Tanzanite/Cognac F32 - hard combo to sell?

Currently looking for an F32 440i, though I want Snapper Rocks Blue ideally. I've noticed a Tanzanite Blue one with Cognac leather keeps coming up in my searches. It's been for sale for ages at a Vauxhall dealerrship not far from me. I did some digging and the tax expired on 2 February 2023, so it's been for sale for over a year now. A pic of the service history on the iDrive screen shows the PDI check was on 23 January 2019, yet the date of first registration is 6 February 2020 so, again, it took over a year to sell when it was new. The only other item of curiosity is that the two services it's had are logged as "00000", which is the default code for a car serviced outside the BMW dealer network. There are usually five numbers that are unique to a BMW dealer.

In case anyone's curious, here's the car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302094...

Definitely. I wonder what a year sitting around would do to the battery?


That's really useful to know, thanks.

I think the price is a tad strong. A while back I saw an approved used 440i with 18k miles for £26,230 so I think this one, without the benefit of approved used BMW staus, or the 12 month BMW warranty which comes with an approved used BMW, needs to be a fair chunk less.

I thought about that.

Four new tyres.
New battery.
BMW warranty.
Precautionary service.

That'll be £2k then!

Would it have the Network Q warranty though? The information for approved used Vauxhalls says "Generally backed by a minimum of 12 months comprehensive warranty cover", but this car says "Minimum 3 Month Guarantee", so maybe as it's not a Vauxhall it has some other inferior warranty on it.

I suspect by "360 degree cameras" they're referring to the 360 degree parking sensors. This one definintely doesn't have surround view - the little camera is clearly not present under the parking sensor on the close up of the front bumper and the camera button for surround view isn't there between the park assist button and the eco pro button on the centre panel next to the gear shifter. I really wouldn't want to be without surround view given the increasing numner of occasions that I have to drive blind out of a parking space because there's a tall vehicle parked next to me, an issue that the growing popularity of SUVs is making progressively worse. That said, I could live without it on an otherwise perfect car.

Can't see any yellow lights but the red light on the instruments on Pics 2 and 21 is the handbrake light which is probably on because the engine is running, as evidenced by the needle on the rev counter. The red light on Pic 22 is the seatbelt light, probably because someone is sitting in the driver's seat while the engine is running.

I guess Stratstone don't have a thing like Sytner Select for cars that can't be sold as "approved used".

Probably warrants a visual inspection. I've seen some very variable steering wheel conditions. One car with just over 8k miles looked like a sweaty pervert had been all over it, another with 22k miles looked brand new. There's no rhyme or reason to it!

That's basically just the default for a service done outside the BMW main deler network. Not a concern in itself as long as the service has been done correctly.

I think that's down the the lighting in pic 5. In pic 7 the dealer name is clearly visible on the rear plate.

Went and had a look today...

Stunning looking car, pretty immaculate other than a few small light scratches as you'd expect to find on a four year old car. The contrast leather and piano black dashboard trim makes the car feel like it cost twice as much as one with default black leather and brushed aliminium trim. Paperwork was all in the glove compartment. Originally supplied by Sytner Nottingham and owned by someone in Watford. The two services were done by a place called VW Doctor - an independent VW specialist. The services detailed were the correct ones, though there's obviously no way of knowing what was actually done. Sales guy said the 24 month warranty that you can get from them is the same as the BMW warranty as they're part of the same group as Stratstone, but it costs less. Tad sceptical about that.

Only issues of note were when I opened the bonnet there was a layer of moisture on top of the driver's side "dome" where the suspension strut is. Also, when I pulled the rear arm rest down, the plastic flaps that open to reveal the cupholders also had some moisture on them, though there was no moisture in the recess that the arm rest slots into when you stow it. Also, there was quite a bit of green on the black rubber seals along the bottom of the front side windows. I don't know if the will clean off or will be a part of the rubber by now.

The sales guy confirmed that the car has been there a year and said only four people have shown an interest in it. It should probably be at a dealership that sells those kind of cars to get an appropriate audience, not a Vauxhall dealership!

I said my intention was to put a BMW warranty on it, hence why I needed to confirm that the servicing has been done properly, and he assured me the product they offer for this car is the same as they're part of the same group as Stratstone BMW, but I'd do my homework before committing to it.

No, I have another to look at and I still really want one in Snapper Rocks Blue with the front "surround view" cameras which this one doesn't have. That said, for the right price I'd be happy to go for it.

Nothing came up on the iDrive when the car was started, so I don't think it's flagging an overdue service yet. The brake disks did have plenty of corrosion on them though.

I think the price is pretty much approved used BMW money - Stratstone in Derby had a well specced one for £26,230 with 18k miles last year - same sort of age at the time. I'd be wanting a grand off because it isn't an AUC, then another grand for the big service and any miscellaneous niggles. I'd give them £24k but happy to walk otherwise as I'm not emotionally attached to it. Strange that the original owner took it to a VW indy for servicing. I would have thought if you could afford a car like that you could afford to take it to a main dealer for servicing.