Seems too good to be true...

[Chad82]

I haven't test driven this car yet, but there is a 2000 BMW 540i with the 6 speed manual transmission and the sports suspension and 57,000 miles at a local dealership for $19,000. According to NADA, this is $2k below trade in value. What specifics should I have checked out? Obviously I am going to have it looked at before I would think of buying it, but I want to know what specifically to look into. I haven't ran a carfax on it yet (don't have an unlimited available) but it has a M series steering wheel which made me a little cautious (i.e. was it in an accident and the M series steer wheel was put on it after the airbag deployed). That raised something of a red flag for me, although if it is all right, does it sound like as killer of a deal to you as it does to me?

[atv087]

I would ask the dealer if it was crashed before. As far as i know the airbags dont demploy unless you hit something pretty hard with the front. Ask why it has that steering wheel. And check the body for bents different tones of the color paint and anything that would lead you to belive it was crashed. Then run a carfax and have your mechanic check it out. You probaly wouldnt want to buy a car like that even though it was fixed as good as new it was still crashed once and they didnt tell you. Also the person who had the car previously the insurance company probaly totaled it the bmw dealer got it for cheap fixed it and is trying to sell it as new again. Check everything over with a fine tooth comb and make sure its perfect ive had this problem before baught a car supposidly traded in and was mint never in a accident and found out it was crashed twice before i bought it.

[xragexpl]

I'm an owner of 2002 530i it came as a sport package and that includes M power stering wheel, m power sport seats, sport suspention, better rims and so on
M power stering wheel does not mean that the car was in an accident and (M power stering wheel and airbag is more expensive than regular 540 wheel with the bag) check for a button SPORT under climate control if it's there that means that it is the Sport package

[Chad82]

I checked out the car and its a beauty, looks great. It is the sport package. Unfortunately, I thought that these came with a telescoping tilt wheel... but it doesn't. I am 6'7" or 6'8" so I didn't have adequate clearance under the wheel (if the seat went back further I would, but sadly it doesn't).

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ce=&cardist=15 incidently, in case anyone else in washington is wanting to look into it (appears to be a good buy).

Looks like I will be doing the 740iL route.