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

kscarsdale

I have a 2001 525i with 23,500 miles. Premium Package, ColdWeather Package perfect condition...and my lease is ending in 67 days. I love the car but this is probably my last new car - I'm planning on retiring in June, 2007 (59 1/2) - and I hate the cup holders -I know it sounds like such a 'blond' thing but I also think maybe the new 4 year 50000mile warranty would be a good thing too and I like the new ipod feature that can be added. I looked at the new 5 but he's giving me a really bad deal and I'm no good at bargaining. The sticker price was 45795. He would pay off my last 2 months of lease payment, I would put 3000 down and my payments would be 689 - 699 a month with a residual of $27934.95...awful, huh? I really got taken on the last one too...2500 down + gross capitalizaion of 992.48 residual value of 24574.60...payments of 684.28 a month....there's only one other dealer in the area and it's 35milesofbadroad away but I could go there....what should I do...keep the one I have or lease again or buy...I can afford the 689 a month but no more..

cassidym

Just ordered a 2005 545I MT with Nav, SP, Winter Package, folding rear seats,SAT radio, ED. The salesman quoted me the MSRP and I quoted him back the ED invoice price (which I learned from Edmunds) plus $2K. He agreed, we shook hands and I pick it up in Munchen in early October.

BTW, if you are getting NAV and hope to use it in Eurpoe you need to know that BMW will not give you a DvD disc for Europe. You can buy one but can't even borrow one.....go figure!

Why Auto? This car screams for an MT. Or, if you have to compromise, had you considered SMG?

cassidym

Have ordered a 2005 545I and the salesman told me that bluetooth would have to be installed by the dealer that it was not a factory option. Is this true? The salesman didn't sound very knowledgeable

habitat1

cassidym,

Congratulations on your order - great car.

May I ask, what did that $2k over ED invoice price work out to be? And the name of the dealer? I seem to recall you are in the Maryland area? I had been quoted $1,200 over ED invoice on a 5-series back in 2003 by Passport BMW. Perhaps the pricing has gone up a bit since then.

cassidym

$55K till I later added HUD and rear impact airbags. It was Passport BMW from whom I bought my last BMW back in 1986 (They were known as Martin's BMW then). BTW, good move on the Acura TL as a 'fun' car.

habitat1

Thanks. That's a great deal for a 545i 6-speed.

The TL is a nice car for $33.5k and offers a nice blend of sporty performance, attractive interior and lots of useful features. But it's not as roomy inside as I originally thought and the seat comfort is pretty poor for long trips. As our kids grow, I could see the possibility of trading up to the 5 series. Prior to 2004 redesign, I would have gone for a 530i 5-speed. But with the engine improvements for 2004, the 545i 6-speed is at the top of my list. Especially since the M5 will only come with an SMG transmission, or so I hear.

Good luck with your purchase. How long before your trip?

cassidym

Leave end of Sep and pick up the car in early Oct. I'll post a picture.

ltagg1

Dumped my '02 CPO 525 (Black/sand Sport Prem) a couple of weeks ago to move up to a 530...found a couple of CPO e39s around the country. I know they mark these things up big time so I was wondering, as move to the end of August (making these cars another model year older), what's a realistic price (cash purchase) they might accept for these (on my 525, BMW of Nashville knocked off $4000 off asking price on my sale that occured on 12/31/03)? Unfortunately, I'll probably have to ship it home (I live in Okla City)which will cost another $500-$1000. Thanks for any and all insight you can offer...All are Jet Black/Sand combos...

'02 530 Auto/Sport/Prem/Xenon 23,900 miles -- asking $36,470---talked to salesman who said "they've had it over 30 days and want to move it" (FL dealer)

'01 530 Auto/Sport/Prem/Xenon/Cold Weather/In Dash CD player, 31,300 miles, asking $34,000 (OH dealer)

'01 530 Auto/Sport/Prem/Xenon/In Dash CD player, 34,400 miles, asking $37,900 yikes!!! (NC dealer)

mtv65

Take your time. We looked for months and eventually found what we think was actually a fairly good deal .

01 530i with Sport Premium

mtv65

BMW 5-Series Discussion

fox5

I just ordered a new 2004 525i with auto,PP,NAV,PDC,rear door airbags, the price was $45055. was this an ok price to pay? thanks for your thoughts. I live in MA north of Boston.

g_p

with 90,500 miles. The car is CPO'ed until next July or 100K. I just purchased a 04 545 and I want to price the 540i right to make it appealing. Ext color is silver with gray interior. Equipment includes premium audio, 6 disk changer, comfort seats and metallic paint. The car has an auto tranny and is in great shape (mechanically and physically)

KBB has pp value at 20550 and edmunds has the pp value at 25550.

I would appreciate any suggestions on a fair asking price for the car - or any offers.

derekyeu

CarsDirect price for a 530i is $1600 over invoice. Is it good enough? Will I do better at the dealer and deal directly myself?

Derek

derekyeu

I forgot to mention. It's for a 2004 530.

vsaxena

Carsdirect.com prices should be the higest you should pay. Your dealer should be able to give you a better price than that since carsdirect is also making money on the deal.

maccar

Any thoughts on the following:
2003 530iA, premium, sports, DVD navigation, xenon, rear seat side air bags, parking assistance alarm(?, if that's what it's called), 15500 miles, asking 42000. Good deal? Great deal? Not so good? Carfax checks out okay. TMV puts this car at 45000 or so. Thanks for the comments.

glady

Just for comparison: I bought a 2003 530 w/ premium, sports pck, cold weather pck, and xenon w/ 5600 miles for 42k and also certified. I am not sure if this is high or not, but I was willing to pay a premium for low mileage and certified car.

jta525i

I recently purchased a used 1995 525i for 7599. a bit over bluw book but it is in pristine condition and the previous owner gave me an extra set of factory rims that i will equip with winter tires, and also a tool to reset the oil light if i decide to change it myself. A great deal considering these extras. plus after 132k its still on the original clutch with no signs of wear, amazing!

mook

Have my eye on a 02 540i w/sport package for $33K w/ 34K miles - seeing that the price was too good to be true found out from dealer that it was a Theft Recovery Title and that everything is OK with the car and they have all required paperwork etc. Car appears to be in excellent condition.

Seeing it is almost $7k below Blue Book it is a hard deal to pass up....am I nuts to pass up or nuts to buy? Any advice on buying a theft title? Man I really want a 540.......Muchas Danke in advance

Mook

clpurnell

Post this in either questions for a car dealer or real world trade in values. They can tell you what kind of hit the theft thing will take on the car when you try to sell it in the future.

pman1

2 offers on the table:

04 530i - 13K miles
Premium Pkg
automatic
xenon headlights
$44,950

04 530i - 7K miles
Premium Pkg
automatic
$46,900

Do these sound fair or do you think I have a little more room to negotiate?

Thanks!

habitat1

A brand new 530i w/ premium, auto and xenons has an MSRP of $50,070 and an invoice of $45,840. A fair price in my area would be $1,500 over invoice or roughly $47,300.

Do you think $45k or $47k is a fair price for a used car that you could buy brand new for $47.3k?? If you do, I'd be interested in selling my next car to you after I've driven it a year or two.

I understand that some dealers try to get near new prices for used cars. But that doesn't mean you have to buy one. Personally, unless I could get at least 15-20% off a low mileage used car, I'd go for a new one. And I'm referring to actual market price for a new car, not the MSRP.

Also, for what it's worth, I priced out the European Delivery price on a 530i w/ premium, auto and xenons. At $1,500 over ED invoice, you could get that car for $43,500.

pman1

Thanks for the advice. I am unfamiliar with European Delivery. Could you explain or point me in the right direction? Thanks again.

Kirstie_H

We have a couple of topics about that issue:
European Delivery: Experience, Advice, & Info
BMW Owners: European Delivery

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

svejk1

I'm out looking for a new car - a BMW 5 series or Audi A6 and I'm getting the following tactic from the dealers:

The car is so popular, so new, etc. that the dealer has no reason to reduce the price more than ~ $500-$1500 off of sticker.

Any suggestions on how to overcome this or is this simply the truth?

pen101

A few months ago I posted about this and received some excellent input. But now the lease-end date is fast approaching (December 29) and I still do not know what to do. Buy it or give it back.

Specifics: 530i, SP PP, Zenons. 36K miles. Stick. Can buy for $29K.

Lease-end costs: $375 lease return fee, 4 new tires at about $200 each.

Edmunds lists trade-in price at $30,750, private party sale at $32,205 and Retail certified over $37K.

If I buy it, I would keep it at least another 3 years. But I probably would what to have it CPO'd for the extended warranty. Does it make financial sense to buy it or to return it?

Is there any way I can negotiate a better buy out deal with BMWFS?

kyfdx

Is this a 2002 model? $29K is a good deal, if so.

I really doubt you could negotiate a lower price, considering what they are going for in the open market.

Tires really aren't part of the equation.. You have to buy them either way.

regards,
kyfdx

livinbmw

Do you want to keep the car? What year is it? You need a price on the warranty.

I'd get an opinion of someone very knowledgeable at the dealership.

pen101

Its a 2002 MY. Dealer says it can be CPO'd for under $1500 plus any required items (such as the tires).

I love the car. I could easily keep it for another 3 years. I was asking myself, would I buy this same car today, with 36K miles for $34K+? There are other cars I may consider, such as a 330i with performance package, or G35 Coupe or .... But to buy the 530i at $29K, now I am torn.

erice

I am looking into buying a mid to late 90's 540i. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for?

Are there any probs with particular year models.

What oem/aftermarket equipment is the most desirable?

Should I be worried about buying a BMW with 130k miles already?

What kind of maintenance should I expect to be coming on BMW's of this age and miles? - engine, trans, electronics...etc

Any comments would be greatly app. I enjoy the topics and replies in this forum.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Kirstie_H

erice, you might also check in our topic called New vs Used (aka the Economics of Old Cars). You can also do a search on the words "new" and "used" - both at the same time - and you'll get a list of other topics that cover your situation.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

habitat1

A friend of mine has a 1991 525i w/ 235k miles and it still runs very strong. However, he is of the opinion that BMW V8's do NOT have the same reliability factor as the old I-6's. His independent mechanic that specializes in BMW's (and drives a 1979 M1 himself) steered me away from looking at V8's with more than 100k miles on them unless I wanted to be one of his frequent customers. This all came up when I had the opportunity to buy an 80k mile 840ci at a very good price (and elected to pass).

riez

You should check out the Tech Q&A section of Roundel (BMW CCA) and Bimmer magazines for the past couple years. Mike Miller has written extensively about the long-term reliability and service needs of the 1990 V8s in both E34 and E39 platforms.

I certainly wouldn't consider buying one unless I had all the service records and those records show the owner knew about proper maintenance. I wouldn't consider buying an E39 if all the owner did was follow BMW's minimal maintenance schedule.

erice

You guys are awesome...thanks for the info.

What 5 series, '95-'97, (or maybe a diff year, i don't know) should I be looking for?

I hear there are some diffs in the stearing linkages that seriously effects feel.

riez

erice... You really need to do your own detailed homework. Seems like you aren't up to speed on much. And that is most dangerous!!! These are expensive cars to own and maintain. Only someone who knows their stuff and knows they have a great independent mechanic who specializes in BMWs need play in this field.

Not sure exactly what you mean regarding the steering. For example, in the E39 platform, the V8s used recirculating ball while the I6s used rack-and-pinion. The new E60 platform has gone entirely to rack-and-pinion steering. I don't know about the E34 platform (not sure if it was all recirculating ball or not).

Keep in mind that in the 1990s, before MY1997 there was the E34 platform. Then the E39 platform was introduced in CY1996 as a MY1997 and it ran thru MY2003. Now there is the E60 platform. They are 3 entirely different platforms with entirely different issues. The E34s introduced the V8s (the 3.0L and 4.0L V8s) and had the V8 Nikasil debacle (catastrophic engine failure). You have to be really careful to ensure any E34 V8 you look at has Alusil.

One nice things about E34s is that they were before BMW's free maintenance and before the very extended intervals. If an E34 has been properly maintained, it has had a lot more maintenance than an early E39.

You'd be best off looking only at manual transmissions. If properly maintained, they are bulletproof (esp. the Getrags).

luvbimmers

I'm looking to buy a late 90's 528i.
It needs to be a stick shift --- I find automatics boring on powerful cars like this.
I'd prefer a car that hasn't done more than 75,000 miles or so, and I'm flexible on the color --- though I do prefer black, white or silver.

What's a good price I should be looking at ?

Thanks

05bmw545i

Hello All,
I would like to find out where can I find the European delivery invoice $ pricing for the BMW 545i

ThX

jack13

I received a car fax report on a used 2004 545i I was going to purchase at a BMW dealership which noted two entries relating to "electrical system serviced." The first was in November 2003 and the second in March 2004. The dealer claimed these were just update to the computer performed by the dealership. Can anyone let me know if there actually were requests by BMW to bring 545's to the dealer for these computer updates? The car otherwise seemed in good shape, and everything worked. Dealer was asking 52K. Original MSRP was 62K. The car has 6000 miles. Seems like a good deal. Thanks.

sbphil

How do I educate myself on leasing (money factor's, etc.) so I can get my best deal on a lease. I do have the the TMV to work with so far.

kyfdx

Go to this message board: mahiri "Lease Questions - Ask Here" Oct 21, 2004 1:56pm

Start back about five pages and get a feel for the info needed, then post your question there.

regards,
kyfdx

pen101

In talking with a various dealers about the cost to CPO my 530i, I learned something that I previously did not realize about lease buy-outs and the cost of getting it CPO'd. Here is my experiences so far: Two different dealers say to CPO my car would cost about $4K plus cost of tires and brakes (they told me their cost was $1200 plus cost of brakes - $800, plus cost of other items plus profit). Another dedaler gave me a flat $2,350 over lease buy-out price plus cost of tires and brakes. Finally (and here is what I discovered) the next dealer tells me that my price is about $2400 (negotiable), which includes cost of the brakes AND he will give me his buy cost (MMR) instead of my lease buyout price (currently MMR is lower by about $500).

Points learned:

1. CPO price can vary significantly from dealer to dealer and may be negotiable (depends on dealer)
2. MMR may be used instead of contract price (also depends on the dealer).

kyfdx

BMW has a new program for original owners or lessees.. You can add the CPO warranty yourself, without having the dealer do any work on the car.. I believe the list price for a 5-series is $2749.

I'm also pretty certain that any BMW dealer can sell this to you... I think the spread over cost is about $500, so some might discount it.. Also, if you buy it from a dealer out of state, then you don't pay sales tax (don't start on the legalities, please). This plan is only about 2 months old, so some dealers may not be that familiar with it.

I'm assuming you have an '02... If the original maintenance plan hasn't expired, you could also add the extended maintenance plan to match the warranty.. Not sure of the price on a 5-series, but on a 3-series it is just under $1400. That would cover the cost of your brakes.. However, if you are out ofyour original maintenance plan, this isn't an option.

By going this route, you can keep the dealer out of your lease buyout deal.. You pay the residual directly to BMWFS and cut out any middleman deals.

regards,
kyfdx

rroyce10

**MMR may be used instead of contract price** ........ that has nothing to do with the sale price.

           Kyfdx brings ups the best point, work with BMWFS (only) and cut the middleman out and thats a whole lot more than $500 ............

                             Terry.

jackjones

I leased a new 530i last month, with absolutely no hassle. The number the dealer through out was a bit below what was reported on this site for that car, which I guess makes sense given the time of year. Combined, I spent less than five minutes discussing price and financing (lease terms). The money factor and residual they gave me in the lease was better than expected, so that the payment with use tax turned out to be less than what I had estimated without it.

So I don't believe it's the truth. Given that, try calling some dealerships that are a bit more remote. You're likely to come across someone who will give you a deal. Good luck.

rroyce10

...... $500/$1,500 "off sticker" .? .. perhaps you mean $500/$1,500 over invoice .. Jackjones makes a really good point here .. nobody is really breaking down the doors for the new "5" series, no matter what the dealers are telling you, look around and you will find a Bimmer dealer that will let one go for a reasonable price .. it's the E39's that still get the $$, not the new ones ............. .... now, some of the Audi's might prove a little different depending on the model ..

                               Terry.

pen101

Terry, I'm a little confused. The lease manager explained that he can buy the car at MMR and would then sell it to me for that MMR price. According to his computer, MMR is currently running about $500 under my buy-out price ($28,640 for 2002 530i 5-sp, PP, SP, Zenon, currently at 35K miles). From what I see, I am buying the car $500 cheaper than I would have if not going to this dealer. Why is this a bad thing? Am I missing something? Of course, as time gets closer to lease-end, I will also call BMWFS and try to also buy it cheaper than my buy-out amount. By discussing it with the dealer and BMWFS, I think I am hedging my bet to get the best deal. Am I right?

There is another factor, the extended warranty. Kyfdx is right (thank you Kyfdx), I can buy the same CPO warranty from BMW without having the car certified. The warranty appears to be identical to the CPO warranty. However, I called 2 dealers and got slightly different stories about maximum mileage to purchase it (40K) and of course price ($2950). I will call another dealer to clarify and get something in writing.

rroyce10

........ (not sure, but I think we had this discussion before - black/black handshaker SC area) I think were your getting confused, is the involvement of the dealer .. they don't own the vehicle, they don't have the title and they have -0- to do with it, the last time they had anything to do with it, was the day you signed and drove off .... the vehicle is owned by BMWFS, not the dealer ..

               At 3 or 4 weeks before lease end is the time you need to be on the horn with a Regional or District lease manager at Bimmerland ... right now, the dealer doesn't know what it will be worth, it could be $28,5, it could be $29,3 or it could be $22,9 .. all he is showing you is an average, a maybe too keep your interest based on the residual ..

     **I think I am hedging my bet to get the best deal. Am I right?**

          Just like my great Grand Daddy used to say: I hate paying for the same real estate twice ...... your deal is through BMW, if I remember correctly this will expire in December(?) the market will change by then and the Bimmer office will look at the auction reports and make a decision on the buy-out, the dealer doesn't pay less than you .. I have a feeling if you keep messing with the dealer your going to end up buying their car .l.o.l...

                              Terry.

pen101

Thank you Terry, I understand now. I plan to follow your advice. Yes, we talked about this about 3 months back. But now I hear the lease clock ticking.

I was under the impression that in order to get the BMW extended warranty (and better financing rate), I had to get the car certified through the dealer. Now I find out (thanks to kyfdx) that BMW has a warranty program that does not require you to have the car CPO'd. This changes things.

manybmws

...nobody is really breaking down the doors for the new "5" series, no matter what the dealers are telling you, look around and you will find a Bimmer dealer that will let one go for a reasonable price...

And if you can gage consumer interest versus the competition, look at the number of posts here versus say the Acura RL forum - sometimes 10-to-1 in favor of the RL over the same time period.

vsaxena

If the dealer is truly willing to work with you, they can CPO the car for much less than what the extended warranty will cost. I think it costs the dealer close to a $1000 to get the extended warranty which goes with the CPO. This is less than the retail price you will be paying.

This is assuming that the car requires minimal re conditioning (tires are OK), and no out of warranty stuff needs to be fixed. If all you are interested in is the extended warranty, the dealer can also be less diligent during the CPO process.

So the two deals are:
1. Negotiate with BMWFS + pay retail for warranty and maintenance program.

2. Negotiate a CPO price with the dealer up front, turn the car in and buy it again from the dealer.

You could use the negotiated price with BMWFS as a starting point with the dealer. The fact that the price of the CPO like warranty is much less for the dealer should work in your favor.