EdButler said:Siftah said:*Completely* disagree with that, it's the spec that sells an older car as the difference between an un-spec'd and a fully-loaded one is negligible (1k on a 10k car).
It's *especially* important to have a decent spec when there's lot of cars for sale, I spent about 3 weeks looking and went to see 4 or 5 cars with very similar specs in that time. I could have probably seen 10 or 15 cars if I'd not been after a specific spec or hadn't been bothered about the things I was after.
Kinda have to agree with this, i was VERY picky when it came to spec levels. Cant live without my Carver/Sat Nav/Bluetooth now
And then i realised i had Extended Leather too!! Yummy
But the options don't REALLY have £9000 in value, even when new, and you pay £500 more used for them which is good value if you manage to find them, but do you NEED them.
Yes, nice to have, but you don't NEED them. You could find the right spec car with all the bits for £500 more maybe, but it might have other stuff wrong. You could be looking for so long and travelling so much. I honestly don't think you would miss what you don't have. I'd happily give up all my options except m-sports on my 3.0i because everything else is just kinda 'nice to have' not essential to making the car fun.
I looked for ages on spec and turned my nose up at many without big hifi or xenons or whatever, but in the end I just wanted the car to drive, not to press buttons in.
I have wind deflector (never used), cd changer (never used), m-sports (ace), heated seats (ace ish but not essential if you are gay and have the roof up in winter anyway), extra storage (wow, a net in the footwell I think), 18" wheels (you just have to, it looks ace on 18's)
Hifi is 'standard' but still a good spec on the 3.0i (try a 2.2i one)
Leccy seats standard
Decent heating controls standard
Bigger nicer wheels standard
Chrome headlight interiors standard
Etc
For every lower spec car out there, there are clearly plenty of people who are happy with a lower spec one because they have been bought and traded already, so will carry on doing so.
Personally I think the subs/sat nav everyone goes on about reduces storage space, adds weight, looks a bit naff in the interior, and is actually pretty shite all said and done (with polarised sunglasses the screen goes black without your head on it's side ffs!)
My only thing I'd like to have had is xenons I think.
Dave
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Mr Whippy"[/quote said:
What a good post
Horses for courses when it comes to specification...
I couldn't care less about sat nav (a £100 TomTom does a better job). Things like a better stereo, wind deflector, xenons, bluetooth, etc are all "nice-to-haves" but are in no way deal breakers for me. I didn't buy a Z4 for the equipment, I bought it for driving
. That's just me though and others will have different priorities. Just let me keep my heated seats and you can have the rest!
I found it interesting to note that the Glass's Guide (the car trade's bible when it comes to values) quotes all Z4 prices assuming they have metallic paint and 18" alloys, i.e. they see those options as the only essential ones when it comes to second-hand values.
I couldn't care less about sat nav (a £100 TomTom does a better job). Things like a better stereo, wind deflector, xenons, bluetooth, etc are all "nice-to-haves" but are in no way deal breakers for me. I didn't buy a Z4 for the equipment, I bought it for driving
. That's just me though and others will have different priorities. Just let me keep my heated seats and you can have the rest!I found it interesting to note that the Glass's Guide (the car trade's bible when it comes to values) quotes all Z4 prices assuming they have metallic paint and 18" alloys, i.e. they see those options as the only essential ones when it comes to second-hand values.
a11y said:Horses for courses when it comes to specification...
I couldn't care less about sat nav (a £100 TomTom does a better job). Things like a better stereo, wind deflector, xenons, bluetooth, etc are all "nice-to-haves" but are in no way deal breakers for me. I didn't buy a Z4 for the equipment, I bought it for driving
I found it interesting to note that the Glass's Guide (the car trade's bible when it comes to values) quotes all Z4 prices assuming they have metallic paint and 18" alloys, i.e. they see those options as the only essential ones when it comes to second-hand values.
Yep, I think when the prices dipped when we bought, and a few others I know, they were ALL buying for the car, not the kit.
Getting caught up on kit on these cars is a waste of the car in my view.
As said, 3.0i isn't exactly badly kitted, try a 2.2i with few options, then you know what low-spec is!
When I used Glass's guide for my car, I didn't know spec, so I put in a lower spec one, and one with satnav and all the gear, and it made no difference. That to me suggests it doesn't really make a difference, just the higher spec cars MIGHT command more attention/desireability come resale. No bad thing, my m-sports may attract more buyers to the car come resale, but I don't think I could honestly ask for MORE money because of them! Possibly be more choosey about not selling to those with lower offers than I want, but ADDING money?!
I can believe it, but I don't think it's much, nor would I worry about em on a sports car too much.
Ie, full stereo and sat nav and xenons, or m-sports, and i'd go for the one with the seats all else being the same! It's a sports car first
Dave
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AJZ4London
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I wouldn't buy without - as you say, each to their own...
Does seem a waste of your beautiful car on order...I want to see you tearing up the A roads, roof down with the stereo blasting. My Dad is 65 and he would...age is no excuse! Otherwise, I will give her a good home
Does seem a waste of your beautiful car on order...I want to see you tearing up the A roads, roof down with the stereo blasting. My Dad is 65 and he would...age is no excuse! Otherwise, I will give her a good home
My 03 3.0L at 36k miles looked just like the one under discussion (same colour and wheels) and apart from the corroded 108s was a really nice example with no parking dents and all the important extras (heated seats, xenons, carver hifi,wind deflector,ipod aux,pdc). Don't think I would have aimed higher than £10,250 to sell privately and sold it to my dealer for a bit less than that for a quick deal.
That's hitting the nail on the head right there for me, completely agree. Options like the m-sports seats or sat nat might help sell a car quicker by making it stand out from the crowd of similar cars, but I don't think they make much if any difference to price.Mr Whippy said:
I've slowly added bits to my "basic" 3.0i roadster since buying it - heated seats, cruise control, aux lead, 202-style alloys - but have done so cheaply as I don't think they'l add much value to the car. They're all things I've done to improve the car for me, but I guess they'll have the added bonus of increasing the desirability of my car on the second-hand market when time comes to sell on.
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