# Mileage: When is it time to sell?



## KCLARK (Jul 2, 2003)

I usually buy cars and just drive them till I get sick of them, and in many cases each car i've owned had MORE than 200K on them by the time I got rid of them. I do that because to me I feel like Im getting my moneys worth just so long as the car has not turned into a money pit. But i've noticed when trying to resell BMW's with that many miles on it the seller catches all kinds of grief with receiving extremely low offers even when it has the capability of going to 300K. But then again, nobody wants to buy a 300K car either. So what mileage should somebody target their car to be sold so they can get a decent resale ($$$) price out of the car without being viewed as having TOO MANY MILES.


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## TJS///M3 (Sep 13, 2004)

Well, it depends on the year/make/model, but I'd say that most people looking for a good used car will not tend to consider/buy a car with more than 100k miles, and certainly not more than 150k. There are exceptions to this rule, but if I was going to buy a used BMW, I'd be looking at 75k or under normally. If a car has more than 150k miles on it, you should expect lower offers than what you think the car is worth because the perception is that the car is going to need something major in the way of maintenance sooner if not later.

Obviously, other people have different views.


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## Bill97Z (Dec 20, 2002)

Ive never heard of anyone keeping a bmw till 200K


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Bill97Z said:


> Ive never heard of anyone keeping a bmw till 200K


I have. On our german board, there are a number of cars with over 200k on the odo.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

I'd say if you want to avoid depreciation, either don't buy a new BMW, or sell it when it hits 50k or so. Depreciation seems biggest in the 1st year, and starting around the 5th year. After like 8-9 years, it flattens.


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## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

Bill97Z said:


> Ive never heard of anyone keeping a bmw till 200K


Seriously? I know you've hung around a bunch of BMW boards (roadfly etc.).

I know a few E34 guys who bought their cars new and drove more than 200k miles. I know of a couple E30 guys who did the same thing. It's kind of tough to get examples of E46 owners, because the cars generally aren't old enough.

As for the original question, I've kept all of my cars 4-5 years, but to _really_ conserve $$$ it's best just to drive the thing into the ground and sell the car to the junkyard when you're done.

Just as another data point, I sold my 10 year old E34 with 110k+ miles to the first guy who looked at it. It was gone five days after I first placed a classified ad.


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## rogue38 (Aug 26, 2004)

I bought my 77 320i with 156K on it, and drove it for a good 75k before any major problems, although they were self induced problems.


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## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

Just for kicks, here's a documented fix for E32 and E34 models whose odometers get stuck at 300k miles or 299,960km due to a computer glitch.










http://bmwe32.student.utwente.nl/johan/299960/299960.html

And a link to a post listing E34 owners with a bunch over 200k and many over 150k...

http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e34/320931-1.html

Thinking more about the original post, I can see why _really_ high mileage BMWs might not sell quickly. Anyone looking for a cheaper car ($5k or so?) is probably trying to stretch their cash as far as it'll go, and the potential high repair bills many people might expect from a BMW might not sit well with that group of buyers.

I say screw 'em. At that point, lowering your price a bit in order to get a sale isn't going to hurt your wallet much because the car isn't going to bring big bucks no matter what. You might also just have to wait a little longer for the right buyer to come along, but I say that shouldn't stop you from owning the car as long as you want to keep it.


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## BayAreaBMWFan (Aug 8, 2004)

Once the car crosses the 100-120K miles (5-6 model year), it is the service records and the repairs which become critical. As a car ages, there are a set of standard things which fail for each particular model. If those items have been fixed, the car is worth a lot more. A 150K car with a new engine and a new tranny and new suspension will be as good as new when it comes to pure driving.

In general people buying 150KMiles car either are enthusiast who need a good but cheap vehicle to tinker with or low budget buyers who want $1-2K car which they can drive into the ground. If your car is well maintained you need to market to the first class of people. They however will expect a detailed service history. You should also use EBAY and bimmer forums to advertise your car if you are targetting the enthusiast.


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## hawk2100n (Sep 19, 2005)

> I have. On our german board, there are a number of cars with over 200k on the odo


Germany=Km=200k= 120,000 mi. not redicilously high.
Im shure there are some diesel BMW's with ridicolus mileage.
My MB 300TD Turbo Diesel has 165,000 mi and those are usually good for 300-400k mi.


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## grahambishop (Mar 27, 2005)

When I left Germany last September, I had to sell our 88 730i. I bought it new and it had 490,000KM on it. It was 16 years old and got 28MPG on the autobahn where it got most of its miles. The airman I sold it to was very happy to get it. It had only a couple of dings from when my wife took it over when I got the 6. It used no oil between changes and had the orginal engine. I loved that car and miss it every day


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

hawk2100n said:


> Germany=Km=200k= 120,000 mi. not redicilously high.
> Im shure there are some diesel BMW's with ridicolus mileage.
> My MB 300TD Turbo Diesel has 165,000 mi and those are usually good for 300-400k mi.


Sorry for the confusion , it was miles in my reply.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

TJS///M3 said:


> Well, it depends on the year/make/model, but I'd say that most people looking for a good used car will not tend to consider/buy a car with more than 100k miles, and certainly not more than 150k. There are exceptions to this rule, but if I was going to buy a used BMW, I'd be looking at 75k or under normally.


:stupid: Generally speaking, once you hit 100K people will assume that you are selling if because something is wrong with it... My car has almost 80K now, mostly highway miles, and my goal is around 120 to 130K... If it lasts that long without major repair, I will feel that I got my money out of it... after that I expect to sell it for not a whole lot (maybe to one of my sisters kids or something) as I'm sure it will be a good car, but just getting a little old and tired... but still safe enough and more than sporty enough for a 16 year old... Of course her oldest has already indicated he wants an Escalade... :banghead:


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Bottom line, if you want to keep a car to the bitter end, expect to not be able to sell it or to sell it for very little.

If you want to sell at something reasonable, sell before 100K.

But if you have gotten 200K or more out of a car, it has paid for itself and who cares what you get for it. Donate it.


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## grahambishop (Mar 27, 2005)

Pinecone said:


> Bottom line, if you want to keep a car to the bitter end, expect to not be able to sell it or to sell it for very little.
> 
> If you want to sell at something reasonable, sell before 100K.
> 
> But if you have gotten 200K or more out of a car, it has paid for itself and who cares what you get for it. Donate it.


Agree. I believe in keeping them till the wheels fall off anyway. I had forgotten what car payments were and I love feeling.


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## Malibubimmer (Sep 28, 2005)

*A BMW With 125,000 Miles Sold for Twice the Purchase Price*

When I sold my 1972 3.0CS it had 125,000 miles on it. I bought it new in August 1972 for $11,000 to the penny, including tax and registration. (The dealer knocked off about $585 on the MSRP.) I kept it in perfect condition and often joked that I had bought it again many times.

When I sold it in January 2001 the buyer paid me $22,000.

My mechanic for those 29 years, Fred Busche of Independent Specialists in Santa Monica, tells me they don't make them like they used to.

I sold the car to a famous movie director who still tools around in it when he is in L.A. Look for a license plate on a maroon ("malaga") 3.0CS that reads "BMW 3CS."

I had planned to keep the car "forever" when I first bought it. My Dad had a 2800CS automatic and I had a 1971 (2.8 litre) Bavaria when I bought the 3.0CS, so I knew it was a special car.

In 1974 a young Austrian weighlifter, who had his Bavaria serviced at Independent Specialists, told me he was touring the factory and getting a new car. I asked him why. He told me it was part of a promotion because he was "Mr. Olympia." I said, "Arnholt, can you buy me new leather seat covers for the front? One day I will replace them." He said he would. He brought them back and I paid him the then astounding sum of $520. I still have the cashed check. Arnholt was getting into acting and was using the professional name "Arnold Strong." He soon changed it back to the unpronounceable Arnold Schwarzenegger and years later I did replace the seats. (I Lexol'd them every 6 months and they were perfect.)

I had many great memories of the car, but in the last few years I only drove it 500 or so miles a year. Not enough with a great car. Now I am waiting for my latest - a 650i convertible that's "on the boat." I hope Fred's observation that they don't make them like they used to is not correct.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Yes, the exception is if you have a classic and keep it long enough to be a classic, then mileage doesn't mater to making hte sale.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

Malibubimmer said:


> In 1974 a young Austrian weighlifter, who had his Bavaria serviced at Independent Specialists, told me he was touring the factory and getting a new car. I asked him why. He told me it was part of a promotion because he was "Mr. Olympia." I said, "Arnholt, can you buy me new leather seat covers for the front? One day I will replace them." He said he would. He brought them back and I paid him the then astounding sum of $520. I still have the cashed check. Arnholt was getting into acting and was using the professional name "Arnold Strong." He soon changed it back to the unpronounceable Arnold Schwarzenegger and years later I did replace the seats. (I Lexol'd them every 6 months and they were perfect.)


Cool story! :thumbup: You should call the Governator up and see if he'll sign your 650i when it comes in... that way you'll be sure to do as well as you did with your 3.0CS when it comes time to sell the 650i!


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## Passenger (Apr 26, 2005)

If I felt the need to offload a car because it had a few miles on it...

......I'd buy a freakin' Ford !


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

I change cars every 3 years with around 45k to 50k on the clock...


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## mohrgan (Feb 25, 2005)

I traded a '98 323is I bought new with 160K miles on the clock last February. I purchased a new '05 325i. I have regretted trading that car ever since. It felt just as good to drive as it did new! I really do miss it and while the E46 is nice and handles great with ZSP, there is something about older BMWs. I am debating what to do now...I am contemplating an E90 or an E46 coupe but the interior quality of the E90 is subpar.

BTW, I had an '82 320i with 180K miles that I sold to a friend and he got another 65K out of it.


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## MatWiz (Jul 14, 2004)

Alex Baumann said:


> I have. On our german board, there are a number of cars with over 200k on the odo.


Wouldn't that be 200,000 km?
My car, year 2000, has 128,500 miles on it. Thats 205,000 km....  
Runs like a bat out of hell....

~

Edit: oops, sorry. Just saw your clarification post... :eeps:


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

MatWiz said:


> Wouldn't that be 200,000 km?
> My car, year 2000, has 128,500 miles on it. Thats 205,000 km....
> Runs like a bat out of hell....
> 
> ~


That was meant to be 'miles' in my post


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## MatWiz (Jul 14, 2004)

Alex Baumann said:


> That was meant to be 'miles' in my post


Geez, I am completely out of synch... LOL

~


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## Bmwcat (Jul 30, 2004)

*Governator*

Arnholdt is too busy harassing teachers and firefighters to sign any autos. :rofl:


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## Malibubimmer (Sep 28, 2005)

Bmwcat said:


> Arnholdt is too busy harassing teachers and firefighters to sign any autos. :rofl:


He'll be back.


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## Bmwcat (Jul 30, 2004)

*Arnholdt*



Malibubimmer said:


> He'll be back.


For $50,000 a plate he'll make an appearance! :str8pimpi


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