2013 and earlier - BMW 5 Series Prices Paid and Buying Experience

joatmon

Most dealers only have a few 5s left. Many aren't dealing because:

1. The need a few cars while waiting for the new one's will "trickle" in.
2. A few people will see the new 5, and wan an old one.
3. Some people will look at the new 5, like and say, "How can I save some money?". Since the new 5 will sell for MSRP for a time, the new 5 at invoice will save $5k or $6k and look like a bargain.

Why should the dealer sell his last 5?

If you can get one at a good price, now is the time.

Jack

richard1111

I am seriously considering purchasing a 2003 525iA! I don't know what is a good price to pay for this vehicle. From Edmunds, I see that there is $3500 manufacture to dealer incentive. Is this is true? Is invoice minus $3500 a realistic purchase price? If not, can someone please advise me on a good purchase price.

This will be my first BMW! Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

joatmon

Well, $3.5k under invoice would mean the dealer is losing money. They may love you, but not that much. About $2.5k under invoice is about as good as can be expected. Of course, the 5 is getting scarce, and you may have to pay closer to invoice. I would think $1.5 - $2k under invoice is decent form a local dealer, $2 - $2.5 for the fax, telephone and drive crowd.

Happy Motoring,

Jack

330iii

Missed out on an 03 530i titanium silver black leatherette with steptronic for 36,215 plus ttl in the NYC area.Oh well.................

bmwmrc

I would have to agree with Joatmon. The remaining 5's are getting more scarce, and the dealers might have the upperhand as they wait for the 2004's (ugly IMO)to arrive. Expect anywhere as $2,500 under invoice to what joatmon stated: around $1.5k to $2k under invoice. Either way, you're getting a great car and a great deal. Good luck.

hoopsref

Don't give up yet. Last week i was talking wtih a poster here about the 5er's. He was leaning towards the the 525 and found a dealer in CA (San Diego maybe)that had several. I think he was @ $3000 below invoice, too. His local had not been helpful with the pricing at all. After we discussed some buying tactics, pricing... he had lined up a few new & CPO deals through out the country. He was willing to fly out to pick it up or ship it in if he had to. He wound up getting a 530 from the local dealer who reluctantly came down on the price! I hope he will post his story here soon.

richard1111

Wow " 03 530i titanium silver black leatherette with steptronic for 36,215 plus ttl"! Is this still realistic?

Thanks for everyone who is so kindly giving advise! Also, hoopsref, which dealership in San Diego that is willing to part away at $3000 below invoice.

baylandboy

Thanks for the advice bmwmrc. I ended up getting the '03 540i for $8800 below MSRP this evening. I think it was the last (or one of the last) left in the city. The bargaining dynamic is fascinating. On the one hand, there are so few left, so they do not have to deal that hard. Yet, on the other hand, the 04 5 series is arriving this week so they want to move all of the 03 models out. Good luck for those of you who are still thinking about an '03 5 series.

hoopsref

How much below INVOICE did you get the car for? There is a $4500 incentive to the dealers. I was $3200 below invoice on my 530 and $7,200+ below MSRP. Which options did you get? BTW...The invoice price is the best gauge to use when discussing deals hear (without the taxes, tags...).
Enjoy your new ride. I am certainly envious! I'll just have to putt around in my 530 and watch you go whizzing by!

baylandboy

I got the 540 at $3,000 below invoice. It has the sports package, comfort seats, premium sound and CD changer. It is very nice. Enjoy your 530 as well.

bmwmrc

Outstanding! You definitely got yourself a great car at a great price! Way to go. Now enjoy that beautiful car on the twisties and highways.

richard1111

Got a 2003 525i Slate Green with Black Interior with PP, SP, Xenon, Steptronic for $3000 below invoice. It is my first BMW. It runs great and silky smooth! Is there anything particular that I need to be aware of this vehicle.

pat

Hi Richard, congratulations!

You ought to check out the discussion at this link: BMW 5-Series. We have lots of 5-Series enthusiasts hanging out there who will welcome you and answer all of your questions.

Enjoy your new ride!

pat

Oops, I just assumed you had purchased a sedan, but if it is a wagon, there is a 5-Series wagon discussion here. Have fun!

gocubs03

I just registered for the town hall. I am looking for a 530i 2004. What are the chances that I can get a deal for less than MSRP if I want to buy sometime in October?

hoopsref

Welcome aboard. I think in general, you are find it tough find them very much under invoice when they first hit the streets. If you have already ruled out the great deals on any leftover '03 530's that might be hanging around 9@ $10K less than new ones) than you might consider working out a deal by ordering one. This way the dealer doesn't give up one on the lot or have to pay financing for it either. Good luck.

gocubs03

Thanks for responding to my query. Just to be clear--are you saying it might be possible to strike a deal at invoice or am I going to be stuck at MSRP? How long do you think it would take to get one delivered if I did order one?

designman

Gocubs03, all things are possible on negotiating tables. However, since BMW has the highest brand loyalty among all auto manufacturers, the new 5 may fly out the doors in the first three months at sticker price. Also since certain options and model variations are slow to arrive, it appears BMW wanted to get this out early as possible, getting a feel for demand without oversaturating the market and having to go the incentive route early in the game. I think next summer could be bargain time for E60 lovers if you could wait that long. Your screen name suggests you can handle the wait. Am rooting for you! ;-)

mukunds

I purchased a new BMW 525i through a broker in the bay area called Automotive Trust. Oxford Green, with the premium & sport packages and the xenon headlights. Paid $40K (excluding ttl). The car is beautiful.

It was difficult to locate a suitable car given my price and option constraints (i did not want any of the very loaded vehicles). However, since I did not run around and let the broker do this, I was quite relaxed - it took 1 week to locate the car. The transaction process took 4 minutes and the rest is history.

hoopsref

I agree with designman. You can get an '03 for $3000+ below invoice, but the '04's will probably be at MSRP or a little below for the first 6 months or so. Perhaps an ordered one or ED may be the way to go. I personally could not justify the cost of the new ones over the old ones, "IF" there are any left with options you like.

daviv

I just bought a new 525i w/PP, CWP, Auto, and Xenon with only 21 mi for $2100 below invoice. I know this post suggested $2500 for the 525s but the dealer had the color that I wanted, only 1 remaining within travelling distance (Slate Green). I am very happy with the purchase. I am posting this message to thank the people who posted and who helped me get this good deal.

bmwmrc

The important thing is your bought yourself a wonderful car at a wonderful price. Just think if you weren't aware of the incentive. You might have bought the vehicle at invoice and had been very happy. The fact that you bought the car below invoice is terrific. Now go out on those twisties and enjoy the ultimate driving machine!

mlock6

I want to buy this car with Xenon head lights, premium package, cold weather, heated steering wheel. What should I say I'm willing to pay to the dealer? I hear everyone's great deals and I want to get a good deal. The car is available from another dealership. The shipping cost is $1200.00 or at least that is what the dealer is saying to get the car to me. The car is coming from Kansas and I'm in Maryland. What should I do from here since I'm ready to purchase. I need to commit to a deposit to get the car shipped.

mch2

mlock,

The invoice price on that car is $41,485. I would offer the dealer 3k below that.

As far as the shipping that amount seems excessive. I also live in Maryland and had a 530i shipped to a local dealer from out of state, Pennsylvania to be exact, at a cost of about $200.

While I was searching for my car I had "experiences" with several different dealers. I am curious as to which dealer you are working with. Email me the name of the dealer you are working with and maybe I can shed some light on your situation.

vsaxena

I presume the $40K was for a 2003, right?

Did you try any local dealer before going through the broker? I paid $2K less at Allison BMW for a comparable car (switch the Xenon for Fold Down rear seats) a month ago. I did not spend more than 15 minutes in arriving at the price. Though again the 2003 is very scarce now so the dealers may not be dealing as aggressively as before. Also did you try carsdirect.com if you really wanted a broker? In general brokers are not worth it on a high volume car (relatively) like the 525; it would have been different if you were going for an M-3/5.

drdw

$1200 for shipping is a rip-off. Normally, coast-to-coast shipping is less than $1000 (~$800). You may just deal with the dealer directly and fly there (buy the round-trip ticket though)and drive back.

bmwseller

If the dealer was dumb enough to tell you that the car was in kansas than start calling the dealers in kansas (there's only a few, it's probably Baron BMW and I bet they wouldn't trade the car) and see if you can buy it direct. As far as shipping goes....you can set up a carrier for yourself by visiting a few websites. We had a client from nashville who had been told by his dealer that there was a one silver '03 525 left and it was at a dealer in illinois. The buyer started calling illinois dealers and found us in Peoria. He rented a car, drove up and got the car tonight. ATTENTION INVOICE BUYERS.....the dealer incentive on the 2003 5 series ended tonight. Furthermore, the new 5 obviously devalues that car and the new 5 is a great value at MSRP. You have to pay to play boys!

bmwseller

90% MORE LIGHT than halogen.
Need more convincing. The xenons should last for the life of the car unless damaged. The blue light is closer the color of natural light than the yellow standard headlamp. Therefore it is easier for the eye and gives greater clarity.
    I strongly recommend xenons to everyone of my clients. They could very easily prevent a collision.

kennynmd

I'm in MD too,where in MD are you at? What dealer are you talking to?I remember another person hear saying that VOB BMW in rockville had alot of 5's on the lot although they have terrible service.

mch2

I live in Ellicott City. I may have been the one that said that VOB had a lot of cars and I did buy my 530i from them after dealing with Russel BMW, Northwest BWM and BMW of Towson.

If by service you mean service department I cannot speak to that I just bought my car a few months ago. I would say however that if service is a problem it is probably space related and they are building a new facility to address that.

At any rate we were very happy with VOB and are negotiating now to buy another car from them. If you want the name and number of the salesperson I'm dealing with shoot me an email.

mlock6

To all. If I buy a 530i from one dealership, can you get service from another without difficulty. If I buy from an out of state dealer, Do you think they would ship to a local dealer for proper preping for final delivery?

bmwseller

I'm a BMW dealer and can tell you that it shouldn't make a hill of beans difference where you bought your car. In fact, BMW North America should do a phone survey with you and the service department is held accountable for it's customer satisfaction and the dealer is penalized ($) for poor customer service scores in sales and service combined.
     We have done the dealer prep before for a customer that was buying through their local dealer but wanted to drive here and pick up the car themselves. It was arranged amicably between the two general sales managers, but in my experience is not common.

boakyem

To all. I just registered in townhall for the first time. Your discussions are great. I am looking to buy my first luxury car. I looked at Merc E320-cant't afford. I am now interested in BMW 530i or 525i. What should be a reasonable price for these cars. I saw a new 525i with sports and premium package, manual for $42500 invoice. Is this a good deal. I also saw a 2001 530i with sports, premium and navigation for $40,995 invoice. I saw a new 2003 530i with sports,premium and navig for 47800. Are these good deals in Palo Alto/Bay area. If not how much should I ask for and accept? any comments will be helpful. Do you guys think a new 525i at 42500$ is better than a 2001 530i with 20,000 miles priced at 40995$.

mch2

The invoice price for the 525i you saw is $38,195. $42,500 is more than MSRP so unless that car has options you did not mention I'm not sure what is going on there. In any even I would shoot for a price of about $36,000.

The new 530i has an invoice price of $43,390 so I would offer $40,390.

I would forget about used and go for the new 530i.

kennynmd

Thanks but I just bought a 325ci a monthn ago from Tischer BMW in Silver Spring. What I meant about my bad experience is that I went there 2 times, both on weekdays, once sunny and once raining, and I didn't get any help. I walked around the lot for 10-20 mins. and noone approached me to even ask if I needed help. Perhaps the salespeople stereotyped me because I'm young and in shorts and t-shirt? It seems that maybe you have better luck. From other posts here, many have had the same experience as me with VOB.

mch2

The invoice price for the 525i you saw is $38,195. $42,500 is more than MSRP so unless that car has options you did not mention I'm not sure what is going on there. In any even I would shoot for a price of about $36,000.

The new 530i has an invoice price of $43,390 so I would offer $40,390.

I would forget about used and go for the new 530i.

mch2

No, you were not stereotyped and in that sense you are right about the service. The first time I went there I had the same experience and thought that perhaps it was because I am black (although I am also young and was dressed somewhat casually). Finally, after about 15 minutes I walked up to a salesperson and asked for help, something that in retrospect I probably would not have done had I not had less than satisfactory experiences at 3 other BMW dealerships. I have been back to the dealership a couple of times since then, once to pick up my car and another time to negotiate for another car for my wife. Both times I saw people of all races, ages and genders wandering around in vain looking for someone to help them.

Ironically, the dealership with the best service (Northwest BMW in Owings Mills) offered the worst deal and had the most obstinate sales manager while VOB which had the worst (initial) service offered the best deal. Go figure.

jonk2

Anyone know what the October numbers are ?

bmwseller

All 5 series support programs have ended. It was fun but ............. It looks like just about every 2003 5-series is sold. Great job BMW!!! And, congratulations to all the clients who took advantage of the model end savings. I hope that you're not too envious of those stepping up to the pump and spending the $ it takes to get the new 5. Probably not. The car is now an instant classic.

bmwmrc

You ended your last post,"The car is now an instant classic." What car's an instant classic? The '04 5 series??????? I hope you meant the E39 version. Sales, ongoing reviews and time will tell if the new Bangle design was forward thinking or a gimmick filled "bungle."

bmwseller

In with the new out with the old!

bmwmrc

(nm)

jam1000

So if a dealer still has a 2003 5 series on the lot, there is no longer any 3,500/4,000 (if I remember the numbers correctly) incentive, and the prices will be that much higher than the numbers people have been bandying about over the last few weeks?

bmwseller

good question JAM....

Our 2003 5 series are all gone but if we would have had any left than it probably would have been reported sold and the money would have been collected. According to my dealer locator there are there are 15 total in the US. Probably the absolutely least desireable equipped.

gocubs03

How close to MSRP are you guys getting for the 2004 530i? jtull said that he was able to get $1500 off MSRP for the 2004 545i which he ordered for delivery in mid-November {see Town Hall 2004 Redesign Discussion} which he thought was a better value than the 530i. What is your opinion?Is a buyer more likely to get something off the MSRP if he special orders, as opposed to just waiting for whatever comes in? Too bad I live so far away from your dealership. It sounds as though you are a pretty honest dealer. Thanks

bmwseller

I can't be soliciting in any way here according to edmunds rules. So, I don't really want to discuss purchase prices in this venue.
     However, I think I can safely say that everything is relative and if he feels that his purchase (540 over 530) was the best value available than I would not disagree. For me a new 530 would be a bit of a stretch already financially and I would not pay the $$$ that it takes to get the V8. That might be fun but wouldn't fit my budget. I would let my client decide on their own. Either way the car itself stands on its own as the leader in its segment and a lot of fun.
     It doesn't matter to me whether my clients get a car on the lot or order it from the factory. Actually, I think it's sort of cool when they order it and get exactly what they want. Then there is the anticipation of the car arriving and I know that it will be perfect without the typical "lot rot" that gets on cars that sit around at the dealer, such as scuffs, nicks, stains, tree sap, not to mention miles from test drives. Being an honest dealer is one thing but what is important is being a good person in your heart, thanks.

ejim

Any input on 530 04 vs 530 03?

Any input on 530 vs. 525?

Is 41,200 on a 2003 530a with premium, cold weather, xeon, and power sunshade reasonable?

mlock6

First, 41200.00 is a good deal for the car. Well under invoice is great. I test drove a 04 530sport and a 04 530 with a premium package. The sport suspension is very active with tremendous control and steering ability. The premium package is nice as well with a smoother ride. The 04 model is bigger all the way around. The interior has been redefined with a nice look. More trunk space(25%more), leg room and stylish standard rims. Its a very nice, smooth running car with a little bit more expense. I'll be buying one within the next few weeks.

mlock6

It's a very nice car. I think BMW had a good imagination and developed the new 5 series. Think about the new design and the depreciation of the old, however, $$$ shouldn't be much of a factor if you plan to keep it long term.

ajitpk

folks,
New to the boards. Getting a new 545 - ordered with SMG and alternate with auto. Anybody know if SMG like M3 SMG or smoother - wife will be driving car. Anyone driven SMG?