330i pricing!

[charlieromeo]

I have a little problem in regard to pricing up my Dads car. He has a 330i Sport Saloon 51 plate with all the usual M bits and Bobs (MV Wheels, Sports suspension, dechromed exterior etc etc), the car is silver, full leather and with a 6 CD changer.

However my Dad has now had the car for 4 years and has hardly ever driven it. The tacho as of today is reading 12200 miles!!

Looking round Autotrader I am finding few if any cars to compare it to and hence I don't really know what it is worth.

HELP!

PS It has the full BMW warranty and obviously has a full BMW service history.

Edited by charlieromeo on Friday 2nd February 14:04

[MattOz]

CR,

I'd say it'll be worth about £15-16k, but probably no more. Being a 51 plate it should be the facelift model, so more desirable. If it's immaculate and serviced regularly despite the low miles, I can't see it hanging around for long, if he choses to sell it.

Might be worth an ad in the classifieds here to begin with

Cheers
Matt

[bennno]

You can buy a new shape 330i from a main dealer for just over £20k

Despite its low mileage £15-£16,000 is more like dealer retail.

Its probably worth £12k as a part ex and £13k as a trade in

Bennno

[Philchunghk]

There is a valuation page on autotrader which is very useful. I have entered the information for your car and based it on a 2001 51 plate and the following information came up:


BMW 3 Series (98-) Saloon 330i Sport 5spd 4dr
Saloon 4dr
2001-51
Mileage 12,200

Dealer £12,940

Private £11,690

Part Ex £11,340

Dealer £13,279



For a 2002 51 plate the following information came up :

BMW 3 Series (98-) Saloon 330i Sport 5spd 4dr
Saloon 4dr
2002-51
Mileage 12,200

Dealer £13,279

Private £12,079

Part Ex £11,679

Cost New £28,970


Even there aint much between them both but at least you have a referance.

[whitey7]

Sorry though I am, I'd agree. It's a great car and at that mileage it SHOULD be worth a premium. However in reality it rarely is. In fact I bought a 2000 W e39 3 years ago with full spec. I knew it was close to a friends dads car but I didn't know how close. They were exactly the same spec, year and colour (except his had sand leather and wood, mine had titanium and grey leather). They were even registered in the same week of March 2000 and both the new owners (friends dad being one of them) wrote cheques for £38k. In August last year I sold mine with 90k on the clock for £7.5k. His has barely 28k up now and he's been offered £9k in part ex from the supplying dealer in exchange for a brand new 325. And that, the dealer admits, is only as goodwill gesture to keep his business.

Talking to traders in the past when buying cars, it appears that the public has realised a few important things.

1. German cars are reknowned for being able to cover vast mileages with very few problems. One trader stated to me (when I said a Golf he had in was a little to high on miles for me at 88k) that if he had a 30k identical car sitting next to it, most punters would not pay the £1500 premium for the lower mileage car!
2. Little used cars (low milers) can actually suffer more damage mechanically than one thats pounded up and down the country everyday of it's life.
3. Low milers actually rarely get serviced as regularly as they should. My friends Dad's has just had it's second service due to BMW's extended service intervals these days! It's nearly 7 years old for god's sake and had 2 oil changes (the last as part of it's insp 1) and never had an inspection 2. That in my book actually makes it worth less history wise than mine.

I know how your dad feels. it's a hard pill to swallow but I'd put 12k tops on it and at that it will sit around a while. Advertise it putting big influence around the low miles.

[Philchunghk]

Where by are you???