Where can I find the current value of my 2011 BMW 535i?

Hello All,

I want to explore one of the 4 options available to "Owner;'s Choice" lease holder at lease end. The option is to sell the vehicle to a dealer and then buy a new BMW (may be 2014 BMW 550 xi).

Where can i find the value of my car? Is Kelly blue book the right source or you recommend something else.

I need this value before I go to a dealer and start negotiating. Hopefully, my car will be worth more than the balloon payment or the residual value. I have only 19897 miles as of yesterday (02/19/2013) and my "owner's choice" lease is ending on 12/22/2013.

Thanks a LOT.

Personally I like Edmunds, but for your purpose I'd run it through Kelly's and any others you can find. Use the one with the highest value to negotiate with.

Kelly's won't be a good representation of true value because it is bank owned, so their values will generally be higher.

Edmunds will be more accurate as to what a buyer would actually pay for your vehicle. From what I understand, they tie their pricing to actual closed sales and not listings or failed sales.

If you will be dealing with a dealership, then if it is a trade-in, then they will generally be willing to pay you what they would pay to buy a similar vehicle at auction. If your particular vehicle is rare at auction, they may be willing to pay more just to get one of them. Your best bet for auction related information Manheim.

If you will be selling your vehicle to a dealer for cash (not as a trade-in), expect them to knock even more off an at-auction price.

Generally, at least what I have found to be true with luxury vehicles, is you will find any offer from a dealer to be well below what you hoped for even on the low end of the Edmunds scale and certainly lower than the lowest Kelly's.

I have been researching this a bit and from what I have seen it isn't good...the resale value on these vehicles at this point is ridiculously low.

Originally Posted by jason60050

I have been researching this a bit and from what I have seen it isn't good...the resale value on these vehicles at this point is ridiculously low.

Low compared to what? Can you give some examples?

I've been trying to figure out for years how companies like BMW and Mercedes keep this current business model going.

When you look at residual values vs. the true selling price of these cars at auctions like Manheim it's a total disconnect.

For instance - the residual on my 550 is like 47k. I know for certain that when they dump my lease return for auction at Manheim that it won't fetch more than 35k.

That's a huge hit for them to take. We all have a general idea of the margins for the auto industry so there's no way they can take 25% hits on lease returns forever.

I know the CPO program helps support some of the market but it looks like a lot of these cars still wind up at auctions.

I know so many people who swore that they would never lease a car for any reason who all of a sudden find themselves leasing because buying these things new just doesn't make sense.

Originally Posted by mryakanisachoad

I know so many people who swore that they would never lease a car for any reason who all of a sudden find themselves leasing because buying these things new just doesn't make sense.

+1

Wrapping up my first lease ever right now (F10 550 order that *finally* arrived). Unless they change their model, I will only lease for now on.

Originally Posted by mryakanisachoad

buying these things new just doesn't make sense.

True, esp. MBZ AMG's...I mean, look at an AMG's sticker price and then what a 2 y/o one sells for. The only explanation I can come up with for the precipitous decline in value is that AMG's are ridiculously, absurdly overpriced vehicles at MSRP.
My last car was an '09 E63 that had a window of $108k. It was an untitled dealer car that I leased when it was 6mos. old(w 5,xxx miles) for a cap cost of $71.5k(with 0 down). Now that's a crazy drop in 6mos! When I finished the lease, it appeared as though similar cars had asking prices BELOW the MBZFS residual. Imagine the poor sucker that BOUGHT a similar car for what, $102k?!

BMW's seem to do better, IMO...
I had 2 E46 M3's, both leased on ED. They were good-great cars for the money($775 & $825/mo respectively)Both vehicles were worth more than their residual at lease end, so I actually sold the last one and got a few grand.

Originally Posted by emdreiSMG

True, esp. MBZ AMG's...I mean, look at an AMG's sticker price and then what a 2 y/o one sells for. The only explanation I can come up with for the precipitous decline in value is that AMG's are ridiculously, absurdly overpriced vehicles at MSRP.
My last car was an '09 E63 that had a window of $108k. It was an untitled dealer car that I leased when it was 6mos. old(w 5,xxx miles) for a cap cost of $71.5k(with 0 down). Now that's a crazy drop in 6mos! When I finished the lease, it appeared as though similar cars had asking prices BELOW the MBZFS residual. Imagine the poor sucker that BOUGHT a similar car for what, $102k?!

BMW's seem to do better, IMO...
I had 2 E46 M3's, both leased on ED. They were good-great cars for the money($775 & $825/mo respectively)Both vehicles were worth more than their residual at lease end, so I actually sold the last one and got a few grand.

Yeah, good work on the M3's ! That car was highly sought after. Sounds like you have a good eye. I always felt like e63's were purposely priced just over 100k so customers could say that they drive a "hundred thousand dollar car!".

Thanks folks. I will speak to a few BMW dealers in Houston and will see what $ do they quote if I want to trade-in for NEW 550 xi. Unless I get a good deal and the price is > residual value, I will refinance the entire pay-off $ thru Pentagon Federal FCU. The car drives great and it has low mileage.

THANKS a lot.

Originally Posted by mryakanisachoad

Yeah, good work on the M3's ! That car was highly sought after. Sounds like you have a good eye. I always felt like e63's were purposely priced just over 100k so customers could say that they drive a "hundred thousand dollar car!".

Which car will do much better in resale: a new M3 or M6 and after after 3 yrs and 36K miles? The M6 is more exclusive, or does that matter?

Originally Posted by Ace535i

Which car will do much better in resale: a new M3 or M6 and after after 3 yrs and 36K miles? The M6 is more exclusive, or does that matter?

That's a tough call. Warranty eligible M3's (factory warranty + CPO have among the best resale value of any car. Highly sought after, iconic and relatively affordable (relative being the operative word). Outside of warranty is another story.


The M6 is beginning to shape up as a true super car. Those carbon fiber brakes are a game changer. I'm going to guess that the M6 will behave sort of like the M3 but, and it's a huge BUT; we could have another 1M on our hands.

I think M5's will continue to suck wind. I'm considering trading down a few years and treating the M more as a project car / toy. I got a great deal on our car (~30k under msrp) but I'm starting to approach that weird part of M5 depreciation where warranty expiration weighs heavily on value. I've got 18 months left so we'll probably enjoy it for the summer and then trade down. I've got like the best Indy shop on the planet so that's really helpful...

Many dealerships large and small have an abundance of new M5s. Are these the best buy for the money? Is the ride in a new M3 so uncomfortable after an hour on the freeway? Are the M-product cars worth owning or leasing? Which model is truly valued over time, M3, M5 or M6?

Why do you day the M5s suck wind?

Finally, I took my 2011 (purchase Dt 12/23/2010) BMW 535i to a local Houston BMW dealership where I purchased in 2010. They appraised as a trade-in at $39000. I am thinking of trading-in this BMW for 2013/2014 BMW 550 Xi. Is this s GOOD deal? . I used used car appraisal @ http://www.edmunds.com/appraisal/ and the True Market Values are : Trade-in $50437, Dealer retail $57770, Private party sale $53312.

About my 535i : Titanium Silver , Black nappa leather, OPTIONS : zcv, zcw, zda, zp2, zpp, Steptronic automatic transmission, multi-contor seats, 4-zone automatic climate control,dark wood trim

Sounds like it's not too far off of what I've seen Manheim auction values. I'd push for low 40's but the market is pretty tight now.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Sounds like it's not too far off of what I've seen Manheim auction values. I'd push for low 40's but the market is pretty tight now.

- Thanks for reply. The pay-off amount is around $45000+, I will try to push them as close to this amount as possible. Then I will offer them $500 - $1000 over invoice for 550Xi. That is my strategy. Let us see how it goes. How is the market for BMW 535i these days (if one wants to sell)?

How many miles does your car of which they've appraised have?

"How many miles does your car of which they've appraised have?" -Oops forgot to mention that. It is 20120 (+/- teens).

I thought there is a lack of mint condition, late model, low mileage car in the used car market? How much would the dealer sell it for were they to pay 40K?

My BMW 's Customized True Market Value® Price #Edmunds.com :


True Market Value®
Trade-in Dealer Retail Private Party Sale
$50,437 $57,770 $53,312

"How much would the dealer sell it for were they to pay 40K?" - here is the answer

Similar car for sell at local BMW dealer : http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/use...FR7C54BC600258

2011 BMW 5 Series 535i

Price: $46,492*
Mileage: 15,350
Listed on: 01/23/2013
Stock #TBC600258
VIN: WBAFR7C54BC600258

Momentum BMW says:
Certified BMW! Clean Carfax, 1-Owner, Local Trade. 2011 BMW 535 i Sedan with 15,363 miles comes Navigation System, Premium Package 2, Premium Package, Sport Package, Run-flat tires, Power rear sunshade, Lumbar support, Dark wood trim, Xenon headlights, Adaptive light control, BMW Assist with Bluetooth, Variable Light Decoding. Free Loaner and Roadside Assistance. Certified Pre-Owned BMW warranty effective until 06/19/2016 or up to 100,000 miles whichever comes first. All Certified Pre-Owned BMW vehicles Are recent models with less than 60,000 miles. Qualifying vehicles then undergo a thorough inspection by a BMW-trained technician. Systems and components everything from engine performance to the operation of the glove box are meticulously checked. And of course, particular attention is paid to all the safety functions. Have been run through CARFAX. Are covered by the Certified Pre-Owned BMW Protection Plan for up to 6 years or 100,000 miles. Are backed by the nationwide network of BMW centers. Every Certified Pre-Owned BMW comes with a CARFAX Vehicle History Report Come in today and judge for yourself. Call our Internet Sales Team to schedule a test drive. Experience the Momentum Difference. Momentum BMW in Houston, TX wants to thank you for choosing us! We are proud to be a Sonic Automotive Premier Dealership, and it is our mission to create an experience that will keep you coming back. As a Sonic Premier dealership, our entire inventory comes with our True Price. By regularly comparing our prices with the local market, True Price eliminates the time consuming negotiation process and delivers you an exceptional price.

Another for sell:
http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/use...FR7C58BC267482

http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/use...FR7C59BC267071

Sometimes I will go out to eBay and follow auctions for cars that are similar to mine. This will give you some real data on recent transactions. The beauty of eBay is it gets you access to markets outside of your home area. I've sold 5 cars on eBay and every time it ended up selling to someone out of state. It's safe to assume that there is a market out there where your vehicle caries a higher value than it does in your home market. If you want the most for your used car...find that market.