Would you buy this car?!

[MrK85]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I need an estate. I want something reliable and that will last me 3-5 years with no major issues.

This is my max budget really and looks pretty tidy apart from the odd scuff, which doesn't bother me. I know it's only a 318i but I'm a bit put off with diesels with my current 320d not going to make it past the emissions test on my next MOT!

Have also been looking at similar aged A4 & A6 Avants...

[MrK85]

This is also a nice looking model but not sure on the 5+ owners and limited/no service history

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[RRLover]

End of its lifetime.
Research N43 engine

[Elliot2000]

MrK85 said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I need an estate. I want something reliable and that will last me 3-5 years with no major issues.

This is my max budget really and looks pretty tidy apart from the odd scuff, which doesn't bother me. I know it's only a 318i but I'm a bit put off with diesels with my current 320d not going to make it past the emissions test on my next MOT!

Have also been looking at similar aged A4 & A6 Avants...

Why do you think your 320d will not pass it’s mot? If it’s over a certain age then it won’t be affected by stricter rules. So unless u have removed the dpf from a newer
Diesel u should be ok

[MrK85]

Elliot2000 said:

Why do you think your 320d will not pass it’s mot? If it’s over a certain age then it won’t be affected by stricter rules. So unless u have removed the dpf from a newer
Diesel u should be ok

Well it's a 54 plate 320d estate. I was told by a local dealer that with the new emissions tests, it likely wouldn't pass the MOT. I'd much rather keep the car as, while it needs a little work, the engine is solid and should keep me going for a couple of years yet.

I have tried to do some research myself but I've not really got a clue about it and not really sure what I'm looking at!

[Hyy]

I wouldn't touch that optionless car with that unreliable engine in the first link with a long stick.

[watchnut]

before you get rid of your old car....chat to an MOT guy (not a salesman!) and ask if your car counts towards the new emissions test as I have an old Volvo V70 (1999) diesel, and asked when I had it MOT'd last week if this was the last year it would be on the road owing to the new tests, and he said to me that the new tests would not count in my case as the car was old enough that the new emissions test would not count.

Apparently the cars effected would be ones that have a plate or something on the car to show it's max dirt coming out of it's rear so yours may well be ok

(mine passed with a exhaust reading of 0.88 about half what it could go up to (maybe it helped that I drove it for 3 miles along the motorway at 70 mph in 3rd gear giving it a "decoke" first )

good luck

[4rephill]

Considering you can get an MOT test done for a comparatively poxy £30*, why would you be considering buying a replacement car, rather than put your car in for an MOT and finding out if it will pass or not?

*NOTE:: Just had the MOT done on my 2001 E46 330 ci (petrol) at BMW - £29.95 and no work required!:

[MrK85]

4rephill said:

Considering you can get an MOT test done for a comparatively poxy £30*, why would you be considering buying a replacement car, rather than put your car in for an MOT and finding out if it will pass or not?

*NOTE:: Just had the MOT done on my 2001 E46 330 ci (petrol) at BMW - £29.95 and no work required!:

It's not due until November, trying to plan ahead.

[helix402]

RRLover said:

End of its lifetime.
Research N43 engine

This. The old M47 will still be going strong while the N43 has rattled itself into a bag of bolts.

[Smuler]

I agree with what the others have said re:- the MOT but if you are going to change cars, within your search results which appeared when I clicked the link there are some six cylinder engined cars.

They are much better from every aspect including reliability for the 3-5 year period you're considering.
That's where I'd put my money.

[RRLover]

MrK85 said:

Well it's a 54 plate 320d estate. I was told by a local dealer that with the new emissions tests, it likely wouldn't pass the MOT. I'd much rather keep the car as, while it needs a little work, the engine is solid and should keep me going for a couple of years yet.

I have tried to do some research myself but I've not really got a clue about it and not really sure what I'm looking at!

Keep the 54 plate. N43 (petrol) N47 (diesel) are horrific.

[TTmonkey]

MrK85 said:

Elliot2000 said:

Why do you think your 320d will not pass it’s mot? If it’s over a certain age then it won’t be affected by stricter rules. So unless u have removed the dpf from a newer
Diesel u should be ok

Well it's a 54 plate 320d estate. I was told by a local dealer that with the new emissions tests, it likely wouldn't pass the MOT. I'd much rather keep the car as, while it needs a little work, the engine is solid and should keep me going for a couple of years yet.

I have tried to do some research myself but I've not really got a clue about it and not really sure what I'm looking at!

A dealer told you that a 54 plate car would be an automatic MOT test failure due to regulation changes.... ?

[julian64]

RRLover said:

MrK85 said:

Well it's a 54 plate 320d estate. I was told by a local dealer that with the new emissions tests, it likely wouldn't pass the MOT. I'd much rather keep the car as, while it needs a little work, the engine is solid and should keep me going for a couple of years yet.

I have tried to do some research myself but I've not really got a clue about it and not really sure what I'm looking at!

Keep the 54 plate. N43 (petrol) N47 (diesel) are horrific.

Piffle.They are a brilliant engine for what they do. They have a weak spot for the rear timing chain which probably needs replacement over 50K rather than wait to see if you have premature failure but otherwise I think you are just scare mongering.

[bmwmike]

TTmonkey said:

A dealer told you that a 54 plate car would be an automatic MOT test failure due to regulation changes.... ?

Seems that way. Sounds like a call to trading standards is in order.

[aaron_2000]

bmwmike said:

TTmonkey said:

A dealer told you that a 54 plate car would be an automatic MOT test failure due to regulation changes.... ?

Seems that way. Sounds like a call to trading standards is in order.

Maybe not quite that extreme, but it's not wise to trust a dealer when it comes to keeping a car or not. They wouldn't exactly say "No keep your car, why bother selling it" always best to speak to a mechanic.

[RRLover]

julian64 said:

Piffle.They are a brilliant engine for what they do. They have a weak spot for the rear timing chain which probably needs replacement over 50K rather than wait to see if you have premature failure but otherwise I think you are just scare mongering.

Unfortunately not Julian. Its a well documented engine know for failure.
I assume you know the cost involved to replace a rear timing chain on an N47 engine ?

[bmwmike]

aaron_2000 said:

bmwmike said:

TTmonkey said:

A dealer told you that a 54 plate car would be an automatic MOT test failure due to regulation changes.... ?

Seems that way. Sounds like a call to trading standards is in order.

Maybe not quite that extreme, but it's not wise to trust a dealer when it comes to keeping a car or not. They wouldn't exactly say "No keep your car, why bother selling it" always best to speak to a mechanic.

I wouldn't say it's extreme. Par for the course for what we expect from dealers perhaps (lies) but that doesn't mean it's acceptable.

No different to some cold caller recently trying to sell me exterior wall insulation "because the council were going to put up taxes for anyone without it". Complete BS. Council asked me to report to TS which I did. Two old couples on my street had it done, probably for fear of their coucil tax going up.

[MrK85]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'd much rather keep my 320d as it's only just gone over 100k and is great to drive. Does anyone actually know of it came with a DPF originally? 54 plate, manual diesel.

[helix402]

No Dpf.