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pimpin gimp
Original Poster
1,185 posts
69 months
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Have decided to buy a new motor, and have found a pretty low mileage 320d Touring that I like the look of. It's about a year older than non AUC models for the same price, but does look good.
I've assumed that the warranty with BMW will make the extra cost for age worth it, is that really the case?
Or would I be better off buying a non AUC car and sticking a warranty on it myself?
Buying a car with a proper warranty is a bit alien to me, but I got stung on the last PoS that I bought so want to be covered on this one. It will be nice to know that mileage is true and that it will have been maintained properly too.
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clockworks
703 posts
14 months
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You can always put a BMW used warranty on a car purchased from outside the dealer network - subject to a couple of conditions. From what I can make out, you have to wait a month before making a claim.
I purchased my 2008 MY E61 from the trade outlet of the local BMW dealer. It came with a standard 3-month used car warranty, with a claim limit that's way too low for a BMW. I can get a comprehensive BMW used car warranty put on it, no problem - checked on their website. Not cheap, at over a grand, though.
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pattyg
689 posts
96 months
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I'd go with the AUC car, not that they are prepared any better but the warranty is peerless. You should also be able to haggle 2 years free servicing.
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Paul M
357 posts
73 months
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The AUC makes sense. Yes you will be paying for it through the price of the car but the peace of mind is worth it.Recently had new clutch and flywheel replaced under warranty.Would have cost almost £2k otherwise.
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eztiger
634 posts
49 months
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Yes, worth it for the warranty.
Don't expect the car to be better prepped or as fault free over any other independent dealer offering. Go over the car with a fine tooth comb and have rectification of any issues built into the deal. Basically don't assume because it's auc it will be perfect.
Also be aware an auc car doesn't have to have fbmwsh, just fsh. So be careful and check the paperwork if fbmwsh is important to you. Also make sure the little things like service book is there, no advisories on the mot they will have put on it etc. again don't assume it will be because you're buying from a franchised dealer.
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pimpin gimp
Original Poster
1,185 posts
69 months
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Cheers guys, all good advice. Unfortunately the one I was looking at has gone but I think I'll stick with the AUC's until I find the right car.
Some enlightening things to think about it.
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illmonkey
6,149 posts
67 months
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No. Save your money, but private.
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Sticks.
3,116 posts
120 months
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It depends on the price. We paid £2.5k less than the original asking price, which made it comparable to non AUC dealers.
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Vroomer
893 posts
49 months
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The AUC warranty is the best there is – definitely worth the money.
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iSore
752 posts
13 months
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An AUC car will almost certainly be better prepared than one from Joe Blogg's used car bombsite. There will always be exceptions, but BMW dealers have to go through them and make sure they're right. I used to sell used BMW's from a major dealer group. Most dealers have a fixed prep cost of around £3-500 and every car will absorb at least 300 quid for tyres, brakes and odds and sods. Many got repainted bonnets, new rads, suspension arms etc. They didn't have to be like new, but be of a standard where the owner would not have to spend any money on it for the first year.
One example springs to mind. I'd sold a 2003 318Ci and it was in the handover bay when someone noticed the wheels weren't genuine MV's but copies. I didn't even notice myself. That was an absolute no-go and the car could not leave with these wheels on. So, a 320d bound for auction was pulled out of the compound, the wheels swapped over (including a tyre swap) and it was just got back into the handover bay just as the customer arrived.....
Any warranty claims and very often, the dealer has to stump up. The BMW warranty is also vital, and renewing it every year is a very good idea.
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pimpin gimp
Original Poster
1,185 posts
69 months
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And it's the two last posts that are the exact thing that leads me to AUC.
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Timbola
168 posts
9 months
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AUC is certainly worth it. Had 2 cars with it thus far.
One of them was an R56 Cooper S, which had no less than 4 issues while under the 1 year BMW AUC warranty, all of them fixed immediately with no quibbles, costs or further issues.
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eztiger
634 posts
49 months
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iSore said: An AUC car will almost certainly be better prepared than one from Joe Blogg's used car bombsite. There will always be exceptions, but BMW dealers have to go through them and make sure they're right. I used to sell used BMW's from a major dealer group. Most dealers have a fixed prep cost of around £3-500 and every car will absorb at least 300 quid for tyres, brakes and odds and sods. Many got repainted bonnets, new rads, suspension arms etc. They didn't have to be like new, but be of a standard where the owner would not have to spend any money on it for the first year.
One example springs to mind. I'd sold a 2003 318Ci and it was in the handover bay when someone noticed the wheels weren't genuine MV's but copies. I didn't even notice myself. That was an absolute no-go and the car could not leave with these wheels on. So, a 320d bound for auction was pulled out of the compound, the wheels swapped over (including a tyre swap) and it was just got back into the handover bay just as the customer arrived.....
Any warranty claims and very often, the dealer has to stump up. The BMW warranty is also vital, and renewing it every year is a very good idea.  I spent a few hundred quid on mine the month after I got it on cosmetics the dealer refused to sort though they did finally fix a couple of other things after getting the dealer principle involved (corrosion on sill trims and condensation in lights). Tell the same to my colleague who picked an AUC car up a couple of weeks ago with a ropey rear boot shut mechanism, scuffed and dented rear m sport diffuser, missing accessories inside the car and two or three paint chips down to the metal. On a 2010 car. Mismatched rear tyres too but I suspect that's a personal gripe given they're legal. I'm sure the majority are fine, but not every car - hence my suggestion to go over it with a fine tooth comb and don't assume AUC = well prepped. It's prepped as little as the dealer thinks they will get away with. I still have a walloping great big (filled in) stone chip right on the drivers eye line. It's not an MOT fail but it's annoying and I'd expect better from AUC. I also didn't get out of the dealer if the buckled wheel their MOT advisory flagged (they didn't give me the MOT advisory sheet with the paperwork incidentally..had to look it up online) was ever rectified either. Trust at your peril.
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aberdeeneuan
648 posts
47 months
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On my last 320ci, i bought it from a BMW dealer with full auc warranty. It developed a slight shudder, very occasionally, under full power. When the dealer had it for a service and i mentioned it, they replaced the gearbox, clutch and the diff, no hassle.
It's worth the money.
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sumo69
865 posts
89 months
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I bought a 7 year old X5 as an AUC in April - it was 1 owner, full BMWSH, lots of kit and only had 24k mileage which is why they AUC'd it. It was £2k above those I was seeing on Autotrader but less mileage and more kit.
It had a new Panoramic sunroof, front brake discs and pads, Insp 1 service and new coolant and brake fluid before I took receipt.
The day after getting it home it overheated and I had a new fan set and thermostat fitted (whilst having a XC90 to drive) and the radio was playing up so had a new amplifier as well - no contribution from me and that was £1700 straight away.
I also noticed that it had a nail in a rear tyre which matched that on an MOT advisory done by the previous owner - a few e-mails later they gave me £375 back so I could replace it at nocost to myself.
All in all, the extra £2k was worth it in my opinion, especially iof you get the dealer to give you a 2 year AUC warranty as part of the deal (this costs them £500) which saves you at least £1k after a year if buying the Mondial warranty.
David
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DSLiverpool
3,305 posts
71 months
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My AUC is well documented on here however my car was sold at below private sale price and is a good car with a dog rough prep.
So do the deal, get the warranty but do a meticulous pre sale check of the car and collect it in the dry - wish I had.
Bonnet paint, wing reset, 2 door handles, new telematics module, 2 wheel bearings, new sun roof seal, trans lock cover, wheel refurb and detail valet makes it as it should be when I collected it but it wasn't.
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iSore
752 posts
13 months
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eztiger said: I spent a few hundred quid on mine the month after I got it on cosmetics the dealer refused to sort though they did finally fix a couple of other things after getting the dealer principle involved (corrosion on sill trims and condensation in lights). Tell the same to my colleague who picked an AUC car up a couple of weeks ago with a ropey rear boot shut mechanism, scuffed and dented rear m sport diffuser, missing accessories inside the car and two or three paint chips down to the metal. On a 2010 car. Mismatched rear tyres too but I suspect that's a personal gripe given they're legal. I'm sure the majority are fine, but not every car - hence my suggestion to go over it with a fine tooth comb and don't assume AUC = well prepped. It's prepped as little as the dealer thinks they will get away with. I still have a walloping great big (filled in) stone chip right on the drivers eye line. It's not an MOT fail but it's annoying and I'd expect better from AUC. I also didn't get out of the dealer if the buckled wheel their MOT advisory flagged (they didn't give me the MOT advisory sheet with the paperwork incidentally..had to look it up online) was ever rectified either. Trust at your peril. Yes you're right. I've bought AUC cars myself in the dim and distant past that weren't 'right'. At the end of the day, they're secondhand car dealers, a practice that's only one step away from horse trading.
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pimpin gimp
Original Poster
1,185 posts
69 months
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Well I gave up on the car I was originally looking at and decided I'd get a Ford Kuga, a Qashqai or a Passatt Cc... And then put a deposit down on a 38,000 mile 330D Touring in Arctic yesterday afternoon!
It's a lovely car. Older than I wanted (06) but its very nicely looked after, has blue/grey cloth and half leather sports interior and was virtually immaculate and it hadn't even been prepped yet.
Hopefully picking it up on Sunday. Can't thank Westerly Yeovil enough, they brought the car from Yeovil up to my office in Bristol because I couldn't make it to them last weekend. Great service.
Can't wait to get it now. Hopefully I won't need the warranty, but it's nice to know its got it!
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sumo69
865 posts
89 months
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Ask them to include a 2nd year of AUC warranty as part of the deal - it costs them £500 more than the standard 1 year (£800 v £300).
If they wont play ball, get it added anyway (its better than the Mondial and half the price) and pay for it or see if they will split the cost with you.
David
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Vroomer
893 posts
49 months
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I don't think it is fair to go back and renegotiate after the deal has been done!
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