I believe the downside to doing a lease with ED is that ED requires payment 30 days before pickup. Then once you finish your European experience and drop the car off for shipment, it's another 6-8 weeks before you take delivery in the US. An all the time in between you're making payments. Several folks have already gone into good detail about the pros and cons of ED leasing, but that was a few hundred posts back. I'd recommend checking there for better info.
Yeah, considering that we dropped the car off in Frankfurt on Dec. 6 and it arrived in New Jersey on Dec. 28, I think BMW is doing a great job of getting us our car quickly. If we can take delivery in the next week or so, I'll be ecstatic.
My 325i has just over 4000 miles on it. I experienced this twice in the last couple of days, now it has me worried. Driving along on the highway when suddenly, without warning, it's like there's no gas getting to the engine. I had the gas pedal to the floor and the rpm's were about 1,000 and the car's speed kept diminishing. Even if I pumped the gas pedal -- nothing happened.
After a short while, the car would kind of jerk forward a little and it would be fine again. A bit later, same thing. No warning lights or the dreaded "Check Engine Light" came on.
Wonder if I should be driving the car, even to the dealership (about 2 miles away)? First service appointment I could get was Monday, but they have no clue what this could be. Anyone have this experience or have a clue??
It sounds like this may be fuel quality-related. Make sure you fill up with premium gas at a brand name gas station next time - hopefully that will take care of the problem.
Also, there was someone on this board a long time ago that experienced a complete loss of power after he filled up Premium at a "lower-end" gas station because the prices there are usually lower for Premium gas.
Have just begun researching and trying to get prices on a 2002 325i in Central Florida area. Has anyone had any experience with Fields BMW in Orlando? Am considering Electric Red, tan leather, auto, luxury package. What would a fair price be? Have had contact with Reeves Imports in Tampa and they seemed willing to talk. Please help, don't know where to start?
I'm not a regular on this board, but I do stop in from time to time, mostly to browse the latest issues, debates, and sqabbles.
I just placed an order for an orient blue (black interior) 330Ci with all three packages (cold, PP, SP), A/T (yeah, I know what some of you are thinking), Xenons, and the in-glovebox CD changer. After some haggling I got them to shave about $2000 off the MSRP, which breaks down to a lease of $640/mo. @ 18k/yr, all taxes and fees included, with $2500 due at signing. Just thought I'd throw the numbers out there for sake of comparison.
Anyway, my question is about BMW CD changers. Right now I've got the OEM trunk mounted changer in my '99 328i and the thing is starting to skip way too much. Keep in mind I'm writing from the Detroit area and these roads are the worst I've seen. Still, it only skipped every once in a while when the thing was newly installed. Any of you have better or the same luck with this unit?
Second, what do you all think about the Nakamichi glovebox changer. Is it worth the $795 or is an aftermarket unit an option? Since it's dealer installed I can cancel that option last minute.
Try a different gas station. The gas tank at the station where you fill up might have had a water leak into it, especially with all the precipitation we got in most areas of the country lately...
Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully someone can glean something out of that mess. I have some stuff to add this weekend so check back later for more pictures and details.
Yup, I've got the front tourist plate propped up in our kitchen and I often stare at it misty-eyed as I wait for the rest of the car to show up. You have to leave one plate (the rear one) on the car for EH Harms transport purposes. Unfortunately, it was too big to fit on the scanner ;-) otherwise I would have put up a picture.
On the off chance I could slap my Euro plate back on, I checked into the Virginia code about a week ago. Unfortunately, passenger cars are supposed to have front and rear plates here in VA. However, I've seen quite a few VA-licensed cars lately that are only sporting rear plates--many of them Corvettes, although I'm not sure why--so I'm considering sticking the Munich plate back on the front and taking my chances. Anyone here think it's worth the risk?
If under 2002 Invoices, the total invoices increased by $625 (1.86%)
Below are 02 invoices with 01 vs 02 pricing differences for Heatmiser's pkg: Base--->$28,765, up $315, 1.11% PP---> $2,640, up $175, 7.10% SP---> $1,090, up $70, 6.86% Xenon---> $635, up $40, 6.72% Fold Seats---> $430, up $25, 6.17% Dest---> $645 no change. Total---> $34,205 , up $625, 1.86%
The bottom line: When we refer to a deal of $1000 over invoice in 2002, it would be around $1625 over invoice in 2001.
I sent an e:mail blast out to all Southern California dealers and waited to see what I received back in regards to price. I told them I was shopping for the best deal for an ED.
I received offers from no discounts below ED MSRP all the way down to $1,300 over ED invoice. I spoke with the second closest dealer to me (15 miles away) on the phone and told him what I received for offers from the other dealers but told him I wanted $1,000 above ED invoice. I said if he could do that I would place the deposit over the phone with him today. He agreed, we ran over the numbers to ensure we were all on the same page and BOOM! Deal done!
Wish I could have done this in 2001 and saved even more $$$ since the prices just went up but the timing was not right.
Sounds like you had an excellent time in Germany! I remember recommending the SRS-chain of hotels to the members of this board (I wonder if I had any influence on your decision..) I find every little drive in Europe, whether it be on the autobahn or the twisty roads of the Eifel, exhilarating! Nothing can beat the rush of a hairpin turn on a backcountry road--especially in a BMW! I get a kick out of knowing that fellow members are getting to experience what I've experienced for the last two years... Well, finally my car has arrived! 325i, PP, Cold WX, STEP, Xenon lights, Steel Gray. Just for comparison sake, my final out the door price came to $30,040 (w/ free floor mats). I get to pick it up in Bitburg on Monday. I'll take some pics. of me and my lovely BMW sitting in the wife..errr, I meant, ... my lovely wife sitting in the BMW! Tschuss, -nobee
If I am not mistaken, VA will let you carry on without the front license plate, but if you get caught for any other traffic violation, they will just slap that on together. Like they used to with the seat belt violation.
I just bought my 2002 330Ci from Luis at Tom Bush in Jacksonville last Saturday. I got silver/black leather, 5 speed, PP, SP, Xenons, and 18" rims. Nobody that I called in Florida (Fields, Reeves, Lynch in Daytona, and Sandy Sansing in Pensacola) had a coupe coming in any time soon. I lucked out and happened to be at tom Bush the day before this car came in. No dealerships are willing to go more than $800 below MSRP because this model is so hard to get. Dealers are selling them as soon as they show up on the allocation sheets.
However, Jessie at Fields has been very helpful over the last six months that I had been shopping. The dealership seemed very polite and professional, and very upfront about their pricing flexibility. Judging by the size of the dealership and their inventory, I would feel safe buying a car from them. They just couldn't get me what I wanted because they only had Steptronics coming in.
Hmmmm, I might be tempted to risk the Euro plate on the front then. Thanks for the info. Maybe if I buy some of that awful jelly from the local police and get one of those stickers they will cut me some slack
nobee, well hopefully something gets something out of my write-up. You may have noticed, however, the complete absence of real driver-centric comments. It's a glaring omission which I hope to fill in at some point, but I figured I'd leave it for last since most people on the board already know how these cars drive.
And now for the next entry in my logbook, I got a call 20 minutes ago from Joern who told me that our car is here. Woo hoo! I'm wondering if that's some sort of ED record. I dropped off in Frankfurt on Dec. 6 and here we are just under a month later and we're picking up today in about an hour and a half.
Anyone from the US with experience buying from Canada? Their website gives some real good prices based on the lower exchange rate, but it's not clear whether the warranty will hold here in the States. My best guess from the MB website (even better deals) is that they only honor the 12 month international warranty here in the States. If so, is there an extended warranty that would cover it?
Great ED experiences. I've driven the autobahn twice but found a lot of construction in Summer 2000 on the road from Munchen to Berlin (none from Berlin to Brussles). Is it still like that? I basically drove either 100 or 20 mph the entire way. P.S. Don't ever rent a japanese car when you're there (Mitsu Galant), the shake around 90mph was unbearable and was subject to a lot of lateral movement when the Porsche's came by!
Did you finance the car? If so, did you go with BMWNA? What interest rate? Over how long? Is the rate locked in? I'm worried about the dealer pulling some funny business and claiming that the rate we agreed upon is no longer available.
derprofi has given me the idea of doing a home equity loan, as an alternative. Anybody know what home equity loan rates are these days? Don't these involve a lot of hassle, with various closing costs, etc?
The rates range a lot, but a 6.5% APR is typical with perhaps $250 initiation fee. I think that about 1.5+prime. It depends also on how much equity you have in your house. Some will do a percentage of value without doing an appraisal. One lender quoted about $550 in that case. I've seen costs that range all over the place. Look around, start with your current mortgage holder. A drawback (benefit?) is that it will probably take a month at least to get it set up, keeps you from making an impulse purchase.
the new king of ED experience writeups. He has exceeded the estimable playtpus with his efforts!
derprofi - this is great stuff! I will definitely print this out and take it with me to Europe. One thing, how far was the second hotel you stayed at in Munich from the BMW pickup center? This sounds like definitely the place to stay.
Actually, we are in the process of getting an HELine. Rate is prime less 1/4%! No up front costs at all, as our tax assesment x 80% less mortgage owed still gives us a nice line of credit. If we need an appraisal, we pay $175, but we don't need the appraisal (although, I am curious what # that would produce!). That would be the only upfront costs. HELines in the Boston area are usually at prime, currently. Use the 'net to shop around! (Check out credit unions, that is where we got our line).
Interestingly, we applied for the HEL, then (and I'm not sure how this happened, still in a daze) bought a new Lexus for the evil wife. Toyota credit gave us a rate of 5.35%. My plan is to pay off, in full, the Toyota loan with our HEL, as currently at 4.5% (plus tax advantage!) this is obviously a much better rate. But it is varialbe, where the TMCC rate is fixed....
And remember, with a Home Equit Line/Loan your HOME is the collateral, not what you purchase with it! In other words, if you use a HEL to buy a car and miss a few payments they don't take your car, they go after your home! I know this may be obvious, but I figured it was worth pointing out.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I am also using a home equity line of credit to purchase my new car. The benefit is you get to write off the interest on a home equity loan (provided you own your house). Check out "www.bankrate.com" to get competitive quotes on these loans. There are home equity loans out there at prime (and less) for the entire term which is flexible.
The only downside is that these loans are tied to short term interest rates which can fluctuate rapidly. Over the past year this has worked to every borrowers benefit but if the economy picks back up expect these rates to go up as well.
I've had a variable revolving HELC for about 3 years. Love it, but would NOT consider using it for a car purchase. At least not a variable rate one. At the start of 2001 the APR was about 10 percent. Now it is 5.5 percent. Think it was around 8 percent when I set it up. Don't think we're going to see interest rates get too much lower, if at all. They'll like stagnate for early 2002 and then start rising. Better to lock in a good fixed interest rate.
Right now you can lock in some great 48-60-72 month interest rates thru the car manufacturers' financing arms or banks & credit unions. On both new and used cars. Save your HELCs for home repairs, additions, improvements, etc. Not to buy things you ordinarily would purchase anyway.
As for tax ramifications, check with your tax accountant. Just because you have a HELC does NOT make everything you purchase with it a tax deductible interest expense.
And, yes, Virginia, is it really worth losing your house if you fall behind on paying for a car using a HELC?
The only reason I would consider a home equity loan is the issue of not being able to get anyone but BMWNA to finance a BMW without the title in hand -- the case with an ED. This puts you at the mercy of an unscrupulous dealer because on the payment date they can find a way to raise the agreed upon interest rate.
Now I'm embarrassed to say that it's only about 50% complete. I'm just glad it was helpful in some way.
Hotel Uhland is about 10km from the delivery center at Lilienthal Allee 26. The gentleman who delivered our car actually drew us a great little map that got us there in probably 10-15 minutes.
I just found some pretty good directions on the Michlin web site. Put in "Lilienthalallee 16" as the departure point and "Uhlandstrasse 1" as the destination. I had problems if I spelled the names otherwise. Hotel Uhland isn't 5-stars or anything, but it's a great value for the money and satisfied this picky American. They also have a PC in their reception area and for a couple DM per hour (now Euros per hour, I guess) you can get on the Internet. Great for researching your next destination and/or searching out and boooking a good hotel rate online.
Well, I picked up the 330i today from Joern at around noon. What an amazing car. Joern is great too. The only disappointment--forgive me if I go into detail here--was that it wasn't really re-prepped the way I expected it to be. Someone did a very quick wax job (leaving nice gobs of white stuff in the cracks), slicked up the tires with some spray, and a quick vacuum of the floor mats...nothing else. There was still a chocolate stain on the arm rest where I'd been munching on candy while cruising one day, trash in the ashtray, and crumbs and dust all over the place. The wheels still had some Autobahn dirt on them and I suddenly remembered that there was a little dirt on there even after I washed the car and dropped it off at Harms. So, I suspect that the car was not even re-washed. If there is a way to slam the prep staff while praising Joern, I definitely intend to do it. Sure, I'm the one who dirtied the car up during my ED stay, but I really expected it to be re-delivered as if it were new.
Now two more bits of info for anyone who, like me, saw some of the preliminary 2002 spec sheets that were floating around back in the summer/fall:
1. The 2002 330i and 325i SP does not come with the "M" wheel. It comes with a 3-spoke, leather-wrapped wheel with stereo controls, but it is not the M wheel with the thicker padding and bumps at 10 and 2. I was somewhat bummed about this because I'm used to the wheel on our SLK which has more padding. Call me a snob or M-wannabe, but I was also hoping to get that little M logo on the wheel.
2. The 2002 330i does not come with clear indicators. I was also a little bummed about this too, but to tell you the truth, I also like the way the little splash of amber looks against the steel grey paint.
There was a gorgeous black M3 convertible in the showroom with cinnamon interior. Amazing car... Maybe that'll be the next addition to the family in 3-4 years.
Spent a good deal of today on the phone trying to get a deal on ED anywhere surrounding the Cincinnati area. Got the standard line that BMW doesn't allow them to discount ED, but with the interesting excuse that they could lose their franchise if they did it. (I can just see the dealer with his head bowed as BMWNA is taking down his sign. I'd rather they just say no and not hand me a line if this isn't really true. If it is, how am I hearing about all these recent ED deals?) Has anyone a good recommendation for a dealer within a few hundred miles of Cincinnati willing to deal on ED? Are the ED discounters like finding a needle in the haystack or are people finding a range of deals. Sounded like it's bad in the Bay Area but not in So Cal. Any reasons?
Lies, all lies. It seems like it's often a challenge for folks to find a dealer that will discount ED, but it can be done. Either that, or I'm hallucinating the shiny new 330i I parked in my driveway tonight. Dang mushrooms....the lady at the farmers market said they were shiitakes
I know a guy called Keith Kineally in Santa Barbara who is the ED "specialist". He's been at the dealer there for over seven years and does EDs all the time. I think his email is keithkineally@hotmail.com (there may only be one 'l' in kineally) or call him at (805)682 2000. Hope this helps!
I am due to pick up my new 330i around the end of March and wish to travel through Austria, Switzerland, Italy and portions of France. Does anyone know if there are any BMW temporary insurance restrictions that would prevent me from driving my new car in these countries?
I think this contains the most current list of the countries where your ED insurance is valid. Look on the upper third where all the letters are. Countries crossed out are not covered, and everything else is. Austria (A) is there, as are Italy (I), Switzerland (CH) and France (F) so you shouldn't have any problems. Around the end of February, BMW will send you a packet of info detailing everything including your insurance coverage.
The latest C&D has a comparo of the 330i against the A4, IS300, Jag X Type, Lincoln LS, Saab Viggen, and the Cadillac CTS. Not surprisingly, the 330i came out ahead even against this tough crowd. A couple of the numbers surprised me, though: 0-60 6.4 sec for the 330i is slower than any other test so far. The A4 was at 7.1 while Audi claims 6.8 and they are typically conservative with their numbers. Also, C&D tested the 330xi at 5.9 sec 0-60 a couple of months ago. I can see how the 330xi can be a little faster 0-60 in spite of its heavier weight (it's called major clutch abuse) but I don't see how the 330i does 0-100 in 17.1 and the 330xi does it in the 15's. The AWD may be an advantage in achieving better traction off the start but the higher the speed, the more decisive weight should be, especially with identical engines. Here's one more thing that surprised me - the 330i's skidpad is .83 g and the 325's was tested by the same magazine at .86. What gives? The 330i is about 100 lbs heavier but that cannot be a difference of .03 on the skidpad, especially considering the fact that the 330 has wider rear tires. Can the results from these tests be so inconsistent even when done by the same magazine?!?
I will have to order my new Bimmer at the end of January, as the lease on my 99 323i expires on 4/3/02. It would be helpful for me if you would share the (recent) lease deals with me. I am looking to lease a 325i or even a 330i if I will be able to have it under $500/mo. I want to lease for 36 months w/30,000 miles. This will help me a lot as one of the dealers offered me that he will try to match other deals. Just to keep the bandwidth low, you can also e-mail me at skobola@cyberdude.com. Thanks in advance.
Did you try Midwestern BMW in Columbus? I posted a name and number last week. They did $1,600 over ED for me, I had to order there from Chicago for the same reasons that you're finding in Cinci.
I bought my 2001 330xi by financing through a home equity line of credit from Deepgreen Bank. The interest rate is prime minus 90 basis points. Right now, the rate is 3.85%. If your borrowings are small enough that you owe less than your adjusted cost basis on your house (the underlying collateral) the interest on the HELOC is tax deductible.
Even if prime goes up to 8% from the current 4.75% -- a big if, and one that would take a couple years of gradual interest rate increases -- my rate on this loan will still be 7.1%, which is better than the rate BMWNA offered me to finance my purchase. When you consider that the interest is tax deductible as well (at least for me, in my circumstances) it was a no brainer going for the HELOC.
If anyone here is exploring the possibility of a HELOC, I recommend that you check out www.deepgreenbank.com.
brave1heart... Keep in mind that the results on any given day depend upon the car, the driver, the track, and the weather. Was the car brand new or somewhat broken in? A green engine? Was one driver more aggressive at launch than another? Differences in track surface and tires, as well as the altitude of the track? And what were the wind and temperature conditions on the day of the test?
I need some advice. 1997 328i owner whose "check engine light" came on. An independent facility ran the codes and said that I had a failed air pump, and possibly also oxygen sensor and fuel mixture problems (according to the codes and something else that he measured). His advice was to take it to dealer, since it is still under CPO warranty.
Dealer ran the codes, and said my secondary air pump was showing as bad. Since they had already repalced it this past July (under warranty), they reset the warning light and advised that I drive it for awhile more and see if the light comes on again. In the few days since they did this, the light has yet to come on. They did not show any of the other concerns (oxy sensor) that the independent guy found.
My question is this: Am I risking damage to the engine by driving this car further? Should I insist that the dealer replace the secondary air pump again?
My independent guy (whose shop only works on BMWs, and came highly recommended by several local BMW owners who called him highly ethical,knowledgable/reliable) was adamant that by ignoring this fault code, I am truly running the risk of causing much more significant damage, especiually to the catalytic convertor (from incorrect fuel mixture he said).
Any advice/education from those who know would be most appreciated. Thanks
I think the C&D article mentioned that they took the cars to the West Virginia mountains. The higher the altitude, the worse the acceleration numbers will be, right? You're right... the only valid numbers would be those achieved in a head-to-head comparison and I should not be looking at numbers obtained months apart under different conditions...
Thanks Hans, I've put an email in to them on Friday and am waiting on a reply. I'll be calling on Monday if they don't get back with me. I'd be pleased to get $1600 over invoice, Columbus is close enough for me.
I'm not an expert like so many others on this board, but my feeble brain seems to rcall a CD article where it was stated that their test numbers are corrected for temperature and barometric pressure.
I've been reading and subscribing to MT, C&D, and R&T for nearly 20 years. They will point out when they test at odd altitudes or strange temperatures. R&T even publishes the track temp and other data for their full performance tests. But I don't remember them "correcting" test data. If a car ran 0-60 mph in 7 seconds that day, that is what they publish. Same for C&D and MT.
Not sure there is any way to correct for all the variables you would need to try and make constant. How could you correct for different tracks, tires, etc? Or different drivers? Have a robot do the driving? We're not there, yet!
I would like to know if anyone has done the following? Picked the car in Europe, add accessories or modifications to the auto, and then ship the vehicle to the States. I am considering getting the white indicators and adding a CD changer, but I am concerned that when my vehicle makes it to my dealer, the items might be gone.
Going crazy waiting to head to Germany to pick up the car. I have already contacted my brother in Spangdahlem and let him know, i'll get him.
Anyone here lives in England? What is auto theft like there? My Dad does not have a garage.
Comments
Yeah, considering that we dropped the car off in Frankfurt on Dec. 6 and it arrived in New Jersey on Dec. 28, I think BMW is doing a great job of getting us our car quickly. If we can take delivery in the next week or so, I'll be ecstatic.
After a short while, the car would kind of jerk forward a little and it would be fine again. A bit later, same thing. No warning lights or the dreaded "Check Engine Light" came on.
Wonder if I should be driving the car, even to the dealership (about 2 miles away)?
First service appointment I could get was Monday, but they have no clue what this could be. Anyone have this experience or have a clue??
Also, there was someone on this board a long time ago that experienced a complete loss of power after he filled up Premium at a "lower-end" gas station because the prices there are usually lower for Premium gas.
I'm not a regular on this board, but I do stop in from time to time, mostly to browse the latest issues, debates, and sqabbles.
I just placed an order for an orient blue (black interior) 330Ci with all three packages (cold, PP, SP), A/T (yeah, I know what some of you are thinking), Xenons, and the in-glovebox CD changer. After some haggling I got them to shave about $2000 off the MSRP, which breaks down to a lease of $640/mo. @ 18k/yr, all taxes and fees included, with $2500 due at signing. Just thought I'd throw the numbers out there for sake of comparison.
Anyway, my question is about BMW CD changers. Right now I've got the OEM trunk mounted changer in my '99 328i and the thing is starting to skip way too much. Keep in mind I'm writing from the Detroit area and these roads are the worst I've seen. Still, it only skipped every once in a while when the thing was newly installed. Any of you have better or the same luck with this unit?
Second, what do you all think about the Nakamichi glovebox changer. Is it worth the $795 or is an aftermarket unit an option? Since it's dealer installed I can cancel that option last minute.
-SmoothOperator
Yup, I've got the front tourist plate propped up in our kitchen and I often stare at it misty-eyed as I wait for the rest of the car to show up. You have to leave one plate (the rear one) on the car for EH Harms transport purposes. Unfortunately, it was too big to fit on the scanner ;-) otherwise I would have put up a picture.
On the off chance I could slap my Euro plate back on, I checked into the Virginia code about a week ago. Unfortunately, passenger cars are supposed to have front and rear plates here in VA. However, I've seen quite a few VA-licensed cars lately that are only sporting rear plates--many of them Corvettes, although I'm not sure why--so I'm considering sticking the Munich plate back on the front and taking my chances. Anyone here think it's worth the risk?
2002 330i 4 Door Sedan
- White with Tan Leather Interior
- Premium Package
- Sport Package
- Bi-Xenon Healights
- Fold Down Rear Seats
Total = $35,205 plus tax, license and registration
($38,255 out the door)
I will be picking it up at BMW in Europe sometime early in April. Hope to have it back in the states by the end of May.
One question -- where can one find ED invoice prices for the base configuration as well as options?
regards
falloutboy
INVOICE
Base $28,450
PP $2,465
SP $1,020
Xn $595
Fold down seats $405
Dest $645
TOTAL ED INVOICE: $33,580
Your deal ($35,205) - Invoice ($33,580) = $1,625
Below are 02 invoices with 01 vs 02 pricing differences for Heatmiser's pkg:
Base--->$28,765, up $315, 1.11%
PP---> $2,640, up $175, 7.10%
SP---> $1,090, up $70, 6.86%
Xenon---> $635, up $40, 6.72%
Fold Seats---> $430, up $25, 6.17%
Dest---> $645 no change.
Total---> $34,205 , up $625, 1.86%
The bottom line: When we refer to a deal of $1000 over invoice in 2002, it would be around $1625 over invoice in 2001.
New 2002 invoices can be found at:
http://cuttermotors.com/bimmerfest/bmw_pricing/
BTW, heatmiser1, out of curiosity, what is your APR if you do not mind?
heatmiser1 - I ask again, were you able to negotiate this deal with a local dealer or did you have to go out-of-state?
I received offers from no discounts below ED MSRP all the way down to $1,300 over ED invoice. I spoke with the second closest dealer to me (15 miles away) on the phone and told him what I received for offers from the other dealers but told him I wanted $1,000 above ED invoice. I said if he could do that I would place the deposit over the phone with him today. He agreed, we ran over the numbers to ensure we were all on the same page and BOOM! Deal done!
Wish I could have done this in 2001 and saved even more $$$ since the prices just went up but the timing was not right.
I find every little drive in Europe, whether it be on the autobahn or the twisty roads of the Eifel, exhilarating! Nothing can beat the rush of a hairpin turn on a backcountry road--especially in a BMW! I get a kick out of knowing that fellow members are getting to experience what I've experienced for the last two years...
Well, finally my car has arrived! 325i, PP, Cold WX, STEP, Xenon lights, Steel Gray. Just for comparison sake, my final out the door price came to $30,040 (w/ free floor mats). I get to pick it up in Bitburg on Monday. I'll take some pics. of me and my lovely BMW sitting in the wife..errr, I meant, ... my lovely wife sitting in the BMW!
Tschuss,
-nobee
However, Jessie at Fields has been very helpful over the last six months that I had been shopping. The dealership seemed very polite and professional, and very upfront about their pricing flexibility. Judging by the size of the dealership and their inventory, I would feel safe buying a car from them. They just couldn't get me what I wanted because they only had Steptronics coming in.
Good luck!
nobee, well hopefully something gets something out of my write-up. You may have noticed, however, the complete absence of real driver-centric comments. It's a glaring omission which I hope to fill in at some point, but I figured I'd leave it for last since most people on the board already know how these cars drive.
And now for the next entry in my logbook, I got a call 20 minutes ago from Joern who told me that our car is here. Woo hoo! I'm wondering if that's some sort of ED record. I dropped off in Frankfurt on Dec. 6 and here we are just under a month later and we're picking up today in about an hour and a half.
Great ED experiences. I've driven the autobahn twice but found a lot of construction in Summer 2000 on the road from Munchen to Berlin (none from Berlin to Brussles). Is it still like that? I basically drove either 100 or 20 mph the entire way. P.S. Don't ever rent a japanese car when you're there (Mitsu Galant), the shake around 90mph was unbearable and was subject to a lot of lateral movement when the Porsche's came by!
derprofi has given me the idea of doing a home equity loan, as an alternative. Anybody know what home equity loan rates are these days? Don't these involve a lot of hassle, with various closing costs, etc?
derprofi - this is great stuff! I will definitely print this out and take it with me to Europe. One thing, how far was the second hotel you stayed at in Munich from the BMW pickup center? This sounds like definitely the place to stay.
Interestingly, we applied for the HEL, then (and I'm not sure how this happened, still in a daze) bought a new Lexus for the evil wife. Toyota credit gave us a rate of 5.35%. My plan is to pay off, in full, the Toyota loan with our HEL, as currently at 4.5% (plus tax advantage!) this is obviously a much better rate. But it is varialbe, where the TMCC rate is fixed....
And remember, with a Home Equit Line/Loan your HOME is the collateral, not what you purchase with it! In other words, if you use a HEL to buy a car and miss a few payments they don't take your car, they go after your home! I know this may be obvious, but I figured it was worth pointing out.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
The only downside is that these loans are tied to short term interest rates which can fluctuate rapidly. Over the past year this has worked to every borrowers benefit but if the economy picks back up expect these rates to go up as well.
Right now you can lock in some great 48-60-72 month interest rates thru the car manufacturers' financing arms or banks & credit unions. On both new and used cars. Save your HELCs for home repairs, additions, improvements, etc. Not to buy things you ordinarily would purchase anyway.
As for tax ramifications, check with your tax accountant. Just because you have a HELC does NOT make everything you purchase with it a tax deductible interest expense.
And, yes, Virginia, is it really worth losing your house if you fall behind on paying for a car using a HELC?
Hotel Uhland is about 10km from the delivery center at Lilienthal Allee 26. The gentleman who delivered our car actually drew us a great little map that got us there in probably 10-15 minutes.
I just found some pretty good directions on the Michlin web site. Put in "Lilienthalallee 16" as the departure point and "Uhlandstrasse 1" as the destination. I had problems if I spelled the names otherwise. Hotel Uhland isn't 5-stars or anything, but it's a great value for the money and satisfied this picky American. They also have a PC in their reception area and for a couple DM per hour (now Euros per hour, I guess) you can get on the Internet. Great for researching your next destination and/or searching out and boooking a good hotel rate online.
Well, I picked up the 330i today from Joern at around noon. What an amazing car. Joern is great too. The only disappointment--forgive me if I go into detail here--was that it wasn't really re-prepped the way I expected it to be. Someone did a very quick wax job (leaving nice gobs of white stuff in the cracks), slicked up the tires with some spray, and a quick vacuum of the floor mats...nothing else. There was still a chocolate stain on the arm rest where I'd been munching on candy while cruising one day, trash in the ashtray, and crumbs and dust all over the place. The wheels still had some Autobahn dirt on them and I suddenly remembered that there was a little dirt on there even after I washed the car and dropped it off at Harms. So, I suspect that the car was not even re-washed. If there is a way to slam the prep staff while praising Joern, I definitely intend to do it. Sure, I'm the one who dirtied the car up during my ED stay, but I really expected it to be re-delivered as if it were new.
Now two more bits of info for anyone who, like me, saw some of the preliminary 2002 spec sheets that were floating around back in the summer/fall:
1. The 2002 330i and 325i SP does not come with the "M" wheel. It comes with a 3-spoke, leather-wrapped wheel with stereo controls, but it is not the M wheel with the thicker padding and bumps at 10 and 2. I was somewhat bummed about this because I'm used to the wheel on our SLK which has more padding. Call me a snob or M-wannabe, but I was also hoping to get that little M logo on the wheel.
2. The 2002 330i does not come with clear indicators. I was also a little bummed about this too, but to tell you the truth, I also like the way the little splash of amber looks against the steel grey paint.
There was a gorgeous black M3 convertible in the showroom with cinnamon interior. Amazing car... Maybe that'll be the next addition to the family in 3-4 years.
Hope this helps!
-nobee
IF you put a huge payment up front.
Even if prime goes up to 8% from the current 4.75% -- a big if, and one that would take a couple years of gradual interest rate increases -- my rate on this loan will still be 7.1%, which is better than the rate BMWNA offered me to finance my purchase. When you consider that the interest is tax deductible as well (at least for me, in my circumstances) it was a no brainer going for the HELOC.
If anyone here is exploring the possibility of a HELOC, I recommend that you check out www.deepgreenbank.com.
I need some advice. 1997 328i owner whose "check engine light" came on. An independent facility ran the codes and said that I had a failed air pump, and possibly also oxygen sensor and fuel mixture problems (according to the codes and something else that he measured). His advice was to take it to dealer, since it is still under CPO warranty.
Dealer ran the codes, and said my secondary air pump was showing as bad. Since they had already repalced it this past July (under warranty), they reset the warning light and advised that I drive it for awhile more and see if the light comes on again. In the few days since they did this, the light has yet to come on. They did not show any of the other concerns (oxy sensor) that the independent guy found.
My question is this: Am I risking damage to the engine by driving this car further? Should I insist that the dealer replace the secondary air pump again?
My independent guy (whose shop only works on BMWs, and came highly recommended by several local BMW owners who called him highly ethical,knowledgable/reliable) was adamant that by ignoring this fault code, I am truly running the risk of causing much more significant damage, especiually to the catalytic convertor (from incorrect fuel mixture he said).
Any advice/education from those who know would be most appreciated. Thanks
Not sure there is any way to correct for all the variables you would need to try and make constant. How could you correct for different tracks, tires, etc? Or different drivers? Have a robot do the driving? We're not there, yet!
Going crazy waiting to head to Germany to pick up the car. I have already contacted my brother in Spangdahlem and let him know, i'll get him.
Anyone here lives in England? What is auto theft like there? My Dad does not have a garage.