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

my 330xi

Again, thank you sooooooooooooooooo much for your feedback!!!

The car is NOT in their lot but at another location. They can deliver it to me by June 30th.

I will try and get an additional $1,000 discount.

Thank you and if you have the chance to visit NYC, I'd like to buy you a drink!

Best Regards,

Donald

kingk

Try carsdirect.com with your zip code. I think it is about $700 cheaper than your price. Just print that out go to your dealer. I am sure you will get more discount...

good luck...

young in

2004 325i
Premium
cold
Steel blue
Beige(Sand) leather
Auto

MSRP:36095
Invoice:33372
Out door price:32800

kyfdx

You did well... nice job.

regards,
kyfdx

willw

Carsdirect gives about 1k above invoice, anybody done better?

kingk

I got my 330xi almost $1900 below invoice from Bellevue BMW about three weeks ago. That was a special deal since the car was on the lot for 5 months and had 200 miles on it. The other 330xi (only 5 miles old) they offered me was about $500 below invoice.

Anyway, here is how I made the deal. First, I got an offer from carsdirect.com using San Francisco zip code like 94105. Because of an price error at carsdirect.com about four weeks ago, a 330xi was offered at $1400 below invoice back then in most CA area. Anyway, I checked Seattle dealers' inventory to make sure that they had what I wanted. And then I asked them through online something close to that price.... They almost matched the deal so I stopped by the dealer and got another $500 off for that 200 miles.

I think you should be able to get a deal close to invoice for 325i. Good luck and let us know...

didi

I have learned a lot from this forum. You guys/girls are very helpful. I just got a quote for a 325i with following options:

Orient Blue/natural brown leather seats
auto
premium pkg
sport pkg
xenon headlights
Harmon Kardon sound system
fold down rear seats

MSRP is $38345, invoice is $35160. What I was offered is $ $34800. It's below the invoice price, and is about $840 above the (invoice-incentive). I need pay tax/lic/doc fees.

It seems to be a good deal to me. But it's not the exact configure I asked (sport pkg, xenon, and fold down seats are not what I need). How do you think about the three options which I don't need? And is it possible for me to get the price lower, say $34500?

Your comments and suggestions are very appreciated!

kyfdx

The sport package and the xenons are worth every penny. My guess is only about 10% of 325s have the sport package and you can see the difference. The car sits lower and is much better looking with the 17" wheels. In addition, most people like the bolstered sport seats much better. Fold down rear seats: I have them, but have never used them... But, I wouldn't worry about it for the $500 difference either way.

That looks like a great price. You will have a fairly unique 325i, with the sport pkg and the relatively rare natural brown interior. I rarely buy a car and end up wishing I had less options, although sometimes I wish my payments were smaller.

Good luck,
kyfdx

sunilb

I'd keep those three options, as well.
The Xenon's are awesome and the sport package is definitely worth it (I checked out a non-SP and the seats alone would sway me to get the package).
Fold-down seats aren't necessary, but they come in handy when you'd least expect it.

didi

kyfdx and sunilb, thanks a lot for your comments. I think I'll take the car with the three options. Hmmm, natural brown interior might be a bit too dark? Anyway, I'll check out the car and see how I like the color combination.

Thanks again!

chinaman

where did u get this deal... dealer/state?

riez

didi... If you enjoy driving and want a car that begs to be driven, then GET the Sport Pkg and Xenons. Life is too short to drive boring cars or cars that underutilize their potential. 325i with 5-speed manual and Sport Pkg is a great car.

kyfdx

I don't think the natural brown will be too dark.. It is a nice caramel color... kind of a tan.. Plus the carpets will be black to match the dash.. It is a very nice combination.. It almost looks like leather furniture. If I were ordering, I think I would almost certainly get it. I'm not fond of Orient Blue, but that is just me. Most people rave about it.

regards,
kyfdx

nwmark

I'm looking at a 325 Sedan with automatic, premium pkg, Xenon, MSRP 34,845.
What should I expect the Cap cost for a lease be for this and with no additional cap reduction the payments for a lease. 24 months or 36 months.

Any number would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

young in

Dear chinaman! Towne BMW/NY state!
I drove just two days!
I really love beige leather.^^
Have a great deal!!

young in

As I said above, I just bought 325i the day before yesterday. I just knew that the invoice price shown on every website is almost close dealer's invoice but little more. Dealer's invoice is 8.4% off MSRP.
For exam,
MSRP:$36,095
My car's invoice on website:$33,372
The dealer's invoice:$33,063

It is almost close but $300.
Therefore, I subtract $1,200 holdback from 33,063 not 33,372, and gave $1,000 margin.

I think it would help to save extra money.

Anyway, I really like steel blue and beige leather^^ It's the best color for 3 series.(Don't offend me, just my opinion^^)

I really hope all of you use my information^^

brunna

The dealer let me keep the wagon from yesterday afternoon through Monday night. The car is a pleasure to drive especially in the rain. I'm convinced I want AWD. I am not convinced I should get THIS wagon with only 3,500 miles left on the original warranty. One thing that bugs me is that the CD doesn't play my homemade CD-R's. Does anyone know for sure if it is supposed to? Any experience out there with this issue? Also, can any aftermarket Cd changer be added to the Bimmer? Or does it have an aux input that I can't locate? I still need to drive a Sub OB and I may wait for the V50, I'll see what kind of deal I can get tomorrow when I return to the dealer. They want $24,500 and $1,900 for an extended warranty to cover 3 more years and 50,000 more miles. That basically puts the price on par with a CPO I saw at the BMW dealer, although this car is in better shape. My brother said the CPO deal is not as great as you think - some exclusions and a $30 deducuctible every visit? Anyone have any suggestions for me? I was going to offer them $22,000. Thanks!

didi

I bought the car at the price offered and got a set of free floor carpets worth $125. Thank you all for the helpful comments.

As kyfdx said, the natural brown leather with black is a nice combination. I like it.

Now I really enjoy driving my car :-).

Thanks again!

sunilb

Great job... that color combination must look great!
Glad you stayed with the sport package... you'll appreciate it in the long-run (a day or two

joeny

Donald,

You should definitely be able to get $1000 under invoice.

I don't know if you've bought the car yet but I figured I'd share my experience since I recently (May 23) purchased a similarly-equipped 330xi. I live in Manhattan. You may have some further bargining room at a NYS dealership. (Not BMW Manhattan- I found them to be incredibly unprofessional.) I went looking on Long Island (ultimately Raylle Motors) with two competitive quotes in-hand from Northern NJ dealers, DiFeo and Essex, both were about 400 +/- $50 under invoice. When I told the salesperson that I preferred to buy in NYS to facilitate transfer of my former registration, he came back with $950 under invoice. I never bothered to go back to the others because I was already impressed with their way of doing business and frankly, I was willing to pay several thousand more a few months prior to the dealer incentive. I paid cash and the price did not include my trade. The car was inbound from Germany, destined for another dealer and swapped.

Good Luck!

jack154

Hello -

I have been a big fan of the BMW for many years & have always considered it the absolute best for my driving needs. I have narrowed my search to the 330xi, however I am very concerned over the redesign for a few reasons. First, I don't want to spend 43k (w/ tax & finance charges) to buy the last car of the last model to be redesigned. Personally, I just don't like the image of driving an "old" car for such a huge price - since we've already been around the new 7s for a few years now. The older 3s will look even older than they are because the new designes have been rolling out.

Second, if I choose to resell it, I am concerned the residual value will not be anywhere near BMWs historical high residual since everyone will be in the market for a used redesigned car... not one before the redesign (unless everyone hates the redesign but this is 100 to 1)

My dealer confirmed the new model has I-drive and he said that most people who are used to computers like it - but I've heard people on here complain about it (and you're all using a computer, right...) so what's the deal with the I-drive? I know nothing about it. I certainly don't want to be flipping through computer screens to adjust the heat when I drive. I do that with my iPod now to find music and it's a huge pain and has almost caused accidents.

I guess my options are:
- Lease a 330xi for 3 years and then buy the new design in 2008. Downside - I hate leases & the mile restriction...and I'd be throwing 25k out the window (the cost of a used one basically). Upside - I can write it off my income tax because I own a small business.

- Buy a used model and drive it for a few yrs.

- Get a cheap car for a few years and use it as a spare or sell it later. I.e. An Altima, Jetta, or Passat (liked passat the best)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Also - what's your experience with "leatherette"? I think it's harder than natural leather and probably less likely to soften over time... what have you all experienced? Thanks again.

Jack

blueguydotcom

so what's the deal with the I-drive?

It's a basic control device. very easy to learn. 5-10 minutes in a 745i and I had it down. people like to complain.

- Lease a 330xi for 3 years and then buy the new design in 2008. Downside - I hate leases & the mile restriction...and I'd be throwing 25k out the window (the cost of a used one basically).

I'm not following you. If you lease a 330xi, how are you throwing away 25k? Figure there's a 2400 rebate on the 330i. Which means if you do a lease on a car with an msrp of 43k you should be able to buy it for 37-38k. That 5-6k plays a big role in keeping your payments low. I don't know BMW's MF or residuals now but I'd bet you wouldn't pay more than 20k over 3 years. And of course, if it's a write-off than really it's only gonna be 10-12k that you spend.

- Buy a used model and drive it for a few yrs.

Always wise. Best money choice.

- Get a cheap car for a few years and use it as a spare or sell it later. I.e. An Altima, Jetta, or Passat (liked passat the best)

Not gonna bag on the Passat but if you'd be happy, that's an option. I'm figuring I'll drive my scummy little 03 Pro ES for a year or so after I return my 03 330i in 2006. It'll be a good way to save some coin and by then a good M should be available.

Also - what's your experience with "leatherette"? I think it's harder than natural leather and probably less likely to soften over time

I have leather. my bro-in-law and my friend have the ette. The leatherette is FAR softer and more rubbery than the hard, unwavering, cool gray leather in my 330i. I thought I wanted the ette but it was too Lexus soft for my tastes. Little rubbery too. Only the natural brown leather seems to be soft - not the kind of leather I like.

jack154

I'm not following you. If you lease a 330xi, how are you throwing away 25k?

i guess i just meant that lease payments in total will be 25 k for 3 years. It just feels, psychologically, like im throwing the money away because i walk away with no car. i think it's just the way my brain works. of course i get a car for 3 years but i still feel like I walk away with nothing.

in an alternate scenario - i could buy a used BMW for 25k and actually own the thing... i have that "ownership" gene... i hate loans, leases, mortgages, etc...i dunno why. my dad is the same way.

do you know about write offs? I have to talk to my accountant but I dont fully understand if this expense directly comes of the corporate income - or if i just get a credit of a lower percent. And - is there a limit...i.e. i'm sure i cant buy a rolls royce then and write it all off- u know.

Thanks for the advice though - esp interesting about the leatherette being softer.

kyfdx

Leasing is just another way of financing.. It doesn't cost you any more on an apples to apples basis. It DOES guarantee your residual value, which was one of your concerns. If the car is worth the residual, you could then buy it... Or, if it is worth less, then you can congratulate yourself on leasing it, and avoiding the loss.

If you feel like you have to buy, getting an '01 330xi for around $25K would be a good option, but I don't think you can get a CPO for that price, so warranty concerns are there.

**WARNING--not an accountant**

The Rolls Royce thing is a good example. For business purposes, when you buy a car, it is an asset that can be depreciated. The depreciation is used as a write-off against your income. The IRS has a schedule on what percent of the purchase price can be written off each year. BUT, there is a limit on the purchase price that can be used to figure the depreciation. I don't know what it is now, but it used to be around $25K. So, in this example, assume you can write off 25% the first year.. If it was a $25K car, you could write off $6250, but if it was a $50K car, the write-off is still $6250, because $25K is the maximum. However, there is no restriction on the write-off of leases. If that $25K car is $400/mo to lease, then you write-off the $4800. But, if the $50K car is $800/mo to lease, then you can write off the whole $9600.

That is probably an oversimplification, but that is the basic premise. Leasing is more advantageous from a business perspective, the more the car's price exceeds the depreciation ceiling.

That said, your main concern seemed to be that your BMW would look "old" in a couple of years. I doubt that will be the case. The new coupes and convertibles probably won't be out until a year later than the new sedans... You can put off buying a car forever waiting for the next big thing.. Buy it now and enjoy it!!

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

do you know about write offs? I have to talk to my accountant but I dont fully understand if this expense directly comes of the corporate income - or if i just get a credit of a lower percent. And - is there a limit...i.e. i'm sure i cant buy a rolls royce then and write it all off- u know.

With a lease you write off the whole expenditure as a business expense. I did this with my Jetta - wrote off my gas, my insurance, maintenance and payments. We're talking a good 7-8k a year. That's a nice chunk of change.

As for "throwing" money away on a lease. Look at it this way, if you can get lots of money off the car and BMW gives a stupid high residual (often high 50s to 60%) then you will be in a better position.

For instance, lets say your xi is a 43k car. But you leased it for 38k. The residual value is 58% of the msrp, which equals 24940. But your payments are based off the negotiated price - 38k. So before taxes or the money factor you're looking at 13k. Taxes and the money factor might get you up near 19-20k. Maybe. You can go to leaseguide and punch in the numbers to know for certain.

But if you're writing it off - something you can't do when buying (you can depreciate but that's a smaller write off) - then you're gonna see a much bigger tax deduction every year. Smaller income = small tax bill.

I leased my 330i ZHP because I got a great deal (17k over 3 years) and I "know" it will not be worth anywhere close to 25k when the lease ends. The new bodystyle will be out, thus the current model will take a hellish nosedive in resale. I'm predicting a real resale of 21-22k for it in 2006. No way I could have boguht a 330i and gotten 3 years out of it for 17k.

307web

A 330i is not going to have that hellish of a nosedive just because there is a new bodystyle. It will be affected, but that drastically! There is no reason to panic about resale.
I could easily see a well-equipped 3 year old 330i with low miles and great condition going for $25K.
If they can only sell for $21K in 2006, I'll probably buy one.

kyfdx

Well.... blueguy's 330i is not the one you want to buy, even if it is only $21K. If you wonder why, just ask him. But, I agree.. I don't see a big nosedive in value coming soon, even with the new model.

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

Time will tell. I'd be shocked if 45k mile 2003 330i's are selling privately for even 23k in may 2006.

If the car is going for over 25k (which seems impossible given that a year old one with 15k miles goes privately for 31k) then I'll sell mine privately. Notice that's a 12-3k drop off msrp in one year. One year and it's lost over 25% of its value.

You want to tell me the car will now lose only 6k in the next 2 years and 30k miles?

Well.... blueguy's 330i is not the one you want to buy, even if it is only $21K. If you wonder why, just ask him.

kyfdx, nobody looking over my car would think anything beyond...wow, this guy kept this car totally mark/dent/scratch free. Nobody knows where I shifted or how often corners were taken at 3 times the limit. They'd just see a super clean car.

spanishbar

I just got an offer from my dealership.

'04 325Ci
Non-metal color
Leather seats
Prem. Pkg.
Sport Pkg.
Xenon Lights
Harman sound
Auto. Trans.
MSRP=$39,195

They offered $540 a month (tax included); $2,000 down and $2,000 (1st Mo., tags, etc.). MF at .0026 with a residual of $22,000.

With my excellent credit score of over 720, I think I can get a better deal on the MF.

I am trying to get a monthly payment of under $480. What does everybody think?

This is my second posting, thanks for all the feedback I got on my first message.

SpanishBar

spanishbar

Forgot to add, this is for 3 yrs. at 12K miles per year.

1stbmw

I am planning to buy my first BMW and I guess Z4 is the one I am going for. I am not in a hurry and can wait for another 2-3 months. Just want to know when does the 2005 come out and what would be best time to get a good deal on 2004. Please note I live in Atlanta, GA.

blueguydotcom

What is your negotiated price? I'd expect with the $1200 rebate you're below invoice on your negotiated price, right?

That price determines how much your payment should be. Invoice on that car is 36k.

Leaseguide.com provides a calculator for figuring out your deal.

kyfdx

Also, the base MF is .0022, so they are marking it up the maximum .0004 If they use the base rate, it will save you close to $25/mo. right there. I would bet that they are marking up the acquisition fee also.. Assuming you aren't in NY, the base fee is $525, but they can bump it up to $725 if they wish.

Unfortunately, the coupes have lower residuals than the sedans. Your payment would go down significantly for a sedan, not that its relevant.

regards,
kyfdx

spanishbar

The selling price is $36,200.

kyfdx

Selling price sounds okay.. They are definitely bumping up your MF. What are your total upfront fees? Is $2000 all of it, or is it $2000 down, plus another $2000 upfront?

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

This is a 3 series board.

Regardless, if you want your best deal, figure september-october for the highest BMW rebates. Less choice but greater savings.

kyfdx

Last year, they put big incentives on the '03s in the fall.. and even upped them right after Xmas. Unfortunately, the selection is pitiful by then.

The Z4 2.5 has a $3500 dealer incentive right now. You should be able to get $6000 or more off sticker right now.. The incentive is $4500 on the 3.0 liter model

regards,
kyfdx

spanishbar

It is just a tad under $4,000 ($2,000 down and about $1,945 in fees). Thanks.

kyfdx

Then your payment seems kind of high.. Did they give you the residual percentage? Or the exact dollar amount of the residual? It looks like they hit you with a good selling price, but are extracting maximum financial terms out of the lease... also, what is your tax rate?

regards,
kyfdx

spanishbar

Kyfdx,

The residual was 57% or $22,341.15 (57% of MSRP $39,195). My tax rate is 8.1%.

Thanks.

SB

kyfdx

I'm not exactly sure how they figure tax where you live, but I figured it on the monthly payment, because thats how they do it here.

With $2K down, I come up with right around $520/mo., using the MSRP, selling price, MF and residual you gave me. So, it seems they are $20 high there.. I'm guessing $19XX in drive off fees includes first payment plus security plus acquisition and title fees.. It definitely sounds like they are jacking up the acquisition fee by $200.

If you lower the MF to the base rate, it drops the payment to around $495, with the $2K down and the upfronts.

If it were me..... I wouldn't make a down-payment, I would insist on the base MF, and an acquisition fee of $525, which I would also roll into the cap cost.. This would lower your money due at signing to about $1250 and your payment would be around $572/mo., with no downpayment or cap cost reduction.

I'm not sure how they came up with $540/mo., because I get $520/mo. using your numbers.. Unless they have a more onerous way of figuring sales taxes.

Your sales price looks good.. It is the rest of it that would bother me.. Heck, with the money you are putting up front, you could finance the car for 60 months at 4.5% and only pay $675/mo.

I like to lease, but this dealer is making all their money on the back end of the deal.

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

That deal smells bad. The MF is too high to justify the lease.

spanishbar

Kyfdx,

I got it down to $480 a month. They tell me that the MF is set at .0026. I have an excellent credit score of over 690. If I can't get them to lower the MF, I will try to get the selling price even lower.

Thanks for your insight and advice.

SB

jack154

This is my 325xi quote. I wanted to check with some people on here bc it is a little higher than I thought - the incentives on the 325s are not as good as the 330s. But also, there's an issue of the car having 2000 miles on it that the dealer (who has been excellent and honest and helpful the whole time) didn't call attention to at all:

$34,990 quote. 36,095 MSRP
325xi
Cold Package
Premium Package
Mystic blue metallic paint(will this look dated in 5 yrs?)
Sand Leatherette
2020 miles on it. Classified as "used" on this summary printout he gave me.
Car is being brought from another dealership
Floormats, etc... included. Doc fee, title, liscence, tax - extra.

So - a few questions:
What is up with the odometer being at 2020? Isn't that kind of high? Shouldn't I ask for more off with this much usage on it? It sounds like a demo or something.
I got a better quote in February on a new 325xi. Did they sell more 2004s than they thought they would?
They say they I am only paying 1800 over invoice. Does that sound right? (Regardless of the miles issue)

I don't like the stereo in this one. The harmon kardon 330 stereo was MUCH better even on radio. How much is an aftermarket stereo system replacement to a bose or harmon kardon (or similar) brand. Who does this - BMW or a car stereo place? Also, are there aftermarket hook ups for MP3 players since there is no tape deck to put an adapter into? What are people's experiences with the cell phone and garage hook up. Do you put your cell in somewhere and then it comes out your car speakers? Where does all this go?

Anther question not related to the price / accessories -
Has anyone gone from American car to a BMW? I think I got a little too used to the mushy seats and wider body...and the "Cant feel the road" drive because I feel the seats are hard, I have a blind spot, and I'm bouncing up and down most of the time. It still beats the other cars I drove but I'm concerned I won't get used to it like I think I will.

Thanks for any info.

blueguydotcom

2000 miles? It's a used car. Most likely it was a demo for a big wig at the dealership.

right now any 325 should be at or below invoice. mix in that this car is unofficially used and there's no way you should pay new car prices for a used and quite possibly abused loaner/demo.

If it were my money, I'd pass on the deal. If you trust the car wasn't beaten by previous drivers, then you gotta knock that price down quite a bit. They're taking you for a ride with that offer.

As for mp3 players. there is an aux hookup that you can DIY or have a dealer do. also if you have an ipod, simpyl get the icelink from dension - you can recharge the ipod and get it to be controlled by your steering wheel buttons.

also, the HK stereo isn't all that either. if sound is important, look to replace the stuff in the car.

ride...that's up to you. some people think my 330i with 18s is smooth, others find it rough. I think it's a tad soft but I love cars that corner flat.

lee_w

I agree with post #1429. I wouldn't pay new prices for a used car.

jack154

Thanks ... I'm gonna talk this over with him next time.

Thanks for the ipod link - that's definitely cool - i have an ipod. I hope I can controll it from my steering wheel. I'm not sure if the 325 will allow that tho.

blueguydotcom

jack, if you have steering wheel mounted controls, then the icelink can control and recharge your ipod. It's pretty darn nice.

kyfdx

I agree with lee and blueguy. That isn't even a good deal on a new one, let alone a demo. Run away from this place. It is likely they bought that car at an auction for $30K. If it were only the 2000 miles, that would be one thing, but no telling when the car was put in service. The new car warranty is likely already ticking.

regards,
kyfdx

christina271

i am looking into getting a 2004 325i before the end of the summer (the sooner the better)
i want to be able to really drive this car and enjoy it before all the cold weather comes
anyway this is how i would like the car

325i
automatic
black metallic paint
black leatherette
sport/premium/cold weather
xenon and possible hk(is it worth it)

ive been to 2 dealers
(but liked the first one better)
i had wanted the 325ci at first, but decided on the 325i instead because it is more affordable. price on ci was $560 a month for a 12000/yr lease
salesman told me it would be roughly $509 for identical car(just in four door)
we didn't really get to into it though because he had the next day off
went to another dealer who told me he would give me a 330i w/leatherette and NO premium package for $509 12,000

what should i really be paying for the 325?
i like the idea of the 330 b/c of bigger engine and nice standard wheels. i test drove the ci and loved it, and also drove the regular 325i. i thibnk i would need to rive both back to back to tell a real difference. by the way only reason for choosing sport package is the wheels and steering wheel. i think they look too cheap on the reg 325i. any suggestions??

also, should i go back to the first dealer and have him try to match the price of the 330, butalso throw in the premium pkg

i won't be putting any money down on the lease, but i still don't want to be paying more then 450a month. what do i do???