Reply With QuoteI just paid $3,000 BELOW invoice for my 2003 525i. There was a $3,500
'Factory to Dealer' rebate on the car that the public generally is not privy
to. They are closing out the 2003 five series because the 2004s are a
totally new body style. You should be able to get a 2003 325i for $500 to
$1000 over invoice. I doubt you could get so low on a 2004.
My suggestion for your negotiation is to hand the salesman a written offer
for the car. Print up a spreadsheet listing the car and the options you want
along with the dealer invoice cost for each item. At the bottom of the sheet
add in $500 - $1,000 dealer profit to get to your offer price.
By making a written offer you cut through all of the negotiating BS. You
also give the impression that you know what you are doing and that you are
probably shopping the offer around to other dealers. I handed my sales guy
my written offer and within five minutes we were shaking hands and signing
paperwork. I'll never buy a car any other way.
There are a number of good websites with tips on how to get a fair deal on a
car. Do a google.
"Ted" <com> wrote in message
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BMW: Buying 325i: Save on 2003 or wait for 2004?
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- 09-04 03:03 AM #1TedGuest
Buying 325i: Save on 2003 or wait for 2004?
I have decided to buy a new 325i before the end of the year. I'm not
in a rush, and my biggest concern is getting the best value, taking
into account purchase price as well as depreciation down the road. I
am indifferent to getting the car in september or in december.
However, I expect to keep the car +5 years, so the depreciation is not
a huge issue.
My question is, should I try to use the incoming 2004s as negotiating
leverage on the dealer to cut a good deal on a 2003 that has been on
the lot a while? Or should I just place a custom order for an 04 and
wait a few months? I don't mind taking an 03 if I can save a few
grand, but I'm not in a rush.
I am looking at a few of the options packages, but nothing crazy, so
figre MSRP of $35,000 and a dealer invoice of $32,000 (according to
kbb.com and nadaguides.com). How close do you think I can get to
invoice if I go for a 2003 at this point in time? I would be paying
cash, so no need to worry about the trade-in or financing schemes. I
know BMW dealers have a reputation for not coming down a whole lot
from the sticker...and if that's the case, I might as well just wait
for an '04. I would appreciate any thoughts or advice. If it matters,
I'm looking to buy this car in the Southeast US.
Cheers,
Ted
- 09-04 03:53 AM #2ChuckGuest
Re: Buying 325i: Save on 2003 or wait for 2004?
- 09-04 04:00 AM #3LarryGuest
Re: Buying 325i: Save on 2003 or wait for 2004?
Ted,
Your best bet is to find out whether the dealer has any '03 inventory on
the lot. I can tell you that I shopped for a 325xi in the NE and they were
so scarce that I not only wasn't able to get a better deal ... they flat
out couldn't find any in the colors I gave them. So I'm waiting for an
'04.
If your dealer has inventory sitting on the lot AND you are willing to
compromise on color (perhaps black or white), you might be able to do
reasonably well on an '03 ... but they will depreciate almost immediately.
Also, I would expect the 325i's to be more popular in FL (meaning there
may not be much inventory). You might be able to get $1000-1500 off MSRP.
Although I've never shopped for a BMW during the beginning of the model
year, I have heard that generally, dealers discount much less off MSRP.
You also have to consider that each dealer gets an allocation of cars.
Depending upon the demand, you may or may not be able to get into the
queue until late fall.
The only way to find out is to try.
Good Luck!
Larry
Ted wrote:
- 09-04 03:30 PM #4JohnGuest
Re: Buying 325i: Save on 2003 or wait for 2004?
>Your best bet is to find out whether the dealer has any '03 inventory on
Ted:
I know that over on the west coast, I had a very difficult finding a
2003 330ci with the packages that I wanted. I eventually had to settle
for different colors (which still looked really nice) because that was
the ONLY car they had left on the west coast, excluding Hawaii and
Alaska. So what I'm saying is that you may have a really tough time
finding the car you want if the east coast is in any condition like
the west. But if you do find one, you'll probably get a really good
deal because they'll be in as much hurry to sell it as you are to buy
it. I know that I got over $5k below sticker when I got my car. Good
luck in your car search!
John
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