Upgrading from A3 2.0tdi to BMW 335i Questions

japasca

Hello,

I've been thinking of changing my Audi A3 Sportline for a BMW 335i.
My audi is a 2007 with the following spec...
Black 2 door sportline
17 inch audi alloys,
Sports suspension,
55,000kms,
DSG gearbox with paddle shift,
Climate control
Cream leather interior
Full audi service history, good tyres etc... Mint condition exterior.
Paid 15,000 euro 8 months ago

Anyway as i tend to get bored of cars fast and dont do very much mileage i was looking at a 335i. Its the black one on carzone, 2007 for around 24,950 euro.(3 owners wtf?)

So what would you think i would get for my Audi if i traded it in? Would i be better off to sell privately and go to him with cash?
Do you think he will be anxious to sell this petrol guzzler or will their always be a market for this car?
How is the BMW automatic gearbox in the 335?

Would appreciate any comments please.

Cheers
Ps i'm currently out of the country so cant view the car, test drive etc....

mickdw

Always better to sell privately and buy straight.

You Audi looks like a v nice spec. The only thing that goes aginst it is the fact that it is a 07 with €600 tax approx whereas many buyer in that space are looking for €156 tax or 300 at the most. It might be silly but that is how people look at it, not the purchase price itself compared to an 08 model.

Try to sell privately.

japasca

Ya i figured the tax would hurt the sale alright! WHich is why i was going to go with the trade in. I could get a quick sale to a friend for 12,000 but i'm not sure...
So anyone have any reasons why i'd be crazy to get a 335?

munchkin_utd

japasca wrote: »

So anyone have any reasons why i'd be crazy to get a 335?

the car tax (if i have it right) on a 3.5L would be not insignificant €1,566 a year. **

It might explain why theres so many owners.

NOTE: heres the tax table for <July2008 cars
**http://www.irishlinks.co.uk/car-tax-ireland.htm

mickdw

If you paid 15k, I think 12k would not be too bad. It is certainly better than you will do on a trade in. Ever if dealer offered you mre than 12k on the trade in, Im sure he has 2k extra built into his bmw price so you need to consider this.

Leonard Hofstadter

munchkin_utd wrote: »

the car tax (if i have it right) on a 3.5L would be not insignificant €1,566 a year. **

It might explain why theres so many owners.

NOTE: heres the tax table for <July2008 cars
**http://www.irishlinks.co.uk/car-tax-ireland.htm

It's a 3.0 and tax is €1,293 a year:)!

I think most 335is are automatic, I think it is the type of car that lends itself to a manual gearbox, but the auto is definitely easier to sell on.

In terms of resale value, yes it will be a hard enough car to sell on, but there will always be someone looking for a straight six petrol engined BMW - BMW is famous for its straight six petrols - in an ideal world BMW would only be allowed sell cars with a minimum of six cylinders .

Shane732

I'm just after purchasing an 08 335i and have had various threads in relation to them on here.

My understanding of the market for big petrol engines is that yes there is always a market for them but at the right price. If you want to move something like a 335 on relatively quickly then you're going to have to be prepared to take a hit on it.

At €24k the 335 is probably a little overpriced depending on spec of course. You can pick up a 335 from Lambe O' Connor for €24k without even pushing them.

The spec of your current car does sound lovely. Having said that I'd say you'd be doing very well to get a trade in price of €12k for it with any dealer. If your friend could push it to another €500 - €1000 then it'd be worth doing the deal with him.

RobAMerc

munchkin_utd wrote: »

the car tax (if i have it right) on a 3.5L would be not insignificant €1,566 a year. **

It might explain why theres so many owners.

NOTE: heres the tax table for <July2008 cars
**http://www.irishlinks.co.uk/car-tax-ireland.htm

beaten to it...

Idbatterim

get that 335i remapped and you have a beast! im looking at a 325ci, reading owners review on autotrader, all great comments except about the £240 pound "monstrous" motor tax! made me laugh, Ill be paying E935!

L-M

Don't show interest in the car until you've decided whether you're trading in or not. You might get caught when they know you're interested and you sell your own, they may play their cards and not give you as much off.

I'm sure they'd be delighted to trade in your Audi, sounds like a good spec that they're rather have on their forecourt than a 3.0 petrol!

japasca

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm just after purchasing an 08 335i and have had various threads in relation to them on here.

My understanding of the market for big petrol engines is that yes there is always a market for them but at the right price. If you want to move something like a 335 on relatively quickly then you're going to have to be prepared to take a hit on it.

At €24k the 335 is probably a little overpriced depending on spec of course. You can pick up a 335 from Lambe O' Connor for €24k without even pushing them.

The spec of your current car does sound lovely. Having said that I'd say you'd be doing very well to get a trade in price of €12k for it with any dealer. If your friend could push it to another €500 - €1000 then it'd be worth doing the deal with him.

Thanks for the info shane.
Would you mind telling me what kind of saving you made on your 08 335i. As in what how much did you manage to low ball the seller for?

The spec of the car i was looking at is quite high.
48,000mls, iDrive sat nav, blutooth, leather heated electric seats, park sensors etc etc.

Maybe i should just take the 12,000 i can get from my friend for the audi and offer 21,000 for the 335?