[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Topless

That makes sense. The depreciation factor is a big one, '08 CPOs are finally within range for me, which I prefer. More seemed to start rolling off lease in August, even if so far they're not loaded the way that I'd prefer to buy.

Thank you! Good luck in your search, too!

Which is it that you prefer, being an '08, CPO, or both?

I'd love a newer '08, but I'm having a hard enough time finding an '07 inside my price limit.

For me, CPO just doesn't seem all that important. I think with the BMW bumper to bumper warranty with "no cost" maintenance, I assume an owner will have it in to the dealer's shop to get everything taken care of properly. So finding a one owner vehicle with a clean carfax is good enough for me.

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Which is it that you prefer, being an '08, CPO, or both?

I'd love a newer '08, but I'm having a hard enough time finding an '07 inside my price limit.

For me, CPO just doesn't seem all that important. I think with the BMW bumper to bumper warranty with "no cost" maintenance, I assume an owner will have it in to the dealer's shop to get everything taken care of properly. So finding a one owner vehicle with a clean carfax is good enough for me.

I'm looking for an '08 CPO. The warranty is actually a big factor for me... An ex has (had?) an '07 335i coupe (CPO), and from what he said, there were issues with the turbos in the '07s (wastegates) and then I read something about that not all of the '07s have oil coolers or limited slip differentials when I was researching the differences between '07/'08. That said, while I've always been into cars (for a girl (woman?)), I'm not mechanically inclined, so some of what I read was Greek to me, but given the choice, I'd rather have a year with less issues. The fuel pump is also an issue but as far as I can tell, BMW has extended the warranty to 10 years for '07 through '10, regardless of CPO. Plus, when I was researching, it also seems like some of these cars are modded and then stripped before being sold/coming off lease (less face it, we're not buying because the car is practical, but because it's built for performance), and that not everything is reported to Carfax (accidents only go on if reported to insurance, etc). And the no-cost maintenance isn't opted by everyone - I'm not sure if it's the same new as for CPO, but in CPO, it's either/or (financing OR no cost maintenance). While CPO isn't a guarantee, it's worth it if the car has any of these (or other) issues - pays for itself to have these items covered. There are threads on this stuff all over the forum, btw, so please fact check for yourself (if you haven't already).

FWIW, I'd have to be $40K out the door, though, so going for an '08 is a bit more of a challenge, as frustrating as the wait is.... An '07 would keep me around $35K, I think, and for the right car, I'd be willing (since I have another car as my daily driver, and if it's in the shop), but I'd prefer '08 if I can find the right one.

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Topless

I'm looking for an '08 CPO. The warranty is actually a big factor for me... An ex has (had?) an '07 335i coupe (CPO), and from what he said, there were issues with the turbos in the '07s (wastegates) and then I read something about that not all of the '07s have oil coolers or limited slip differentials when I was researching the differences between '07/'08. That said, while I've always been into cars (for a girl (woman?)), I'm not mechanically inclined, so some of what I read was Greek to me, but given the choice, I'd rather have a year with less issues. The fuel pump is also an issue but as far as I can tell, BMW has extended the warranty to 10 years for '07 through '10, regardless of CPO. Plus, when I was researching, it also seems like some of these cars are modded and then stripped before being sold/coming off lease (less face it, we're not buying because the car is practical, but because it's built for performance), and that not everything is reported to Carfax (accidents only go on if reported to insurance, etc). And the no-cost maintenance isn't opted by everyone - I'm not sure if it's the same new as for CPO, but in CPO, it's either/or (financing OR no cost maintenance). While CPO isn't a guarantee, it's worth it if the car has any of these (or other) issues - pays for itself to have these items covered. There are threads on this stuff all over the forum, btw, so please fact check for yourself (if you haven't already).

FWIW, I'd have to be $40K out the door, though, so going for an '08 is a bit more of a challenge, as frustrating as the wait is.... An '07 would keep me around $35K, I think, and for the right car, I'd be willing (since I have another car as my daily driver, and if it's in the shop), but I'd prefer '08 if I can find the right one.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying there's no value in CPO. Just that I haven't found a compelling enough reason to make it even harder and more expensive to find my car. If I was going the 335 route with its complex (and trouble prone) turbo system, I'd probably think it's worth it.

And to update the thread with additional search info, I got a response from Cain on the one spiike32 kindly linked earlier (http://www.cainbmw.com/certified/BMW...266f3d918a.htm). That one comes without the prem pkg, making the asking price seem substantially less reasonable.

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Just to be clear, I'm not saying there's no value in CPO. Just that I haven't found a compelling enough reason to make it even harder and more expensive to find my car. If I was going the 335 route with its complex (and trouble prone) turbo system, I'd probably think it's worth it.

And to update the thread with additional search info, I got a response from Cain on the one spiike32 kindly linked earlier (http://www.cainbmw.com/certified/BMW...266f3d918a.htm). That one comes without the prem pkg, making the asking price seem substantially less reasonable.

Oops, I forgot you were looking for a 328i, not a 335i. FWIW, I think the real value in CPO is likely peace of mind, as you never really know how the prior owner drove or maintained the car. That said, if you're comfortable without it, and the 328i has less reliability issues, then go for it - it should open up buying from a private owner versus dealer, too. Do you have cars.com or the like down there?

As for the one from Cain BMW, it's CPO, which somewhat accounts for the higher price tag. But, I've noticed in my searching that prices are all over the place. IMO, price is always negotiable, especially if it's been sitting a while - no dealer/seller is going to put as their list price the lowest price they'll accept, so list point is merely a starting place...

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Topless

Oops, I forgot you were looking for a 328i, not a 335i. FWIW, I think the real value in CPO is likely peace of mind, as you never really know how the prior owner drove or maintained the car. That said, if you're comfortable without it, and the 328i has less reliability issues, then go for it - it should open up buying from a private owner versus dealer, too. Do you have cars.com or the like down there?

As for the one from Cain BMW, it's CPO, which somewhat accounts for the higher price tag. But, I've noticed in my searching that prices are all over the place. IMO, price is always negotiable, especially if it's been sitting a while - no dealer/seller is going to put as their list price the lowest price they'll accept, so list point is merely a starting place...

CPO is totally a peace of mind thing. I feel like the things CPO covers (drive train) is reliable enough in the 328i to go without it. So for me, I'd rather take the money CPO costs and either put it towards something else, or pocket it.

I believed that these dealers would rather move them at a reasonable price, than let them sit on their lot. But my local dealer gave me a final price of $25k before tax and dealer fee (~$28k otd!!) for an CPO 07 328i sport prem, ~39k miles. I said thanks but too high, and haven't heard back. The car is still on the lot a month and a half later.

It's experiences like that which made me want to ask the knowledgeable folks here my question- is $21-23k out the door unreasonable? Posts like express' in this thread, and this one from TJDiCandido (who says $20k!) make me think it's very doable, and I'm hoping they're right!

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

CPO is totally a peace of mind thing. I feel like the things CPO covers (drive train) is reliable enough in the 328i to go without it. So for me, I'd rather take the money CPO costs and either put it towards something else, or pocket it.

I believed that these dealers would rather move them at a reasonable price, than let them sit on their lot. But my local dealer gave me a final price of $25k before tax and dealer fee (~$28k otd!!) for an CPO 07 328i sport prem, ~39k miles. I said thanks but too high, and haven't heard back. The car is still on the lot a month and a half later.

It's experiences like that which made me want to ask the knowledgeable folks here my question- is $21-23k out the door unreasonable? Posts like express' in this thread, and this one from TJDiCandido (who says $20k!) make me think it's very doable, and I'm hoping they're right!

Have you gone back to the dealer, to see if they're more willing to negotiate now? For the car you described, CPO (added value of approx. $1800, if I remember correctly), I would assume that $25K OTD would be fair? I wonder if TJDiCandido and express know whether BMW dealers get penalized (i.e, reduced profit) from BMW on CPO cars that sit? I know Honda/Acura dealers get penalized on new models that sit (best negotiating is for something on the lot or that they know is coming in), and I think on certified ones as well - in other words, the longer the car sits before selling, the less the dealer makes on that car. If so, and the one you like is still there, the dealer should be much more flexible....

[vox humana]

The one I was talking about no longer shows up on their website. Now they only list four 07/08 328is, all listed at $25-26k, none with sport, and only one has the premium pkg! Everyone I've spoken to that's dealt with this dealership says the same thing- they're notorious for starting high, adding substantial "dealer fees" and sticking to their price. It's a smaller operation, and it appears they avoid pre-owned cars as much as possible. My guess if that the only way they end up with a pre-owned unit is when they have to take one in on trade.

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

The one I was talking about no longer shows up on their website. Now they only list four 07/08 328is, all listed at $25-26k, none with sport, and only one has the premium pkg! Everyone I've spoken to that's dealt with this dealership says the same thing- they're notorious for starting high, adding substantial "dealer fees" and sticking to their price. It's a smaller operation, and it appears they avoid pre-owned cars as much as possible. My guess if that the only way they end up with a pre-owned unit is when they have to take one in on trade.

Is that the only dealer within reasonable driving distance? There are dealers like that here, where the prices are way out of whack with what I see elsewhere for similarly (or better) equipped '08 335i 'verts. I don't understand how they can afford to do that, unless their sales/lease volumes on new BMWs are high enough to cover them?

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Topless

Is that the only dealer within reasonable driving distance? There are dealers like that here, where the prices are way out of whack with what I see elsewhere for similarly (or better) equipped '08 335i 'verts. I don't understand how they can afford to do that, unless their sales/lease volumes on new BMWs are high enough to cover them?

I think it's the other way around- it's a small dealership, and their sales volumes are too low to not necessitate high margins.

Unluckily for me, it's the only "local" BWM dealership. Unfortunately they're very very proud of their cars. Of course they were the first I visited, but it very quickly became apparent that their "best" pricing was absurd- typically $2-3k over others' ASKING price.

After that I expanded my radius to 2 hours. In the past month I've made at least 4 drives of at least an hour and a half.

[tony20009]

Have you actually tried the BMW website to search for pre-owned cars?

I just found over 100 within 100 miles of zip 32801.

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by tony20009

Have you actually tried the BMW website to search for pre-owned cars?

I just found over 100 within 100 miles of zip 32801.

lol Yes

I know there are pre-owned 3ers out there. But I have a somewhat specific set of criteria outlined in the first post.

[green4003]

I purchased similar recently: 07 Arctic White E90 328i manual, sports, premium, cold weather, ~ 33k miles. Ford dealership was asking around $25k and I purchased for ~ $23k + tax/tags - probably could have got it for ~ $22k + tax/tags (~ $23k otd). I also saw similar cars for ~ 22k at Carmax, but they didn't have as many options.

I think your price point is reasonable once you start negotiating. Good luck...

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by green4003

I purchased similar recently: 07 Arctic White E90 328i manual, sports, premium, cold weather, ~ 33k miles. Ford dealership was asking around $25k and I purchased for ~ $23k + tax/tags - probably could have got it for ~ $22k + tax/tags (~ $23k otd). I also saw similar cars for ~ 22k at Carmax, but they didn't have as many options.

I think your price point is reasonable once you start negotiating. Good luck...

Awesome! Clean history and under 40k miles?

I wish there was a way to specify options like sport pkg when searching on Autotrader or cars.com. I'd open it up to a national search and consider traveling for a great deal.

[green4003]

Yes - it was ~ 33k miles and extremely clean. I had trouble finding the manual transmission and cold weather package (need the folding rear seat) and was lucky enough to also get the Sports and Premium on the one I found. I was also willing to get the 335i (my backup if I didn't find what I wanted was a new Acura TSX for a bit more $$$, but I didn't really want the Acura - the BMW is more fun to drive). I was under pressure to buy something because my insurance rental period was running out (a tree landed on my old car during a late July storm).

[Murph335]

I will sell you my WHITE 335i sedan for $26k, 52k miles

Gray/black interior (beige is for the elderly) - Get ceramic tints if your worried about heat.
Desert car, never seen snow
Stock runflat tires are like new
Auto Paddles
Navi
Keyless go
PDC
Sport and Prem pkg
BMW Sunglass holder instead of ashtray - Completely sold you right?
Wood grain or aluminum trim - your choice
maintenence and warranty till 9/2013 - This is the best part, no worries!

If it sells I will buy a 535i, or a benz w/ airmatic

Dont waste your money on a 328i, you will regret it within 2 weeks. Even a pickup a base 335i and add your own sport pkg later!

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by green4003

Yes - it was ~ 33k miles and extremely clean. I had trouble finding the manual transmission and cold weather package (need the folding rear seat) and was lucky enough to also get the Sports and Premium on the one I found. I was also willing to get the 335i (my backup if I didn't find what I wanted was a new Acura TSX for a bit more $$$, but I didn't really want the Acura - the BMW is more fun to drive). I was under pressure to buy something because my insurance rental period was running out (a tree landed on my old car during a late July storm).

It sounds like you made out pretty well, congrats! My motivation comes from wanting one, and the fact that I'm driving a horrible rental until I do.

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Murph335

I will sell you my WHITE 335i sedan for $26k, 52k miles

Gray/black interior (beige is for the elderly) - Get ceramic tints if your worried about heat.
Desert car, never seen snow
Stock runflat tires are like new
Auto Paddles
Navi
Keyless go
PDC
Sport and Prem pkg
BMW Sunglass holder instead of ashtray - Completely sold you right?
Wood grain or aluminum trim - your choice
maintenence and warranty till 9/2013 - This is the best part, no worries!

If it sells I will buy a 535i, or a benz w/ airmatic

Dont waste your money on a 328i, you will regret it within 2 weeks. Even a pickup a base 335i and add your own sport pkg later!

Sounds like a fair price for a very nice package. Unfortunately my budget maxes out at around $22k, so the lowly 328i is about as high up as I can get on the ladder right now.

But no doubt the sunglasses holder is gonna help you seal the deal with someone!

Speaking of your trim options, how difficult/expensive is it to replace wood with alum?

Edit: looked up trim kits and this was the "best" I found $650 for the alum trim kit!
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

I think it's the other way around- it's a small dealership, and their sales volumes are too low to not necessitate high margins.

Unluckily for me, it's the only "local" BWM dealership. Unfortunately they're very very proud of their cars. Of course they were the first I visited, but it very quickly became apparent that their "best" pricing was absurd- typically $2-3k over others' ASKING price.

After that I expanded my radius to 2 hours. In the past month I've made at least 4 drives of at least an hour and a half.

There's only one local dealer? I'm lucky in that there's several here, and a few more within about an hour or so... Not that they have the combination of options/packages I'm looking for at a price I'd being willing to pay. I can find what I'm looking for in NJ or NC, but driving 3-5 hours just to check out a car isn't really an option... it seems a bit ridiculous, not to mention time-consuming. As you apparently well know.

[vox humana]

Originally Posted by Topless

There's only one local dealer? I'm lucky in that there's several here, and a few more within about an hour or so... Not that they have the combination of options/packages I'm looking for at a price I'd being willing to pay. I can find what I'm looking for in NJ or NC, but driving 3-5 hours just to check out a car isn't really an option... it seems a bit ridiculous, not to mention time-consuming. As you apparently well know.

Multiple BMW dealerships within an hour's drive? I'm envious. I have only one within an hour of me, and they're preposterous as described above. Ft. Lauderdale/Miami is pretty major hub but that's 2 1/2 - 3 hours away. When you put in 60+ hours in the office, there's not much time left to roam around to look at one-off options when they pop up.

But I'm willing to travel as necessary... I'll even consider flying out for a great deal that'd cover the cost of transporting the vehicle back home.

[GGirl]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Multiple BMW dealerships within an hour's drive? I'm envious. I have only one within an hour of me, and they're preposterous as described above. Ft. Lauderdale/Miami is pretty major hub but that's 2 1/2 - 3 hours away. When you put in 60+ hours in the office, there's not much time left to roam around to look at one-off options when they pop up.

But I'm willing to travel as necessary... I'll even consider flying out for a great deal that'd cover the cost of transporting the vehicle back home.

I wouldn't be too envious, the pricing at some of the dealers is as insane as at your local dealer. There's finally one loaded like I want, plus or minus (rear park distance control?), but in a hideous color (IMO, Atlantic Blue is for grannies), and they're asking thousands more than ones elsewhere that also have lower mileage, sport package and paddle shifters. And they don't seem concerned about them sitting either, here.... there's another dealer with a 'vert sans navi or sport, also priced thousands higher than comparably loaded ones elsewhere, been there for over a month (since August, I think).

I'd travel, too, within reason, for the right car at the right price... but, I've also heard complaints of bait 'n switch and the like, which makes me wary.

[07E92TT]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Multiple BMW dealerships within an hour's drive? I'm envious. I have only one within an hour of me, and they're preposterous as described above. Ft. Lauderdale/Miami is pretty major hub but that's 2 1/2 - 3 hours away. When you put in 60+ hours in the office, there's not much time left to roam around to look at one-off options when they pop up.

But I'm willing to travel as necessary... I'll even consider flying out for a great deal that'd cover the cost of transporting the vehicle back home.

im guessing central florida means orlando? Fields is VERY over priced but i have seen some decent 328's around here in your price range. I'm currently looking for a 335i sedan myself with no luck. I found a nice one in ft.lauderdale but i dont want to drive all the way there just to not like something about it.

[Murph335]

Originally Posted by vox humana

Sounds like a fair price for a very nice package. Unfortunately my budget maxes out at around $22k, so the lowly 328i is about as high up as I can get on the ladder right now.

But no doubt the sunglasses holder is gonna help you seal the deal with someone!

Speaking of your trim options, how difficult/expensive is it to replace wood with alum?

Edit: looked up trim kits and this was the "best" I found $650 for the alum trim kit!
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

$22.9k
http://www.carmax.com/enus/search-re...2-cbe028f4e3dc

And 335i all over craigslist. In Arizona when you buy private party you pay no Tax! My car was a CPO takeover private party = no tax w/ warr.

Tischer sells all the trim pieces, it came to About $700 with the sunglass tray. yep I hated the wood that much, dark wood doesnt look right with gray interior.