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2013 and earlier BMW 3-Series Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • pmarcello1pmarcello1 Member Posts: 5
    Dear All,

    Thanks to your support and input I negotiated what I think was a great deal on an 330 cic which I ordered, not off the lot with options:

    Metallic paint,
    Hardtop,
    premium package,
    sport package,
    cold weather package,
    Xenon,
    mats.

    List price $51,115
    Invoice price $46,740

    Paid $49,000

    Two great dealerships Tulley BMW of Nashua NH, and BMW of Peabody MA. Chose BMW of Peabody who will store my hardtop and winter tires. Paying cash, no hassles from finance office. Will keep posted on rest of buying experience.

    Thanks all.
  • eyeseyes Member Posts: 2
    im planning to buy 2004 325i series, there was an offer for me in one of the dealers here in las vegas for $36,000 with the following options. premium package, sport package,leather seat, steptronic,xenon headlight, folding rear seat, silver metellic paint. is that a good deal? do i have to wait for the 2005 model instead?
    any advise will be appreciated. thanks
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    I have a 325i on order, and although I'm not going to reveal what I paid, I was a bit surprised yesterday when I went through some old paperwork and found that it is costing me only $7K more out-the-door than what I paid for my '98 Audi A4 1.8T. First off, this was 6 full years ago and prices have all risen since. Then I am getting comparably better equipment and options: 184HP 6 vs. 150HP turbo 4; power, memory sport seats vs. manual; 16" vs. 15" wheels; and heated seats. The only plus on the Audi side was the Quattro AWD which was a $1600 option.

    This was a pleasant surprise since from my standpoint I am moving up quite a bit in most ways, but that's not a bad price difference 6 years later.
  • crashtestdingocrashtestdingo Member Posts: 81
    No, don't! The 3-series will be an all-new (or a nearly all-new) design for model year 2005. That means it will be hit with the Bangle-ugly stick and will have that God-forsaken iDrive "control" interface.

    Edit: Check out the Future Vehicles > 2005 BMW 3-series discussion. The consensus there seems to be that the new design will come out as an early 2006-model-year debut.
  • hman709hman709 Member Posts: 11
    From what i understand, i thought the '05 3-series will still have the same look

    But the change will actaully be in the '06 model.
  • chicagodukechicagoduke Member Posts: 3
    Anyone with buying/service experience in Chicago? Im leaning toward Fields in Northbrook, Perillo in Chicago, and Knauz in Highland Park.
  • brislance1brislance1 Member Posts: 87
    All you experts, what is a fair price to offer a dealer for a new 03 325i with step, sports, premium, xenon, heated seats? Silver gray w/black leather?

    Asking $34,l45. Seems high to me. What would be a fair offer? Would appreciate any input.

    Thanks.
  • sargon2100sargon2100 Member Posts: 1
    Last year when BMW replaced the 5-series, there were some significant dealer incentives that were given out by the factory ($2,000 to $3,000) to clear out the "old" models before the redesign 5 was launched. Has anyone heard anything about special pricing to clear out the '04 3's?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Brislance... What is the MSRP?

    Sargon.. The '05 model 3-series is going to be the same as the '04.. Don't expect big incentives until much later in the year.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    Never leased before: Is $1500 down 36MOS 15000 miles money factor .0016 a good deal on a convertible 325? 525 Aquisition fee and a 750 deposit? Can I drive the money factor down?
  • jdb92656jdb92656 Member Posts: 12
    That money factor seems pretty low. That's roughly a 3.84% rate for the financing. But you never get what you don't ask for. BTW, what are your payments working out to and what dealership? You just might change my mind on leasing a TSX.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    I have read on Edmunds that some customers have received .00125 with BMW.
  • etgetg Member Posts: 2
    I recently ordered a 2004 325 Ci and it should arrive in April. Although we agreed to a price, I know from experience when you sit down with the financial guy, they try and sell you a lot of extras.

    Does BMW offer an extended warranty, beyond the 4 years/50,000 mile? If so, does anyone know what is the cost, and is it factory or 3rd party?

    Also, has anyone bought the "BMW Assist" program? How much is it, and is it worth it?

    BTW I ordered Met Blue, Premium package, AT, xenon, PDC, GPS, and upgraded Harmon Kardon and price is 37,000 plus tax and lic.

    Thanks,
    ETG
  • jimm718jimm718 Member Posts: 6
    I bought a '99 CPO 325i two years ago at Fields. Buying experience was painless and service has been great. Just took it in for an oil change last week.

    I'll buy again from Fields and I live close enough to Perillo that I can walk there!
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    etg... You wrote, "Does BMW offer an extended warranty, beyond the 4 years/50,000 mile? If so, does anyone know what is the cost, and is it factory or 3rd party?"

    Short answer is NO. BMW does not. But yes, you can buy 3rd party extended warranties (really service contracts). I don't recommend 3rd party extended service contracts.

    Do keep in mind that you can extend BMW's maintenance program past the 4/50 initial period. This is on things like oil changes, brake pads, rotors, belts, fluids, etc.

    BMW does offer CPO warranty on used cars. If you buy a late model low mile CPO car, you can have BMW warranty out to 6/100K. But the CPO warranty is different and less comprehensive than the original 4/50 bumper-to-bumper warranty.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    There seems to be a new program at BMW if I read it right, that will extend the b-b on new cars to 100K miles. I found the thread on a another board, posted by a BMW representative. The most probable best source of information would be BMW NA.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    Ladies & Gents, was there a $500 price increase on 325 convertibles in the last few months? I found the base price on several cars at my local dealer is $37,300 vs. Edmunds' $37,800? Just curious... These cars arrived pre-January.

    UPDATE:

    I am in negotiations with several dealers to lease a 325CiC. Got the MF down to .00145 and $1500 down on a 42 MOS 15,000 mile lease? Does this sound good? Is 42 MOS wise? Should I push the button? My first lease, so please chime in! Scott
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Scott- have you posted the question on the leasing board. It's in news and views. If you provide the mf, residual, terms, msrp he will be able to give you some insight. At the very least, in order for one of us to comment, the same information is needed.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    1) Yes, there was a price increase on January 1.

    2) The "buy rate" MF on all 325 models is .00125, so the dealer is marking it up .0002
    That is pretty typical for BMW dealers. The maximum that BMWFS allows them to mark it up is .0004 To put it in perspective, each .0001 markup will cost you about $8/mo.

    3) The acquistion fee should be $525. Some dealers will also mark this up. They are allowed to go up to $725.

    4) On a 15K lease, I'd rather do 39 months, so I could stay in warranty for the entire lease. But, you'd have to check the residual differences between 36, 39, 42 months for BMW, to see where the sweet spot is. Ideally, grab the longer term if the residual drops less than 1%/mo. 1%/mo. drop is a tossup, and avoid the longer term if residual drop is greater than 1%/mo.

    5) You mention putting $1500 down. I recommend putting nothing down. It does lower the payment, but you are better off with the money in the bank. If something happens to the car (stolen, totaled), the down payment is gone. Plus, it obscures what the car is actually costing you per month. That might be a good thing, if you have to convince the wife to go for it, though.
    I generally only pay the first payment, security deposit and any licensing/registration fees up front. Have them roll the acquisition fee into the lease.

    Good luck!!
    kyfdx

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  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    Very helpful! Scott
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    I'll check rates shortly with the dealers, but I think your estimating that if I go 42 mos, I may bust my warranty mileage wise? Etimating 15K per year would put me over by 2500 miles? This is a good point, didn't really consider this thinking that I was inside the warranty by 6 mos, etc. I did say new to leasing!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I'm assuming you will use all your miles. But, 2500 miles is only 2 months without warranty.. I'm not sure, but I think BMW pushes 42 month leases, and that may be the better deal than the 39 month lease.. but I'd have to see the specifics to comment.

    Is this going to be your only car? Most people don't put 15K/year on a convertible.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    After ordering my 325i two weeks ago, I got a call today from my sales rep saying that he was leaving the dealership "to pursue other opportunities in auto retailing." This is a bummer, as he was one reason why I chose that dealership. This won't make any difference financially, but it seems that the guy who got the commission on the sale always has more incentive to keep in touch, handle my questions and concerns, etc. I guess they'll assign someone else to the account, but I probably won't get much choice in the matter. Oh well, if this is all that goes wrong with my purchase experience, it will be OK.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    This will be my primary car, wife has 1999 Windstar SEL and my Honda Accord will go to my daughter. If daughter can have accord at college next year, the BMW will be my primary means of transportation. I checked on the 39 mos lease and accoring to one dealer, they are no longer available. Thanks
  • crashtestdingocrashtestdingo Member Posts: 81
    This doesn't affect you, sjmurray, since your profile says you're in Virginia, but for anyone who read kyfdx's post above (#1086) and lives in New York: The lease acquisition fee in the Empire State is $800.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    Can anyone quote the base invoice price before the January price increase on a 325Cic?
  • crashtestdingocrashtestdingo Member Posts: 81
    For what it's worth, the base MSRP of the 325xi sedan went up $300.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    definitely lease by just paying 1st month, security deposit, & acq fee (didn't know you could roll it in, you do learn something new every day).

    While my Dad was recently shopping for his X5, all the dealers except one in our area (New York, New Jersey) told him that BMWFS no longer does 39 month leases. One guy actually showed me how the residual remains the same (according to BMW's #s) for a 39 & 42 month lease so most people would rather take the lower payment and take the lease put for an extra 3 months.

    It is smart to lease within the warranty period if you can.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • hman709hman709 Member Posts: 11
    I got a decent offer from a dealer in CT
    325xi metallic
    auto
    premium
    harmon kardon

    The offer is for 34.2K ; it is about 1k over invoice so i know i can drop it some more.

    My question is with regard to end of model year incentives. When do they occur? august, sept, oct ?

    Also, how much incentive do they usually give? Is it below invoice? or just a few extra hundred dollars?

    I am thinking of buying within the next month or two but trying to see if it be worth waiting till summer to get an end of year '04

    Any advice ? Thanks !
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    Are the money Factors different on the sedan and coupe? How about the lease terms in general? I heard a dealer talking about lower MFs on sedans right now.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    I just got quoted via phone $1600 off MSRP on a Silver-Grey 2004 Cic with PP, Auto, CWP, and LTHR. Is this as good as it gets? I think asking for $1800 might be pushing my luck! What do you think? What is the biggest discount anyone has received on a 325CiC?
  • pmarcello1pmarcello1 Member Posts: 5
    Is that $1600 off MSRP for a car on the lot or a car they would order? I got $1750+ off for an ordered 2004 330cic. Probably could have pushed it to $2000-2250, but the dealership is close and friends say the service at this dealership is great. They will store my hardtop and tires. So if you like the dealership and the specs on the car, $1600 is not bad. If you don't know the dealership, visit it. Is $200 more off worth it? I would say $1600 for an ordered 2004 cic is a pretty good deal. Shop the offer to another dealership if it is just as convenient. I put a lot of stock into location of dealership, reputation of dealership and convenience.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    I just got quoted via phone $1600 off MSRP on a Silver-Grey 2004 Cic with PP, Auto, CWP, and LTHR. Is this as good as it gets? I think asking for $1800 might be pushing my luck! What do you think? What is the biggest discount anyone has received on a 325CiC?
  • roberth4roberth4 Member Posts: 4
    Looking to purchase a 330XI with auto, premium package, cold weather package, and sport package with metallic paint. I was given a quote of $41,715. Any advice on how this price looks? I live in NYC metro area. Thanks.
  • jim040558jim040558 Member Posts: 14
    Sapphire Black, Premium, Automatic, Sand Leather, Sport, Cold Weather, Xenon Headlights. No MACO charge, and I paid $500 over invoice!

    Needless to say, I'm thrilled. I dealt by internet and then phone to complete the deal. This was the exact colors, leather and config I was looking for.

    The dealer is Plaza BMW in St. Louis. If any of those guys are reading this, I appreciated dealing with them. Very easy and professional.

    I pick the car up later this month (I'm out of town).

    Boy, will my wife be surprised by her gift on her 50th birthday.
  • crashtestdingocrashtestdingo Member Posts: 81
    My sister just leased a 325xi sedan (with premium package, cold package and metallic paint – no auto). I posted the story about the closing of the deal here: crashtestdingo "Lease Questions - Ask Here" Mar 9, 2004 10:04pm But I'll mention the selling price here as well. It was $33,575 (MSRP: $35,120; invoice, according to Edmunds: $32,180). That was the selling price the salesman offered her back in December, but she didn't get it now without a little drama. Since there were no 325xi sedans with a manual transmission in the dealership's stock, and none at any other dealerships in the New York City/Long Island area (or so the salesman claimed), she ordered one and it came in a few weeks ago.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I read your other post in lease questions.. It sounds like you did your homework, and got a great deal. Congratulations!!

    kyfdx

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  • crashtestdingocrashtestdingo Member Posts: 81
    Thanks. I posted to the lease discussion to find out the MF and the residual, and to ask a few other questions, but otherwise, my sister's the one who did all the homework.

    Do you really think she got a great deal? Note that she paid $1,395 over invoice but that jim040558 says he got a 325xi in St. Louis for $500 over invoice (message #1103) and hman709 says he got an offer from a dealer in CT for about $1K over invoice (message #1096). In addition, in message #995, yk40 describes an offer (from a dealer in our state, if not our metro area) for a lease of a 325xi with more options than her car. He says the car has the same options my sister's has, plus auto, leather and mats, for an MSRP of $37,545, or $2,425 more. To verify that number, I just "built" a 325xi at bmwusa.com like that, except for the mats (they're dealer-installed accessories), and got an MSRP of $37,845 – obviously, that dealer received that car before the price increase. Anyway, for that more expensive car, and 50% more miles over the same term, the monthly payment was $470 vs. my sister's monthly payment of $425. (Unlike his, my sister's payment includes the sales tax, though.)
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I don't doubt some of those deals, but in my experience, they are hard to come by. It isn't the end of the model year, and although there are lease incentives, I haven't seen any dealer incentives (except on Z4s). On 3-series, it seems about halfway between invoice and MSRP is a fair deal, and it looks like you did a little better than that.

    I was frustrated trying to find what I wanted at a fair price last fall, and ended up buying a used '03 with 7700 miles.

    You sure can't beat the lease deals right now. Residuals are still high, and the MF are low. Since she ordered, it looks like she got exactly what she wanted. I think you made a great deal.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • yk40yk40 Member Posts: 19
    Crashtestdingo-

    The sale price of my 325xi is $35421 (MSRP $37545 -old price. This seems that it is about $1000+ over invoice.My payment of $470 (36 month/15K) does not include tax. Also note that there is a bank fee of $800 and I had to pay the tax up front.

    I tried several dealers trough internet/phone and could not find any dealer willing to go with less then 750 over invoice ( with the BMW residual= 0.60 and MF=0.0019 at that time). Then I decided to lease locally.

    yk
  • azpirinazpirin Member Posts: 2
    hi all, i just purchased my brand new bmw 325i equipped with premium package, sport package, leather, xenon lights, and automatic trans for just under 35K. I'm in southern California area. Now, i am not too sure about edmunds' tmv pricing around my location. just go to the dealer. i shopped around. some dealers are not very friendly in negotiating price, but the last one i visited was so pleasant and i bought it from them.
  • ashleyandersinashleyandersin Member Posts: 34
    What dealer did you use in So Cal? I am looking as well.
  • azpirinazpirin Member Posts: 2
    I went to Nick Alexander Imports located below downtown of LA.
  • dave01282000dave01282000 Member Posts: 8
    I posted a few months back about ordering a 330i. While they initially expected it to come in by the end of Feb. it took a little longer which is no big deal. After telling me the car would be in this past Monday or Tuesday (the salesman is not good at returning calls btw) he told me on Tuesday that the truck would DEFINITELY be dropping the car off Friday (today) and I would be able to take delivery Saturday during the day.

    He assured me he would call on Friday when the truck came in. When he called earlier he told me now it was going to be Monday because the trucking company screwed up. I don't have an easy time getting off work and had already planned everything for Saturday. It seems to me that if it wasn't coming in then they should notify me at least a day or two prior, not the day it was supposed to come in. When I talked to BMWNA about it they told me it sounds like the salesman is passing the buck by blaming the trucking people and he should have known when it was coming in.

    All I know is that I feel like I'm being jerked around and I haven't even taken delivery of the car yet! Any thoughts or advice?

    thanks

    Dave
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    My thoughts: You have a lousy salesman.

    My advice: Wait until the car is actually on the lot before you plan your time off to take delivery. A delay of a day or two after the car arrives will make no difference in the long run. I know its hard waiting, but you are letting your anticipation and your salesman's poor skills bother you too much.

    I don't think you are being jerked around, you just have a salesman that either is too lazy or too uninformed to get you the correct information. Save all the obsessing for when you get in the finance office to make all the final arrangements. That is when you will need to be sharp.

    Regards,
    kyfdx

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  • infinitimninfinitimn Member Posts: 146
    Make sure the sales manager knows of your dissatisfaction. You will be asked to fill out a survey from BMWNA on the phone, and any answer less than "perfectly satisfactory" will actually cost the dealer money.
  • dave01282000dave01282000 Member Posts: 8
    I didn't realize that if you rate them badly on a phone survey that it costs them money. You'd think that would motivate them to at least return phone calls. Not kidding, a few weeks ago I had to actually drive down to the dealer and see the salesman face to face because he wasn't calling me back. I honestly expected more from BMW in the service arena; the service was much better back when I bought a used Buick.

    Add all this to the guy giving me bad delivery info and it creates a frustrating situation. Can you switch the salesman that you're dealing with? It hasn't been working out well with this guy.

    thanks

    Dave
  • drkenkdrkenk Member Posts: 1
    This price thing is driving me crazy!! I am looking at an 03 with 14k, sports and Harmon K,
    the dealer is asking 39. Am I crazy or is this way too hi. I see 33-34 @Edmonds, any comments?
    KK
  • zap100zap100 Member Posts: 2
    Just curious, has anyone picked up their car at the performance center? I live about 2 hours away and it sounds like a great sendoff from BMW once you take possession of your car at the factory in SC. Love to hear anyone's thoughts on this. Thanks.
  • kohinahikohinahi Member Posts: 112
    Hi! Very helpful forum!

    Could someone let me know if the price we've negotiated for a 2004 BMW 325i seems to be in the right range. Based on the posts on the forum, I think we've done OK. Just a quick background - the dealer is about a 100 miles away from me (just a single dealer here in Richmond, VA!), I've never met him, just one everything over the phone...I'm hoping to get some feedback before I put down a deposit.

    1. Is the deposit a good idea?? The car is configured EXACTLY as we want it.

    2. Here is the config:
    2004 325i Sedan
    Steptronic Transmission
    Power Memory seats
    Heated Seats (Leatherette)
    Sunroof
    On-Board Computer
    Mats

    The dealer faxed me a copy of the invoice so these are actual numbers from the invoice:

    Total MSRP = $32,915
    Total Invoice Price (with $250 MACO)= $30,475

    Total price Negotiated:
    $31,078 + $225 Dealer processing = $31,303 + TTT

    Paying $828 over Invoice

    Paying $1,612 below MSRP

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

    Just a note - If you review the config, we don't really have any packages, just nit-picked what we thought we'd use....and we got the config we wanted...so I'm OK paying a couple of $100 over instead of being coerced to pay much more for an expensive package.

    THANKS AGAIN!!!
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