Shopping for a new 550 Xdrive
 

Greetings all,

Lurking for the last couple of weeks reading the forums and finally signed up...

I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a 550 xdrive and would like some ideas on how to best shop/negotiate for the best prices in the DC metro area. What is a normal percentage of MSRP should i be shooting for?

After reading some of the threads in this forum I have learned the following;
- ED provides the best net discount on MSRP
- Costco can provide a good starting point to negotiate
- 2011 5 series while available will yield the best "deal" at the dealership

What other sources can I use to negotiate at the dealership? Should i use a buying service? (my credit union offers a "buying service" at no charge, to locate and negotiate the best deal) I heard mixed reviews from users of the service...

1. Always look for the invoice price
2. bmwconfig.com is you friend.
3. Educate yourself on lease vs buy (not saying you haven't but it has been well worth my time)
4. Check lease rates on the "Ask a Dealer" sub-forum
5. Don't do ED just for the discount

What is the difference between the invoice vs. MSRP vs. Cap Cost? I always get confused when negotiating a lease..

Do you say this because the cost involved with a trip to Munich and that in effect it kind of cancels itself out?

I don't think the trip to Munich cancels out the savings. But there is a long lead time that introduces a lot of rate uncertainty into the equation. And there is the wait for redelivery, where you are paying for a car that you can't drive for 6-8 weeks (East coast). So you just need to be informed.

I can lock rates for up to 60 days with my credit union (if this is what you are referring to), and often they will defer the 1st payment to 45 days. So as long as I can be patient and wait, there shouldn't be much of a problem, right?

Thank you for the information and will follow your advice...I am always relearning the Lease vs Buy fundamentals!!!

Sometimes delivery dates at BMW Welt can be over 2 months out depending on the season, so that is where 60 days might not be long enough. I agree, your scenario shouldn't generally present a problem- although some credit unions/banks freak out if they find out you will be driving the car in Europe. And definitely, European Delivery rewards those who are patient! In my opinion, its one of the top reasons to own a new BMW!

My perspective though - even if my rate lock at my credit union were to expire, I could simply re-apply and while perhaps not getting the same exact rate, the new rate really shouldn't be that different.

I suppose I'm seeing these as minor things to think about which are heavily outweighed by the ED experience. For me, making one possible payment while not having the car is not a big deal. It'd probably take me the better part of a month just to get over the excitement of the ED trip anyways!