The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice 328d claims it with get “easily 40+ MPG on the highway if you don’t drive like an asshole.” Let’s see if its price is just as stellar.
In America, at least, the market for big, comfortable sedans has dwindled to ultra-swank offerings like the Mercedes S-Class and up-and-comer electrics like the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air. Fortunately for those who like old-school V8 power and not going bankrupt, the used car market is rife with slightly older sedans like the 2011 Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor that came under our adjudication yesterday. With minimal miles and a tidy bit of customization to tout, the car was boasted by its seller to be worth every penny of its $11,000 asking price. That wasn’t a view shared by the majority of you, though, as made clear by the 65 percent No Dice loss the car suffered in our vote.
Hey, remember how diesels were a thing before electric cars became a big deal? As gas prices rose, folks seeking not to trade a kidney for a tank of go-juice gravitated to oil burners for their higher fuel economy and intoxicating levels of low-end torque. As it turned out, though, not all of them were as clean as their manufacturers claimed, and now, at least here in the States, diesels have fallen out of favor.
That has still left a lot of lightly used and not too old diesel cars and light trucks on the market, and some of those, like today’s 2014 BMW 328d xDrive offer compelling propositions.
It’s not just fuel economy—which can top 40 mpg on the highway—that makes this compact wagon a contender. It’s also reasonably quick, offering zero to sixty sprints in under eight seconds, and should offer reassurance in the slippery stuff due to its xDrive any-time all-wheel-drive.
This one also offers a slew of upgrade packages, including the Sport Package that makes the car’s cabin feel like something far more aggressive than the 180 horsepower turbo 2.0 four-pot under the hood might imply. Other add-ons include the cold weather package, driver assist package, and BMW’s iDrive infotainment system with Harman Kardon speakers. The standard transmission in this model is an eight-speed ZF automatic with flappy paddles for those who like such things.
According to the ad, the present owner bought the car in 2017 and has since put in nearly 100K behind its wheel. The car now shows 121,400 miles on the clock, and the seller claims to be offering it for sale due to a move to San Francisco, which has negated the need for a car. Come on, though, we all know the real reason for the sale is to help afford the housing costs in one of the country’s most expensive cities.
Regardless, the car looks to be in pretty good shape for its age and miles. There are a few war wounds here and there, which the seller laudably points out in the ad. Among those is the unfortunate curbing of all four of the Style 397 alloys. Overall, however, the Black Sapphire over Black Dakota leather car seems to need little more than a good detailing.
It appears to be mechanically sound as well. The seller says all the maintenance and recalls were handled either by a dealer or a BMW mechanic. The most recent of that work is noted to be an oil change and wiper blade replacement, handled just this month. The car comes with a clean title, a clean Carfax history, and, as an added bonus, an aftermarket roof rack that’s teased but not shown in the ad. The asking price is $15,900.
According to the seller, diesel wagons like this are fairly rare in the U.S. As we also all know, the F31 was the last 3 Series to offer an estate body style, BMW having replaced that tidy form factor in 2020 with thirty or so competing compact crossovers. That all makes this wagon something of a catch for the committed buyer. Is, however, that $15,900 asking price too much to commit?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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