4 series resale (auto Vs man)
Discussion
Just in the process of buying a pre-reg 4 series coupe but not sure whether to go manual or auto as Auto takes it into the £435 a year tax bracket. Which do you think will be easier to sell in 2-3 years time and hold its value better. Man or auto or will they cancel each other out? Always been a manual man are the auto boxes any good in them?
I’ve got a 340i touring which didn’t have the option of manual. ZF8 speed auto is great and suits the engine.
But if you want a manual, get one. You could well miss the sensation of changing gear. That’s not worth it in my opinion .
As autos are more popular , I’d bet on them being easier to sell at a slightly better price.
But if you want a manual, get one. You could well miss the sensation of changing gear. That’s not worth it in my opinion .
As autos are more popular , I’d bet on them being easier to sell at a slightly better price.
I have only had auto F series cars... all have been 435i or 335i
The auto is great, in normal mode it will waft you home effortlessly but can become a little boring... stick it in sport and the gearbox comes more alive and in my opinion better.
Do i miss manual, yes.... but only some occasions.
Would I buy an auto BMW - yes, every time.
Would i buy a manual BMW - No, previous experience from a 1 series and older BMW's is that 1st and 2nd swaps are notchy and not always smooth therefore annoying me constantly when just trying to waft home or drive with some enthusiasm. Getting it into reverse requires some gym time as well sometimes.
The auto is great, in normal mode it will waft you home effortlessly but can become a little boring... stick it in sport and the gearbox comes more alive and in my opinion better.
Do i miss manual, yes.... but only some occasions.
Would I buy an auto BMW - yes, every time.
Would i buy a manual BMW - No, previous experience from a 1 series and older BMW's is that 1st and 2nd swaps are notchy and not always smooth therefore annoying me constantly when just trying to waft home or drive with some enthusiasm. Getting it into reverse requires some gym time as well sometimes.
gizlaroc said:
Depends on the engine.
A manual petrol coupe would not people off, I would have a manual if petrol, but would not buy a manual diesel, that to me is a horrible combination.
I found the opposite to be true, the automatic diesels frustrated me more when they kick down and you end up out of the powerband. They also have 8 shorter gears they felt like they were constantly shuffling around too. That is on ZF8 520d, X1 2.0d and 218D GT. The Vauxhall diesel autos are the same. The DSG Leon 1.6TDI wasn't too bad though.A manual petrol coupe would not people off, I would have a manual if petrol, but would not buy a manual diesel, that to me is a horrible combination.
Because of the long gearing and low end torque I always found manual diesels to be quite suited.
i have been in the same dilemma over the last 3 months, drove both fuel types and of course the auto vs manual decision.
Then there was the practical 4 dr Gran Coupe, small booted convertible or the 2 dr Coupe to consider.
The best combo for me was a diesel manual M Sport coupe, auto's need to have the flappy paddles to make them anywhere near enjoyable but the extra cost outweighed that option.
SE, Sport and Luxury models arn't as well spec'd as the M Sport.
The later model diesel engines are better as they are low tax, EURO 6 and ULEX friendly, so i have excellent fuel economy plus have the fun factor that a manual supplies.
Then there was the practical 4 dr Gran Coupe, small booted convertible or the 2 dr Coupe to consider.
The best combo for me was a diesel manual M Sport coupe, auto's need to have the flappy paddles to make them anywhere near enjoyable but the extra cost outweighed that option.
SE, Sport and Luxury models arn't as well spec'd as the M Sport.
The later model diesel engines are better as they are low tax, EURO 6 and ULEX friendly, so i have excellent fuel economy plus have the fun factor that a manual supplies.
MikeM6 said:
I found the opposite to be true, the automatic diesels frustrated me more when they kick down and you end up out of the powerband. They also have 8 shorter gears they felt like they were constantly shuffling around too. That is on ZF8 520d, X1 2.0d and 218D GT. The Vauxhall diesel autos are the same. The DSG Leon 1.6TDI wasn't too bad though.
Because of the long gearing and low end torque I always found manual diesels to be quite suited.
That frustration would not apply on a 3 litre diesel auto.Because of the long gearing and low end torque I always found manual diesels to be quite suited.
In short, I believe an auto would sell quicker. You may get a higher price (not much) for a manual if you are prepared to wait for the right buyer.
When I was looking for a 4 series last year all the finance calculations showed a GC had better residuals than a coupe, and an auto had better residuals than a manual.
I'm guessing they cost more in the first instance, so not sure what the difference would be in the long run.
There does seem to be a massive shift to autos, so to keep it attractive to buyers when you come to sell I'd probably go down that route.
I'm guessing they cost more in the first instance, so not sure what the difference would be in the long run.
There does seem to be a massive shift to autos, so to keep it attractive to buyers when you come to sell I'd probably go down that route.
Problem for me with manual and diesel is you only have around 2000rpm to play with, so you are constantly swapping gears.
I can tell you now, there is more difference residual wise than the price of the auto 'box.
Whenever I am looking for a used car I always spot a billy bargain and then look and see it is a manual, and think "no wonder it is so cheap.".
The petrols seem to sell very quickly too, I stick them in my watchlist and they are often gone within days, for every 50 diesels there is 1 petrol for sale, and how many of them are the colour and spec you want?
So just buy what you want to be in after all, it is usually for a couple of years or more.
I can tell you now, there is more difference residual wise than the price of the auto 'box.
Whenever I am looking for a used car I always spot a billy bargain and then look and see it is a manual, and think "no wonder it is so cheap.".
The petrols seem to sell very quickly too, I stick them in my watchlist and they are often gone within days, for every 50 diesels there is 1 petrol for sale, and how many of them are the colour and spec you want?
So just buy what you want to be in after all, it is usually for a couple of years or more.
phardy said:
Yeah but my only worry is coming to sell in 2-3 years time is that second hand buyers won't want to pay £435 tax a year so will kill residuals.
That additional rate doesn't apply forever, but at 2-3 years old you're in the middle of the additional rate - but as that applies to cars from £40,000 new price, you won't be alone. If people want the car, they'll pay the additional tax - so as long as the car has the right spec, they'll buy it. £40k is perceived by the UK gov to be the threshold for a luxury new car, whereas in reality it's not.Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff