[roburado]

No E90-specific information in this post.

I tried to buy an E46 around the time that the ZHP was coming out. They didn't have a car with the ZHP. So, they would have had to order one. The sales associate (I think his name was Jim Graf.) was trying to get me to buy something else. He gave me all this crap about how the performance tires wouldn't be good in the winter, etc. Duh...that's why I planned to buy a set of winter tires & rims. I felt like he was trying to get me to buy a car off the lot.

So, since I wasn't 100% sold on the idea of spending an extra $3900 on a car, I went along with the idea of an non-ZHP. I was thinking specifically about the 330xi. We test-drove the car. He took me on a test-drive route that had mostly residential streets. I couldn't get the car above 45 mph or so. What's the point of that? I'm not interested in a BMW only for how it performs under 45 mph.

He was very dismissive of my attempts to negotiate. Wouldn't budge really.

The cars on the lot? Well, Erhard doesn't really seem to order cars with the sport package. The majority of the cars they have on the lot are automatic and with the premium package. They don't really seem very enthusiast-oriented. Strangely enough, they are a Dinan dealer.

Personally, I'd rather go crosstown to the Rochester Hills Bavarian BMW and take my chances there. They have a fair amount of ZSP cars on their lot. They even had--as of last week--a M3 with the Competition Package. Fat chance of seeing something like that at Erhard's Bloomfield Hills location. Don't know anything about the Farmington Hills location, which seemingly has many more cars.

My friend, who has a 2002 325Ci, seems satisfied with the Bloomfield Hills Erhard BMW service dept.

[roburado]

Originally Posted by roburado

Personally, I'd rather go crosstown to the Rochester Hills Bavarian BMW and take my chances there. They have a fair amount of ZSP cars on their lot.

Correction, I think that dealership is actually in Shelby Township. Strange thing that Audi of Rochester Hills is right across the street.

[sierramadre]

I would like to strongly recommend Ann Arbor BMW to anyone in the Detroit area.

They could not have been more professional and helpful. Ask for Mark Louria the new car sales manager.

He ordered my e90. Then changed the order at my request. Then changed it again (I couldn't make up my mind about the color) and finally he dealer traded for the exact car I wanted that was already in the system. He also went above and beyond to get me an aggressive price on my trade-in (2005 Corvette). In addition, they are willing to negotiate on the price.

I have had bad experiences at Erhard and would not go back. I bought both of my previous BMWs at Bavarian Motor Villlage in Eastpointe. All of my future business will be given to Ann Arbor BMW.

My 330i is in South Carolina, and with some luck, I should have it this weekend.

Saphire Black/Black/Aluminum Trim
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[garymazeffa]

It is unfortunate that some of these dealerships treat you like you were buying a pair of shoes. Just provide what the customer wants and the dealerships would be surprised to the growth of sales.

I just do not get it. Bimmer people are very in-tune to cars and you have sales people that talk to you like you don't know what you are talking about. Thank God, the cars sell themselves!!

Maybe BMW should have dealerships with no sales people and provide the savings to the customer

[roburado]

Originally Posted by garymazeffa

Maybe BMW should have dealerships with no sales people and provide the savings to the customer

Yeah. BMW NA should just sell their cars through bmwusa.com. That way I can order it just the way I want it without any interference.

Did I mention that I never bought a car from Erhard BMW after that experience? Or is that obvious? What I have to say to them is kiss my

[reardensteel]

I just joined this forum to respond to this thread.

I've been all over the world and the States and I have never found such arrogant, lousy dealers as those in the Detroit area. I always got great service in Germany, Louisville, Kansas City and Temple, TX. Here everyone of the dealers seem to be crooks.

Erhard seems worse than Bavarian Motor Village. Erhard just tries to rip you off at every opportunity. Bavarian at Eastpointe doesn't deliver on their maintenance promises. I've found most of the staff at the Shelby facility more personable but I still worry about buying a E90 from them....and I want it so very bad.

[duddym]

Sorry guys! I should have posted my original message here - I just got a little excited about the whole thing. Well, here it is again:

It's great to hear about the GOOD experiences that people have at dealers. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I thought I'd share with you my WORST experience at a car dealer:

A few years ago when I lived in Metro Detroit, I stopped at Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills with a buddy of mine. To make a long story short, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED SO BADLY at a car dealer (or anywhere, for that matter) in my entire life.

We asked to test drive a 325i, which my company was looking to purchase, (we are both automotive engineers - this would have been a test vehicle). The salesperson - I wish I could remember his name - REFUSED TO LET US DRIVE A CAR! He said, "I'm sorry, we don't do that." I was speachless.

Then, to make matters worse, we asked for a brochure, and he told us he didn't have any to give us. OH MY GOD - I didn't know what to say. We just turned around and left. I can only assume that our age (both in our 20s at the time) or, perhaps, nationality (my buddy is Indian) had something to do with it. Needless to say, I immediately wrote a letter to BMW USA (and never received a response).

I have never set foot in Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills since, and I highly recommend that anyone who reads this GO SOMEPLACE ELSE to buy your new BMW. If you live in Metro Detroit, I would highly recommend Bavarian Motor Village in Eastpoint - Any time I have visited them, they have been very helpful, and have treated me with respect.

Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills is largely responsible for my purchasing an Audi and not a BMW, just for the record.

[duddym]

JIM GRAF - He's the guy that treated me and my buddy so poorly years ago! Since I'm a nice guy, I'm not going to go into detail about what I REALLY think about this particular salesman. My previous post speaks for itself.........

[roburado]

I love that there is a dealer review forum.

[Jim4M3]

Almost an ideal relationship with Erhard/Bloomfield Hills, MI...an honest and comfortable experience especially with Service Client Advisors since 1995. Erhard works hard on the service end providing an excellent customer experience. On a referral from my service advisor, I 'reserved' an '08 M3 within Erhard sales department in mid October expecting this group will deliver on my expectations...

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by Jim4M3

Almost an ideal relationship with Erhard/Bloomfield Hills, MI...an honest and comfortable experience especially with Service Client Advisors since 1995. Erhard works hard on the service end providing an excellent customer experience. On a referral from my service advisor, I 'reserved' an '08 M3 within Erhard sales department in mid October expecting this group will deliver on my expectations...

+1. I have had excellent service and sales experience with Erhard after owning 3 cars since the mid-90s.

[Michael Schott]

My experience is with Erhard of Farmington Hills and overall I'd rate it as a B+.

Everyone I dealt with from the salesman to the finance person were unfailingly friendly and mostly cooperative to my needs. Much better customer service than my previous Audi dealer and slightly better than my Cadillac dealer. My only issue was their reluctance to deal and because I was anxious to buy I overpaid on my lease by about $20.00/month. They are well schooled in sales tactics.

I have also been to the Bloomfield Hills store and found the people there to be friendly. Hopefully they have changed since the OP's experience a few years ago.

Thanks, Mike.

[jd_swift_335i]

I've had a pretty good experience with both Erhard locations, Farmington Hills and Bloomfield Hills.

Overall, I guess I'd grade them at an A-, as they do a very good job, but not perfect. For example, I've had minor issues with the service department such as forgetting to reset the onboard computer service interval following scheduled maintenance or forgetting to attach a fastener on a replaced wood trim piece, which in turn caused rattling. These are minor things but they can be pretty inconvenient and they definitely factor into my evaluation.

In terms of friendliness, helpfulness, and just coming through for me in general, I give them an A. I always rate them at 5 out of 5 for the post-service/sale customer survey they covet so much. I guess that Erhard has one of the highest satisfaction ratings among US BMW dealerships, so that 5/5 rating is very important to them. As I see it, I help them by rating them well and they take care of me by giving me the service and treatment I've described. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I always receive a BMW loaner which is another huge plus!

Reading some of the earlier posts, it sucks to hear anyone getting treated with disrespect. Sounds like that particular salesman was a bad apple and, unfortunately, there's probably a few more among the various Erhard employees. Overall, though, I'd say they typically attempt to satisfy your requests and do so in a friendly and helpful manner. There have been occasions where I've had to assert myself to get what I felt I was entitled but, in the end, they've always come through. I try to keep in mind that they're running a business, so there's only so far they can possibly bend to satisfy you. However, as long as you work with them and your expectations are within reason, I think that you'll be treated very well.

Currently, I'm driving an '03 540i M-Sport 6MT which I bought at the Farmington Hills location. Ken Foster, my service advisor (SA) at Farmington, is an all-around good guy, always takes care of me, and always comes through. My experience with Erhard in Bloomfield Hills comes from 4 or 5 years ago when I was driving an '02 330Ci coupe. I don't remember my SA's name (he's probably gone anyway since the turnover rate is pretty high), but my experience was just as positive as that for the Farmington location.

My next car, ordered through the Bloomfield Hills location, is an '08 335i sedan 6MT, currently in transit from Bremerhaven. The transaction went very well, especially since I waited until the last minute (30 minutes before closing on 1/2/08) to lock in lease rates expiring that day! I asked for a reasonable discount off MSRP, they agreed, and the entire transaction took around 30 minutes. I expect the final signing and delivery will be right in line with the treatment I've come to expect (otherwise, you all will definitely hear about it!). My salesman "moved on to other opportunities" a week or so after the order was placed so there's not much sense mentioning his name.

[Kid0406]

I've always had a great experience at both locations in both sales and service. Farmington Hills is where I got my last three cars (not Bloomfield just because the location is more convenient) and nothing compares to how awesome and nice the service staff is. I love the cookies and I think they host the car club dinner every year at the Bloomfield hills store. Not sure about that guys experience a few years ago but I've always been very happy.

[asus389]

I have been happy with the service at Erhard in Farmington Hills. Overall they seem to take pride in providing good customer service. Their SAs have not tried to sell me stuff I don't need and with a few minor exceptions have taken all my service complaints seriously and tried their best to resolve the issues. I haven't had experience with their sales side so I can't comment on that part of the experience. They do seem to mainly stock 328 xdrive automatics, so if you are looking for a manual or something more specific I'd guess you'd need to order. But thats pretty standard for dealers in the midwest/northeast.

[MontE93go]

I went out to Boston to get my cpo, so I have zero sales experience with the local dealerships. I'll need to have service at some time and was wondering which dealership is the best for service? If not the best, at least let me know which to stay away from. I'm not against driving for good service, so anywhere within an hour of Detroit is fine. Thanks in advance for the advise/suggestions.

Oh yeah, I did also look at and drive a cpo in Farmington Hills before buying in Boston. Their price was a little higher and I had some concerns with the car's paint, but the sales guys were VERY nice. My wife and I look young (30s, but look 20s), and they didn't hesitate to work with us and let us drive the car. Unless I hear otherwise, I'll likely just make them my dealership for service when the time comes.

[zivyn]

When I first moved to the Detroit area I lived up in Rochester near the Bavarian dealership. Only had two experiences with their service department, but they were both pretty positive. I know several people in the area who use this shop and seem to enjoy it.
1 - My 6FL adapter stopped working, replaced under warranty with one from their parts department. Took 10 minutes.
2 - Oil change/service, I waited and it took a little over an hour. Seemed like a long wait for service, but the car came out washed and ready to go so no complaints. They were very accommodating with scheduling the appointment.

Unfortunately we found a nice house in the west suburbs and now I'm about 10 minutes from Erhard Bloomfield. Over the past year I've been into their shop three times and each time I've left disappointed.

1 - Purchased the alarm retrofit from Tischer, ended up not having enough time to ever get around to the install so during a service appointment I asked Erhard Bloomfield to install that as well. Leave town for the weekend to let them do their work and chaos ensues (I wrote up a much longer post in the past...). Basically they tried to sell a new horn to me because I didn't purchase the kit from them and then I spent 2 weeks afterwards arguing with them about how the whole thing was A) wrong and B) poor customer service; in the end it actually cost me a $30 restocking fee and hours of frustration on a part I shouldn't have had to pay for in the first place.

2 - Seat belt tensioner failed, told me I needed to pay to replace it since the seats didn't belong to my car (reasonable; I did OEM sport seat retrofit) and they tried to charge me twice MSRP and 1.5 hours to install it. Managed to talk them down to MSRP and 1 hour, but I still have no idea why they think it would be alright to start with such outrageous prices in the first place...

3 - Second routine service with them, this time the car is at 32500 miles. While dropping off the car my SA gives me the extended maintenance brochure (car is CPO, so extended warranty purchase is off the table) telling me how it's "such a good deal and will save money in the long run." I tell him I'll go home, run the numbers and think about it. When I get the car back the next service indicator/oil change is oddly set to 18,000 miles (instead of 15,000) which puts my next oil change just after the expiration of the 50k mile new car service. I immediately call on the way home and my SA explains "Ohh we do that all the time here, the iDrive/computer will adjust it as you drive so that you get to the correct number eventually."
Now for my first service I vaguely remember it being set to 16k miles, but not sure if this is accurate so I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides I figure there is a record of the oil change at 32.5, so no matter what the computer says I'm figuring I can make an argument for a change at 47.5ish right before the service expiration anyways (anyone see a potential problem with this logic? Maybe I need to get more proactive on this issue). I'm only at ~36k now, but the computer is still saying 16k miles to an oil change.

Needless to say, if this service computer thing turns out to be more than just a simple misunderstanding that's three strikes for Erhard Bloomfield and I will be going somewhere else. I'm closer to Farmington Hills than Rochester, but I'm hesitant to go to another Erhard name (even if Bavarian is technically the same family). Unfortunately Ann Arbor is pretty far away, but it may turn out that's where I'm headed from now on.

Hope that helps someone.

[MontE93go]

Thanks for the tip. I have the yellow brake fluid notice, and a state-related notice showing up for 7/2011. I'm pretty sure it never had the injector check/fix done, and I also just received the fuel pump recall, so it is time for service. In addition, I'm about 1,000 miles out from my oil change marker, so maybe they will just do that too. I'll give them a call later today.
Thanks again.

[MontE93go]

I went with Bavarian at 59/Dequindre and had a great experience for my recalls and service maintenance items.

[zivyn]

Update to Erhard:

Past 3 service appointments have been great; finally found a good SA. Much happier these days.