How to sell your BMW – the ultimate guide

BMW has long been among the most desirable car brands, blending precision engineering with sleek design. Known for their dynamic driving experience and cutting-edge technology, BMWs are fun to drive and luxuriously comfortable. From iconic classics to futuristic electric models, the iconic German car manufacturer continues to set the benchmark for performance.

And if you’re thinking about selling your BMW, Motorway can help! We have 7,500 certified dealers ready to buy your car, so you’re bound to get their best price.

• Value my BMW
• Do BMWs hold their value?
• How do I sell my BMW?
• Can I sell my BMW online?
• Where’s the best place to sell my BMW?

Value my BMW

Used BMW resale values depend on mileage and overall condition—if your BMW has been in for regular servicing and hasn’t been driven much, you’ll get a better price than one that has been neglected. 

Since BMW is reliably one of the UK’s most popular car brands and known for being high-quality, it tends to be popular with car dealers and private buyers alike.

Depending on your BMW model, you can make an informed estimate about the sort of returns you can hope for. Try our new car value tracker tool to stay current on your BMW’s ongoing value.

Do BMWs hold their value?

BMW is one of the top-selling car brands on Motorway. Based on our sales data, we can compare the ​​depreciation rates of the 1 Series, 3 Series and 5 Series depreciation rates. 

The 3 Series, a D-Class compact car with a median new purchase price of £32,800, dropped less value in the first two years than the other two models. Two-year-old BMW 3 Series sold on Motorway for an average of 84% of their original price, whereas 1 Series sold at 77% and 5 Series at 76%. 

This could either suggest that the model inherently holds its value better than the others due to market demand or that it is typically sold in better condition than the 1 Series (a C-Class executive car) and 5 Series (an E-Class executive car). 

When sold at five years old, the 1 Series (with a median original purchase price of £30,100) loses more value than the other models, fetching an average of 38% of the original purchase price, compared to 50% (3 Series) and 48% (5 Series).

But at five years old, the 5 Series (with an original purchase price of £41,500) sells for the lowest proportion of its original price, fetching just 18%, compared to the 1 Series’ 21% and the 3 Series’ 20%.

These depreciation rates are typical, with the highest drop in the first two years. The best way to preserve your car’s value is to maintain it well, including servicing.

Read our guide to learn how best to care for your car to keep its resale value as high as possible.

How do I sell my BMW?

There are plenty of ways to sell your car, but, naturally, we think there’s only one answer if you’re asking, ‘Where can I sell my BMW?’ and that’s right here, with Motorway! Before we tell you about our hassle-free way to sell your car, let’s look at some other options you might be considering.

🧑 Private buyers

Private buyers have a lot of things going for them, most notably, the possibility of a higher selling price should you find a particularly enthusiastic buyer. That said, the sheer amount of admin can quickly eat into your extra earnings. Selling privately will likely involve listing fees to advertise your car for sale. Then, you must deal with time wasters and lots of back-and-forth with multiple would-be buyers. Ultimately, you might find you’ve been scammed when your payment falls through.

🧑‍💼 Dealers

Apart from the obvious inconvenience of driving from dealer to dealer, looking for the best price (all while clocking up your mileage), dealers may not always offer the best price. This is because they’ll base their valuation on all sorts of variables, such as their stock, their understanding of the current market, local demand, etc. Motorway changes this so that dealers can buy your car from anywhere in the UK and have to compete against one another for your vehicle, so they can’t be complacent when making an offer.

♻️Scrap

Scrapping your car is an option you can always turn to if it is well past its best and unlikely to attract a new buyer. It can get you some money back if you don’t think you’ll be able to sell it. Motorway works with a scraping partner who will collect your car right from your home.

Can I sell my BMW online?

Of course! There are plenty of options for car owners looking to sell their BMW online, all of which can be arranged with a few clicks. 

There are a few things you might want to look out for, though, including:

• Collection fees
  These are when the dealer charges you to collect your car.
• Admin fees
  These are usually based on your car’s valuation, so for high-end cars like BMWs, they can quickly add up.
• Forced drop-off
  You’ll be made to drive your car to a dealer or designated drop-off spot, which will cost you time, money, and energy as you will have to arrange your own way home.
• Forced inspections pre-offer
  Some car-buying sites require you to drive your car to them so they can inspect it before making a valuation. This can cost time and money, as well as clock up your mileage, and they may not make you the offer you want in the end, either.
• Commission
  Whatever your car’s price, some selling sites might want to take their cut.

Where’s the best place to sell my BMW online?

Motorway, of course! 

If you’re considering selling your BMW quickly and easily, at Motorway, we offer a simple — and completely free — method of getting the best price when selling, regardless of the model.

Get an accurate valuation based on our nationwide marketplace.

Just enter your reg on the homepage, and we’ll provide you with an instant estimated sale price based on up-to-the-minute market data. We’ll then ask you a few easy questions about your car and guide you through the photos you must take to complete your vehicle profile. It can be done right from your phone – in minutes.

If you choose to enter your car into a daily sale, it will be shown to our nationwide network of more than 5,000 verified dealers looking to add to their stock of used cars. Interested dealers will then compete to buy your vehicle, offering you their best price.

You will receive your best offer in as little as 24 hours. If you choose to proceed with the sale, the dealer will collect your car for free, and the money will be quickly and securely transferred to your bank account.

Ready to sell your car?

Want to learn more about selling your car, whether it’s a BMW or not, then check ut our other guides here. We cover the most popular vehicles on the road, from Ford to Ferrari, Audi to Mercedes, and everything in between.

Plus, if you’re ready to sell, then come to us. Get a free, instant valuation, and with our network of 7,500 trusted dealers bidding to buy your vehicle, you’re certain to get their most competitive price. In fact, 84% of our customers make more money selling their vehicle with us. 

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