j3nks79 said:
i am always amazed at the amount of friends i know with really nice cars, that just wont go far in them, for fear of putting miles on them.
i dont currently run a Z, but my Golf R is used at every opportunity, and its there to enjoy.
M market watch
- Thread starter DPG
- Start date
i am always amazed at the amount of friends i know with really nice cars, that just wont go far in them, for fear of putting miles on them.
i dont currently run a Z, but my Golf R is used at every opportunity, and its there to enjoy.
pvr said:
Have to agree. The engine will last well over 100k with decent maintenance, but you don't know, so need to spend for peace of mind as soon as you buy at 70k plus. Plus the suspension is likely to be in need of a good overhaul too. But it's the ///M tax that is really putting me off buying another and why, I think they are still relatively cheap to buy.
I have a track record of buying high milers in good condition, as I like a good deal and I don't like tying up capital in cars unnecessarily. My Z4M had 115k on it when I bought it, and hasn't thrown up any big bills after 10k miles added and two years. In fact everything I've done to it would have also done on a 40k miles car, like replace the suspension and bushes.
Having said that, I also understand why it's an economically rational decision to buy low-milers. My car will be hard to sell when I eventually let it go. A car with 60k miles in the exact same condition will have a much larger audience.
It can often be more sensible in the long term to go with low milers because although you pay more to buy them, you're more more likely to recoup that money later. In fact, the low-mileage cars I have owned all sold for more than I paid for them.
Having said that, I also understand why it's an economically rational decision to buy low-milers. My car will be hard to sell when I eventually let it go. A car with 60k miles in the exact same condition will have a much larger audience.
It can often be more sensible in the long term to go with low milers because although you pay more to buy them, you're more more likely to recoup that money later. In fact, the low-mileage cars I have owned all sold for more than I paid for them.
Whilst the road tax is obvs ridiculous I still don’t get why it’s a reason not to buy an M. Folk will go away for a nice weekend somewhere that costs the same but yet balk at spending it to drive one all year round…or 6 months for half the tax. That’s one single weekend that’s paid for a years tax. :?
Road tax would never be a reason, for my X5M I paid a huge amount with first year tax and increased annual tax, for it now to fall strangely to £110 a year.
Road tax, insurance etc are all known quantities. Buying a high miler cheaper could be extreme false economy as you end up spending more on the car than a low mileage one which is then also not tired.
Road tax, insurance etc are all known quantities. Buying a high miler cheaper could be extreme false economy as you end up spending more on the car than a low mileage one which is then also not tired.
My logic was I'd rather get a £10k high-miler that might need £1-2k spent on it, vs paying £15k+ on a car with lower mileage that may then also need just as much spending on it. If anything, the high-miler has probably had the money spent on the bits that wear out vs a car on 60-70k that is going to need stuff replacing imminently.
If you frame it like that, then absolutely. But alternative framings are available, e.g.:john-e89 said:
- If you own the car for five years that's £3,560 in tax, if it doesn't go up further.
- Many people who own these cars own more than one car. I personally own four. I can swallow £1k in RFL per year, But close to £3k per year is much harder to accept.
- Of course you can SORN when not using, as I do. But it's still difficult to accept this amount of RFL for a car I might drive 3-4 times max per active month.
That is essentially the desired effect of the CO2 based tax system and every year the annoyance level will increase until it reaches a point that each individual owner decides to move on - resigning these car's to track toy's only.
It's the inverse to what they've done with EV's - £0 Road tax on low emission car's will soon be a thing of the past once ownership volume has reached the required objective.
It's the inverse to what they've done with EV's - £0 Road tax on low emission car's will soon be a thing of the past once ownership volume has reached the required objective.
plenty said:
I get that absolutely and you’re right of course, that’s my scenario too. You have to want an M of course, you’re getting a quirky yet one off never again car, we don’t need to go into what they are, if you know, you know, and have to accept its foibles, running costs etc, they’re obvs not a run of the mill vehicle, and if that’s an issue then don’t have one, but personally I don’t see road tax alone as a reason not to buy one if you can accept everything else.
I think the RFL cost on these is not a significant factor in values.
I’ve recently bought an M135i xdrive and the RFL is £570, and will be for another 5 years, because the list price when new was over £40k, meaning the normal £180 annual cost is increased by £390 additional tax. If you buy any half decent performance car that is two to three years old for, say £25k, the chances are that the original list price would’ve been greater than £40k, putting you in that category where you pay the additional £390 pa. For example, a Golf R, A35, S3, Civic Type R, Cupra Formentor (with the Golf R engine), Supra, new Z4, as well as any Porsche, pretty much all fall foul of it as well. So the additional RFL cost for the M’s is not going to be a significant barrier to someone looking at spending £20-25k on a sports car. They’ve factored the majority of that in.
I’ve recently bought an M135i xdrive and the RFL is £570, and will be for another 5 years, because the list price when new was over £40k, meaning the normal £180 annual cost is increased by £390 additional tax. If you buy any half decent performance car that is two to three years old for, say £25k, the chances are that the original list price would’ve been greater than £40k, putting you in that category where you pay the additional £390 pa. For example, a Golf R, A35, S3, Civic Type R, Cupra Formentor (with the Golf R engine), Supra, new Z4, as well as any Porsche, pretty much all fall foul of it as well. So the additional RFL cost for the M’s is not going to be a significant barrier to someone looking at spending £20-25k on a sports car. They’ve factored the majority of that in.
pvr said:
Nothing personal PVR, but this really annnoys me. I have a feeling the X5M and the Z4M have similar emissions yet the yearly tax (after the initial few) are miles apart.
Utterly insane system made all the more unpalatable when you consider there are a few Ms that fall within the lower tax banding threshold.
North West Surrey
Thanks for that pvr. 
I suppose we all look for different things. When I was still working and buying newer cars I always tended to avoid high milers because I knew they would be hard to move on when the time came.
But now I'm running teenage BMWs I focus more on condition and history because given their age both of mine have done well below the annual average. Plus I couldn't afford a low mileage MC when I bought mine, I'd have had to wait a couple of years!
And never having had an M car before I wanted to scratch that itch while I could. :lol:
I suppose we all look for different things. When I was still working and buying newer cars I always tended to avoid high milers because I knew they would be hard to move on when the time came.
But now I'm running teenage BMWs I focus more on condition and history because given their age both of mine have done well below the annual average. Plus I couldn't afford a low mileage MC when I bought mine, I'd have had to wait a couple of years!
And never having had an M car before I wanted to scratch that itch while I could. :lol:
I think personally it is how you look at it.Most people would not blink an eye at going on holiday and spending 3K and what do you get for that ,just memories.plenty said:
Not only that it depends on how you view your car.For me i love cars and they have always been my passion
A few years back i used to shoot competitively and that cost me around 8K a year so a few hundred quid on the tax and maintenance is nothing
I think what i am trying to say is if it is your hobby it is cheap to most other thinks out there
Beemingallover
Member
I have a Z4M roadster Interlagos Blue with Sepang Bronze leather, how can I find out the number that were U.K. sold originally?
Thanks.
Thanks.
A forum member compiled a detailed database of all 3.0Si and M models - here's a link:- http://perso.numericable.fr/tonyz4c/
Based on that it looks like 180 Interlagos Blue MRs were registered in the UK, but there seem to have been 2 versions of Sepang Bronze leather. You'd probably need a VIN decoder to see which your car has.
Based on that it looks like 180 Interlagos Blue MRs were registered in the UK, but there seem to have been 2 versions of Sepang Bronze leather. You'd probably need a VIN decoder to see which your car has.
Beemingallover
Member
Thanks. Yes I wondered that on Sepang, mine is light grey in colour and some seem a darker shade.Mr Tidy said: