2013 and earlier BMW 3-Series Prices Paid and Buying Experience

m4d_cow

thats kinda crazy alright, i drive a lot myself though, usually average about 2300 miles a month due to the fact that i go out of town a lot.

crikkit

I got my 330i yesterday. I was convinced I wanted to lease, but I couldn't get the deal I wanted, so I did the math and decided I'd be much better off buying. My local dealer (in north Houston) didn't have the manual ZHP I wanted and tried to sell me a a 325 with sport package instead. I didn't have a great experience with other dealers in Houston, so I drove about 300 miles to San Antonio yesterday to pick it up there.

Imola red, black alcantara, performance package, moonroof, xenon headlights. MSRP $41545, paid $36365, 1.9% financing.

I'm going to love this car. It drives like my old Miata on steroids.

nyccarguy

the new ZHP owners! Definitely post your driving experiences and what you like and don't like about the car!

luvmy325...you must love it to put that many miles on it! That's incredible! Any problems or just regular maintenance?

tom32

Sounds like a great deal, around $4000 off the sticker price. What dealership did you buy your car from? And how did you get your price? Thanks, Tom

nwmark

I'm looking at a 2004 325i Sedan:
auto, Silver, prem pkg, heated front seats.
MSRP $34,145
Quote $32,145

Seems high for 2004 but it seems the Northwest (portland, or) are not as cheap as other places.

What should I hope to get this out for?

thanks,

P.S. Is there much of a difference between the leatherette and leather??

vtau

I am thinking of buying from a distant dealership. If my car ends up being a lemon, do I go back to the distant dealership or can I go to my local dealership. I would image that there wouldn't be any problems taking the car to the local dealership for regular maintenance, but what about some common problems I see reported on these forums on new cars? I am trying to see if it is worth the savings of buying from a distant dealership, just in case of any unforseen problems that may arise from a new car(non-regular maintenance related). Any comments would be appreciated

drddo

I bought from a dealership in Chicago and I lived in the Detroit area at the time (since moved to Northern Michigan). I saved about $1000 by doing so. I took delivery at night, and was in a hurry to get going and didn't notice a small scratch on the front fender. In the morning I also noticed a few of the LCD lights were not lighting up on my radio display. I contacted the dealer in Chicago and they told me to take it to a local dealer, and they would make sure everything was taken care of. The dealer in Detroit gave me a loaded X3 as a loaner, and replaced the radio (warranty) and buffed out the scratch all at no cost to me. I've had my 325xi for almost 2 months now, and love it more and more each day! If the price difference is a big one, I say go for it on the out of town deal.
-drddo

mookie

I am looking to buy a 2004 330ci with premium package, sport package and xenons. I am getting quotes in the neighborhood of $42,000. MSRP is $43545. Any thoughts on where the purchase price should end up? I am thinking the quotes are high. Thanks for the help!

vtony1999

I live in North California
I bought it from AutoMall BMW in Fremont
I got $1200 rebate and 1.9% interest
I agreed to pay on their invoice and minus $1200
rebate, that 's it
Thanks

jazevedo

I also bought my car in Fremont this Saturday. I went through the internet sales guy and negotiated over phone/email and then went to pick it up. I got a great deal there...I think they have the biggest dealership in the Bay Area. 1.9% Financing and 1700 below invoice...although his invoice was actually $300 lower than the figure I got on carsdirect.com....so it was like $2000 below invoice!

djsway

What car did you buy? How did you get them to give you the 1.9%? I'm having a hard time convincing my dealer to do that.

jazevedo

330i with performance package. Some dealers aren't willing to give the 1.9% and the original offer to me was 2.9. However, a couple of other dealers were willing to give me 1.9 (but the car was more expensive) so I just told them to match it or I'd have to go elsewhere. I got lucky and dealt with a great salesman who fought for me. A great experience all around...

snehal2

Hello all,

I just picked up a '04 with the following :
  Premium Pkg
  Cold Weather Pkg
  Automatic
  Metallic Color
  Leather

The price I paid was $33k even (which as per edmunds is $115 under invoice). Does that sound like a good deal or could I have done better ? The financing he offered me was 2.9% for 60 months.

snehal2

Hello all,

I just picked up a '04 with the following :
  Premium Pkg
  Cold Weather Pkg
  Automatic
  Metallic Color
  Leather

The price I paid was $33k even (which as per edmunds is $115 under invoice). Does that sound like a good deal or could I have done better ? The financing he offered me was 2.9% for 60 months.

snehal2

I did not post the above msg multiple times, but for whatever reason, it showed up multiple times. I apologize if I erroneously did something wrong.

kdshapiro

snehal2 ... congrats on your car.

The multiple postings usually happen when you hit the back/refresh button. Up to 30 minutes you have the option to delete/edit your posts.

Also with regard to the financing I have been reading the finance rate is 1.9%, and it sounds like the dealer marked up yours 1%.

shotgun5

Hello, this is my first post but after seeing all the good info and advice I had to join up and get with it. I am looking at a lease on a 330I would like to check this deal:
msrp 42845, options as follows premium grp,sport grp,auto,xenon lights
deal as follows: 36mth 15K yearly resid at 23136.
880. down, no other deposits this would be in CA. payment including tax is 554. How about you experts looking at this and critique--thanks

vtau

Thanks for all the good advice. Drddo, that is exactly what I was afraid of. Traveling an additional 100-150 miles for $500-1000 is definately worth it as long as I don't have to go back to that same dealership for things that may go wrong with a new car. Thanks for putting me at ease.

I was at the Fremont dealership about a week ago. I don't recall them having the exact car I wanted. I too am looking for 330zhp with leather, xenon, and moonroof, w/ or w/out rear fold down seats in a manual. Congrats on the great deals vtony1999 and jazevedo.

I have posted this before. "I received a bad response on my initial offer $1700 below invoice with $2400 rebate giving dealership $700 profit. I didn't even get to the Financing. Great job on great deals." Looks promising for fellow-informed buyer, thanks to this forum.

I am in the process of calling a couple of dealerships in the bay area for my car. Traffic was just too unbearable when I drove over to the bay area last weekend to visit a couple of dealerships. Any suggestion? I'm going to give Fremont dealership a call.

Thanks again everyone.

kyfdx

Well.. we're devoid of a little info, like the selling price.. But, I plugged in $3000 off MSRP minus the $2400 dealer cash.. Which would be a pretty good deal.. I rolled in the acquistion fee.. I assume the $880 down is upfront and includes your payment? I guessed that sales tax in California is 8%. And, I come up with $554/month!!

If the $880 is all you have to pay at delivery, and isn't a cap cost reduction, then I'd say its a good deal.

regards,
kyfdx

lee_w

Not your fault. We have been having some technical difficulties this week. I deleted the extra ones. Thanks for posting your experience here!

jazevedo

If you're going to visit dealerships this weekend that are out of town for you, send them all emails this week. Their internet departments will get the emails and you can agree on price even before they find your car...that's how it worked with me. We agreed on price first, and then he located a car nearby...and went and got it for me. I applied for financing by fax and everything was set when I showed up. My worry was that the price would mysteriously go up once I got there, but it didn't!

Send an email to all dealerships in the area and give them the price range you would like and see what they can do for you....

shotgun5

sorry, nothing like asking for help and not giving you all you need for a good decision--price was to be 38855--I was told no other costs or fees 1st payment was 877 and remainder at 554. they also showed a rate of .0009 and a residual of .54--not sure I understand all of this but I am trying--thanks

kyfdx

First..the good news.. The dealer is being straight with all these numbers.. He isn't marking up the MF.. Security deposit? not seeing that.. maybe he's rolling into cap cost or upping the MF to cover it. Either way, it looks like they are giving you the car for about $1500 over dealer cost. (There is a $2400 dealer incentive on the 330i). It is very late in the model year.. It seems you "might" be able to get this car for $500-$1000 less. That would translate into $16-$32 less per month.

These are just estimates, as I don't know your exact tax rate or exactly how the dealer is handling the security deposit.

All in all, not a bad deal.. at least they are being straight with all the numbers.. Just because I say they "might", doesn't mean they will. If you aren't comfortable negotiating all the lease terms, just ask for less per month, with all other terms remaining the same.. asking for $30/month less and seeing where that takes you, might be a good strategy.. Its not a "bad" deal where you are right now.

regards,
kyfdx

mookie

Any thoughts on where I should target my purchase price for a 2004 330ci w/premium package, sport package and xenons? MSRP is approx $43,945. The numbers I am being quoted vary depending on the "dealer fees" assessed but are in the neighborhood of $42,000.

Thanks for the help.

kyfdx

$3600-$3700 difference between invoice and MSRP at that price range.. The only incentives are the 1.9% 60-month financing, or low lease MFs. A good deal would be somewhere between $500-$1000 over invoice, assuming you got the base rate financing. So, I'd say about $1000 under where you are now.

All that said, you couldn't get that deal at either of my two local dealers (Cincinnati). So, for those of you that have a limited shopping area, my opinion may not mean anything to your particular dealer.

regards,
kyfdx

shotgun5

sorry, nothing like asking for help and not giving you all you need for a good decision--price was to be 38855--I was told no other costs or fees 1st payment was 877 and remainder at 554. they also showed a rate of .0009 and a residual of .54--not sure I understand all of this but I am trying--thanks

wannabimmer

Hi, I'm in the VERY beginning phase of shopping for a BMW (preferably a 325Ci). I have a couple of questions...first I'll tell you what I'm looking for. I want an alpine white 325Ci...not interested in all the bells and whistles that you find on most of the cars on the dealership lots. The only options that I really want are power seats and an automatic transmission. Not interested in any other options really. It will probably be at least 3 months before I purchase...all that said, my questions are:

How much can I expect to pay for a car like that...after little research I'm guessing around $32,000. Is that about right? Also...how do I go about getting a car with just those options...I know most of the ones on lots are loaded. do i have to special order one? last question is...when is the best time to purchase...could i get a good deal on a 2004 toward the end of the year? Thanks in advance for any advice!!

AJ

mookie

Thanks kyfdx,

What about dealer fees, lease fees, etc...? I am finding that when I negotiate the price that low I get hit with various dealer fees and lease inception fees that drive the price up. Ideally, I would like to get an idea of the out the door cost of the car including all dealer fees.

Thanks!

kyfdx

When you make your offer, tell them you are making an OTD (Out-The-Door) offer. That the only thing you will pay in addition is TTL (taxes, title, license). Tell them they can break it down however they want, but that number is it. Then look for that number on the bottom line, right before the sales tax.

On any lease, you will have to pay an acquisition fee of $525 at inception.. This goes to BMWFS.. they can add it into the cap cost, or you can pay up front.. Also, a security deposit is required.. Other than that, there should be no other lease fees.

mookie

Thanks kyfdx,

What about dealer fees, lease fees, etc...? I am finding that when I negotiate the price that low I get hit with various dealer fees and lease inception fees that drive the price up. Ideally, I would like to get an idea of the out the door cost of the car including all dealer fees.

Thanks!

kyfdx

It is too late to order an '04. If you could find one on a lot that was reasonably close to that equipment, you could probably make a great deal.

For '05, that car would MSRP for $34,665 with an invoice of $32,025.

I have no way of knowing what kind of deals there will be on the '05s, but I doubt discounts will be significant until after Xmas.

If you are considering leasing, there are great deals on '04s.. You could even find one that had a couple thousand more in options, and still save money over an '05.

regards,
kyfdx

drharris

My 330Ci convertible is at the Preparation Center according to the BMW web site (Mystic Blue, Gray leather, SMG, aluminum trim, Premium pkg, Sport pkg, Xenons, PDC, and Nav system). I negotiated a $50K + TTL ($52,450 MSRP) so I'm locked in there and the only thing left is lease terms.

Does anyone have any advice on waiting until early September for delivery (it'll be ready next week) in hopes of the lease rates dropping? I'm thinking perhaps that with summer turning to fall and the '05s coming that they BMWFS might drop the money factor and/or add an incentive.

Thanks!

kyfdx

My guess is that if anything happens, the residuals will probably go down in September. They could add dealer incentives (cash), but since you've already negotiated your price, they have no obligation to share that with you.

Did you lock in the June lease terms when you ordered? I don't remember what they were, but its possible the residuals were better then, and may result in a lower lease payment. If you did lock in June, those numbers should be good until the end of August.

regards,
kyfdx

jdb92656

I am thinking about trading in my leased 2002 Maxima for a used, certified pre-owned 2003 325i. I have been seeing prices between 31K and 35K for the car having between 9K and 20K miles. Are dealers negotiating hard on the used 2003's right now? I have about $1500 negative equity in my trade. Thanks for your help.

kyfdx

I paid $29.5K for mine in December.. had 7600 miles.. it wasn't CPO and wasn't at a BMW dealer.. However, a dealer had one almost identical to mine that he had priced at $31.9K and offer to come down to $31K. This was in December. Both mine and the dealer's car had original MSRPs of approx. $38K, so they were very loaded.

You should be able to buy a new '04 with an MSRP of $35K for about $31.5-$32K right now.. CPO asking prices are notoriosly inflated.. On a CPO '03 325i, you should be looking at under $30K.

regards,
kyfdx

shotgun5

thanks for all your help, now just a matter of deciding between the g35 and 330I, would like a little more power in BMW and a little nicer interior in the G35--both problems probably solved in 05 if I wait??

jazevedo

You have to wait for the 06 model which comes out sometime next year....

I just chose the 330i over the G35. I went with the performance package...not too much power over the regular 330 but I fell in love with it so I had to have it! It's great so far. I come from a V8 car so the extra torque in the G35 was very temptimg but overall I like the bmw better and so far I feel it has plenty of power.

kyfdx

Don't get too caught up in horsepower numbers.. I can't imagine picking either the BMW or G35 solely on that, as I doubt you could tell the difference on your "butt-dyno" (thanks, shipo).

Almost every car will seem a little underpowered once you get used to driving it.. I think the 330i has plenty of power. Not that we can't always use more.

regards,
kyfdx

jdb92656

Thanks for the information. I know this is probably a biased board, but did any of you consider a TSX when looking at the BMW? It just seems that the TSX gives you more for the money (albeit no RWD) than the 325i's meager list of features.

kyfdx

I came within four hours of going back to the Acura dealer and buying a TSX, but the guy with the BMW called me at work, and that was that.. If the car had been for me, the TSX would have been a little farther down the list (FWD, just like you said), but since it was for my wife, she would have been just about as happy with it. The TSX is a great value, and I really like driving it.. And.. you don't see 50 of them on the way to and from work, like you do with a 3-series. I recommend them to anyone I know, who wants a sports sedan...

regards,
kyfdx

jdb92656

I am seriously considering it right now over a 03 or 04 325 because of pricing. The dealership around me just quoted a 03 325 with 15K miles at 32K. Then she tried to say "well for that price are you interested in a new one?" I thought the TSX was smooth when I drove it and with navigation is certainly is far ahead of the 325i in gadgets.

kyfdx

Well.. if you check out the prices paid board on the TSX, you should be looking for $1800-$2000 off MSRP. That puts you at just over $27K for one with navigation.

She had a point about the new 325i.. For $32K, you could get a new one that MSRPs for about $35K. No navigation for that price, but pretty well equipped.

A full boat 325i (still without nav) would MSRP for $38,XXX and you could probably buy it for about $35K. That '03 with 15K? Even CPO, it should be under $30K.

Those are tough choices... I love our 325i, but I wouldn't dissuade you from the TSX either.

regards,
kyfdx

nyccarguy

So are 325is (plural) in dealer stock going for under invoice or does that just seem to be the 330is (plural)?

nyccarguy

on an '04 325i for a 36 month lease with a 20K miles per year allowance?

vtau

I just need to clarify.

Vtony1999
Dealer made $1200 off your purchase? (you bought at invoice) Did you get a 325i?

Jazevedo
Dealer made roughly $400 off your purchase? You bought a 330i?

I emailed the dealership in Fremont, they didn't have any more 330i zhp-6sp.

I talked to another dealership who didn't have the car I want, but was willing to see if he could do a dealer-trade. We got to talking about the price so I told him that I was thinking about an initial offer of $1700 off invoice. He told me that I would not likely find anyone willing to make $700 profit on a high performance vehicle. This is why I need clarification.

atwnsw1

I am new to this bulletin board and hope, based on your responses, that I will be a participating member.

I am looking to buy my wife a car to replace her totalled 1998 Infiniti I30. While she loved the infiniti, she would like a 325i. We are looking to buy a 2003 325i CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) with a premium package and automatic transmission and need your advice. Whatever car we buy will be in our family for 5-6 years so leasing is not a consideration.

Since we keep our cars for a long time, I will likely get the additional 2 year maintenance warranty for a total of 6 years.

What should I expect to pay for a 2003 w/ less than 25,000 miles?

I was guessing that $26-28K for a 2003? Are these good guesses?

How will I be treated if I don't buy it from my local dealer?

Is there a downside if I buy it pre-owned?

Any input would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anthony

kyfdx

325i has a $1200 dealer marketing allowance..
330i has a $2400 dealer marketing allowance..

From posts here, it seems that 325i's seem to be going for around invoice, with 330i's going for $500-$1700 below invoice..

I think that takes some serious shopping, though.. In the NY/NJ area that should be attainable.. I couldn't get a deal like that in Cincinnati.

kyfdx

The highest number of miles that BMWFS lists with residuals is 15K/year.. You have to buy miles upfront for more than that..

'04 325i
3yr/45K lease
residual 58%
MF .0022

kyfdx

1) Your guess is pretty good.. An '03 with 20K miles should sell for around $28K, but don't be surprised if the asking price is $32K-$34K.

2) The extended maintenance plan has a list price of $995, and can be bought any time before your original plan expires.

3) I have no idea how your dealer might treat you, if you buy from somewhere else.. most service departments don't care where you bought it, but loaner policies vary and that could be a sticking point, if that is important to you.

4) The downsides to used are the same as with any other car... You don't know how it has been treated, previous owner might have sold because of problems, etc.. Having a warranty mitigates a lot of this, plus you can have the dealer pull the service history of the car for you.. Also, it is much cheaper.

regards,
kyfdx

jazevedo

they didn't have the car I wanted in stock but i gave a list of every option I wanted and he searched for it, and made a dealer trade to get it. Right off the bat they offered $1000 below invoice, but I told them that I had negotiated $1700 under invoice at the Long Beach dealership (which I did) and I wondered if they could be competitive to save me a flight down to Long Beach. I wasn't even expecting them to match it, I just wanted them to come close, but he did match it.....and then for some reason his invoice price was $300 lower than what is listed on carsdirect.com. I have no idea how this was possible but to my surprise the numbers never changed. (it did take some fighting to get the 1.9% but the salesman was great and got it for me)

The car did have 150 miles on it, but I know at least half of that was due to dealer trades (they drive them to the other lot). I was actually working with another dealer that was going to trade for the same car so I already knew the history of where the car had been!

Also, the car came with no donut(spare tire)! I didn't say anything, and I'm not sure if I'm going to say anything. Not sure what to make of that.....other than that the car was spotless and the exact way I wanted it. Overall I'm very happy with it and the price I got!