Buying an E90 or E92, any tips?

Firebase99

my friend just picked up a 2012 E92 6 speed manual, 38 on the clock for $42K, its bloody gorgeous!!!

bvl

Spoken like someone who has never done UOA's on high quality synthetics. Our Z has done 7500 with plenty left in Penn Ultra, I only changed it due to 6m service intervals while under warranty for Nissan.

BMW's specify LL-01 oils (LL04 for D's) and they hold up well over 10K. Many cars also run 10K on non-synth as well now-a-days as SN oils, DEXOS cert etc...are all very stout. The paranoid can do a 7500 change on their dime sure, and it will be perfectly OK.

For an E9x I would get an LCI model with the mid-cycle refresh. To me the sport package is a must, M sport optional. XI's don't actually have a sport suspension so be for-warned there. IF you want Nav it also has the better iDrive system.

CPO/Extended warranties are a good idea in general with a lot of car that have complex systems. 335's have two engines, the N54 and N55. Turbo WG, HPFP (extended warranty) and a few other things are common issues but not all will suffer of course, no different then not ever CSC will fail on a Z.

Last fall I went looking for the relatively rare 335d, and was fortunate enough to find a 2y off lease loaded M-Sport for a fair price. Its now my commuter. 33 MPG, 400+ ft-lbs. Suck it hybrids.

Otherwise as fun as the 335i is, I personally would have been looking for a 328 with the NA 6 and modify it a tad to the levels of the previous 330 which was just a well rounded and bullet proof BMW I6.

- b