A 200,000 mile 540i for $4,000? Would you?

[Huxstable]

I just had to take my car in for repairs, which could cost me $2,000. This is a 2000 Hyundai Tiburon that's on the beginning of crapping out on me. Most of the costs could fix the car but there's body issues and various other things that need work done like A/C, so it'd cost a bit more if I wanted it to be more new to me.

After I went to the second shop for an estimate, there was a 1998 BMW 540i that looked and ran great there on the lot for $4,000. Only thing is, it's got 200,000 miles on it.

I'm sure I can sell my Tiburon for $3,000+, and buying this car would leave me with more $ than I would have if I fixed the transmission on my old car. but I wonder how many of you would be willing to make the switch from a car you've had for nine years to a Black 200,000 mile, every window tinted in full, rimmed out 1998 BMW 540i. With A/C.

So, I think I may have a BMW tomorrow and may be joining your little club here unless you dudes can convince me otherwise.


This is just like what have. Have had it for 8 years.

The BMW (Like this, but the one I want is Black)

What would you guys do? Is there a better car to be had with my $4,000 plus what I can get out of my Tiburon if I get it fixed? Or would you go with the 540i?

[witeshark]

Is there any warrantee on the BMW?

[Huxstable]

1 year warranty on the transmission since the guy does transmissions and has been for years at his transmission shop. Quite a reputable guy too.

90 day warranty on parts once he finishes final maintenance for me if I decide to buy it.

He said the guy that brought it in there couldn't pay the cost of a new transmission so he left it and the owner paid him for it and did the transmission work anyways.

How's that for those kind of miles?

[Numark318i]

i would ask if the engine gaskets were worked on at all. I know a few 540's and 740's that had to have engine gaskets repalced at 100k.

[Huxstable]

That's not too much of a repair concern for me. I was actually mistaken about the miles on the car.

It's 220,000, 20k more than I had thought. That's kind of a let-down for me and I may as well just get the Hyundai fixed, but I can still be swayed on the 540i if they're reliable cars that would give me life up past the 300k range.

[cipher]

That's a tough 1. Any halfway serious maintenance issues along the way would be expensive as hell. That v8 should easilly go 500,000 miles and run well as long as you keep up with it. I think if you test drive you'll buy it

[Teh Prof]

I have a 540 with 187000 on it that runs like a champ; however, it's always been babied with extra preventative maintenance and they're mostly highway miles. I would be concerned about the kind of maintenance an owner would do who spends money on rims instead of maintenance. I would hold on to your money and find a better example; however, yes, in principle there's no problem with the 540 going over 300K miles with love and care.

[marti5]

The V8's go on and on and on, for that money over here it would be cheap and be snapped up, I would have thought that most of the things that do go wrong have been done. If it were here in the UK I would be asking you where is the car lot.

[freeyoself]

Originally Posted by marti5

The V8's go on and on and on, for that money over here it would be cheap and be snapped up, I would have thought that most of the things that do go wrong have been done. If it were here in the UK I would be asking you where is the car lot.

Yeah, because I bought a 96 318I 4 years ago with 187,000 and sold it about a year ago with 294,000 and now it has well over 300,000 miles! High miles tell a story of just how long and hard a car can run. And in most cases with that many miles, most of the major work has already been performed. But preventable maintenance is what you should focus on!

Go for it ... Y O U C A N D O I T!!!