Price Check: Facelift 330Ci Sport

Soldato
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Has anyone bought or sold a facelift 330Ci Sport recently?

I bought one of the Glass's guide valuations, and it came back at £10,300. But there's seems to be a couple of absolute bargains to be had at the minute, unless there's an load of Cat D's around or something...

I've finally psyched myself up to writing my ad, tell me honestly, what you think I should put it up for / accept:-

84,000 miles, FBMWSH, Metallic Silver Paintwork, BMW M Sport Bodykit / Exhaust, 18" MV2 Alloy Wheels, Electric Memory Sports Seats, Electric Memory Mirrors, Electric Windows, Alcantara Trim, Multi-Function Sports Steering Wheel, BMW Business Stereo, 6CD Changer, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Remote Central Locking, Alarm, Rear Parking Sensors, Automatic Head-Lights, Rain-Sensing Wipers, Hard-Wired TomTom Sat Nav w/ Bluetooth Car Kit, Hard-Wired Snooper S4 Speed Camera 'Detector', 11 Months MOT, 5 Months Tax (£220 for 12 months in Jan 2009, £300 for 12 months in Jan 2010 due to low CO2 output.) 231bhp, 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, Limited to 155mph, Dynamic Stability Control, 6-Speed Manual Gearbox, FSH, Full BMW Service History, Inspection II (Most expensive service) completed in March, Brake Fluid Changed in March, Air-Con re-gassed in June, only run on Shell V-Power, 30-35 mpg, Split-Folding Rear-Seats (more practical than the saloon, Excellent Condition, with no parking dings! (Pet Hate), Face-lift model with revised nose and LED rear clusters (standard kit) Genuine Reason For Sale, Glass's valuation at £10,300, HPI clear. 3-Litre Rear Wheel Drive, 5 year old Sports Coupe for under ten grand. This won't be around long, be quick! £9,995.

Be gentle... ;)
 
3-Litre Rear Wheel Drive, 5 year old Sports Coupe for under ten grand. This won't be around long, be quick! £9,995.

No offence but that sounds completely crap. I always wonder why people write things like that. If it won't be around long why do you care enough that the buyers need to be quick, after all a sale is a sale. Answer, becuase it probably will be around long :p

It basically reads like the owner spends most of his time thrashing the living daylights out of it. Speed camera detectors, detailed performance figures, etc etc... why? Anyone buying a 330Ci knows how quick it is, and if they don't, they probably don't care.

All that info and yet we don't know what plate/year it is. I'm guessing it's a 2003/03?
 
[TW]Fox;12312845 said:
No offence but that sounds completely crap. I always wonder why people write things like that. If it won't be around long why do you care enough that the buyers need to be quick, after all a sale is a sale. Answer, becuase it probably will be around long :p

It basically reads like the owner spends most of his time thrashing the living daylights out of it. Speed camera detectors, detailed performance figures, etc etc... why? Anyone buying a 330Ci knows how quick it is, and if they don't, they probably don't care.

All that info and yet we don't know what plate/year it is. I'm guessing it's a 2003/03?

Sorry, left the title part out, you're right it's 2003/03.

I detailed the performance stats to cover the bragging rights posers camp, and to look a bit more 'enthusiast', like I'd cared for the car, basically just to pad it out, and make it stand out a bit... that was the thought anyway...

I see your point about people knowing what a 330 is, but by the same logic it could be argued that detailing any standard kit is pointless...

Cheers for replying... :)
 
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I'd cut all that balls out. List the basic details about the car, list the highlights of the standard specification not the whole lot (Everyone knows it has a radio and electric windows) and list the optional extras. You dont need to explain that the Inspection II is expensive nor do you need to say low CO2 becuase it isn't low CO2 and nobody looking at your advert cares.

Then detail a bit about the cars service history, and appraise the cars condition.

That'll do rather nicely.

You are selling this car to people who have probably already decided they want a 330Ci Sport. Make them want YOUR 330Ci Sport. Your advert reads like its trying to convince a Fiesta wanting boy racer to buy your car.
 
best thing is with adverts is to keep it clean and concise.

My het hate with adverts is the buyer telling me about their likes and dislikes etc... i wanna know if its got satnav or not etc.. List the basic standard spec, then list the options.

Brief summary of any other info like MOT etc..
 
2003/03 BMW 330Ci Sport - Facelift 6 speed model, Titanium Silver

84,000 miles with full BMW Service History. Standard Sport specification including Climate Control, Cruise Control, 6 CD changer and 18 inch alloy wheels. In addition to the standard specification, this car also has split folding rear seats and bluetooth telephone system.

This car has 11 months MOT, 5 months tax and is exceptional condition inside and out, free from the usual odd parking dings. Recent Inspection II and Brake Fluid change, genuine reason for sale.

£9995

Alcantara is crap so don't mention it - it just highlights the fact it has no leather.

I'd Ebay the Tomtom and the Snooper.
 
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84,000 miles, FBMWSH, Metallic Silver Paintwork, BMW M Sport Bodykit / Exhaust, 18" MV2 Alloy Wheels, Electric Memory Sports Seats, Electric Memory Mirrors, Alcantara Trim, Multi-Function Sports Steering Wheel, 6-CD Changer, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Rear Parking Sensors, Automatic Head-Lights, Rain-Sensing Wipers, Hard-Wired TomTom Sat Nav w/ Bluetooth Car Kit, Hard-Wired Snooper S4 Speed Camera 'Detector', 11 Months MOT, 5 Months Tax, 6-Speed Manual Gearbox, FSH, Full BMW Service History, Inspection II completed in March, only run on Shell V-Power, 30-35 mpg, Split-Folding Rear-Seats, Excellent Condition, with no parking dings! (Pet Hate), Face-lift model with revised nose and LED rear clusters (standard kit) Genuine Reason For Sale, Glass's valuation at £10,300, HPI clear. £9,995.

I put the CO2 thing in before because I thought it was £400 tax being what it is...
 
[TW]Fox;12312917 said:
2003/03 BMW 330Ci Sport - Facelift 6 speed model, Titanium Silver

84,000 miles with full BMW Service History. Standard Sport specification including Climate Control, Cruise Control, 6 CD changer and 18 inch alloy wheels. In addition to the standard specification, this car also has split folding rear seats and bluetooth telephone system.

This car has 11 months MOT, 5 months tax and is exceptional condition inside and out, free from the usual odd parking dings. Recent Inspection II and Brake Fluid change, genuine reason for sale.

£9995

Alcantara is crap so don't mention it - it just highlights the fact it has no leather.

I'd Ebay the Tomtom and the Snooper.

Replied before I'd seen this... Cheers...

I deliberately put Alcantara down as I didn't want people ringing who wanted leather... Personally I quite like it...

The Bluetooth is part of the TomTom, and while I would eBay them, as they're hardwired in, it seemed easier to chuck them in for free, as a bit of a bonus...

I'd also put all the variations of FBMWSH/FSH/etc to cover people keyword searching...

Are Electric seats standard? I thought they weren't, but split folding rear seats were?

No mention of Rain-sensing wipers and auto headlights? I know it's sad, but little toys/gadgets like that make me grin...

Basically I'd tried to detail as much as possible in the ad so people didn't need to ring to get basic info...
 
You can add those things if you want but dont go down to saying 'Electric Windows, Remote Locking' etc etc.

You WANT people to ring becuase thats when they get to judge you - and you can make them think 'Wow, what a spiffing chap, I want to buy his car'
 
[TW]Fox;12313004 said:
You can add those things if you want but dont go down to saying 'Electric Windows, Remote Locking' etc etc.

You WANT people to ring becuase thats when they get to judge you - and you can make them think 'Wow, what a spiffing chap, I want to buy his car'

Fair shout, it just annoys me when people put up ads without proper effort, makes me wonder what their attitude to the car has been like... I'm not lucking forward to letting it go, I like it, and I know I'm going to have badge whores pestering me. Things were so much simpler when was a, upgrading, and b, selling my vRS... :D

Any thoughts on the price?

I didn't think I was going to get this much grief until I admitted the possible replacement... :D

Cheers for your help both... :)
 
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[TW]Fox;12312917 said:
2003/03 BMW 330Ci Sport - Facelift 6 speed model, Titanium Silver

84,000 miles with full BMW Service History. Standard Sport specification including Climate Control, Cruise Control, 6 CD changer and 18 inch alloy wheels. In addition to the standard specification, this car also has split folding rear seats and bluetooth telephone system.

This car has 11 months MOT, 5 months tax and is exceptional condition inside and out, free from the usual odd parking dings. Recent Inspection II and Brake Fluid change, genuine reason for sale.

£9995

Alcantara is crap so don't mention it - it just highlights the fact it has no leather.

I'd Ebay the Tomtom and the Snooper.

Far better than the original ad. Agree with cutting the balls.
 
[TW]Fox;12312917 said:
genuine reason for sale.

Much better ad but I hate this phrase^ I mean whats not a genuine reason for sale ? do people just go meh i'll sell the car today for no reason ?
 
Thank God, good job there Mr. Fox. OP that original was rather awful. As Fox says, anyone looking at that model already wants one. I was looking the other day and adverts like that just put me right off. Also repeating (I know you did it for searches but anyway) things like FBMWSH and then typing it out in full made my eyes pulsate (pulsating eyes is a bad thing).

"Genuine reason for sale". I don't like this either, "Selling before the FBI catch up with me", "Selling because it needs a big service soon and the clutch seems to be slipping", "selling because I'm an idiot and want a diesel", "selling because I just got a HPI check", "Badgers force sale", are never very likely to appear in ads!

EDIT: Mind me asking why you're selling? I'm Octy vRS at the moment. Was it a very good step up to the 330?
 
[TW]Fox;12313315 said:
2004/5?

Why are you selling it? I hope you are not another kneejerk OMG PETROL MUST GET A DIESEL LOL chap.

Ah ok,

Wasn't sure if it came in with the facelift...

It's a combination of reasons really... I bought the car in the first place because I'd landed a good 12 month contract, which now only has a couple of months to run. With the market as the way it is at the moment, my rate could drop quite substansially, and I could quite easily face some time out. I would like to work closer to home so that I don't have to live away in the week, but realistically, that probably means HP in Milton Keynes, and that would bump my mileage up from just over 20k, to just under 35k. That hike would cost me over an extra £350 a month. A bill of around a grand on tyres and a service would be on the horizon at the end of my contract, and I don't want to drop a grand on that I'm not going to get back if I need to sell because my mileage has jumped. I'm also doing some work on the house, and starting on the legwork for building a house in my garden, so the practicality of an estate would be nice. The 3 costs me £300 on a loan, £250 to run, and £400+ to fuel atm, and while this is easily doable, I'm a lot less bulish atm than I have been. I can save over £300 a month running something cheap and crap but reliable that I don't care about for a while, and that, the practicality, the released cash if I can sell at a reasonable price all add up to a conclusion that if I can sell while the time is right, at a decent price, I should.

Bet you're glad you asked now! ;):p
 
Thank God, good job there Mr. Fox. OP that original was rather awful. As Fox says, anyone looking at that model already wants one. I was looking the other day and adverts like that just put me right off. Also repeating (I know you did it for searches but anyway) things like FBMWSH and then typing it out in full made my eyes pulsate (pulsating eyes is a bad thing).

"Genuine reason for sale". I don't like this either, "Selling before the FBI catch up with me", "Selling because it needs a big service soon and the clutch seems to be slipping", "selling because I'm an idiot and want a diesel", "selling because I just got a HPI check", "Badgers force sale", are never very likely to appear in ads!

EDIT: Mind me asking why you're selling? I'm Octy vRS at the moment. Was it a very good step up to the 330?

Lol, thanks for everyone's input...

See above for why...

I upgraded because I could, and I'm glad I did the sporty Coupe thing, and hopefully I'll get back to it soon, but I think I'm more suited to small, light and chuckable than bigger power tbh. I never got to use forth in my vRS, nor fifth in my three, simply because I was risking my license at over a ton.

The vRS is cracking value, but there was always the nagging knowing that there was something better in reach. I could do it, so I did, but now I've done it, and another significant upgrade would cost me big time. The 3 has a better cabin, looks better, goes better, is nicer to drive and with decent tyres, is a lot less scrabbly too, but it dosen't offer either the value or the practicality of the vRS...

I'm not interested in how fast I'm going, I just want to feel like I'm going fast...

2003/03 BMW 330Ci Sport 2dr Coupe - Facelift 6-Speed Manual Model, Titanium Silver

84,000 miles, FBMWSH, BMW M Sport Bodykit / Exhaust, 18" MV2 Alloy Wheels, Alcantara Trim, Electric Memory Sports Seats, Electric Memory Mirrors, Multi-Function Sports Steering Wheel, 6-CD Changer, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Automatic Head-Lights, Rain-Sensing Wipers, Rear Parking Sensors, Split-Folding Rear Seats, Hard-Wired TomTom Sat Nav w/ Bluetooth Car Kit, Hard-Wired Snooper S4 Speed Camera 'Detector', 11 Months MOT, 5 Months Tax, FSH, Full BMW Service History, Recent Inspection II & Brake Fluid Change, Only Run On Shell V-Power, 30-35 mpg, Excellent Condition Inside & Out Without The Usual Parking Dings, Facelift Model With Revised Nose & LED Rear Clusters (standard kit), Genuine Reason For A Reluctant Sale, Glass's Valuation At £10,300, HPI Clear. £9,995.
 
Thanks for that Kingly, good info.

I'm of all sorts of minds regarding motors at the moment, I swing from "save some money and get an E36", "buy an MR2, i've wanted one for ages" and then "get an E46 330 droptop". Hopefully i'll get my bike back soon and just be happy with that!
 
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