BMW: Used BMW, 1992 mazda 929, 323i bmw

Question
Hi Kenneth,

I am resending this question as I did not get a confirmation from AllExperts on my last one to you.

My last question was regarding the buying from a friend of a 2000 323i BMW with 7,000 miles on it.

Firstly, I would like to know if there is anything to watch for with a car with such low mileage. Specifically, I was thinking that sitting in the garage most of the time the engine oil had a lot of time to drain and thus maybe every time the motor got started there would be extra wear and tear. Or, that the tires could be affected.

Also, with such low mileage do the regular maintenance schedules apply. That is do I have to change the timing belt at the 4 yr time period even though I'll probably be at 20,000 miles by that time? Anything else to consider?

Lastly, our last car was a 1992 Mazda 929 on which we were spending $2,000 yr on and tired of spending my days at the garage I was wondering if the 323i would be a more reliable car. What typical things can I be looking at repair-wise in the next 3-6 yrs?

Thanks,
Henry  

Answer
Yes the regular  schedule will apply, the car does not have a timing belt to be concerned with and there should be no appreciable wear on the vehicle from its time not being driven. I would replace the tires if they show signs of dry rot or cracking. It should be relatively reliable over the next 3 years at least. 2000 a year is not a whole lot of repair work on the average car in a year. Typically you will spend a quarter of that at the service on a bmw.