO 2011 at that kind of money. At least then you will have a fairly substantial warranty.
I think the 16s look fine too.
You can search for CPO BMW's here:
http://www.bmwusa.com/cpo
You can also find the certification checklist and warranty.
What the Honda dealer has in it isn't your concern... I would only consider it if it was significantly cheaper than a similar CPO car (like enough cheaper to do several major repairs out of warranty) and then only if it would pass the CPO inspection process.
Unless it has been wrecked, I doubt that you could hurt one very badly in 18,000 miles though...
I've heard tell that some manufacturers will "certify" a car for another dealer but I don't know if it is true. Might be worth calling BMW USA or a local dealer...
You can search for CPO BMW's here:
http://www.bmwusa.com/cpo
You can also find the certification checklist and warranty.
What the Honda dealer has in it isn't your concern... I would only consider it if it was significantly cheaper than a similar CPO car (like enough cheaper to do several major repairs out of warranty) and then only if it would pass the CPO inspection process.
Unless it has been wrecked, I doubt that you could hurt one very badly in 18,000 miles though...
I've heard tell that some manufacturers will "certify" a car for another dealer but I don't know if it is true. Might be worth calling BMW USA or a local dealer...
I took the liberty of doing a search within 200 miles of 48197. (my geography is bad, is that "southeast michigan"?)
Looks like the Honda dealer is well under CPO prices for a car with 18000 miles.
There are only a few under 30 with that kind of mileage... although there are also not many that have nearly no options.
Looks like the Honda dealer is well under CPO prices for a car with 18000 miles.
There are only a few under 30 with that kind of mileage... although there are also not many that have nearly no options.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: barlowc
Here's the one I looked at. It's Blue Water Metallic.
I like it except for the wheels. The 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires look too small on it.
MCompact, what size of rims/tires are those on your wife's red 2009 328i?
with those wheels and tires, expect a more compliant ride and cheaper rubber too!
not to mention the wear you'll save on the suspension, and yourself.
I think the standard everyone has of at least a set of 17's on anything has gotten out of hand. Cars were more comfortable riding when they had taller sidewalls and saved fuel with the narrower tread.
Here's the one I looked at. It's Blue Water Metallic.
I like it except for the wheels. The 16" rims with 205/55-16 tires look too small on it.
MCompact, what size of rims/tires are those on your wife's red 2009 328i?
with those wheels and tires, expect a more compliant ride and cheaper rubber too!
not to mention the wear you'll save on the suspension, and yourself.
I think the standard everyone has of at least a set of 17's on anything has gotten out of hand. Cars were more comfortable riding when they had taller sidewalls and saved fuel with the narrower tread.
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
I took the liberty of doing a search within 200 miles of 48197. (my geography is bad, is that "southeast michigan"?)
Looks like the Honda dealer is well under CPO prices for a car with 18000 miles.
There are only a few under 30 with that kind of mileage... although there are also not many that have nearly no options.
The trick is, you could get an off-lease CPO 3-series with ~30,000 miles and it would have a far superior warranty to a non-CPO with 18,000 miles.
A 2010 with 18,000 miles has less than a year remaining of the factory warranty, then you're done.
A CPO 2011 with 30,000 miles has an extra year of factory warranty and when that expires, the CPO warranty begins, which puts you out another 4 or 5 years and 100,000 miles.
I took the liberty of doing a search within 200 miles of 48197. (my geography is bad, is that "southeast michigan"?)
Looks like the Honda dealer is well under CPO prices for a car with 18000 miles.
There are only a few under 30 with that kind of mileage... although there are also not many that have nearly no options.
The trick is, you could get an off-lease CPO 3-series with ~30,000 miles and it would have a far superior warranty to a non-CPO with 18,000 miles.
A 2010 with 18,000 miles has less than a year remaining of the factory warranty, then you're done.
A CPO 2011 with 30,000 miles has an extra year of factory warranty and when that expires, the CPO warranty begins, which puts you out another 4 or 5 years and 100,000 miles.
- Status
