For some (that’s me), this is the last time that the 3 Series looked proper. The big-engined petrols are the place to be, although the opportunity to buy an bangernomics- friendly M3 – one that has suffered a big hit of depreciation – has long gone. A 330Ci from the early 2000s is going to be cheap to run. Even better, a Sport version with a full history is CS from an alternative reality. A facelift in 2004 means a subtle price blip for later cars. Look for an example with a credible service history and few previous owners.
You can buy some brilliant cars for half of what they would cost when new. Take your pick from open-top luxury sports tourers, family hatches, coupés, big estates, roadsters and compact SUVs
