BMW 2 Series Sport Active Tourer, 218i Should I buy?
Discussion
Hey, my parents are selling their old car which is a BMW 2 series Sports active tourer 218i 15 plate for 10.5k with 33k miles on the clock and full service history MOT and new tyres.
I am tempted to buy it, I have my own young family now so the style of the car is suitable for our needs, but should I? Currently we have an old 06 plate Mercedes A class A150 that got 52k miles on it but guzzles petrol. Its 13 years old but still works ok so its not like I am in the urgent need of the new car its just something that came up and made me think about it whilst the offer is there.
Looking online the same models are 2-3k more based on similar millage as my parents will sell it to me under what we buy any car or arnold clark would pay.
Im not sure about the longevity of this car though and its engine, the 1.5 Petrol, since I will be be paying with a 5 year loan. Are there any known issues with this model of car?
If anyone could give an opinion it would be really helpful.
I am tempted to buy it, I have my own young family now so the style of the car is suitable for our needs, but should I? Currently we have an old 06 plate Mercedes A class A150 that got 52k miles on it but guzzles petrol. Its 13 years old but still works ok so its not like I am in the urgent need of the new car its just something that came up and made me think about it whilst the offer is there.
Looking online the same models are 2-3k more based on similar millage as my parents will sell it to me under what we buy any car or arnold clark would pay.
Im not sure about the longevity of this car though and its engine, the 1.5 Petrol, since I will be be paying with a 5 year loan. Are there any known issues with this model of car?
If anyone could give an opinion it would be really helpful.
Edited by raspire on Monday 1st April 00:42
Sounds like you don't really need the replacement at the moment, despite the A150 not being great. That's a long commitment to paying back what I guess to be ~£100 a month.
If it's a loan from the parents and therefore interest free I'd consider it, it is a decent step up for not a big outlay, but if it's a bank loan then I'd stay away. No point chucking that much interest away over 5 years and you'll probably be wanting a replacement during that time anyway.
If it's a loan from the parents and therefore interest free I'd consider it, it is a decent step up for not a big outlay, but if it's a bank loan then I'd stay away. No point chucking that much interest away over 5 years and you'll probably be wanting a replacement during that time anyway.
Edited by thel33ter on Monday 1st April 08:48
It depends on if that's the car you really want, the thing is most petrol MPV's won't be that great on fuel unless they're a diesel.
It just depends on if you like the car for example the Mazda5 below is a better MPV than the touring but do you want an MPV?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Maybe an estate will suit your needs, if I'm getting a loan for 5 years then I'm buying something I'll be happy to sit in for those 5 years.
You could spend around half of that budget & get yourself a nice rep mobile that'll serve you well & have all the space you need:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
It just depends on if you like the car for example the Mazda5 below is a better MPV than the touring but do you want an MPV?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Maybe an estate will suit your needs, if I'm getting a loan for 5 years then I'm buying something I'll be happy to sit in for those 5 years.
You could spend around half of that budget & get yourself a nice rep mobile that'll serve you well & have all the space you need:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Personally I do think this is a good way of getting a good deal on a car and I'm always on the hunt with family and friends if they are changing cars (even if its just to buy it and punt it on at my end) as you will know the history better than any other car.
However the big question is, is this the right car for you!?
They aren't bad cars and there are no big red flag events for them from a reliability point of view, the build quality isn't amazing but not as bad as the first gen X1.
The economy has had some criticism getting about probably low to mid 40 mpg on average, but the 1.5 is pretty punchy so power isn't a big problem. It will almost certainly be better than the A150 on fuel but not dramatically so. If economy if a concern you may be looking at having to go diesel to see a dramatic improvement.
On the plus side you are taking out a loan no HP or PCP against the car so after 2 years (as long as you mileages aren't big 15/20k+ per year) then you won't be terribly out of pocket and can change to something else.
What you might need to do (which will be a bit tricky) is separate yourself from the opportunity and think if this car wasn't for sale, what do we need, what size, what can we afford, then see if this fits the criteria!
Worth a read for more info -
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/2-series...
ps is this a second car or main?
However the big question is, is this the right car for you!?
They aren't bad cars and there are no big red flag events for them from a reliability point of view, the build quality isn't amazing but not as bad as the first gen X1.
The economy has had some criticism getting about probably low to mid 40 mpg on average, but the 1.5 is pretty punchy so power isn't a big problem. It will almost certainly be better than the A150 on fuel but not dramatically so. If economy if a concern you may be looking at having to go diesel to see a dramatic improvement.
On the plus side you are taking out a loan no HP or PCP against the car so after 2 years (as long as you mileages aren't big 15/20k+ per year) then you won't be terribly out of pocket and can change to something else.
What you might need to do (which will be a bit tricky) is separate yourself from the opportunity and think if this car wasn't for sale, what do we need, what size, what can we afford, then see if this fits the criteria!
Worth a read for more info -
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/2-series...
ps is this a second car or main?
Edited by strath44 on Monday 1st April 11:07
strath44 said:
Personally I do think this is a good way of getting a good deal on a car and I'm always on the hunt with family and friends if they are changing cars (even if its just to buy it and punt it on at my end) as you will know the history better than any other car.
However the big question is, is this the right car for you!?
They aren't bad cars and there are no big red flag events for them from a reliability point of view, the build quality isn't amazing but not as bad as the first gen X1.
The economy has had some criticism getting about probably low to mid 40 mpg on average, but the 1.5 is pretty punchy so power isn't a big problem. It will almost certainly be better than the A150 on fuel but not dramatically so. If economy if a concern you may be looking at having to go diesel to see a dramatic improvement.
On the plus side you are taking out a loan no HP or PCP against the car so after 2 years (as long as you mileages aren't big 15/20k+ per year) then you won't be terribly out of pocket and can change to something else.
What you might need to do (which will be a bit tricky) is separate yourself from the opportunity and think if this car wasn't for sale, what do we need, what size, what can we afford, then see if this fits the criteria!
Worth a read for more info -
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/2-series...
ps is this a second car or main?
Thanks for your detailed answer around problems and economy, However the big question is, is this the right car for you!?
They aren't bad cars and there are no big red flag events for them from a reliability point of view, the build quality isn't amazing but not as bad as the first gen X1.
The economy has had some criticism getting about probably low to mid 40 mpg on average, but the 1.5 is pretty punchy so power isn't a big problem. It will almost certainly be better than the A150 on fuel but not dramatically so. If economy if a concern you may be looking at having to go diesel to see a dramatic improvement.
On the plus side you are taking out a loan no HP or PCP against the car so after 2 years (as long as you mileages aren't big 15/20k+ per year) then you won't be terribly out of pocket and can change to something else.
What you might need to do (which will be a bit tricky) is separate yourself from the opportunity and think if this car wasn't for sale, what do we need, what size, what can we afford, then see if this fits the criteria!
Worth a read for more info -
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/2-series...
ps is this a second car or main?
Edited by strath44 on Monday 1st April 11:07
It's a second car with an idea to become the main car, I currently lease a VW Passat estate so what I was thinking was, I'm going to be in the market within a couple years anyway due to the age of the Benz and this is cheaper than the market rate currently. The car itself, yeah we want an MPV family type car, BMW? Not strictly but I do like premium brands and when my lease car comes up for renewal I could just then lease a polo or other small car instead of a large family car, as I will already have a family car to suit our needs.
Edited by raspire on Monday 1st April 11:44
My mother has one, she paid roughly £14k 2 years ago. She loves it compared to her old 1 series; cheap to tax and to insure. However, she still does find that she is putting the same amount of fuel in every week (£30). Last time I checked, she gets around 32mpg but that's 90% around town. On the motorway, it does pull much more than you'd expect from a 1.5 3cyl.
The problem I've found is that they seem to be very sensitive to spec, they do seem to come up quite basic as standard. Hers has around £5k worth of options; only things she doesn't have is the pro nav, 'leccy seats and the pano roof.
The problem I've found is that they seem to be very sensitive to spec, they do seem to come up quite basic as standard. Hers has around £5k worth of options; only things she doesn't have is the pro nav, 'leccy seats and the pano roof.
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