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What is a reasonable bidding price for a 2003 530i with sports package, premium package, navigation, Cd changer, titanium black xenon lights, automatic, premium sound. How about
a 2003 525i automatic, titanium silver, premium and sports package with premium sound, xenon lights.
What has given you the impression that the price will be lowered this year? Will they do a grand off but you want more off to do the deal, are you just curious about what discount you can get, or did you do the deal?
For bmwseller, I am just betting the bmw dealers are more willing to deal when there are more bmw's available. I have never own a bmw before and I am not ready to jump in yet.
Huh?......Please explain.
DV8ED........I thought that you just bought an '04 coupe?
i am looking for a 540i wagon and went to carmax as an alternative. bmw dealers wanted too much for it. carmax seems to have them at a reasonable and haggle-free price. however, the carmax that has the 540i i am looking for is in las vegas (i currently live in washington dc). they wanted $700.00 more to transfer the car to my carmax. i guess my question is how are the cars at carmax and do they haggle (they said they are haggle-free operation)? anyone has any experience with it since this would be my first purchase in the states. many thanks
I will call and ask them to send me a check back or maybe go in and negotiate on my 5 series.
My MO is to research the value on your own, figure out what you are willing to pay, then go in and make an offer without wasting the dealer's time. Three key things: First, show you are serious by offering an immediate deposit with your offer. Second, never show that you are desperate, even if you are. Third, always be polite.
I've seen a lot 's of different negotiating styles which also work great and I am intrigued with savvy negotiators. Social dynamics also come into play. Hopefully others will offer their methods and experiences. In any event, it would be interesting to know where you go with this.
Good Luck!
On the return flight, I saw an article on the new model in the USA Today newspaper. The author had driven one on the East Coast during Hurricane Isabel, and he had nothing but praise for the car -- except the air conditioning was poor! Hopefully it was a quirk in the particular car he drove.
Any other similar reports?
my primary issue is that the price of the car has increased by $5-7k when equipped nicely. for many people that brings other cars into the equation both from above (a6 4.2q, slightly used m5 for example) or below (acura tl, infiniti g35, saab 9-5 aero to name a few). i'm not saying these are directly comparable but the price increase has destroyed what i've always thought was bmw's value proposition in its class. the strength of the euro must really be painful for them. we'll see how the new car does, but i think there will be discounting, certainly of the 530, at an early stage--the 545 is probably better value. time will tell.....
I-drive is brilliant. It's just like the PC. People just need a little education and it's easy to use and simplifies operations.
I thought the I-Drive was OKAY, but not a "OH I HAVE TO HAVE THIS!", so I guess I would have to agree with Cohenfive; it's unnecessary, although I found the functionality of it to be very intuitive and not too difficult to learn. I just didn't get that hyped up over it. But, it is a much improved version over the 7 series by far.
Now as for my driving impressions, I did like the new active steering, even though I found it to be very subtle while driving and changing lanes. I found the active steering more helpful, when the salesman took me into a parking lot. That's where I noticed its easier maneuverability. As for the rest of the drive, the 530, is the same smooth and muscular engine as the '03, and the ride change from the '03 is SO SUBTLE, that I couldn't state, "Yes, the technological advancements in the new iteration of the 5 is so great, that I will go out and buy one and justify the price increase." What I did notice, which again was subtle, was the way the car cornered. With the combination of the active steering and the new active roll stabilization, I could tell the car handles even better in turns than my 5. But again, it's so subtle and minor that the advancement to me at least is negligible.
In sum, I enjoyed the ride, the new active steering (although quite subtle), and the handling of the car, but not enough to justify buying it over my 2003 version. And certainly not at the increased price, which I would imagine one is paying for, for the opportunity to have the I-Drive function. Happy motoring everyone!
--The active steering and suspension are nice but not spectacularly different compared to the cars I have. Maybe it's that I don't feel like I get an extra $5-7K of value for the significantly extra $$ paid, perhaps.
--I-drive is really a yawn; interesting concept but PC's are no big deal nowadays, and I see it as a gadget that is needlessly more complcated than the hardware it replaces. Funny thing: I avoided Audi because of too many needless switches on the control panel, and for a similar reason, the I-drive seems gadgetry for its own sake. This reminds me of the digital speedo/tach panels from the 80's: don't see many of them anymore...
--The interior looks cheap in a number of curious places; the front door lines fading into a plastic-looking and flimsy-looking grab handle, for instance. Leather that somehow looks like leatherette.
--The drink holder design actually manages to be more awkward than the current 5-series cup holder. Tough engineering job to actually make it worse, but somehow they did it.
--The hood and hood latch are similar to any old Chevy on the lot -- admittedly an odd issue to dislike, but the old hood arrangement was a very nice and high-end design. Having the little finger latch pop out was simply nice engineering. On this one, you open the hood and the whole process feels like you're checking out a Honda.
--Did anyone notice that the kidney grilles are now black plastic with nothing behind them except a bright silver radiator about 10 inches back? The E39 (and current 3-series) had dark plastic behind the grille, giving a solid look. The new one looks like someone forgot to include part of the grille assembly. Maybe they did on the one I drove, but it certainly looked unfinished and cheap.
--The car no longer has a "low" look, seeming (for a sedan) visually connected to the ground like the E39 and 3XX series. Perhaps a poor description, but the E60 looks distinctly slab-sided and pinched in at the sides. Actually, the front and back views are acceptable; it's the side that looks like the windows are too short and the metal too tall.
OK, a lot of these items have been discussed. But, I thought that the 5-series was overall the best car ever made for the money. It did everything well. I really want to like the E60, and it's a real disappointment to see a fine car concept damaged. For all you BMW reps out there, tell your bosses that there are loyal customers that want to buy the car but have been driven away by a combination of some odd design choices, a cheapening of the car and a price increase that doesn't have enough "worth the money" to it. Its really a shame.
So, I've got a choice: a 300xi; the A6; or perhaps the Jag. But until the E60, there would have been no choice: the 5-series or nothing. Seems BMW is leaving a loyal market behind.
Good driving, everyone. Cheers--
BTW, do you REALLY want a Jag or Audi? The reliability on both cars is extremely suspect. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks!
The car did not seem lower with the Sports package.
Btw, I realize it's easy to veer off topic in our discussions; so perhaps I can enlist some of the regulars in this discussion to take a more active role in helping us with this matter. Your help would very much be appreciated.
Here are direct links to BMW 5-Series (Sedans Board), BMW 5-Series (Wagons Board), and BMW 5-Series Wagon 2004 Redesign (Future Vehicles) where you can invite/link others to continue discussion about test drives, vehicle options... and other subjects that are not specifically related to the title subject. Also, try using our Search tools, on the left side of the page, to find other BMW 5-Series discussions of interest. Thanks for your support and participation.
And let's get back to the subject of the BMW 5-Series: Prices Paid & Buying Experience!
Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons
I want to do the 66 month (5-1/2 year) because my monthly will be lower. Does this make any sense?
I plan to spend about $30k on a car in the next month. I was looking at getting a '99 Lexus GS 400 or an '00 Lexus RX 300. However, if I could get my hands on a recent 5 Series car at this price, I'd prefer to do that.
TIA
Q
30 grand should buy a primo 2000 528i Certified Pre-Owned BMW. They sell like hotcakes on my lot.
Check out the conversations at those two links. You can read up on the existing messages, use the Search This Discussion feature in each one for helpful keywords and ask other questions about each vehicle in their respective discussions.
You may wish to start a specific comparo between the two over on our Comparisons - Sedans vs. Sedans board.
When you have a chance, check out the search features on the left side of the page. They will help you find other discussions of interest.
Good luck and welcome! Feel free to drop me an email if I can help you find your way around the Town Hall.
03's I am looking at are about 10% lower than MSRP with balance of orig warranty + CPO limited. Puts car with premium, automatic, prem sound and a few other options around $45. (vs mid to high $30's for 01/02.
Have not fully negotiated yet but would have expected 15%-20% off MSRP for 03 demo. Can I get any opinions on price level or anything I am missing on 03 CPO vs 03 new.
Thx