Pre-owned and Certified BMW Buying Guide

You’ve likely never seen a wider or more diverse range of models in the BMW family than you’ll find today,and they vary in type to meet nearly any need. The BMW range is easy to understand. Cars are grouped into the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the 7 Series based on size, while crossovers and SUVs are denoted as the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6. You’ll find one Z model, which is the Z4 Roadster, and the performance range is made up of the M2, M3, M4, M6, X5 M and X6 M. If you’re interested in electric luxury vehicles, you can opt for the i3 and the i8.

A pre-owned BMW is one that’s had at least one previous owner, and that covers quite an extensive range of vehicles and prices. At one end of the spectrum, a BMW with only a few miles on it that’s only a few weeks or months old can be pre-owned, but so can a ten-year old example that’s covered 125,000 miles or more that’s had any number of different owners. Be wise in the vehicles you choose and carefully investigate each vehicle’s history so you can choose the one that meets your needs.

Like most automakers, BMW operates a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program, which can only be bought through dealers participating in the program. While any BMW that’s not brand new can be pre-owned, Certified Pre-Owned models have to meet very specific criteria. To qualify as a BMW CPO model, a vehicle must be certified and fully backed by BMW of North America, which means being thoroughly inspected, reconditioned, and approved by a BMW inspection team of trained technicians, Service Managersm and Pre-Owned Managers.

Before the certification process even begins, a BMW must meet certain conditions such as only being a late model with no more than 60,000 miles on the odometer, with an exceptional maintenance history and review of its CARFAX report. As well as the peace of mind of knowing a BMW CPO model has been rigorously inspected and tested, buyers also get an excellent warranty as part of the program, which covers 1 year and unlimited miles from the expiration of the 4 year/50,000-mile BMW New Vehicle/SAV Limited Warranty.

Buying a pre-owned BMW is like buying any other used vehicle, so the same rules apply. Make sure you do your homework beforehand, look for anything suspicious, and be wary of anything that looks too good to be true. For example, if you’re looking at a 2 year-old model with 25,000 miles at a very low price, look inside for signs of excessive wear and tear such as a heavily worn driver’s seat, steering wheel, or pedals. Always take a test drive and listen for any odd sounds or unusual driving characteristics, and try to avoid viewing outdoors when it’s raining because rain can hide a multitude of paintwork issues. If you don’t know a lot about vehicles, take someone with you who does if you can.

With a wide range of options, you can find the BMW model that’s right for you. Obviously, a Z4 won’t work if you have more than two people in your family even if it looks and drives like a dream. Likewise, be careful about falling for a two-door coupe or convertible if you’re going to be putting people in the back seats all the time. If a luxury vehicle is important to you but your budget is limited, look for something a little older that has a good service history. Also keep in mind that a lot of BMW cars are rear-wheel drive, so if you live where you encounter a lot of ice and snow in the winter it might be an idea to look at one of the crossovers or a car with BMWs xDrive all-wheel drive system.