Considering selling my 320d

[double-n]

Hi everyone, I need your opinion. I've recently been considering selling my 2004 320d. I've had the car since November 2007, when I bought it with 94,000km on the clock. I haven't had any big problems with it. Only things that broke was the AC's expansion valve, and I had to replace the EGR valve a couple of months ago. Other than that it's been a brilliant daily driver, with awesome fuel economy. However, it's now approaching 135,000km (I drive around 25,000 to 30,000km a year), and I'm afraid that maintenance is going to start getting expensive very soon. I guess I'll have to start replacing things like injectors and maybe other major components. Over the next 50,000km it may cost me between R20,000 and R30,000 to keep the car running.

If I were to sell the car, I would only consider buying a 2005 E46 330i with less than 100,000km. This is currently my dream car, and I doubt maintenance will be as expensive as the 320d for the next 50,000km. I know of a couple of nice examples, they all sell for around R150,000. If I were to trade my 320d now I would get around R90,000, if I sell it privately I should be able to get about R15,000 more. Thus, the 330i may not cost me a lot more if I take possible maintenance into consideration.

Also, if I don't sell my 320d now the value is going to drop drastically over the next 2 years.

Do you think my reasoning makes sense? If it were not for the recession I would have already sold my 320d, but I am being VERY careful.

 

[freerider]

bmw inline six's sound :drool: that should be enough reason right there

Seriously though, when you need to start coughing up for the diesel parts, it always happens at the worst times of the month and the parts on the diesel cars are expensive compared to the petrol models. Even just simple things like fuel and air filters are a good couple times the price of the petrol model equivalents.

I loved the fuel economy of my 320D, but at the end of the day, it cost me more in maintenance than ANY other car I have owned (including a Mazda MX6 which EVERYTHING was expensive for)

 

[Hellas]

All the talk about the big expenses got my eyes wondering to other cars too, but then again, it may not happen at all. I think, unless something big(gish) happens, I would not make the swap as yet.

330's tend to have their own set of problems because of the nice power it has. But I would agree that diesel maintenance could be more in the long run, whilst saving your cashflow on fuel money now.

 

[double-n]

Thanks for the feedback!

bmw inline six's sound :drool: that should be enough reason right there

Seriously though, when you need to start coughing up for the diesel parts, it always happens at the worst times of the month and the parts on the diesel cars are expensive compared to the petrol models. Even just simple things like fuel and air filters are a good couple times the price of the petrol model equivalents.

I loved the fuel economy of my 320D, but at the end of the day, it cost me more in maintenance than ANY other car I have owned (including a Mazda MX6 which EVERYTHING was expensive for)

Yeah, a BMW I6 is the dream A co-worker of mine just bought himself a new M Coupe :drool: and it sounds brilliant. Strangely enough normal maintenance on my 320d hasn't been nearly as much as I expected. Oil services cost me R800, inspection about R1800, and that's at the BMW Hatfield dealership. My old VW Polo was more expensive to service. Still, I think what I saved now will be more than be made up for in the future.

All the talk about the big expenses got my eyes wondering to other cars too, but then again, it may not happen at all. I think, unless something big(gish) happens, I would not make the swap as yet.

330's tend to have their own set of problems because of the nice power it has. But I would agree that diesel maintenance could be more in the long run, whilst saving your cashflow on fuel money now.

Yeah I hear you, it may not happen at all, I just know that I will be mad at myself if something expensive breaks and I could have had a 330i for almost the same amount the 320d cost me. Also, from what I heard it's much less likely that something expensive will break on the petrol engine. And yes, the saving in fuel costs does make up for it, but only until the recession ends and diesel becomes more expensive than petrol again.

The thing is, if I'm gonna make the switch it has to be soon, before the end of the year. Next year the trade value drops drastically. Hmmm, I'm on my way to Auto Trader again...

 

[Hellas]

Where did you hear about the drastic price drop in diesels? (or is it for ALL vehicles?) Cause a co-worker of mine mentioned the same thing about his 320d the other day.

 

[freerider]

Cheaper cars across the board would suit me just fine :drool:

 

[Hellas]

Some people are taking a knock on the diesels anyway. I lost R20k off the retail price in the past year. That co-worker of mine lost R60k in about a year and a half. He got the bad side of the slump.

 

[Donavan]

Watsup man .a friend of mine also has a 04 320d e46 and his is troublesome he jus reached 160000km now and his turbo has gone twice!!!.motorplan covered it the first time but 2nd time it costed him around 30 grand!.Turbos on the diesels r weak they seem to give more problems than nething else.i would choose a 330i over a 320d neday.gudluck wid ur choice bro

 

[double-n]

Where did you hear about the drastic price drop in diesels? (or is it for ALL vehicles?) Cause a co-worker of mine mentioned the same thing about his 320d the other day.

The price drop is for all vehicles, I the 2003 models currently trade for R30k less than the 04 models. That's a huge drop from the R90k or so I can get for my car now.

Watsup man .a friend of mine also has a 04 320d e46 and his is troublesome he jus reached 160000km now and his turbo has gone twice!!!.motorplan covered it the first time but 2nd time it costed him around 30 grand!.Turbos on the diesels r weak they seem to give more problems than nething else.i would choose a 330i over a 320d neday.gudluck wid ur choice bro

Thanks, yeah I have heard many horror stories myself, but I have also heard many stories of the turbo's lasting for 300,000km+. But R30k for a turbo is hectic, if the turbo on my car breaks I know I will regret that I didn't trade the car when I had the chance.

 

[Hellas]

That's it, I'm getting a bicycle...

 

[double-n]

That's it, I'm getting a bicycle...

Something like this? :thumbsup:

 

[freerider]

lol!

 

[Hellas]

That's it, I'm getting a bicycle...

Something like this? :thumbsup:

NO, too many moving parts, shocks and gears. Something like a Penny Farthing. I'm going way retro. Something like this:

http://www.edupics.com/old-bicycle-t10100.jpg

 

[Nic_s]

Thanks, yeah I have heard many horror stories myself, but I have also heard many stories of the turbo's lasting for 300,000km+. But R30k for a turbo is hectic, if the turbo on my car breaks I know I will regret that I didn't trade the car when I had the chance.

I was considering selling my car end of last year, but then thought it will be OK. BIG mistake as the car blew head gasket late February and only got the car back late March. Best part is... the car is still not what it was before the head gasket blew. It still won't idle on it's own as I think the TPS has gone. There is a screw on the throttle body that keeps the throttle just open enought to have the car "idling". Also, I now need to replace front brake discs and pads.

The car hardly cost me much for more than a year and then suddenly all hell breaks loose. :bawling:

 

[double-n]

Thanks, yeah I have heard many horror stories myself, but I have also heard many stories of the turbo's lasting for 300,000km+. But R30k for a turbo is hectic, if the turbo on my car breaks I know I will regret that I didn't trade the car when I had the chance.

I was considering selling my car end of last year, but then thought it will be OK. BIG mistake as the car blew head gasket late February and only got the car back late March. Best part is... the car is still not what it was before the head gasket blew. It still won't idle on it's own as I think the TPS has gone. There is a screw on the throttle body that keeps the throttle just open enought to have the car "idling". Also, I now need to replace front brake discs and pads.

The car hardly cost me much for more than a year and then suddenly all hell breaks loose. :bawling:

Thanks, yes that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Everything going well and then suddenly 'n huge repair bill.