Pricing Worse case scenario: what can we do?

[BForbes]

There has been mass speculation across the board that the 135i will be priced rather high.(lucky 128i buyers!) I've decided to compile a thread that would be helpful for those of us who would be less inclined to buy the 37k 135i in the event BMW prices it that high. Many of us on here are not made of money. Lets not debate on if they will on this thread but how we can deal with it. Just saying "I'll buy another car" or something along the lines of that is the easier than figuring out a strategy. I could get an STI, or EVO and more than likely enjoy it but I'm sure in the back of head or deep down in side I'll still be lusting for the overpriced BMW. So here goes. What can we do?

1.) Instead of buying when it comes out, wait several months for BMW to work out the bugs and such. The 335i prices have cooled way down.
2.) Utilize the Costco buying program if your part of there club.(I know of many that purchased cars for a several hundred above invoice and others that got it for a bit BELOW invoice) If a 135i starts off at 37k, invoice will more than likely be 33,000!!
3.) European Delivery can be very effective if you dont stay in Germany for a long time. PM Irv Robinson for more details.

4.) Add anything esle you can think of.

Plus, let me know if you think you'll be able to deal with it.

Once again, please try to be helpful on here.

[Brookside]

Finally....some reality. It's a good question Barry...one I've put off really thinking about, although a friend today reminded me of some pretty sweet deals on new 3.0i Z4's.

If the 135 comes in at 37k or + I'll probably plan to hold on and wait 'til the car's been on the market for awhile and watch for some deals.
But who wants to wait?
It's a tough call.

[brfbmw128i]

Originally Posted by Brookside

Finally....some reality. It's a good question Barry...one I've put off really thinking about, although a friend today reminded me of some pretty sweet deals on new 3.0i Z4's.

If the 135 comes in at 37k or + I'll probably plan to hold on and wait 'til the car's been on the market for awhile and watch for some deals.
But who wants to wait?
It's a tough call.

after waiting all that time i dont think i could hold of any longer:frown:

[ibeam81]

I'm planning on waiting. I'm not into competing to be the first and I feel that I'll get a better deal by waiting, too. And of course there is the slight chance that by waiting the 1er diesels might show up. Patience has it's virtues, but we'll see just how well I'm actually able to hold out.

[imported_THE JEDI]

Naw I wouldn't wait..thats like letting 4 or 5 dudes hump Charlize Theron first...then ya say okay I'll hit it...me I'm first, hahahahahaha:biggrin:

[SCA]

At $37k with no discount, it is not worth it @ MSRP. Depreciation will be a killer.

[inTgr8r]

Ill wait... I'm not in a deadline situation anyway.

[Brookside]

That's it for me, I feel like I'm on a deadline...I own my Z4- it's got 28.5k on it...I've done the math, by the time the 1-er's out I'll have apprx 31k on it- no better time to sell a roadster and have a chance at getting your price than in the spring. Not to mention just biting my nails worrying about getting dings in it and worse before it's sold.

Realistically, I had thought to have 2k downpayment...now I'm thinking I'll need more like $3500 and that'll be a stretch just knowing the way things go when you're a homeowner.

But, if it comes in at 37+ I know I am going to do some soul searching and ask myself if this is really the car I want.
I know don't want a 128...I'm tired of driving a detuned N52 as is. Why would I want another?

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by Brookside

That's it for me, I feel like I'm on a deadline...I own my Z4- it's got 28.5k on it...I've done the math, by the time the 1-er's out I'll have apprx 31k on it- no better time to sell a roadster and have a chance at getting your price than in the spring. Not to mention just biting my nails worrying about getting dings in it and worse before it's sold.

Realistically, I had thought to have 2k downpayment...now I'm thinking I'll need more like $3500 and that'll be a stretch just knowing the way things go when you're a homeowner.

But, if it comes in at 37+ I know I am going to do some soul searching and ask myself if this is really the car I want.
I know don't want a 128...I'm tired of driving a detuned N52 as is. Why would I want another?

Thats what I'm gonna have to do to. But I might end up having to wait. I refuse to put down a deposit and I forsee an 8month waiting list anyway. Btw, Jim you must not put any miles on that Z4 sheesh!! I'm envious. I have 59,000 on my s2000 and I forsee at least at least a 6k jump by the time this car reaches U.S. shores. I dont see them as miles though. Their smiles!

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by THE JEDI

Naw I wouldn't wait..thats like letting 4 or 5 dudes hump Charlize Theron first...then ya say okay I'll hit it...me I'm first, hahahahahaha:biggrin:

HAHA!! At least I'll see if those guys caught something from good ol Charlize. Being the first has its pros and cons.

[Panda J]

Im just praying that the 1 comes in at 33,000!

[Brookside]

Don't Forget This...



The 1-er will likely come in around 35k msrp...concensus opinion here.
The naysayers say something to the effect that, "no this is an exclusive and expensive car, and to maintain BMW's image (not to mention its profitability) it will be priced at least 37k."
OK- I think it will msrp just a tad under 35k...it will still be a fairly expensive car because few of us will be buying a base model- in fact I doubt we'll even see a base 135 unless it's a special order. After all is said and done many 135 owners will be looking at a bottomline price of 37-38k once the options start adding on.

[ibeam81]

Unfortunately the 1er is anything but forgettable and that's part of the problem. It has "Buy me now" written all over it. I plan on keeping my current car, so I'm not locked into a timetable on getting a 1er. But my heart says that I need the car and need is a strange and very compelling thing.

Brookside I'm trying to be patient, but you're not helping by posting great shots of the 135i. Oh well, I guess that I just have to try to act like an adult and keep the whining to myself. :wink:

[Séve]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

HAHA!! At least I'll see if those guys caught something from good ol Charlize. Being the first has its pros and cons.

You're a better man than I.

[menotakoala]

I'm waiting for my payments on the Element to be over right now. Which means I have till August of 2009. So I have plenty of time to save up from each paycheck for the down payment and also go through the Costco program. And does anyone know if the ED program is possible through the Costco program?

[Robert]

I wonder if the ED option will start at the same date as US launch date.

[atr_hugo]

Am I the only that's looking at the 135i as a value play against a more expensive alternative?

Here's the deal - I had been pysched up to replace the Miata with a Cayman S - had started down the road of sequestering funds to make that happen and now - boom - I catch wind of the 135i. And if they can pull off nailing the driving dynamics, the 135i could be a 'world beater'.

Is anyone else in the same boat I'm in?

[Brookside]

No Cayman for me, though I would love to have one, I've decided that car payments are all about a budget balancing act and being a smart shopper.
I think, buck-for-buck the 135 will be a deal considering what comes standard, but it'll still be fairly expensive.




ibeam, I think I've got every stinking image there is so far of the 1-er except the sparkling graphite 128 coming out of a car wash in Munich.
I was considering writing an article about the "leaked" photos traced in chonological order ..during the spring and early summer leading up to the official press pics -
all of which, I'm very sure, lead back to BMW. For awhile, the spy-pics almost mimiced what color or car was being talked about here on 1addicts -
it has mildly continued recently with Irv publishing a pic of a LeMans Blue 1-er (and mistakenly calling it "Montego Blue" which only added to the confusion) coming hot on the heels of a looong thread about Montego/LeMans Blue and their differences.
Believe me, I think if someone started a thread about say, how a 135 Cashmere silver, (Kaschmirsilber) would look with 261M wheels, we would probably see it.

I don't put much stock in coincidence. More like super-smart marketing through semi-anonymous conduits. :wink:

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by atr_hugo

Am I the only that's looking at the 135i as a value play against a more expensive alternative?

Here's the deal - I had been pysched up to replace the Miata with a Cayman S - had started down the road of sequestering funds to make that happen and now - boom - I catch wind of the 135i. And if they can pull off nailing the driving dynamics, the 135i could be a 'world beater'.

Is anyone else in the same boat I'm in?

It would be incredibly amazing if a 135i could keep paces with a Porsche Cayman. Especially a Cayman S!! I would be rolling on the floor with excitement.

**Note, you have to be very careful pricing a Cayman. They can get to 60k in a heartbeat. Thats Porsche for ya.

[SCA]

If I sell the E90 prior to the 135i release I will be SOL, especially if the MSRP is higher than I am willing to pay. If I wait for the pricing release and everything is a 'go' then obviously the E90 has depreciated even more. I am continuously waffle as to if I really want to sell it or not. After-all it is a great car, but I long for the N54 in a smaller and lighter package.

[Big Red One]

Originally Posted by TheUltimateDriver

If I sell the E90 prior to the 135i release I will be SOL, especially if the MSRP is higher than I am willing to pay. If I wait for the pricing release and everything is a 'go' then obviously the E90 has depreciated even more. I am continuously waffle as to if I really want to sell it or not. After-all it is a great car, but I long for the N54 in a smaller and lighter package.

Welcome to my world. My current ride, an '05 Tacoma, has held its value well. But I continue to toy with the idea of selling it now and getting something to kick around in for the next 8 or 10 months until I get the 1er. I own the truck outright, and I don't want to lose any more equity than I already have. I'm just not sure what would be the right "interim" vehicle. It would have to be something fun to drive that is going to depreciate LESS over the next several months than the Tacoma would. That obviously means something used, and probably 10 years old or so.

[dna550]

A couple of trends that will likely affect the decision to be first on your block or wait.

1. Declining value of the dollar.

This doesn't help the price of German cars or parts. Still, U.S. buyers get the best deals in the world on German cars - and you can always use that rationale to pull the trigger.

I am driving a new 328 wagon this weekend while my E46 is in the shop. No love for those run flats and as I have time to notice the details of this current generation 3 series, I can see the evidence of years of cost cutting measures to keep the year-to-year price about the same.

Of course, there is newer technology, simpler design, which reduces assembly time, and materials that reduce weight. Still, the sense of quality seems lower than in my E46. Oh well, time marches on!

2. Then there is the tightening of the credit markets and the likely slow down for the U.S. economy. This shifts the market in favor of the buyer, with the caveat that cash is king. Of course, local markets will vary, but one could predict now that though the 135i is going to be a very desirable car, the line of qualified buyers will be shorter in 2008 than it would have been in 2006, for example.

BMW certainly has these two macroeconomic trends well in hand and likely explains the long drum roll for the introduction of the 135i. Buyers are in the market every week. If there are going to be fewer buyers in the future then you want to start collecting potential buyers earlier to build the desired demand at the launch. Getting potential buyers to hold off making a purchase until your new model hits the show rooms accomplishes this.

A note regarding Porsches. The best way to purchase a Porsche is to get a used one that is still on warranty. Many Porsche sports cars, including the Cayman S, have low miles and are garaged most of the time. You can get a nearly new car and skip the first or second year depreciation by purchasing a used Porsche.

You might also get lucky and get a boat load of expensive Porsche options for nearly zero. It is also a buyer's market for more expensive sports cars. The next year or so will be an excellent time for deals on some excellent vehicles.

Build your cash reserves now to partake in the feeding frenzy!