BMW 130i: To keep or not to keep?

BMW 130i: To keep or not to keep?

Author
Discussion

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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I'm on 130i number two and I love it. The problem is that I have a steady stream of work cars and don't drive it as much as I'd like. I've also just bought my first house and no longer have a garage.

So...would you sell a car you love but don't get much chance to drive and probably end up buying another one in a few years' time (I lasted one month between selling my old 130i and getting this one), or keep it ticking over and parked on the drive?

It's just flown through its MOT with no advisories, has all the kit I want (non run-flats, leather, xenons and uprated speakers) and is low mileage at just over 74k with full history. If I had unlimited funds I'd definitely keep it, but having a mortgage and a long list of pricey things that need doing housewise, it would make sense to be sensible and sell it.

What would you do? Thanks.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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Don't sell it.

Heathwood

2,524 posts

201 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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I'm in a similar position with my 130i. Don't really need it but still love it. As I don't need the money I'd raise selling it and it costs buttons to run/keep, it's staying 🙂

culpz

4,881 posts

111 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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As above, learn from the mistake you made the first time around.

Presuming that you own the car outright, with no monthly payments or outstanding debt on it, all it's costing you is fuel, servicing, MOT's, consumables, road tax and presumably a breakdown membership.

The car isn't sat there deprecating and you can enjoy it for what it is and just drive it when you want/need to. There is a chance they people may horde these eventually, as it offers a classic BMW formula and driving experience, that is no longer found in their newer cars and probably never will be offered ever again for that matter.

aeropilot

34,299 posts

226 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
quotequote all
Given you only lasted a month before....... laugh

How much can you realistically do in the house for the money you'll get for it..?

Sure if this was 30k car sitting on the drive, I'd say sell and put the money into the house.

And it will become harder to find decent 130i in a year or so's time (or a months time in your case wink) and maybe more expensive.....?

Difficult decision as can see it from both sides having been there......but I was lucky as I had a garage at the time, and could put my then toy away for a few years in a carefully stored state...while the new mortgage issues and home renovating took place.


SebringMan

1,773 posts

185 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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How badly do you need the money? Given how car values are volatile at the moment I'd be tempted to get rid if you need the cash. Otherwise, keep it.

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Tuesday 27th June 2017
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To some extent it depends if the amount you can sell it for would make a difference to what you could do to the house. For example if it means you have the money to put in a new bathroom now rather than in two years time I'd say sell and fit the bathroom. What I am trying to say is if you can swap the car for something that you will get a lot of use out of and enjoy using then that is a good trade off.

I'd say the 130i is an excellent all round everyday car, we have had a 325ti compact for ten years that still fulfills that job, however it is not really a special car. If it was a Z4 with that engine I'd say definitely keep it, but you could sell the 130i, have a nicer house to live in earlier, then buy something more weekend once you have the funds.




Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
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Toltec said:
To some extent it depends if the amount you can sell it for would make a difference to what you could do to the house. For example if it means you have the money to put in a new bathroom now rather than in two years time I'd say sell and fit the bathroom. What I am trying to say is if you can swap the car for something that you will get a lot of use out of and enjoy using then that is a good trade off.

I'd say the 130i is an excellent all round everyday car, we have had a 325ti compact for ten years that still fulfills that job, however it is not really a special car. If it was a Z4 with that engine I'd say definitely keep it, but you could sell the 130i, have a nicer house to live in earlier, then buy something more weekend once you have the funds.
Great insight there - but I may disagree with your view of the 325ti Compact! What are the alternatives?

I have a 325ti Sport as a daily, and a 3 litre Z4 Coupe for entertainment.

I keep looking at 130is to replace my 325ti - RWD and straight 6 N/A petrol is pretty rare! laugh

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Heathwood said:
I'm in a similar position with my 130i. Don't really need it but still love it. As I don't need the money I'd raise selling it and it costs buttons to run/keep, it's staying ??
This is my logic. It's cost very little in car terms over the time I've had it, it's just the expense of road tax and insurance - and a little bit of fuel - that seems unnecessary and it will now be parked on the drive...hmm.

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
culpz said:
As above, learn from the mistake you made the first time around.

Presuming that you own the car outright, with no monthly payments or outstanding debt on it, all it's costing you is fuel, servicing, MOT's, consumables, road tax and presumably a breakdown membership.

The car isn't sat there deprecating and you can enjoy it for what it is and just drive it when you want/need to. There is a chance they people may horde these eventually, as it offers a classic BMW formula and driving experience, that is no longer found in their newer cars and probably never will be offered ever again for that matter.
Yep, owned outright - or £0 per month as I like to think of it!

I agree it's the kind of car that will become more in demand as all new cars get less and less engaging. Spent several days last week driving the Audi RS5 and it simply can't match the feeling the 130i provides - steering, engine and handling wise. Even the M240i doesn't get close for me.

Just wonder whether it's worth selling and getting a few tedious house jobs done sooner rather than later and putting insurance, tax, fuel and servicing savings aside, so I can buy another one in a few years' time. Can't decide whether that's the savvy move or if there won't be any decent 130is in several years and I'll have to spend loads to get a mediocre one...

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
Given you only lasted a month before....... laugh

How much can you realistically do in the house for the money you'll get for it..?

Sure if this was 30k car sitting on the drive, I'd say sell and put the money into the house.

And it will become harder to find decent 130i in a year or so's time (or a months time in your case wink) and maybe more expensive.....?

Difficult decision as can see it from both sides having been there......but I was lucky as I had a garage at the time, and could put my then toy away for a few years in a carefully stored state...while the new mortgage issues and home renovating took place.
Very true. Would plan to be a bit more disciplined this time and last more than a month!

Could probably fund replacement French doors, a little upcoming roof work and fitting a shower (who doesn't have even a shower head in a house anymore?!) at most. As you said, I think it's the lack of garage that makes me think about selling. Otherwise would keep locked up and not worry about it when I'm not driving it.

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Toltec said:
To some extent it depends if the amount you can sell it for would make a difference to what you could do to the house. For example if it means you have the money to put in a new bathroom now rather than in two years time I'd say sell and fit the bathroom. What I am trying to say is if you can swap the car for something that you will get a lot of use out of and enjoy using then that is a good trade off.

I'd say the 130i is an excellent all round everyday car, we have had a 325ti compact for ten years that still fulfills that job, however it is not really a special car. If it was a Z4 with that engine I'd say definitely keep it, but you could sell the 130i, have a nicer house to live in earlier, then buy something more weekend once you have the funds.
It is an excellent all-rounder. Covered 1,800 miles around France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria last year and it didn't miss a beat. Sharp in the mountains, but really comfy on the autoroutes too. Averaged 34.4mpg if I remember rightly, despite scaling the Alps and hitting 130mph on the autobahn.

Hadn't thought about selling with the plan to get a weekend car later. What type of weekend car would you replace the 130i with; RWD, big engine and relatively light weight? Cayman appeals, but they're pricey to buy, pricey to run and gearing is waaay too long for UK roads. Z4 Coupe looks great and has the same engine, but I'm a bit put off by the interior design, electric steering and tales of suspension being too stiff for UK roads. Selling the 130i with the plan to get something weekendy in a few years appeals - just can't think of much that would be as fun, while remaining relatively painless to own...

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Great insight there - but I may disagree with your view of the 325ti Compact! What are the alternatives?

I have a 325ti Sport as a daily, and a 3 litre Z4 Coupe for entertainment.

I keep looking at 130is to replace my 325ti - RWD and straight 6 N/A petrol is pretty rare! laugh
I had a 325ti before the 130is and the sound alone made it special for me. More evocative than the 130i, though the 130i does sound racier.

Have you driven a 130i Mr Tidy? Interested to see how it compares with your two...How do you find the steering and suspension in the Z4? Love the looks but worry it's a step less analogue than the 130i with overfirm suspension and mediocre steering.


culpz

4,881 posts

111 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
RoVoFob said:
culpz said:
As above, learn from the mistake you made the first time around.

Presuming that you own the car outright, with no monthly payments or outstanding debt on it, all it's costing you is fuel, servicing, MOT's, consumables, road tax and presumably a breakdown membership.

The car isn't sat there deprecating and you can enjoy it for what it is and just drive it when you want/need to. There is a chance they people may horde these eventually, as it offers a classic BMW formula and driving experience, that is no longer found in their newer cars and probably never will be offered ever again for that matter.
Yep, owned outright - or £0 per month as I like to think of it!

I agree it's the kind of car that will become more in demand as all new cars get less and less engaging. Spent several days last week driving the Audi RS5 and it simply can't match the feeling the 130i provides - steering, engine and handling wise. Even the M240i doesn't get close for me.

Just wonder whether it's worth selling and getting a few tedious house jobs done sooner rather than later and putting insurance, tax, fuel and servicing savings aside, so I can buy another one in a few years' time. Can't decide whether that's the savvy move or if there won't be any decent 130is in several years and I'll have to spend loads to get a mediocre one...
I totally agree. The issue is, they're already getting quite scarce. You don't see many on a search on here or AT. Think about it, in years to come, when there's even less left, you're going to be paying a premium to get yourself a decent one.

What seemed like a better financial decision at the time to sell it, now doesn't look like the best idea. I'd hang onto it, personally, but it's completely up to you at the end of the day.

Tomy90

163 posts

109 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Truly depends on if you really need the money the 130i would free up or if you have enough reasons to warrant letting her go.

If it was me I would look at the values of 130i's and see roughly where your one is and simply go from there as I do not know your current situation.

If you can afford to keep it do so as I imagine tidy examples are getting hard to come by

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Mr Tidy said:
Toltec said:
To some extent it depends if the amount you can sell it for would make a difference to what you could do to the house. For example if it means you have the money to put in a new bathroom now rather than in two years time I'd say sell and fit the bathroom. What I am trying to say is if you can swap the car for something that you will get a lot of use out of and enjoy using then that is a good trade off.

I'd say the 130i is an excellent all round everyday car, we have had a 325ti compact for ten years that still fulfills that job, however it is not really a special car. If it was a Z4 with that engine I'd say definitely keep it, but you could sell the 130i, have a nicer house to live in earlier, then buy something more weekend once you have the funds.
Great insight there - but I may disagree with your view of the 325ti Compact! What are the alternatives?

I have a 325ti Sport as a daily, and a 3 litre Z4 Coupe for entertainment.

I keep looking at 130is to replace my 325ti - RWD and straight 6 N/A petrol is pretty rare! laugh
Not sure there is a modern alternative to the 325ti, the 130i would be quicker, but not necessarily better to drive and I would only get one if to replace a 325ti if it died. Why do you think we still have it? I have bracketed the compact with a 530i touring for load lugging and long runs with passengers, and a turbo'd, mid-engine, full body kit car for weekend runs and road trips. Longer term the current plan is to get a small 4x4, Jeep Renegade possibly, to replace the 325ti, and swap mine with an Evora for road duties and a bike engined kit car for track days and weekends.

I also have form for keeping cars I don't use,a couple of years ago I finally sold an Impreza that I'd owned since 2002, but hadn't turned a wheel for a couple of years. I'd had a lot of fun in the car, but it needed some cosmetic tidying and I just didn't have the time and inclination to do it, I sold it to a friend that wanted to do the work and run it as his main car. I currently have a Smart roadster which I used for commuting and work mileage at a previous job, I walk to work now so again barely used it for a few years and a few maintenance jobs have built up. A friend of mine is interested in buying it as a weekend car, he just has to convince his wife...

The problem with a car that you don't need to use and seldom use is that it is very easy for even minor issues to turn it into a drive ornament. One way of letting go is to sell to someone who is really after one of those rather than just a running car and hope they get as much fun out of it as you did.

What the OP could do is see how much he actually uses the car over the next three months, how many miles an how often, then think about keeping or selling it again.

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
culpz said:
I totally agree. The issue is, they're already getting quite scarce. You don't see many on a search on here or AT. Think about it, in years to come, when there's even less left, you're going to be paying a premium to get yourself a decent one.

What seemed like a better financial decision at the time to sell it, now doesn't look like the best idea. I'd hang onto it, personally, but it's completely up to you at the end of the day.
Yes, more scarce than I realised - especially anything sub-80k with leather and xenons.

It all depends what used car prices do. Do wonder whether the fall out from Brexit will cause used car prices to tank, in which case not owning a car could be handy. Where's a crystal ball when you need one?

RoVoFob

Original Poster:

1,332 posts

157 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
Toltec said:
Not sure there is a modern alternative to the 325ti, the 130i would be quicker, but not necessarily better to drive and I would only get one if to replace a 325ti if it died. Why do you think we still have it? I have bracketed the compact with a 530i touring for load lugging and long runs with passengers, and a turbo'd, mid-engine, full body kit car for weekend runs and road trips. Longer term the current plan is to get a small 4x4, Jeep Renegade possibly, to replace the 325ti, and swap mine with an Evora for road duties and a bike engined kit car for track days and weekends.

I also have form for keeping cars I don't use,a couple of years ago I finally sold an Impreza that I'd owned since 2002, but hadn't turned a wheel for a couple of years. I'd had a lot of fun in the car, but it needed some cosmetic tidying and I just didn't have the time and inclination to do it, I sold it to a friend that wanted to do the work and run it as his main car. I currently have a Smart roadster which I used for commuting and work mileage at a previous job, I walk to work now so again barely used it for a few years and a few maintenance jobs have built up. A friend of mine is interested in buying it as a weekend car, he just has to convince his wife...

The problem with a car that you don't need to use and seldom use is that it is very easy for even minor issues to turn it into a drive ornament. One way of letting go is to sell to someone who is really after one of those rather than just a running car and hope they get as much fun out of it as you did.

What the OP could do is see how much he actually uses the car over the next three months, how many miles an how often, then think about keeping or selling it again.
I'd say the 325ti and 130i aren't that dissimilar. The 130i has much more torque and power making it feel more focused while the 325ti feels more like a bit of a speedy cruiser with a wicked noise.

As you said, selling the 130i on to another enthusiast would make it a lot easier. Will play it by ear over the next few months to see how much I use it. Otherwise may be hunting for another enthusiast 130i fan...

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Wednesday 28th June 2017
quotequote all
RoVoFob said:
Yes, more scarce than I realised - especially anything sub-80k with leather and xenons.

It all depends what used car prices do. Do wonder whether the fall out from Brexit will cause used car prices to tank, in which case not owning a car could be handy. Where's a crystal ball when you need one?
According to how many left there are 766 130i Msport manuals, easy peasy

When I was looking for an e61 530i Msport with the N53 engine I had to hope someone would sell one of the 76 still registered.

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Thursday 29th June 2017
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RoVoFob said:
I had a 325ti before the 130is and the sound alone made it special for me. More evocative than the 130i, though the 130i does sound racier.

Have you driven a 130i Mr Tidy? Interested to see how it compares with your two...How do you find the steering and suspension in the Z4? Love the looks but worry it's a step less analogue than the 130i with overfirm suspension and mediocre steering.
Interesting, especially as I haven't driven a 130i! (If I had, I probably wouldn't have had a 123d for 6+ years)!

Suspension in the Z4C is definitely firm (mine is a Sport so a bit lower and stiffer), but I don't mind the steering to be fair and the last 130is had EPAS (presumably to get them into a slightly lower tax band) as did my 123d!

Still the looks of the Z4C make up for all that IMHO - at the end of the day it is still a manual N/A straight 6 petrol so plenty of analogue attributes, and they're hard to find these days!

On the 130i, I probably should try before I buy! laugh

As you have a good one, I'd try to keep it because you'll probably struggle to find another if you do change your mind in a year or two. Unless you really, really need the cash right now (in which case PM me)! laugh

Oh well, gratuitous photo time!