i just don't understand> its been on the market for about 2 months, all stock, 88,000 original miles, auto (i know but its soo nice), clean, very shiny paint, no accidents, all around a gorgeous car and i believe its resonably priced at 12,500 obo. i can't figure why people don't call that much, its in the autotrader and i get a few people interested but they don't follow through in their interests. :dunno

i was wondering if any of you guys could suggest anything to help me sell my car...i really could use your guys help. > thanks!:)

heres a couple current pics of her...
http://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/20/198/819/209598892.198819915.IM1.07.565x421_A.562x421.jpght tp://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/20/198/819/209598893.198819915.IM1.06.565x421_A.562x421.jpght tp://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/22/198/819/218011314.198819915.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.562x421.jpg http://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/20/198/819/209598899.198819915.IM1.04.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

http://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/20/198/819/209598891.198819915.IM1.08.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

http://images.autotrader.com/images/2006/3/20/198/819/209598890.198819915.IM1.09.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

Manual swap.




Seriously anybody that's a car enthusiast won't want an auto, and anybody that just wants an M3 or BMW for that matter won't pay that much for it. It is nice but you gotta face the facts. Nobody wants an auto. GL with the sale tho.

Sadly, I have to agree, it's the auto. You might be just a shade high on your price, but 88k miles is fantastic. Most people are looking for the stick. Keep it in Autotrader, once you pay it stays if you call and renew. And keep it posted here. You need to find the one person who can't drive a stick. He/she is out there, you just got to find them.

Automatic and Lux Pkg (wood) are a bit hard to market on 2dr M3's.

thank you deanp, i am just renewing it constantly and hoping someone will be interested...the sad thing is that 2 guys (older) came over to my house and were very interested until he sat in it and seen the auto shifter. he said thanks but i didnt' know it was an automatic and left. i felt bad after i showed him the whole car and he loved it all the way up till the auto part...

Not only is it an auto... but its a LUX auto :(

2 strikes to most buyers looking for a 10-12k BMW sports car.

oh great...so does anyone have any suggestions on how i go about selling my car? whats the best way to approach this problem?

Kind of screwed with the auto. That is a very decent price for M3 with 88k/miles... Someone will eventually come through on autotrader and craigslist. That's what happened with my excellent condition auto E30. Nobody wants an automatic on these forums unless their leg is busted.

If your in SoCaL, and you ever wanna get rid of the lux interior, the inside door panels and rear panels, lemme know ;D

Take it to carmax and see what they offer you. If it isnt enough atleast you know what you can get if times got desperate.

David Jerome

Take it to carmax and see what they offer you. If it isnt enough atleast you know what you can get if times got desperate.

David Jerome

just ballpark...what do you think they would offer?

Carmax may be a decent start...

You just have to wait for the right buyer. You may be a shade high on the price, about $1.5k maybe. 88k miles is a plus, but is far, far outweighed with the Automatic part.

If I wanted an Auto M3 I would actually want a Luxury package. Someone will want it, just keep truckin'.

If all else fails put it on Ebay with a $10.3k reserve.

i dont know how bad you want to get rid of this, but like the guy above me said, ebay is your best bet.

M3 auto?? really kind of hard to sell....unless u do a manual swap..then it might sell

put it on autotrader and do the deal where you pay once and they will keep the car posted until it sells. With enough time someone will buy it. As others have said an auto on this car really makes it undesireable to most prospective buyers, but someone will come along.

Thank you guys very much...i did pay about $50 dollars for my ad and i will continue to update it and so forth. i just have one more question. > whats the lowest price i should take for the car? i really am not in the biggest rush to sell it and i also am not in desperate need for the money?

i would NOT take less than 9k. Its still an M3. i figure a manual swap would cost MAX 3k right? the ballpark for this car if it were stick would be 12-13k i would think because of the miles. Lowest if it were stick would be in the 11s from what i've seen. So you subtract the 3k for the swap, and that's what i think the lowest you should ever sell the car for would be.

Now, if I were you, i probably wouldnt sell it for less than 10 -11k (the 9k was if you were desperate and what someone would likely buy it for... if they want a 95 they're doin work to it anyway i.e. turbo/engine swap etc).

i would NOT take less than 9k. Its still an M3. i figure a manual swap would cost MAX 3k right? the ballpark for this car if it were stick would be 12-13k i would think because of the miles. Lowest if it were stick would be in the 11s from what i've seen. So you subtract the 3k for the swap, and that's what i think the lowest you should ever sell the car for would be.

Now, if I were you, i probably wouldnt sell it for less than 10 -11k (the 9k was if you were desperate and what someone would likely buy it for... if they want a 95 they're doin work to it anyway i.e. turbo/engine swap etc).

Forget about a manual swap. Your car is still worth enough that a manual swap would hurt the value. Even if you swap the tranny, the parts spent on the swap would outweigh any more $$$ earned from a sale. And what do you end up with? A manual Luxury 3.0 M3! Not the best avenue.

I wouldn't take any less than $9k either. Just be patient and keep relisting it.
There will be somebody wanting an automatic M3. They are probably not on this forum, but they will be looking on Ebay, they will be looking on your local Autotrader. Just make sure in your ad that you are selling it as a clean, low-mileage, Luxury automatic M3, not a beat-to-shit manual M3 that has passed through the hands of 16 year olds.

Take it to carmax, you'll get a good laugh out of it. I took my 97 sedan 5spd (rare compared to a 95 auto) with 90K miles on it in very good condition and they offered me 8K for it. I listed it here and a few other car forums as well as craigslist and autotrader sold it a week later for 13.5 privately.

I think you can get about 10.5-11 for your car since it's an auto and it's lux. If it's not selling the next thing to try is to lower the price if you can.

Take it to carmax and see what they offer you. If it isnt enough atleast you know what you can get if times got desperate.

David Jerome
Not very experienced with selling cars, huh? If you are 100% positive you have marketed your car to the fullest, then lowering price is your last resort. I know it's not music to your ears to hear this, but it's true.

A while ago my Dad had a lifted 95 bronco (6", and proper size tires to match). NO ONE would buy it locally, it just simply didn't sell and didn't appeal to anyone. We put it on eBay with an 8.5k buy it now, not expecting much. Well, the car ended up being bid to $10.3k. Damn I got a nice commision out of that. :D

So, you never know. I don't recomend putting the car on eBay with a low BIN like we did with the Bronco, because you are guaranteed to have someone buy it and you'll get screwed. Just throw it up there with a $10.5k reserve or so, and hope for the best. With summer coming up, you have a good change to get some dineros for it.

Whatever price you ask, someone's going to offer less. Period. I could put my '88 M5 on here for $1,500 and I'd get offers.

Now, let's look at the market. Like everyone else has said, it's not so much a matter of value as it's a matter of finding the right buyer. Unfortunately, you've got a car that most M3 buyers don't want, price regardless. You really aren't going to find yourself convincing someone who wants a sport package M3 5-speed to take your car because it's $1,500 or so less. Seriously underprice your car and you'll only attract bottomfeeders.

Realisitcally, this is a $11,000 car out there. Good color combo, looks clean, low miles. Aside from that, you've got the 2 kisses of death... auto and lux.

Ask $11,995. Try eBay for a week. Write the ad well, put lots of pics up. Spend the $2-4 on that picture pack so the bidders can show all the photos as full size.

Put it on Roadfly, much as I dislike that site, it has a lot of more mature members and you might find a buyer there.

And be patient, if this was a realistically priced, say, Estroil/Black 97 coupe with good miles it'd sell quickly. It's not, but on the other side of the coin you might get $12k for it because you'll find that one guy out there who wants exactly what you have.

Patience my son.. patience.

thanks again guys...i am slightly disapointed in myself knowing that im going to take a loss on the car. i am not considering a swap because its not worth it , i will lose money beyond what i could ever imagine!

i do think maybe i should hold out like you guys say and see where it goes. thank you guys again for your advice and opinions...i'll keep you updated on what happens to my car.

Whatever price you ask, someone's going to offer less. Period. I could put my '88 M5 on here for $1,500 and I'd get offers.

Now, let's look at the market. Like everyone else has said, it's not so much a matter of value as it's a matter of finding the right buyer. Unfortunately, you've got a car that most M3 buyers don't want, price regardless. You really aren't going to find yourself convincing someone who wants a sport package M3 5-speed to take your car because it's $1,500 or so less. Seriously underprice your car and you'll only attract bottomfeeders.

Realisitcally, this is a $11,000 car out there. Good color combo, looks clean, low miles. Aside from that, you've got the 2 kisses of death... auto and lux.

Ask $11,995. Try eBay for a week. Write the ad well, put lots of pics up. Spend the $2-4 on that picture pack so the bidders can show all the photos as full size.

Put it on Roadfly, much as I dislike that site, it has a lot of more mature members and you might find a buyer there.

And be patient, if this was a realistically priced, say, Estroil/Black 97 coupe with good miles it'd sell quickly. It's not, but on the other side of the coin you might get $12k for it because you'll find that one guy out there who wants exactly what you have.

Patience my son.. patience.


you just made me able to sleep better tonite!! i will reword my ad and see what happens:) you have a positive, realistic approach that really made me feel better about the situation. :D

No offense but cars are depreciating assets. You can't think that you won't end up losing some money on it. As others have said, its auto and luxury package. Carmax will probably offer you $6,000 if not less.

Definitely the slushbox and the wood trim. Nobody (I hope) would want an m3 with a lux package on this forum. Have you tried craigslist and autotrader etc??

Forget about a manual swap. Your car is still worth enough that a manual swap would hurt the value. Even if you swap the tranny, the parts spent on the swap would outweigh any more $$$ earned from a sale. And what do you end up with? A manual Luxury 3.0 M3! Not the best avenue.

I wouldn't take any less than $9k either. Just be patient and keep relisting it.
There will be somebody wanting an automatic M3. They are probably not on this forum, but they will be looking on Ebay, they will be looking on your local Autotrader. Just make sure in your ad that you are selling it as a clean, low-mileage, Luxury automatic M3, not a beat-to-shit manual M3 that has passed through the hands of 16 year olds.


I wasnt saying that he should do a swap, i'm just saying that for an enthusiast to buy the car, it would have to have a low enough price so that buying the auto->swapping in manual would not cost the buyer more than buying a manual.

There are buyers out there looking for Auto M3's. I just bought an Auto M3 from a member on this forum. I didn't need the fastest car in the world nor can my wife drive stick. The car is for her. I would try to market this car towards women. Most women only know how to drive one type of "stick":evil2. We needed a cool looking 4 door car and Mini vans or Honda/Toyotas didn't fit that description. I am very satisfied with the performance of the Auto. I have my supercharged Mustang to satisfy my need for speed.:buttrock . Good luck with your sale. P.S Post tons of very detailed pics. Explain what it's like to drive an auto and the pro's do not post the cons. My biggest factor of not buying a stick is the "money shift" factor too.

i just picked up my 95 m3 w/ 73000 miles, non lux package, stick for 12000

you just made me able to sleep better tonite!! i will reword my ad and see what happens:) you have a positive, realistic approach that really made me feel better about the situation. :D

Glad to be of help! :)

I'd also try Craigslist as well. just remember, the more detailed of a description you can put out there, the better.

Try the local paper. Here in DC, cars sell quick in the Washinton Post with only a 15 word description. Everyone looks in the paper, not just enthusiasts. Just another suggestion.

Definitely the slushbox and the wood trim. Nobody (I hope) would want an m3 with a lux package on this forum. Have you tried craigslist and autotrader etc??

Silverm3 - Sorry, but despite being in the market, the Automatic won't work for me. Good luck with your sale.

All -

What's the drawback of the Luxury package? Is it just the wood trim? Or, is the car heavier or does it have a softer suspension? Does anyone know?

Thanks!

I didnt catch where the car is located

my car is located in sunny socal and i really hope i have some better luck with it in the next few weeks.

The suggestion about putting it in the newspaper is a great idea. Not as many enthusiasts look there. Also Craigslist is a good idea. If you get desperate, just put it on Ebay like mentioned before.



What's the drawback of the Luxury package? Is it just the wood trim? Or, is the car heavier or does it have a softer suspension? Does anyone know?

Thanks!

Enthusiasts don't want less sporty seats, wood trim, etc. that weighs just a bit more in the car. It's a sports car, not a 7-series. With that said, I wouldn't mind the Lux package if it included Vader seats.

hey I am interested in your car. I have 325is and wanted to upgrade it to m3 but I can't afford around 15k right now.

I think it's good to have this car for about 2 years and then buy manual m3

if you can give me reasonable price, I will see what I can!
goyongjae@yahoo.com

The thing is on this forum everyone wants a manual since its all about the driving experience, but what about the younger guy/girl that wants a M3 but can't drive the manual but wants that image of a sports car? They are going to be willing to pay the 11-12k for the car since its got pretty low miles. One of my friends is a example of this, 18 and dosn't know how to drive a manual no matter how long he went at it, so he spent some time looking for a decient auto '95.

Also, if someone is looking for a auto M3, they have a much narrower market than if they were looking for a 5 speed. For that reason i believe that the price is pretty damn fair.
So as said above, post it on autotrader and just let it sit until it sells.

how is that a 95?
The mesh grille isnt painted the same as the body color.
And I read that all the coupes came in manual on bmw registry:

http://www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=15

and when did luxury packages have lips on the bumper? Or has this bumper been changed? and why?

Well, your price may be fair, but the problem is your market. Unfortunately even if the car is very nice, you're probably having difficulty for the combination of three things: its an auto, a Lux edition, and a '95. As others have said, the first two in combination makes it primarily unattractive to the crowd that is now in the market for an M3 because they want a sports car, and yours is about as "unsporty" as they get for an M3 (no offense). Add to that the fact that most people who are interested in buying a '95 are only doing it for performance and modding reasons (and these people are exactly the same people who DON'T want lux or an auto), and you have a tough car to sell. Lets face it, the majority of the M3 market is going to want a 3.2L M3 (S52) since they are more reliable (valve retainer issue) and torquier for around town driving. Plus they're just newer overall. So I hope that makes it somewhat clear why your car is probably not selling fast.

With all that said, you still have a very nice car and I think with the right market you could sell at your price (or close), given your relatively low mileage. What you want to do is market to a buyer who wants the extra power and image of the M3 over the 328, but isn't a die hard sports car nut (read: wants a 5 speed). Not to stereotype, but I'm thinking the female population. Case in point: My sister is in the market for a mid-late 90s BMW and its right around her price point. She would need an auto because she can't (and probably doesn't want to) drive stick. She's been driving a VW Cabrio the last 3 years so she'll probably be impressed by the extra power of the M3, and the mileage is low so that'll be another plus. She would also actually appreciate the lux package. I would tell her to look into it in a sec if we weren't on opposite sides of the country.

My recommendation is to market that kind of car in person - try to sell it at a local mall that is friendly to parked cars for sale. These cars really sell themselves in person. Take your time washing and waxing it, and make sure to put a tire dressing on. Be sure to detail your engine bay if you have someone coming to take a look in person. A clean engine bay goes a LOOONG way for the sale - just ask a used car dealership... Get together all of the records you have on the car and fan them out in the passenger seat if you park it. Records are important, they show the quality of maintenance you've performed. Ask for a carfax from a member of this (or another) forum and provide it for free (assuming its clear) with the sale. I wouldn't go for Ebay unless you're willing to drop your price. Generally I find that the bottom feeders are the only ones that actually sell there. Cars on ebay typically fetch closer to auto auction prices than private party prices (imagine that!)

Try to be patient (I know its hard) and keep it out there for another month. After that, I personally wouldn't buy the "the right buyer is out there" excuse on this one. Your car is not exactly an enthusiast's dream, so remember, you're marketing to the mass public who wants an auto. If you haven't gotten at least some nibbles in the next month, you may have to think about lowering your price.

Whew, that's about all the advice I have. Best of luck to you! If you were about $1000 lower and on the east coast I think I could actually have a buyer for you.

Whew, that's about all the advice I have. Best of luck to you! If you were about $1000 lower and on the east coast I think I could actually have a buyer for you.

Too bad there isn't some road that connects the two coasts, and maybe a company with truck like things and trailers that could haul stuff to the other coast.

Too bad there isn't some road that connects the two coasts, and maybe a company with truck like things and trailers that could haul stuff to the other coast.

Smartass huh? :icon28XX

I suppose paying $1600+ to transport a $11000 car across the country makes good fiduciary sense to you then?

Come on, help the guy out. Or fly out and drive back and enjoy the countryside.

Come on, help the guy out. Or fly out and drive back and enjoy the countryside.

:rolleyes I owe this guy nothing, and I feel I've already tried to help him by giving my advice. While I'd love to do the drive, the 4 days off work and gas alone would be way more then $1600, let alone paying for airfare and hotels. There's no free lunch man; shipping companies aren't just stuffing that money in their pockets...

Anyway, back to the thread topic...

Smartass huh? :icon28XX

I suppose paying $1600+ to transport a $11000 car across the country makes good fiduciary sense to you then?

Try $900-1000.

Sliverm, since you don't have a car with the options that will sell itself, you ought to try marketing it locally. Put it up in craigslist with a long description and as many pics as they'll allow. Park it at the mall with large "for sale" signs with the price and your number in the window. Your best chance is to find someone who wasn't even thinking about this car specifically, but sees it and realizes its a hell of a lot of car for 11-12 k.

Also, why not consider eating the delivery cost and selling it to the other posters sister?:)

Try $900-1000.

Have you looked recently? When I shipped my M3 with the "no frills" package via DAS about 3 months ago it was $1367. With gas prices increasing as they are you can bet its a whole lot higher than that now. DAS is as cheap as I'd go too. Sure, you can pay less to have it taken via Joe Blow's Auto Shippers, but I want my car in one piece when I get it or a company that won't be out of business tomorrow if I need to come collecting. Try getting a quote from the forum sponsor Intercity. There's no doubt they're the best, but for SoCal to Baltimore they quoted me >$2k, and again, that was in January, when the national average for a gallon of regular was >50 cents cheaper than it is now.

any real driver, would clearly choose a manual m3 over the automatic for that money

Sliverm, since you don't have a car with the options that will sell itself, you ought to try marketing it locally. Put it up in craigslist with a long description and as many pics as they'll allow. Park it at the mall with large "for sale" signs with the price and your number in the window. Your best chance is to find someone who wasn't even thinking about this car specifically, but sees it and realizes its a hell of a lot of car for 11-12 k.

Also, why not consider eating the delivery cost and selling it to the other posters sister?:)

because that could get quite expensive and i think the car is reasonably priced being that it is on the west coast...i think in order to ship it to the east coast and make it fair to a buyer i would have to lower the price significantly and also pay for the majority of the shipping (transport). good suggestion though!:) , i wish trucking it didn't cost so much:eyecrazy or i would!

So is the car still for sale?

yes, it sure is...send me a pm if you read this and are still interested.

Auto w/ a 3.0 oh no!

GUESS WHAT GUYS!!!....i have an offer right now of 11,000 flat.

should i take it????

I'd say yes.

ha yeah jump all over that...i'd waiting for mine to sell at 11k and i have a manual

i'm going to tell him 11,250 and he takes car of the smog and its his!

Sounds fair and you can get on with your life.

Sounds fair and you can get on with your life.

yeah , tell me about it!

but i'm not through with bmw's / next up: 95' cosmos / black vader/ contours

i can say after having my ///m3 (auto) for a year and a half, i am ready to taste what its like to have a stick shift!! :buttrock .

i'll let you guys know how the sale goes, thanx for the input!:)

Totally agreed and understand. On to the next great BMW adventure.

Ill take it off your hands.... That is if you want a 96 ti 5 speed with a new engine in return lol.

ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!!!! sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Final price: $11,300 and i take care of the smog.

-i'm soo happy i can finally focus on getting my cosmos ///m3!!!

if that sale doesnt go through, i know its a long shot, but ill give you $9000. completely serious, and will follow through, your call, but the offer is on the table..

ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!!!! sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Final price: $11,300 and i take care of the smog.

-i'm soo happy i can finally focus on getting my cosmos ///m3!!!

I came in here too late. I wanted to get this car for a younger relative of mine. I live in CA too. Oh well too late now.

So did it sell or what?

YES!!...IT FINALLY SOLD!!...I'M SOO HAPPY!!...THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE TIPS!!:)

now i am finally in the market for a cosmos black/ black vader/ manual ///m3! :D

guys helped me wait it out as it was on the market for a good 2 months before it sold. again, thanks for all the support :D :redspot :buttrock :alright :)

Attention Bimmer World - Silverm3 Has $11,300 Buring A Hole In His Pocket. Please Form A Line To Help Him Spend It!!!!!!!.

Did I hear black/black vader manual m3?

How about 37k virgin miles?

See my sig (although you will need to add some funds to your new found sale money, but it should make a nice loan downpayment:)

Neel

Did I hear black/black vader manual m3?

How about 37k virgin miles?

See my sig (although you will need to add some funds to your new found sale money, but it should make a nice loan downpayment:)

Neel
Buy this one before i do something stupid:)

too bad its a 99 ...i'm looking for less emission restrictions since i live in cali soo IT has to be obdI kanobi !!