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

george94

I went to BMW Gallery in Norwood. It is close to my house and I wanted to make sure I get a loaner car if anything happens w/o driving miles away. The same as folks here, I was concerned about the new upcoming model and wanted to make sure I get what I wanted. I love the car..

hoopsref

The BMW Gallery in Norwell was the closest to me. They were one of the highest prices I had. They also were one of the dealers that did not even respond to my fax. I even called them 3 times before I finally got to speak to the sales manager about the price. They were $2000 higher then Herb Chambers! That's just to much of a difference to pass up. The Norwood dealer, was a little lower than the Norwell but still $700 to $1000 higher than my better offers. I know that I can take my car to any dealer for service, but is the loaner car thing ONLY for the people that bought their car from them? I was also turned off by over hearing a sales person talk with a client on the phone. He was really strong arming her to get in and buy the car.

hoopsref

What is the invoice? Options? If you are truly getting it for $2100 under invoice and the dealer is close to you, then that's not too bad. If you work at it, you should be able to get that down to $2,500 or more below! Most dealers will take the $1000 profit. (i.e. of the $3,500 incentive, they will give you $2,500, maybe better) If the car is a tough color or combination of options, then that could chnage things. Supply and demand, right? Good luck.

george94

Sorry to hear about your experience in Norwell. To make a long story short, I had a friend in Foreign Motors West in Natick who gave me this price. Then, when I talked to him I learnt this business about loaner cars. And since I don't want to be driving on 128 to Natick, I called Norwood Gallery and ask them if they can beat the price. They could not but they matched the deal. It was as simple as that.

drdw

$37,100 is a good price. However, I paid $1000 less for a 525 with the same MSRP (42370). The only add-on was ~$100 doc fee. So you may need to work harder.

jaydoll

hoopsref,

Couldn't we just use the pricing info that you have posted and bypass paying fightingchance.com?

Jaydoll

hoopsref

To some degree, I have helped you out with some of the info (i.e. many buyers do not know about the Consumer Satisfaction Index that BMW gives to the dealers which adds more profit). The package you get from fighting chance will give you a lot more detail. You will get not only have the invoice & MSRP on each option but you also get the updated market conditions (how have these cars been selling...), the current incentives, hold backs... from all the companies, current prices paid by others on the vehicles you are looking at. They also help you with your trade in questions as well as what to aviod and beware of. For example, even leasing can be a sneaky way for dealers to confuse you & capture back some profit. Check the web site and give them a call and ask them some questions. I think you will be impressed. I know I will never buy another car way again. Good luck.

jaydoll

Thanks Hoopsref,

I am in CT and have talked to Chambers about 2 weeks ago and they didn't have waht I was looking for- 5 speed sport/prem/cold/xennon. I am now wondering if I should expand my list to a 525 manual series equiped as above. I drove the 525 with the step and it was a dog. Matbethere is hope for it with a stick.

spyderred

I have one. I drove the 525 and 530 auto and manual on several occasion back to back and had a hard time deciding. Like you said I ruled out the 525 auto because it didn't have enough pull for me. In my opinion, the 530 with manual trans. has the perfect balance with power, and price especially now with the dealers incentives. The main reason why I bought a 525/5sp instead of 530/5 sp is that at the time the 525 I wanted was priced at $35K and the 530 was priced at $43K. The 525 also had the BMW CPO warranty and it only had about 3,000 miles on the odometer. It was a BMW company car. I really wanted the extended warranty through BMW as I am planning on keeping the car for a long time. In addition I couldn't see myself paying $8K more and not getting the extended warranty. Granted I would be getting a 530 but still...I drove the both cars on multiple occasions and the 530 had more pull in second gear. I have had my car now for over a year and I am very pleased with my decision to get a 525/5 sp.
Both cars are fantastic I guess it all depends on what is important for you. Good luck with your decision. I am sure you will be pleased with the 5 series.
PS. I noticed that you are planning on getting the Sport Package...GOOD CHOICE...
It really transforms the car into a true SPORT SEDAN.
Keep us posted...

sfd100

MSRP $42370

Deal is $36,850 + 180 doc prep( I'll fight this at the Dealer)

Looking like $2300 or so under invoice..$5520 off MSRP.

Dealer gets $1200 profit, but plan is to drive hard on the trade( we are are $500 apart) to get $250 or so back on my side..

Move quick - if you want a color, inventory is getting a bit tight..

Thanks for all the help hoops ref and others..

hoopsref

Did you bring up to the dealer the CSI profit they will be getting when you give them high marks after the sale? Are you at Herb Chambers? What sales person or mgr?

hoopsref

I have been busy all day and could get to talk with you guys/gals! How many dealers have you contacted? How far away? Your combination may be harder to find and thus the dealer may bust your chops on the price. I had adealer in West Springfield, MA & a dealer in RI that were very competitive. Check the web sites (if they have one) for a search of their inventories. Of course, these are not always up to date. The BEST way is to fax them. At least 10 to 15. IF you could save $2000 to $3000 more dollars, how far will drive?

pat

Please do not post sales people's names -- see discussion description above.

Thanks.

jaydoll

Please share the details as I am going to make a deal this weekend or live with my Audi for another year. Also, hoopsref can you give me the name of the salesman you dealt with at Chambers?

jaydoll

sfd,

please share wher you got this great deal. It's now or never for me.

pat

Uhh, please see my post #387 just above yours at #388.

Salespeople's names may not be posted.

Thank you - good luck with your purchase, and let us know how it goes.

hoopsref

email me for more info. We can not give out sales persons names on this forum.

kseshadr

Agreed on purchasing a BMW 530iA with Prem/Xenon at 39,100 /tax/tags extra in the morning. Went to pick up prepped car at night.

At time of final purchase, a $225 dealer processing fee was added on. I had agreed with salesman that $39,100 was final price, and stood up from financing desk to go talk to salesman again to clarify. Meantime, the asst. sales manager walks in and says she can't remove that fee. I said I needed to talk to the salesman whereupon she says "Let me show you out the door!" I was absolutely stunned that I was buying a BMW and I was getting this treatment...!
I insisted I wait for the salesman and proceeded to ignore her. The salesman finally came in from outside and looked helpless. Finally the sales manager said she'd meet me half-way - I said I'd pay $75 only. They redid the paperwork but at that point I had such an unpleasant feeling that I chose to walk out the door.

I felt bad for the sales guy who was great, but really angry that this woman would treat a customer with such disdain.

Any lawyers smell a case in this one?

My advice - don't go there!!!

need4speed1

I've located a saphire black 2002 530i, w/ Step, SP, PP, and DSP. The car is CPO, with 24,201 miles. The dealer was originally asking $39,900, but is now offering $37,821. Is this a good deal? I'm hoping I can make a deal at $36,300.

Are there still incentives on 2003 models? I've people on here got very good deals on them.

cham888

I just got mine on Wednesday night at Crevier in Santa Ana. 530i, pp, steph, xenon for 39,200 plus 45 doc fee plus tax and license. I'm loving the ride to work now.

designman

Hoopsref, it seems to me that comparing price below MSRP vs price below INVOICE is 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another. It's just a different reference point. What with all the dealer incentives, the term INVOICE is specious and misleading anyway. I agree, it is good to show the dealer you are wise to all of the terminology and price structure, but price below MSRP indeed tells the story when we compare.

tdono

It looks like the 7 Series. Will the 3 Series follow suit like usual

hoopsref

Here is why I asked the question. I spoke to a poster here about this. He was saying that he was getting the "full" incentive from a particular dealer, but it was off MSRP. When I got the full story from him I told him that was not a good deal because he was still @ $2K off of what we have been paying. I said start by taking the incentive off the invoice, then go up from there. Also, what is MSRP really? It is what the manufacturer "thinks" we should "think" the car is worth. I think it is a meaningless number on most products. If the MSRP is $100,000 and everyone can buy it for $50,000, what difference does it make what the MSRP is? It may just be a perceived value thing at best. Some products sell near their MSRP others are always way below it. Caveat emptor(?) "let the buyer beware".

hoopsref

I think you should look at the new ones. You are only a couple of grand from a new one. What is the DSP option?

luckybmw

I bought a new 2003 525iA+pp+xenon this week. Here is a summary of my experience that I hope other buyers may benefit from:

After comparing the offers from two BMW dealerships that are closer to my home, I went to the closer one to buy the car on Monday. The salesman pulled one up to let me take a look. I noticed a spot in the paint that he could not remove. He pulled another one with Continental tires. Since I read some BMW owners complained the fast tread wear of the Continental tires at Edmunds.com, I asked if I could go to the parking lot to pick one with different tires. The salesman refused saying their "rule" would not allow customers in the parking lot. When he pulled the third one, I heard some strange engine noises. But the salesman insisted that the BMW engine is new and the noise will go away when it is run for a while. Since the car had only 3 miles on it and he had pulled 3 cars, I reluctantly trusted the sales' words. After I drove it in the parking lot, the engine noise reduced to almost "normal". So I went in to do the paper work. Due to a thunderstorm, the dealer could not finish preparing the car, so I decided to let them finish it the next day.

When I went to pick up the car on Tuesday, the salesman had to go somewhere so another salesman did the hand over process. I immediately noticed that the car's VIN is different from what's on my paper work. I was suspicious, but the new car looked and sounded fine, so I drove it home. When I started the car in the next morning, I felt the car was trembling mildly. The vibration only disappears when I started to drive it. The next day, the experience was the same. I took the car to the dealership on Thursday. The salesman called this morning to tell me that his technician did feel the vibration when the engine is cold, but he believed it is normal. I called another service advisor at the dealer service, but he told me the engine in the new BMW should run smoothly, and he never heard of such trembling engine. I quickly went to the dealership to talk to the technician. The technician said other engines vibrate just as much. I asked to pick any 525i in their lot to switch it on and if it also vibrates like mine, I'll drive mine home. If not, I need another car. They said OK. Sure enough, the randomly picked 525i started smoothly. Even the technician had to acknowledge that it "vibrates less". But he also said that he could not fix my car since there was no error message in the car's computer. Given this situation, I asked my salesman to talk to their management to get me another car. ...as you can imagine a battle I didn't ask for had begin...

In the end, their GM told me that if the car has not been titled, they would switch it with another like model. If the car is titled, I had to take it home and work with a BMW engineer to see what's the cause of vibration. I tentatively accepted it, but I didn't go home to wait their call. I followed the salesman around to find out if the car has been titled. Finally, their title office called back saying it has not been titled. The salesman was of course unhappy. But, he agreed to give me the car that started smoothly. I'll pick up the car tomorrow, and pray for that this one will not have any problem that an auto technician can not fix.

When you are hunting for a good buy near the end of a model year, buyers should be aware of some salesmen's "un-intended mistakes".

Good Luck!

drdw

Sorry for your baaad experience.
It appears your final agreed morning price was a verbal one. The price usually is locked if it's in writing with a few hundred (refundable!!!) deposit. Without that you are at everyone's mercy.
You should drive that car home with $75 (think about how much time spend and how much fun of driving a BMW) and tell her you will call BMW (actually BMW will call the new owner within a week)to give her all 1s (still give the salesperson 5s though. Hope BMW's survey takes separate ratings).
If the car is the only one you found, you may try to talk to the owner and give him a choice: $75 extra with all 1s or agreed price with better ratings.
Good luck!

designman

Agreed, you can't be satisfied with the $4K off MSRP. My MO was, I want the $3K off MSRP which I'd be getting anyway, then deduct the $4K incentive. I've been reading your negotiating tactics and you are good at it. I like your style of deducting the incentive from the INVOICE and working from there. It does tell the dealer right up front that you can't be fooled with. However, I just wanted to make the point that $3K below INVOICE and $7K below MSRP for the 530 with decent options is the same thing and a good deal. I think some people get confused.

kseshadr

I thought about that, but didn't want to give my business to someone after an insulting experience like that - just on principle.

Secondly, every time I brought it in for servicing, I would relive that experience.
Not worth $40,000+ for that!

mbdriver

I agree with you that buying from that dealer would leave a sour taste! Suggest that you check out BMW of Fairfax, Lee Highway (Rt. 29) & Prosperity Ave. in Fairfax. I bought my 530i from them last month, and it was a very pleasant experience.

My salesman (very nice guy -- no pressure) did try to add the MACO (ad fee) and a training fee (about $350 or $400 total he said was on the BMW invoice) when we finally wrote the order for a car they found for me at the port (they verbally agreed to tag the car for me with the dealer who originally had ordered it). However, I reminded the salesman that we had agreed on a price that provided $2,000 total dealer profit, plus their $199 processing fee. He said the dealership would have to eat the fees, but he immediately agreed to our original deal.

The manager, F&I guy and everyone else were very helpful and friendly. When BMW called a week or so later, I gave them the highest possible marks. Suggest that if you do buy elsewhere, wait until you're called by BMW about your buying experience -- and then tell them about what happened at the Arlington dealership.

hoopsref

re: Dropping the MACO....First of all, I don't want to say that you didn't get a good a deal. You have a 530 and you having a blast I hope. However, the reason he "ate the fees" is because he had much more to work with. I have not had a dealer yet not mention the MACO. And everyone I see on this board that says the dealer ate the fees has received about the same $2000 or so of the $4000 incentive. I got my 530 two weeks ago at $3200 below invoice (whichdid include the MACO). I would encourge folkd to work on getting the profit in the $1000 range or less when possible. It may a little work by contacting several dealers, but I am proff it works. Enjoy your car.

mbdriver

You're absolutely right that the dealer ate the fees because he had enough to work with.

I finalized my deal with my local BMW dealer without doing much research, except what I've gleaned from this forum, which was more than enough to convince me to buy the 5-series. I'd considered the 330iX with 4-wheel drive, but the 530i price with the $4000 incentive applied (or part of it) made the decision easy. I'm sure I could have saved several hundred dollars more, but I was happy with the deal -- they worked hard to find the color combo and equipment I wanted (Blue Water Metallic, Sand interior, Premium Pkg, Cold Wx Pkg, Steptronic, and Power Rear Sunshade). Also, the dealer provides loaners ONLY to customers who have bought from them.

But I agree with your advice to shop hard until you get the car and price you want. I'd guess that by this time the selection is fairly limited.

hoopsref

My 530 is also bluewater. I did not pick that color initially when looking at the cars. I saw this one on the showroom floor with Sports pkg, Black leather and CWP and thought it was pretty nice looking sitting next to a on sports pkg one. After a short spin to see if the ride if was not stiff, I ddcided to get it. Would ave liked the Prem pkg as well, but other that the trim difference, the other stuff was not that big a deal. I know I'll have spend some more money and get snow tires, but I am having a blast driving so far. Enjoy your ride.

sfd100

Went to BMW Gallery Norwood.

Email me for specifics..

mar38

We are purchasing a BMW525i-msrp $42,520.-They took off 4000.incentive and an extra 520.-that brings the price to 38,000.The invoice on the car is 39,085,Shouldn't we be getting the $4000.00 off of that??I think a good price would be $36,000.Am I right?? or is that price too low-I can use all the help I can get--I don't think I'm real great negotiating a price unless i know I'm right.Thanks

mcbstat

I did my research on Edmunds.com on Aug 1 and the 530iA TMV was about $1000 over invoice. I also read Edmunds.com’s tips on negotiating a fair price, since this was going to be my first car I purchased on my own. I was prepared to pay $1500 over invoice. Went in for a test drive the next day and when it came time to deal, the salesaman (nice guy, no pressure) offered it at invoice plus the MACO. I was stunned at what I thought to be a fair price already, and eventually made the deal on his terms without a real counter offer on my part. Did not know about the $4000 factoriy-to-dealer incentive. I realize now after reading the postings here that they pocketed about $4000+ in profit, and though I’m a bit sick to my stomach as I write this (I should’ve browsed the car discussion), I got the car in the color I wanted with only the options I cared about (titanium gray metallic, sport & premium packages, xenon lights) and decent financing (3.49% for 60 months).

pat

Lots of us can identify with what you just said. :-)

Be sure to check out the Buying Tips by clicking on the blue Tips & Advice tab at the top of the page. You might also want to cruise through the discussion list on our Smart Shopper board. There is lots of negotiating advice to be had there.

Meanwhile, let's see what advice others here have for you.

Let us know how it goes!!

pat

Hey, congratulations!!

You got a great car at a price you felt was fair. The deal is done, it's now time to just enjoy your new ride. Not worth beating yourself up about it.

Have fun!

hoopsref

You are thinking along the right track. The incentive (which is only $3500 on the 525) should be deducted from the invoice as the starting point. Based on your inv. number of $39,085 less the $3500 incentive, puts you at $35,585 for a starting point. You should be able to find a dealer that will go $1000 or perhaps less profit, over that figure. $36,585 would be a decent price. Supply & demand can affect the deals with different dealers. Read some of prior posts for tips...# 299,302,307,359. Good luck.

jav27

This is a great site. Thanks to all for your contributions. I paid $37,325 on a 525iA with PP and CWP. I picked it up last Friday and wish the rest of you the best of luck on your deals.

bimmer12

What are the current financing deals you guys are getting in late august? how about for those who went through BMW NA Financing? Are they flexible in matching?

thanks

hoopsref

First of all, congratulations on your new car. Enjoy it. Now some questions on the purcahse to help others shopping for a simular car...
Did you shop around? Did you have a tough combination or color to find? Weren't you able to get the incentives? It seems the price is about $1300+ higher than it should be right now. Invoice is @ $38,490 (including MACO). INcentive to dealer is $3,500, putting the base at $34,990. You should be able to get it about $2,500 below invoice right now. I got my 530iA $3,200 below invoice @ $40,575. ($4K incentive on 530's)

oballeani

Hi, my dad leased his first BMW today. It's a 530i, w/ Automatic Transmission, Sports Package, Sport Seats, Rain Sensor, Chiaretto Red and Black interior. MSRP w/ PDI $69,740. There is only a $2,000 cash rebate on the 5 Series in Canada. We got it for $64,000, 36 months, lease, $0 down, 0.00108 mf (2.6%) w/ 10 MSD = 934.92 /month + tax. Any thoughts ? I would also like to know if it is worth getting the $750 BMW Maintenance Plan, where all repairs for 3 years are included. Maintenance like oil changes are already included, but not wear and tear items, which the Plan covers. Thanks for your advice.

harper8

Just got a 525iA with PP and Fold-down seats for $35,900. Color is Apline white with sand interior. I think I could have taken it down a few hundred more, but felt happy with the process. Hope this helps others.

kennyg5

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal ($3200 off invoice) on your new 530. Congrats!! What kind of package did you get? Did the dealer add on any special fees other than tax, destination, registration and a small doc. fee?

carshopper46

While I agree that the treatment described by kseshadr is totally inappropriate, I just want to say I have recently bought a car there- my second- and the buying experience could not have been any more pleasant and low pressure. Of course, I knew my salesman for some years now which, obviously, can make all the difference. I wasn't too happy either with that BS processing fee but I had gotten a deal that was $3,500 below invoice so I had to let them make their money somewhere.

hoopsref

I got the 530iA with SP, cwp, leather (no PP) in Bluewater with black interior. The MACO of $360 was included in their invoice. (The only ones I have seen not adding this is when they are getting more than $1500 in profit.) I had a $139 processing/doc fee..., which seems to be the norm in MA for all dealers. I smile everyday when I take a corner or punch it to merge... When I go in the garage I think, "Hey, who parked that nice car in my spot?"

mikeburk

at Stevens Creek BMW in Santa Clara, CA. Options were leather (not PP), auto, and fold-down rear seats. Invoice was $38,355 (including MACO of $325). I paid $35,855 plus $45 doc fee which they snuck in at the last moment (but I didn't complain), which was approximately $2,500 below invoice.
I used the "fighting chance" method and sent out 16 faxes. I got 7 replies. Stevens Creek was not the best price initially, but I was able to negotiate with them and get a better deal than any other Northern Calif dealer would offer. Thanks to Hoopsref and mwd3 and all you others who posted useful information on this board.

hoopsref

GREAT! Nice job on the pricing. Enjoy your ride. Did you know about the fighting chance method before you read any of my posts? I know I will never buy another car without using this method, how 'bout you?. I found it actually a "fun" way to buy a car since you are in more control then traditional methods. How many of your 16 dealers responded? Was the closest dealer to you the "least" competitive? How far did you have to go to get it?

hoopsref

, especially a 5er, NOW is the time, dude & dudettes. You may only have less than a week to get a great deal. Once the incentives are gone (which they reported to be months end (or Sept 3rd one person had posted), you have missed a great opportunity. Even if you thought the 5 was a little out of range, you could be suprised.
Don't "settle" for a car that's average if you know what fun these cars are to drive. Life is short, have fun! Everytime I walk in the garage I think..."Hey, who parked that nice BMW in my garage?" Yes, it does help to be forgetful, what's your point? I can now hide my own Easter eggs, too.

woodranch1

Just pulled the trigger on 540i, six speed. Please let me know how I came out. MSRP $62,000

Deal is at $55,100. Dealer also through in extended warranty (third party.)

To make the payments easier, I did a five year lease, residual at $22,000, money rate of 1.95%.
I also put $7500 down. Payments are $700 per mo.

Thanks