How much is my BMW 520d worth?

Hi. I have a 2008 BMW 520d Business Edition with a leather interior and 75,000 miles on the clock in immaculate condition. I am looking at maybe trading it in for one-year old 320d saloon with similar specs for around €21,000 or €22,000. How much do you think that I could get as a trade-in?

Thanks very much for replying to those at the mercy of unscrupulous car sellers. As a rule how do we know how much a trade-in is worth?

Jean Marchand (Duns)

Jan 2014 Filed under: used car values

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Expert answer

Hi Jean,

Tricky to say, I'm afraid, as the trade-in value offered by a dealer has as much to do with their business model and circumstances as it does with any intrinsic value in the car. It also of course depends on the car you're trading it in for. If it's something that's sticking to their forecourt, they'll be more keen to offer you a good deal to get shot of it. Values for a 5 Series like yours seem to vary from around €27,000 at the high end to low-twenties for higher-mileage models. You can knock off around €1,500 - €2,000 from that for the dealer to build in a margin and defray any costs of preparing the car for sale, so your trade-in should range from around €20,000 to €25,000, but that's a best guess and nothing more.

Try and have a ring around (or better yet, a drive around if you have the time) to various dealers and try and get them to give you a rough idea of what they'd give you for the car.

Do let us know how you get on,

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe