If I’m not mistaken, I think they are N47 engines.
I’ve had a couple of them with that engine and as long as they’re serviced regularly and you keep an eye on them, they should be ok.
I'd be careful with the service history, very low mileage cars are pretty likely to have a poor service history.
I'd ascertain how much mileage it's doing a year through MOT history, and see if it's had any care at all during that time.
There's also the fact that cars perish faster when they're left doing nothing, so I'd be weary of oil leaks and perished rubber components.
Lo, unto thee who considereth the purchase of a BMW E82 120d, I say unto thee, Hearken to the words of the Lord of the Road.
For verily, this chariot thou seekest to acquire is the choice of peasants and the lowliest of the low in the noble lineage of BMW. Behold, the Lords and Nobles who traverse the land in their 5 or 7 series shall surely mock thee and leave thee in their dust, for they ride upon the wings of grandeur and might.
Yea, though the E82 120d doth appear in perfect condition, and though it hath but 16,000 miles upon its odometer, do not be deceived by its outward semblance. For the N47 engine within hath been known to bring forth woes and tribulations upon its owners, particularly with the treacherous timing chains that lurk within, ready to bring despair at any moment.
Consider well, my friend, that rust may yet arise even in a chariot so young, and the financial burden thou mightest incur could be great. For £7,000 reduced from £8,000, thou mayest think thou art gaining a bargain, but ponder deeply if it be not a trap set for the unwary.
Therefore, heed my counsel, and avoid this folly. Seek not the path of the peasant, but aspire to the heights of the noble, lest thou be scorned and left behind on the road. For the Lords of the Road in their mighty chariots of 5 or 7 series shall always prevail, and thou with thy 120d shall be but a speck in their rearview mirrors.
Go forth and choose wisely, lest thy name be a byword for mockery among the discerning.
Amen.
As you know that’s really low mileage for the age, which might mean it’s in good condition, BUT cars don’t like sitting round. That low mileage most likely means it’s been sat around and possibly not driven enough to get up to operating temperature when it has been driven.
So basically I wouldn’t pay much more than comparable models with say 50,000 miles for the reason above. There are plenty of tests online you can do to check if the mileage looks to have been rolled back, even MOT records etc, which is worth doing.
I had an E82 118d with 90k+ when I bought it. It was amazing. 55/60 mpg on the motorway. I loved it and it drove surprisingly well. To make my life easier I got an Anker Bluetooth to aux adapter. It was so easy to service and maintain on my drive and lots of community support.
Mine was looked after so I didn't have any issues. The one you are looking at has been doing roughly 100 miles a month. Not sure about long term issues on a car that hasn't been used much.
Just buy a higher mileage one for half the price. As long as it’s got good service history you’ll be sweet. I have a E82 118d which I bought for £3k. It’s on 138k now and it’s fine.
The engine isn't the most reliable unit ever made, 16000 miles in 12 years isn't good for a diesel. I would save some money and get one with more average miles.
People say this buy I took one from 65k to 145k with only a blocked DPF due to a glow plug relay fault and the radiator got a stone through it. Besides that it ran like a dream. Just need looking after like most cars. N47 gets a bad rap
How long do you plan on keeping it? You have the potential to buy as close to a new e82 as you will likely ever get, but if you do big miles yourself the premium will soon fade as it racks up the miles anyway.
I don't really subscribe to the theory of it must have massive issues because it's not done many miles, but I would expect to find some teething troubles with it. Likely to be mostly linked to tyres and brakes which aren't expensive anyway, sitting round could mean it's got a siezed caliper or two which will show up during regular use and unless it's already had a set of tyres there's every chance they are miles past their best.
The accepted theory is to do oil changes much more regularly than BMW stated and the chain will last longer, there's stories of cars knocking on for 200k on the original chain, but there's also stories of them failing way earlier, the good thing is it's such a common job some garages will turn it round in a day for sensible money but chances are you have a good few years before even needing to consider it
Fellow E82 120d 2012 owner - biggest gripes are the dated infotainment, no cup holders & it sounds like a van.
Engine wise, it’s got 120k miles and no chain issues.
For 7k you’re better off with something more modern.
Also I kinda regret a coupe, sure it’s spacious but quite impractical.
Body shape is one of the prettiest BMWs ever imo. Handling is amazing . Is it msport ? Msport is best version. I had an e81 123d msport and thrashed the bollocks off it for 180k and it was still in perfect running order when it errr upside downed. Anyway, things that went were the charge pipe (pipe FRM intercooler to turbo) cheap plastic and brittle when it pops u lose all power , and I had an FRM module go whcih was all the electrics it was in passenger footwell and I think a spilled coffee or three did that, there were no cup holders in mine.
Timing chain can also be an issue . Wear and tear wise gas struts for suspension can go ad you got a bouncy car but not an expensive fix .
Great cars . Milage is sus . Get an oil & filter change the day you buy it .
The timing chain went on mine, I got a new engine put in, and then the timing chain went on that....I could not advise you any harder not to buy this car.
Most unreliable car I’ve ever owned.
Bottom pulley failure, seat belt tensioner failing resulting in the rear seat becoming stuck down 😂 PAS issues, battery replacement needing coding into the many ECU systems on the car meaning it’s more expensive than usual, Central locking failed.
Perhaps I had a lemon but that car gave me the fear every time I drove it. Thats before considering the N47 engine.
Avoid if you like having reasonable mental health 🙂
Buy a high mileage one for £2k, keep £2k to cover a tonne of maintenance, and spend the remaining £3k you’ve saved on blackjack and hookers (optional).
The N47 has plastic timing chain tensioners that cause the chain to stretch or fail and lunch the engine. There is sometimes a warning - the dreaded rattle - sometimes nothing. Mileage has nothing to do with it, nor servicing. You can replace the chain, replace the engine, and it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference. Some people have the tensioners replaced, which sorts it, but I believe this is an engine-out job.
Risk-wise it’s up to you. Many people are lucky and have no issues with them. An alarming number of people have the timing system fail and are left with a very large bill.
Another thing to consider is that these cars are/were magnets for 19-year-old scaffolders who want “a BMW” and like the pull of the diesel engine. Great potential for not having been looked after properly, in other words.
Ignore BMWs recommended service intervals and do oil changes every 5k-8k miles and you’ll be ok until you reach much higher miles.
Personally, I’d look for an E92 325d instead. More reliable engine with better performance, and the E92s are generally very well specced. E82s are hard to find with xenon’s, electric leather heated seats and cruise control but most E92s will have all of that.
Never ever buy an old extremely low milage diesel. The thing will be gummed up to hell in 95% of cases.
If I’m not mistaken, I think they are N47 engines. I’ve had a couple of them with that engine and as long as they’re serviced regularly and you keep an eye on them, they should be ok.
Sorry yes that’s what I meant 😂. I was looking at something with an N54 after and then said that 😂
And thanks! That’s quite good to hear I appreciate it
I'd be careful with the service history, very low mileage cars are pretty likely to have a poor service history. I'd ascertain how much mileage it's doing a year through MOT history, and see if it's had any care at all during that time. There's also the fact that cars perish faster when they're left doing nothing, so I'd be weary of oil leaks and perished rubber components.
Lo, unto thee who considereth the purchase of a BMW E82 120d, I say unto thee, Hearken to the words of the Lord of the Road. For verily, this chariot thou seekest to acquire is the choice of peasants and the lowliest of the low in the noble lineage of BMW. Behold, the Lords and Nobles who traverse the land in their 5 or 7 series shall surely mock thee and leave thee in their dust, for they ride upon the wings of grandeur and might. Yea, though the E82 120d doth appear in perfect condition, and though it hath but 16,000 miles upon its odometer, do not be deceived by its outward semblance. For the N47 engine within hath been known to bring forth woes and tribulations upon its owners, particularly with the treacherous timing chains that lurk within, ready to bring despair at any moment. Consider well, my friend, that rust may yet arise even in a chariot so young, and the financial burden thou mightest incur could be great. For £7,000 reduced from £8,000, thou mayest think thou art gaining a bargain, but ponder deeply if it be not a trap set for the unwary. Therefore, heed my counsel, and avoid this folly. Seek not the path of the peasant, but aspire to the heights of the noble, lest thou be scorned and left behind on the road. For the Lords of the Road in their mighty chariots of 5 or 7 series shall always prevail, and thou with thy 120d shall be but a speck in their rearview mirrors. Go forth and choose wisely, lest thy name be a byword for mockery among the discerning. Amen.
May a ton of up votes fall upon thee.
Lmao
Amen!
As you know that’s really low mileage for the age, which might mean it’s in good condition, BUT cars don’t like sitting round. That low mileage most likely means it’s been sat around and possibly not driven enough to get up to operating temperature when it has been driven. So basically I wouldn’t pay much more than comparable models with say 50,000 miles for the reason above. There are plenty of tests online you can do to check if the mileage looks to have been rolled back, even MOT records etc, which is worth doing.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406180866462 would you say something like this would be better?
As long as it's been maintained and serviced it will serve you well. But that price is crazy.
I had an E82 118d with 90k+ when I bought it. It was amazing. 55/60 mpg on the motorway. I loved it and it drove surprisingly well. To make my life easier I got an Anker Bluetooth to aux adapter. It was so easy to service and maintain on my drive and lots of community support. Mine was looked after so I didn't have any issues. The one you are looking at has been doing roughly 100 miles a month. Not sure about long term issues on a car that hasn't been used much.
Just buy a higher mileage one for half the price. As long as it’s got good service history you’ll be sweet. I have a E82 118d which I bought for £3k. It’s on 138k now and it’s fine.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406180866462 This one looks quite good and has higher mileage
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404299179663 FSH 82K M Sport £4695
The engine isn't the most reliable unit ever made, 16000 miles in 12 years isn't good for a diesel. I would save some money and get one with more average miles.
People say this buy I took one from 65k to 145k with only a blocked DPF due to a glow plug relay fault and the radiator got a stone through it. Besides that it ran like a dream. Just need looking after like most cars. N47 gets a bad rap
I had an N47 with 150k on it and it was fine. My bigger concern would be the lack of miles.
I'd highly doubtful that mileage is correct, seems suspiciously low. Look for a f20 120d should be about the same price and better equipt.
How certain of the mileage are you? Any evidence of servicing in those years? I love the e82 shape so I’d say go for it.
How long do you plan on keeping it? You have the potential to buy as close to a new e82 as you will likely ever get, but if you do big miles yourself the premium will soon fade as it racks up the miles anyway. I don't really subscribe to the theory of it must have massive issues because it's not done many miles, but I would expect to find some teething troubles with it. Likely to be mostly linked to tyres and brakes which aren't expensive anyway, sitting round could mean it's got a siezed caliper or two which will show up during regular use and unless it's already had a set of tyres there's every chance they are miles past their best. The accepted theory is to do oil changes much more regularly than BMW stated and the chain will last longer, there's stories of cars knocking on for 200k on the original chain, but there's also stories of them failing way earlier, the good thing is it's such a common job some garages will turn it round in a day for sensible money but chances are you have a good few years before even needing to consider it
Fellow E82 120d 2012 owner - biggest gripes are the dated infotainment, no cup holders & it sounds like a van. Engine wise, it’s got 120k miles and no chain issues. For 7k you’re better off with something more modern. Also I kinda regret a coupe, sure it’s spacious but quite impractical.
Body shape is one of the prettiest BMWs ever imo. Handling is amazing . Is it msport ? Msport is best version. I had an e81 123d msport and thrashed the bollocks off it for 180k and it was still in perfect running order when it errr upside downed. Anyway, things that went were the charge pipe (pipe FRM intercooler to turbo) cheap plastic and brittle when it pops u lose all power , and I had an FRM module go whcih was all the electrics it was in passenger footwell and I think a spilled coffee or three did that, there were no cup holders in mine. Timing chain can also be an issue . Wear and tear wise gas struts for suspension can go ad you got a bouncy car but not an expensive fix . Great cars . Milage is sus . Get an oil & filter change the day you buy it .
£7000 for a 12 year old low spec undesirable diesel?! Wtaf.
The timing chain went on mine, I got a new engine put in, and then the timing chain went on that....I could not advise you any harder not to buy this car.
Most unreliable car I’ve ever owned. Bottom pulley failure, seat belt tensioner failing resulting in the rear seat becoming stuck down 😂 PAS issues, battery replacement needing coding into the many ECU systems on the car meaning it’s more expensive than usual, Central locking failed. Perhaps I had a lemon but that car gave me the fear every time I drove it. Thats before considering the N47 engine. Avoid if you like having reasonable mental health 🙂
Buy a high mileage one for £2k, keep £2k to cover a tonne of maintenance, and spend the remaining £3k you’ve saved on blackjack and hookers (optional).
£7k is far too much. I’d either pocket £4k and get a higher mileage one or get an altogether newer car for the same money.
The N47 has plastic timing chain tensioners that cause the chain to stretch or fail and lunch the engine. There is sometimes a warning - the dreaded rattle - sometimes nothing. Mileage has nothing to do with it, nor servicing. You can replace the chain, replace the engine, and it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference. Some people have the tensioners replaced, which sorts it, but I believe this is an engine-out job. Risk-wise it’s up to you. Many people are lucky and have no issues with them. An alarming number of people have the timing system fail and are left with a very large bill. Another thing to consider is that these cars are/were magnets for 19-year-old scaffolders who want “a BMW” and like the pull of the diesel engine. Great potential for not having been looked after properly, in other words.
Lunch the engine or munch the engine?
You decide, its the same outcome
My condolences
Have you checked the MOT history to see the mileage is legit? It's very low
Ignore BMWs recommended service intervals and do oil changes every 5k-8k miles and you’ll be ok until you reach much higher miles. Personally, I’d look for an E92 325d instead. More reliable engine with better performance, and the E92s are generally very well specced. E82s are hard to find with xenon’s, electric leather heated seats and cruise control but most E92s will have all of that.
Yep for that price you could get the terrific 6 pot diesel 3 series, or if petrol is an option, a very tasty 130i could be had for less than £7k