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Can you let me know? Thanks for the help!!
The salesperson was very adamant that when the vehicle hits his lot I be there to pick it up.
This makes me wonder if he is warning me not to delay on picking it up. In many of these forums people have had there orders(to spec.'s)sold off by another salesperson.
rascal8: I was able to get $1,850 off MSRP from a dealer not known for their discounts (S.E.PA). Some of it may have had to do with ordering the last week of the year (even though it doesn't go on their books until it's delivered). The other part was a relatively new salesman trying to build a customer base, I think. As far as the sport package goes, you are correct about the seats, ride, and handling. Wheel damage is a concern for me also since I live in PA farm country (not known for flawless roads). I decided that the other factors outweighed this concern and got the SP.
good luck.
Hello all, Im looking to lease a 325 sedan. My question is, will I get a better deal if I went and leased a 1999 BMW 323 sedan instead of leasing a 2001 325 sedan? The reason why I might be willing to go with the 1999, is because the body is basically the same, and if I can get a much better deal on the lease because the vehicle is pre-owned with some miles on it, then I'd be willing to go with it. When I say better "deal", I mean since lease terms are basically figured out between the MSRP and the residual value price..I was wondering which car would have a lesser difference between the MSRP and 36 months of ownership (Residual value)...a new 2001 BMW 325 Sedan or a 1999 323 sedan?? Of course, I want the deal that has the least difference between the MSRP and the residual price because that will mean lesser monthly payments/down payment. Any advice/comments regarding this question or leasing a BMW in general would be greatly appreciated. >>
...with the least depreciation factored in the lease, then clearly, the 99 323 will be your choice. Cars depreciate faster when new. Of course, ask to see the actual calculations to see the difference. The finance part of the lease payment is also quite crucial, and not something to be taken for granted. Who knows, perhaps the lease factor for the 01 325 will be better?
Also, I presume the maintenance costs on the 01 will be cheaper, as 3 years/36k miles is included.
I am in DC area. Last week I went to VOB in Rockville and almost signed for a new 325i. The problem was the sales quoted me $520/mo for a 36-mo lease. (window price is $33000). It means I pay 520 * 12 = 6240 a year. or $18720 for 3 years. I don't think the car will depreciate that much in 3 years. Is there any good reason you guys decide to lease a car? Thanks.
>>
...amount. That's the depreciation and finance charge, and possibly also includes your state sales tax. If you want to know your depreciation amount, ask your salesman, what the residual value was, should be in the low 60s percentage, depending upon mileage allowance. I'll guess depreciation was about $12000, and the rest is finance and salestax.
As for reasons to lease, some do it for business tax reasons. And, some do it for the flexibility. One way to think about it is to compare the cost of a 36 month lease against a 36 month loan. For my $45,570 MSRP 330Xi, I was offered a $677 lease versus a $1376 purchase payment. That's nothing down, 15k miles, 36 months. Imagine taking the difference between the two choices, that is, $1376 - $677 = $699. Take that amount and put it under your pillow, for 36 months, how much have you got? About $25000. What's my residual value plus sales tax? $29200. Okay, I'm $4200 short after 3 years. Now, what if I stick that money in a Christmas passbook account, that pays 5%? I'd have $27100, still not quite enough. Now, what rate of return would I need to make leasing as attractive as purchasing? About 10%. If you think the time value of money to you is worth 10%, then leasing may be for you. If you use that money to pay off 19% credit card debt then by all means lease. You'll save money.
Did you have to give a down payment to be quoted $520.00 a month to be quoted the above.
Please advise.
Thanks
323 - hp 170@5500
torque 181@3500
325 - hp 184@6000
torque 175@3500
Because I don't see myself constantly pushing the 5500 to 6000 rpm zone, I don't really see a huge benefit to the extra 14 hp that the new engine can squeeze out. In fact, with the lower torque, I'm wondering if the average 325 driver will feel less power than the 323.
Another thing: Apparently the gas mileage for the 330 is even better than the 325.
325 - 20/29
330 - 21/30
Of course, intuition would tell me that a bigger engine given all the same factors would get less gas mileage, so I'm confused on this point. Any clarifications from the car techies would be appreciated. Thanks.
I have a BMW 328 that I bought last year, and I've been kicking myself for
not getting a GPS installed at the time.
I almost settled on the Garmin Streetpilot (perhaps the Streetpilot III
coming out, which has routing and voice), when I realized that the
accessories catalogue for the 3 Series mentions a GPS/Nav System you can
purchase from the dealer.
The price in the catalogue is $1,500. I'm wondering if this unit is worth
the money though. Is it comparable to the GPS you'd get pre-installed at
the factory? On a 328, will the installation be fairly elegant, or will it
stick out? If anyone has had experience with this, whether it's just
seeing it in a car, or actually having used it, I'd like to hear about it.
From what I'm told, this is a different unit then the one I would have
gotten if I ordered it straight from the dealer, installed at the factory.
Thanks.
Anyway: I am considering buying a used '92 BMW 318i 4dr sedan. It has 63k on the odo, and the dealer wants less than $9,000 for it. The exhaust and two power windows were being replaced, as this is being posted. It is a 5-speed manual, like all my other cars have been.
Thoughts? Is this a good purchase/bad purchase? My last car was '98 VW Wolfsburg; and while some on this board have maintained that the VW is a money pit, in the two years I had it it was trouble free. Are BMW's money pits? I loved the German quality of the VW and am really interested in this "entry-level" BMW.
Thanks.
1) The 4 is not really BMW's best motor, at least not this one--read the boards awhile and you will see complaints. The i-6 is a hoot.
2) It may not be significantly quicker than your jetta--the 4 is a bit small for a e36 sedan, which is not exactly a featherweight vehicle.
3) This is the first year of the e36, so i'd expect some problems.
According to edmunds, the dealer retail is fair, or even good. I'd think long and hard, personally, though.
dave
It is a cool application where you can put in MSRP, Cap Cost, Residual value, Term, Money Factor (and interest rate) and it will figure out your monthly payment including local tax.
I did not write the software but used it recently to negotiate a new 330i. It would be best to say the dealer wondered what I was doing with my Palm as he read the numbers and I in turn told him what I would pay.
Either way, it is great software to better understand leasing and its costs. It can even save you more than $1,700 off MSRP (I did slightly better. 330i SP, In-dash CD, Xenon, Sunroof, Leather, Power seats, Metalic Paint).
Good luck.
Packages are very individual choices. I like the premium package. I thought the cold weather package was unneccesary and opted for the heated seats only which many postings have recommended. Some swear by the sports package because of the better seats and tighter suspension, while others say the ride on the sport suspension is too harsh. As many differences as there are people.
Good luck to you.
The Sport Pkg only showed up more frequently with the appearance of noise and sometimes a little bump, from concrete, undulating freeways, some of which are in Los Angeles area, on my drive. For the most part, this Pkg added no more noise/discomfort to me, but Im used to more Sport Suspension type arrangements. The Sport Seats are very very good, believe give more support and options of support (10 way adjustable). I ended up not moving my seat much if any at all.
Was able to drive around 900 miles a day and feel very good at the end of the drive with this pkg.
Hope this helps !
DanF
Marie
No one I've read on the message boards has criticized AWD and most who have it, especially in snow covered areas, speak highly of it.
Good luck
As far as options, order the car to get what you want. I don't perceive that too many dealers would have ordered their cars without any options. Most people typically want a Cd player, moon roof, metallic paint, etc.. Dealers almost never order stripped, less profit for them! You can receive an order in as little as 6-8 weeks. I am in the middle of a 10 week wait and it is a hard wait, but worth it. Actually, that is a good lead in to my question. My build date is this week (02), is it reasonable to expect delivery by Feb. 12?
Not to say it's *bad* handling by any means, but you have to expect at least a little degredation.
dave
Sure hope Fairfax's service deptartment is better than their sales department - they're the closest dealer to me.
The car was delivered on 12/27, and it's incredible. The roads were iced over last night, and between the AWD and DSC, the cars performance under bad road conditions was mind boggling! I may have to get one for myself, as I can't stand driving my truck after cruising in my wife's Bimmer!!
Good luck!
with the key but not from the inside of the car. Any help would be appreciated.
I also find it rather odd that my Xi doesn't track in a straight line very well - my dealer tells me this is normal. Has anyone else seen this problem on the 3 series
Anyone else have similiar situation?
thanks,
drew
xi vs i: performance differences on dry tarmac negligible. Taller final drive on xi makes acceleration near equal. slightly higher COG theoretically reduces cornering for xi. Went for a test ride about a month ago and only noticed the little bit of extra HP BMW added to the top of the power band, not any handling differences. Historically, mid 80's 325ix were shunned due to drivetrain problems. However, BMW should be doing better work this time around as a similar setup went into X5.
The salesman seems to be on the level but, should I still keep my credit unions per-approved auto loan. I hear alot of situations were the financial rep. at dealerships try to scam customers on the day the vehicle is to be picked-up! Any advice would be appreciated.
Are these cars running the 17' wheels with the 225 x 45 tires? I have those on my '01 325I and think any extra work at driving may be partially attributed to the lower aspect of the 45 series tire which in and of itself will introduce alot more input when you move the wheel, there is alot less tire to "flex" before it moves..
If it were me, I would be at the dealer asking them to test drive it before and after a complete 4 wheel alignment and make sure it goes straight without any correction.
Good luck, let us know how it works out.
DanF
1. Slightly small. Great for one or 2 people but not much more. Not a huge issue for me since I am single and I don't have any kids. I suspect it would be hard to get a couple of guys in one with 3 golf bags and pull carts. Again, something I can get over because I would be driving a dream car.
2. Snow (my biggest concern)! I live in MA which hasn't seen a lot of snow as of late but can get pretty sloppy when it does. It also has its fair share of hills in the area I live, including my driveway that isn't always cleaned out right away. Has anybody had experience with a fairly steep driveway in the snow? My VW Passat sometimes will get stuck at the point just before becomes flat. I fear that I would have equal if not bigger problems w/ the BMW. I have been reading tons of info and from everything that I have heard BMW's are as good as any front wheel drive car in the snow. I think part of the appeal, that drew me to the MDX/SUV, was the 4wheel drive. I want the care free feeling of not worrying if there is a snow storm out there or not. I know the Xi is available and I highly considered it. When I talked w/ the salesman he seemed like he wasn't so sure anyone would really need it. Any thoughts on the Xi?
I don't want the hassle of buying separate snow tires either because, like I feel about the snow, I just don't want the hassle. From what I read the ESC helps a lot in the snow. Thoughts and help w/ the "snow" questions would be great.
I am hoping to do another test drive this weekend in the MDX and the BMW. Hopefully the decision will be easier after this weekend...but I doubt it.
Thanks
I'll be driving from NJ through NE, and, even though I see a ton of volvos in NE ( as well as my current outback ), if all goes right, I'm going for the xi.
I did, however, move from the 325xi sport wagon to the 330xi sedan with the hope that it may be the bridge between my previous eagle talon awd turbo, and, the volvo cross country that I started w/ as the "upgrade" to my outback.
So far, the 330xi seems like my best bet.....
stay tuned,
drew
On the Bahn at 120mph its straight as an arrow :-)
I've looked at the MDX as well. Apples to oranges but ideally I would like to park both in my driveway! MDX is sweet.
I test drove a 325i for the first time. Wow, what a car! After reading for months and seeing reports on the BMW I can see why they call it the ultimate driving machine. It is one of the 2 cars that I am considering. The other is a Acura MDX. I know it is a SUV and can't really be compared to a BMW sedan. I looking at them both and taking them for what they are. MDX I really liked and would suggest anyone considering a SUV to look at it. Big problem for some is that it has a 4-6 month waiting time to get one. I am not pressed for time, since my current lease isn't up until this summer, but because of the wait time it made me start my decision making process a little early. There is only a couple small things that concern me w/ the BMW.
1. Slightly small. Great for one or 2 people but not much more. Not a huge issue for me since I am single and I don't have any kids. I suspect it would be hard to get a couple of guys in one with 3 golf bags and pull carts. Again, something I can get over because I would be driving a dream car.
2. Snow (my biggest concern)! I live in MA which hasn't seen a lot of snow as of late but can get pretty sloppy when it does. It also has its fair share of hills in the area I live, including my driveway that isn't always cleaned out right away. Has anybody had experience with a fairly steep driveway in the snow? My VW Passat sometimes will get stuck at the point just before becomes flat. I fear that I would have equal if not bigger problems w/ the BMW. I have been reading tons of info and from everything that I have heard BMW's are as good as any front wheel drive car in the snow. I think part of the appeal, that drew me to the MDX/SUV, was the 4wheel drive. I want the care free feeling of not worrying if there is a snow storm out there or not. I know the Xi is available and I highly considered it. When I talked w/ the salesman he seemed like he wasn't so sure anyone would really need it. Any thoughts on the Xi?
I don't want the hassle of buying separate snow tires either because, like I feel about the snow, I just don't want the hassle.>>
...and I'll say, there is never a "carefree feeling of not worrying if there is a snowstorm". 4wd and AWD systems can create a false sense of security that you can drive in any and all conditions without being more careful than normal. It's in your best interest to be careful, and not "carefree", no matter how well your vehicle pulls in the snow. No matter whether you have RWD, or FWD, or AWD, or 4WD, when it comes to braking performance in snow, it all comes down to the quality of the rubber on your vehicle. A 2WD vehicle with high-quality snow tires will outperform an AWD or 4WD vehicle with all-season tires. The question is how safe do you want to be?
My dealer in NJ yesterday informed me of BMW lowest interest rate of 6.9% for 60mo. financing. This is almost a point less than my credit union interest rate of 7.8%.
The salesman seems to be on the level but, should I still keep my credit unions per-approved auto loan. I hear alot of situations were the financial rep. at dealerships try to scam customers on the day the vehicle is to be picked-up! Any advice would be appreciated.>>
...trying to scam anyone. If you feel scammed, don't sign anything, it's that simple.
After only 100km with my new BMW 330xi, the automatic transmission failed. It is now fixed (a new transmission) but I have to wonder whether it is related to the AWD system - have any other Xi drivers had a similar problem?
I also find it rather odd that my Xi doesn't track in a straight line very well - my dealer tells me this is normal. Has anyone else seen this problem on the 3 series >>
...X5 series of vehicles. As for tracking issues, that's odd. Did they check the alignment? I have a 330Xi sport, and in over 5000 miles, have had no tracking issues. However, I did testdrive the X5 sport with the 19 inch wheels, and those wheels did require some attention, on uneven roads, as the low aspect ratio and high tire pressures mean that there is little flex in the footpatch. If you find the tracking issue to be a problem for a daily-driver, you should consider going to a tire with a higher aspect ratio, like a 60s series.