325Ci or 330Ci for 12 months?

[craigb84]

Thinking of buying one of these two...probably an 02 or an 03 with 80,000 miles or so on the clock for about £4500.

Thing is i'll be changing jobs next year and will probably have to sell (unsure at this stage). Will i lose a fortune in depreciation in the 12 months i'm likely to own one?

Tough to say i know but maybe some owners could tell me their current experiences of depreciation.

[skeeterm5]

To be honest at that price point even if the car depreciates to NIL at the end of the year that will have only cost you £86 a week, about the price of a tank of fuel.

Based on that, buy the best car you can and dont worry about it

S

[4rephill]

Doubt you'll lose a fortune in 12 months to be honest.
If you keep it clean, give it a service and keep the mileage reasonable then you shouldn't lose too much, maybe £500~£1000 at worse.
(You may even be able to sell it for what you bought it for if it's in good enough condition).


BTW, get the 330ci, you'll enjoy it more!

[craigb84]

4rephill said:

Doubt you'll lose a fortune in 12 months to be honest.
If you keep it clean, give it a service and keep the mileage reasonable then you shouldn't lose too much, maybe £500~£1000 at worse.
(You may even be able to sell it for what you bought it for if it's in good enough condition).


BTW, get the 330ci, you'll enjoy it more!

That's what i want to hear.

I only do about 5k a year as i currently work at home and i have major car OCD so no issues there.

There's an 03 Manual Clubsport i've seen at £5.5k with 94k on it. If i can get the stealer to take 4.5 then its a deal.

[4rephill]

craigb84 said:

That's what i want to hear.

I only do about 5k a year as i currently work at home and i have major car OCD so no issues there.

There's an 03 Manual Clubsport i've seen at £5.5k with 94k on it. If i can get the stealer to take 4.5 then its a deal.

I think you'll struggle to get the stealer to drop £1K TBH, but it's worth a try.

At £5.5K listed, I suspect he's looking at getting @ £5.1K~£5.2K for it with a possibility of letting it go for £5K. you never know though, if he wants to move stock on then he may drop further if you bargain hard.

Good luck with it!

[craigb84]

I think its been sat for a fair few weeks already. Advertising costs will be racking up...you never know. £5k would be about right for it. Probably slightly top end but it does look immaculate. And there doesn't seem to be many manuals around.

[Jobbo]

Buying a car just below 100k miles, taking it just over 100k and then selling is probably the ideal way to maximise your depreciation - can you find another with no more than 90k on it currently?

[anonymous-user]

Big engined cars are becoming increasingly hard to sell at any price point.
Dealers can offer finance,take a part ex etc but as a private seller you're going to be limited .
I'd expect to take a big hit in 12 months on a car bought from a dealer and sold privately,especially at that mileage

[craigb84]

You're probably right.

Luckily there are hundreds of 330's around at that price point, and with lower mileage for a Sport, so i'm sure i'll pick up a bargain. I'm not fussed whether i buy from a dealer or not.

Even if it drops a grand over 12 months its not so bad.

[anonymous-user]

I bought a 330 coupe off here a few months ago,really nice spec and low mileage.
To be honest if I decided to sell it next year I'd expect to lose more than a grand.The used car market for cars like these is pretty much dead.Everyone wants 1 litre super economy jobbies these days

[rumple]

forget depretiation, yer buying a large engined petrol car so you may be stung, but you may not, get the 330 same running costs near enough more power, buy a well specced one, a sport, a nice colour, and youll be ok

[dooosuk]

I think E46 330ci's & 330i's are going to lose a reasonable amount over the next 12mths unless immaculate and low mileage.

I sold an 02 330ci Sport with 80k on the clock earlier this year for £5k. Only had one viewer and two phone calls after a couple of weeks of advertising. I thought I may get more for it but due to lack of interest sold when that offer came in.

1 week later, I bought a 52 330ci Sport for £3300. OK, it has slightly more miles but I think these 3L cars are going to become harder to shift, especially when they're going to be 10years old and 100k miles.

[Fox-]

It's £5k. If you throw it in the bin its cost you less than the depreciation over the same period on a new diesel Focus.

[Tobias Funke]

I'm having bother selling my 330ci at the minute, it's an 02 Sport with 74k miles in good condition, had 2 viewers in a month both seemed really keen, but never came back to complete the deal. I'm dropping the price to £4k now to see if that attracts anymore interest, but I'm scared to think what it'll be worth this time next year.

[craigb84]

Tobias Funke said:

I'm having bother selling my 330ci at the minute, it's an 02 Sport with 74k miles in good condition, had 2 viewers in a month both seemed really keen, but never came back to complete the deal. I'm dropping the price to £4k now to see if that attracts anymore interest, but I'm scared to think what it'll be worth this time next year.

I may be interested but I'll probably not be ready for another week or two.

Insurance is causing me headaches because my NCD is from abroad but if i manage to get some reasonable quotes this week I'll be in touch. Do you have a link to the add?

[Tobias Funke]

craigb84 said:

I may be interested but I'll probably not be ready for another week or two.

Insurance is causing me headaches because my NCD is from abroad but if i manage to get some reasonable quotes this week I'll be in touch. Do you have a link to the add?

I doubt it will be of any use to you, I'm based in Northern Ireland.

[BalhamBadger]

dooosuk said:

I think E46 330ci's & 330i's are going to lose a reasonable amount over the next 12mths unless immaculate and low mileage.

I sold an 02 330ci Sport with 80k on the clock earlier this year for £5k. Only had one viewer and two phone calls after a couple of weeks of advertising. I thought I may get more for it but due to lack of interest sold when that offer came in.

1 week later, I bought a 52 330ci Sport for £3300. OK, it has slightly more miles but I think these 3L cars are going to become harder to shift, especially when they're going to be 10years old and 100k miles.

Also, there's a new 3 series coming out this year, making the e46 not one, but two generations old. I'm pretty sure this will have a negative impact on prices.

[Fox-]

BalhamBadger said:

Also, there's a new 3 series coming out this year, making the e46 not one, but two generations old. I'm pretty sure this will have a negative impact on prices.

Yes, I imagine it would as everyone in the £4k 3 Series market will instead rush out and buy a brand new F30.

[Trixman]

I've just put mine up also. So used to getting calls on the first day, whatever the car, but nothing in 7 days. Its a 330ci sport manual, 93k with full bmw service history up for 4650. Seem to have priced it competitevely, any feedback would be appreciated: http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3172391.htm

For what its worth I would go for the 330, the engine alone is worth it especially at the mileage you'll be doing.

[Fox-]

It looks to have been advertised by somebody who doesnt know the car very well - most of those 'options' are completely standard and fitted to every 330Ci Sport - things like rear PDC, climate control, electric memory seats, these are all standard fit and not options.