05 320i SE - Trade in or Private Sale? How Much?

eddiem74

I have a 2005 320i SE with currently 46,500kms on the clock. It is black metallic, cream leather, automatic, walnut trim, sunroof, 18" wheels, sports seats, storage pack, etc.. cost 58k new back in June 2005.

I am now looking to change in July for a 320d SE Coupe (probably).

I am wondering how can I determine the best trade in price given the changing prices happening over the coming weeks as it will be hard to judge the second hand market ?

So any ideas how to work out a the cars value ?

Any tips/advice on how to get a good deal on a trade in ? (I always feel screwed on the trade in, and would appreciate any advice/tactics)

Any other general advice ?

Thanks !

E92

Be prepared for not a whole pile relatively speaking, as lots of people have been delaying their purchases for July. A new 320i SE Auto will be €45,537 in July, so one can work back from that. The one good thing that will make your car more desirable is the fact it has leather. That is a big plus. Automatics are more desirable too than manuals. These are tools you can use in your bargaining power with the dealer. Not even 30k miles is another desirable feature. The other options make the car more sellable but worth only a fraction more than a similar car without those options, and quite possibly not worth anything more. The only options worth having are leather and auto,but with the new VRT rules coming in, I'm not so sure about cars registered after July with an Automatic gearbox(most post July cars with an Auto have higher road tax than their manual counterparts, not to mention VRT, which will make the Automatic option very expensive compared to the manual version of the same car). That doesn't affect your car though, but will affect your new car.

With regard to the new 3 series, I would suggest that you don't discount the larger engines in the range. Being extremely economical and therefore CO2 friendly relatively speaking, they're only a small bit dearer top tax every year. E.g. 320d Auto is €290, while a 325i Auto is €430, as is the 325d Auto. That's less than the €590 you pay now. The 325is would be €1231 to tax now, so it just goes to show how much things will be improving for the 6 cylinder models.

A 320d SE Auto Coupé will be €52,173 in July. A 325d will be €57,311 in the same transmission and spec, while a 325i SE Auto will be €56,659.

A 325i Auto believe it or not is easier on petrol than your current car even though it's a 3.0 rather than a 2.0, averaging 39.8 mpg. That's better than a 1.6 Toyota Avensis! A 325d averages 44.1 mpg and a 320d averages 51.4 mpg(automatic versions). So for a higher asking price, you are getting a much better noise(IMO) especially the petrol model, better refinement(because of the extra cylinders), more power, a lot more in the case of the 325i, a lot more torque in the 325d's case, only a small mpg penalty in the case of the 325d, I would wholeheartedly suggest that you choose either the 325i or the 325d instead of the 320d if you can afford it.

It's worth noting that the diesel manuals are substantially cheaper than their Auto equivalents, the petrol Autos have the same VRT so the price penalty for an Auto with the petrols isn't that big(and there's no road tax penalty either).

eddiem74

Cheers, E92, as always full of useful information and guidance !

So in terms of the trade in, how do I even work back from the new 320i SE Auto July figure of €45,537 to get somewhere?

I am this time considering going manual instead of Auto, as it is more expensive, plus seems to push some models into a different VRT bracket which could hurt a future trade in/resale.

I was going with the 320d SE Coupe as I thought in terms of future trade in a 320 would still be a better bet, than larger engines. I guess I am to some degree trying to ensure I buy right, to improve my trade in options later on.

Keep the guidance coming........

JHMEG

Your current car sounds very nice. Why not hold onto it? It would be the cheapest option of all.

R.O.R

Book value is not far under €30k at the moment, but we struggled to sell a 2006 320i M-Sport with full leather a couple of months ago. 40,000km on and it went for €29,500 - trade price.

I'd say if you got €25k for it you'll be doing well.

Anan1

JHMEG wrote: »

Your current car sounds very nice. Why not hold onto it? It would be the cheapest option of all.

I'd second that, why not keep it until the new 3 series comes out?

eddiem74

JHMEG wrote: »

Your current car sounds very nice. Why not hold onto it? It would be the cheapest option of all.

Yes it is nice, however my wife who drives it more, loves the new coupe.

R.O.R wrote: »

Book value is not far under €30k at the moment, but we struggled to sell a 2006 320i M-Sport with full leather a couple of months ago. 40,000km on and it went for €29,500 - trade price.

I'd say if you got €25k for it you'll be doing well.

Cheers R.O.R, so €25k, I could expect more then for private sale, perhaps closer to €29 ?

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd second that, why not keep it until the new 3 series comes out?

When is the new 3 series out ?


Keep the advice coming............

nc6000

Is the 3-Series being updated again soon?

I have an 06 318i SE with just over 65,000KM on the clock. It's a company car which I'm thinking of buying when the 3 year lease is up in September 09. At this rate there will be about 120,000 on the it by then.

Any ideas how much it will be worth then?

E92

It's getting a mid life facelift which will début in October at some Motor Show.

It is expected that there will be a new diesel engine(the engine from the 123d), the front end will be redesigned and a host of tweaks of the blink and you'll miss them variety. There may well be tweaks to the engines to make sure they're even further ahead on emissions than they already are compared to rivals.

Gandalf23

My advice would have been to hold on to your car for another while yet. It'll take a while for second hand values to stabilise, and there are vast amounts of good s/h cars out there at the moment.

Then I remembered what the 320d SE coupe looks like ...



... and now I say buy, buy, buy!!!

edit: I know the current 3 series is due the minor facelift this year ... any news on when a totally new model will be out? And when is the new model 5 series due?

E92

That ain't a 320d. The grille slats are black in 320ds(and any other 4 cylinder 3 series). Only 6 cylinder 3 series(i.e. 325i/d, 330i/d, 335i/d) have chrome grille slats:).

The as yet unnamed next generation 3 series won't be here till 2012(maybe late 2011). Presumably it will be called the F20.

The F10 5 series will be here in late 2010 or early 2011.

JHMEG

eddiem74 wrote: »

Yes it is nice, however my wife who drives it more, loves the new coupe.

There was a poll on here a while ago about new vs old.. most people, me included, preferred the older one. (I know, I know, we're not the ones buying)

Anan1

Maybe i'm in the minority, but I think the 3 series saloon looks far more elegant than the coupé. There's something quite garish about the E92/A5/CLS look.

eddiem74

OK, so I checked with two BMW dealers in Dublin. One said in and around €22-23k, and the other said in the region of €23k. I got the sense there was still some room to move, so perhaps the €25k will be the top of what I would get alright.

Just need to give more thought now to what model, etc.. to see what makes sense given the trade in. :rolleyes:

speedfreak

eddiem74 wrote: »

OK, so I checked with two BMW dealers in Dublin. One said in and around €22-23k, and the other said in the region of €23k. I got the sense there was still some room to move, so perhaps the €25k will be the top of what I would get alright.

Just need to give more thought now to what model, etc.. to see what makes sense given the trade in. :rolleyes:

wow €35k is some hit in 3yrs. why are you even considering a new car?? someone is gonna pick up your perfectly acceptable, as new 320 for about half of what you paid. now that makes sense... would you not hold off a while till theres some used new shape coupes around?

eddiem74

speedfreak wrote: »

wow €35k is some hit in 3yrs. why are you even considering a new car?? someone is gonna pick up your perfectly acceptable, as new 320 for about half of what you paid. now that makes sense... would you not hold off a while till theres some used new shape coupes around?

Yes, its painful alright. :mad:

I have not 100% yet committed to making the change, just doing some homework at the moment, €35k loss (nearly €12k per year) is hard to swallow for sure.

Ferris

My mate traded in an '03 318ci with similar spec to yours (cream leather, walnut etc). He'd bought it of Joe duffys a year before. He bargained quite heavily with them and ended up doing quite well, better than he would have done privately imo.

Remember that they are under pressure to sell new cars so don't be afraid to haggle, especially now while the market is slow because of the VRT and Tax changes. Best of luck anyway.

eddiem74

Ferris wrote: »

My mate traded in an '03 318ci with similar spec to yours (cream leather, walnut etc). He'd bought it of Joe duffys a year before. He bargained quite heavily with them and ended up doing quite well, better than he would have done privately imo.

Remember that they are under pressure to sell new cars so don't be afraid to haggle, especially now while the market is slow because of the VRT and Tax changes. Best of luck anyway.

Thanks Ferris for the encouragement, I am planning to meet the dealer today where I purchased the car from originally, so lets see how that goes ! :rolleyes:

copacetic

speedfreak wrote: »

wow €35k is some hit in 3yrs. why are you even considering a new car?? someone is gonna pick up your perfectly acceptable, as new 320 for about half of what you paid. now that makes sense... would you not hold off a while till theres some used new shape coupes around?

well he is hit badly by the change in vrt more than anything else..

eddiem74

Ok, so here is where I am now at in terms of trade in offers:

Garage 1: Offer 22-23k, car viewed by salesman.
Garage 2: Offer 23k, car not viewed, e-mail quote subject to viewing car.
Garage 3: Offer 29k, car not viewed, e-mail quote subject to viewing car.
Garage 4: Offer 25k, car viewed by salesman.

In most cases I still feel there is a deal to still be done.

I also found out today there is a special offer going to happen on 318/320 ES & SE models where they will add certain metallic paint, certain 17" alloys, and leather for around €1500 extra.

copacetic

eddiem74 wrote: »

Ok, so here is where I am now at in terms of trade in offers:

Garage 1: Offer 22-23k, car viewed by salesman.
Garage 2: Offer 23k, car not viewed, e-mail quote subject to viewing car.
Garage 3: Offer 29k, car not viewed, e-mail quote subject to viewing car.
Garage 4: Offer 25k, car viewed by salesman.

In most cases I still feel there is a deal to still be done.

I also found out today there is a special offer going to happen on 318/320 ES & SE models where they will add certain metallic paint, certain 17" alloys, and leather for around €1500 extra.

yep I understand it will be as in 'edition' offer in uk and is brought in to keep sales going before facelift comes out later in year

edition model uk wrote:

Edition ES and SE models come as standard in a choice of Carbon Black, Titanium Silver or Sparkling Graphite colours. To complement the exterior colour, these models also feature Dakota leather upholstery and Brushed Aluminium interior trims. In addition, they are all equipped with a 17-inch V-spoke alloy wheel (currently standard on 335i/d Coupé and Convertible models) and a three-spoke M multi-function leather steering wheel.

eddiem74

copacetic wrote: »

yep I understand it will be as in 'edition' offer in uk and is brought in to keep sales going before facelift comes out later in year

So if they are introducing offers to clear out old stock before the facelift would this indicate that the facelift could be more significant than might be thought ? Or is this standard practice ?

copacetic

eddiem74 wrote: »

So if they are introducing offers to clear out old stock before the facelift would this indicate that the facelift could be more significant than might be thought ? Or is this standard practice ?

I think it is standard practise, however I already feel the facelift is significant enough, the front grille and bonnetc will change to look pretty much like the 3 series coupe. This is a major cosmetic change imo. If they do as rumoured change the rear lights then it will look significantly different imo.

E92

E92 wrote: »

It's getting a mid life facelift which will début in October at some Motor Show.

It is expected that there will be a new diesel engine(the engine from the 123d), the front end will be redesigned and a host of tweaks of the blink and you'll miss them variety. There may well be tweaks to the engines to make sure they're even further ahead on emissions than they already are compared to rivals.

That's what they are meant to be doing to the 3 series for it's facelift. The rest of the engines are unlikely to be changed as they were just changed for this year with the EfficientDynamics programme. But I wouldn't rule out aerodynamic tweaks, slight weight decreases etc to get the CO2 emissions down even further, now that Audi and Merc will have special halo models for emissions in the A4 and C-class respectively in the coming months(A4 2.0 TDI 120 e and C180 and C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY).

alpina

To bring down the Co2 a little on the 320d sure would be nice & hopefully they will, even by one would suffice;
320i was pipped by one Co2 to move into next VRT bracket 155 cut off and it produces 156...in auto. spec

eddiem74

Ok, so the €29k was confirmed with a visit today.

I've now gone back to the others to see what they say. Frist one back says the best they could do is €26k (up from €23k though :rolleyes:), and the other one is checking as I write !

I am now at a toss-up between the 320d Coupe M or SE ? My wife likes the colour "White" in them, but we would need to be looking at the M model to pull that off ! I am also looking at going manual instead of Auto given the VRT hit. Only other main extra would be leather (& 18" wheels on the SE), Any inputs on choice ? (can't stretch to a 325 as much as I would love too )

Thanks for all the inputs to date !

E92

eddiem74 wrote: »

I am now at a toss-up between the 320d Coupe M or SE ? My wife likes the colour "White" in them, but we would need to be looking at the M model to pull that off ! I am also looking at going manual instead of Auto given the VRT hit. Only other main extra would be leather (& 18" wheels on the SE), Any inputs on choice ? (can't stretch to a 325 as much as I would love too )

If you can afford a 320d M Sport then you can afford a 325d SE. The 325d SE is cheaper ever so slightly as it happens.

Well these things are always subjective but I'd take superior refinement, noise, a bit more power, a bit more torque a slight economy and road tax hit over a car that supposedly "looks better".

Understated is always better IMO. The M Sport is too much of a posers car for me. Some people like the look of it but I certainly don't. The SE is the thinking man's choice IMO. If you want something that looks like an M3 then you buy an M3. M Sports have bigger wheels and wider tyres, meaning a harsher ride and more road noise.

If you are worried about the cost of the 325d then forget the M Sport, buy a 320d SE and save yourself €4,500 and get a better ride and less road noise thrown in at no extra cost:).

If you can afford the extra €4,500 then get a 325d SE.

eddiem74

E92 wrote: »

If you can afford a 320d M Sport then you can afford a 325d SE. The 325d SE is cheaper ever so slightly as it happens.

Well these things are always subjective but I'd take superior refinement, noise, a bit more power, a bit more torque a slight economy and road tax hit over a car that supposedly "looks better".

Understated is always better IMO. The M Sport is too much of a posers car for me. Some people like the look of it but I certainly don't. The SE is the thinking man's choice IMO. If you want something that looks like an M3 then you buy an M3. M Sports have bigger wheels and wider tyres, meaning a harsher ride and more road noise.

If you are worried about the cost of the 325d then forget the M Sport, buy a 320d SE and save yourself €4,500 and get a better ride and less road noise thrown in at no extra cost:).

If you can afford the extra €4,500 then get a 325d SE.

Cheers E92, I appreciate your feedback. To be honest the M would be pushing it, however the wife likes the coupe in white, and I was thinking I would need an M model to pull that off. Actually most of the coupes that I have seen around and liked, I am pretty sure were SE's, even on the way home today, we seen a lovely coupe in red, and when we rolled up beside there was no "M" badges in sight.

To be honest the wife also wants an automatic, but that is pushing it too, although that is what she has her license in, as she started driving when I was working in the US for a few years, so has never driven a manual seriously since being home. :rolleyes:

I guess a bit of a mess really, and some more homework to be done over the weekend !

Thanks again for the feedback !

MAKE MY DAY

Other half looking at the moment to change to a 320d coupe as well. I like the additional exterior crome can someone confirm this is only available on the 325 + engines ? or do I have that wrong.

E92

MAKE MY DAY wrote: »

Other half looking at the moment to change to a 320d coupe as well. I like the additional exterior crome can someone confirm this is only available on the 325 + engines ? or do I have that wrong.

The grille slats are chrome rather than matt black and there are twin chrome exhausts as opposed to a BIG single exhaust when you buy a 6 cylinder 3 series(i.e. 325+). BMW always throw in these discreet touches so those in the know will know if you bought a cheap version or an expensive version:).

MAKE MY DAY

E92 wrote: »

The grille slats are chrome rather than matt black and there are twin chrome exhausts as opposed to a BIG single exhaust when you buy a 6 cylinder 3 series(i.e. 325+). BMW always throw in these discreet touches so those in the know will know if you bought a cheap version or an expensive version:).

Ok so in your experience a 325d SE coupe over a 320d Msport ??