Why isn't my car selling :-(
Discussion
Advertised this for sale a couple of months ago at £4.5k which seemed to be about right based on other adverts on here. Not a single enquiry. Dropped the price to £3,750 a week or so ago, and still no enquiries. Have had to re-tax it and about to have to insure it again :-(
Any ideas why? Is my ad rubbish? Is the price too high? Hit me with it!
Ta
Any ideas why? Is my ad rubbish? Is the price too high? Hit me with it!
Ta
Nothing wrong with the advert, but as said above get some closer shots of the body work etc.
Problem you have got is the fact that E61 tourings are now changing hands for £5-6k with similar milage and better standard spec. plus they are a newer more desirable model for many.
I remember when the E61 came out, the E39 prices dropped a bit but E34 prices dropped like a stone, they went from being £3-4k cars to £1500-2500 cars in the space of weeks.
Problem you have got is the fact that E61 tourings are now changing hands for £5-6k with similar milage and better standard spec. plus they are a newer more desirable model for many.
I remember when the E61 came out, the E39 prices dropped a bit but E34 prices dropped like a stone, they went from being £3-4k cars to £1500-2500 cars in the space of weeks.
I'd want to see a better picture of the front cabin. That one shallow DoF shot is lovely but just gives the impression that the drivers seat is not in good condition (even though it probably is).
A 128K mile car may never have had a single person on the back seats but it will definitely have had someone in the front so I'd want to see how good the front is before making the trip over.
A 128K mile car may never have had a single person on the back seats but it will definitely have had someone in the front so I'd want to see how good the front is before making the trip over.
Nice car there mate, I have had 2 beautiful e39 in the past, a 1997 and a 2002, I owned them 4 years apart from each other and even though they were minters with good history the first one was advertised for 10 months with not even a phonecall, I ended up part exchanging it for something I could sell on easier to get my money back.
The later one was advertised for a month, same story with that one, I had to px it, the other car was more expensive and I did get what I wanted for it.
These cars have a very niche market, in this climate people just dont want them, sad I know as there not bad on fuel and servicing.
A friend was at an auction the other week and a 2007 audi a8 sold for £5000, makes an 8 year old 5 series seem very expensive, people are very savvy with there money these days and know where to find bargain bardges.
Good luck with it though.
The later one was advertised for a month, same story with that one, I had to px it, the other car was more expensive and I did get what I wanted for it.
These cars have a very niche market, in this climate people just dont want them, sad I know as there not bad on fuel and servicing.
A friend was at an auction the other week and a 2007 audi a8 sold for £5000, makes an 8 year old 5 series seem very expensive, people are very savvy with there money these days and know where to find bargain bardges.
Good luck with it though.
I'm about to put my E39 540i sport up for sale. Your experience isn't filling me with joy. I do think that it is a touch too expensive given the mileage though and the lack of Satnav/tv etc... Regardless of how useful they are!
Maybe you'll get some calls over the bank holiday weekend?
Maybe you'll get some calls over the bank holiday weekend?
I was just admiring one of these in a carpark earlier today and told the BF that I wouldnt mind one.
Unfortunatley we have also had out bmw up for sale for a long time with no interst, and is one of the lowest price ones of similar spec and age.
Others arent moving either. I put it down to high insurance, high fuel consumption of the 3.0 and people not buying convertibles seeing as we have had a dismal summer
Unfortunatley we have also had out bmw up for sale for a long time with no interst, and is one of the lowest price ones of similar spec and age.
Others arent moving either. I put it down to high insurance, high fuel consumption of the 3.0 and people not buying convertibles seeing as we have had a dismal summer
sparks_E39 said:
I've seen early 2001 530 Sports priced well below £3000 which surprised me, especially considering they were in great condition, so I guess yours is still worth between £3000-£4000, but the bugger is no one wants them.
What cars are priced for and what they sell for are two different things... If nobody wants it, it's not worth 3-4k is it??BMWBen said:
What cars are priced for and what they sell for are two different things... If nobody wants it, it's not worth 3-4k is it??
Not neccesarily true. Sometimes a car is worth £x but nobody wants it at any price as nobody after that particular car is buying. It can sometimes be worth holding out.Fox- said:
Not neccesarily true. Sometimes a car is worth £x but nobody wants it at any price as nobody after that particular car is buying. It can sometimes be worth holding out.
True, but that only tends to be the case in low volume sectors of the market I'd think. The price that he's pitched the car at is halfway between the parkers good/poor private sale price.Not only is the parkers sale price normally very optimistic, but it's set for a car at 80,000 miles.
This is the evidence I offer in favour of my opinion
Deva Link said:
Not specific to your car, but it's too big to be used as a short commute / shopping car and anyone wanting a car for more serious use will be terrified of a 3 litre petrol.
I would say an E39 Touring would be perfect for a shopping run, given it's generous boot size. I use my E39 for mostly journeys of less than 10 miles.Fox- said:
Damn, I better get rid of mine then,
No, keep it. You won't be able to get rid of it, no-one will buy it. 
I think the situation with used cars in the UK is insane - the general public think 8yrs old and 100K+ miles is fit only for the scrap heap. Maybe somebody will lash out a few £K for big engined barge for a bit of a lark, but those people are few and far between, and they'd probabaly rather pay a couple of £K than £4K.
Colleague of mine in Belgium just paid €11K for 160Km Volvo S80 and was very pleased with himself - until we showed him the same car in Aut0Trader for £4K.
Edited by Deva Link on Sunday 28th August 20:09
Hi
I love my E39 Touring, and as I bought it insanely cheap when it was 3 years old as an ex police car, I knew in a few short years it'd be worthless. However, I don't plan on selling it, same as when I bought it, so values for it don't matter and I've modified it instead. Standard examples of this car and many other brands and marques are going the same way.
On a higher level, the UK's marketplace has indeed changed. There's much less cash being thrown about for car loans, and people previously who thought money was just for spending and borrowing, are being taught a harsh lesson in that in order to buy things, you should stay within a reasonable amount for the realistic income levels you have. I think it's still the case that overall, the average size of a UK car's engine is 1.8 litres. 'Generally' again, anything 2 or 2.2 litre is considered 'large' due to our vastly inflated forecourt prices.
The market has indeed changed so that 'big' 3.0 and above sized cars are really only going to be run by the much more well off, or by the ones who continue to live beyond their means ! so used 'selling prices' are going southward quickly. Also, the amount of cars out on the UK roads, BMW has to a larger extent lost it's 'Prestige' status as pretty much, they're available to many sectors of the buying public. Contrast that with other countries where owning and running a BMW (and other similar brands) is still considered to be for the better off and retains a large brand image of a prestige vehicle maker, then check the used values of the exact same model and see the substantial increased value and selling prices of those cars.
Fuel prices are generally only going to go up as a long term trend, and the economic hangover of the UK recovering from this financial mess is going to take years. Less and less big 'engined' cars will be bought as a result, and you only have to look at the sheer number of F10/F11 520d's to see that
I'd say if you can, keep the car also, pay £10 and become a gold member and advertise it on http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/ ?
Cheers, Dennis!
I love my E39 Touring, and as I bought it insanely cheap when it was 3 years old as an ex police car, I knew in a few short years it'd be worthless. However, I don't plan on selling it, same as when I bought it, so values for it don't matter and I've modified it instead. Standard examples of this car and many other brands and marques are going the same way.
On a higher level, the UK's marketplace has indeed changed. There's much less cash being thrown about for car loans, and people previously who thought money was just for spending and borrowing, are being taught a harsh lesson in that in order to buy things, you should stay within a reasonable amount for the realistic income levels you have. I think it's still the case that overall, the average size of a UK car's engine is 1.8 litres. 'Generally' again, anything 2 or 2.2 litre is considered 'large' due to our vastly inflated forecourt prices.
The market has indeed changed so that 'big' 3.0 and above sized cars are really only going to be run by the much more well off, or by the ones who continue to live beyond their means ! so used 'selling prices' are going southward quickly. Also, the amount of cars out on the UK roads, BMW has to a larger extent lost it's 'Prestige' status as pretty much, they're available to many sectors of the buying public. Contrast that with other countries where owning and running a BMW (and other similar brands) is still considered to be for the better off and retains a large brand image of a prestige vehicle maker, then check the used values of the exact same model and see the substantial increased value and selling prices of those cars.
Fuel prices are generally only going to go up as a long term trend, and the economic hangover of the UK recovering from this financial mess is going to take years. Less and less big 'engined' cars will be bought as a result, and you only have to look at the sheer number of F10/F11 520d's to see that
I'd say if you can, keep the car
also, pay £10 and become a gold member and advertise it on http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/ ?Cheers, Dennis!
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