Trade in value Z4M R

[SO8]

I have only had my Z4M R for 7 months but a change of job location is on the cards and I would not be able to put up with the Z4 for the new journey (25 miles of stop start traffic). It would also not be fair on the car ! I do not have space for another car at my house so it has to be one car only.

I have approached the BMW dealer who I bought it off (and who originally supplied the car) who as a guide against a nearly new 123d auto has offered me £17,700.

I was a tad disappointed (if low, how low is that for a trade in figure?) but wondered what people think.

I bought the car 7 months ago for £23,660. It is a big hit to take and I wonder whether waiting right until the point I have to move job locations is the answer ..... but that may be right at the end of the summer or some time in the winter. I wondered whether jumping ship now was a better financial option or using it through the summer, enjoying it and just taking a bigger hit later when it won't be as appealing with the winter weather against it's price !

It is a 2006 56 plate in Interlagos Blue. Unmarked totally !

17K miles with 7600 to Insp 1.
Demo + 1 other owner then me.

Extras are : Heated seats, wind deflector and Tracker. Otherwise standard.

The car drives superbly and was the best of the three I looked at both in condition and to drive.

 

[moonigan]

That figure seem reasonable for a trade bid to be honest. You have to remember that if you bought from a BMW dealer you paid a premium when you bought it. If you must sell then you will get more selling it private but I would guess the private sale figure would be closer to £19K if you are lucky based on the spec. If you do decide to sell privatley then this also puts you in a much stronger position when buying the 123d and the reality is you could be around 2.5K better off than if you trade it.

Cheers
P

 

[BigT]

I think the price you paid in the first place was a bit steep (I paid £21K from a dealer for a well specced 1 demo + 1 owner 2007 MR 15 months ago with only 8K miles on the clock) and the trade in figure doesn't seem too out of kilt, especially if I read the post correctly it doesn't have Sat Nav, bluetooth, PDC, upgraded hi-fi etc.

If you're not in a massive hurry, why not sell it privately now, with the luxury of not having to sell immediately and recoup an extra £1K compared to the trade-in. With Summer on its way I'm sure a good example will sell at around the £19K mark. Then go and haggle hard on a 123d.

 

[pvr]

That is not a fair comparison, 15 months ago the market collapsed and has improved enormously since then.

Generally, Imola and Interlagos (launch colours) do attract a lower price then the more "special" colours. I know of another Z4M Imola (2006) that was traded in at 18k about 6 months ago.

 

[Darren M]

Trade-in price is fair. Unfortunately when buying from and selling a car to a dealer you get shafted both ways, but they have to make some money. And you're never going to get good value when keeping a car just 7 months (in a normal market, not like when it dived in 2007/2008 when it was possible to later profit form it). The longer you keep the better the average depreciation becomes.

Best option is to sell it privately, if you can put up with the timewasters who want to also shaft you on the price and tire kickers and potential scammers. Trading it in makes life so much easier doesn't it?

 

[daz05]

That is not a fair comparison, 15 months ago the market collapsed and has improved enormously since then.

Generally, Imola and Interlagos (launch colours) do attract a lower price then the more "special" colours. I know of another Z4M Imola (2006) that was traded in at 18k about 6 months ago.

What a load of crap! Both of these colours look great and really suit the personality of the car


http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/auc/car_details/0,,1260_159980106__,00.html?currentCh=WBSBT92070LD39589

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/auc/car_details/0,,1260_159980106__,00.html?currentCh=WBSBT92080LD39584

 

[pvr]

Excuse me? You can not get away from the facts here. Launch colours are always retrieving less money on resale.

 

[daz05]

See above chief.

 

[pvr]

When the Z4 came out in 2003, Sterling Grey was the launch colour. During the first years of the model life, that was the colour that would achieve the lowest resale value (ask Wondermike ... ).

When the Z4M came out in 2006, Imola and Interlagos were the launch colours. Again, they were trading for less then black for example. When buying cars in 2007, there was even an additional discount on those colours (due to over production) which was not available on any other colour (1K gbp to be precise).


The effect wears off over time as SG on a Z4 now is not penalised in resale value, so the same will happen on the other launch colours.

 

[Phoenix]

I do think 17.6 is a little low - esp when you are trading up to a more expensive car (i assume?).

If you go to the vauxhall site and go to "finance" theresw a link on the left to do a glasses guide valuation for free.

Thats generally what i go by when p/xing.

I think the "excellent condition" valuation means youve got to have lots of extras as well as perfect condition.

Personally id have thought a grand more for p/x, but it depends what they are offereing you for the other car doesnt it. Try going to a different dealer for the same car if its on the bmw site? Compare them?

 

[daz05]

Lets agree to disagree, I can't speak for the roadster but when I had the choice of several colours when buying my coupe and none of them were really any cheaper. Cheapest was Interlagos but only because that example was for sale at a non franchised dealer.

The main pricing diffentials come from the inclusion of Sat Nav, alpine white and franchised or non franchised dealer in my experience.

 

[Rags]

This is a ridiculous debate.

The trade in value will vary between dealerships.

I traded my e90 m3 against my z4m and the trade bids outright for my m3 had a variance of 15%.

Some dealers do try it on and their group buyers will only use estimates based upon their experience with selling a partcular model.

Don't think I am siding with the dealers or agree with your particular offer, however it costs the dealerships money to prep and stick an AUC warranty on a car. In your case, I would imagine 7 months usage would not render the tyres or brakes unuseable bui they will still need to stick 12 months AUC, 12 months MOT, prep the car, rectify any imperfections and stick it up at a price (maybe £22k) to allow for negotiations.

Have you tried ringing around some dealerships for an 'outright sale'>

I know Dick Lovett Swindon would be a good first port of call.

When I was first looking at selling my e90 m3, I laughed off the idea of trading it in. However a few things bothered me: Private sale hagglers and chancers as well as dealing with large sums of money with no recourse. I then called around a few specialist car dealers and a few BMW dealers and was pleasantly surprised.

Let us know if you receive any improved offers.

Rgds

Rags

 

[c2i]

I believe that the p/x price sounds about right. However, have you thought about going down the 'Sale or Return' route with a reputable specialist dealer? I speak from experience having sold 2 x Z3M Coupes this way through Munich Legends and have been pleased with my final return and ease of it all.

They effectively charge £1000 + VAT for their troubles but when you take into account their higher asking price, the fact that they can offer p/x and finance options etc to potential buyers and the lack of hassle on your part, trust me it's a small price to pay.

The downside of course is that you will need to fund another car in the meantime whilst yours sells. Just food for thought at this stage but good luck anyway with selling it on - Sounds like a great car.

 

[Wondermike]

When the Z4 came out in 2003, Sterling Grey was the launch colour. During the first years of the model life, that was the colour that would achieve the lowest resale value (ask Wondermike ... ).

Unfortunately I can confirm that this is a fact

I would say 5% lower on a trade-in and up to 10% lower on a private sale.

The effect wears off over time as SG on a Z4 now is not penalised in resale value, so the same will happen on the other launch colours.

Agreed.

 

[tjlazer]

I think it's a pretty fair trade in price too. I paid 21k for mine about the same time ago with nav etc and got them to do insp 1 FOC so I think you're taking a bit of hit on the original sale price. You could get more selling privately but it will be extra hassle. I actually got webuyanycar.com to beat the dealer trade in price by being open about what they were offering on my audi and asking them to step up. Worth a go if you can't be bothered with the whole private sale route...

 

[SO8]

Thanks for the replies

OK, so it looks a fair trade in price. All I have to do is decide now or in a few months .... which will not be an easy choice !

I will trade in when I do decide. I know it costs more but can't be arsed with advertising and idiots wanting to drive with no interest in buying !

Now, it is just whether a 123d will bore me after a bit ..... coming from 2 S2000's, a TVR Griffith and generally other quite quick stuff I need to have a serious think of costs/economy versus fun ..... whilst remembering that my nice journey to work is going to become a boring traffic filled commute at some stage in the next 9 months

 

[James_G]

Now, it is just whether a 123d will bore me after a bit ..... coming from 2 S2000's, a TVR Griffith and generally other quite quick stuff I need to have a serious think of costs/economy versus fun ..... whilst remembering that my nice journey to work is going to become a boring traffic filled commute at some stage in the next 9 months

I've not driven a 123d, but when I'm not driving the MC, I drive a manual 125i Coupe. In almost all circumstances it IS a much better car than the MC. There I said it.

It's comfortable (both the seats and the ride), quiet at a cruise, but sounds great on startup and through the rev range, does 33mpg and is plenty quick enough. By all accounts a 123d is quicker and obviously more economical. Let's be honest, living in Surrey as both you and I do, there are very limited opportunities to make the most of a Z4M's potential, well in the week anyway, so I rarely ever miss the power (except once on the A3 slip road off the M25 when I was trying to keep a Boxster S honest....). But, if the sun is out or I am off to see friends or family or whatever I always take the MC because it's that kind of car, which is why I bought it.

If I had to commute by car everyday I think a 123d auto would be a fantastic way of doing it. I suspect you'll be pleasantly surprised but you may just miss having something really special to jump in on the weekends that's all.

 

[aerobod]

Now, it is just whether a 123d will bore me after a bit ..... coming from 2 S2000's, a TVR Griffith and generally other quite quick stuff I need to have a serious think of costs/economy versus fun ..... whilst remembering that my nice journey to work is going to become a boring traffic filled commute at some stage in the next 9 months

I've not driven a 123d, but when I'm not driving the MC, I drive a manual 125i Coupe. In almost all circumstances it IS a much better car than the MC. There I said it.

It's comfortable (both the seats and the ride), quiet at a cruise, but sounds great on startup and through the rev range, does 33mpg and is plenty quick enough. By all accounts a 123d is quicker and obviously more economical. Let's be honest, living in Surrey as both you and I do, there are very limited opportunities to make the most of a Z4M's potential, well in the week anyway, so I rarely ever miss the power (except once on the A3 slip road off the M25 when I was trying to keep a Boxster S honest....). But, if the sun is out or I am off to see friends or family or whatever I always take the MC because it's that kind of car, which is why I bought it.

If I had to commute by car everyday I think a 123d auto would be a fantastic way of doing it. I suspect you'll be pleasantly surprised but you may just miss having something really special to jump in on the weekends that's all.

I agree the 1-series is a more accomplished car in general than the Z4M, but our 135i dynamically is about as far away from the Z4M as it is itself from an X3. The fun-factor the Z4M has over the 135i is a chasm. You do arrive at your destination less tired, with more luggage and having been able to listen to lots of music in the 135i, but having completed a nice drive in the Z4M you have a big smile on your face and your tiredness just accentuates the dreams where you replay the drive again.

 

[Rags]

You cannot really compare the Z4M and the 1 series. Two different cars for very different purposes (perhaps other than the 135i)