First of all I know nothing about BMW's other than I like the 3 Series.

Based on that can I get a reliable one for £10k.

It will be used for a daily commute, 10 miles there and back on A roads.

What do i need to look for, common problems etc?

Your advice is appreciated.

Morning Ant Welcome to the Forum

£10k is a good budget, as with any used car condition and history are paramount. Modern Diesels are not lovers of short journeys as they don't get a chance to reach full exhaust temperature, so unless you are going to use the car for longer journeys at weekends a petrol may be a better choice. Then there is the spec, leather, electric everything, aircon, sports or comfort seats, we make our choice and pay our money. Same with performance better performance normally equals less MPG another choice. 

So I would put together a need to have and nice to have list that should help to narrow the choice, things like:

Need to have's- Leather Seats, Climate Control, Sat Nav, Bluetooth, Body type/Colour, Alloys(style) 

Nice to have's- Engine (Petrol Diesel), Gearbox (Auto/Manual)  Power/Performance, MPG, Warranty, Low tax bracket.

Hope this helps 

Dave

Thanks for the reply.

I would be looking for a petrol engine, manual and a vehicle of an age i could take out a BMW warranty on.

Hi Ant

Based on what you say I think you should be able to get 2009/10 low mileage models or later depending on what mileage they have covered and specification. Engine size depends on the performance you want but the 2.0 litre is a pretty good compromise in my opinion for power/performance and economy. BMW AUC warranties are excellent but can be pricey but there are some good alternatives out there.

Good Hunting let us know what you end up with

Dave