[203E90]

First please bear with me as I am wordy but I like to be descriptive to cover as much of the thought process as possible. This can be used as a light buyers guid but I really want to share my research on the E90 values and best buys.

I know this topic has been discussed over the years and I may be beating a dead horse but I am doing some research on the potential for E9X values, the best daily, and best odds for collectibility. I am using that term "collectible" very loose. As I am doing my research I would like a more current day option from the community and I will be sharing my findings. I am looking to add an E90 or 2 to my garage and noticed a few value trends so it might be more of an investment rather than a depreciating impulse buy. Or at least that's what I can tell the wife.

I'll update with my thoughts and findings over the coming days and weeks.

I repeat, the term collector is used lightly but I have seen that the E9X N54/55 models and M3 is holding quite steady. The M3s are actually shooting up pretty steady which is no shock. I may also dig in to what the future of the F80 may look like since the G80 is coming. Should that make the F80 a good buy as prices are bottoming out? We'll see.

[203E90]

Heres a little background from me. The boring long love story so feel free to skip.

I bought my first E90 325i back in 2011 as a college student. I knew nothing about BMW and purposely bought it as a way to keep from modifying and breaking things like my previous turbo cars. I fell in love with BMW and the E90 generation period. That car gave me ZERO problems in the 5 years and 60K miles I owned it. I replaced basic fluids, brakes, tires, and one upper radiator hose. Like an idiot I traded it for a 2016 mustang when they came out and within 2 weeks I had severe buyers remorse.

Fast forward to 2018, I couldn't take the mustang anymore. Even while living in NYC where I hardly drove it, it pissed me off just having such a shitty built car. Very poor quality from the speakers blowing out, dash rattling, paint chipping, problems with electronics in the cold and extremely high oil consumption (1qt every 500 miles) which ford said was within it's variance because the engine is not built to strict tolerances. Got rid of it at 12k miles and began the search for what was my ideal car, an E90 335i.

I wanted a very specific build which I found. It had to be an N54 car, non xDrive, warm climate build, HK audio, Dakota leather, preferred SGM color, premium package and sport package like my other one. I would never buy a used BMW any where near NYC if you see how they are treated and the things dealers do plus the premium price. I found a few in the city but for a pre-LCI N54 car with 100k+ miles they were charging on average $14k.

Long story less long I found a few in Maryland. Jumped on the Harley after work a few days one week to check them out. It came down to 2. Private sale wanted $11k for an 07 with 70K miles but it was super clean with all records. I found a dealer that only buys wholesale from the local Aberdeen BMW dealer. Had an 07, 2 time lease turn in (same guy leased the car twice and gave it back to the dealer) local car, with 90K miles but it was only $7k. Flawless interior with everything I wanted. Exterior had a scuff right above one of the rear wheel arches which you have to look for to find. It also had all the records and ALL the literature. It even had the business cards for the original salesman and service manager in the book. Made him a cash offer and picked it up.

I figured for 7K with known service records, I can spend another 2K to make sure I replace problem parts and gaskets which is what I did last summer with one exception. To date, I have successfully put 22K miles on the car with 18k of them being engine tuned with MHD and transmission tuned with xHP. I have found a few common issues. My car does not have the factory oil cooler so yeah driving around in manual mode or sport mode I do hover above 230 degrees quite often. I haven't been able to change my fuel injectors to index 12s yet or the water pump and thermostat and behold, last week it started leaking so the new kit should be here in a few days.

Other common issues that I fixed was the oil filter housing gasket, coolant hoses, all new coil packs and plugs, and a few fluid flushes. I could use a walnut blasting and probably a transmission refresh. Recently I have had some hard shifts from 1st to 2nd which is what the xHP does but its been slightly more noticeable than in the past. I also have 4 new O2 sensors to install but waiting until I tackle the next big problem with N54 cars.

Yes that damn waste gate rattle. I got it about 5k miles after I bought the car. Luckily it wasn't really bad and I was able to tune it out using the MHD app. If you are not familiar, what it does is change your wastegate preload/duty cycle electronically so it puts pressure on the actuator, holding the actual wastegate open so there is no rattle and then shuts it when its time to build boost. The down side to that is LAG. The car almost feels like it has VTEC the way the boost comes on so aggressively so late in the RPMs compared to stock. I don't have any rattle but as soon as I hit 3500 rpms, I can promise the back end is kicking out in 1st and 2nd. With my basic tunes and DCI and horrible launches at the track, that translates to a 13.1 1/4 mile. I struggled to launch an auto. Never took an auto to the track prior to that and it's just awkward but I was trapping 108-110 so I'm ok with those first time results.

Other than that the car is great. Ok the love story is over. Next model and money talk.

[Gamb1t]

Non-M bimmers hold little value in the used market. E90s are a dime a dozen. A similar year accord has higher value. At half the MSRP, the Subaru Impreza used value is as high if not higher (at PNW) than an e90. Do not kid yourself, there's nothing really special about regular non-M bimmers. I see them as good value fun rwd cars as long as you can wrench it yourself. Like the e-whatever before it, use those as indicators of future E90 values. At least the E90 price have bottomed out for the early models. Late model LCI is still depreciating.

You want up and coming automotive "investments"? Buy Japanese sports cars. Those are still cheap enough to acquire but values are slowly rising as the gen-Xers want to relive the Gran Tursimo wet dreams.

[Efthreeoh]

Really the only collectable non-M E9X will be a 2008 and up E91 328i RWD, manual transmission with a Sport or M-Sport package, and Terra Dakota leather interior.

The E90 M3 Competition will be the collectable E90 M car.

30 years from now, if there are any low mileage 2006 330i with a manual transmission, they might bring decent money, just like a pristine manual E30 325i 2-door sedan would today.

Any F30 should be re-badged as a Buick, set on fire, and crashed into a bridge abutment at high speed.

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Any F30 should be re-badged as a Buick, set on fire, and crashed into a bridge abutment at high speed.

Amen.

[203E90]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

Non-M bimmers hold little value in the used market. E90s are a dime a dozen. A similar year accord has higher value. At half the MSRP, the Subaru Impreza used value is as high if not higher (at PNW) than an e90. Do not kid yourself, there's nothing really special about regular non-M bimmers. I see them as good value fun rwd cars as long as you can wrench it yourself. Like the e-whatever before it, use those as indicators of future E90 values. At least the E90 price have bottomed out for the early models. Late model LCI is still depreciating.

You want up and coming automotive "investments"? Buy Japanese sports cars. Those are still cheap enough to acquire but values are slowly rising as the gen-Xers want to relive the Gran Tursimo wet dreams.

LMAO Love the Gran Turismo line. Yeah this whole post isn't about making a real investment in an appreciating assets but more along the lines of where values have bottomed out and started rising on a few models that you will actually drive and then could possible sell for your purchase price or a few bucks more later.


If I was looking for a safe investment I would go with a 911. I gotta look back in to the Japanese cars. I stepped out of that lane a while ago so I have no idea what people are looking for other than Supras, RX-7s, and a few 70s Zs.

[203E90]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Really the only collectable non-M E9X will be a 2008 and up E91 328i RWD, manual transmission with a Sport or M-Sport package, and Terra Dakota leather interior.

The E90 M3 Competition will be the collectable E90 M car.

30 years from now, if there are any low mileage 2006 330i with a manual transmission, they might bring decent money, just like a pristine manual E30 325i 2-door sedan would today.

Any F30 should be re-badged as a Buick, set on fire, and crashed into a bridge abutment at high speed.

Got a point. I still haven't seen an 08 E91 in person yet. I can't stand a lot of things about the F30/80s. First the seating position and obviously the artificial feel of the steering but that's how it always goes with BMW. The new generation comes out and everyone hates it while the last gen starts to get its love. The purist hated the E90 M3 at first for going to a "bigger, heavier, V8" but damn that's an amazing machine. Now we see what people are saying about it.

I cant help but wonder what people will say about the F80 in 5-10 years. Are they all gonna burn up by then or will they be something to talk about.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 203E90

Got a point. I still haven't seen an 08 E91 in person yet. I can't stand a lot of things about the F30/80s. First the seating position and obviously the artificial feel of the steering but that's how it always goes with BMW. The new generation comes out and everyone hates it while the last gen starts to get its love. The purist hated the E90 M3 at first for going to a "bigger, heavier, V8" but damn that's an amazing machine. Now we see what people are saying about it.

I cant help but wonder what people will say about the F80 in 5-10 years. Are they all gonna burn up by then or will they be something to talk about.

Any of the F30's I have driven have not had any hint of BMW DNA. The company was building the electric "i" brand and mailed in the 3-series engineering development. Just my opinion.

[203E90]

Dont get me wrong. I am not saying any of these will be classics or collectors but as I am looking to buy another fun car like an E90/92 M3 or possibly replace my 335i with a 335is I am noticing some trends.

M3 has been shooting up for a while and now and the IS went through a little slump but is going back up. Regular 335i is holding steady since I'm pretty sure its bottomed out. So for a car that you will put miles on, what's the best ROI? Even a high mileage M3 is in the 30s if its clean. IS' in the high teens low 20s. 335 low teens high singles.

I really dont think either would be a bad deal. The E91 328 mt has a case for appreciation if rarity is a factor but look at the E90 M3 vs the E92. Way more E92s were made but they are more caught after.

I think the N54/55 cars will start going through a phase where everyone will be picking them up because they are so cheap and you may be able to get a little premium price for them on a private sale like the 02-05 WRXs did in its multiple phases as the new generations came out.

[203E90]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Any of the F30's I have driven have not had any hint of BMW DNA. The company was building the electric "i" brand and mailed in the 3-series engineering development. Just my opinion.

I agree. I really dont like them. They dont feel anything like the previous generations. They all have common characteristics. heavy steering, solid feel, predictable reactions to input. The F generation is real video game like. I drove a few F80s and yeah its fast and aggressive but with all the options, aides, and settings, I wasn't sure when I was in control or not...or if I was really going that fast in the first place.

[Gamb1t]

A somewhat good indicator of a car trending towards collectible status is to look at BaT. If the model generated lots of chatter and the bid price went higher than normal market value, then the potential is there.

Apart from the V8 M3, I simply do not see any future classic potential in the e90 which is in line with the multitude E46, E36....before them. To many of them, no clear hero distinction. Like the Audi A4....

Supras, FD, NSX..... The value boat has sailed awhile back. Speaking of future classic....MK1 TT. Drives like a turd but design icon will fire up values in the future. Ummmm.... There was an ALMS edition I came across.

[203E90]

So to answer my original question to myself, just get the E92 M3. Most fun, most desirable, plenty for sale, most predictable price, and best odds for a future value.

The quick findings are the M3 is the obvious choice for value and potential for a future market. I'll call it that rather than collectibility. Out of those 3 the E92 is more desirable but the E90 is more stable in price. No one wants the E93 lol. The E92 has more special editions which causes a huge gap in pricing for certain ones like the Lime Rock Park edition, Comp package, and few other outside the US. Maybe its just the CF roof.


The interesting part that has been discussed before is there were 4 times as many E92s made than the E90s, they were only offered for 4 years, and I'm pretty sure the E90 M3 is the only high revving, MT, V8 to be offered in the US in the last few decades. I could be wrong. We have the E39 M5 that revved pretty high for a V8 but it wasn't 8,400rpms. The E90 M3s are still fairly decently priced comparatively speaking but the "experts say this is the safe long term buy". Not my words, just observations. They said the same thing about the Chevy SS though. Take that for what it is.

As for the non M E90s, they are at a very low entry price where anyone can get clean ones and probably not take a hit selling it down the road but probably won't see any real increase in value except for nostalgia with the E91s which value around the same as 335 E90s. The 335is has a small premium but is also sitting stable for now.

The F80.....well the logos say it's a BMW. Prices are going down. All I'll say on the for now.

[203E90]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

A somewhat good indicator of a car trending towards collectible status is to look at BaT. If the model generated lots of chatter and the bid price went higher than normal market value, then the potential is there.

Apart from the V8 M3, I simply do not see any future classic potential in the e90 which is in line with the multitude E46, E36....before them. To many of them, no clear hero distinction. Like the Audi A4....

Supras, FD, NSX..... The value boat has sailed awhile back. Speaking of future classic....MK1 TT. Drives like a turd but design icon will fire up values in the future. Ummmm.... There was an ALMS edition I came across.

Yeah I did some real digging so I can start on my plan to spec and find the right car and pretty much the M3 is the only one that makes sense to buy as far as market potential. Now do you opt for a standard M3 or go for the special editions that are already marked up and not getting much more attention?

I used to be heavy in the Japanese market. Supras, GT-Rs, FDs, NSX', Zs, and all of that like 10 years ago. Supra made a little jump recently but that's only temporary because the new toy is out. No real margin to get in any of those anymore.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Any of the F30's I have driven have not had any hint of BMW DNA. The company was building the electric "i" brand and mailed in the 3-series engineering development. Just my opinion.

Someone around here made a comment recently stating that the Cadillac ATS has all the classic BMW characteristics and feeling, while BMW has adopted all the classic soft and squishy Cadillac characteristics. I haven't driven an ATS yet, but I want to now.

[NFiftyWon]

E90 3ers are going to keep plummeting such as the e46 ones did

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Someone around here made a comment recently stating that the Cadillac ATS has all the classic BMW characteristics and feeling, while BMW has adopted all the classic soft and squishy Cadillac characteristics. I haven't driven an ATS yet, but I want to now.

I've been saying it for years. In August 2013, I had an ATS for a week as a loaner and the week following, I had a F30 335i. The ATS was by far the better driving car, hands down. And I drive every day on some really great roads.

[203E90]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Someone around here made a comment recently stating that the Cadillac ATS has all the classic BMW characteristics and feeling, while BMW has adopted all the classic soft and squishy Cadillac characteristics. I haven't driven an ATS yet, but I want to now.

Its crazy that you say that. I've been looking for something to replace my lady's X3 before I buy my toys and we looked at everything from more BMWs to Porsches. It broke my heart that neither of us like a single current generation BMW. Liked the Jag F Pace, she liked the Range Rover Sport but I'd pass. What made the short list was the Cadillac ATS and the Porsche Macan S.

The Macan is hard to beat. Its an awesome all around vehicle and the quality is amazing. The ATS though. For the price....Its a killer. Drove a 2017 optioned all the way out and it was great.

I was just stuck thinking "Am I old enough to drive a Caddy" lol

[203E90]

Originally Posted by NFiftyWon

E90 3ers are going to keep plummeting such as the e46 ones did

Looking that way and oddly enough, I mentioned that the 335 is getting cheap enough where everyone is getting them and I just so happened to be on youtube yesterday and saw at least 4 videos posted that day about guys buying them and modding them beating the traditional "fast" cars. Looks like they might be on the rice and ragged out path here soon.

[NFiftyWon]

Originally Posted by 203E90

Looking that way and oddly enough, I mentioned that the 335 is getting cheap enough where everyone is getting them and I just so happened to be on youtube yesterday and saw at least 4 videos posted that day about guys buying them and modding them beating the traditional "fast" cars. Looks like they might be on the rice and ragged out path here soon.

I saw a e46 325i the other day with vortex generators, wind guards, a picnic bench wing and a blacklight license plate. If i see that on an e90 i will literally puke

[Gamb1t]

Originally Posted by 203E90

Looking that way and oddly enough, I mentioned that the 335 is getting cheap enough where everyone is getting them and I just so happened to be on youtube yesterday and saw at least 4 videos posted that day about guys buying them and modding them beating the traditional "fast" cars. Looks like they might be on the rice and ragged out path here soon.

IMO, the 335i is so unreliable as a used car that the only sensible reason buying a used one is to mod the hell out of it. It's gonna blow up one way or another..... Might as well go down modded.

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by NFiftyWon

I saw a e46 325i the other day with vortex generators, wind guards, a picnic bench wing and a blacklight license plate. If i see that on an e90 i will literally puke

Wth are vortex generators? Like from a airliner???

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

IMO, the 335i is so unreliable as a used car that the only sensible rain to buy a used one is to mod the hell out of it. It's gonna blow up one way or another..... Might as well go down nodded.

I agree with this...I’m planning on driving mine til it craters and then getting a boxster...