/ /

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register




BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

1…4041434546…974

Comments

  • dkprncedkprnce Posts: 1
    horse power in a 1997 328is?.... can't find the original manufacturer's specs for this car anywhere. Does anyone know what the numbers are Hp/torque? so I have a benchmark for improvement...

    thanks
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • gsenthilgsenthil Posts: 154
    Went to Chapman & Camelback BMW last weekend but neither would give more than $500 off sticker. I am gonna try calling the Tucson dealer. I think sometime back someone posted a good deal at a LA dealership- can I buy a car in CA and title it in AZ? What are the implications. Any kind of help would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Senthil
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • bornagainbornagain Posts: 38
    It is probably the same as a '98 328i which is 190 hp and 207 lbs/ft.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • vesuviusiivesuviusii Posts: 32
    Please refer to post #1141

    325's are built both in Germany and S.A.

    All this worry regarding 325's build origin/VIN's caused me to determine German build location by EXCLUSION. Basically (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), if your VIN's 11th character IS NOT an "N" your vehicle was built SOMEWHERE in Germany. Personally, I don't care if it's Munich, Regensburg or Dingolfing, so long as it isn't S.A.

    Hope this helps.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • drewsky2drewsky2 Posts: 9
    OK...
    delv in NJ from order of 2/3 was at dealer on 4/2
    got to USA on 3/27, again, at dealer 4/2...
    me, i can't get there till 4/7...i'll live.
    leasing...as said, tax advantages in NJ for leasing, plus, in bus. application, better to drive as much as needed, then turn in for another
    ...like that new concept sedan...there will be a lot avail 36 mths from now...
    i have an Outback w/ 80k after 27 mths ( bus and pleasure )...still owe till 60 mths on finance deal...good car, but, worthless now.
    330xi will be 30k per year lease...after 36/90k...
    return for another, unlike my "options" w/ outback at this point.
    As for my dealer fees...
    only 1st/last and $216 in doc. fees...that's it.
    car...330xi, 5spd, paint, prem/cold/awd sport pkgs, cd, xenon...
    total $39,365!!!
    30k per yr lease $779/36 mths
    $1795 at inception
    NJ dealer..."autovantage" pricing. ( a $2500+ swing from another dealer equally 30-45 mi from me...CIRCLE BMW was even HIGHER $$$...)
    couldn't have been easier, even if i did have to order....
    Also...I travel all through MA and NH (reason for awd xi...)...hard to believe the xi's not out there...or, priced competively...get "on-line" quotes...make them bid for your business.
    Anyway,thought everyone was buying Volvo XC's in NE...I know I tried to, but, BMW just was better, even at $120 mth more, but, only 1/2 as much up front, however.
    good luck
    check-in after Sat.(4/7) w/ report...may take to NE next week...VT/MA...or, NH following week.
    drew
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • uofmich1uofmich1 Posts: 18
    Mine is an 11th week. It is done being built and has been sitting next to your car for about a half century now. I think im gonna tell my dealer that I wont take delivery if its off by too much. That should piss him off a bit. Call your dealer and ask when it will be shipped, they can call the port. My dealer claims it will still be on time.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Posts: 2,698
    jhdevoy - I enjoyed reading your informative post on leasing. Your reasoning, however, is mostly academic and being a fixed income analyst does not make you an authority on leasing. I have an MBA in Finance but I would not use this as a credential for leasing vs. buying arguments either. Most consumers prefer leasing because of tax advantages (small businesses), or because it lowers your monthly payment, or because it is more convenient in some aspects (not having to buy and sell). Leases are much too complicated to understand for most people and the salespeople can take advantage of you more easily. Ever seen a salesperson trying to convince to buy instead of lease? For the most part, what you need to know about buying a car is MSRP and invoice. In addition to that, you'd need to know a slew of financial variables, concepts and formulae to even try to figure out if a lease is a good deal or you are getting royally screwed. You pointed out the advantages of leasing very well. For a more balanced opinion, we should also mention the disadvantages: miles limit, fees (lease acquisition fee of $500 and dealer fee of $300), no chance for customizing the car, haggling over the condition of the car when the lease expires and uncertainty over the terms of the lease if the vehicle is totaled. I am buying a 325i for 31.5K (MSRP of 32.8K) and if you try the bmwusa.com lease calculator, my monthly payment would be $537 for a 36-mo lease and no money down. Tell me again how a 20K (yes, that's twenty grand) cash outflow on a 31.5K car leaves me with a 64% residual after 3 years? Maybe at 25% financing it would?

    Listen, if you do like to drive a new car every 3 years and are willing to pay a substantial premium for that, fair enough. But claiming that you'd actually be structuring a deal identical to buying with the FREE (mind you) option to give the car back if it sucks is downright misleading. There is no such thing as free lunch, Mr. Academia.
    +++
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • uofmich1uofmich1 Posts: 18
    Mine is an 11th week. It is done being built and has been sitting next to your car for about a half century now. I think im gonna tell my dealer that I wont take delivery if its off by too much. That should piss him off a bit. Call your dealer and ask when it will be shipped, they can call the port. My dealer claims it will still be on time.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • bmwknightbmwknight Posts: 12
    Actually mine is not going to be on-time.... the tentative date that the dealer told back the first week of Feb. when I ordered the car was this week!!! So we know that's not going to happen. Actually I sort re-ordered the car, upgrading to a 330i (even though that's going to drain some of the money for my next winter vacation) with the option of taking the 325i if it arrived here first.... The 330i was supposed to be a wk16 (mid-April) and production started ahead of time and as of 4/2 the car is awaiting transport, I guess in transit from Munch to the port... and I'm almost positive that the 330i is getting here first...! Keep us posted about yours..!
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • uofmich1uofmich1 Posts: 18
    Mine is an 11th week. It is done being built and has been sitting next to your car for about a half century now. I think im gonna tell my dealer that I wont take delivery if its off by too much. That should piss him off a bit. Call your dealer and ask when it will be shipped, they can call the port. My dealer claims it will still be on time.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • oracle_xmloracle_xml Posts: 4
    Folks,

    I am in the process of buying a new BMW 2001 352xi. Since my options requires a factory order, which will take roughly about 2 months, in this situation how does the old car trade-in process works? Do I negotiate the price upfront and then hand over my old car when the new BMW arrives or ...

    I guess I need some kind of feedback or your experiences with trading old car when you do a factory order. This will help me in dealing with the dealer.

    Thanks

    Ajay
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • jamesf5jamesf5 Posts: 11
    After what seemed to be months of research and allot of thought I finally ordered a 325i last Wednesday 3/28. Ordered 5 speed Steel blue metallic, sand leatherette and added cd and wood trim. I agree that the leather and sunroof is not worth it unless you really have to have the "smell" . Never used my last sunroof and it takes away a little headroom. Now that the cruise (a must have in my opinion), an fog lights are included it made sense just to order a base car and add exactly what I needed. This car is the perfect luxury sports sedan, just what I wanted, and under $28,000. Compared to whats out there, even if you are on a budget this is a "no brainer". Anyway I just checked with BMWUSA.com owners circle this morning and the car is already in production. Dealer told me it could arrive in only 6 weeks. I thought he was crazy but they must have stuck it in a slot they had going into production in less than a week.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • MarkinAtlantaMarkinAtlanta Posts: 194
    Ajay, selling your old car and buying a new car are two transactions. Too often people treat it as a single one. The dealer will try to treat this as his job to make money on both transactions (naturally). Ordering a car, and working with the dealer to coordinate your trade in at a fair price at a later time will really complicate matters. Anything can be done, in my experience I just couldn't get it to work and sold my old car myself. Probably not much help here, huh? Jamesf5, sweet car.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • alpine325ialpine325i Posts: 209
    I had to wait 9 weeks for my 325i, but it was well worth the wait! When my car arrived at the port which is about 100 miles from my dealer, I had to wait 3 weeks for it to get to the dealer. It was only 100 miles away, but I guess there were alot of other deliveries before me. Super car, worth the wait.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • unboringuyunboringuy Posts: 90
    It does seem as though it does take longer than expected. I ordered my 330xi in mid-January, and I'm still (impatiently) waiting. My car apparently landed at the port in NJ on 3/26, but as I understand it, was loaded on a truck for delivery yesterday. I have no idea how long it will take the truck to find its way to my dealer. Even though production was earlier than anticipated, my car did not arrive as expected in 60 days. Oh well, hopefully this week!
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Posts: 861
    Very well said, although it will never sink in. There are a few people around here that think leases are the work of the devil and will never admit anything else, even though they are clearly wrong. Leases can be good and they can be bad. It just depends on what people are comfortable with, that's all.

    brave - come on over to 'Lease vs. Purchase' in Smart Shoppers. Scroll up several posts and you'll see the details of a lease I just terminated. It cost me a whopping $4 per month to lease it instead of buying it. For that $4, I got GAP insurance, a new car every 3 years, and a guaranteed residual value if the used vehicle market had tanked on me, or if I had been in an accident that resulted in a lower market value for the car. But it did cost a whole $4 per month. I guess it wasn't free...
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • dhanleydhanley Posts: 1,531
    I didn't see anyone who thinks that leases are the work of the devil, but i have had "discussions" with people who thought they should lease instead of buy and put that money in the stock market. I am thinking that currently those people are rather sad... ;-)

    dave
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Posts: 861
    I only use the 'devil' comment to show how ridiculous some people can be when discussing this topic. They think that because leasing is not right for them that anyone who leases is an idiot who doesn't know what they are doing.

    I will probably always lease, regardless of the market. I do it for the reasons I stated above, and the fact that I get a new car every few years, anyway. I'll agree that if that is your only rationale, you should probably buy (but, look at someone who leased, say in 1996 - they came out WAY ahead on their investments, assuming they diversified along the way, and weren't tech heavy).
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • titleist_ttitleist_t Posts: 2
    Maybe Jamesf5 can tell me, but I am interested in knowing what type of deal you can get if you goto the dealer and order specifically the car you want. And I am talking about ordering a 325 set up like I want it. Any ideas/thoughts?
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • dhanleydhanley Posts: 1,531
    I'd lease if the situation were right, but for my financial situation and car preferences, it usually doesn't work out--and yes, i've looked and crunched the numbers.

    I do think a lot of people lease to get more car than thay can really afford, which is unfortunate. Not saying that's everyone, of course.

    dave
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • jk26jk26 Posts: 27
    If I remember right someone posted earlier that the PP invoice is now $2275 and MSRP for it is $2700. Are these numbers correct??? Thanks, just want to have the facts when I go in to order my new 325.

    -jk
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Posts: 861
    Yep. Lots of people do use leases to get more car than they otherwise could. That doesn't make leasing bad, though (like some people would say), it just makes those people not very smart with money. I would look at the same cars regardless of lease or purchase and then decide which is the best way to get one.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • goody4goody4 Posts: 55
    At the end of financing your 300k home, you at least have something to show for it. Leasing, to me, seems like a life-long, perpetual car payment. When your three-year "rent" is done, you get to buy or lease another vehicle.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Posts: 861
    But if you get a new car every 3 years or so as I do, it doesn't matter if you lease or finance (unless you finance for 3 years, in which case your payments are astronomical, even on a $25k car), you still have that payment.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • bmwbuyerbmwbuyer Posts: 14
    Would someone who understands how to calculate a lease please help with the following situation?

    I was quoted $38,700 on a 330i with a money factor of .0021 and a residual of 65%. How do I figure out what the lease payment should be (with zero down) on a 36-month lease?

    Thanks!
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • wlpostonwlposton Posts: 11
    I just got my BOW 325i this week. On the first
    when ever I put the car in reverse (manual transmission) I hear bees like when a truck
    backs up letting you know the distance of anything
    behind you. Now I do not hear the bees when I
    back up the car. Is there a feature to switch
    this function off and on?
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • wlpostonwlposton Posts: 11
    I have a 325i. I would like to know if anyone
    had there keys programmed when they picked
    there up?
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • jamesf5jamesf5 Posts: 11
    Buy what u want and only what u want. I had some dealers tell me that for a base car (cough,cough, and look the other way) that they would not move from MSRP. Later that same day their sales manager would e-mail with an offer of $800 off MSRP. I just e-mailed or called dealers. I did not even go in. I learned that I had to tell them "I want a 2001.5 steel blue 325i with sand leatherette, myrtle wood and cd player. I am not interested in any other color and I don't want to see a sunroof". Know the List and invoice prices of the options. I listed the car I wanted along with the options I wanted and the invoice prices. the more options the more they can move in price. But don't settle for MSRP even if you order a base car.
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Posts: 861
    What is the MSRP? The 38,700 is the purchase price, right? Give me the MSRP and I can tell you.

    If you're nice, I'll even show you how to do it :)
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
  • erricksonerrickson Posts: 130
    Can anyone help provide info on dollars off of msrp for dealerships? I will buy from anywhere in the US (almost). I am interested in a 325, and I live in Houston, Texas. Most of the dealerships here have an attitude, and say they don't have to sell below msrp. I tell them to go-for-it, and walk out. They offer to add things like tinting, mats, but that's it. Please let me know if I am out in left field on this one, and please share your experiences! Thanks!!!!
    · Share on Facebook Share on Google+
Sign In or Register to comment.