Anyone have / had a D3 BiTurbo Coupe???

Anyone have / had a D3 BiTurbo Coupe???

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Discussion

adamsgj

Original Poster:

10 posts

208 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Looking at this as an option for 50 mile round trip daily drive, mostly motorway and A roads.

A good mix of performance and economy?

Thinking the residuals should be pretty good as quite rare

Budget up to 20K

Thoughts?? Other options?

164 coupe

81 posts

122 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Hi Gareth

I have had a D3 Biturbo Coupe for 3 years now. Best car I have owned. Still love it, and have no plans to change anytime soon! Most of my driving is commuting round town, and I get 40+ mpg doing that. On the open road 50 mpg is more like it, plus a bit of performance if needed too!!

Do it. You won't regret it.

Philrose

473 posts

241 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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We have a D3 BT saloon and it would satisfy most of your requirements. On long journeys 50mpg is easily achieved. Mid range torque is impressive for a 2 litre and it's comfortable. Even better they are rare and exclusive. Go for it. 20k should get you a decent one.

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Had a D3 BT coupe - was a good car, mpg was around 40.
Depreciation was horrendous.

Needed a new DMF, clutch and steering rack within 10k miles (obviously under warranty).
Wife liked it more than me.

As a guide to prices - bought ours new in Sept 2011 for £43k (it had a lot of options inc. paint)
Trade in price in Sept 2014 was around £18k.
I think it sold for around the £22k mark with 28k miles on it.

Edited by Zyp on Saturday 7th March 19:06

adamsgj

Original Poster:

10 posts

208 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the input guys.

For 20K I'd want to get something that looks a bit special and the ones I've seen so far have the standard black half leather interior.

Will keep looking

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
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You might've liked mine (the colour wasn't to everyone's taste but it stood out hehe )



Full black leather with Alpina roundels, Lux pack.....etc...

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
adamsgj said:
Thanks for the input guys.

For 20K I'd want to get something that looks a bit special and the ones I've seen so far have the standard black half leather interior.

Will keep looking
The problem you'll have is that Alpina only makes 1600 cars per anum so your choice is always going to be limited, they're great cars just buy the best one you can find you won't regret it.

moffat

1,020 posts

224 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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Zyp said:
You might've liked mine (the colour wasn't to everyone's taste but it stood out hehe )



Full black leather with Alpina roundels, Lux pack.....etc...
Santorini Blue?

Looks great with black alloys IMO

ArsE92

21,007 posts

186 months

Monday 9th March 2015
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Lovely looking cars and I've considered a B3 (N54-engined).

For me though, for £20k I'd rather have a really nice 330d.

adamsgj

Original Poster:

10 posts

208 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
Now that is special!

Think my patience will run out before I find an Alpina I like though

Am drifting towards a 335i in Black with Coral Red interior, 330d would be nice too 335d's all seem to be in sales rep grey or silver with Black leather

JNW1

7,711 posts

193 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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Zyp said:
Depreciation was horrendous.

As a guide to prices - bought ours new in Sept 2011 for £43k (it had a lot of options inc. paint)
Trade in price in Sept 2014 was around £18k.
I think it sold for around the £22k mark with 28k miles on it.

Edited by Zyp on Saturday 7th March 19:06
This is one of the things that has always made me slightly nervous about Alpinas. There's no doubt they're lovely cars but there's not much in the way of a discount to be had on a new one and in reality the limited supply and exclusivity seems to count for very little come resale time. I suspect a new 335d coupe would have cost less in depreciation over 3 years than the D3 example quoted above and, while I'm not saying that makes a 335d a better buy, it does tend to undermine the argument that Alpinas hold their value better than mainstream BMW models. I remember a salesman at a main dealer telling me a few years ago that the depreciation was pretty steep on Alpinas and the example above would seem to confirm that; obviously not in itself a reason to avoid them but from a financial perspective you need to go in with your eyes open, especially if you buy a new one.....

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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JNW1 said:
This is one of the things that has always made me slightly nervous about Alpinas. There's no doubt they're lovely cars but there's not much in the way of a discount to be had on a new one and in reality the limited supply and exclusivity seems to count for very little come resale time. I suspect a new 335d coupe would have cost less in depreciation over 3 years than the D3 example quoted above and, while I'm not saying that makes a 335d a better buy, it does tend to undermine the argument that Alpinas hold their value better than mainstream BMW models. I remember a salesman at a main dealer telling me a few years ago that the depreciation was pretty steep on Alpinas and the example above would seem to confirm that; obviously not in itself a reason to avoid them but from a financial perspective you need to go in with your eyes open, especially if you buy a new one.....
I disagree Alpina's seem to hold there money pretty well if you're keeping them for 4+ years as the owner of a new D3 I agree there's pretty much no discount to be had but you do see a decent return if you compare yo the mainstream I had the option to get an 335d for the OH I already had the new M3 (which was back up for sale I didn't gel with it) while we were offered 16% off of a 55k new 335d we opted for the D3, having looked at the price of Alpina's in general compared to mainstream BMW's on the used market they're always more money & considering the old D3 wasn't that much more than an M Sport 320d they're residuals are stronger.

Where you got punished on the old D3 was if you didn't take the stock D3 then everything became a special order & the price flew up, I also appreciate it's a more niche market but I feel I'll have no problem selling this one when the time comes also look at the way M3 prices are dropping I was lucky to sell mine before it got to painful.


Edited by ZX10R NIN on Tuesday 10th March 07:33

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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Adding options to the E92 D3 cost no more than any other BMW - the £1200 surcharge stopped quite some time ago, so you can't count that against values.

The lack of any discount is a negative factor, and doesn't make up for the relative exclusivity you get with the car.
To say the old D3 is slightly more than a 320d shows a bit of ignorance of the brand, and does the Alpina engineering a disservice ..

craigjm

17,909 posts

199 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
They do depreciate steeply from invoice price so need to be a very long term ownership proposition to make them worthwhile. I guess most of the market doesn't see them as special enough over a standard BMW which is a shame

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
To say the old D3 is slightly more than a 320d shows a bit of ignorance of the brand, and does the Alpina engineering a disservice ..
[/quote]

You're mis quoting me I was say in terms of cost it was the equivalent of a spec'd 320d M Sport not that they were on the same level.

The OH's D3 drives & rides much better than the 335d & better than the M3, as an owner I appreciate the extra effort that Alpina have made

JNW1

7,711 posts

193 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
I disagree Alpina's seem to hold there money pretty well if you're keeping them for 4+ years

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Tuesday 10th March 07:33
Well Zyp quoted actual figures and it looks to me like the price paid was at least as much as a new E92 335d would have cost post-discount and the value after 3 years appears no better (if anything a bit less). That certainly doesn't make the D3 a bad car - far from it - but to my mind it doesn't support the idea that Alpinas enjoy significantly improved residuals due to their exclusivity. Perhaps when you go beyond 4 years of ownership it starts to look different but I suspect those who buy new Alpinas and keep them that long are in the minority; they probably have the money to change as and when they want and will fancy something different before the car gets to 4 years old!

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
JNW1 said:
Well Zyp quoted actual figures and it looks to me like the price paid was at least as much as a new E92 335d would have cost post-discount and the value after 3 years appears no better (if anything a bit less). That certainly doesn't make the D3 a bad car - far from it - but to my mind it doesn't support the idea that Alpinas enjoy significantly improved residuals due to their exclusivity. Perhaps when you go beyond 4 years of ownership it starts to look different but I suspect those who buy new Alpinas and keep them that long are in the minority; they probably have the money to change as and when they want and will fancy something different before the car gets to 4 years old!
Alpina owners seem to keep there cars longer than most, I keep most of my cars 4 years the CLK63 is the exception the M3 didn't work for me so only lasted Three months. Why change it if it works the C63 that preceded the D3 was kept for nearly 5 years.


JNW1

7,711 posts

193 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
Alpina owners seem to keep there cars longer than most, I keep most of my cars 4 years the CLK63 is the exception the M3 didn't work for me so only lasted Three months. Why change it if it works the C63 that preceded the D3 was kept for nearly 5 years.

You're quite right, more often than not people don't actually need to change their car, usually they do it simply because they want to! In my experience one of the main factors that influences frequency of changes is the financial ability to do so and therefore, on the assumption the average buyer of a new Alpina is likely to be pretty well heeled, they would no doubt be able to afford regular changes if they were so inclined. Perhaps that ability to change is more than offset by a higher boredom threshold (because they've got a better car to start with) but I've no evidence for that one way or the other!

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
You're mis quoting me I was say in terms of cost it was the equivalent of a spec'd 320d M Sport not that they were on the same level.

The OH's D3 drives & rides much better than the 335d & better than the M3, as an owner I appreciate the extra effort that Alpina have made
Yes, apologies - early morning skim reading!


ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
JNW1 said:
You're quite right, more often than not people don't actually need to change their car, usually they do it simply because they want to! In my experience one of the main factors that influences frequency of changes is the financial ability to do so and therefore, on the assumption the average buyer of a new Alpina is likely to be pretty well heeled, they would no doubt be able to afford regular changes if they were so inclined. Perhaps that ability to change is more than offset by a higher boredom threshold (because they've got a better car to start with) but I've no evidence for that one way or the other!
Fair enough but just because you have money it doesn't mean you want spend it all the time (although I am buying A CL63 BiTurbo shortly) plus when depart with 50+ of your hard earned savings you want to give the wallet a bit of time to recover, I suppose if you lease then it's easier to chop & change but I prefer to own my cars.