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Matt's 325ti is pretty much his ideal modern classic - so why does he want to sell?

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 20 November 2025 / Loading comments

After 16 months and 10,000 miles or so with a 325ti, I’m in a position I’ve never been before. Here’s a car that owes me nothing (having spent a bit more than expected), isn’t worth very much, still works brilliantly and - perhaps most importantly - continues to bring me a lot of joy. And yet I’m thinking of selling it.

To a non-car person, that position will sound ludicrous. I’ve probably spent at least what the Compact cost on maintenance and upgrades, money I’m never going to recoup should it be sold. Another car is likely going to require more outlay, because I’m fussy. And imagine getting rid of a car that works just fine, and suits your requirements pretty much down to the ground. Objectively, it seems daft. But then we’re car people, so hopefully that predicament doesn’t.

Put most simply, there are so many other cars I’m desperate to try while there’s still chance. And can still just about afford the VED. The BMW has done everything I’ve required of it and more, from nursery to N24, and it’s been brilliant, but it’s hard to see what else could be done with it without spending a lot more cash on it. The obvious upgrade would be to another weird-looking BMW hatch with a straight six, but I’m desperate to try something different; four or five doors would make sense as a backup family car, even if the prospect of squeezing two child seats into a two seater holds some strange appeal. Some days I think I’m on the brink of a mid-life crisis.

The job doesn’t help this obsession with changing a car that doesn't need to be replaced. We’re always scouring the classifieds for interesting cars to write about, and so interesting cars to buy inevitably crop up. As new cars get less and less interesting (and more and more expensive), so the old ones appeal even more. The forum is full of courageous souls who took the plunge on a dream machine. Ben Lowden buys a new car most months. Temptation is never far away.

The parking is alright at the house, I have some no claims behind me now, and the summer with the Boxster demonstrated what great people are out there in the car community. As if I didn’t know already. If I simply ignore the money already spent on the BMW and raising the funds for a replacement (let’s call it man maths for the moment), the timing looks ideal.

And have you seen what’s around at the moment? It’s easy to be a bit despondent about new and used car values, but I think good buys might still be out there. Especially if the only criteria are fast, fun, and not another BMW. An RX-8 continues to appeal with a rotary specialist 20 minutes away, and this two-owner car is £5k. There are Jaguar XFs with the 5.0-litre (and loads of history) for £8,000. Remember the Peugeot 308 GTI? With Alcon brakes, 270hp and a limited-slip diff, for less than £10,000. Don’t forget the V8-powered Audi S4 and S5; both still look great, and can be had with six-speed manuals, for a four-figure sum. And I’ll think about the bills another time.

It’s a lot to ponder. Does fortune favour the brave, or do you not know what you’ve got until it’s gone? As good examples of interesting old cars seem fewer and farther between, does it make sense to take the plunge before it’s too late, or play it safe with what’s already a very likeable (honest) modern classic? Will I miss having a manual gearbox? Is it possible to fund both a nursery place and a V8? I’d love to hear what you’ve done in similar situations, or what you’d do in my shoes. Replacing the devil you do know with the devil you don’t looks daft - but since when did being a car obsessive ever make sense?