[mthz]

Hi all!

I just graduated from college and I've got a nice job lined up (starting July 5th actually), so I'm looking to treat myself to a nice little graduation/welcome-to-the-real-world sort of a present. I had thought about buying a 2-3 year old 3-Series, but after reading all of the posts about the E90, I must say that I'm hooked, and there's no turning back.... I'm going to lease an Electric Red, Black Leatherette 2006 325i w/ Sport Package, Power Seats, Premium Sound, and maybe Xenons and BMW Assist (36-month). However, before I do so, I was hoping that y'all could help me out by answering a few questions. I apologize for the length of this post, but I'm a first time car buyer (lesee I guess), and I'm really excited about getting a new E90, so I have a lot to ask =). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

1.) I don't really have all that much credit. Two years ago, I got a Bank of American Gold Credit Card. At the time, I had absolutely zero credit, so I was only able to secure an $800 limit on the card. Since then, I've spent about $200-300 on the card each month and I have paid the balance off in FULL every month. I've never missed a payment, been charged a late fee, or anything like that. Since I've graduated, I've gotten a million and a half credit card offers in the mail with limits MUCH higher than $800, so I hope that my habits have at least established a decent credit rating? However, since I've only had this card (my only credit) for 2 years and the credit line is so low, I'm worried that I might not get approved for a lease. Is it likely that I will get approved, and if i do, what sort of rates should I expect. I've read something about a debt-to-income ratio affecting your credit score, and since I have no debt other than the lease (no mortage, credit card debt, etc), my debt-to-income ratio for the lease price range I'm aiming for is lower than 10%. Will this improve my chances of getting a good rate? Any pointers on where I can look for competitve rates given my situation?

2.) On a similar note.. does BMW offer any sort of new college graduate programs like some of the other manufacturers? I'm guessing not, but perhaps I've missed this somewhere.

3.) I'm moving to Seattle for my job, so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with good BMW dealers in the area? I noticed that there didn't seem to be many dealerships _at all_ (here in NJ there are a LOT more), so if you couldn't find a good dealer, how far away did you go to get your car? Also, for financial/tax purposes is there any difference between leasing in-state and out-of-state?

4.) In the beginning of the school year (Sept. '04) I went to a dealer to look at BMW's and the guy tried to screw me. (Note: Jian at Peformance BMW in Durham, NC is a jerk!). There was a model on the floor w/ a lease advertised at like $350 or something, and after pricing out a car with fewer options that was less expensive, the magic number he came up with was somehow significantly higher than the model on the floor. After calling the guy out, he apologized for "screwing up his math" and promptly cited a much lower figure. The guy probably figured that I was some rich kid whose parents were buying him a car and that he good pull something on me. Anyway, any advice on keeping the dealer straight and negotiating on the price? I've never done this before since this is the first car I'm getting, so any help is greatly appreciated!

5.) Since I'm leasing, am I constrainted to whatever the dealer has on the lot, or will a car w/ my exact options be delivered? If it needs to be delivered or shipped from another dealer, does this cost me extra?

6.) Question about insurance. Right now I'm on my family's plan in NJ for a piece of crap 1997 VW Passat. Since the policy is all in NJ and the vehicle will be registered in WA, I don't think that I'll be able to add the car to my family's policy. Can I purchase car insurance in WA before I even get my BMW so that I don't have a lapse in coverage? (I'm concerned about this because I noticed that all of the online sites ask if you've ever gone a day without insurance, which is presumably not a good thing). On a related note, I'm 22, single, and got 2 points on my license (71 in a 55) in December of 2002 that are now erased -- any WA'ers have any idea what I should expect to pay in insurance on a new BMW w/ a standard policy?

7.) I'm considering getting Xenons in the car. Right now, I have a crappy old 97 Passat with headlights about as bright as a flashlight whose batteries are almost dead. I also tend to wear glasses when driving at night, so I feel blind in this thing. My mom has an 04 Jeep without Xenons and her headlights are significantly brighter than even my hi-beams. Should I expect the stock lights in the 325 to be comparably as bright, or should I think about getting the Xenons?

8.) I'm considering getting the BMW Assist _solely_ to use the Bluetooth for my cell phone -- I don't think I'd use any of the other stuff that it offers. I've read that the first year of it is free, and after that, it's about $20 a month to continue the service. Will the Bluetooth stuff still work after the first year if I don't continue the service? I would assume the service is just for the road assistance and all that stuff but perhaps I'm wrong. I've also noticed that car insurance tends to be cheaper if you have a GPS vehicle locator installed (which BMW Assist does). Any ideas what kind of discount we're talking about? Also, is it legit to claim that I have this even if I don't pay for the BMW Assist service after the first year (read: will the insurance company know?).

9.) Related note.. I have Sprint as my cell carrier and I absolutely hate them. I'm so fed up with them that I'm prepared to pay the $200 termination fee just to get a new carrier. I was looking at carriers in the Seattle area and T-Mobile looked to have not only the best plans, but also the best service. Any suggestions on T-Mobile phones that will work flawlessly w/ the Bluetooth? None of the T-Mobile phones listed as compatible at the BMW site seem to even exist on the
T-Mobile site.

10.) Is the iPod connector really that sweet? It seems kind of jerry-rigged in that it just sort of emulates a CD-changer with each of the 5 "BMW playlists" representing a CD in the changer, with your entire library being the 6th. I have all of the ID3 tags (esp. genre) set precisely on my whole library and I like to play by Artist, Album, Genre, etc, so I feel like the fact that I can control the iPod with the steering wheel/radio controls (cool!) is outweighed by the fact that I'm constrained to playing only either 5 playlists or the whole library (stupid!). I've heard that there's also an Aux jack on the stock radios, and if the sound quality from the iPod connector is much better than this Aux input, I might go for it, but if they're the same quality, I'd rather just use the Aux jack and have the freedom to play whatever I want on my iPod.

11.) Any other comments/suggestions =)

Again, I apologize for the longest post in history. Hopefully someone has some insight to lend me to make my first BMW experience as painless and enjoyable as possible.

-Matt

[SCA]

You credit and income are going to be very important factors. From my understanding on a BMW lease your income must me double that the price of the car, now whether or not this is true, I do not know . It could be

[mthz]

Income is more than double the MSRP of the car, so that should be fine.

[res_ipsa]

2) Yes, BMW has a College Graduate Program (http://fs.bmwusa.com/BmwFsPulp/VEHFI...geGraduate.htm)

3) See this thread regarding Seattle dealer - http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=544

5) Even if you're leasing you can custom order your car. I think dealers charge a courtesy delivery fee of a few hundred dollars to deliver from dealer to dealer. Other members will know the exact price better than me.

6) You should be able to have insurance setup so that the day you take delivery of your car, the insurance company just faxes your policy to the dealer and then you can drive the car off the lot. Your policy starts at that point.

10) The ipod "connector" is just the aux jack under the armrest. There is no integrated solution *yet*.

Hope that helps some and congrats on your first bimmmer!! Hope others can answer the other questions.

[SCA]

You should find out what your FICO (credit score) is from one of the three major credit agencies. This will be considered when you apply for the lease.

[E90Newbie]

Are you going to work for Microsoft, Amazon, Google, or Expedia?

congrats on the job, by the way!!!

[e90fanatic]

Hi all!

I just graduated from college and I've got a nice job lined up (starting July 5th actually), so I'm looking to treat myself to a nice little graduation/welcome-to-the-real-world sort of a present. I had thought about buying a 2-3 year old 3-Series, but after reading all of the posts about the E90, I must say that I'm hooked, and there's no turning back.... I'm going to lease an Electric Red, Black Leatherette 2006 325i w/ Sport Package, Power Seats, Premium Sound, and maybe Xenons and BMW Assist (36-month). However, before I do so, I was hoping that y'all could help me out by answering a few questions. I apologize for the length of this post, but I'm a first time car buyer (lesee I guess), and I'm really excited about getting a new E90, so I have a lot to ask =). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Congrats! I just graduated as well! Going to work in Manhattan though. Good luck on your E90. I still have another 100 days before I can pick mine up.


1.) I don't really have all that much credit. Two years ago, I got a Bank of American Gold Credit Card. At the time, I had absolutely zero credit, so I was only able to secure an $800 limit on the card. Since then, I've spent about $200-300 on the card each month and I have paid the balance off in FULL every month. I've never missed a payment, been charged a late fee, or anything like that. Since I've graduated, I've gotten a million and a half credit card offers in the mail with limits MUCH higher than $800, so I hope that my habits have at least established a decent credit rating? However, since I've only had this card (my only credit) for 2 years and the credit line is so low, I'm worried that I might not get approved for a lease. Is it likely that I will get approved, and if i do, what sort of rates should I expect. I've read something about a debt-to-income ratio affecting your credit score, and since I have no debt other than the lease (no mortage, credit card debt, etc), my debt-to-income ratio for the lease price range I'm aiming for is lower than 10%. Will this improve my chances of getting a good rate? Any pointers on where I can look for competitve rates given my situation?

I guess just go around the neighborhood and see what the retail banks offers for interest rates. Sorry can't help you there, never really borrowed $.


2.) On a similar note.. does BMW offer any sort of new college graduate programs like some of the other manufacturers? I'm guessing not, but perhaps I've missed this somewhere.

I don't think so. I know that Volvo has a $500 college graduate discount but BMW doesn't. If you find it, please tell me.


3.) I'm moving to Seattle for my job, so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with good BMW dealers in the area? I noticed that there didn't seem to be many dealerships _at all_ (here in NJ there are a LOT more), so if you couldn't find a good dealer, how far away did you go to get your car? Also, for financial/tax purposes is there any difference between leasing in-state and out-of-state?

Don't go to BMW Seattle. I heard they have bad service as a fellow e90post member have suffered from their poorly trained staff. Taxes is the same whether you buy it in state or out of state because at the end, you'll still have to register it back to your state and that's when you get taxed. Just read the BMW Dealership reviews and try to find a good dealership willing to work with you on the pricing. It took me a while before I found one.



4.) In the beginning of the school year (Sept. '04) I went to a dealer to look at BMW's and the guy tried to screw me. (Note: Jian at Peformance BMW in Durham, NC is a jerk!). There was a model on the floor w/ a lease advertised at like $350 or something, and after pricing out a car with fewer options that was less expensive, the magic number he came up with was somehow significantly higher than the model on the floor. After calling the guy out, he apologized for "screwing up his math" and promptly cited a much lower figure. The guy probably figured that I was some rich kid whose parents were buying him a car and that he good pull something on me. Anyway, any advice on keeping the dealer straight and negotiating on the price? I've never done this before since this is the first car I'm getting, so any help is greatly appreciated!


Make sure you look over all the paperwork before signing. I found out that these dealers are always making mistakes. I've seen and faced a lot before. I don't know if it was intentional but just make sure you are not paying for more than negotiated. Especially with the BS fees.


5.) Since I'm leasing, am I constrainted to whatever the dealer has on the lot, or will a car w/ my exact options be delivered? If it needs to be delivered or shipped from another dealer, does this cost me extra?




If you lease, you can still order a car to your specifications.



6.) Question about insurance. Right now I'm on my family's plan in NJ for a piece of crap 1997 VW Passat. Since the policy is all in NJ and the vehicle will be registered in WA, I don't think that I'll be able to add the car to my family's policy. Can I purchase car insurance in WA before I even get my BMW so that I don't have a lapse in coverage? (I'm concerned about this because I noticed that all of the online sites ask if you've ever gone a day without insurance, which is presumably not a good thing). On a related note, I'm 22, single, and got 2 points on my license (71 in a 55) in December of 2002 that are now erased -- any WA'ers have any idea what I should expect to pay in insurance on a new BMW w/ a standard policy?


They do ask about the lapse but within 30 days, you'll be fine. Otherwise you have to register your VW in Seattle, and then insure it there until you get your e90.



7.) I'm considering getting Xenons in the car. Right now, I have a crappy old 97 Passat with headlights about as bright as a flashlight whose batteries are almost dead. I also tend to wear glasses when driving at night, so I feel blind in this thing. My mom has an 04 Jeep without Xenons and her headlights are significantly brighter than even my hi-beams. Should I expect the stock lights in the 325 to be comparably as bright, or should I think about getting the Xenons?


Stock lights will be halogen and will be comparable to your mom's Jeep but xenons are always the best (assuming you can afford it). It's something cool to have but you need to see if it will fit into your budget.




8.) I'm considering getting the BMW Assist _solely_ to use the Bluetooth for my cell phone -- I don't think I'd use any of the other stuff that it offers. I've read that the first year of it is free, and after that, it's about $20 a month to continue the service. Will the Bluetooth stuff still work after the first year if I don't continue the service? I would assume the service is just for the road assistance and all that stuff but perhaps I'm wrong. I've also noticed that car insurance tends to be cheaper if you have a GPS vehicle locator installed (which BMW Assist does). Any ideas what kind of discount we're talking about? Also, is it legit to claim that I have this even if I don't pay for the BMW Assist service after the first year (read: will the insurance company know?).


The bluetooth will still work without the subscription. The discount is around $40-60 bucks for 6 months (from Geico). Just say you have it, the insurance won't check your car year to year.




9.) Related note.. I have Sprint as my cell carrier and I absolutely hate them. I'm so fed up with them that I'm prepared to pay the $200 termination fee just to get a new carrier. I was looking at carriers in the Seattle area and T-Mobile looked to have not only the best plans, but also the best service. Any suggestions on T-Mobile phones that will work flawlessly w/ the Bluetooth? None of the T-Mobile phones listed as compatible at the BMW site seem to even exist on the
T-Mobile site.


I am using T-mobile as well but I'm in NY. T-mobile is cheap too. You might want to stay with Nokia, Motorola, and Ericsson phones. Any of those brand models are good to go. BTW, ask for the 39.99 plan with free nights and weekend and 1000 minutes. It's a hidden plan that is only available only if you ask.



10.) Is the iPod connector really that sweet? It seems kind of jerry-rigged in that it just sort of emulates a CD-changer with each of the 5 "BMW playlists" representing a CD in the changer, with your entire library being the 6th. I have all of the ID3 tags (esp. genre) set precisely on my whole library and I like to play by Artist, Album, Genre, etc, so I feel like the fact that I can control the iPod with the steering wheel/radio controls (cool!) is outweighed by the fact that I'm constrained to playing only either 5 playlists or the whole library (stupid!). I've heard that there's also an Aux jack on the stock radios, and if the sound quality from the iPod connector is much better than this Aux input, I might go for it, but if they're the same quality, I'd rather just use the Aux jack and have the freedom to play whatever I want on my iPod.


E90 has no ipod connector, unlike the e46. The only way is via 3rd party product or AUX input.





11.) Any other comments/suggestions =)

Just have fun!


Again, I apologize for the longest post in history. Hopefully someone has some insight to lend me to make my first BMW experience as painless and enjoyable as possible.

-Matt

[ba baracus]

3.) I'm moving to Seattle for my job, so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with good BMW dealers in the area? I noticed that there didn't seem to be many dealerships _at all_ (here in NJ there are a LOT more), so if you couldn't find a good dealer, how far away did you go to get your car?

hey mthz

check out the thread on bmw seattle under dealer reviews. apparently bmw seattle had some bad reviews. i ordered my 325i several weeks ago with bmw seattle and had a decent experience but the price was not the best. i looked at the 3 dealerships close to seattle (bellevue, northwest, and seattle) and none were really giving me a good price - any more than 500 to 800 off. i am sure that they were giving themselves pats on the back as i walked out of the dealer after i place my order. but overall, i found the service at seattle bmw to be pretty good. if you could find a better price from where you are coming from, that maybe better with paying the shipping costs than buying over here.

good luck with your move and purchase experience. the wait is torture but helped by reading this forum.

[mthz]

FWIW.. I just checked and my FICO score is 733, although this includes a balance of $284 (for the current month -- due on 7/4/05) that was just paid off. The little FICO simulator that came with the score report claimed that if I paid off that balance (which I have already done) the score would end up somewhere between 753 and 793 in the next 3 months. The only "negative" factors listed on my report were that I had too few accounts (just 1 credit card) and the age of my accounts (only 24 months). Although this score only looked to be slightly above the 50th percentile for all US credit holders, the deliquency rate for my score is only 5% (2% if I move to the 753-793 range) and the report claims that I have a "good score" and that I'm "very low risk." More specifically, it claims that:

1. It is very unlikely your applications for credit cards or other loans will be turned down, based on your score alone.
2. Most lenders will consider offering you very attractive and competitive rates and terms on loan products.
3. Many lenders will be able to provide you with an instant approval status based on your score.

Anyone have any guesses as to what kind of 36-month interest rates I'll be looking at for a lease, given this information and a salary over double the MSRP of the car?

Thanks!
Matt

[TwinPowerF30]

Income is more than double the MSRP of the car, so that should be fine.

holy crap what did you graduate with?

[Armen52]

Originally Posted by mthz

I just graduated from college and I've got a nice job lined up (starting July 5th actually)

Great, I am doing the same and I'm starting a week later. Where will you be working?

Originally Posted by mthz

6.) Can I purchase car insurance in WA before I even get my BMW so that I don't have a lapse in coverage? -- any WA'ers have any idea what I should expect to pay in insurance on a new BMW w/ a standard policy?

Yes, please check the big thread on insurance quotes to see some pricing information. I'm in a very similar situation as you and I was able to get a very good deal from Kyle Jensen, an Allstate agent in the area. He has been really helpful as well. Check the thread or PM me for more info about coverage and prices.

Originally Posted by mthz

8.) Will the Bluetooth stuff still work after the first year if I don't continue the service?

Yeah it will work. Bluetooth handsfree is part of the hardware you get with Assist, not part of the subscription service. I will be doing the same most likely. That is, not renewing the service but definitely using the handsfree.

Originally Posted by mthz

10.) Is the iPod connector really that sweet?

No like you said it has some severe limitations. There are tons of accessories out there from quality 3rd party manufacturers like Belkin and Griffin Technologies that will let you hook up your iPod to any car (you can use the AUX jack in the E90 it should be pretty good quality), charge it in the car, and even control it with a wireless remote. Not to mention that the BMW/iPod adapter doesn't yet exist for the E90. They are probably (hopefully?) working on something much better for the 2nd generation one. Or they have totally moved away from it by including the AUX jack, its unknown at this time. Don't forget the stereo plays MP3 CD's as well if you don't have the iDrive.

Originally Posted by mthz

11.) Any other comments/suggestions =)

Take a look around the forums. There is an incredible wealth of knowledge that has been shared here over the past few months regarding the E90 and every facet of its ownership and maintenance experience.

Oh yeah, keep in touch. All of us E90post/WA/new-college-grad/software people should meet up soon after we all move and get settled in (some of us aren't moving I know). There's at least three of four of us right now.

[Petercat]

733 is an excellent score... There should be no issues there.
Everyone will be throwing money at you. Be careful with the credit you use. Also, I would suggest buying a house, condo, townhouse before getting the car. For some reason your credit gets stronger when you have a mortgage.

[cpcollin]

I definitely agree with the suggestion to buy a house. I graduated from college in 2000, had a sweet job and a major jones for a new BMW. After much painful deliberation, I decided to instead buy a townhouse in the DC suburbs and continue sledding in my 96 Subaru Legacy. 5 years later, I've sold the house and the proceeds have paid for 2 years of full-time grad school, a wedding/honeymoon, a 10% downpayment on single family home, and a 2006 330i.

Granted, some fortuitous market timing worked heavily in my favor, and there's far more speculation that we're on a major housing bubble these days. At any rate, the credit agencies do look very favorably on responsible handling of mortgages and it is something to consider.

Best of luck with your new job and your new ride!

[agarbati]

Originally Posted by weiweiwei

Income is more than double the MSRP of the car, so that should be fine.

holy crap what did you graduate with?

Ditto that - what the heck are they paying new grads? I think I should go back to school!

[e90fanatic]

I was also thinking of buying an apartment near the hoboken or newport, NJ area but this may be the worse timing ever. Prices are highly inflated. But this is

[F32Fleet]

Save your $$ and buy a house/condo. The women will dig that more than a new BMW.

Spend some time working in the real world. Get a handle on what's important, learn the value of money, learn to appreciate the little things.

[mthz]

To answer some of the questions here...

I went to Duke University (Go Devils!) in Durham, NC and graduated with degrees in Computer Science and Public Policy Studies. I'm moving to Seattle to work for a large software company ;-). As for all of the stuff about buying a house/condo... I don't really plan on staying in Seattle for any more than 3 years (NYC for law or MBA), so with the way the housing market is out there, I don't want to get involved buying something that I won't put any principal into in such a short amount of time. Additionally, I'm living with two of my best friends from college (a girl and a guy -- the guy having been my roommate junior year and one of my 5 housemates senior year) who will also be working with me. Thus, I'd rather deal with splitting a nice apartment 3 ways than working out the legal details of doing the same for a much more expensive mortgage, especially since none of us really know how long we'll be in the area. With sub-$1,000 (per person) rent and a lease around $500, I'll be able to save some money for either grad school or a down payment on a house somewhere down the road. Personally, I think that this makes more sense for me than jumping headlong into a mortgage in an area that I don't plan to stay in.

Thanks for all of the help answering my questions and congrats to all of the other new grads out there. I think I've just about got everything nailed down. I'll reiterate some of the one's that no one has really touched yet...

1.) Advice on negotiating. A lot of people on here seem to be talking about getting the car at like $2,000 below MSRP. I haven't yet discovered _how_ this is actually done! There's only $2,955 between the MSRP/invoice I'm looking at ($35,540 vs. $32,585 for non-metallic, leatherette, Sport, Logic 7, power seats, Assist), so I'm wondering how much room that gives me to work with? What are my bargaining chips in getting below MSRP, considering the E90 is brand new, in high demand, and HOT? Also, what fees are legit on the lease? I know the end of lease disposition fee and the destination fee are both legit, but I've read about documentation fees, bank/acquisition fees, advertising fees, ad infinitum and want to avoid any BS.

2.) Anyone have any experience with the BMWFS new-college grad program located here? What kind of rates do they offer?

3.) Any thoughts on whether or not the Xenons are worth the $800? I have the money to spend on them, I just don't know if they're worth an extra $800. Is anyone who did _not_ get them upset about this decision (or vice versa)?

4.) For all of you Seattle people -- any thoughts on the cell providers? As I said, I have Sprint and I hate them, but if their service is better than T-Mobile in the Puget Sound area, I might as well stay w/ them. However, T-Mobile seems to be a much better deal and from what I've read on the web, their coverage is excellent in the area. Also, any advice on specific T-Mobile/Sprint phones known to work w/ the Assist Bluetooth? (As I said, most of the phones listed on BMW's website are no longer even offered by the cell providers).

Thanks again for all the help!
-Matt

[UncleWede]

3.) Wife wanted the get any car off the lot, we didn't get the Xenons. The "aftermarket" stuff I have found as a replacement starts around $1500 materials only, then you have to convince the dealer to refresh your software for the new controller, etc.

To solve the mortgage/moving issue, maybe try a time share? I know, TS's suck in general, but they do count as a mortgage for FICA and taxes . . .

[Armen52]

Originally Posted by mthz

1.) Advice on negotiating. A lot of people on here seem to be talking about getting the car at like $2,000 below MSRP. I haven't yet discovered _how_ this is actually done!

After deciding on a car and a salesperson you're comfortable with you get to talking about price. They will tell you its sticker price. You will say not really, and that you know the going rate for the car all over the country is $1500 off. Then they either want to deal or not You could also start with $2000 off then move up to $1500 if they won't deal there, you know, making it look like a compromise, typical negotiations stuff.

If you read the Seattle dealer thread you saw that you can't expect more than $800 off sticker for the dealers in the Seattle area unfortunately. Shipping is sorta pricey and will almost cancel out the money you save. And the dealers in the area will be a bitter if you do a courtesy delivery of a vehicle you could have bought from them. That's why I decided not to do this after all. Plus they will still charge $500 for the courtesty delivery from another dealer, with transport being done by BMW as if you bought from the delivery dealer.

Also whenever possible I like to talk price in terms of Out-the-Door price, that is after taxes and all fees. This doesn't give them the wiggle room to tack on fees later.

I don't know jack about leasing so check the plentiful threads on leasing with details of all the minutae.

Originally Posted by mthz

2.) Anyone have any experience with the BMWFS new-college grad program located here? What kind of rates do they offer?

Like I said in the thread on finance rates, I am getting 5.5% for a 60 month loan from them. No co-signee. I don't know what my credit score is but it will be similar to the higher one you cited probably.

Originally Posted by mthz

3.) Any thoughts on whether or not the Xenons are worth the $800? I have the money to spend on them, I just don't know if they're worth an extra $800. Is anyone who did _not_ get them upset about this decision (or vice versa)?

This is up to you to decide really. You already know how bright the new halogen lamps are. If you don't look around for relatively new cars and see how bright they are. They will be fine and they are not unsafe. The xenons are really above and beyond what's necessary. I've been driving an Integra with halogens for four years and I haven't had any problems with my headlights. The xenons will just be an incredible improvement.

Oh yeah, they turn left and right, Adaptive Headlights Can you resist?

Originally Posted by mthz

4.) For all of you Seattle people -- any thoughts on the cell providers?

Why don't you wait until you get there and see for yourself how the Sprint coverage is. You'd be even more pissed if you had to pay the $200 to terminate then find out T-Mobile isn't great either

Once you're there you could even ask co-workers and other acquaintances but I find that almost everybody has complaints about the cell provider. I am AT&T/Cingular and I will continue to be for the foreseeable future, mostly because of the phone I have being compatible with the bluetooth functionality I require both on the BMW and on my PowerBook.

[Dani]

as far as money off MSRP goes it depends on how many options you get. Base model - $1000 off, fully loaded $2500, something in between you can estimate based on how much you got with it. If your dealer won't give you that price go to another one (I didn't go to the dealer closest to me). You can also get just as good of a price if you order one vs already on the lot (I got lucky and they had my exact car on the lot).
Also get an interest rate quote for a loan from someplace online (like capitaloneauto.com) before you go so you have an option if the dealer doesn't offer good financing.
I think its crazy to lease a car like this that you will want to keep a long time. Leasing won't be any cheaper. If the monthly payments are too high then just make your loan term longer.

[tim916]

Originally Posted by SCA

You credit and income are going to be very important factors. From my understanding on a BMW lease your income must me double that the price of the car, now whether or not this is true, I do not know . It could be

I don't think that's true because I'm leasing and my income is not double the MSRP of my E90.

[ba baracus]

Originally Posted by mthz

1.) Advice on negotiating. A lot of people on here seem to be talking about getting the car at like $2,000 below MSRP. I haven't yet discovered _how_ this is actually done!

3.) Any thoughts on whether or not the Xenons are worth the $800? I have the money to spend on them, I just don't know if they're worth an extra $800. Is anyone who did _not_ get them upset about this decision (or vice versa)?

4.) For all of you Seattle people -- any thoughts on the cell providers?

i thought the same thing after trying to negotiate with some of the seattle dealers. they were not going to move much off the of msrp. i wish i could have gotten close to $2000 off msrp. i wanted to get my car close to the seattle area and was stuck with the limited number of available dealers.

yes, i think that xenons are worth it. go to the dealership and compare in person one with and without, i think that you will realize that they are worth it. (but again realize that is all relative, my wife thought $800 for lights was crazy). i thought she was crazy.

i have sprint here in seattle and the coverage is pretty good. have had no problems.