2008 BMW 328i Coupe

cabreraluisf

Hello All,
New here, lots of great info...thanks!
Been freaking out lately...One month ago I ordered a 2008 328 Coupe with Auto, Leather and Metallic paint...MSRP: 39275
The car is on its way, but I have become worried about the kind of deal I can get on an ordered car.
I have been having nightmares about me getting to the dealership (it is one of the infamous Miami dealerships who are used to dealing with South American drug dealers, nit with normal working folk) and being asked to put up with a $700 payment, without the opportunity to back off due to the car being there.

I can put $5000 down, but don't know if they have any lease programs available!

Please help!
a) Can I get out of the deal before the car arrives and then try to negotiate a car that is on the lot at another dealer?
b) Can I just wait until the car gets here, and if I am not happy with the price, walk away?
c) Really don't like the salesman, so would rather cancel now

Thank you all!

dan12

Until you sign on the dotted line(s) of a purchasing agreement, you are free to walk away from the deal for any reason. The dealer may not like it, but ordering a car does not mean that you must buy it when it arrives. Typically you will want to agree on the deal before ordering so there are no surprises at the end. When the car comes in, you simply pay what you agreed to and you have a nice purchasing experience. Or, if you change your mind, you get your deposit back and walk away. Btw, most dealers will ask for a $1000 deposit, although I also had one ask for $5000.

06ltd

I took delivery on 10/5 and have about 260 miles on it. Dk Green/Sand leather, SP, PP, CWP, MT, Comfort Access, sunshade, navigation, MP3 connection. Observations to date: wonderful, smooth power, great handling, iPhone + Bluetooth are excellent. The handbook case is too big for the glove box or any other compartment! (What’s up with that!?) Keep my foot out of it, great mileage; put foot down, send money to OPEC. Beautiful, short-throw shifter and smooth gearbox. So far - to my surprise - I actually like iDrive (I’m sure to get flamed for that), but I’m struggling to understand all the system settings. Excellent sound system. Cabin a bit noisy with sunroof open, funeral parlor quiet when closed. Steering tight, quick and responsive. Seats are wonderful. Car is awkward to get in and out of. Can’t find a way to get the nav system to switch to a dark background after sunset - very annoying. Instant map zoom with a spin of the iDrive dial – excellent. IPod works well with the sound system, but only works with playlists, which seems common, and I don’t understand it. I should be able to scroll to an album or artist, but no. The driver’s cup holder seems Rube Goldberg to me. Tracking headlights are a cool (if very old) idea, but I’ve yet to use them enough to determine how well they work. I think I’m going to love this car.

mikey40

Thanks for the in site, it helps allot. I'm in the process myself of getting behind the wheel of the same exact model VERY soon. If you don't mind me asking buy or lease....private message ok. I'm leaning toward lease myself.....I just want to make sure thst when I make my mind up I don't "take one" if you know what I mean!

Many thanks

MC

06ltd

I bought it. I don't lease.

circlew

Hey, 10/5 is my daughter's b'day!

Best of luck and many fun and safe miles of pure driving bliss to you!

Regards,
OW

rbrent

Get your financing done ahead of time. If you belong to a credit union, they will offer the best deal wheather you want to lease or buy the car. Typically the dealers have arrangements with financial institutions that make them some money, so cost you more. Arrange for financing NOW before the car gets here.

06ltd

Thank you! Happy birthday to your daughter!

cdnpinhead

Not always.

While it's nice to have your own financing available if needed, the volume of business that a car dealership can throw to a bank often means they can offer you a better rate & get some for themselves as well. In addition, if you're aware of this, you can offer to let the dealer handle the financing & get a bit more off the car in the first place.

Just don't let the F & I guy sell you a bunch of other stuff you don't need.

lsamson

I'm considering buying a new BMW 335i convertible in the near future; however, a friend of mine said they are having lots of problems with the hardtop breaking. I saw one other post about that...person only had 380 miles when it broke.

Does anyone have any problems with the hardtop on these cars? Anyone else heard of this problem? Also, I've never owned a BMW, always Japanese cars that have pretty good reliability...how are the BMWs?

dan12

Beautiful, short-throw shifter and smooth gearbox. So far - to my surprise - I actually like iDrive (I’m sure to get flamed for that), but I’m struggling to understand all the system settings.

I have iDrive also and really like it. I never use the Climate part, but phone, stereo, navigation, and car data are useful for me.

Btw, my car handbook is in the trunk. There is a small storage space on the right side and the handbook fits there perfectly. There is already very little storage space in the car, so I don't want to take a bunch of space with the handbook. The up side is that I have learned to not store anything in my car unless it's absolutely needed.

Have fun with your new ride! I am loving mine (335i sedan).

Dan

06ltd

Thanks, I'll look for that and store it there, too.

Do you know if there is a way to get the nav to switch to a dark background after sunset?

You know, one dislike that I can't believe I forgot to mention is the lack of a spare. This is such a bad idea that it nearly killed the sale for me. I've decided to get a set of winter tires and wheels, and, when I'm leaving town, to put one in the back. Imagine having a flat in some fairly rural part of the country (e.g., mid-to-northern Maine) and having to get a new tire. You'll get it, but it might take a couple of days. Meanwhile, you get to sit and watch the grass grow; not necessarily a bad thing, but it might not fit your itinerary very well.

A plus is the seat belt handoff, which I first thought was a bit over-the-top, but I'm getting to appreciate it. I'm concerned that it's somewhat flimsy and prone to break. Need to be careful of that.

The bluetooth phone setup is excellent, isn't it? I have a friend with a Lexus LS400 which switches to one speaker when the phone rings and it sounds tinny and distant. This one is full, rich, and right there. I also like the sound system very much. It's the best I've heard in an automobile, though I confess to not being much of a car audiophile.

This is the first car I've owned and not coveted someone else's seats. They're remarkable, and I really love the adjustable bolsters.

The new wheel is near perfect; smaller in diameter, and the rim is thicker. I don't have the adaptive steering (or whatever it's called), but the standard steering is excellent. The car feels like it would be as stable and reassuring at 150 as it is at 70.

[Caution: Dangerous Territory Ahead. Am I the only one who thinks that governing the car at 150 is silly? Maybe there is some design reason that a governor is a good idea, but it seems quite nanny-ish to me. If you're going to do that, why not do it at 120? Anyone even going 120 should be arrested (unless you're on a track, and then there should be a simple way to override the governor, temporarily). Going fast in most places anymore (at least in the East) is courting disaster with so much traffic, and particularly so with all the deer around. Hit a deer at 120? Mmmm, mmm.]

I used the sunshade the other day, and it was welcome. A friend was driving and my daughter was up front and I in the back. It was getting a bit toasty until the sunshade went up.

Speaking of the back, it is surprisingly comfortable, if tight. I was back there for about two hours, and it was fine. After a while, I'm sure I'd appreciate being able to stretch my legs, but it's well done for a small space. The back seat air vents are effective and needed since the back windows are fixed in the new coupes. Also, I'm 6 feet and about 190. I wouldn't want to have to sit in the back if I were 6"2" - the headroom is very limited in the coupe, and I just fit. One important note about the back is that it is difficult to get in and out of. The entry/exit opening is small, and it helps to be limber to use it. They've done things to make it easier - like add a switch to the top of the front seat so that the person in the back can slide the seat forward and back - but the roof is low and getting through the space is better if you're smaller and younger than 61.

I'm enjoying it very much, and look forward to having to go out, even to the drugstore.

roadburner

Am I the only one who thinks that governing the car at 150 is silly?

The 155 mph/250 Km/h top speed is the result of a 1980s "Gentlemen's Agreement" between Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. The intent of the agreement was to head off mandatory autobahn speed limits and other regulations aimed at high performance cars- things that the eco-weenies and safety [non-permissible content removed] have wanted for decades. Fortunately, a reflash of the ECU will eliminate the speed limiter, or you can buy a vehicle that is "exempt" from the agreement- such as the 186 mph Alpina B7 I drove for a couple of weeks.

06ltd

That's interesting, thank you. I'd not heard that. Now it makes more sense. Are they all still doing that even though there are speed limits there? [Personally, I am an eco-weenie and believe that over reliance on fossil fuels is a pending catastrophe. I'm looking forward to owning a Tesla one day.]

dan12

I'm not sure what you mean about a dark background for the nav at night. I personally think it looks great at night. I haven't found a way to change any of the screen colors like you might do on a PC. I haven't had the need to do that either. I'm sure you know that you can turn the screen completely off, but that is probably not what you are looking for.

I'm with you on all the pros and cons. I love the steering wheel. The seats are unreal. Bluetooth is great and the shade is nice. Oh yeah, and driving it is so much fun that I am disappointed when I am done commuting to work.

On the cons side, yup, space is a bit tight. I am the same size as you -- 6' and 190. I think we're lucky, because we're just at the limit for this car. The lack of a spare is the absolute dumbest thing on this car. I would have bought it as an option if it was available. I would be nervous going on a long trip somewhere with no spare in case of an emergency. I'm sure I won't be too happy either when I get a nail in one of these expensive tires that can't be fixed.

On additional minor gripe is the push start thing. I personally would prefer a regular key. Maybe I would feel differently if I would have opted for Comfort Access.

Dan

habitat1

The 155 mph/250 Km/h top speed is the result of a 1980s "Gentlemen's Agreement" between Audi, BMW, and Mercedes.

I guess Porsche wasn't invited or didn't feel obligated to participate in that "Gentleman's Agreement"?

Actually, what I understood the reason for the top speed limiter was strictly to limit legal liability. That many cars whose engines endow them with the ability to achieve 160-170-180 mph are barely stable at 150, let alone those higher speeds. The limited amount of high speed downforce generated by those powerful but relatively boxy, higher clearance sedans or coupes is not enough to keep wheels firmly planted in an unexpected event (i.e. crosswind gust or Bambi jumping into the road). And relatively few are equiped with W or Y rated tires capable of those speeds.

Maybe the two explanations go hand in hand. Autobahn rulers were deciding that too many body bags were being consumed by novices trying to validate the top speed of their 4/5 passenger sedans and the manufactures deciding that it would be easier to limit the speeds to 155 or less rather than post warning labels on the visor reading "your car is capable of 175 mph, just don't try to avoid a deer at that speed".

06ltd

Many cars have nav systems (e.g., the Toyota Avalon) that switch their white map backgrounds to black at night to reduce glare from the screen. Black or other dark-colored roads also switch to white to show up against the black background. In other words, it's a bit like the map switches from a positive set of colors to a negative one. This is a very welcome feature that I first saw on my Garmin Street Pilot Color Map seven years ago. I'm annoyed by the night-time glare of all the bright colors on the screen, and I'm surprised at BMW - which has been clearly senitive to that with the orange gauges - for neglecting this. It's hard on night vision.

I have the Comfort Access option, so the button start works for me. I agree with you; inserting the fob and then hitting the Start button is stupid. I'm continually surprised at how often high-end designers do so many things well and so many others so poorly.

roadburner

Are they all still doing that even though there are speed limits there?

Now there's talk that the agreement will soon be abolished. And while there are still several stretches of unrestricted autobahn, some members of the EU seem intent on dragging German cars to a common level of mediocrity by imposing speed limits everywhere as well as regulating horsepower.

circlew

Well, here's the thing about speed limits...most people that have driven over 150 probably are not certified or "checked out" to operate at those speeds by either a training program or experience to handle any car at the upper speeds. I never thought it makes sense for no speed limit and cars/trucks going 50 while Bentley's, Porsches, BMW, Mercedes, etc. travel at 120-? Not a safe situation.

Perhaps in Nevada and Wyoming.

It's like me in competing in the U.S. open looking for my ball after every shot, or a lot of duffers like me in the event! Talk about a pile-up!

Regards,
OW

shipo

"I never thought it makes sense for no speed limit and cars/trucks going 50 while Bentley's, Porsches, BMW, Mercedes, etc. travel at 120-? Not a safe situation."

I guess that explains why the German Autobahn is one of the safest limited access roads in the world. :P I've driven much of the unlimited portion of the Autobahn at speeds well in excess of 120 mph and the absolute key is lane disipline. Simply put, if you need to pass, make damn sure that there is plenty of room in the lane to your left before you pull out to pass so that you don't impede traffic moving faster than you, and as soon as your pass is complete, get your butt back over to the right.

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew

I guess that explains why the German Autobahn is one of the safest limited access roads in the world.


You are correct and it works in Europe because of the discipline. I guess I was thinking that would never work here in the US.

Regards,
OW

shipo

With proper education and enforcement I believe it could work quite well here. Just give the constabulary laser devices to explode the cars that are not yielding the left lane. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

getz

Trying to get a drivers license in Germany is much harder than getting one in the states. You will not see a 16 year old in moms' camry cruisng at 120 mph on the autobahn.
-Getz

shipo

"You will not see a 16 year old in moms' camry cruisng at 120 mph on the autobahn."

No, probably not, but you will see plenty of eighteen year olds cruising along in dad's diesel Golf at 140 mph. Ask me how I know.

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew

:surprise: How do you know??

In the U.S., those kids would be in jail for a long time. If you ever watched those Police Chase videos on the boob tube, the endings are usually a horror show.

The ability to cruise the Autobahn is one of the reasons the Euro brands are built better than the US brands to begin with.

"When you buy a car in Germany, you don't do it with your brain, you do it because of the feeling," Jochen Hövekenmeier, spokesman for the AvD automobile club, told DW-WORLD.

He and others in the car industry and related fields are strongly against putting a general limit on autobahn speed. They note that many stretches of the country's 11,980 km (7,444 miles) of freeway already have permanent limits on them and that other sections have so-called dynamic speed limits, which are imposed according to traffic, road or weather conditions.

"We also have to remember where our jobs are coming from," Hövenkenmeier added. "We sell a lot of cars all over the world because we have no speed limit," he said. "People want German cars because they know they've been built for high speeds on the highway."


The US does not engineer this way, although Cadillac seems to be moving in that direction. Perhaps a new "Indianapolis-Vegas Speed Way" should be built here to make it easier to travel through the less populated areas. Then the cars could be improved to match!

Regards,
OW

shipo

How do I know? The very same way you could know too. Order a car via the ED program and then spend the 1,200 mile break-in period on the autobahn at speeds of less than 100 mph, and then just watch what goes screaming by.

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew

I would want to stay past the break-in period just to experience the speed, however.

Regards,
OW

shipo

When I said "spend the 1200 mile break-in period...", I never meant to imply that you shouldn't keep driving beyond that point for say another eight hundred miles or so. ;-) What I meant was driving dog slow at only ninety some miles per hour for 1,200 miles and watch the number of young kids constantly blow our doors off in "lesser" automobiles. Humbling. :P

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew

Humbling.

Only if you let things like that bother you. I just would enjoy the countryside!

Regards,
OW

Mr_Shiftright

Here's some info from a German Travel Website:

"The legal driving age in Germany is 18, though the age requirement for renting a car is often 21. Getting a driver's license usually costs between 1,500 and 2,000 euros ($2,000 to 2,700) and requires a minimum of 25 to 45 hours of professional instruction and 12 hours of theory.



Though speed limit signs aren't posted everywhere, that doesn't mean there aren't any. In cities and town, the speed limit is 50 km/h (31 mph), unless otherwise posted, and it may be 30 km/h in residential areas. On normal two-lane highways the limit is 100 km/h. Only freeways, or Autobahnen, have a "suggested" speed instead of a speed limit, which is usually 130 km/h. Speeds of 160 to 200 km/h are common on some freeways.



Autobahn is the German word for "freeway." It does not refer to one particular street.

circlew

I guess it's relative. Texas is about 1/3 the size of Europe and could afford a "suggested speed limit" on some roadways.

Regards,
OW

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think many Americans are competent enough to drive at high speeds. Anything approaching 70 mph is pushing many of their ability levels as it is to their limits. :P The idea of most Americans driving 100 mph gives me cold sweats. It would be carnage out there. Especially considering what piles of junk we are allowed to drive. Those heaps would be hauled off the road in Europe.

My sense of driving around Europe is that in some countries at least they are much more skillful drivers--certainly this was my experience in Germany and Italy. I really like driving there and one can see why BMWs are what they are when you drive their roads.

circlew

Perhaps we need separate roadways where competency of both car and driver are kept at respectable levels and the other roads are "Pot Luck".

At one time in our past, I believe there was a plan for a separation of trucks from the non-commercial traffic nationwide. There are some non-commercial roads but ultimately, it's a mix between 2 points.

We could use the same separation requiring training and heightened vehicle capability requirements to allow more efficient transportation. Heck, I've seen some real winners pass re-inspection!

I hope this doesn't sound too elitist!

Regards,
OW

plan9

If you put down a deposit you could lose it. Other than that there is no "deal" to get out of. As far as "deals" on a car that was ordered, you are talking a 2008 model of a very hot selling car: MSRP is a good deal in the fall of 2007. Dealer markups are not what people think. I fail to see the victory dance is justified for saving $1,000 or $2,000 on a $40,000 plus car. BFD, as they say in the navy.

As far as not liking the salesman, he's a car salesman. Why these guys don't spend 5 minutes memorizing features, colors and such is beyond me. The fact is, you are more of an expert in two minutes of googling than 90% of salesman.

BIG TIP: if you credit is OK you should get 3.9% financing. Otherwise, WALK. In case you're interested, the TOTAL cost to finance, say 32K, is about %3600. Not per year, the total cost for 5 years. It's ALMOST FREE MONEY.

I would NOT lease unless you can drive off with nothing or next to nothing down. If they ask for a big chunk of change on a two or three year lease, guess what? Divide that by the number of months in your lease. Now look at your payment. If you can't lease with no money down for a low rate, WALK.

plan9

BMW has 3.9% and you cannot beat that, even on a home equity line of credit which is tax deductable. If you need to, drop 15K on a 50K car and finance the rest at 3.9%. Even based on simple interest, that would be $1248 interst for an entire YEAR. In fact, since you're paying principal, over 5 years, the toal interst charges, TOTAL, would be around $3600. I mean, C'MON! $60 a month interest to finance 32K? That's stupid low.

plan9

BTW, they can do this because BMWs have a VERY low depreciation rate. They REALLY hold their value and that makes leasing and financing WAY less riskier, hence, cheaper.

fedlawman

$665/mo for 24 months equals $15,960. Plus residual value of $23,800 equals $39,760.

A brand new 2008 BMW 328i with Sport Package, Steptronic, and Metallic Paint has an MSRP of $38,825 ($1,000 over invoice would be $36,800).

Nothing personal, but I think you might have a hard time unloading your car with your current terms...

cdnpinhead

Thanks, Fed. I was waiting for someone to say it.

Payments sounded high to me, but I haven't put my Excel sheet together yet to do the math quickly.

gobow

Brand new to the forum.... I live in Northern California and am looking to buy a 3 series coupe for my wife... Ive been doing a little shopping and am close to making a deal on a 08 with sports, premium and a few other options for about $750 over invoice? Ive been told the Costco members deal is $1,000 over but Ive also heard that the 328 coup can be had at invoice. My question is what is invoice? Ive been told that with BMW there isnt any "factory hold back money" and that rebates are rare.. If this is true that the invoice on this car is only about 2k under MSRP? I've bought many new cars in my life (mostly US made) for 5-8k under factory sticker. I guess you get what you pay for??? Any help is greatly appreciated...

bronxwest

i just bought one for $1000 below msrp. if you cant get that deal email me .

bronxwest

where can i find out about the 3.9 % from bmw ? my credit union approved me for 6.24%
the dealer said he can get me 5.99 % . let me know asap. i ordered my car last month and its already en route. should be at dealer lot in a week. thanks

bronxwest

now that i have my price on paper and my car will be here next week , what else can i expect them to try and sell me before they hand over the keys?

magnumforc

Just bought a 328i Sedan with Steptronic, Premium Package, Xenon headlights (including adaptive headlights) iPod adapter for $2000 under MSRP which was just a hair over invoice. For those looking at Costco deal, remember the dealer has a set Costco price and he cannot haggle over or down on that price. We went to dealers and got Costco pricing and then found we could do better without it, beating it by a significant amount, and getting the $185 floor mats thrown in as a bonus!

jps0429

I have never leased a car, so I am pretty new to this.

I have heard two opinions on leasing and don't really know which is best...

Should I put a lot down to get a lower payment?

Or should I only pay what I need and fight for a good rate?

I have near perfect credit, its at 820 right now.

I am trading in a 2002 Acura CL type S

I have never owned a BMW, so I do not know how much I can talk them down on pricing or a monthly payment...

I am pretty much hoping to walk out with a new 328i coupe w/ automatic, sport & premium package for under 500 a month... you think I could do that?

I live in Miami, FL.

any help would be great!!!! I appreciate it.

shipo

"I am pretty much hoping to walk out with a new 328i coupe w/ automatic, sport & premium package for under 500 a month... you think I could do that?"

No, not without dumping lots of money down on the lease (generally considered a very bad thing to do), or leasing your car via the European Delivery program (of course then you'll need to fly to Germany and spend at least a night or two before flying home).

Best Regards,
Shipo

unclover63

Not sure if this thread is still active; however, I just wanted to ask if anyone knows about the latest regarding BMW and Dinan issue regarding Mar 08 and beyond 335i's and their incompatability with the Dinan flash. Any definitive insight or additional information from you seasoned BMW vets would be appreciated. Last week I ordered a 08 335i Sedan and the Leith BMW dealership in Raleigh NC said they no longer have a relationship with Dinan. Anyone no the whole story or close proximity to the "whole story". Thanks.

roadburner

BMW NA has decided to offer its own line of "BMW Performance" parts- effectively cutting Dinan loose. That said, Dinan will continue to develop and offer ECU reflashes. I would expect that Steve will have the MSD v81.0 DME cracked within a couple of months. Turner is also offering comparable ECU flashes.

unclover63

Thanks. I guess I'll have to wait until BMW produces something worthwhile in order to maintain my warranty coverage. That said, I am sure an unmodified 335i will be plenty fast enough...for at least a while.

06ltd

pdude1

I would think so! I'm still waiting for my 1200 mi break in before I start seeing what she can do.