[AP]

Another approach to consider which is what i adopted. Buy the car you want, load up with options but keep it for a long time, that the depreciation a larger number of years smooths out to some extent. My last car a e39 530i was loaded up bought for nigh on £40000 and i kept it for 10 years, trade in price was £2750, you can do the maths. I bought a f10 530d for lost of £55000 ( got for £49000) and again intendty to keep for a similar amount of time. If you load it yp for options my thoughts are that it wil age less in your eyes.
May be worth considering as opposed to the usual 3 year lease perhaps?

[Ellmat]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Projected residual values still make the 520d the best financial decision. Whether that will change in the next 3 - 4 years is to be seen, but with fuel prices as they are I'm not sure it will change, unless the market is really flooded with good used examples.

Out of interest the 535d is the model with the biggest depreciation. After 4-years it is projected to have lost virtually the value of a new 520d. Also the 535d is projected to lose a lot more than the 530d, both in percentage terms and of course value.

I'm sure good 535d examples will be easy to move on, but I picture many customers getting a shock when the sales guys draw a deep breath as they mutter their offer at trade in time.

HighlandPete

You may well be right, but what is the point in buying a nice car and being worried about the value in 2/3 years, life is too short. If depreciation was a major factor, then there would be no point in buying a new car..?

[xs2man]

Keeping a motor for 10 years is a HUGE commitment though. I know loads of people who have kept wives for less time.

I generally get itchy feet after about 11 months. I'm hoping I can keep my 530d for 6-8 years, but I do suspect it will be gone within 3.

[Piers]

It all depends on your mileage. If you do 20-25k a year, 4 years down the line you are at a 100k, and risk problems.

I do agree on the point above, as I have, load the car with the latest spec and it does'nt age so much in your eyes.

Perfect example, my E60 does'nt have xenons, amazing how old it makes it look against newer BM's with standard xenon's, and mine is only 4 years old. Vanity of course.

Then finally there is BM warranty to think of after 3 years

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Ellmat

You may well be right, but what is the point in buying a nice car and being worried about the value in 2/3 years, life is too short. If depreciation was a major factor, then there would be no point in buying a new car..?

Depreciation is a major factor, the biggest expense in running decent cars. It is money down the drain, however we look at it. As I see it, just making it less of a drain, is worth considering.

BTW, do any of you guys work out how much it really costs you to run your motors, like the true cost in "pence per mile"?

HighlandPete

[Ellmat]

Originally Posted by xs2man

Keeping a motor for 10 years is a HUGE commitment though. I know loads of people who have kept wives for less time.

I generally get itchy feet after about 11 months. I'm hoping I can keep my 530d for 6-8 years, but I do suspect it will be gone within 3.

Before my 535 i purchased a new 530D, but coming from a 335D, i missed the extra power, so after 11 months I traded in the 530 for a new 535...not a cheap exercise, but you're a long time dead so people tell me !

[psyxologos]

When I tried the 520d it nearly put me off buying a 5 series (coming from a 330 ci). Thankfully the next day I tried a 530d and I was convinced. There is NO comparison between the slow, unwilling 520d and the very quick and responsive 530d.