BMW 3-Series 2006

dlw314

I really want to get the Sport Package when I order the E90, but I live in the NYC metro area... Because of this, I would not be able to keep the performance tires on during winter months... I don't have anywhere to switch out or store tires, so I was wondering if all season run flats were a option for me to buy after getting the car? I currently have them on my E46 330i with 17" tires, and I have never had a problem during the winter months.

Thanks

shipo

I've encountered several dealerships that offer a "Tire swapping and off season storage" service.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jon330cic

JC,
Here's a link to another post that has a link to a complete description of the "Rizzo Method".

If the link doesn't work (i'm new at this...), just go to message # 22259 in the "BMW 3-Series Sedans" forum.

link title

I faxed about 10 dealers on my last purchase. Most ignored my offer, two called back to say "full MSRP on ED", and one called back, countered my offer by a few hundred dollars and we concluded the whole deal in 10 minutes on the phone. Easiest car buying experience I've ever had.

Best of luck,
j.

dlaw

What was your offer? How much over invoice price? When did you fax? Begingging, middle, or near end of month? Thanks.

blueguydotcom

Peak yeah it's more bland and bloated. You are correct. I'll enjoy whatever I buy (for at least 6 months...lol).

amt7565

DL-
I was confused with the 2 events. I was thinking the Dallas Auto show on April-13. Is the event on the 11th the 'drive across america"? I could not get a place for this event.

AMT-

dl7265

Yes South fork is the 11th, The Auto show starts the 13th.Are you a BMWCCA member ? If so call them up and registar.If not you can join and give them your temporary code til your card arrives. Mine only took one week,to arrive. One year is 40 bucks. If your a member for a year you can get $500.00, or $1000.00 on a 5er. Im off on the 11th allready., or I would have probably just waited til the auto show.

DL

amt7565

Thanks.
I am not a member of the BMWCCA. I will not get a membership at this time. So I will pass the event on the 11th. I will probably visit the Dallas auto show which is only $10.00.

have fun at the show.
AMT-

dl7265

Going by other forums. looks like a few different cars are at different shows. I hope we don't get the red one from the Denver show.. :confuse:

DL

bmwfan2

When u order via ED, the wait time is 3 months plus 6-8 wks for shipping per the BMW site. Is there any way to speed this up? is it possible that there's a car u want already in Munich that u can just pick up without 3 months wait?

Thanks.

ivan_99

Note sure, but I think as the name implies, it’s an order, so there wouldn’t be any lying around (think they are all allocated to dealers).

I also don’t think you could buy from a dealer there, I think it has to come directly from the manufacturer.

I know I would be impatient if I had to wait 3 months after I ordered (and paid); though the $’s saved would be a nice consolation.

jayelleseven

I know theres some of you out there dissappointed with the car's overall look. It sure looks good in print up on site but they debut at the NY auto show... It didnt look so fabulous! Imma save my money for a 5 series, then ill really be a baller at 19 yrs of age. N did you all hear about the new prices for the new 5s?? Like 43k??? man

zzdoc

since the msrp on the website is essentially unchanged pricing for the new 3 series, (marginal) one can assume if you look at the invoice on the 2005 add up and add a max of 100 dollars to cover any increase, you will be real close. I have a black xi and its looks great for about one hour after a car wash, its my third black car (previous lexus and navigator), my next bmw will sadly be another color. good luck, (word has it the new graphite is worth looking at)

shipo

Have you considered Sapphire Black? I just finished a lease on a 2002 530i in that color and it was just as stunning looking days and even weeks (weather depending) after a good wash as it did when it was new sitting on the delivery floor in Munich.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jon330cic

What was your offer? How much over invoice price? When did you fax? Begingging, middle, or near end of month? Thanks.

dlaw,
I took the ED Wholesale price, added the USA Invoice prices for all options, the Destination charge and a line item called "Dealer Profit" of $1000. Then subtotalled to get the "Negotiated Selling Price" for the lease. Then I added the base Acquisition Fee (no markup) and totalled everything to get the Gross Cap Cost for the lease (which is also the Adjusted Cap Cost since you don't want to put any money down on a lease).

Then I listed all the lease terms: Money Factor (base - no markup), Residual %, Term, Mileage Allowance, Monthly Payment, Sales Tax, Total Monthly Payment. Car_Man can get you the MF and Residual for your specific lease over in the "Lease Questions" forum.

The key is to list everything at cost/invoice price and consolidate the dealer profit on the deal into one line item. Makes the negotiation much easier, as it's the only line item up for discussion. Conventional dealers love to make profit in five or six different places on a lease deal, but if you are patient you will find an enlightened dealer who knows how to deal with an educated customer.

I honestly didn't pay any attention to time of the month, though I suppose the end of the month is still the best time to buy a car.
j.

307web

Was there also a documentation fee and advertising fee?

ritchieg

"I'm doing ED in late May. What is the weather like around that time? When are you picking up yours. "

Sorry for the late post. It's been a busy week. The weather in May in Germany is usually pretty nice. Spring is in full swing, so bring your allergy meds if you have allergies. Might have a little rain of course since it is Germany. Low's at night mid to upper 40's, highs usually in the upper 70's - low 80's.

Hopefully I'll get a production date for early June. I didn't order it until early March.

Once I get the VIN number for the car it'll be delivered in 2 weeks.

jon330cic

Was there also a documentation fee and advertising fee?

307web,
No, these are more dealer "junk" fees that are just euphemisms for "dealer profit."

There are car manufacturers where this isn't true, but for BMW, the only fees mandated by the manufacturer (for a lease through BMWFS) are Destination Charge ($695) and Acquisition Fee ($625). Everything else - doc fee, adv fee, dealer prep, weatherizing, undercoating, pin striping (God help us...), MF markup, Acq Fee markup - these are all "dealer profit." And since BMW (last I checked) doesn't use a system of "hold backs", the Invoice or "Confidential Wholesale" pricing you've seen on this forum really is the dealer cost, so you don't have to play games guessing at what is yet another source of dealer profit for dealers of most other car manufacturers.

The dealer that I ultimately bought from had no problem at all having all the profit in the deal plainly stated and consolidated on one line item called "dealer profit." You shouldn't have any trouble finding a similar dealer willing to work on this basis.
j.

david325xi

Don't know where to find the ED invoice price. BMW web site only list the MSRP. Anyone knows please let me know. Thanks!

blueguydotcom

do a search on this discussion. I posted a pdf link to it.

lenunbiased

newbie here, apologies if this is boring.

1. spoke to a SoCal dealer over the weekend who said he'd custom config an '06 325i for me (i want nav and basically no other options) and said he'd ask for $1000 below MSRP -- this wasn't a negotiation, I was just trying to get rough comp b/t an '06 and an '05 that has more options than I want but does have the incentive.

2. my wife and i went to NY auto show yesterday and saw the new 3 in person (although it's really annoying that bmw won't let you in their cars, when infinity, acura and lexus do). I liked the looks, although my wife prefers the '05. Three observations. (1) There's on crease next to the hood at the top of the quarter panel that's pretty strange looking and doesn't show in the pictures. Makes the car look a little like it was pieced together like legos. not a big deal, but certainly not a beauty mark. (2) the visibility out the back looks like it will be terrible. The back window is tiny and in terms of true vertical plumb line can't be more than 4 or 5 inches (the glass is big b/c of the very gentle slope). Of course, they wouldn't let us in the car, so we couldn't test this hypothesis. (3) rear legroom looks totally unimproved -- the passenger seat was all the way back and there was maybe 2 inches tops. (4) when we walked by the rep was happened to be taling about the bigger trunk, thx to slightly larger body and no spare with the run-flats. Someone asked to see the trunk and she said she wasn't allowed to open it. hilarious.

wco81

Do you mind posting the itemized list that you sent to the dealer with the dollar amounts?

planoml

70's/80's!!! I can go for that. I was checking the weather channel, & it showed averages in the 60's. Thanks for the tip on the allergy medication. So far, my plans are to go through Salzburg, Innsbruck, Como, Interlaken, & drop-off in Paris.

Is it true you guys get state-side gas prices? I would be driving a hummer all over Europe, if that was the case.

jon330cic

wco81,
If you'll email me (address in my profile), I will send you the spreadsheet I use. Too much data to post here.
j.

jbm92

Hey Buddy - I have a '03 330X and had the same questions since my lease is up in 11 months, Had the 528I before this and although great car, in the rain or snow it was a trainwreck. My dealer tells me there will be a 330XI out in the fall - the prob is the pricetag, if the 330I rear wheel is coming in at low 40's - looking at a mid 40 range.

shipo

As you so eloquently stated, my 530i was a "train wreck" when thing got slippery too, at least that was true on the OEM tires. When I put winter tires on it that car went from the worst winter driving vehicle I had ever had the pleasure of trying to skate down the road to by far the most capable. Having come from the perspective that All-Season tires were "good enough", I was stunned at the transformation that the winter tires made when mounted on my car.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

Got a message my car went into production 03/30 and I got a Vin# today! Still scheduled for late May delivery.

Anyone know if the E90 is being built in SA ? If so whats the Vin# difference from the German models.

DL

m4d_cow

is the e90 available for test drive yet? i havent chacked the dealership (too busy), but i had the chance to drive a 330d (yes its diesel, and sadly, not for long), grey-green (sort of) on grey

impressions:
it drives awesome and handles even sharper than the current model. it didnt have active steering (thank god), but it came w/ i-drive. i noticed there was a distortion on the rear window, probably early production issue. also didnt bother to test the i-drive, as i really doubt itll be any different than the current version.
Im actually a bit surprised at how "common" it looks, unlike what i saw in pictures the new 3 looks pretty similar to the old one. also theres this odd looking crease on the side of the hood that somehow works imo. the wheels, however (17" multispoke), totally ruined the looks.
the interior actually felt nicer than the 5, even though the design is similar. the materials used are far better than the 5er. didnt test the backseats, so no comments for now. i might consider one next yr or so, when all the bugs have been taken care of.

bigpapaluke

Should be available for a test drive in late April (according to the dealership in Charlotte). From what they told me, they'll receive an initial stock of 50 cars, of which 46 have been pre-ordered and sold, the other 4 will be their launch cars not available for sale. So I'll patientlly wait until then to see what the fuss is about.

Luke

bigpapaluke

Hi Shipo,

First, I find your posts to be very informative, especially when you share the personal experiences with your vehicles. Since I will be new to the BMW family, it's been helpful in hearing what previous owners have to say

My wife and I are having the discussion re: the E90, specifically when it comes to the i versus xi. Do we save some money and go for the RWD, or for piece of mind, do we get the AWD? First, I found this interesting article from Popular Mechanics about the difference between FWD and RWD that this forum may be interested in reading: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/auto_technology/1266931.html?page=1&c=y

My questions to you are where did you feel the difference in the All-Season tires versus the stock tires on the BMW? Did they have better road grip? Also, did your 530i have some version of traction control or was it strictly a tire issue?

Thanks again for your posts.
Luke

shipo

Hey Big Papa,

Gee thanks, I think I blushed. ;--)

Regarding how to set your (potential) BMW up for winter, I know many around here might disagree with me, however, IMHO, unless you live in the Canadian Rockies you don't really have a need for the AWD "xi" option. So, in my opinion, you should go for the RWD "i" model, and then "buy" a little extra "piece of mind" from TireRack.com (or your favorite tire dealer), and for less money than the "xi" option no less. When I said "buy", I meant that you should buy some winter tires, which in many ways will more than offset the capabilities of AWD.

Said another way, all "xi" models are equipped with All-Season tires from the factory. If you take two otherwise identical E90s, one with the "xi" option and OEM tires, and the second with the "i" option and equip it with Winter tires, the results under most circumstances should be the following:

- The AWD car should accelerate through deep snow and on ice a little faster than the RWD car.
- The RWD car should handle better in the snow and on ice
- The RWD car should stop shorter in the snow and on ice

Some folks might be surprised by the above; however, it is actually quite logical. That the AWD car will accelerate faster is really no surprise, however, that the RWD car will turn and stop quicker is due to three things:

1) The RWD car weighs less than the AWD car, which means less mass to lug around.
2) The RWD car has tires that are much better suited to the purpose of winter driving than the OEM All-Season tires.
3) The DSC (Dynamic Skid Control) system is there to keep the car in line if you are a little over zealous with your turns or find yourself stopping with one side of the car in snow and the other on glare ice.

Item #3 sort of answers your last question, yes, my 530i (and every other BMW sold here since the mid to late 1990s) had a traction control system called DSC. Regarding your tire choices; from the factory you effectively have the choice of two types of tires, depending upon which model you order and whether you order the Sport Package in conjunction with the RWD "i" model. In short, the base "i", and all versions of the "xi" get All-Season rubber, while the SP version of the "i" get upgraded three season high performance tires. The problem with All-Season tires is that they are very much a compromise. Their traction capabilities are sorta kinda okay in the summer, and they are also sorta kinda okay in snowy conditions as long as the roads are flat and smooth and there isn't too much snow. The fact is that they will not perform as well in the warmer months as will the performance tires, and they will not perform as well in the colder months as will winter tires, and that difference in performance might just be the extra margin you need to avoid a serious situation if someone else does something that might be called "ill advised."

I live in snowy New Hampshire, we've had nearly 300 inches of snow up here since we move here 2.5 years ago, and trust me, roads around here are anything but straight and flat. So, with that in mind, how am I going to order my E90? Simple, I'm ordering a 330i with the Sport Package, and then I'm ordering a winter wheel/tire package from TireRack well before the first snow flies.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bigpapaluke

It helps a lot. I too am planning on getting the E90 with the Sport Package, so I will most likely explore the after market winter tires. Since I live in an area that doesn't see a lot of icy / snowy conditions, I thought the XI may be going overboard. But wanted to be sure that I wasn't off my rocker (even though my shrink says I am) . . .

Thanks again,
Luke

davidc1

I've had two 3-series simultaneously (one with AWD and one with RWD). I am not sure if 330i with similar tire setup as 330xi is noticeably better in handling/braking. How fast will you be trying to turn on ice anyway? I've had trouble climbing up icy/wet hills with RWD w/snow tires. I will tell you that AWD with regular all seasons is better than RWD w/snow tires in snow/ice. My suggestion to folks living with a lot of snow/ice is that they should get the AWD and get snow tires for winter. Nothing beats that combination. Having said that, I think most of us really don't need that setup. In fact RWD with all seasons and traction control is good enough to get by in most parts of country, IMO. But as far as extra cost is concerned, an extra set of nice wheel/tire combo should cost almost as much as the AWD option. Feel free to disagree.

shipo

I have no doubt that an AWD car with winter tires will climb/accelerate significantly better than a RWD car with the same tires. And as I posted before, the AWD car with All-Season rubber will climb/accelerate slightly better than the RWD car with winter tires. The fact is that my street is a seven and a half percent grade and my driveway is a ten percent grade, and my RWD 530i would easily plow its way up both with six to eight inches of snow covering them. Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are a couple of driveways in our neighborhood that are probably more like a twenty percent grade (at least they sure look that way), and my 530i could not climb them unless they were dry. Then again, each of those families have AWD cars and/or 4WD trucks, and as a rule, they park on the street after a snow since they cannot get up either. :mad:

As for cost, well, I paid $1,007 for my set of winter alloy wheels and tires (and I suspect that I'll be able to recover about half of that based upon the prices I'm seeing winter wheel sets go for on eBay), including shipping, I don't know what the "xi" option costs but I'm betting that it is a little more than that.

The flip side to all of this is that if you want the full Sport Package, you cannot have the "xi" anyway, so it's kind of a moot point. In the warmer months, there is absolutely no comparison between an "i" with SP and an "xi". None, zero, zip, nada.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dewey

http://info.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.cfm

See the site above. The intro of the E90 Touring will be Nov 05. This is earlier than I had expected, in fact 365 days earlier.
For the rare soon-to-be touring buyer like myself--this is FANTASTIC NEWS.

Hopefully by November there will be a xi version. I agree with Shipo about the importance of snow tires. In my case AWD makes sense since I want to keep my car for many years in the future. If you add the cost of snow tires + storage costs(I live in mid-town Toronto and storage space is a scarcity), the extra cost of AWD does not look too bad.

dl7265

Theres a Diesel car in the US ? Or your on vacation in Europe somewhere ?

DL

dl7265

Dewey, from another forum.

325XIT begins production 09/05. The (non-awd) will begin in 05/06. No mention of a 330XIT.

DL

davidc1

The price difference, at the moment, appears to be roughly $1000 (little less for 325, little more for 330). And you are right about the SP, can't get it in xi. That's why my second 3 had to be RWD.

planoml

do you guys want me to look at anything in particular; or just tell you about all the pushing and shoving. As you know by now, I will only be allowed to imagine driving it. If I'm really lucky, & shove enough people, I might be able to sit in it. In fact, I am thinking of going to the Dallas Auto Show to see if I can be a further public disrupter. Keep you posted.

dl7265

Well, I hope since we have cars on order, A few seconds seat time will be permitted.Seeya at the Ranch :shades:

DL

dewey

". No mention of a 330XIT. "

Where did you get your info.

Please refer to the website on my post #1814. It states the following:

The next addition to the family is the 3 Series wagon, which should arrive in North America late this fall as a 2006 model. It will make its public debut in September at the Frankfurt auto show, and should be in showrooms by November. Engine choices will be similar to those for the sedan.

Note the last sentence---Engine choices will be similar to those for the sedan!I believe that means it would include a 330xit!

dl7265

Well, hopefully, Is detroit news real accuate ? Not sure if I can post here from another forum or not ? But was from one of more reliable sources in the US. Then again you get( Lemon)'s interior ,ect up north,so who knows.Currently we only get 325i in wagon here.

a 6speed 218hp wont work for ya? :lemon:
DL

shipo

It seems that BMW has finally decided that the 3.0 liter mill is good enough for the Estate Wagons as it appears that both the E60 and the E90 "T" cars will be available with the more powerful I6. Hmmm, the utility of an Estate Wagon is tough to beat, and if it is available with a 3-Pedal 6-Speed, then Mrs. Shipo and I can cut back to only one Caravan. That might be worth considering. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

Id say double your pleasure and dump both car- a -van 's ,and get matching bumper stickers that say "im spending my child inheritance"

DL

shipo

Hehe, I'd love to, unfortunately we need to carry six or more passengers fairly often and as such dumping both Car-a-vans just won't work. Fortunately Mrs. Shipo has grown to actually LIKE driving her Caravan. Given the choice between hers and my 530i, she would take the hers. Go figure. Oddly enough, it seems like it was the ED trip that was the turning point for her. We were tooling along at about 110 with her at the wheel when she pulled off at an exit and said, "I'm done." Other than when I had the broken right leg a couple of years back, I think that she drove it over here a total of twice.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dewey

"Currently we only get 325i in wagon here."

Currently a 325i wagon is all we get here too. The base price for a awd 325i Touring is about the same price as a 330i sedan(well at least here in Canada). If I am going to spend that kind of money, a few grand more for a 330xit seems to be a worthy investment( well at least a fun investment with depreciating returns).

dl7265

With current exchange rate, is a ED out of the question for you ?

DL

nyccarguy

The E60 5er touring will only be available in Xi trim (I read it somewhere), do you think the E90 3er Touring will follow suit? I certainly hope not.

wildcatjon

I love the look of the sport wheels but don't want to sacrifice ride quality. Before I get reemed for this, I want a great combo of a sports sedan but with a nice ride. Thoughts? Also, live in the Midwest and have snow issues about 15 days a year. Thought about waiting for the 330xi, but. . . .

Lots of discussion about snow tires, but how is the ride on dry pavement? We may get 10-15 days a year of slick driving in the midwest but most winter days are just cold and dry or cool and rainy. Thoughts?

shipo

"Lots of discussion about snow tires, but how is the ride on dry pavement?"

It depends entirely on which tire you get. I opted for the Michelin Arctic-Alpin tires for my 530i due to the fact they were purported to be very quiet, and if any thing, they were quieter than the OEM rubber on dry pavement.

Best Regards,
Shipo