The BMW 3-Series has been a popular car for some time now; in fact we have talked about it being rated a Car and Driver 10Best for over a decade a couple of times. Interestingly enough, last week the UK version of the Auto Trader came out with a study of the most searched for used cars in 2010. Now some might have expected that other cars like the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf would have beaten the BMW 3-Series to the first place spot. However, like in the 10Best, the 3-Series is the king of the hill—at least in the UK used car search market.
What does Auto Trader attribute to making the 3-Series the most searched for vehicle on their website? Current wisdom says that it could be do to the low running costs. Maybe it is just the UK market or maybe it is because they are closer to Germany, but my experience with a BMW says that they will nickel and dime you to death once the warranty runs out. Sure they will run forever, but the newer ones have so many electronic pieces on them that they always need something looked after. Then again, this study from the UK could be saying that the BMW needs less than competitor cars…now there is a scary thought. According to Auto Trader, UK motorist like the BMW—a lot.
"The BMW 3 Series has always been a favorite with UK motorists and deserves to be recognized as Auto Trader's most popular car of the year," said Matt Thompson, marketing director at Auto Trader. "With comparatively low running costs compared to cars in a similar bracket, I'm sure it will be a strong contender in 2011 as well.
So there you have it, if you live in the UK and are looking for a used car then a 3-Series must be in your search criteria. What about for the U.S.? Is the love affair with the Ultimate Driving Machine of the same caliber? The answer there according to AutoTrader.com is yes. The second most searched for used car in 2010 was indeed the BMW 3-Series. What was number one? The Ford F-150—it is America after all.
