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

christina271 · June 2004

the guy i got the 1st quote from gave me that price assuming that i ill pay 36000 for the car(w/o tax)
rigt now where i live i should be able to get that 325i for 33800.

thanks

kyfdx · June 2004

If you can get $2200 more off the price from the 1st dealer, that will save you about $65/month, putting the car in your price range. For, the money, I'd stick with the 325i. If you are looking to save, just get heated seats, and forego the cold weather package. Also, the wheels are nicer on the 325i sport than on the base 330i. The HK stereo is nice, but I'm not sure I'd want to pay $10 more per month for it on a lease.

I don't think you'd be that happy with a "stripped" 330i.

regards,
kyfdx

christina271 · June 2004

what about the headlight washers that come with the cold weather package..are they worth it??

christina271 · June 2004

do you think i would save a drastic amount of money if i waited a few more months?
like i said i would love to be able to drive the car all summer when i can really enjoy it

and i want to be able to still have my color choice.

your help is appreciated

blueguydotcom · June 2004

You could save maybe a grand. It's all about how important your fun is now. October a 2k rebate on the 325i is likely.

christina271 · June 2004

do you know what the rebate is now, and in october they will add another 2000 to it?

blueguydotcom · June 2004

It's 1200 right now. you should be able to get into a 325i for about $800 under invoice.

christina271 · June 2004

800 under invoice is with the car the way i want it?(options)

christina271 · June 2004

cars direct shows the car
325i, auto, cold/prem/sport/hk/xenon w/o metallic paint for 33,890...invoice is 34,090 in my zip code

kyfdx · June 2004

I hear it both ways.. They are nice to have, but they also come on occasionally when you would rather they didn't, and the spray ends up blowing grimy water over the front end of your car. Most say they could live without it. However, if you want the fold-down rear seats, might as well get the package, as they are included as well.

The "dealer incentive" (not rebate) is $1200 right now. A deal around invoice should be possible. It will probably go up in the fall, but selection will be less. If you can find the car you want now, I wouldn't wait. Have you found the car you want? Or does it have to be ordered?

regards,
kyfdx

christina271 · June 2004

cars direct shows the car
325i, auto, cold/prem/sport/hk/xenon w/o metallic paint for 33,890...invoice is 34,090 in my zip code

christina271 · June 2004

it has to be ordered
dealer says not many people get the sport pkg, thats why they don't have any in stock

do you have to pay extra for it to be ordered??

kyfdx · June 2004

No, but sometimes they will make a better deal on cars on the lot. They are right.. not as many with Sport package, but it isn't as though they are extremely rare. Ordering is good, because you don't pay for anything you don't want. If they give you a good price, then that is all that matters.

regards,
kyfdx

christina271 · June 2004

yeah that's why they tried to give me the 330i for 509 a month(w/o prem pkg)or xenons. that was at the 2nd dealership.

what do you drive by the way??

riez · June 2004

Dealers order their cars for inventory to appeal to (and ultimately sell to) the "average" buyer. All the midwest BMW dealer's lots I've walked usually have 3 Series with automatic transmission, Premium Pkg, leather, sunroof, heated seats, and metallic paint. These cars come with all-season tires.

Sport Package is designed for the "above average" buyer who expects a lot more out of their car. It is for people who love to drive but don't have the money for M. Very rare for a BMW dealer to order a Sport Pkg, esp. with manual transmission, equipped car for inventory.

Is truly sad that so much of BMW's USA dealer network doesn't treat their cars like the Ultimate Driving Machines. They focus more on softer luxury.

Most, too many, dealers cater to the average rather than promote the cars and marque.

jiggy · June 2004

Lots of people who are love to drive also get the Performance package. I did and its well worth it. If you can handle the stiffer ride and the louder exhaust you can really push this car. 0-60 from 5.9 though it feels faster than that. Carsdirect has them for 800 below invoice..though when I went and bought mine's the dealer was willing to offer one up for $5800 below MSRP. I didn't like the color or the other options package otherwise I would have taken it

blueguydotcom · June 2004

cars direct shows the car
325i, auto, cold/prem/sport/hk/xenon w/o metallic paint for 33,890...invoice is 34,090 in my zip code

So there's a good 600 more to fight to get off that price!

kyfdx · June 2004

If you click on the user name in the message, it gives you a profile of the user, and whatever info they choose to include.

I drive an '02 Honda CRV. My wife has an '03 325i that we bought used in December. It has steptronic, sport, premium, HK, Xenons, leather, heated seats, fold down rear seats, and M68 wheels off a 330i. Winter tires are on the stock sport wheels that came on the car. (I get to drive it on weekends, if I get out of bed first.)

regards,
kyfdx

Steel blue w/black leather

christina271 · June 2004

sounds really nice kfydx

dealer #1 also told me the upfront cots for the 325CI would be 1772 inc. 1st and last payment or however they do that. then mentioned it would be alot cheaper for the 4 door. do you guys have any idea how much cheaper??

kyfdx · June 2004

$1772 seems reasonable.. That should be first payment, security deposit and acquisition fee plus license. The difference between the coupe and the sedan is due to the lower residual of the coupe. I'm not sure how much lower the residual is right now, but lets say it is 3%. Everything else being equal (meaning MSRP), a difference of 3% on a $38K car equals about $31/month.. If you figure the sedan is a little cheaper, that will make even more of a difference.

I like the look of the coupe better, but I couldn't see paying an extra $1100 to lease it over 3 years. You'll have to check with your agent, but it is possible the sedan is cheaper to insure as well.

regards,
kyfdx

scsnospam · June 2004

After multiple phone calls with the internet sales guy, and agreeing on *every* number for leasing a new 330i, I went in to Peter Pan BMW all ready to pick up my car. After one last test drive, and 1.5 hrs with the internet sales person, I was flatly told by their sales manager, in the most rude fashion possible, that he was "not making enough money on the deal" !

He wanted me to pay a higher MF on a lease,(0.26, instead of the agreed on 0.22). Needless to say, I walked out. I just wish they hadn't wasted my time in the first place.

I have since read many horror stories about Peter Pan - they are probably the worst dealership in the area (lowest rating on roadfly etc). The manager was unprofessional, uncouth and discourteous. Stay away !

joeny · June 2004

Sorry to hear that but glad you walked out. I read a lot of these boards and I think it's safe to say that Peter Pan is one of worst in the country. Bay Area dealers have a bad reputation in general.

Check out Allison BMW in Mountain View. My brother claims to have had a good experience purchasing there.

christina271 · June 2004

hey everyone

just checked carsdirect for my zip code for 325ci
auto/cold/sport/prem/xenons

they says 35,270 and 34,895 for invoice

i'm guessing this includes the incentives for june

is it possible to get this car for 34,000?!

i will be paying in cash, if that helps

sapphire1 · June 2004

Hi,

We recently ordered a car. We were initially thinking of ED, and met the ED guy @ Allison BMW (BMW of Mountain View) and he was very nice with us. He said it had to be ED invoice + $1400, else it was not worth his time. We finally gave up due to lack/price of tickets. For US delivery, the best offer he gave me was US invoice + $1000. He said if any dealer in the Bay could offer me lower, I should take it, Best of luck!

The best way to get a good deal is to go to carsdirect and go through the process of buying a car. At the end of stage 1, there is an option to "Allow dealers to contact me". This request goes to internet and fleet managers at major dealerships in your area. Also go to edmunds and as for quotes online. The online quotes I got were among the 5 lowest. The costco auto program is also good, but the best offer I got was invoice + $1400.

An actual agent we saw was not ready to come down invoice + $2000. When we tried to tell him a low price of another dealer, he blew his lid and came out with expletives. Another dealer tried to tell me how he was going to use an order allocation from "his" dealership and order a "tailor-made car built to my needs" and so I needed to pay him more!

I finally ordered my car through the fleet manager at Stevens Creek BMW, and it was a very good experience. He is a very kind and well-spoken guy and he offered me the best price, invoice + $500.

Lesson learnt: Internet and fleet managers offer the lowest deals. I also personally prefer email communication to face-to-face real-time deals and this was a good experience for me.

Regards and all the Best!

hpowders · June 2004

Hello. I am beginning to shop around in the Tampa Bay, Florida area for the best deal. I am willing to travel 200 to 300 miles if necessary. Does anyone out there know a fair dealership in Florida that doesn't play games? Realistically, how much over invoice or under MSRP should I expect?
Thank you.
hpowders

rickydick2 · June 2004

In Southern California, I had no trouble at all finding cars in inventory with the sport package back in January.

The uncommon option that I was looking for was the fold-down rear seat. Nobody seemed to be ordering them for dealer stock.

If you think sport packages are hard to find, try finding one with the Sequential Manual Gearbox! They are more common now, but when I was looking, they had only just become available on non-M cars.

I dug around, and got them to check on the computer for the car I wanted (330i, Electric Red/natural brown, Premium package, SMG, Fold-down rear seat, Xenons.) They found a car in Arizona. It didn't have fold-down rear seats, and I was damned if I'd hang my custom Holland on a bike rack (apart from the aesthetics).

After I resigned myself to a special order, they checked one more time and discovered that the dealer in Arizona had a coupe. All coupes have fold-down rear seats! I decided I didn't need the two extra doors (Kids are grown up and driving their own cars!). I flew to Phoenix that Saturday, picked the car up and drove it home.

Couldn't be happier!

rickydick2 · June 2004

hpowders

Don't mess around visiting dealers. Go to http://www.bmwusa.com/ and check their dealer list for dealers in the radius you quoted. You may have to use the zip codes for nearby cities to find dealers there.

Get a pre-approved loan from your bank or credit union. The dealer may offer a better rate, but you won't know unless you have a real loan offer, whether the dealer is pocketing some points.

Do your homework. Go to kbb.com and build your car. Once you know the exact car you want, call the dealers. Ask to speak to the fleet or internet manager. (Ask the receptionist for a name.) When you get him (or her), be courteous. Ask if he or she has a minute (they are often in the middle of a deal).

Once you have their attention, thank them for taking the time, and tell them you ARE GOING TO BUY A CAR! (They don't like to waste time on the merely curious.) Then ask them if they have a car like the one you want.

They will tell you they can get it for you. Thank them for the offer, and say that you are shopping for a deal on a car "on the ground" first. If they have the car, ask them to give you the MSRP and their selling price. They may be reluctant. Reassure them that you will not 'shop' the price (tell another dealer what they quoted and ask them to beat it). If you don't do this they will say, "call me after you've talked to everyone else."

When you have done this with as many dealers as you can stand (It gets old pretty quick), select the deal that appeals to you (low price, friendly phone manner, geographics, whatever), and call the dealer back for an appointment.

If that doesn't work, or you need some help, e-mail me at optionsinmobility@yahoo.com .

GOOD LUCK! And enjoy your new Beemer!

hpowders · June 2004

Okay. Thanks for the advice.
hpowders

riez · June 2004

rickydick2... I live in the snow belt. Dealers around here are loath to order, for their own inventory, any cars with Sport Pkg. And is rare for them to order a manual transmission. They like Prem Pkg, ATs, leather, met paint, stereo upgrade, and sunroof.

cannon1 · June 2004

not sure if this is the right forum to post this.

finally i took delivery of by 325i. the dealer had asked if i would be interested in the following

1. bmw maintenance program (maintenance covered for 6yr/100,000) costs $1400

2. paint protector for $499

i denied both but they have given me sometime to reconsider. should i get either one of these?

any inputs appreciated... thanx

kyfdx · June 2004

Paint protector? Is that some kind of a treatment? Probably nothing more than a glorified wax job.. Definitely pass.

The extended maintenance program has a list price of $995, if you have an '03 or '04. You can buy it at any time before your original 4yr/50K maintenance plan expires, from any dealer. I would pass on this also, as a lot of things can happen in 4 years. Also, once your car is out of warranty, would you want to do all your maintenance at the dealer and pay dealer prices for repairs vs. a good independent shop? Even if the answer is yes, I would still wait on this.

regards,
kyfdx

cannon1 · June 2004

Thanks kyfdx for the input.

Paint protector - Its some kind of teflon coating treatment put on top of the metallic paint.

I didn't know that I had 4yrs to consider the option of buying the extended the maintenance plan. And I have no plans of taking my car to the dealership for my car work outside the warrant period.

kyfdx · June 2004

They just started offering the extended maintenance program in January. Any BMW owner whose program hasn't expired can buy it. I think the idea was to add it to CPO cars, so that the maintenance period matched the CPO warranty. Also, if you prepay for maintenance, you almost have to use the dealer for repairs as well, increasing service department business.

Some dealers seem to be using it as an additional profit center on new car sales as well.. Granted, at the list price of $995, they probably make less than $100, but anything over that is just a profit grab. Any dealer can sell it to you, as it is a BMWNA program and is good at any dealer. It is a relatively new program and I guess they could change the sales rules at any time, but as of now, anyone can buy it at any time before original expiration with no increase in price.

I say no to the teflon thing.... You could do it yourself with Zaino and a spare couple of hours for a lot less.

regards,
kyfdx

lee_w · June 2004

You will receive a lot less spam by listing your email as public. Posting here leaves you open to spammers.

cannon1 · June 2004

I was surprised that the 325i does not come with alarm per-installed. Is this necessary or are there other features built into the car that negates the need for an alarm.

The price they have quoted me for BMW factory alarm is $599. Is this the true price? thanx in advance for any inputs...

knocker81 · June 2004

325 CI
5 Speed
Sport Package
moon roof
Heated seats
alpine white leatherette
1200$ rebate included.Quoted price is 30,995
Dealer said that I would have to order this car because he doesn't have it in stock. And I must
take delivery by June 30 to get the rebate. so then He quotes me a price of 31,200 if I wanted to order it.

Them he comes back and says he has a
325 pi
alpine white
premium pkge
cold weather pkge
sport pkge
bmw assist
leatherette selling price 32,800
Can someone plese tell if thes are good prices

kyfdx · June 2004

Do you know the MSRP of these cars? Most of us can give you a quick answer with that info. Also, the second car? What is that? A sedan or a coupe?

regards,
kyfdx

jamesspot · June 2004

kyfdx and bluedotcomguy,
As the resident experts, I'm checking with you on a deal I'm hoping to sign this Saturday:
330i Imola red perf pkg
Natural brown leather
Xenons
Heated seats
MSRP (w dest) = $42,445
Invoice = $38,845
June incentive -$2,400
Accepted offer by email was for $37.2K + TTL
**I'm pretty excited**
Insurance was surprisingly low at $770 a year, My wife's only beef is the hassle of swapping the sports tires for a $1k set of winter wheels.
And yes, there is NO moonroof, for those of you who wonder - this may be the only ZHP on any lot without one - I'm 6'5" - and prefer the extra headroom and one less thing to break.

kyfdx · June 2004

$750 over invoice minus incentive.. That is a great deal. That must have been an order that someone backed out of, because no dealer purposely puts cars on the lot without a sunroof.

If that is the one you want, you better grab it.

Xenons, heated seats and natural brown.. with the ZHP. Sounds really nice.

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx · June 2004

A good set of 17" winter tires will run you about $750 installed, for 225/45-17.

If you get it, start looking for a nice used set of 330i stock wheels 17 X 7, or 325i Sport pkg wheels 17 X 8. You can pickup a decent set for about $500-$600 or even a little less. If you get the 17 X 7, you can put on 205/50-17, which should be cheaper.

For the wife: Every mile you put on the winter tires is another mile you get out of the stock set. On a ZHP, they will wear at about the same rate, so the cost there is a wash. When you get rid of the car, you can sell the used wheels for close to what you got them for, so minimal cost there also..

That all has a grain of truth to it.. That is how I explained it to my wife..... Good luck.

regards,
kyfdx

goochman · June 2004

Ok,
I have a quote of 35K +tax and tags for a 325xi w/Prem Pack, Leather, Cold Package, Metallic Paint and Auto

That comes out to approx $200 over invoice.

Deal or not with the $1200 June marketing rebate?

blueguydotcom · June 2004

Depends on where you live. In socal I'd tell you to pound them until you got $800 below invoice. $400 profit is decent on a 325i. Outside CA it appears to be a tougher market for buyers...

goochman · June 2004

Im located in MD - I got the general impression that most folks are not getting prices at or under invoice.

vancmt · June 2004

Interested in a 2004 325i Sedan w/Premium (Titanium silver/beige leatherette). Trying to get a sense of what I should be looking for from a deal perspective. Recently saw a June $1200 rebate, but not sure if this incentive will continue though July.

jamesspot · June 2004

Email deal accepted, deposit made, car delivery on Saturday @ 1100 @ VOB BMW in Rockville, MD.

Salesperson clarified my confusion on the web site price, which doesn't list packages, as car was invoiced PRIOR to 1 Jan $400 price increase.

'04 330i Base $34,800
Imola red ZHP $3,900
Nat Brwn Lthr $1,450
Xenons $700
Cold Wthr ZCW $1000 (vice just heated seats)
Destination $695
MSRP = $42,545
Invoice = $38.9K
My accepted offer $37.2K +TTL
(includes $2400 June incentive)

I was looking at a trip to Germany to do European delivery, but the June incentive made this a push financially.

kyfdx, Good words on the winter tires/wheels. Is the BMW jack sufficient, or should I invest in something better to do tire exchanges?

Anyone have standard/premium '04 330i takeoff wheels? Oh, wait, there's message boards for that, too....

Soon to be ZHP,
Jim

goochman · June 2004

Im dealing with VOB also - I believe you got below MSRP since the rebate is $2400 on 330 vs $1200 on 325 - I think VOB wants approx $1200-$1400 per car which fits into your priced deal and mine at $200 over MSRP on a 325xi. IM going to push a bit more but VOB appears to be giving the best pricing - though I hear the service dept isnt as good as the sales one.

kyfdx · June 2004

My tire guy swaps mine.. Only charges $16. I have to take the tires down there and back, but he's only two miles away, so not worth the rest. I've never used the BMW jack, but from what I've heard, it should be used for emergency purposes only... I doubt it would be much fun trying to swap out four tires with it. A $100 hydraulic jack from Sears would probably suffice if you want to swap yourself.

Any 17" wheel from an E46 BMW '01 and newer should work for your car.. For winter, stay away from the staggered setup off a 330i sport. 5-series wheels will not fit.

Congratulations!
kyfdx

kyfdx · June 2004

Goochman.. Keep in mind.. you may not get quite as good a deal as jamesspot.. He bought an in-stock car with no sunroof. That is what he wanted, but most dealers will work hard to move a car like that.

regards,
kyfdx

goochman · June 2004

Im dealing with VOB also - I believe you got below MSRP since the rebate is $2400 on 330 vs $1200 on 325 - I think VOB wants approx $1200-$1400 per car which fits into your priced deal and mine at $200 over MSRP on a 325xi. IM going to push a bit more but VOB appears to be giving the best pricing - though I hear the service dept isnt as good as the sales one.

kyfdx · June 2004

The dealer incentives on 3-series will indeed expire at the end of June. They will be replaced with LEASE incentives. If you are going to BUY your 3-series, then I would wrap it up before the 30th.

regards,
kyfdx

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

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