BMW 528i vs 528xi

bmw_user

Hi,
I am planning to buy a BMW 528. I live in IL. The question is whether to go for 528i or xi? What is a better option? I am also paying a $2k more for xi. Is it worth it?
I'm also interested in hifi sound but the dealers donot seem to have any BMWs with hifi. If I have to order them, they are not willing to give discounts.
The dealer is quoting about $54k with the options premium package, cold weather package, automatic transmission, comfort access, IPOD&USB adapter. Is this a decent price?
Any other tips and advise are welcome.
Thanks.

shipo

As a former owner of a RWD 530i from snowy New Hampshire (and also a former 13 year resident of the Chicago area), I'd say that the "xi" option is a waste of money. If you want good winter driving capabilities, simply invest about a thousand dollars in a good set of winter wheels and tires.

As for your dealer not discounting special order packages, I'd like to humbly suggest that you find another dealer. I special ordered both of my BMWs and was able to negotiate a price of about $1,500 above dealer invoice on both.

Oh, one other piece of advice, skip the automatic transmission and get the Sport Package instead. You'll be glad you did. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

kcx

bmw_user,

I got a few more options than you on an 528xi at a lower price than yours. I went through Sam's Club and got a very competitive bid from a dealer less than 2 hours away. I then went back to my local dealer (where I test drove a 528i and 535i). I was pleasantly surprised that they offered me a lower price, so I ordered the car that same day.

If you don't belong to Sam's Club or other similar clubs, you can try http://www.checkbook.org/auto/carbarg.cfm

You pay them $190 and they will get you at least 5 bids from surrounding dealers. Go to their site and get more info.

Good luck!

pat

No offense, but people can learn right here on this site how to best handle a purchase on their own so they don't have to pay a buying service. In addition to all the discussions focused on the 5-Series, the Tips and Advice section of Edmunds has a number of helpful documents and the Smart Shopper board is full of helpful consumer discussions. And all of this great information is already included in your membership fee to CarSpace!!

kcx

Cool, Pat :shades: Now I know where to look for pricing answers in the future. You can tell I am pretty new to the forum

I wish that kind of information was made an FAQ, "sticky" or flashing neon sign making it easier for forum users to spot I for one came straight to the BMW 5-series discussion without even considering other threads or knowing their existence.

It took me awhile to find, and since a fellow forum member posted a question similar to mine on the same car, I tried to be a good neighbor and shared the info

I can't find a way to retract or delete my posting, but if there is a way to do that (since you are host), please remove my posting including this one. Thanks

pat

No, no, these posts are fine and there's really nothing wrong with your suggestion. Some folks would rather use buying services, no doubt about it. I just wanted to make these other resources available as well.

There is an absolute ton of helpful information on this site. One way to get an idea of the depth of information we have is to play around with the search features on the left side of the page. You'll see the Keyword Search with a link to the Advanced search and also the Browse by Vehicle, by Board, and by Topic drop down choices. If you spend a little time checking them out, you'll get an idea of the kinds of things you can find here in the Forums. Once you understand that, you can use those search features a lot more effectively.

For future reference, you have 30 minutes to edit or delete a post, but after that you can't.

Welcome! If I can help you with anything else, feel free to email me!

teethstraight

Hi, I want to buy the same car! Here are the options I like for the 528xi, the total is MSRP $54,875. Since the 2009 will come soon, you think I should wait or just take the 2008 and get a very good price? HOw much? Are these options necessary? or what am I missing?

Base MSRP $46,800
Deep Sea Blue Metallic $0
Cream Beige Dakota Leather $0
Dark Poplar wood trim $0
Cold Weather Package $750
Premium Package $2,400
Comfort Access system $1,000
Navigation system $1,900
iPod and USB adapter $400
Xenon headlights $800
Destination & Handling: $825
Total MSRP as Built $54,875

carnaught

Unless you're in a rush to get the car, I'd hold out for the 2009. I did the very same thing when I took delivery of my 2008 in Aug. '07. The car had some worthwhile upgrades and improvements.