You know, his SN has been bugging me since I first came here so I googled it.
Turns out the Maccabees were a fierce group of Hebrew warriors who ruled Israel between 164BC and 63BC. I bet they would have negotiated a heck of a tough car deal.
And Mack doesn't even look Jewish. Maybe a little Muslim, but not Jewish. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Any BMW salespersons on here? I would like a salesperson's perspective on the BMW 1 series. Who buys these things? I can't figure out why anyone would buy one of these over a 3 series. To me the 1 er looks like a little pot bellied pig. Cute, but who wants a cute car? And you can easily pay close to 50 grand if you load it up.
the mpg listed on the sticker of the car is it MPG or MPGG?
MPG => Miles per Gallon MPGG => Miles per Gallon of Gasoline
from what I just happened to learn, manufacturers are distorting (increasing) the mileage numbers by the amount of ethanol (10%) in the gasoline since technically ethanol is not gasoline.
Turns out the Maccabees were a fierce group of Hebrew warriors
And Mack doesn't even look Jewish. Maybe a little Muslim, but not Jewish.
Looks have nothing to do with it Muslim, Kosher, what have you. He’s a car salesman so we know what side of the fence he’s on and therefore we know they are dirty fighters so none of us better forget that. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Well the EPA does the tests so I would assume they use that since just about all gas is mandated to have 10% of ethanol in it that they have the right figures.
This of course ignores the fact that the current EPA tests are so dumbed down that if you can't beat them by several percentage points you probably don't know how to drive. I can beat the 2007 and under EPA tests on every car I have ever driven so I can completely slaughter the new dumbed down EPA tests.
All two or three of them huh? Most new models sell at first when in short supply.
A real tribute to the marketing genius of BMW. They make a car smaller, uglier, and cheaper than the 3 series, charge just as much and some folks still buy them. But they are cute.
My only problem with the 1 series is its mass and the fact that it is not small enough. It is just not small enough or light enough when compared to the 3 series. Yeah the highly optioned versions can be pricey but that is true of any BMW and not a surprise at all.
I am sure the base 128i with its runflats removed and a couple hundred lbs of extraneous weight pulled off is a blast to drive and would make a great track car.
at that price point, give that one "truly" wants a track car, a pre-owned Elise/Exige would be the better choice.
I think what BMW found out is, people that buy the car, like it's size, and amenities.
I'm not saying I wouldn't mind lighter as well, but the market just isn't there for the car. As proof, are there people killing each other in line for a pre-owned Lotus in that price range?
They make a car smaller, uglier, and cheaper than the 3 series, charge just as much and some folks still buy them.
My recommendation is that if you don't like them then don't buy one!
However, if you do buy one, then you may have a story from the sales frontlines to share with us and that would be helpful in keeping the discussion on topic.
Oh I guess I haven't mentioned one of my fundamentals of car buying lately.
Never buy a BMW new only buy them used. If you must get a new BMW then lease one.
I think a year or two old 128i base model would be a fabulous track car for the slightly wealthy enthusiast. In two years these cars will be in the low 20s with average miles and maybe even high teens.
I have I think three clients now with Elises and they love them but they aren't for the faint of heart. Number one you pretty much can't get out of one in a dignified matter unless you are a gymnast. The couple of times I have gotten out of one I almost had to crawl out. Its a great vehicle but the tiny number that are produced and the things that you have to get up to live with one even as a track car keep a lot of people out of it.
"Never buy a BMW new only buy them used. If you must get a new BMW then lease one."
Great advice! Except after reading kyfdx's post regarding sales tax on leases, I'm not so sure I would lease any car, including a BMW, if I lived in Illinois or Texas! :surprise:
Both of our cars were CPO vehicles from BMW. I already mentioned the '04 X3 my wife primarily drives. I drive an '05 325Ci coupe, with the Sport Pkg and stick shift, which I purchased at the end of 2006 for just under $26K.
I don't know what I'll do when it's time to replace it, though. I'm a bit closed-minded against the RFT's (and lack of a spare) on the current generation 3-series and 1-series. I can almost understand this limitation with the 1-series, but not the 3-series.
we only get in moods when folks go wildly off-topic. Caffeine? I'm good, but if you want to send some nice coffee the hosts' way, we certainly wouldn 't object.
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
We have green tea in our coffee machine at work and it is good. I rarely drink coffee so I usually start off the day with either English breakfast or Earl gray tea but sometimes I drink Green tea instead.
Green tea in the coffee machine? Good for you. You're true to your name.
Since the Hosts want us on topic, how about this: Each prospective customer is greeted at the door with a bone china tea cup, and offered a choice of three possible teas. Don't forget the linen tea napkins and those wonderful English sugar cookies. I know. I know. Well, the female customers might appreciate it.
I sell my IS350 and bought 135i because 135i is fun to drive and nice looking car. Lexus is ok, but it was an appliance like my fridge, not a fun to drive car.
I had a customer yesterday who was interested in trading in his Range Rover Land Rover S/C vehicle for a GTS. He was in a lease and knew he would be upside down, but wanted to find out how much. After we selected the vehicle that would work best for him, we started to take a look at the numbers.
His RR was in great shape at first glance, but as we started to look closer, there were some issues. Hail damage (which had been repaired) and minor damage on the car fax report were 2 things that stood out. It was an '07 model with decent mileage at 14,000. We made some calls but couldn't seem to get any solid numbers or buyers.
Since the owner of my Porsche store owns all the RR dealerships in Atlanta, I decided to drive it right over to one of our stores and have them take a look at it.
When I arrived, I saw about 14 people standing around watching golf. Tiger Woods was playing and I didn't see a single customer. I talked to the U/C manager and he agreed to take a look at it for me.
After looking it over, he told me that he didn't know what it was worth. He listed off the issues with it. Bad CarFax, no Rear entertainment, gas prices, more dealer cash coming out for '08's......... He explained that he just didn't know due to the market. He was so uncertain that he wouldn't even commit to a number. Wow.....
He went on to tell me that 2/3 of the leases that were coming to maturity over the last few months were not renewing their lease with RR. Talk about a dead market right now. With all of this wonderful information, I committed to a number for my customer. That number put him at $25k upside down in his lease.
A very interesting market right now. I've read recently that Hummer was shutting down production. Closing shop. Kaput. If any of you remember how I feel about Hummer, then you'll know that I think this is a good thing.
Just a few observations from recent transactions. Interesting stuff I think.
No, not many. I drove a GTS with manual transmission and really liked it. I was, however, one of the few here who did. I would say about 5% of Cayennes sold are stick.
I guess it's not a good time to trade in that SUV? It seemed like such a good idea when it was bought/leased. If a person really needs and SUV: towing and hauling passengers, for instance, it should be a great time to buy. No?
Is Hummer really shutting down, or just the biggest vehicles?
Great time to buy a used one. That's for sure. Used car market is flourishing. New car SUV's, not so much.
I believe that Hummer is completely shutting down. There are some very unhappy owners who just spent millions (yes millions) on new H-shaped dealerships for Hummer sales.
What a stupid automobile for urban travel anyhow. To me, it's a sign of complete excess. It gets 8mpg, it's smaller inside than it should be, cheap materials, overpriced and ungainly. Goodbye and good riddance.
Have you seen the new Flex's coming out? They should be showing up at your dealership any day now. I know we just got our first one.
I have not been to a local for dealer in about two months so I don’t know if they are being delivered in the northwest.
I looked at them on line and came to the conclusion that it was a little bigger car than what I need and a little more than what I wanted to spend, but the jury is still out until I see one up close and personal.
I don't think we have reached bottom for this segment of the market, especially used. I can see how a UCM's job must be uncomfortable when dealing with these (note moo's recent story on the LR) There is lots of buzz around forums and the media about how this is a good time to buy, but sales continue to tank and more and more dealers shying away from taking them in on trade..
What is happening with SUV's at the auctions? I have to guess that $$ are still trending down. In light of the "we are choking on the ones we have" remark, it's gotta be a hard pill to swallow.
Wonder if there will be an uptick in minivan sales? There are still going to be buyers who have a more or less justifiable "need" for the people hauling utility. Buyers just have to swallow egos a bit.
Are any of you sales types notice any bleed effect on so called crossovers? Earlier this year, CUV sales were trending up, but I'm wondering if they are beginning to plateau, especially in the mid to large range. (Pilot, Highlander, GM Lambdas, CX-9, etc) In other words are buyers and dealers starting to shy away from anything that even looks like a truck?
Maybe they'll perfect the flux capacitor soon. I would love to be driving on garbage.
Ahh come on Mad get your movie references right. The flux capacitor merely made time travel possible but it still needed 1.21 gigawatts of power to do that which was provided by either plutonium, a bolt of lightning or Mr. Fusion.
We aren't seeing 2/3s of leases not releasing but we are seeing around half or a little less then half. So far this month we have seven new cars out and all of them have decent profit so we are doing ok.
It is still very slow though even considering this is our slow time of year. The UCM of one of our other dealerships asked me last week if I wanted to come work for him and yesterday I told him yes. I will probably finish out the month then transfer over.
I don't know what I'll do when it's time to replace it, though. I'm a bit closed-minded against the RFT's (and lack of a spare) on the current generation 3-series and 1-series. I can almost understand this limitation with the 1-series, but not the 3-series.
I had about convinced myself to buy my service advisor's immaculate 1997 Dakar M3 coupe or perhaps a CPO E46 M3. However... I'm hearing a rumor that Munich might offer an M3 wagon. If that's the case that's going to be a belated gift to myself for taking early retirement next month...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
The UCM of one of our other dealerships asked me last week if I wanted to come work for him and yesterday I told him yes. I will probably finish out the month then transfer over.
Are you still going to be selling RR or ?? Congrats either way, what made you decide to make the move?
I posted this elsewhere, but I thought it would fit in here really well...
While picking up some parts, I noticed a salesman and a mid-30's woman looking at a new Scion XB or something like that. The woman got in, then managed to stall it 3 times in a row (manual transmission). After the third attempt, she got out, obviously frustrated, waving her arms, and she got into the passenger seat and the salesman drove it off the lot. 5-10 minutes later, they came back, salesman still driving, and they came inside.
Two minutes later, the salesman is in the manager's office, and I can hear things being said like, "She tried" and "she was freaking out" and "I offered to teach her", etc. etc. Next things I could hear was "trying to get an automatic from another store is *bleep* impossible right now..."
To be continued...just kidding!
I don't know what happened after that, but it was pretty funny and sad at the same time. Wow, the things you do to try to get the sale!
Please take my post with a grain of salt. These were all the words from this particular U/C manager. His new car business was floundering while U/C business was picking up considerably. This was at the RR store.
I think you'll find that the used car market overall is doing very well though.
haha, don't worry, I realize there will be lots of variance from dealer to dealer and region to region, especially in anecdotal comments and remarks. I'm really just a fascinated bystander. I enjoy hearing all the comments and stories from you guys. I have noticed the U/C market is fairly healthy, but I have not noticed the outstanding deals on used SUV's that I keep hearing should be available. The market on those buggies is difficult to decipher right now. I'm sure a big factor is all those owners who are upside down. I couldn't even come to terms with my brother on his '04 Yukon XL. He owes about $6k more than I was willing to go.
My interest is piqued a little more than usual since my wife and I just might actually buy a people mover in the foreseeable future. She just really dislikes minivans.
Anyway, I did not intend to challenge you in any big way. Just noticed the comment and it surprised me a bit.
Comments
You know, his SN has been bugging me since I first came here so I googled it.
Turns out the Maccabees were a fierce group of Hebrew warriors who ruled Israel between 164BC and 63BC. I bet they would have negotiated a heck of a tough car deal.
And Mack doesn't even look Jewish. Maybe a little Muslim, but not Jewish. :P
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I believe they were dealing in used chariots at the time.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
the mpg listed on the sticker of the car is it MPG or MPGG?
MPG => Miles per Gallon
MPGG => Miles per Gallon of Gasoline
from what I just happened to learn, manufacturers are distorting (increasing) the mileage numbers by the amount of ethanol (10%) in the gasoline since technically ethanol is not gasoline.
:duh
And Mack doesn't even look Jewish. Maybe a little Muslim, but not Jewish.
Looks have nothing to do with it Muslim, Kosher, what have you. He’s a car salesman so we know what side of the fence he’s on and therefore we know they are dirty fighters so none of us better forget that. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
This of course ignores the fact that the current EPA tests are so dumbed down that if you can't beat them by several percentage points you probably don't know how to drive. I can beat the 2007 and under EPA tests on every car I have ever driven so I can completely slaughter the new dumbed down EPA tests.
They love the cars looks.
They love the performance/fuel economy
We are selling everyone we can get a hold off.
Does that answer your question?
A real tribute to the marketing genius of BMW. They make a car smaller, uglier, and cheaper than the 3 series, charge just as much and some folks still buy them. But they are cute.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I don't think BMW's marketing is near as genius as Lexus. I think everyone at my BMW store would agree with that.
"Engineering" cars? that's another subject.
I am sure the base 128i with its runflats removed and a couple hundred lbs of extraneous weight pulled off is a blast to drive and would make a great track car.
I think what BMW found out is, people that buy the car, like it's size, and amenities.
I'm not saying I wouldn't mind lighter as well, but the market just isn't there for the car. As proof, are there people killing each other in line for a pre-owned Lotus in that price range?
The masses have spoken.
Hasn't that been illegal for quite some time?
Those were REAL lot queens.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My recommendation is that if you don't like them then don't buy one!
However, if you do buy one, then you may have a story from the sales frontlines to share with us and that would be helpful in keeping the discussion on topic.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Never buy a BMW new only buy them used. If you must get a new BMW then lease one.
I think a year or two old 128i base model would be a fabulous track car for the slightly wealthy enthusiast. In two years these cars will be in the low 20s with average miles and maybe even high teens.
I have I think three clients now with Elises and they love them but they aren't for the faint of heart. Number one you pretty much can't get out of one in a dignified matter unless you are a gymnast. The couple of times I have gotten out of one I almost had to crawl out. Its a great vehicle but the tiny number that are produced and the things that you have to get up to live with one even as a track car keep a lot of people out of it.
Great advice! Except after reading kyfdx's post regarding sales tax on leases, I'm not so sure I would lease any car, including a BMW, if I lived in Illinois or Texas! :surprise:
Both of our cars were CPO vehicles from BMW. I already mentioned the '04 X3 my wife primarily drives. I drive an '05 325Ci coupe, with the Sport Pkg and stick shift, which I purchased at the end of 2006 for just under $26K.
I don't know what I'll do when it's time to replace it, though. I'm a bit closed-minded against the RFT's (and lack of a spare) on the current generation 3-series and 1-series. I can almost understand this limitation with the 1-series, but not the 3-series.
Goodness. You have been in a mood the last few days. Did someone steal that coffee? :shades:
Richard
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
Richard
Yup.
However, residuals are down & money factors are up. The smokin' BMW deals aren't what they used to be, if they still exist at all.
Reality may have finally intruded upon the house of cards.
Since the Hosts want us on topic, how about this: Each prospective customer is greeted at the door with a bone china tea cup, and offered a choice of three possible teas. Don't forget the linen tea napkins and those wonderful English sugar cookies. I know. I know. Well, the female customers might appreciate it.
Richard
Here's the link: link title
Total billed and burning gas as of today 371 for the month with maybe 35 new in the mix.
DeskKid was born on the 11 th 8 lbs 2 oz.
It also dispenses hot water out the back for steeping tea bags.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
His RR was in great shape at first glance, but as we started to look closer, there were some issues. Hail damage (which had been repaired) and minor damage on the car fax report were 2 things that stood out. It was an '07 model with decent mileage at 14,000. We made some calls but couldn't seem to get any solid numbers or buyers.
Since the owner of my Porsche store owns all the RR dealerships in Atlanta, I decided to drive it right over to one of our stores and have them take a look at it.
When I arrived, I saw about 14 people standing around watching golf. Tiger Woods was playing and I didn't see a single customer. I talked to the U/C manager and he agreed to take a look at it for me.
After looking it over, he told me that he didn't know what it was worth. He listed off the issues with it. Bad CarFax, no Rear entertainment, gas prices, more dealer cash coming out for '08's......... He explained that he just didn't know due to the market. He was so uncertain that he wouldn't even commit to a number. Wow.....
He went on to tell me that 2/3 of the leases that were coming to maturity over the last few months were not renewing their lease with RR. Talk about a dead market right now. With all of this wonderful information, I committed to a number for my customer. That number put him at $25k upside down in his lease.
A very interesting market right now. I've read recently that Hummer was shutting down production. Closing shop. Kaput. If any of you remember how I feel about Hummer, then you'll know that I think this is a good thing.
Just a few observations from recent transactions. Interesting stuff I think.
-moo
Are you on a V6?
Is Hummer really shutting down, or just the biggest vehicles?
On big cars and SUV's we can't even get people to give us buy bids. They simply don't want them at ANY price.
We couldn't even get a Toyota dealer to give us a bid on a 4 Runner!
" Sorry, we have no use for it...we are choking on the ones we have"
Scary.
I believe that Hummer is completely shutting down. There are some very unhappy owners who just spent millions (yes millions) on new H-shaped dealerships for Hummer sales.
What a stupid automobile for urban travel anyhow. To me, it's a sign of complete excess. It gets 8mpg, it's smaller inside than it should be, cheap materials, overpriced and ungainly. Goodbye and good riddance.
-moo
I really think that we're going to see many SUV's cut production by 3/4 if not dropping entire lines. Welcome to the age of 4 cylinders.
Maybe they'll perfect the flux capacitor soon. I would love to be driving on garbage.
-moo
I have not been to a local for dealer in about two months so I don’t know if they are being delivered in the northwest.
I looked at them on line and came to the conclusion that it was a little bigger car than what I need and a little more than what I wanted to spend, but the jury is still out until I see one up close and personal.
I don't think we have reached bottom for this segment of the market, especially used. I can see how a UCM's job must be uncomfortable when dealing with these (note moo's recent story on the LR) There is lots of buzz around forums and the media about how this is a good time to buy, but sales continue to tank and more and more dealers shying away from taking them in on trade..
What is happening with SUV's at the auctions? I have to guess that $$ are still trending down. In light of the "we are choking on the ones we have" remark, it's gotta be a hard pill to swallow.
Wonder if there will be an uptick in minivan sales? There are still going to be buyers who have a more or less justifiable "need" for the people hauling utility. Buyers just have to swallow egos a bit.
Are any of you sales types notice any bleed effect on so called crossovers? Earlier this year, CUV sales were trending up, but I'm wondering if they are beginning to plateau, especially in the mid to large range. (Pilot, Highlander, GM Lambdas, CX-9, etc) In other words are buyers and dealers starting to shy away from anything that even looks like a truck?
Ahh come on Mad get your movie references right. The flux capacitor merely made time travel possible but it still needed 1.21 gigawatts of power to do that which was provided by either plutonium, a bolt of lightning or Mr. Fusion.
Its ok Doc we got the Mr. Fusion we don't need gasoline... Err no we are screwed the internal combustion engine still runs on normal gasoline
We aren't seeing 2/3s of leases not releasing but we are seeing around half or a little less then half. So far this month we have seven new cars out and all of them have decent profit so we are doing ok.
It is still very slow though even considering this is our slow time of year. The UCM of one of our other dealerships asked me last week if I wanted to come work for him and yesterday I told him yes. I will probably finish out the month then transfer over.
SUV's???
I had about convinced myself to buy my service advisor's immaculate 1997 Dakar M3 coupe or perhaps a CPO E46 M3. However...
I'm hearing a rumor that Munich might offer an M3 wagon. If that's the case that's going to be a belated gift to myself for taking early retirement next month...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Anything else to this rumor?
Are you still going to be selling RR or ?? Congrats either way, what made you decide to make the move?
While picking up some parts, I noticed a salesman and a mid-30's woman looking at a new Scion XB or something like that. The woman got in, then managed to stall it 3 times in a row (manual transmission). After the third attempt, she got out, obviously frustrated, waving her arms, and she got into the passenger seat and the salesman drove it off the lot. 5-10 minutes later, they came back, salesman still driving, and they came inside.
Two minutes later, the salesman is in the manager's office, and I can hear things being said like, "She tried" and "she was freaking out" and "I offered to teach her", etc. etc. Next things I could hear was "trying to get an automatic from another store is *bleep* impossible right now..."
To be continued...just kidding!
I don't know what happened after that, but it was pretty funny and sad at the same time. Wow, the things you do to try to get the sale!
Thanks BR for the correction. I murdered that reference. I guess I want Mr. Fusion then.
In regards to the lease numbers, that may have been his particular store and not overall.
Grats on the move! I know it will work out well for you.
-moo
I think you'll find that the used car market overall is doing very well though.
-moo
My interest is piqued a little more than usual since my wife and I just might actually buy a people mover in the foreseeable future. She just really dislikes minivans.
Anyway, I did not intend to challenge you in any big way. Just noticed the comment and it surprised me a bit.
-moo