M3 Coupe Autos

[Lostprophet]

A decent 2008 M3 manual is approx £34k. The cheapest auto of the same year is £39-40k. Why is there a £6k difference in price? Over valued or what.. right?

[NIIKME]

Because its worth it.

[Lostprophet]

NIIKME said:

Because its worth it.

Seriously is a manual worth £6k less? Is it that bad.. or is the auto that good.

£6k??!!

[NIIKME]

In all serious, its surely a simple case of supply and demand isnt it? DCT had only just come out and I doubt they were selling bucket loads of anything brand new that year. Theres also a lot of people like me willing to pay a premium for the simple luxury of a full auto, hell I waited 3(?) years for it!

If you are simply asking is it good however, for me personally I think its amazing to have a paddle-shift tyre-munching brute and a motorway traffic auto all wrapped up in the one complete package. I still marvel at how it can be so timid at parking speeds but unleash such a fury at 8000rpms in M mode.

[Lostprophet]

I suppose the supply and demand element makes sense. I suppose the premium is quite artificially high for a reason. I wonder when the bubble will pop?

[NIIKME]

2011/12 when there is a number of 3yr old lease cars going back to even out the market availability of either?

[pjv997]

Nothing wrong with manual - personal preference should determine which you buy.

I would personally opt for manual everytime, even it were a premium over DCT.

[Lostprophet]

pjv997 said:

Nothing wrong with manual - personal preference should determine which you buy.

I would personally opt for manual everytime, even it were a premium over DCT.

Why so?

[pjv997]

Just enjoy the changing gear thing and haven't enjoyed any paddle shift cars I have driven as much as I enjoy driving a straight manual car.

SWMBO is the same, so our three cars are all manual.

[Zero7]

DCT was more expensive than manual, hence price is more. DCT any day of the week for me...

[JNW1]

pjv997 said:

Nothing wrong with manual - personal preference should determine which you buy.

I would personally opt for manual everytime, even it were a premium over DCT.

Spot on, no right or wrong answer, it's down to personal preference! Mine has also been for a manual although DCT is light years ahead of SMG and I could now be tempted down that route (especially as my driving includes more round-town work than it used to).

However, going back to the OP's initial question, a price premium of £6k does seem a lot; supply and demand must be causing that at the moment but not sure I see a gap of that size being sustainable!

[Lostprophet]

I understand a £1-2k premium. Even then £2k is too much. It is all down to supply and demand. I suppose next year there will be a lot of 2008 DCT cars that will be 3 years old and so will be on the market which will drive the price down.. maybe?

[MC99]

I would expect that to happen, as more DCTs come back. Dealers are making the most of the market right now and there probably is more demand at the 40k and 40k+ bracket for customers to buy what they feel is the latest technology.

I'd expect DCT will have a following and the premium will be somewhere between 2-2.5k overtime.

[Lostprophet]

MC99 said:

I would expect that to happen, as more DCTs come back. Dealers are making the most of the market right now and there probably is more demand at the 40k and 40k+ bracket for customers to buy what they feel is the latest technology.

I'd expect DCT will have a following and the premium will be somewhere between 2-2.5k overtime.

I am looking to buy next summer... Too soon right for the premium to go.. right?

[taffyracer]

I was amazed how good the DCT was when I test drove an M3 Monaco, soo much better than my M3 manual which was very notchy indeed, if i'd bought another M3 then would DCT would be a must