BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

ashutoshsm

This is based on the understanding that BMW uses Pioneer (or compatible) head units. In fact the IP-Bus based Pioneer CD changers need a simple adapter, and can be added to most BMWs (a cheap and excellent alternative for those unwilling to spend $500 for a 'BMW'-branded CD changer)

Pioneer has IP-Bus based XM Radio add-on units that you could plug into the trunk slot (meant for a CD changer) or add on under the passenger seat and connect to the existing BMW head unit using the right adapter. If I were a BMW owner, I'd check with independent electronics retailers or crutchfield.com's specialists to verify this!

Another option is to get an XM radio tuner with a remote control (hand-held or dash mounted) from Sony, that is FM modulated - so you can tune your FM radio to a particular preset frequency to pick up the output of the XM radio receiver.

I have a Pioneer head unit and CD changer in my car (not a BMW, not yet anyway!) and will probably add a Pioneer XM Radio unit and antenna soon (total cost should be under $250-300 if I install it myself)

I'd love to hear about people's experiences with XM, especially with a BMW/Pioneer installation!

gwunj

Unfortunately, I didn't mark that one. It was kind of an offhand mention with other ED benefits/costs. If we only had a search engine that could... =P

Glenn

rlay002

I am looking to purchase a 325i. Would like to know the residuals and money factors some of you recently received.

Thanks in advance.

kominsky

I'm a little late here, but...

Congrats on the car! Sounds like a beauty.

ocjerry

Could I get some help compiling a list of all the cars that want to compete with BMW 3 series. This is what I have: Lexus IS300, Infiniti G35, Mercedes C class, Audi A4, Volvo S-60, Accura TL, Lincoln LS, Cadillac CTS, Jaguar X type, Saab ??. Thanks

nyccarguy

Nothing truly compares to a 3 series!

That list you've got sounds about right. The Saab you're looking for is the 9-3 (SE & Viggen).

compwhiz

Jonas - I've heard decent things about Laurel and Perillo. I purchased my 530 at the end of December, and I did my research in the Chicagoland and surrounding areas. I ended up with a decision that it pay to buy local, as if you want to take your car in for service, you will get better perks at the dealer you bought it from because you know the salesman. After my research, I believe that there are 3-4 dealerships in Chicagoland that are worth buying BMW from: Laurel, Perillo, Motowerks, and Patrick. I ended up buying at Patrick because the salesman gave me the lowest pressure, was very accomodating in finding the car for me when I wasn't even ready to plunk the $$$s, and gave me the best price on 530 on top of it all. He also delivered great after-sale service so far - I scratched my bumper doing parallel parking after two weeks, and he touched it up and buffed professionally at no charge so that you can never tell that the paint was scratched off. Patrick also has very convenient service - you can basically make an appointment anytime, not weeks in advance, like some dealerships. If you are interested, call Patrick, and ask for Joel. Tell him that Michael with Xenonless Silver 530i sent you, and you'll get a great deal.

Also, if you fly United, Patrick participates in the United VehicleMiles.com program. You get 10,000 Mileage Plus miles for buying a car at Patrick.

Best of luck, and let us know who wins your business - always curious to stay on top of best BMW experiences in Chicago

esq1

I'd add Knauz to your "good Chicago dealers" list. Patrick, on the other hand, lied to me by telling me on the phone that they had just the car I was looking for. When I drove the family out to Schaumburg that night to look at it, the car had "amazingly" been sold to someone "in his parts department" that very afternoon but would I be interested in buying another car on the lot? The bait & switch at its finest and an offensive waste of my time.

shipo

NycCarGuy,

I’m not sure why, maybe advice from our accountant? Thinking out loud: in Illinois (where my company is located and where I started leasing cars), they tax the entire negotiated price of a lease car up front, in an effort to lower the monthly costs, we paid the sales tax up front. Here in New Jersey, we actually get a break (the only one mind you) and only pay tax on the depreciated value of the car. In the case of the 530i, the tax amount comes to only $839.64, had I done this lease in Illinois, the sales tax on the exact same car would have been $2,648.75. That price added to a lease will really jack up the monthly payment.

Emk242424,

Ummmm, I would get that oil out NOW. Even in the hottest of conditions, BMW does not recommend 15W oil in the engine.

Carwatch & JJShabadoo,

I have seen both Contours and 323is (that’s plural 323i, not a single 323is). Either way, I really don’t care too much, I never needed a loaner with my current car, and, knock on wood (touch wood for you folks from across the pond) I won’t need one with the 530i as well.

Dave330i,

Thanks, unfortunately, my BMW CCA membership will not be quite a year old when I pick the car up in Munich, as a result, I did not even ask about the discount.

Nobee & Komisky,

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Shipo

hgeyer

In Illinois, you get no consideration for the residual of a lease vehicle. Every time you lease, you pay 7%-8.5% of the sales price - Yuk!

BMW Financial does offer a special type of lease under which the final payment of your lease is for the residual value of the car - the title is then transfered to you for I beleive $1. You can then refinance the car and/or sell it (or re-lease it) at the end of your lease. This structure gives you the tax deductibility of the lease payment (if applicable to your situation) without having you over-pay your sales tax.

shipo

I happened to notice that yesterday, this discussion did not make the list (even though the Isuzu Trooper with 13 messages did) with 44 messages posted on 19-Feb-2002. By my rekoning, the 3-Series discussion should have been ranked somewhere in there. FWIW, the Chrysler 300M discussion had 24 posts and it did not make the list either.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

I hear ya, my business partner paid more sales tax on his Dodge Intrepid than I did/will pay on my 328i and 530i combined!

Best Regards,
Shipo

millerro3

lease rate for a 325i is .00220

residual is 60% of MSRP for a 36 mo. lease with 15,000 miles/year. 62% for 12,000--63% for 10,000.

As of March 1st, lease rate will stay @ .00220, but the residual will drop to 59%.

If you get a credit approval before March 1st, you have 60 days to take delivery using the 60% residual--Good Luck!

Rob

lfgpit

Are those numbers the same for a 330xi?
I was quoted in January the same residual rates, but a factor of .00230, not .00220.
Also, what do the 330xi numbers go to in March?
--Thanks!

petrarch

I'll try and compare myself, if I can find both. I was also wondering about possible quality differences, but I suppose someone who have chimed in to enlighten me. Thanks again!

jim52

I believe the mf for the 330 is currently .00205 (same as for the 530). It has been that since January 1. I find that dealers often mark these up.

brave1heart

We must be throwing the counter off with the high number of total posts ;o)

Doesn't it seem to you all that 60% residual is way too low for a 3-year old 3-series with 35-45K miles on it? I mean, if a new 323 cost 30-35K 3 years ago and we depreciate it by 40%, there should be a lot of ads out there for $18,000-21,000 323's, no? I haven't seen many of those...Wondering if the lowered residuals reflect expectations of faster E46 depreciation as we get closer to the new 3-series introduction due in 3 years.

pat

I'm asking about the Top 10 - I agree with you, there are a number of Sedans discussions that out-posted the bottom seven on the list.

Sometimes it gets broken - I 'spect that's what happened, and I hope that my raising the issue will get it fixed.

I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

compwhiz

Knauz is pretty good, I've heard, but mighty expensive. Their service department has always gotten good remarks on the boards, but I've never heard of anyone getting a best deal at Knauz($-wise). My personal experience at Knauz was something like you described at Patrick - the guy had only one 5spd on the lot with PP, SP, CWP and Xenons. I test drove it, and like it, but was not going to buy SP for Chicago driving(had 3000 GT for almost 5 years, plus it was outside of the budget, too. At any rate, the guy was pushing very much to sell the "lot" car, didn't offer at all to trade with other dealers(exactly what Patrick guy offered on the PHONE as soon as I called). Also, at the time I was contemplating ED, and I mentioned it to the salesman, who proudly said that ED is a great deal, and they'll be happy to order me a 530 at ED's MSRP, but they never discount it. Basically, I felt that Knauz is quite a bit snobbish. Sure, it's tbe best looking BMW dealership in the Chicagoland. Anyway, I strongly believe that there are a few decent dealerships in Chicagoland(the ones I mentioned in my original post). Knauz only earns marks for great service department IMHO, buy buying a car there equals overpaying a bit. Unfortunately, Patrick has a few rotten salesmen as well - not all are great and honest as Joel is. That's why I can make a personal recommendation - I went though a great buying experience and got a car for the price that no other Chicagoland dealer would offer. I have a reasonable belief that he'll do the same for my referrals. There probably is a good salesman at Knauz as well - I just don't know who it is, I know only one bad one.

nick60

I'm interested in either the 325 or 330. However, I'm concerned driving a rear wheel drive car in the winter. Can anyone describe how their BMW handles in the snow. I'm wondering whether I should get the xi version. I'm also looking at the Jaguar X-Type which is all wheel drive.

raavir

just ordered 330i(jetblk/blakette/sp/hk)...
sun roof, xenons, heated seats are standard on canadian model. Could somebody help me how to track the status online.

Thanks
Rajesh

modendahl

I would recommend Jason Newman at Knauz BMW. He seemed to be knowledgeable and was very up front with us. (My 325i is due to be delivered in about two more weeks).

If you are looking at Mercedes - Fred Davison was just as good at Knauz M-B.

Just tell them that Mark and Shelli said Hi.

bmw323is

For those folks looking for tire information (high performance all seasons, etc), I would recommend visiting tirerack.com. It's an excellent web site with tons of information. After a bit of research, you can also call them and their customer service people will give you more first-hand information. I've talked to a couple of guys there and found that several of them drive BMW's and are extremely helpful.

The decision between high performance all seasons and switching between summer performance tires and winter tires can be a tough one. Remember, being safe should be your ultimate guide. Good luck.

mschukar

Can anyone who has installed a CD changer tell me where the IP-bus connection is? Is there one in the trunk, or only on the back of the head unit?

Also, has anyone connected something other than a CD changer to the IP-bus? If so, what do you select for "source" to get the sound through the system? I'm trying to determine if the Pioneer CDRB10 http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-LNHwAykOMrR/ProdView.asp?a=0&s=0&g=50900&id=detailed_info&i=130CDRB10 will work in my 325.

Thanks

-Murray

shipo

We seem to have ratcheted up the post count over the last few days, however, like Pat said, apparently the counter is broken when it comes to counting the “lowly” sedan. I am sure that this problem will be fixed.

As for residuals, apparently, used car prices (including the E46) have suffered because of the glut of used cars on the market, which is a result of all of the cheap financing that has been offered by many manufacturers of late. In my case, my 328i has an ultimate residual of $24,064 at turn in on 30-Apr-2002. When I checked the TMV calculator last November, I had roughly a $6,000 equity position on my car, now I am dead even, even though I am 11,000 miles UNDER the mileage limit for my lease. Our minivan is another story, when we bought it at lease termination last July, we had a $2,000 equity position according to TMV, now, however, we are $4,000 upside down.

I talked with a company in Texas that is a dedicated car leasing company, and the gentleman that I talked with about residuals told me that used car prices are currently at unprecedented lows right now. He also told me that in early January, the “Industry Experts” were predicting that it could be as long as 18 months to 2 years before used car prices recovered, however, he also mentioned that the same “Industry Experts” have just recently said that the used car market is rebounding faster that anybody could ever have imagined. Either way, I got doinked by the current used car climate, so I am simply going to turn in my 328i (as opposed to selling it and recouping some of the equity that I should have had in it), and move on.

Pat,

Thanks for the confirmation; I thought my ability to count was going the way of my hairline. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

i just saw two new cars from Autoflex leasing , if thats the source .They seem to still do a good business, but i feel the pain, mine has dropped about 3-4k over the last few month that ive hardley put any winter miles on... ;(.

DL

asinger1

I am going to have to store my new 325 in a garage (no A/C) during the Florida summer, June through September. I will have someone available who will come by every so often to either start the car &/or take it for a spin. Any suggestions on how to prepare the car for this high intensity, high humidity storing? The only thing I can think of is to have a couple of fans constantly running in the garage. I think my biggest enemy with be humidity and it is my understanding that keeping the air moving may reduce or prevent mold build up.

shipo

How about "Pickling" your engine and putting a de-humidifier in the garage with the 325i?

Aircraft are routinely pickled for the winter months (or longer) and many companies that make aviation oil also make a special pickling oil such as Phillips 66 Lubricants, which makes “Aviation Antirust Oil (SAE 20W-50)”. I have also heard of kits that you can buy that have special oil, a spray type oil mister (to spray in through the spark plug holes) and “cylinder dehydrator plugs” to replace the spark plugs.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

I guess the "Top 10 Hot Discussions" counter is REALLY not working today. Yesterday, we had 49 posts, but the top discussion turned out to be the Mazda Miata MX5--Part Two, which had 0 (yes, zero) posts. It sounds like a piece of code croaked. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

asked me for that lease calculator...I can't send email to your hotmail account. I keep getting an error message the instant I hit send.

nyccarguy

I'd recommend over-inflating the tires a few psi. Maybe there's some more information on E46 fanatics.

brave1heart

We flattened all the competition. Literally )

deutch194

There might be a limit to the size of the file being sent to my hotmail. Try bguelich@cbre.com, its my work address and it should be able to receive the file. Thanks.

nyccarguy

You've got mail!

raavir

I placed an order for 330i, Delivery in April. Do I need take any production number from the dealer? How to check status of the order?

Thanks

tenet1

Didn't you just buy an ES300? What made you go with a Bimmer so soon?

postoak

I went through the exercise you are now doing a couple of months ago when I was thinking about leasing. If you Google "lease payment calculators" you will come up with several nice sites. Also Edmunds has one in their "Advice" section. Next, you'll probably want to know what numbers to put in all those boxes. You will not find specific BMW FS information at the BMW web site, nor do you get anything by calling their 1-800 number. BMW wants you to go to one of their dealers for this information. Call a dealer and ask for the Finance department and someone will give you the specific numbers you need. Be sure and ask about fees -- acquisition fees, disposition fees, and if there are any others.

jel620

I am looking at buying a 330i. I currently drive a '98 Grand Prix and the lease ends in May. I have another car that I can drive for a while so I don't need to buy a car by May. The BMW would be a first non-domestic for me and I love the ride. I am most interested in doing the ED. I have been to Munich three times before on business. In my visits to Germany, I have rented an Opel (Vectra I believe), a MB C180, and a MB C230 (or C220?) Kompressor. On the autobahn, I was able to go 150 mph with the C230 which didn't have a speed governor but this was close to redline. Are the BMW's powertrain as sold in Germany the same as those sold in the US or do they alter some of the gearing? Also, what is the speed rating of the tires on the base 330i (w/o SP)?

I have been reading this message board for a few months and recall a discussion about power ratings between Europe and the US. I believe that US cars are derated because of the lower octane rating of premium fuel. 91 and 93 octane premium fuel is common in the US and 98 octane is common for premium fuel in Europe.

For lease deals, the residual value is based off of MSRP, right? This would mean for a $40k MSRP car that can be had for $36k with ED would have payments of $321 (assumptions: 36 months, 7%, .64 residual, only money down is tag, title, and tax). Is this right?

Thanks!

hspark

Hi everyone. I am new here and 325i is my dream car but still it is out of reach yet. I am driving 97 Prelude now. Here I have a question.
What is the buy back price will be at the end of the lease? How much room for negotiation in lease price?

Thank you in advance.

ccotenj

the octane levels between europe and north america is pretty much the same, it's that it's measured differently...

previous m3's were detuned to make emissions requirements... i believe the difference that is noted in the new m3 is also due to measurement differences...

-Chris

hgeyer

My calculations say $470.46.

When calculating a lease payment, you need to treat your capitalized cost as the present value and the residual as the future value. You can't calculate the payments based on the difference between cap cost and residual since you are technically borrowing $36,000 (and paying interest on that amount) and repaying $25,600 ($40K times 0.64) in 36 months.

dhanley

In the new m3, they had to move the cats closer to the engine to heat up faster to meet NA emission requirements. There went the 4 horsepower!

dave

hgeyer

My calculations say $470.46.

When calculating a lease payment, you need to treat your capitalized cost as the present value and the residual as the future value. You can't calculate the payments based on the difference between cap cost and residual since you are technically borrowing $36,000 (and paying interest on that amount) and repaying $25,600 ($40K times 0.64) in 36 months.

carwatch

What do y'all think about this?

2001 330Ci jet blk/gry leather, auto, PP, SP, Heated seats, xenon, am/fm cd player, with 12K miles going for 35K

Is this a good deal?

dave330i

The other part of hp difference is in the units. I believe US uses SAE while Europe uses DIN (can't remember). They're almost 1-to-1.

millerro3

lease rates and residuals for the 330xi are the same as for the 325i, which I put in my last post.

jim52 is correct as well, the 330i is .00205, but the xi is .00220

Rob

tim_stl

Long time lurker, first time poster:

I'm interested in either a 325Ci or a 330Ci and was wondering if the residuals and money factors for either will change as of March 1st. I have been quoted a .62 residual on both the 325 and 330 for a 36 mo 12k mi lease, with a .00230 mf for the 325 and a .00205 on the 330. I would prefer to take delivery in mid-May , but if the mf's and residuals change significantly, I may act within the next week. Thanks for any insight you can give.

Tim

tenet1

Couldn't you get a similar 330Ci used without the demo miles?

I would prefer to get a new loaded 325Ci rather than a demo anything

nyccarguy

One of our posters...millero3 who is a BMW dealer says the residuals on a 3 series will drop as of March 1st to .59. If you sign a lease before 3/1/02, you will be guaranteed the current residual values.

carwatch

I'm ready to buy or lease. I'm test driving in a few days a 325Ci and a 330Ci one after the other. This way I will set my mind at ease re: power and feel of both models. I'm with you on the cost value of a brand new loaded 325Ci. Still, I'm slightly leaning towards a brand new 330Ci, maybe with less options but certainly with PP.

I did not inquire about the Demo car. It seems that every time I inquire about a 325Ci or a 330Ci, the first response I get is an offer on a demo car... wonder why that is?