BimmerFest BMW Forum banner

M3 2012 Convertible - In need of some good advice

7K views 15 replies 14 participants last post by  nhman 
#1 ·
Hi All,

First time on the forum and I'm in need of some help!

Moving to Houston, Tx from the UK in January and as such in need of a new car. Looking to get a new M3 Convertible but I have no idea on what sort of price I should be looking to pay. So far I have been quoted $73180 with premium pack and metallic paint. Having read through other threads this doesn't sound too great. Does anyone have any advice on the sort of price I should be aiming for and any options/additions you would consider a must (if any!)

Currently the plan is for me to be in the US for two years. As such would anyone be able to advise whether I should get the car on lease or buy it?

I would really appreciate any help the forum can give me as I want to ensure that I am getting the best deal possible!

Thanks in advance
Mark
 
#2 ·
Mark,

My advice is to figure out what the dealer invoice price (his cost) is and offer him $1000 over that (as he undoubtedly gets additional profit back from BMW beyond what you're giving him). Here's the link to figure that out:

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m3/years.html?sub=convertible

If you know you only need a car for two years it's almost always better to lease, but that could depend on the particular deals being offered by BMW finance.

Re. options: I'd say the only "must have" is Dynamic Damper Control, which is quite a bargain @ $1000. If you're going to be doing all your driving in Texas you won't need the cold weather package (although here in the northeast it's another "must have"). I would also say satellite radio is inexpensive enough to make it a "must have." As for the navigation system, I just put my smartphone on a dashboard mount and use that, but if you're going to be anywhere in the boonies of Texas, you may want to think about the factory's CD-based system. (On the other hand, if you're in an area with no cell service in Texas, there's probably only one road you can be on anyway so it's pretty hard to get lost, lol.)
 
#5 · (Edited)
ED might be tricky. It is only available to North American customers at the discounted price. Being a UK citizen and doing it might prove problematic though one of the sponsors mentioned could answer those questions! With the car being shipped to the US after the ED maybe it would work...
 
#6 ·
I don't really have anything to offer on the lease vs purchase discussion but, as someone who lives in Houston, I would add the following suggestions.

- I also love convertibles but, as most of the year it's too cold or too hot to have the top down, a convertible isn't very practical here. The majority of the summer it really is too hot/humid to want the top down and have no air conditioning.

- As Houston is a big city, for me the navigation is a necessity. The phone is one work around for that, but it's a small screen and takes much more focus off of your driving than the bigger nav screen in the car. It's also handy having the side map on all the time which you wouldn't have using your phone.

- You might try Walter DeCesaris at the Momentum BMW in west Houston (almost in Katy) to discuss lease vs purchase or anything purchase related. I've used him for a couple of new and a couple of used cars in the past and he's always done right by me. http://www.bmwwest.com/dealership/staff.htm (I am in no way affiliated with the dealership, just in the right part of town for you and I've had positive experiences with him.)

- If you need any info or recommendations about the area (Katy or west Houston), feel free to PM me.
 
#7 ·
I have to second what tearex said about convertibles in Texas

I had a convertible for the year I lived in Texas, and there were precious few times when I would have wanted to drive with the top down. Even forgetting for the moment the skin damage you will suffer from the sun (melanoma anyone?) the weather just isn't ideal for open air driving. There will be a short time of the day, every so often, when the weather will be comfortable, but the vast majority of the time it will be way too hot or way too cold or raining. Then there is the 500lbs of ballast you will be carrying around 100% of the time due to the weight of the top and chassis reinforcement. All in all an M3 convertible won't even go as fast or handle as well as a stock 335i, and the rear seat is all but useless.

If you must have a convertible save yourself a bunch of money and get a Mustang gt convertible with track package. It weighs about the same as an M3 coupe, has the same power, and will save you $30,000.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My '12 cab was $86K plus sticker and I pre-paid $22K for 30 months with a bunch of discounts and $1k over invoice. Funny how I knew where every penny was going six months ago but now meh... I might have posted my deal here somewhere if you search.

I live in south FL where its usually hot..duh. I love driving to work in the morning and coming home at night with the top down when heat/sun is not an issue. Makes me smile still. Additionally, I find the lines of the car more attractive with the top up as a cabrio than the coupe personally.

I drove a mustang GT vert and it was not in the same class on several levels, fyi.

Good luck in any case.
 
#9 ·
Although i live in New York (not Texas), I can tell you that any day this summer the temperature was under 90F (and that includes plenty of them in the high 80s with lots of humidity) I had the top down and the sunscreen and A/C on, and it was fine. That said, I must admit that it made driving with the top up on those days-- when my girlfriend occasionally insisted on it if we had been on a fast highway with it down for a while-- seem incredibly comfortable. If nothing else, having a convertible definitely stops you from "taking a roof for granted," lol.
 
#10 ·
I would lease an M3 coupe if I were in your position (I wish I was haha) From what the Texas members have contributed to this thread it sounds like it wouldn't make sense to go for the 'vert as you won't be using it much. Also, if you are only staying in the US for a couple of years, unless you plan on taking the car with you wherever you go then it would only make sense to lease since your payments are going to be significantly less. Good luck on your purchase with any decision you make
 
#11 ·
All in all an M3 convertible won't even go as fast or handle as well as a stock 335i, and the rear seat is all but useless.

If you must have a convertible save yourself a bunch of money and get a Mustang gt convertible with track package. It weighs about the same as an M3 coupe, has the same power, and will save you $30,000.[/QUOTE]

have you driven an E93 M3? how could you say the 335is is faster and handles better than the E93M3??? I own both and no comparison, the M3 E93 will beat the 335is anytime anywhere!
 
#12 · (Edited)
OP,

I am in San Antonio and there are plenty of times you can ride with your top down...I have been to H-Town and yes it is hot/humid, but I bet you can STILL have your top down. Finally, unless you are tracking your car, you won't begin to get anywhere close to the limits of the E93 and neither will some of these posters in their E92's. So unless you are going to track it, it will be JUST as fast as an E92 bc you wont know the diff in the torque btwn two once you press the pedal.

GET WHAT YOU WANT.

Ohh yeah...2013 E93 on way
FR Ext
Piano Blk trim
Akra Evo exhaust
Velos Tune
DD Trunk Lid
etc...etc...etc at the house..
 
#13 ·
Mark, I just leased a '13 M3 coupe. The MSRP was $72,645. I paid $69,500. After that I got $1500 holiday credit and $750 loyalty from BMWFS because I leased. So the car actually cost $67,250. Invoice is $68,020. Is this the best deal anyone ever got ? no. Is it a good deal, yes imo. There are a lot of details in leasing where you can get hurt but I've done a bunch of leases and know the ins and outs ( which I learned by reading the ask-a-dealer section ).
 
#15 ·
I just bought an 82k 3013 M3 conv for 78,200 with BMW Select. Also, check out PenFed credit union when your loan reaches 70k or lower. They offer 1.49% right now and even have balloon payment financing. Incredibly easy process.
 
#16 ·
I didn't realize BMW was already into that production year....that far in the future, why type of powertrain does it have?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top