A second hand BMW is a money trap @Jay. You may get a good car, you may not. If you get a problematic BMW it can flatten your finances. Selling it off isn't going to help because you will make a big loss. Even if nothing goes wrong regular servicing is still very expensive.

If you want to upgrade I suggest a new D segment Jap car for your budget which will be cheaper to maintain and warranty will free you from maintenance fear. But based on your income I really recommend a C-segment car which won't stretch you financially.

For RM150K should be able to get a 3 year old BMW 320i which gives a much better drive.

That's another good point. If TS takes a loan for 9 years he probably plan to keep it for 9 years until the loan is settled. The longer the age of the car the more expensive to maintain. Although this is true of any car it is especially true of conti cars where cost shoots up far more than Jap or Korean cars. It's possible that TS may get more affluent as the years pass but it is unwise to commit to a future which is uncertain.

It doesn't matter. He's driving it in this country so the perception will be based on inhabitants of this country.

However the Ultimate Driving Machine isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Look into the secret world of BMW and you'll find annoyances you associate more with Proton than a luxury marque. If you think you'll get better service think again. Rude and barely competent staff and rapacious service centres ready to take you for a ride at every opportunity. In the end you pay extra for the badge only, not for quality. If you got money to spare fine but if you want value for your hard earned money look elsewhere.