Looking at an E91 and need some advice

[scoobie]

Hey everyone. I'm looking to get back into a BMW and I'm considering an E61 (or possibly E91 and the question is relevant to both). I used to have an E46 325xi sedan and gave it up after 200,000 and some miles. I've already read through the "So You Just Bought an E60" guide, I've had a BMW before, and my dad is on his 5th BMW so I'm not new to the brand and it's maintenance and repair costs. I'm leaning towards an N52 engine because I don't need the power of the turbos and I'd rather not have to worry about the high pressure fuel problems or potential turbo problems. My understanding is that the N52 is more reliable than the N54. I plan to do most of the basic maintenance myself (fluid changes, shocks, hose replacement, brake fluid, spark plugs, etc) So, my question is about higher mileage and low cost, or lower mileage higher cost.

I haven't figured out my final budget, but to keep the numbers simple let's say I have $15,000 cash to spend and let's assume that all cars have been test driven by me with no discernible issues and they've all had a PPI and a clean bill of health, a decent service history for all cars. Let's pretend I've found two cars:

A: 2006 with 100,000 miles for $9,000
B: 2006 with 60,000 miles for $14,000

My question is do I take the lower cost car and just keep the $5,000 earmarked for repairs, or do I take the lower mileage car under the assumption that the lower miles will give me a more reliable car for a few years?

I know that often times lower cost used cars come from auction and if you blow your whole budget on a car like that you are in for a world of hurt. However, I'm trying to discern whether $6,000 reserved specifically for repairs would be enough to make it a more cost effective option.

As I type this out, the more I get the feeling that it will really depend on service history and PPI results. Anyway, if anyone has advice or insight I'd love to hear it. I hope to have a (positive) reason to be on these forums a lot more in the future!

[N54Twin]

Low mileage = problems.

High mileage = lot less since it might have a lot of does problem fix.