Which 2005 3 series

[alebrady]

i am going to be leasing my first BMW and am utterly confused as to what to get.

There are a couple of 325ci's in stock that i have been able to test drive. I really wanted a 330ci but the only ones that seem to be available in any reasonable amount of time are with the performance package. Obviously this increases the MSRP substantially. its a shame because i think the regular 330ci would be a good compromise for me.

I know that its ultimately a personal opinion, but since i can not even test drive a 330ci (with or without performance package) i am wondering what you guys think of the difference between the 325ci and the 330ci (with and without the performance package). particularly interested in the tradeoff between performance and comfort - i know the performance package comes with a more aggressive suspension but i dont want to lose the nice blend of comfort and feel the 325ci has.

I have test driven the '06 330i if that would help add context to the comparison. in fact, it was this testdrive that had me second guessing getting a 325 (but i know the '06 has a bigger engine than the '05 so i dont know exactly how much difference in pep there would be between the '05 325 and the '05 330 - again with and without the perofrmance package)

is the 325ci plenty of car? or should i pay the extra $$$ (approx. $60/mo based on the deals i worked out) for the performance 330ci?

thanks in advance!

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

Get the 330ci with the performance package they should be selling them for invoice or less thats about 5-6 thousand under MSRP and that should be how it leases...

 

[Unit74]

Yea.....There is a pretty deep dealer/factory incentive on them.....$4500 maybe from what I found....Varies based on model though...


Anyway, if your paying anything more than invoice on the car, your getting shafted by the dealer.

 

[alebrady]

any idea on what percentage of msrp invoice would be? or can i get a rough estimate by msrp-4500?

 

[alebrady]

nevermind - sorry, i didnt see you already posted approximate invoice in relation to MSRP

wow - when i put that into the lease calculator i am using i get a much lower payment than what they are quoting me - surprise surprise

 

[Average Jae]

Hi Ale, welcome to the board!

how much are you getting for the 325 and how much for the 330 zhp (perf package)? i absolutely love my zhp, and if you are into performance, it is pretty dang close to the e90 330i level. it just maybe the best bang for the buck in the bimmer front for now.

of course comfort will suffer, but its def better than an m3's.. that's all i can say about that for now..

how about color choices? if you are leaning for electric red (a rarity, but i was at one point) imola red blows the top off of that choice. only available in zhp package. (how else can you get almost m3 looking ci?)

good luck and keep us posted.

 

[alebrady]

thanks for the welcome jae!

on the 325ci they were using a MF of .0011 and were giving me $3000 off an msrp of 38,795

on the 330ci zhp they were quoting $2500 off MSRP of 45,720 and i think the same MF as above - obviously 4500-6000 off msrp on this would make a substantial difference....but they dont seem to be reducing msrp that much!

i havent had much choices in color - the 325ci was available in sparkling graphite and silver/grey metallic. the 330ci was available in silver/grey metallic. I have seen the graphite but not the silve/grey in person. my preference is to have a subdues color so i am guessing either would be ok?

thanks again

 

[Redstorm]

New to the board, and just finalized a deal for an '05 330i, performance package. MSRP of $44120.00 w/ leather seats and xenon h/l for 37500. Plus they threw in the all weather mats for free. They came $6620. off price over two days of counter offers. I think that dealers are willing to take, any reasonable offer to clear out the '05. Although once I mentioned the Manufacturer to Dealer incentive, 4200 til 5/31/05, things came together fast.

 

[///M SPEED]

Welcome to the board Redstorm! Great price and good job sticking to your guns and getting a good deal. Post some photos when you get it and stick around. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here willing to help with all sorts of questions you may have.

P.S. You may want to start your own thread to introduce yourself.....

 

[codex57]

Is the incentive for coupes too? It might not be b/c the new coupe isn't out yet.

Also, I don't believe the new sedan's 3.0L engine is any different from the one in the older body style.

That said, I say get teh 330ci if you can afford it. The difference (to me) is dramatic. That's my only regret. I wish I got the 330ci. Still, I think it was out of my price range and I made the right choice. But I do wish I had the 3.0L.