Should I Sell A 2018 BMW 320i for A Small SUV

Morning OzBargain People

My mum has a 2018 BMW 320i M-Sport that she had since new.
It's only at around 30,000kms. It's out of warranty but have had a few annoying issues that have been a pain such as a stuck fuel door ($500 fix), emergency SOS feature out of battery ($500 fix), alternator replacement, etc.

She really doesnt want to sell the BMW but with how exxy repairs are, I'm trying to convince her to sell it for around 30k and purchase something like a Mazda CX30, Toyota Corolla Cross, Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc (SUV for her leg issues + all of these have powered tailgate).

She is adamant that she wan't to keep the BMW but I'm worried that she'll end up spending more money over the next few years.

The BMW doesn't even have CarPlay… If anything tech sucks in that car.

UPDATE 1:

Here's my other thoughts.
She drives about 4,000kms a year.
She pays over $2000 in insurance and $500 in servicing per year.
She complaing about getting in and out of the car bacause it's too low for her and she has bad legs/back.
She doesn't like how there is no CarPlay.
She likes that she drives a BMW for the brand.

By swapping to a nice Mazda CX30 or VW T-Roc, she would be paying capped price servicing at around $300 per year and only $700-800 for comprehensive (double checked with a quote)
That's a saving of over $1500 per year. Own the car for 5 years and the difference in selling the BMW and "upgrading" or sidegrading to something more modern has better outcomes.

Things will be covered under warranty for the next 5 years. Servicing will be cheaper. Insurance will be cheaper. She will get CarPlay. She will have a higher car that is easier to get into and out for her poor legs/back and she won't need to groan in pain getting in and out.

For those that think I'm a bad son for telling her to do something that she is hesitant about, I disagree. I'm looking at the outcome of the next few 5-10 years and where her health might be by then. Getting into a newer car that is more hassle free, easier to get into and has more features is way more of a win than her keeping her BMW cause she likes that it is a BMW.

UPDATE 2:

BMW quoted $400/hr in diagnostics. Rego/CTP is due in a few weeks.

We went looking at cars and she was very impressed at the Mazda CX30.
Smooth and easy to drive.

She loves the look, the ease of getting in, the colour and the features that the BMW didnt have.
She doesn't miss anything about BMW apart from the brand. She was sad because her dream was to have a luxury car one day but she's had a think about it and realised that by swapping to another car, she'll have way more benefits in terms of health and practicality.

Mazda is $39K and negotiated a few grand off it.
BMW was valued at 21K. Managed to play hard ball and negotiate to $30K.
I paid the deposit as it's her birthday soon.

All up, a few grand in change-over.
The BMW was up for CTP + Rego. The new Comprehensive insurance is $1000 cheaper. All of these savings almost pays off the difference for a new car.

Both of us are very happy!

Poll Options

  • 57
    Sell BMW, Pay $10K for New SUV
  • 63
    Keep BMW

Comments

  • +6

    Sell and buy a Toyota, Honda, Suzuki or Mitsubishi…. heck even Hyundai and Kia are worthwhile and reliable options these days.

    The above is pretty much common knowledge at this point.

    I would have off-loaded it after the fuel-flap door cost alone. lol

    If your Mum wants to keep her car chugging along, despite the expense, leave her be. I doubt you'll change her mind, she'll probably learn the hard way. Unless money is just funny to her…

    • +6

      Unless money is just funny to her…

      We talking about OP's inheritance here

  • +2

    Dump the BMW

  • +2

    sell it immediately

    and buy something less prone to repairs that will cost the equivalent of the GDP of a small island nation.

  • +27

    Should I Sell A 2018 BMW 320i for A Small SUV
    My mum has a 2018 BMW 320i
    She really doesnt want to sell the BMW

    Its not even your car, let you mum enjoy the car she wants to enjoy.

    $1k in 'repairs' isn't the end of the world, who knows what she might or might not have coming up with any car she owns.

    The BMW doesn't even have CarPlay… If anything tech sucks in that car.

    and? It isn't your car, it is hers. If she is happy, then let her be happy.

    • +2

      She doesn't enjoy the car. She enjoys the look of driving a BMW.

      The main reason I'm telling her to sell it is because she is complaining about struggling to get in and out every time as she has pretty bad health issues and her general strength is weak. Getting into a lowered sedan seems like it's not helping the cause.

      • -1

        At least she got some taste, you can always get her a BMW X3

  • none of the cars you listed come close to the bmw for fun to drive factor , but yeah you pay for that as well! Let your mum enjoy her car…

    • She doesnt drive for fun. She drives always 10km under the limit and would not notice the difference between a 1.4L NA and a 4.0L Twin Turbo.
      She drives to get A to B and to show that she drives a BMW.

      She doesn't like the leather, she doesn'l like how there is no phone mirroring, she doesn'l like how low it is. etc.

    • +6

      In what world is a 320i "fun to drive"?

      • +3

        It's a RWD sedan so that's immediately more fun than 90% of cars on the road.

        • +4

          It has about 8hp.

          • +1

            @brendanm: Woah that's uncalled for.

            You're overestimating the power of the BMW 2.0L lawnmower engine.

      • +1

        It's all relative.

        When I had my BMW 135i, my dad's 2007 Merc C200 felt like an old man's car, something that wants you to drive in a slow and boring way.

        Then I got rid of the BMW for a Kia Sportage. 6 Months later my dad's C200 was quite fun to drive, and I can promise you a 2018 320i is much more fun than that.

        • +2

          C200s are a gutless turd as well, especially that old supercharged one, the later turbo ones are still garbage. 320i is a gutless wonder.

  • +2

    Sell the BMW and go for something Japanese or Korean. Don't go for another European car brand or you'll wind up with the same problems.

  • +4

    The BMW doesn't even have CarPlay…

    @pegaxs - we found it! This doesn't have all the bells and whistles.

    Should I Sell

    It's not your car to sell. Poor mum, pushing your ozbargain ways onto her.

    Why not be a top bloke and DIY the repairs for her. I had a quick look on YouTube and there's tutorials for all of her current F30 issues. There's even videos on there of girls doing the fixes in case I accidentally assumed your gender. No excuses.

    • Why not be a top bloke and DIY the repairs for her.

      Thanks for asking. Cheers.

    • +2

      BMW doesn't even have CarPlay…

      I believe it comes as a DLC pack that you have to pay a subscription to for BMW because they are basically arseholes.

    • +5

      Not really a poor mum IMO.

      I'm pushing her because she has a poor muscle and bone health and shes currently doing a tonne of physio and doctor work to get better. She complains every time about getting in and out of the car because it's too low. That's not helping her case at all. She even said to me "I don't want to sell it cause I feel bad since it's a BMW". That's just someone who likes the brand.

      I am already doing DIY things for her. Have polished the car, ceramic coated it, wash it every week, dash cam installs, buffed scratches out, PDR work etc.
      There is an excuse.. I cannot fix the fuel door. That has to be broken into by BMW and replaced specially by them.

      • +3

        Would have been handy info in the OP. It came across as a purely financial/tech decision not an ingress/egress decision for a sweet little old lady with a caring/loving son.

    • There's even videos on there of girls doing the fixes in case

      Were these on YouTube or were you on one of the other sites…

  • How long is she likely to keep driving? If its less than 5 years keep the BMW.

    If longer, then consider something new.

    • Probs another 10 years

      • +1

        Start saving for repairs.

  • +4

    How much was the alternator?

    • +2

      I forgot but around a grand

  • +2

    The maintenance of BMW will only increase as the car age. However, at the end of the day, it's your mum call.

  • -1

    "She is adamant" you say…..so despite your probable best intentions, back off. She's an adult.

    If my kid started to tell me what car to buy/when to change it, that would be a very short conversation.

    • She's adamant that she doesnt want to sell the car because she likes that it's a BMW. It's the look of driving a fancy BMW.

      She hates the lack of CarPlay, lack of ACC, lack of comfy seats, hates how low the car is etc.

      • +1

        So, that would have assisted if you had added that into the post………..

        Then physically take her shopping for a new car. Once sitting inside a new car with all the features she likes….she can then decide which new car to buy

  • +4

    I've gone through similar with older people

    It's what they know and is comfortable with. They know they can park and drive this one.

    $1k-$2k per year in repairs is cheaper than forking out $10k.

    • +5

      Correct, always amazes me how quickly people are willing to lose $10k/year in depreciation, however, they're annoyed to pay $1k in repairs….

  • +2

    You gotta realise the BMW 320i is a base tier car for the brand, so understandably it doesn't drive like a proper BMW. But then selling it for a small SUV isn't too enticing either.

    • Does a proper BMW drive like M3?

    • Correct. But getting a mid/high tier small SUV I would argue is more lux than the 320i.
      The BMW has cheap leather, small seats, cramped interior, small screen etc.

      Even base model cars have 8+ inch screens, carpaly, roomier interior.

      The 320i is similar to a Mazda CX3 or Mazda 2 interior due to a huuuuge centre console on the BMW.

      • +2

        The BMW has cheap leather

        Fun fact: in a base model beemer it's called SensaTec which is just a fancy name for plastic that has the appearance of leather.

  • People are quite divided in the comment section.

    Here's my other thoughts.
    She drives about 4,000kms a year.
    She pays over $2000 in insurance and $500 in servicing per year.
    She complaing about getting in and out of the car bacause it's too low for her and she has bad legs/back.
    She doesn't like how there is no CarPlay.
    She likes that she drives a BMW for the brand.

    By swapping to a nice Mazda CX30 or VW T-Roc, she would be paying capped price servicing at around $300 per year and only $700-800 for comprehensive (double checked with a quote)
    That's a saving of over $1500 per year. Own the car for 5 years and the difference in selling the BMW and "upgrading" or sidegrading to something more modern has better outcomes.

    Things will be covered under warranty for the next 5 years. Servicing will be cheaper. Insurance will be cheaper. She will get CarPlay. She will have a higher car that is easier to get into and out for her poor legs/back and she won't need to groan in pain getting in and out.

    For those that think I'm a bad son for telling her to do something that she is hesitant about, I disagree. I'm looking at the outcome of the next few 5-10 years and where her health might be by then. Getting into a newer car that is more hassle free, easier to get into and has more features is way more of a win than her keeping her BMW cause she likes that it is a BMW.

    • +1

      For those that think I'm a bad son

      You're just a bad son for a poorly proposed original post then did a post and ghost. That's why everyone went off on a tangent to your argument. 10 hours later your updates make more sense. FFS.

      • +2

        Sorry just been angry calling BMW for 4 hours and how they want to charge me $3000 for a fuel cap door assembly… Didn't write up the full thing

        • That's crazy money. Is it the actuator area or do they replace the complete assembly ie the whole plastic section.

          Like this

          • +1

            @MS Paint: Similar but the 320i F30 doesn't have the green emergency latch. Also something else needs to be replaced. Some electric part related to the latch/release mechanism

  • Sell the Eurotrash and buy anything japanese.
    Mighten have the 'badge', but will be a far better built vehicle.

  • +1

    I had a 2018 320d. Yes, the tech was lacking. But worse, it's terribly unreliable after warranty. I spent a fortune replacing electrical components.
    If she can get $30K for it, I reckon she should take the money. I ended up selling mine for $5K to get rid of it (though it'd done 200km, and that was before covid when car prices went nuts.)

  • Cars with high hip point

  • Sell the BMW. It's just a matter of time before all the plastic bits in the engine bay fail and leak coolant or oil.

  • My mum has a 2018 BMW 320i M-Sport that she had since new

    I guess she bought a "sport" model, back in 2018, for a good reason.
    Are those reasons still valid?
    If yes then keeping it seems fair.

    • She never bought it for the sport model. It was on clearance and she liked the lack of chrome, wheels and sunroof.

  • It's her life her choice. Drop the subject. Give her time you've planted the seed she may come around to the idea.

  • Good luck getting $30k for it

    • Got a value of $22k and negotiated it to $30k trade in.
      We're both happy

      • +1

        The $8k extra in trade-in is just an offset against other negotiables.

        Why don't people understand that car dealers don't pay more than wholesale for a vehicle. They have a clue. It's their business.

  • +1

    UPDATE:
    BMW quoted $400/hr in diagnostics. Rego/CTP is due in a few weeks.

    We went looking at cars and she was very impressed at the Mazda CX30.
    Smooth and easy to drive.

    She loves the look, the ease of getting in, the colour and the features that the BMW didnt have.
    She doesn't miss anything about BMW apart from the brand. She was sad because her dream was to have a luxury car one day but she's had a think about it and realised that by swapping to another car, she'll have way more benefits in terms of health and practicality.

    Mazda is $39K and negotiated a few grand off it.
    BMW was valued at 21K. Managed to play hard ball and negotiate to $30K.
    I paid the deposit as it's her birthday soon.

    All up, a few grand in change-over.
    The BMW was up for CTP + Rego. The new Comprehensive insurance is $1000 cheaper. All of these savings almost pays off the difference for a new car.

    Both of us are very happy!

    • Mazda is $39K

      For a CX-30? I imagine the dealer is delighted too - inflation and the SUV markup are very real it seems. Glad you need the high hip point, otherwise the 3 is a better choice IMO

      A few years ago it seems like few were willing to spend that sort of money on a small car unless it was a premium brand, but here we are and that's what they cost. Even at that time though (and certainly second hand), I'd take a premium trim Mazda over a more expensive base-model BMW any day - it'd be interesting to see what the dealer does with the 320.

      Hope your mum enjoys the car

  • Why don't you buy 2 BMW badges from Amazon or the wreckers and swap them onto your mum's new Mazda SUV. After all she just wants to drive a car with BMW badges on it. A win win situation for you and your mum.

  • it sounds like you've already told her the pros and cons of keeping the bmw vs a new car. I'd buy a new jap/korean with wty and higher riding position but it's her decision in the end

  • Cx30 has no touchscreen though, everything has to be done by the knob.

    • I think it has a touchscreen but can only be used when the vehicle is stationary.

      But surprisingly, the knob is interestingly more convenient to use than a touchscreen. I have a cx5 and I'd rather have that knob over a touchscreen any day.

      • cx 5 still has the old mzd system which allows you to input addresses while driving. the new mazda connect system freezes up and doesn't allow you to input addresses.

  • X1 or X2?

  • +1

    Your mother has a perception issue. She wants the status of driving a BMW and that is it. Tell her no one cares, it's 2024, get something more affordable and suitable for her.

    • +1

      what status? who is impressed by a 320i let alone a 2018 model?

  • Maybe book a test drive for her or something to persuade her

  • Agree that your mum should change cars. If I can hazard a guess she's at the age where she should be enjoying her life, and if she is really getting her rocks off from luxury car then who is to judge - I say lean into this and get an aston martin!

  • From brother's experience, Eurozero will only bring more problems when it starts having one. I'd be delighted if I'm to get 30k for that trash. Cx30 should be way way more reliable and peace to that 'piece' of mind

  • +1

    Alternator replacement after ~30K driving?

  • 39k in Mazda cx30 is too close to an Atto 3 2023 runout

    • Negotiated a few grand off so ended up closer to 36K. To step all the way up to a Atto 3 means almost doubling her ideal changeover budget
      Mum doesn't like the Atto 3 design. She also struggled to grasp the EV technology. Just prefers fuel at the end of the day.

      • fair enough. Just providing option as another option.

  • Sell the 320 and buy an x1/3?

    • Nah after this we all agreed never to go back to BMW

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