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

dougsilver

To be astonished at the tactics of auto dealers (or, for that matter, sellers of any other item where envy can be brought into play) is frankly quite naive as that is what supply and demand is all about. Of course they can crank these cars out by the truckload but why do that when they can keep prospective buyers salivating that they are getting some "limited edition" exotic? What is loathsome is the phony suppply-and-demand scenario that auto makers do all the time by holding back on production.

I keep recalling this tactic when the VW Beetle or PT Cruise or Mazda Miata was introduced--idiots lining up like lemmings willing to pay over sticker to be the first.

The only way that prices will be reduced is when these cars sit a while on the dealers' lots.

Doug

cdnpinhead

I'm looking at acquiring a 328 RWD wagon/estate/avant sometime after September (when my BMWCCA membership hits the required one year).

What are the current residuals & money factors for a 36/39 month lease? I should probably be able to get this myself, but I'm on a trip & can't access BMWCCA stuff for a variety of reasons.

My impression is that the wagons aren't being subsidized nearly as much as the sedans. I don't normally lease, but now's the time to start running the numbers.

ED is in my future, so I've that to look forward to as well.

dave7196

hi there,
does anyone have mf and res info for June on this sedan?
what have people been able to do a 3yr/30K lease at?
the car i designed had an MSRP of $42,675, selling price of $40,675.
$3600 drive off, $570/month

is this a fair deal? I feel like i should be able to get both the monthly charge and the drive off lower...
thank you so much

pmvi

What sort of discount do you get from the BMWCCA membership?

kyfdx

BMW NA will send you a rebate if you have been a BMWCCA member for at least one year. $500 on a new 3-series.

BMWCCA isn't involved, except to verify that you are a one-year member. The money comes directly from BMW NA, after the sale.

regards,
kyfdx

pjo1966

vert... which SoCal dealers gave you the stories above?

leigh7

same story in north carolina--- supply and demand they say...

kyfdx

I'd say it is true...

Some dealers are only getting three convertibles per month.. They won't have any trouble finding that many buyers to pay full MSRP.

trewquis

"The salesperson even admitted that BMW is supplying such small allotment per dealer purposely to drive the price up. They can output more if they wanted but they want premium for this car. After all, all the BMW dealerships are getting money to remodel from somewhere. Instead of selling one a weak for sticker wouldn't it be better for BMW to sell several per week for a few grand discount off MSRP?"

I would chalk that up as another lie, just trying to pass the buck. It makes no sense, no matter what the dealer sells it for BMW gets the same amount of money. Only the dealer makes more by selling close to MSRP. At this point I also don't believe they can crank out as many of these as they'd like. Whenever you start production of a new product, particularly one with features the company has never done before, productivity is much lower and they would generally restrict it to a single line to make sure they have manufacturing procedures down. Couple this with a new engine that is filtering through the product line, it's not surprising that they can't meet demand.

In less than a year they'll be at full speed, if you don't like the prices, just wait.

solin

I would like some advice from anyone in the forum. There is a used 2006 with only 5000 miles on it and the party wants someone to take over the lease. The car has both premium and sports package plus lo-jack. His cost is $546 a month with about 15 months left on the lease with 12k per year allowed. The residual I believe is about $31,500.

My question is, would I be better off buying a brand new 328i instead of this almost fully loaded 2006 330i? What about BMW's 328's current lease special?

Thanks in advance.

pmarcos

Like the previous poster, I'm considering an offer from Coast BMW in San Luis Obispo. If you've had any experience with them I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks!

carnutfan

it's never a good idea to make a down payment on a lease. You should do multiple security deposits. They are refunded at the end of your lease.

Find out what the money factor is. Is he marking it up?

Three numbers:

Cap Cost
Money Factor
Term of Lease

That isn't a fully loaded coupe. Price out what you want on Edmunds. Then call a few dealers. There are cars around. Phillipe at Irvine is the person to talk to. Also, call Phyliss Paxton at Sterling. Additionally, Ali Khan at BMW Santa Maria will deliver the car to your door at a very competitive price.

Bottom line: If you can wait 8 weeks and order it, you'll get just what you want at the best possible price. Go to Bimmerfest.com and you can learn a lot by lurking around the site.

kyfdx

'07 328iT

3yr/45K

MF .0024

Residual 60%

cdnpinhead

Thank you sir, very much. Now I can run some numbers at ED invoice + $1000 & see what's what.

Is the residual figured on the U.S. MSRP, or the ED?

kyfdx

US MSRP

wxviewer

This is my first post here so everyone please bear with me.
My fiance' has the above mentioned vehicle and is entertaining the idea of keeping the car after the lease is up. The lease says the residual on the car is $19717. Will that be the price we would be purchasing the car? It will be under the 45K miles slated in the lease. She has leased a car with the same deal twice(She leased an X5 before this one). Would she be considered a 'loyal customer'?

Please, any info and/or experiences you all can offer would be appreciated.
We would like to know what kind of payment we would be looking at with this car.
Thank you
Bob

bocatrip

For those who are patient, and with some time, the 3 will cool somewhat and prices will come down. For those who are impulsive, most dealers will be able to smell your enthusiasm and you will pay all the money.

muddyy

Hi, I tried to order a 2007 328xi coupe space gray black leather auto, in NY today (lease). This was the dealers reply by email:

"right now we are sold thru 2007
2008 lease quotes will not be available until late August"

Is that what everyone is hearing from every dealer in the US? Hard to believe.

23109vc

what is the best/cheapest monthly payment anyone here has negotiated on a 335i sedan?

i would be looking at one with ONLY the sport kit and NO other options - in a manual tranny.

on a side note - i test drove a 335i sedan with the auto and it seemed decently quick especially once moving...the thrust stayed on from low rpm up to redline... - are the manual versions faster than the autos? on some cars, it sometimes seems the autos are so good that they may only be *marginally* slower, and much more consistent...especially off the line... not that i'm looking to drag the car...but what is considered "faster"?

badbeat

I would try some of the dealerships in Jersey. I know that Denville BMW has a fair amount of inventory and is very aggressive on price.

hometh

both are cpo:
04 325i with auto, no package 27k milage asking for 24k
04 325xi with auto step, prem package, cold weather, and xenon, 45k milage for 24k

which one is better?
thx.

guy1974

I would go for a new 328i. I am in the process of leasing a 328i (being built at the moment) and it is $466 with leather, sports package, automatic, comfort access and metallic paint. This is a 3 year, 15K miles a year lease. You would be saving $80 a month which allows you to upgrade to the full premium pack and still save money each month. Also you would have the experience of a new car with a full warranty and maintenance package.
Hope this helps.

harineth

I would like to extend my original warranty that has 4 months left. How much should I expect to pay in the SF Bay Area. Thx

dgingo

This is my first post here. I've loved what I've seen so far. I'm new to the "leasing game" and need some help. I've emailed my local BMW dealer (Santa Barbara) with the exact car I wanted to lease just to see what his response would be. 2007 328i sedan, alpine white, beige leather, auto, sport package. MSRP $37,500. He emailed me immediatly with... Internet price of $36,000, 36 months- 10k/ yr, $498.55/ mo. including tax with $876.30 due at signing.
I haven't talked with him yet because I don't know where to begin- Money factor, etc. What do these numbers look like to you?

kyfdx

$37500 MSRP
$36000 Selling price
$36625 CAP cost (selling price + acq.fee)
36mo/30K lease
64% Residual
.00155 Money Factor (base MF + sec.deposit waiver)

Payment = $445/mo.+tax

If tax is 8.25%, then you are at 482/mo.

Did you mention that you needed to be under $500/mo.? It looks like they are marking up the money factor just enough to get as close to that number as possible, without going over.

Make a $500 security deposit, and the money factor should be .0014. That would bring the payment to $436/mo.+ tax. That is around $472/mo. including tax.

The $1500 off MSRP is reasonable, if you get the base rates. So, ask the dealer to add the security deposit and give you the base rate and acq.fee. Upfront of about $1376 and $472/mo. (assuming your tax rate is 8.25%).

Hope this helps,
kyfdx

dgingo

Thank you very much! A couple more questions because I'm so new with the leasing thing... Ca. tax rate is 7.75 I'm thinking?

If I want 12k miles/yr, how will that change the numbers?

What is the "base rate"?

Is out of pocket 1376+472 up front? Where does $1376 come from?

Oh... and does putting $500 sec. dep. mean NO "DOWN PAYMENT?" I remember you talking about maximizing sec. dep., rather than making down payments.

I know... dumb questions, but I've always purchased my cars, and am used to that type of bargaining-- much fewer numbers!

Thanks again. Sorry if the questions were so basic.

lvjimmie

Not that this is completely related...but I am giving you this information in case you end up shopping at South Bay BMW or Assael BMW in Monrovia. Did you know that they require that you submit your fingerprints before they will sell you a car? I ordered a 328i coupe from South Bay in March...it was delivered over Memorial Day weekend, and when the salesperson called to make arrangements to pick it up, she THEN informed us that we would have to submit our fingerprints "under the Patriot Act" (this was later changed to "as a result of the Patriot Act, then "for customer identity theft protection"...all a load of crap). Bottom line, we were not willing to give a CAR DEALERSHIP our fingerprints, and we left the deal. I have no idea why anyone would be willing to do that to buy a car...we ended up buying from Beverly Hills BMW, without fingerprints or any other problems (they were even willing to come close to our previously negotiated deal). San Diego and Riverside do not require prints, neither does New Century in Alhambra, but they indicated they are going to in the future. We are still in America, right?

kavitak

I am in WA, and looking into buying a new 2007 328i Convertible. Can you share what prices you're paying and what kind of options you think are worthwhile? This is my first BMW and my first car purchase!
Also, is European Delivery better than buying it here? How much are the savings (if any).
Thanks a lot for your time and advice!
Kay

kyfdx

You'd probably know your local tax rate better than me..

12K vs. 10K lowers the residual by 1%. This will add about $11/mo. to your payment.

The "base rate" (aka buy rate) is the minimum money factor set by BMWFS for the lease. The dealer can mark up that rate for extra profit. Obviously, you want the lowest rate that you can get, with no mark up.

$1376.. You provided $876 as the upfront money on your deal. I just added a $500 security deposit. I assume that your $876 includes the first payment, plus title/license fees.

A security deposit isn't a downpayment. You get it back at the end of the lease. In this case, a $500 security deposit saves you around $350 over the life of the lease, then you get it back.

sirkoondog

Went to the BMW dealership in manhattan to price out a new 328xi lease (premium, metallic paint, heated front seats) and came back with a month payment of ~$478

term: 39 months/10k
cap cost: 39625
residual: 64%
money factor: 0.0017
security: $500
down payment: $625

I was trying to get him to lower the money factor to the buy rate of 0.0014, but he wouldn't budge and said my credit wasn't a factor at all regarding the money factor.

I am going to start calling to the other dealerships around the tri-state area. What is the likely hood of actually getting the 0.0014 money factor?

I also saw the bmw special today for a new 328xi (+sport,paint) for $369

kyfdx

The base rate on the 328xi is different than the RWD model.

They must be running a special 39 month lease. That is the same residual as the 36 month lease.

dgingo

2007 328i MSRP $37,500. The dealer gave me an "Iternet price" of $36,000. I've only purchased my cars before, where all I did was haggle from the invoice up.

Now that I'm leasing, should I put as much effort into attempting to lower his offer? Is going from $37,500 down to $36,000 any kind of deal?

Also, 'KYFDX' said that he thought dealer marked up the MF-- so is that worth trying to negotiate or should I just put sec. dep. to try to lower MF?

Thanks for any input!

dgingo

For example...

Invoice just under $30000... marked up to $32,400 MSRP.

My options and destination charge= $5000.

$5000-$2400 mark-up = $2600. So, they're Base price is $32,600. Do these number make sense (or even accurate??). Assuming they are accurate, then anything above $32,600 is dealer profit, yeah??

If he's offering me $36,000, down from $37,500... sure seems I could get that lowered.

Am I crazy??!!

kyfdx

Not crazy, but maybe a little misguided..

Why do you think $5000 in options is marked up by $2400? The spread between MSRP and invoice is nowhere near $5000 on this car.

You can build the exact car, right here on Edmunds, and get the invoice price. Off the top of my head, I'd say there might be a $3200 spread, at most. If you get the base MF and acquisition fee, then $1500 off is not a bad deal. The difference between what your dealer offered and what I calculated was only about $16/mo. So, you aren't that far off.. On a 36 month lease, that is $600.

Go back to your dealer.. Ask him to knock $15/mo. off the payment, with all other terms the same... and see what happens.

The stress will go away, once you get the car..

dgingo

I'm sorry, I didn't explain myself well-- I knew I'd do that! I meant it was marked up $2400 from invoice to base MSRP... $30,000 to $32,400... then my $5000 options.

So, I guess I meant to ask when leasing, you don't deal from invoice price + my options? You just work from final MSRP and deal down?

Also,he emailed me the MF and Acq. fee. MF .00175 (incl. sec. dep. waiver). Acq. fee $825!!!!! Are you kidding me?!

Thanks for all your help. Hope I'm not driving you crazy.

kyfdx

Knowing the invoice amount is great, but always make your offer in real dollars. I don't start at invoice or MSRP.. because I'm not likely to pay either amount.

So.. it looks like the only difference between your deal and the one I proposed is in the finance department. They are marking up the MF by .0002 (they can mark up .0004), and the acquisition fee by $200.

Those two items together add about $20/mo. to your payment... Just call the guy up and tell him if he can cut the monthly by $20/mo. with the same upfront money, he has a deal. And, then accept anything close.

Once you get within $20/mo., you know you aren't getting fleeced.. Now is the time to negotiate a lower monthly price. You know what goes into the lease payment, so you know where you stand. At this point the details other than the monthly and upfront amount are relatively unimportant, unless the terms of the lease change.

regards,
kyfdx

23109vc

from looking at the edmunds current incentives page, it looks like BMW advertises a lease on the 335 COUPE w/auto and sport package, $2000 down, and $514/month.

my understanding is the SEDAN is a less expensive car, and if you get it with a manual it is even less expensive.

what would one realistically be able to lease a 335 SEDAN wtih manual and only sport package for?

some fo the quotes I see people posting here are a lot highter than 500ish a month...and if BMW is advertising payments almost as low at $500.... why aren't the sedans even less given they have a lower MSRP?

dgingo

I want 12k miles/yr rather than th 10k he offered. How can I expect the numbers to change? Probably sounds like his offer is close to good with a 12k mile agreement, yeah?

Thank you soo much for hanging in there with me!

You're making my first lease experience much, much easier-- I've learned more than I ever thought I would!!!!

kyfdx

12K mi./yr will drop the residual to 63%. That will raise the payment by about $12/mo.

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx

Almost every advertised BMWFS lease includes the buyer making a $2500 downpayment... Divide that by 36 months, and you are adding $70-$75 to the monthly payment, if you aren't making a downpayment.

On top of that, most lessees are putting a lot more options on their car.. If you add $3000-$4000 in options, figure another $40-$60/mo...

Then there is tax, etc, etc..

It is really easy to get into the upper $600s on a 335i lease...

donnabgood1

Hi KYFDX, Carman, OW and All,

I helped my friend negotiate this deal - tell me if you think it is good.

335i sedan
sparkling graphite met.
steptronic
prem pack
apple usb
satellite
cold weather
comfort access
navigation

MSRP 48920
Cap Cost: 46595
Aqq Fee 625
Money Factor 1.85 after 700 security dep (1st time BMW owner)
Dive off due: 2435.79 (includes $700 refundable sec. dep)


24 month, 15k a year, 686 per month (includes 8.25% state tax), 71% residual.

She drives 18k a year but was wisely advised by SA to pay 16 cents for excess mileage over 30k at the end of lease term, rather than prepay 15 cents a miles for an 18k per year mileage allowance..

I advised on the 24 month term so there is no risk of being out side of warranty like a 36 month lease would be her at if her driving habits stay the same.

I really wanted to get this friend a good and fair deal -- she has been thru a lot this past year..she was also a long term Lexus driver (RX and GS models), and though she is not telling me exact numbers I think this BMW quote came in much better than Lexus ever did..sales advisor was funny when he heard that he was a long time Lexus driver he said now that she will be driving a BMW when she goes in front of St. Peter now she will not have to say "I drove a boring car all my life. Is that a sin?" LOL.

As always please let me know your opinion, as it is always very much respected.

When the order was placed for the car, with my advice she offered 750 over invoice, but it may be a few dollars more here or there -- but still I think it's good. Agreed?

Thanks for your review and imput..

Regards,
Donna
(Happily driving my month old 2007 BMW 328i -- everybody who rides in it says it makes them hate their car afterwards because the BMW is so cool. I don't dare let them drive it, because then they will find out what they are really missing and I am just not that mean. )

(posting this in the 335i discussion also)

totowa

Hi,
I have been getting quote from local BMW dealer in NJ.
They said, they are only marking up by $500 from their cost, but quote included various fees. For example, besides $500 mark up, they added $1020 for additional fees.
Dealer told me they are including 3 other charges which is regional charges of $480.00 assessed by BMW to each vehicle and $200 for dealer prep, gas, and carpeted floor mats, and more. Is this legit?
In conclusion, they are asking $1520 over invoice price listed in Edmunds.

kyfdx

$180 for a training fee..
$300-$450 ($480 is possible) for MACO (regional advertising)
$125 for carpeted mats (optional equip., not a fee)

What's the other $300 for? Document fee?

Are those charges legitimate? Sort of.. (document fees are BS, though..)

Is $1520 over Edmunds invoice a good price? Pretty good... $1000 would be better.. $500 is probably unrealistic.

I like to make my offers in American dollars.. As you can see... $XXX over invoice can mean anything the dealer wants it to be.

regards,
kyfdx

redsoxgirl

now that she will be driving a BMW when she goes in front of St. Peter she won't have to say "I drove a boring car all my life. Is that a sin?"

And, St. Peter responded, no, but a BMW 335i with an automatic is.

Coincidentally, I went out with a friend and co-worker last week who needs a new car. She is also looking for a 2 year lease, given a high probability that she will be returning to Australia once her current assignment is up in 2009. She was quoted $625 per month on a 24 month lease with $0 down and 12k miles per year (includes 6% tax). The MSRP was $48,500, with similar equipment, except the sport package and 6-speed in place of your friend's automatic. Your MSRP seems $500+ high, by the way. She was quoted $1,000 over invoice, but I forgot what that worked out to.

If you want my input, tell your friend to save the lease eqivalent of $1,200 and get the 6-speed. It is sweet. And for someone coming out of Lexus GS and RS, she could use an added dose of driving pleasure.

circlew

And, St. Peter responded, no, but a BMW 335i with an automatic is.

It is so sublime to sin with the steptronic! :P

Regards,
OW

ggurr54

All I see on this site are leasing questions. Does anyone actually buy a BMW anymore? And if they do what kind of price and you get for a cash transaction?

kyfdx

Selling prices will most likely be the same, whether you buy or lease..

dgingo

Originally, he quoted: $37,500 MSRP down to $36,000...
36mo; 10k mi/yr; $498/mo; $876 upfront (.00175 MF; $825 Acq.Fee)

He emailed me this "new deal" today...

I restructured the lease as follows:

36 months - 12K miles/year

MSRP: $37,500
Internet Price $35,800

Acq. fee: $625
Money Factor: .00170 (I left a little extra here because my finance ladies don't get any salary so this is how they pay their bills - which is why I reduced my price by $200)

Payment: $492.88 including tax
Drive-offs: $876.30

I am throwing in floor mats as well - if you would rather have the car discounted another $100 I can do that instead.

... :confuse:

kyfdx

The dealer has dropped the price by $200, knocked off the $200 markup in the acquisition fee and is now marking up the MF by .00015, instead of .0002... and throwing in the floor mats..

That is a total reduction of around $600 from the previous quote.

It is a pretty good deal.. If this is the car you want, you should go for it.

The only change I would make? Add a security deposit of $500 to your drive-offs. That will lower the MF to .00155 and lower the payment to $483 or $484 per month.. (This won't affect the profit margin of the dealership, so they'll be fine with it). You save $9-$10/month, and you get the $500 back at lease end.

regards,
kyfdx

dhanley

"All I see on this site are leasing questions. Does anyone actually buy a BMW anymore?"

The thing is, that purchases are much simpler; all you need to do is get the best price and not pay any unnecessary fees. There isn't much to ask aside from "can i beat this price, and is this fee necessary" and this is subsumed by the leasing queries.