Going to order a car...have questions!!!

[Hester]

Hello All,

A couple of questions first:

-When ordering a 325i, can I still expect to get a deal (around invoice) or should I expect to pay MSRP?

-If I order next week, will I be ordering an '03 or an '04 model (325i)?

-How long do you think the wait will be? I'm in Los Angeles.

I've been lurking on this board for about 5 months and I've FINALLY joined so that I could post.

For about the same amount of time I've been saving up to buy a 325i this year, doing a lot of research on buying along the way. A couple of weeks ago I was ready - I've had a pretty bad experience so far finding a car with the options I want and with a jack-hole car salesman at the dealership closest to my house. I think now I'm going to have to order a car to get the option combo that I want (listed below) AND I'd love to not have to deal with the jack-hole in sales at the local dealership.

-2003 or 2004 325i
-Silver Grey Metallic
-Automatic
-Navigation
-Grey Leather
-Park Distance Control
-Premium Package (maybe)

I'd appreciate ANY insight to ordering before I proceed. I've sent a couple of e-mails to dealers asking what kind of deal they would give me on an ordered car (+ or - invoice, etc.), but I haven't heard back from them yet.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[MrElussive]

Don't pay MSRP for the car...just try your best and get the best price you can that makes you happy, but don't pay MSRP.
If you don't like your car salesman, don't deal with him...go to another dealership.
I strongly recommend you get the Premium Package, it comes with a lot of features that are REALLY worth-while. I also recommend the Bi-Xenon headlights, they light up the road so much better compared to the standard Halogens. And go with the Sport Package if you wanna do some aggressive driving.

 

[paddyLV]

"Yo Hester...about that new Bimmer"



Your best bet is to look for an '03 w/the options you want on it.

ALL dealers will be doing everything they can to get the '03's off their inventory.

I picked-up an '03 325i [loaded] back in March when the model was still relatively new and all the sales associate would take off the MSRP was $500...

A few weeks ago I drove an '03 330i Perform. Package, back in Las Vegas, and because it was as '03 they were willing to start at $1000 off the sticker. Again, get that '03 off the lot
to make room for the '04's...

Another good resource is E-Bay Motors. But you have to be able to travel to the dealer and in some cases the dealer will fly you to his/her dealership for the sale...

Good luck & keep in touch.

 

[Bobo]

If your local dealer has the 03 you want. Be sure you knock off at least $3500 or so off the invoice, not MSRP. New BMW (to me) deprecate about $3000 - $4000 the first 4 years. So a $40,000 03 will worth about $28,000 or so 4 years down the line. Of course, some people pay more or less. Basic "Demand and Supply". Those numbers above is what the bank looks at.

So if you get an 03, the valve of your car already drop $3000+ when you drive out. Think of the resale and trade in value. If the dealer only knock down $1000 on an 03, get an 04. At least the valve of your car will worth more when you sell it.

The normal order takes 60 days according to my local dealer (I'm in LA also.) That's 60 days if your car goes into production tomorrow. I think (not sure) BMW build their cars in sets. So if you missed your turn, you have to wait for the next set plus 60 more days to build and delivery.

Good luck and I will see you around in LA.

 

[Hester]

Thanks Paddy...

...but what I've found is that the option combo I want is virtually NOT AVAILABLE unless I ORDER the car to be made just for me at the factory. So my real questions here are about ordering the car.

I've read that I cannot buy a car out of state unless it is "marked" for sale in California. I'd be happy to come to Nevada to get a good deal, but from what I've read, I don't think I can for a new car. At this point I just want to ORDER the car I want at the best price.

Eric

 

[Hester]

Thanks Bobo,

What I've found is that the car I want doesn't exist ANYWHERE on the west coast! That's why I'm figuring now that I have to ORDER it.

I'm wondering what to expect as far as a negotiated deal when ordering. Are there any additional fees when ordering? And, if I can still order an '03?

Eric

 

[codex57]

No additional fees when ordering. You can't still order an 03. I believe even the sedans are in the 04 production now. The coupes have been in 04 production for months now.

Which dealer did you go to? Avoid McKenna at all costs. I hear good things (price wise) from Nick Alexander, New Century, and Crevier. I got mine at Shelly. Ok, deal, not the greatest but I got the option combo I wanted with the exception of leather (which I don't regret at all).

 

[Hester]

codex57,

Thanks for the info on the '04 sedans being in production. Do you know if the prices/options/packages have changed on the '04s? Do you think I can try to get a close to invoice price on an ordered '04 - or will they be "so in demand" that I might have to pay MSRP?

I went to Center BMW and I almost want to name the salesman, but I won't. The thing I didn't like about him was that I was up front about what I wanted to pay and what BS fees I wouldn't pay and in the end he STILL tried to charge me EVERY stupid fee possible when we started talking "out the door" price. He also reneged on his initial deal of $800 below invoice, when it came down to it. AND I know that he added a point or two to my financing percentage so that he could make a little more. Typical salesman BS and EXACTLY what I was trying to avoid by doing my research - I thought that if HE knew I was hip on all this stuff, he wouldn't try any funny business. I didn't do the deal because the car he found for me was sold by the time we had ironed out the deal and financing. I'm sort of glad, but I was trying to benefit from the $1500 factory to dealer and the triple car tax by Oct. 1st.

I will heed your advice about which dealers to avoid and which ones have good reps. When I first started looking (was still looking for one in stock), Nick Alexander was one of the first to reply and with a good deal...at least in an e-mail...who knows what they'd try to do if they got me down there. At this point I just have NO trust in these car salesmen...I look at them all as vultures!

Eric

 

[paddyLV]

"new car ordering..."

Yo Hester...

I was in touch w/a dealer in Hermosa Beach last month in reference to a Euro. Delivery,

and when I asked him if the vehicle I took delivery of was going to be Cali emissioned,

because I was going to register it in Nevada, he told me that ALL the BMW's meet

the Cali specifications...

So in that respect, it seems you would be able to purchase a BMW in Piscataway,

New Jersey, and register it in Cali... [???1]

 

[greeps]

I've got a 330cic on order, should be here in a week or so. The combination of options I wanted wasn't available anywhere... white, gray leather, black top, sport package, heated seats, rear airbags, rear parking sensor, 6 speed. It seems almost all dealer ordered ones have the automatic transmission and the premium package.

You should be able to get the car for about what you'd pay on the lot. You might save a bit more because the car is sold when it is ordered so won't cost the dealer interest while the car sits around.
If a car is high demand, limited allotment, the dealer probably won't come much off the sticker. If the dealer can only get so many and if he sells all he gets for sticker, he has little incentive to deal. If he can get all he wants, then he does have an incentive to deal because you can easily go elsewhere where they will deal. They'll deal more on the 325's than the 330's and they'll deal more on the hardtops than the convertibles. The M's go for sticker.
Any car ordered now will be an '04, I believe.
Mine's taking about 8 weeks. The dealer had one on allotment unsold but I had to wait a while for its "production date". You can watch its progress on the Internet. It's more like its milestones. All you need is a production number, then you can see when it is made and when it is shipped to various waypoints along the path.

Good luck, hope this helps.

 

[flashinthepan]

In very general terms

__________________

find an 03 expect 3000 off MSRP

Order an 04 expect up to appx 1500 off MSRP

I felt the ordering process was nice, I got the colors and choices correct for me, but hey you never know what is sitting on a lot ?

All the best !!

 

[Hester]

Greeps,

Thanks for the info...it helps A LOT! Question though...How can I find out if a dealer has a limit on their allotment? I don't quite understand how this allotment works.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[Hester]

Greeps,

One more question: Do you put a deposit down when you order or do you pay the whole thing?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[paddyLV]

"Expand your search..."

Hester,

Just a friendly suggestion if your having trouble locating a BMW in Cali...

If you contact BMW on their web-site (BMWUSA) you should ask if an '03 from

Nevada/Arizona would meet the Cali. emissions...


If that's the case, I'm sure you could find an '03 in one of the dealers inventory (once again,

BMWUSA ~ find a dealer NV/AZ) where you could 'wheel & deal' and include the Premium

Package with the vehicle. It's well worth the extra $$$.

Between the two dealers in the Vegas area I'm sure you would find what you want.

I think Phoenix has three dealers...


You know the drill... "Two heads are better than than one."

 

[Bobo]

There is a deposit (Check) but they don't cash your check. They just want to see some commitment.

Don't let them run your credit check till you pickup your car. Every credit check they run will cost your "5" points out of 1000 possible. Good luck.

 

[pydo82]

You should seriously consider getting your 325i in stick if you can. I have an 04 325ci in a manual and there are times I wish it had a little more power. I am very glad that I got it in stick, because I have so much more control and more speed.

 

[MrElussive]

Yeah, there really is a significant performance increase with the manual. 0-60 in 7.1 seconds for manual, and 8.1 seconds for automatic, and it will save you like $1,200.

 

[pydo82]

Yeah, like mr elussive pointed out, it is cheaper too. Not to mention better gas mleage, and a hellava lot more fun to drive. geez, i hope we didnt start another stick vs. auto debate here.

 

[Kirby]

Greeps,

Thanks for the info...it helps A LOT! Question though...How can I find out if a dealer has a limit on their allotment? I don't quite understand how this allotment works.

Thanks,

Eric

Don't take this as gospel truth - it's my impression formed from bits and pieces of a conversation with my dealer.

I ordered a 330cic via the European Delivery program which gets a 7% discount off MSRP. I asked the sales rep. how they were compensated - if it came out of their profit, they got reduced profit, etc. He said that they get a little less profit, about 7% less to be exact, which makes sense.

He also said that ED does not come out of their ALLOCATION so they actually make more money overall. I asked him what that meant. He said that each dealer is allocated a certain number of cars to sell based on past sales performance, and these vehicles are scheduled for delivery throughout the year. This is how BMW apparently estimates and balances factory production. It seems as though if they sell their allocation, they cannot get any more of that vehicle unless a deal is made with another dealer, or the factory somehow has 'extra' vehicles.

They like ED because they actually can then sell more cars than their allocation permits. ED cars are allocated by the factory, supposedly around 12 - 15 per day, first come, first serve for ED orders.

 

[Hester]

Greeps,

I'm not going to do the European delivery...although it would be nice! I just want to order one that I can take delivery on at the dealership.

Thanks,

Eric