[orso]

Where did you buy yours?

[Xens]

I bought mine from the famous ( ) NorCal dealership of Weatherford, and I actually bought from a much hated salesperson (known for his personal hate e-mail towards one of the members on this board when he didn't give him 5s in the survey), but he and the dealership as a whole took care of me very very nicely. I read about the survey incident in this forum so when I dealt with them I used the information for my own good. I presented them with the attitude of "if you take care of me, then you can count on me to take care of you.*wink*", lol. But no matter what, it worked very nicely, they were able to give me the price I mentioned above which I liked very much when compared to other dealer's offers, he did EVERYTHING I told him to do, like not to drill holes in my bumper, keep the window sticker in glove box, check my Bluetooth connectivity, throw in floor-mats for free, make sure there are no scratches from parking in the warehouse, etc etc etc.

Despite what some members think, I'm spreading good words for him and the dealership everywhere I go, not much is hidden in the dark between me and them. "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Works well for me.

[CA330i]

Hey orso, my bad, I pegged you for someone trying to exploit something (ambulance chaser). If you really are interested in a BMW then don't give up on it because of one bad apple. Getting <$1500 over on invoice should not be a problem for you in norcal. Good luck!

[orso]

Thank you, CA330i....I love the car, as I said, and most definitely not looking to create trouble where there is no reason for it. Cheers.

[JamieA]

My dealer left some items off the quote - HiFi Upgrade and Active Cruise. It was probably because I read the list off over the phone and didn't ask him to confirm what I had said.

They were very embarassed about it, and I didn't make a big fuss because at the end of the day, they had treated me well and had given me a fantastic deal. I see these things as being a long term relationship, sometimes you have to give and take to get what you want, rather than cut off your nose to spite your face.

They win because I had a great time and would recomemend that anyone go to Adelaide Motors, and I win because I haven't burnt all my currency with them, so when I buy my next BM or have that tricky service issue, I will be looked after.

[wla10000]

I was the guy the Mountain View dealer screwed. He is definitely a bad apple. Anyway, I closed my deal with San Francisco, OTD of $46,617.88, invoice is $41620, MSRP is $45420. Dealer has $980 over invoice. To try SF, orso.

[orso]

Glad to hear you had a positive outcome, wla. God only knows how many people this guy has screwed over. In any case, I have reported the incident to AutoNation' general counsel and he is promising a swift and thorough investigation. Hopefully, that will be the end of the matter. In California, this kind of tactic is illegal and punishable by six months in jail. Hardly seems worth it.

[Petercat]

Originally Posted by orso

...there are plenty of 996s out there in the same price range - of course, part of this is just an expression of my frustration. The 911 is more car than I need and the 330i seems perfect.....

Hey Orso, coming from a 911 C4 Cabrio to my now 325i, I can say the e90 is "more car" than a used 996. Yes, the 996 has the power and handling, an awesome car to drive. The Porsche has the destinct design, which I will never fall out of love with, but the used 996's are flawed. You will get more joy of ownership out of a new 330 for sure.

The depreciation of the 996 is outrageous, they are starting to become cheaper than the 993. With new 997 coming to the used market soon, you will take a bath on the 996. The 996 has the RMS issue which you would be lucky to not get. Not many options, gadgets and driver comforts in the 996 and as a daily driver, the 996 gives your body a pounding.

The e90 has such a well rounded package, you will enjoy for a long time. Good Handling, good performance, great interior, nice design, comfort and luxury. Don't give up on the car because of one bad seed. Move on and find another CA. The one suggestion I can make from my now 4000 miles, load up on all the options. My only regret is that I don't have all the bells and whistles to play with.

Good Luck.

[orso]

Excellent points Petercat...how do you like the black/terra combo??

[LEDZEP]

There is an old saying, if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. With the ability to "build your own" for every make of car via the web these days, and with other tools available to get a feel for the dealers profit margin, no one should be surprised when they go and build the deal. For me, it's almost a formality. I go in and tell Stephanie (my faithful and best ever CA) what I want, which options, etc. I already know the MSRP and the cost of every option. The biggest question is what am I going to be offered for my trade in (which I also research and have a good idea).

I do think you were being a bit naive at that price, but if the CA did in fact make you believe that was the price, then simply walk away.

[Petercat]

Originally Posted by orso

Excellent points Petercat...how do you like the black/terra combo??

I absolutely love it. The Terra is the best thing I've found in a car. It's the reason I bought the car I have. I first saw it on the showroom floor. They just put the car out that morning and I told the guy to stand by it while I went out to test drive. He said it wouldn't sell while I was out, but I told him he better be next to it when I get back ...he was.

The black on the other hand is a challenge. I'm crazy about having a clean car and this being my first black car, it's making me even more crazy. If I were to do it over, I would have gone with White and Terra. The black over terra has an incredible visual impact, but I think the white/Terra combo is equally impressive.

I thought that maybe I'd get a little bored or sick of looking at Terra, but it just looks better every day. Seriously, I love sitting in that interior. It's strange how it may look a bit orange in the sun, but in the shade, it's a very rich brown.

Here's some pics;
http://www.losingtime.com/bmw/terra/

Originally Posted by orso

Folks, after falling in love with the car - always a mistake, I suppose - I negotiated a price with the dealer: 41,882 for a 330i, Premium with black leather, Sports, Cold Weather, Comfort, Power SunShades, Nav, TiAG, and 6 CD changer. Three times he confirmed the price and the option list (sales tax and license separate) and I asked explicitly if that included Nav and he said yes each time. I sent him an email with that option list and that price. I got my financing approved today and when I called him to put down the deposit he announces that he had NOT priced in Nav and that now the price was nearly 2K higher.

Could he have been that stupid? He says he has been selling BMWs for years. But if it was a bait and switch did he think I was that stupid?

My lender says to walk away. I am considering looking around for a used 911 instead. Any insight would be appreciated.

Your lender is giving you sound advice. Find another dealer and get a new 330i loaded up the way you want it, not a used 911. I would never give a salesperson like you described my business, and I'd make sure he knew why.