Depreciation leads to temptation. Temptation then makes you dig that bit further to discover if the E90 3-Series just spotted on a local forecourt could be a justifiable purchase. But if the research on the matter has been sterile, then look no further than our selection of up-to-date BMWs and how to get into one and run it for less than you think.

Most of our selection can be had for under £10k and I think now is the time to get into the models you read about in recent years as ‘exclusive’ road tests in the motoring press. You could hold out, but if you want to get into a current BMW before they are perceived as being past their used-by, then the biggest stumbling block has been taken away. Buying one that’s just a few years old means you won’t have to forfeit the heavy depreciation that any first owner would have been subjected to.

By this point, most would have lost half their value but BMW’s built-to-last philosophy means the driving experience shouldn’t be any different to what the first owner would have experienced. What he or she will have though are the memories of a box fresh BMW and the ‘new car smell’ that would have departed from the fabric and plastics of the interior some time ago.

A large proportion of car users will only ever buy brand new, usually replacing every two years, and if that mindset continues used buyers out there will continue rubbing their hands together.

Newfangled metal isn’t everybody’s thing though, so winding the clocks back we have a stunning unrestored Neue Klasse and a buying guide on an old favourite of ours, the E36, this time in 318iS format. The low budget E30 track car we are building in conjunction with Munich Legends is also coming on a treat and its completion is getting closer. Old or new, track or road, hands-on or owner’s features, there’s a blend of everything this month.

Adam Tait - Editor

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