530 Touring: Very right and very wrong specs

[deutscher]

Fascinating the difference spec makes to values a few years down the line.

I'm looking for a 530 Touring 2002 or 2003. Here are two that were in my sights.

Example A: Immaculate, sat nav, TV, comfort seats, FBMWSH, 50k miles, one owner, original list £38K. Hung around for weeks at £9k. Didn't buy it.

Example B: Immaculate, sports seats, FBMWSH, 50k miles, one owner, original list £38k. Sold at £18k before I could get there.

What was the difference?

Well, Example A was an SE, petrol, manual, cloth and white. Example B was a Sport, diesel, automatic, leather and grey.

Example A hung on to just 24% of its value, while Example B managed an impressive 48% -twice as much!!

Still looking!

[mat205125]

Was the first car an ex police car?

Seems like the right spec, but the mileage doesn't look like it was a motorway parol car.

I think any Big Beemer, Merc, or Audi not specced with leather and auto is gonna be difficult to shift .... also makes them a bargain 2nd hand!

[mustard]

Another one for the equation

02 52 525i SE Touring, 25k miles BMW FSH, One Owner, Blue Metallic, Sand Leather, Automatic, No Nav, SE Spec cost new circa 31k sold for 12.5k = 40%

Saw that White one advertised, was a supposed to be a private owner car, a gift really for the money, very strange choice of options though, and the colour is a killer

Edited by mustard on Tuesday 31st October 16:58

[deutscher]

The white one was not an ex-police car; it belonged to a lady director of a big company with very individual taste. Everything on the exterior was colour-coded white, and apparently she hated the smell of leather. Mileage was 100% genuine - I saw the BMW dealer print-out.