Looking for high mileage F80 M3 buying advice

[Indiana Jones]

I agree it's worth around 28k...too much risk to pay anywhere around bluebook. I'm not afraid of higher mileage cars myself. To me, this is a car you make an aggressive offer on...if they say yes, you buy it, if not, you walk away without much lost.

https://www.bmwoffreehold.com/used/B...2bb050e062.htm

[Indiana Jones]

Originally Posted by Niart906

Besides, in another year I'd bet there will be plenty of F80's in the low $40's high $30's range.

You think lower mileage (30k) M3's will be had for 37-42k next year? I am interested in knowing the consensus here as to what the market will do soon (3-6 months vs 1 year). Whats the cause of the suspected drop-off...abundance of lease returns, new model, etc.? I was in the market for a 911TT, but I think that a sedan is the better move for me at this point. My brother-in-law just traded out of his M5 Comp recently and while I loved the car, I think the M3 may bridge the gap a bit more from the 911TT (weight/size). Heart is with 911TT due to reliability and lack of depreciation...which is why I asked what you guys think the market will look like soon.

All feedback is greatly appreciated.

[Jaymax85]

Originally Posted by Indiana Jones

You think lower mileage (30k) M3's will be had for 37-42k next year? I am interested in knowing the consensus here as to what the market will do soon (3-6 months vs 1 year). Whats the cause of the suspected drop-off...abundance of lease returns, new model, etc.? I was in the market for a 911TT, but I think that a sedan is the better move for me at this point. My brother-in-law just traded out of his M5 Comp recently and while I loved the car, I think the M3 may bridge the gap a bit more from the 911TT (weight/size). Heart is with 911TT due to reliability and lack of depreciation...which is why I asked what you guys think the market will look like soon.

All feedback is greatly appreciated.

The f80 has an eop if 10/18.. I see prices stabilizing until new model comes out when we see a transient dip.... I don't think prime examples will go into the 30s... that's zcp e90 area

[Indiana Jones]

That was my thought, which is why I think now is as good a time as any to buy a nice M3. It appears a nice example around 30k miles can be had around $43k now. I don't see them going for much less than 35k for a long time...in which case, I am completely okay driving an M3 for a couple of years only losing say 7-10k. Not sure its worth waiting a year to save 5k or so.

[ChiefTingle]

I paid 53 two months ago for 35k miles. It was loaded with everything including CCB's but I wouldn't think nothing about buying that one for 20K less I would be test driving it right now. I don't think you can get 100k doing track days you have to be out on the road. Plus it's been through the shop at the dealer vs a private seller. IMO

[nicknaz]

Get it PPI at a shop you trust, and if it was driven with respect and you are prepared for the maintenance that comes around at 100k miles it sounds like it could be a great deal

I would much rather get a 1 owner high miles car that was a highway commuter, than say, a low mileage car that was used at BMW performance center or owned by someone who did 12+ DEs weekends per year...

[JuanK20]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

Get it PPI at a shop you trust, and if it was driven with respect and you are prepared for the maintenance that comes around at 100k miles it sounds like it could be a great deal

I would much rather get a 1 owner high miles car that was a highway commuter, than say, a low mileage car that was used at BMW performance center or owned by someone who did 12+ DEs weekends per year...

+++1

[georgere]

Originally Posted by Niart906

I'm planning on asking them to put it on a lift for me. That way I can go through the suspension piece by piece. If the brakes are close to warn out, it's just some more ammo I can use to talk them down. No real way to gauge the clutch without disassembly. With any luck, the PO knew how to drive and the clutch will be fine. Figure it should be mostly highway miles. FWIW my 200k mile M3 was on it's original clutch.

Very reasonable approach and thread of thought. Respect to OP. Most 'high mileage' threads on here talk about 10k mike cars where pple ask for advice such as what to look out for and typical problems with these cars after 1 -2 years and 10k miles. It's under bumper-to-bumper warranty for God's sake....

OP there is really not much to be wrong with the car. All electronics and parts are only 2 years new. The moving parts - engine tranny suspension differential are the ones that been used but 100k is not a limit for them. I'd try to lower the price just for better deal sake but otherwise seems to be a good deal. That mileage is all highway which is good for the car and it's not possible with step and go traffic which is not good for any car. My last BMW was manual, I got it used, learned to drive stick on it, and after 10 years and 140k miles the clutch was as good as new. 2006 generations of bmw turbo engines had turbo problems after 100k but I do not hear the same with this generation. Hopefully our Ms are solid as I plan to keep mine for 8-10 years.

[wdskukm3]

So I did a service history check based off the vin number and it shows all the work was done at BMW of Freehold. Last service date recorded was 2/10/2016 at 47,691 miles. It was just standard procedure and oil change. I show no other records after that. This is right off my system since I work for BMW. Wonder where the rest of the maintenance was done at. Maybe from an independent shop. Or it did it himself. I would ask the dealer some more.

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by wdskukm3

So I did a service history check based off the vin number and it shows all the work was done at BMW of Freehold. Last service date recorded was 2/10/2016 at 47,691 miles. It was just standard procedure and oil change. I show no other records after that. This is right off my system since I work for BMW. Wonder where the rest of the maintenance was done at. Maybe from an independent shop. Or it did it himself. I would ask the dealer some more.

Might have gone to an indy or DIY

Just my opinion, this starts to a "proceed with caution". If you don't get receipts for the materials used and the interval when it's done, I don't know if I would proceed

[Niart906]

Almost forgot to update this thread...

Went and saw the car last week, it was in reasonable shape for 100k miles. Front bumper was dusted from rocks, and the PO kissed a pole on the rear. So it would need them both resprayed. The PO also couldn’t park for sh!t, all of the wheels were curbed to varying degrees. The interior was in great shape, the driver seat and bolster held up very well. Almost no wear to be seen. Shift knob was greasy and discolored, but an easy fix. The CF trim on the dash near the vents was oddly worn. The painted portion on the bottom was peeling heavily, no idea how that wore.

More importantly, it drove well. The dealership had new PSS’s put on, but they did a crap job on the alignment. It drove straight, but the wheel was crooked. Should be an easy fix assuming the suspension is straight. The engine was smooth, no odd noises and pulled well.

All things considered, I was interested but the dealership refused to move on price. The car was originally listed for $33,990, then the day after I called about the car it went up to $34,990. Luckily I took a screenshot of their webpage with the old price and told the salesman we needed to discuss the price starting from there. (He denied having upped the price until I showed him the picture)

Long story short, they’re very nearly under water on this car. I told the salesman I need to be at $32k or better to sign papers that day considering the wear and tear on the car and the lapse in servicing paperwork. When I decided to walk away, he let slip that they have about $34,500 into this particular car. I told him he will need to find a sucker, because anyone that has owned an M car before knows what the maintenance is like. And for $45k I can get into another 15 M3 with half the miles. No way is that thing worth $35k as it sits.

[nicknaz]

Good for you on taking a pass OP.

For me, parking dings and curbed wheels and greasy interior are a sign of sloppy driving and care. Likely extends to sloppy maintenance

PASS

[wdskukm3]

Good thing you passed. With that high of a mileage anything can happen. When all four wheels are curbed to hell it shows that the PO just didn't care about the car. All he wanted was to go from point A to point B. Save your money and hassle and save up some more to find a better M3. Look around the nation and make it a trip out there if you find the right. one. It's an excuse for you to enjoy the drive going back home with it.

[///MIKE M]

I wouldn't believe they have 34,500 into that car. I would ask for proof. Why would they be asking only a little more. The typical margins for a dealer don't match up.

Wonder if it was a new car trade in from the first owner.

[RickFLM4]

Dealers don't let what they have into a car slip. They lie about it to try to try to justify why they won't move off their price and get the buyer to cave.

[ASAP]

I think I saw the carfax for that 100K mile M3... it looked really reliable with only having basic oil change and maintenance on record.

[Deteria]

Why must you get one with such high mileage? Sorry if I missed you mentioning. A M car is technically higher risk as it's a premium vehicle. Fixes will be more expensive if you get unlucky. Granted, one could justify and say this is BMW's performance division so they built the engines better and stronger, but why take that risk getting a super high mileage M?

If you are adamant about getting a M and $ was an issue, I'd wait for it to come down in price in a few months - year. Just don't get too desperate to get into a M that you are shafting yourself by getting a super high mileage one.

[JoeFromPA]

Originally Posted by Niart906

Almost forgot to update this thread...

Went and saw the car last week, it was in reasonable shape for 100k miles. Front bumper was dusted from rocks, and the PO kissed a pole on the rear. So it would need them both resprayed. The PO also couldn’t park for sh!t, all of the wheels were curbed to varying degrees. The interior was in great shape, the driver seat and bolster held up very well. Almost no wear to be seen. Shift knob was greasy and discolored, but an easy fix. The CF trim on the dash near the vents was oddly worn. The painted portion on the bottom was peeling heavily, no idea how that wore.

More importantly, it drove well. The dealership had new PSS’s put on, but they did a crap job on the alignment. It drove straight, but the wheel was crooked. Should be an easy fix assuming the suspension is straight. The engine was smooth, no odd noises and pulled well.

All things considered, I was interested but the dealership refused to move on price. The car was originally listed for $33,990, then the day after I called about the car it went up to $34,990. Luckily I took a screenshot of their webpage with the old price and told the salesman we needed to discuss the price starting from there. (He denied having upped the price until I showed him the picture)

Long story short, they’re very nearly under water on this car. I told the salesman I need to be at $32k or better to sign papers that day considering the wear and tear on the car and the lapse in servicing paperwork. When I decided to walk away, he let slip that they have about $34,500 into this particular car. I told him he will need to find a sucker, because anyone that has owned an M car before knows what the maintenance is like. And for $45k I can get into another 15 M3 with half the miles. No way is that thing worth $35k as it sits.

I can get behind a 100k car (thought I'd say it was worth less than what you were offering)....but....

1. Badly curbed wheels +
2. Rough shape bumpers +
3. Alignment off +
4. Any gaps in maintenance

=
No deal

This is a ~3 year old car with 100k miles. It shouldn't have had time to develop stories

I will say I like that they were basically trying to hold near 50% original price for a car with 100k miles on it. Gives me hope for mine

[Niart906]

Originally Posted by ///MIKE M

I wouldn't believe they have 34,500 into that car. I would ask for proof. Why would they be asking only a little more. The typical margins for a dealer don't match up.

Wonder if it was a new car trade in from the first owner.

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

Dealers don't let what they have into a car slip. They lie about it to try to try to justify why they won't move off their price and get the buyer to cave.

Had a buddy of mine who works for BMW do some math for me. This car was a lease, it was only supposed to have 45k miles on it when it was returned. At 20 cents a mile, he owed over $10k for the mileage and that's before you factor in the cosmetic damage and the bald tires it was returned with. Knowing roughly what the residual should have been, we estimated they had mid $30's in it before we even sat down with the salesman.

Originally Posted by Deteria

Why must you get one with such high mileage? Sorry if I missed you mentioning. A M car is technically higher risk as it's a premium vehicle. Fixes will be more expensive if you get unlucky. Granted, one could justify and say this is BMW's performance division so they built the engines better and stronger, but why take that risk getting a super high mileage M?

If you are adamant about getting a M and $ was an issue, I'd wait for it to come down in price in a few months - year. Just don't get too desperate to get into a M that you are shafting yourself by getting a super high mileage one.

Don't need a high mileage one per se, my plan was to upgrade from the 335 in 5 years and grab an F80. Then I saw this one and figured it may be worth a look. I've owned multiple high mileage M cars in the past, so I'm aware what they cost to run. Problem with this car was they didn't leave me enough room to feel confident that I wouldn't spend the $10k difference from that of a low mileage car on this high mileage car's maintenance.

I'll continue to track their values, but it looks like I'll be sticking to my plan and keeping my 335 for another 3-4 years.

[allinon72]

I wouldn't be happy with an M with beat up bumpers, curbed wheels, and high mileage, at any price. When you drive down the road, you aren't thinking "man I got a great deal on this well worn M." Your brain is focused on the flaws.

[Niart906]

Originally Posted by allinon72

I wouldn't be happy with an M with beat up bumpers, curbed wheels, and high mileage, at any price. When you drive down the road, you aren't thinking "man I got a great deal on this well worn M." Your brain is focused on the flaws.

I don't follow your logic. If I can get a beat up car for cheap and refurbish it with a little paint and new wheels, why not? I'd be buying this car with the expectation that I'd get the bumpers painted and replace the wheels. Besides, even a 50k mile car is probably gonna need a front bumper respray soon. Especially if it was drive up here in the northeast.

[allinon72]

Originally Posted by Niart906

I don't follow your logic. If I can get a beat up car for cheap and refurbish it with a little paint and new wheels, why not? I'd be buying this car with the expectation that I'd get the bumpers painted and replace the wheels. Besides, even a 50k mile car is probably gonna need a front bumper respray soon. Especially if it was drive up here in the northeast.

Why buy a bargain basement M and immediately throw 5k minimum into it? That's what it would take for proper bumper repairs and new wheels. Probably more like 7k. Just doesn't make sense.