Is 6 previous owners too much?

[Reckless_2k]

Hi all,

I'm interested in this car

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...o=2018&fromsra

It does have a very good spec with a full leather interior and an M Performance exhaust. The mileage is also quite low at 33,000 miles. The only thing bothering me is the number of owners. There have been 6 previous owners, quite a lot for an 8 year old car. The previous owner had it for 2 years, I can't see anything earlier than that. One of my worries is how hard it would to be sell again although I'm planning to keep it for at least 5 years but you never know what life throws at you.

My other option is to wait and find a very low mileage Non Competition with 3 or fewer owners.

Any thoughts?

[bagekko]

For me 6 is way to much, but these days I don't think people care as much as they used to. I will see 5-20yr old cars on BaT with 4-8 owners and the bidding suggests no one cares. Even for me 3 PO is too much, there are 6 cars in my driveway from 1995-2021 years and I am the third owner on 1, 2nd on 3, original on 2. For a 8-10yr old car max I personally would want to be 3rd owner.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by bagekko

For me 6 is way to much, but these days I don't think people care as much as they used to. I will see 5-20yr old cars on BaT with 4-8 owners and the bidding suggests no one cares. Even for me 3 PO is too much, there are 6 cars in my driveway from 1995-2021 years and I am the third owner on 1, 2nd on 3, original on 2. For a 8-10yr old car max I personally would want to be 3rd owner.

Yes those are my thoughts as well.

I think people do care based on the price these cars are listed at. Selling it with 7 previous owners could be tricky.

Then again these are sports cars and people may get their one year fix and move on.

[M3SQRD]

Six owners on a car with 33k miles? Absolutely! There definitely are mechanical and/or electrical problems that cannot get sorted out on this car. You don’t want to be the seventh owner on that list. You could get a PPI but if it’s an intermittent problem(s), a PPI could miss them if the car isn’t acting up at the time of the PPI. I didn’t look at the link - what’s the asking price?

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

Six owners on a car with 33k miles? Absolutely! There definitely are mechanical and/or electrical problems that cannot get sorted out on this car. You don’t want to be the seventh owner on that list. You could get a PPI but if it’s an intermittent problem(s), a PPI could miss them if the car isn’t acting up at the time of the PPI. I didn’t look at the link - what’s the asking price?

It's £34,000.

To be honest I am on the rebound after missing out on a car I really wanted.

It's best that I stick to my guns and wait for the right example. A non comp 18 plate with low miles.

[dallastide]

Sounds like something is wrong with the car and people keep dumping it. Run away.

Even if that's not the case why risk it? These aren't rare cars at all.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by dallastide

Sounds like something is wrong with the car and people keep dumping it. Run away.

Even if that's not the case why risk it? These aren't rare cars at all.

Good advice!

It's a shame because the car has a nice spec overall.

It has been passing its annual motor check known as the MOT in the UK which all cars must do to be allowed to drive on the roads.

Thanks to everyone for reconfirming my suspicions.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by Reckless_2k

It's £34,000.

To be honest I am on the rebound after missing out on a car I really wanted.

It's best that I stick to my guns and wait for the right example. A non comp 18 plate with low miles.

$42500 usd is not a great deal for a car with six owners and 32k miles. We’re well past the covid bubble peak on used cars. A ‘15 with 32k miles should be around $36-37k max, good deal $34-36k.

Definitely pass on this one. There are better cars out there so don’t let one missed car force you to make a poor impulse buy!

[swagon]

Typical UK with cars that have had 5+ owners.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by swagon

Typical UK with cars that have had 5+ owners.

Still, 6 owners in 8 years is a bit much. If it was 4 I could accept it.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by Reckless_2k

Still, 6 owners in 8 years is a bit much. If it was 4 I could accept it.

I just don't get why so many cars in the UK have so many owners. Four owners in 8 years is still A LOT.

[WhiteFox]

It’s really not about number of owners it’s the amount of servicing the car has done and the frequency of them per miles driven. If the car is stock this is better as well.

[M 4 FUN]

Owners or users? Two different things.

[M 4 FUN]

Originally Posted by swagon

I just don't get why so many cars in the UK have so many owners. Four owners in 8 years is still A LOT.

Because a lot of especially young guys want to have a car like this and after a while they see that it is too expensive and then they sell it.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by WhiteFox

It’s really not about number of owners it’s the amount of servicing the car has done and the frequency of them per miles driven. If the car is stock this is better as well.

There's a much higher chance of the car being neglected and mistreated if it's had so many owners AND users.

Also goes in hand with the sheer number of expensive cars on shite chinese tyres in the UK

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by WhiteFox

It’s really not about number of owners it’s the amount of servicing the car has done and the frequency of them per miles driven. If the car is stock this is better as well.

+1

Originally Posted by M 4 FUN

Because a lot of especially young guys want to have a car like this and after a while they see that it is too expensive and then they sell it.

Agreed, it's one thing to be able to afford it initially, but maintaining it (routine, and unforeseen) and all the surrounding costs (e.g., insurance, gas)

I feel like in the $30K-$40K range you'll see a lot of this multi-ownership for short periods. Mostly around people justifying that they could have a used M3 or a new Honda Accord... for the same price.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by wishbone

+1



Agreed, it's one thing to be able to afford it initially, but maintaining it (routine, and unforeseen) and all the surrounding costs (e.g., insurance, gas)

I feel like in the $30K-$40K range you'll see a lot of this multi-ownership for short periods. Mostly around people justifying that they could have a used M3 or a new Honda Accord... for the same price.

The M3 is also a bucketlist item for many. This is not a 320D bought for convenience. People tick off the experience and then move on to either cheaper to run/maintain cars or if they're enthusiasts to another sports car.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by swagon

There's a much higher chance of the car being neglected and mistreated if it's had so many owners AND users.

Also goes in hand with the sheer number of expensive cars on shite chinese tyres in the UK

The reverse could also be true, when you buy a new car, you pamper it, you wash it regularly and get it serviced on time and with BMW. The longer you own it the more normal the car becomes and you potentially neglect it.

[Keca10]

Better six different owners than one neglectful one. The assumption is that the single owner may be more careful with maintaining the car for the long term. That’s true most of the time but not always.

If there are service and maintenance records then I think it alleviates the risk of multiple owners (to me).

Also when I leased my X3 M40i, then decided to buy it all reports showed two owners which is kinda dumb. I was the only one driving it. A lot of these cars got leased out for the first ownership term.

[noemon]

It is very likely the mileage has been tampered with by one or two down the line.

This mileage is extremely unlikely, though there are plenty of garage queens in the UK.

Curious this car is not listed on m3cutters.

6 owners is high but I can live with it for the right car, price and mileage.

But something just isn't right with the reported mileage me thinks.

[Reckless_2k]

Originally Posted by noemon

It is very likely the mileage has been tampered with by one or two down the line.

This mileage is extremely unlikely, though there are plenty of garage queens in the UK.

Curious this car is not listed on m3cutters.

6 owners is high but I can live with it for the right car, price and mileage.

But something just isn't right with the reported mileage me thinks.

The mileage checks out on the MOT history.

A lot of people use these as weekend cars and since the covid pandemic many are working from home.

I've only been doing 3500 miles a year since 2020.

The car I really wanted was from 2018 had just 18,000 miles on it.

This car has been on sale for about a month now. I reckon I could get a couple of grand off but still apprehensive due to how hard it will be to sell in the future.

[BigFatRaccoon]

This is a DCT car not a 6MT, it should be very easy to rack up miles on this car especially as a daily, even if it is Europe. 6 owners on 33k miles is a huge red flag.

I'd expect 2, max 3 owners at that mileage, since its a 2016 not a newer 2018.

3 additional owners beyond the norm suggests this car is trading hands for some sort of catastrophic reason and each owner is just trying to wipe their hands off it.