Well I got the latest money factor for the 2006 330i for 3 years, 36,000 miles from Dennis on the leasing board and it ain't pretty. The base is .00255 which means it will be jacked up to .00295 by most dealers. This would be at least 3% higher interest from what BMWFS charges on its other leases with money factors inflated to the max. by dealers. Vehicles like the 545 and X5. I don't know about you folks but I would rather have a higher monthly payment on the 545 or X5 knowing I got a good deal paying only 3.36 or 3.96% interest. 7.08% No way!
There's already been quite a few test drive posts, so i'll be brief.
1) I think it looks very sharp in person. The one i saw was titanium; i think it'd be gorgeous in the sparkling graphite. I never warmed to the e46. This is much nicer.
2) The sport seats were fairly snug in the shoulders on me. I didn't know they were adjustable.
3) The interior is luxurious, better quality than my e36, but i like the design less. It's less cockpitty, more lexus-like.
4) I don't know where the extra room is. If anything, it felt more snug to me than my e36. But the back seat and trunk are definitely bigger.
5) The engine is darn quiet, almost too much so. But i could probably get used to it. It definitely feels powerful, but i couldn't get a sense for it's punch, because a cop followed me for most of the test drive. The car overall is very quiet, amazingly compliant and low road noise considering it's a sport 330i. (note: it had the sport package, but i think it had 17's swapped onto it ).
6) The steering feels more light than my car, less "mechanical." Same for the suspension. Overall, feedback is significantly reduced. But then, it is quite a bit quieter. I frankly have had this opinion about several cars i've driven recently. Maybe it'd be better if i had a change to wring the car out, but it didn't really feel _that_ much sharper than several other cars i've driven recently (a3, s40T5 sport, c230sport). It certianly WAS better--just not night and day.
7) I'm not a fan of the lack of a spare, not a fan of that AT ALL! I take a fair number of road trips; what if i get a flat in the middle of south dakota? Who's going to have a 17 inch sport runflat? I'm sure this is less of a deal in germany, but come on!
Overall it is a great ca, the best i've driven, but it didn't make me shake and reach for my checkbook yet.
Those were BMW Canada 0-60 stats. Saw them at a dealership during the new e90 debut.
After seeing the e90 I cannot help but notice the positive consensus here in this forum about the styling.
Based on the e90 interior/exterior--prefer my e46! IMHO!
Cannot judge the car since I did not test drive it yet! No test drive demos available. If my e90 test drive does not jolt me out of my wallet, I may just invest some money in snow tires and keep my e46 for a few more years.
Dewey....same here, went to have a look again and I really do not see anything that would want me get rid off my 2004 330i. My dealer had 3 325i and one 330i. The 325i with 16 inch tires look terrible....and to add to the insult it had Bridgestones crap tires....same they put on the 2004 Acura Tl's! Regards, Webby
"The 325i with 16 inch tires look terrible" Thanks! What was terrible was the "hubcaps" that came on the early E46. Actually the 156 are a HUGE improvement over the 45's that came on the E46. Ive gotten lots of compliments on them.
Here are some thoughts on my 1st week with my E90.
First the OBC. 348 miles, average speed 30. mpg 23.0 I put 15.4 gallons of 93 oct from Kwiktrip( a toptier.com member). By hand I get 22.6 mpg, So pretty close to the computer. Lets hope this increases with break in.
Since there is no spare you get a little storage space where it would have been. I put together a little detail kit. really not useful for any thing since its not part of the trunk. I still would have preferred a spare.
Lighting is upgraded nicely .The front and back map lights, led's in the roof and the door handle led's The don't do much but get a lot of attention.
As for comments on the spartian interior, you have to live with it for a while to appreciate it. There is just enough metal trim, shifter, air vents, door handles for a nice contrast. The AC controls are great. Not only does the rear seat AC and dual climate keep the peace , but the switch gear is a huge improvement. The rotary dials are just right and high quality. The stereo is also improved. The bass response still is not great. If your dial is set on classic rock , alternative, your in good shape. SHAQ would not be happy tho.. :P
The 'ette is even improved. It's tight and tough. Should look great for years. I was a little nervous about getting the Black 'ette but am glad I did.
I have used the fold down seats 3 times allready. For the critics the new seat design is the same construction in the inner frame wether you get the fold downs or not. So there is no rigidity issue. Make's me wonder why we still have to pay for them tho ?
From the detail board I got some of the foam paintbrushes from Home Depot, it makes the wheel cleaning a little easier.
Took out a 330 with sport and navigation, without active steering. I felt more feedback in the steering than my previous 02 330 with sport, however did not feel that the car was significantly more powerful than my old 330. The interior felt bigger and looked nicer than the older model. The nav did not seem that hard to grasp and may be useful. The seats seem more comfortable than my old car, does anyone know if the seats have changed? Finally the car looks night and day better with the sports package. I really don't think I could get a car with the base wheels. Good luck to all, its one sweet ride.
Am looking at the 2006 325 (artic white, sport, folding seats....if it matters)...a couple of questions
1) With all the electronics...is there a simple mechanical key that can stand getting wet...ie surfing and windsurfing?
2) Are there any options at all for chains or traction devices for the sport package (I know get snow tires....but that doesn't work in some cases without AWD in California)
Well, there is a key inside the remote in case you loose power you can get in the car. Inside the glove box there is an adapter to start if you need. You also get the plastic key. How many times ud chance using it im not sure ?
How much aggravation am I going to get If I purchase from dealer A but use dealer B for service because of physical location? I would only do this if there was a significant difference in purchase price.
There should be absolutely NONE! If anyone tells you otherwise, they are full of it. In many cases dealers actually make much more money on the service end of the business than on sales. I had the same concern when I bought my first Audi, which like BMW offers free scheduled service. If anyone at the dealership that you wish to take your car to be serviced gives you a hard time, just contact BMW of America, all dealers are required to honor the warranty and free service.
I will soon be in the market to lease a 2006 325i in NY. Definite options will include automatic transmission, premium package and heated seats. Xenon headlights is a strong possibility, as is metallic paint. I figure that the car I want will have a MSRP in the range of $35,670 to $36,945, depending on what I eventually decide about the uncertain options. I have a few money questions. First, since this is a hot new model, should I expect that my lease will be calculated from the full MSRP? If dealers are giving discounts, how much of a break off MSRP could I expect to get? The lease I have in mind is as follows: 3 years, 55,000 miles, no down payment, acquisition fee and any other fees would be capitalized, sales tax would be capitalized, no security deposit. Although this framework results in the highest possible monthly payment, I lease cars in this way in order to avoid possibly getting burned in the event that the car is stolen or totaled. So I choose to pay as I go instead of prepaying. I want to do some due diligence before talking turkey with a dealer. Can anyone give me a ballpark sense of what my monthly payment should be?
"If anyone at the dealership that you wish to take your car to be serviced gives you a hard time, just contact BMW of America, all dealers are required to honor the warranty and free service."
Well said. ;-)
While I've never heard of anybody having a problem bringing their car to a different dealership for service, I have heard stories of Sales Associates from certain dealerships (the Dallas area comes to mind) that have claimed that they either wouldn't service a car bought elsewere, or would place a car bought/lease from another dealership at the bottom of the list of cars to be serviced. Then again, we all know just how completely truthful many Sales Associates are during the sales process. ;-)
I never had that issue. However at the time the Center i purchased from had the valet service with BMW loaners within a 50 mile radius.Now my "new" Center offers that as well. With only 1-2 services a year, I did no consider it that big of a deal. Although I enjoyed have a Z3 3.0, 530 ect for loaners...
Who did your 7500 oil changes ? yourself or dealer ?
I did my own oil changes. I invested in a Pela 650 oil extractor http://www.jerrybleach.com/pelaapps650.html, it makes changing oil a snap. All you need to do is to remove the Oil Filter cap and the Dip Stick and suck out the old oil. Oops! No dip stick on the E90, hmmm, I wonder how you are supposed to get the oil out without having to crawl out underneath the car. :-(
Worst service I ever got was from the dealership where I purchased the car. I can only assume that a bad service center is a bad service center regardless.
I got my 325i in NYC and when I brought it down to Sarasota to be serviced, they made me pay for a loaner since I didn't buy or lease directly from them. They worked directly with one of the local rent a car companies. Nothing like stepping up to a luxury dealership experience, eh?
There might be an area of the oil filter space or the filler cap where the tube could be inserted. IIRC, the official oil change procedure on new Mercedes is through the use of one of these, and I think many of those don't include a dipstick.
I didn't buy my car locally... but, they have provided me with a loaner every time.. Sometimes you have to make your appointment ten days out, to make sure you get one... and, it is always a BMW.
That is the first question they ask... "Do you want a loaner".
I had a warranty repair shortly after buying.. The car had to be towed to the other local dealer... They got me a car from Enterprise, but they picked up the tab..
I knew something sucked about Florida.... now, I know what..
"I didn't buy my car locally... but, they have provided me with a loaner every time.. Sometimes you have to make your appointment ten days out, to make sure you get one... and, it is always a BMW.
That is the first question they ask... "Do you want a loaner".
I had a warranty repair shortly after buying.. The car had to be towed to the other local dealer... They got me a car from Enterprise, but they picked up the tab..
I knew something sucked about Florida.... now, I know what.. "
kyfdx, I bought my 2003 330 convertible from a dealersship near where I live in Maryland. I never got a BWM loaner when I took mine in for service at the SAME dealership. Alway something from Enterprise. By the way, I love Florida. :P
In Queens, NY where I leased my first BMW, I always got a BMW loaner when serviced. Quite often a nice upgrade too. You left out the Devil Rays, hanging chads and Malcolm Glazer. :mad:
I ma not sure about lease prices, but maybe this info will help you in negotiating. 325i 2006, bought last week in upstate NY heated seats power seats automatic transmission metallic paint (dark blue – looks fantastic!)
price as quoted 34,240 price after negotiating 33,000 plus the dealer threw in rubber floor mats and also this dealership offers free carwashes for lifetime of a vehicle.
As far as I know it’s not enough to negotiate only the price of a car when leasing. It is more important to negotiate the residual value after the lease term ends.
That's encouraging. You got more than a grand off MSRP on a hot new car. I was afraid that BMW dealers would stick very close to MSRP for at least the first few months.
My understanding is that the residual value is set by the leasing companies and that it is a non-negotiable aspect of the lease. It is some percentage of the MSRP, depending on the length of the lease and the number of included miles. The higher the residual, the lower the monthly payments. But if the leasing companies set residuals too high, they will lose money on the back end when cars are returned and auctioned off.
You can negotiate the MF. Find out the official MF and then see what the dealer is using. Most often they add .0003 to it for their own profit. Some rascally dealers tack on 9 points.
Also, your residual is based on the MSRP, not the sale price. Payments are based on the sale price. So if the car had an msrp of 34k and the residual is 58% (a guess) then the lease end buy out would be about 19.7k.
So you've gotta pay for 13-14k of use of the car, plus the interest rate (money factor).
thanks for posting info about the Pela 650 -- its exactly what I was looking for. Two questions:
1) since I am a novice at oil changes, I am assuming that this is easy -- pump out oil, put in Mobil 1 or equivalent -- correct? (I have an '05 330i)
2) any recommendations for where to get an oil filter? I am supposing at any BMW Oem website. And, more importantly, any advice on how to change oil filters (as in "3 easy steps"). Many thanks!
MF is for money factor? MF is some unintelligible way to express the interest rate on a lease, right? What is the formula for determining the interest rate equivalent of the MF? How do I find out the "official MF" in order to determine what the dealer has added on? Is it only the portion that the dealer added on that is negotiatiable? Should I refuse to accept any dealer add-on to the official MF?
Another interesting point. Maybe someone already encountered this issue. The list of standard features has front seatback storage nets listed. Guess what – on my 2006 325i there are no nets behind the front seats. I spoke today with the sales guy who I was dealing with during the purchase of my car. He is puzzled himself. He showed me to two identical 330i and guess what – one HAS and the other one DOES NOT have those nets. All of their 325i on the lot do not have those storage nets. But at the same time he confirmed that he also saw official list of included features and even some photos from their brochures and it should be, according to the website and the photos in the brochure, included in the car. Anyone else has the same problem. He will contact the manufacturer to find out what is going on with those storage nets. I’ll keep you posted.
If you want the current "base rate" money factor... you just have to ask us..
The base rate or "buy rate", as some dealers call it.. is the lowest rate that BMWFS supplies the money.... Dealers are allowed to mark it up (there is a maximum mark-up allowed by BMWFS). Only the mark-up is negotiable.
I suggest insisting on the base rates... Some dealers will not do that, but some will..
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MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
"Found the brakes quite sensitive and grabby. Very un-BMW like."
How many miles were on the car? If less than 200, then the brakes were not bedded in yet. If well over 200, the bet is that the brakes have been abused on the test drives, and the bedding was not done properly.
Yes, I do confirm. 325i. Not a test drive – it’s my own now:) Great car. But breaks are VERY sensitive and grabby. MY assumption is that maybe after the break-in period break will adjust and become a bit smoother. At least it is my hope. On the other end – I do like that the car stops EXACTLY where I want it t stop. I only worry about those drivers who are behind me – I pray to God they react fast to my car stopping:)
BMWs are more responsive in general than other cars, including brakes... If I need to cancel the cruise control while driving one, and if it's not convenient to use the cancel button, and I tap the brakes as lightly as possible instead, I can really feel the brakes start to grab. In most other cars, the cruise would cancel a decent bit before the brakes grab. Maybe my experience was in one with newish brakes?
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Comments
The base is .00255 which means it will be jacked up to .00295 by most dealers.
This would be at least 3% higher interest from what BMWFS charges on its other leases with money factors inflated to the max. by dealers. Vehicles like the 545 and X5.
I don't know about you folks but I would rather have a higher monthly payment on the 545 or X5 knowing I got a good deal paying only 3.36 or 3.96% interest.
7.08% No way!
1) I think it looks very sharp in person. The one i saw was titanium; i think it'd be gorgeous in the sparkling graphite. I never warmed to the e46. This is much nicer.
2) The sport seats were fairly snug in the shoulders on me. I didn't know they were adjustable.
3) The interior is luxurious, better quality than my e36, but i like the design less. It's less cockpitty, more lexus-like.
4) I don't know where the extra room is. If anything, it felt more snug to me than my e36. But the back seat and trunk are definitely bigger.
5) The engine is darn quiet, almost too much so. But i could probably get used to it. It definitely feels powerful, but i couldn't get a sense for it's punch, because a cop followed me for most of the test drive. The car overall is very quiet, amazingly compliant and low road noise considering it's a sport 330i. (note: it had the sport package, but i think it had 17's swapped onto it ).
6) The steering feels more light than my car, less "mechanical." Same for the suspension. Overall, feedback is significantly reduced. But then, it is quite a bit quieter. I frankly have had this opinion about several cars i've driven recently. Maybe it'd be better if i had a change to wring the car out, but it didn't really feel _that_ much sharper than several other cars i've driven recently (a3, s40T5 sport, c230sport). It certianly WAS better--just not night and day.
7) I'm not a fan of the lack of a spare, not a fan of that AT ALL! I take a fair number of road trips; what if i get a flat in the middle of south dakota? Who's going to have a 17 inch sport runflat? I'm sure this is less of a deal in germany, but come on!
Overall it is a great ca, the best i've driven, but it didn't make me shake and reach for my checkbook yet.
dave
After seeing the e90 I cannot help but notice the positive consensus here in this forum about the styling.
Based on the e90 interior/exterior--prefer my e46! IMHO!
Cannot judge the car since I did not test drive it yet! No test drive demos available.
If my e90 test drive does not jolt me out of my wallet, I may just invest some money in snow tires and keep my e46 for a few more years.
The 325i with 16 inch tires look terrible....and to add to the insult it had Bridgestones crap tires....same they put on the 2004 Acura Tl's!
Regards,
Webby
First the OBC. 348 miles, average speed 30. mpg 23.0
I put 15.4 gallons of 93 oct from Kwiktrip( a toptier.com member). By hand I get 22.6 mpg, So pretty close to the computer. Lets hope this increases with break in.
Since there is no spare you get a little storage space where it would have been. I put together a little detail kit. really not useful for any thing since its not part of the trunk. I still would have preferred a spare.
Lighting is upgraded nicely .The front and back map lights, led's in the roof and the door handle led's The don't do much but get a lot of attention.
As for comments on the spartian interior, you have to live with it for a while to appreciate it. There is just enough metal trim, shifter, air vents, door handles for a nice contrast. The AC controls are great. Not only does the rear seat AC and dual climate keep the peace , but the switch gear is a huge improvement. The rotary dials are just right and high quality. The stereo is also improved. The bass response still is not great. If your dial is set on classic rock , alternative, your in good shape. SHAQ would not be happy tho.. :P
The 'ette is even improved. It's tight and tough. Should look great for years. I was a little nervous about getting the Black 'ette but am glad I did.
I have used the fold down seats 3 times allready. For the critics the new seat design is the same construction in the inner frame wether you get the fold downs or not. So there is no rigidity issue. Make's me wonder why we still have to pay for them tho ?
From the detail board I got some of the foam paintbrushes from Home Depot, it makes the wheel cleaning a little easier.
Thats about all for now.
DL
DL
How come you didn't keep the turbo and install it on your G35?
Where on earth did you dig up this abomination?
Best regards,
Shipo
1) With all the electronics...is there a simple mechanical key that can stand getting wet...ie surfing and windsurfing?
2) Are there any options at all for chains or traction devices for the sport package (I know get snow tires....but that doesn't work in some cases without AWD in California)
thanks
DL
thanks
Jim
Well said. ;-)
While I've never heard of anybody having a problem bringing their car to a different dealership for service, I have heard stories of Sales Associates from certain dealerships (the Dallas area comes to mind) that have claimed that they either wouldn't service a car bought elsewere, or would place a car bought/lease from another dealership at the bottom of the list of cars to be serviced. Then again, we all know just how completely truthful many Sales Associates are during the sales process. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Who did your 7500 oil changes ? yourself or dealer ?
DL
Best Regards,
Shipo
DL
Nothing like stepping up to a luxury dealership experience, eh?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Yes. It is a plastic emergency key for your wallet.
Jim
That is the first question they ask... "Do you want a loaner".
I had a warranty repair shortly after buying.. The car had to be towed to the other local dealer... They got me a car from Enterprise, but they picked up the tab..
I knew something sucked about Florida.... now, I know what..
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That is the first question they ask... "Do you want a loaner".
I had a warranty repair shortly after buying.. The car had to be towed to the other local dealer... They got me a car from Enterprise, but they picked up the tab..
I knew something sucked about Florida.... now, I know what.. "
kyfdx, I bought my 2003 330 convertible from a dealersship near where I live in Maryland. I never got a BWM loaner when I took mine in for service at the SAME dealership. Alway something from Enterprise. By the way, I love Florida. :P
You left out the Devil Rays, hanging chads and Malcolm Glazer. :mad:
Thank goodness for the Devil Rays and Malcolm Glazer.... They actually make the Reds and Mike Brown look good...
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325i 2006, bought last week in upstate NY
heated seats
power seats
automatic transmission
metallic paint (dark blue – looks fantastic!)
price as quoted 34,240
price after negotiating 33,000 plus the dealer threw in rubber floor mats and also this dealership offers free carwashes for lifetime of a vehicle.
As far as I know it’s not enough to negotiate only the price of a car when leasing. It is more important to negotiate the residual value after the lease term ends.
My understanding is that the residual value is set by the leasing companies and that it is a non-negotiable aspect of the lease. It is some percentage of the MSRP, depending on the length of the lease and the number of included miles. The higher the residual, the lower the monthly payments. But if the leasing companies set residuals too high, they will lose money on the back end when cars are returned and auctioned off.
You can negotiate the MF. Find out the official MF and then see what the dealer is using. Most often they add .0003 to it for their own profit. Some rascally dealers tack on 9 points.
Also, your residual is based on the MSRP, not the sale price. Payments are based on the sale price. So if the car had an msrp of 34k and the residual is 58% (a guess) then the lease end buy out would be about 19.7k.
So you've gotta pay for 13-14k of use of the car, plus the interest rate (money factor).
thanks for posting info about the Pela 650 -- its exactly what I was looking for. Two questions:
1) since I am a novice at oil changes, I am assuming that this is easy -- pump out oil, put in Mobil 1 or equivalent -- correct? (I have an '05 330i)
2) any recommendations for where to get an oil filter? I am supposing at any BMW Oem website. And, more importantly, any advice on how to change oil filters (as in "3 easy steps"). Many thanks!
MF is some unintelligible way to express the interest rate on a lease, right?
What is the formula for determining the interest rate equivalent of the MF?
How do I find out the "official MF" in order to determine what the dealer has added on?
Is it only the portion that the dealer added on that is negotiatiable? Should I refuse to accept any dealer add-on to the official MF?
http://www.leaseguide.com/calc.htm
If you want the current "base rate" money factor... you just have to ask us..
The base rate or "buy rate", as some dealers call it.. is the lowest rate that BMWFS supplies the money.... Dealers are allowed to mark it up (there is a maximum mark-up allowed by BMWFS). Only the mark-up is negotiable.
I suggest insisting on the base rates... Some dealers will not do that, but some will..
regards,
kyfdx
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regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!
kirstie_h
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
How many miles were on the car? If less than 200, then the brakes were not bedded in yet. If well over 200, the bet is that the brakes have been abused on the test drives, and the bedding was not done properly.
Best Regards,
Shipo