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3 series sales down

58K views 811 replies 76 participants last post by  Jamesonsviggen 
#1 ·
#2 ·
"German carmaker BMW AG (BMW.XE) is expecting a slow summer in the U.S. because of delivery delays, the Financial Times Deutschland reports Tuesday, citing BMW's U.S. chief executive, Ludwig Willisch.

Demand for BMW's new 3 series model amounts to about 9,000 cars in a good month, but around only 3,000 cars are being delivered monthly, the article says.

"At the moment, we're just waiting for the ships to arrive with the right cars," Mr. Willisch is quoted as saying.
Sales are likely to pick up again in the autumn, he added."

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/bmw-expects-slow-summer-in-us---report-20120612-00067
 
#3 ·
"German carmaker BMW AG (BMW.XE) is expecting a slow summer in the U.S. because of delivery delays, the Financial Times Deutschland reports Tuesday, citing BMW's U.S. chief executive, Ludwig Willisch.

Demand for BMW's new 3 series model amounts to about 9,000 cars in a good month, but around only 3,000 cars are being delivered monthly, the article says.

"At the moment, we're just waiting for the ships to arrive with the right cars," Mr. Willisch is quoted as saying.
Sales are likely to pick up again in the autumn, he added."

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/bmw-expects-slow-summer-in-us---report-20120612-00067
Why would they be having delivery delays? Is it harder to deliver the new 3 Series then its' predecessor? I'm smelling BS trying to cover a lack of demand!
 
#4 ·
While Atlanta is a city full of new and old BMW's, I've seen exactly two F30's out on the road. The average driver doesn't even know there's a new 3 out since it looks so much like the E90 (again to the uninitiated). I also wonder if they've priced themselves to the point that in this economy, someone who might otherwise make the financial stretch for a BMW sees how poor the value is against other marques and buys something else? :dunno:
 
#8 ·
I've said it over and over again and it is still true. In 2012 dollars the 3er is a better value today than it was in 2001, at least. (I use 2001 because that's the year the 3er became the most comparable to what the 3er is today.) The only thing that has caused an actual increase in the price of the car is the technology options that are available today that weren't available back then.

Someone hasn't been paying attention to the all time sales volume records that have been broken at BMW virtually every month for more than two years now.

Why would they be having delivery delays? Is it harder to deliver the new 3 Series then its' predecessor? I'm smelling BS trying to cover a lack of demand!
I'm not sure of the current state of the availability of resin in Germany/Europe right now, but a major explosion several months ago at the lone supplier of a crucial resin used in production caused a significant production delay for virtually all European auto manufacturers.
 
#5 ·
Or the model is brand new, no AWD which is huge in cold climates, and is competing against hugely discounted 2011 RWD and 2012 AWD cars. The dealers in the north east are salivating at the thought of AWD cars.

I agree the we can't ship them fast enough sounds kind of like BS. What we really need to do is find sales figures from the 2005 to 2006 cut over and see if the trend is similar.
 
#13 ·
Well BMW caught most people by surprise when they introduced the car as a 2012 in late (for car years) 2012. In the past they would have run the e90 into 2012 and when the F30 hit in March it would have been the 2013 (like they did with the e46 and e90).

The MY '12 F30 is so abbreviated that it made no sense.
 
#7 ·
I've been to three different dealers in my market in the past three weeks. Not one of them had more than a half dozen F30s to look at. There are rarely any MTs at these dealerships and there are none now. Exterior color choices are pretty much limited to white, black, or gray. I have not seen a red, blue, silver or brown (?) new 3er available. Ninety percent of the cars have light interiors, mostly beige, a couple white, and maybe a couple light gray. When I drive past the Cadillac dealer I see somewhere between fifty and a hundred (or so it seems) CTSes lined up in a variety of colors. Is BMW reserving the bulk of its production for countries where the profit margins are better? :dunno:
 
#14 ·
That must be your area. Been to two different BMW dealers in the last few weeks and both were stocked with 3s. Of all flavors.

As for MTs, nobody carries them anymore as most buyers are only interested in automatics. As for the colors, that's what the dealer ordered. It's not like BMW is dropping random cars on lots. This isn't "you get what we make" Lexus.
 
#22 ·
Oh, and one other thought. When I was looking at the Camaros and the Mustangs, MT transmissions were much easier to find. I'm pretty sure they're selling them too.
 
#33 ·
There are many ways to explain the anomalous 3 Series sales statistics. Supply is a huge part of it -- especially 6-cylinder models (there just aren't any to be had). It also has a lot to do with marketing support (or perhaps lack thereof), compared the huge "buildout push" in play a year ago on the E90 sedans. Part of it lack of awareness as BMW has held back advertising since it has not been supported by bulging inventories (as with the predecessor). Part of it to is the overall business-wide shift from sedans to SAVs. Just look at the growth of all SAVs; a lot of it is at the expense of sedan sales.
 
#35 ·


Truth.

I ordered an F30 with the Saddle interior and still haven't been able to see a Saddle interior in person. A $50,000 commitment without being able to sit in the interior I'm committing to; not good for business.

In fact, I am so hard-up to see a Saddle F30 in the flesh that I did a drive-thru of the BMW USA Corporate Headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey today. It's only 15 minutes from my home, figured after striking out at Ramsey and seeing only 1 damn F30 in the joint that I'd have some luck buzzing the executive parking lot at BMW HQ itself.

What did I find? You guessed it. Exactly 1 F30 in the whole employee parking lot. If BMW corporate can't get cars themselves, stands to reason no one else can either.

BJ
 
#34 ·
Besides the obvious answers (lack of supply leading to lack of awareness) you have to look at the cycle of the current E90 driver.

If he owns his car, likely on a 5 year loan, unless he bought his car prior to 2007 he's still committed to his existing ride.

If he leases his car, likely on a 3 year agreement, unless he leased his car on or about April 2009 he's committed to his existing ride.

Translation: The biggest amount of F30 buyers are still in their E90's and will be ready and able to re-up with a 3 Series in the coming years. All those 2007-2011 E90's look pretty good on the road, not that vast a difference on the exterior design to get out early and take a financial beating. The trendline is also based on year-over-year sales and I recall last year's summer being a very aggressive one for low-priced BMW lease deals. From 2007-2011 you're looking at the biggest amount of 3 Series ever produced; that popularity means that your target audience is still in one of them.

Now, the bad news:

Because the E90 was so successful and because the F30 doesn't look that dramatically different you have dealer lot constipation and confusion like you can't believe. I did a drive by of my local dealer (Ramsey, NJ) today, wanted to check out a Mineral Grey in the brilliant sunshine and they had just 1 F30 in the lot against 50+ certified pre-owned E90's right next to it. I know what I'm looking for and I was hard pressed to tell the difference. While the interior is leaps-and-bounds different, the exterior isn't a quantum-leap like it was from the E46.

I myself know that I'll drive home in my new F30, show it to friends, show it to relatives, and hear them say to me over and over again "Isn't that your old car?". A part of me is not 100% excited about getting an F30 because it just isn't very fresh on the exterior. Interior, definitely. But exterior, very subtle.

BJ
 
#44 ·
As an upcoming first-time BMW customer (F30 ED in October), I can offer my .02 cents. This spring I was in a market for a new car (my Acura TSX lease was nearing its end) and in April I went to a NYC auto show -- just to get a feel of what's out there. I wrote up a list of cars I wanted to check out -- BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Volvo S-60, Mercedes C300, Infinity G37, Lexus IS, and a handful of others in a slightly lower price category. After sitting in each car and getting a feel for it, BMW was in a league of its own. With all other cars, I just didn't have that "I love it" feeling. For what it's worth, Audi A4 (they actually had S4 on display, but no matter when it comes to just sitting) was a distant second. I had no preference before the autoshow, but I came out of it with a very strong preference. Unfortunately, in New York, the RWD is no good in the snow, so I had to extend my current lease (this was easy), and order 2013 model, and now waiting for ED in October. I bet there are lots of people like me in the Northeast who are waiting too.

By the way, I have seen zero F30s on the road in NYC. I kid you not -- ZERO, and I've been looking around closely -- just want to see one in a real world environment; how it looks next to other cars on the road.
 
#131 ·
Unfortunately, in New York, the RWD is no good in the snow, so I had to extend my current lease (this was easy), and order 2013 model, and now waiting for ED in October. I bet there are lots of people like me in the Northeast who are waiting too.

By the way, I have seen zero F30s on the road in NYC. I kid you not -- ZERO, and I've been looking around closely -- just want to see one in a real world environment; how it looks next to other cars on the road.
I have seen one in Manhattan. You are right though, in the North East, everyone wants AWD. However, the big sellers seem to be the X3 and X5. I see them all the time particularly the X5, probably because it has been around much longer.
 
#45 ·
I think supply is the big issue here. If these numbers look like this next year, then BMW has a problem. Remember, car sales no longer revolve around the United States. The South Africa plant just started producing F30s in March, so really, full production has only been running for about 4 months now. Considering that it is averaging about 2-3 months for cars to get to the US from South Africa, you see why there is a supply problem.

We here at bimmerfest must also remember that most US buyers are not enthusiasts and want their cars NOW and only buy off dealer lots. If there is a supply problem and BMW doesn't have the cars on the lots, how many non-enthusiast buyers are really going to wait a few more months for the F30? As soon as supply increases, F30 sales will explode.

BMW is a very successful company and they know what they are doing. By saying things like this is because of the 4 cylinder motor is absolutely ridiculous. Step back from the situation, how many non-enthusiasts even care about that? They look at the price, options and maybe the fuel economy number. How many people do you think even lift the hood of a new car? Again, that would be blasphemy to most people on this forum, but to the average American car buyer, not so much.

I also disagree with the statement that the E90 looks too similar to the F30. My parents have been visiting me this week and they have been remarking at how many people they find staring at my F30. I see it too and have had many strangers comment on my car.

It is way too early to be judging 3-series sales. When dealers lots are full and F30s are not selling, then that is cause for worry. However, I know that my local dealer can't keep a sport line on the lot and only has a couple base models right now until MY2013. I don't think my dealer is different than others around the US.
 
#47 ·
No one thinks those less attractive headlights have anything to do with the slow sales? I keep trying to like them but can't. The exterior is mostly unchanged except for those peculiar headlights. They remind me of a person with an eye disease.
 
#78 ·
Not at all. I was never that turned on by the E9x styling, always found it quite bland and generic compared to the E46. I dig the F30. I like the jeweled look; angular, aggressive. I like the squared-off bottoms of the angel eyes (even though I've never been the world's biggest fan of angel eyes in general)... I like the way the grille sticks out so you can see the side of it next to the headlight. It just have a very aggressive, substantial look to it. The only real problem is the terrible hood shutline. Reminds me of the mistake Honda made on the 3rd gen Integra.
 
#48 ·
A lot of great makes & models.
 
#52 ·
The only shape that is identical between the E90 and the F30 is the side view, because its front and rear are really distinctive to each other, IMO. Especially the rear, which looks very similar to the F10. I consider myself having a extremely sharp eye in identifying cars and model years and the only way that I can separate an F30 from an F10 when looking at their rear from the distance is the F30's lower chrome strip in the rear bumper. Otherwise it is very difficult to me.

So I doubt that styling is causing a lack or sales or confusion. I do think that this is a supply and therefore a pricing issue (no deals because there is not that much supply to meet potential demand). I would like to blame the idiotic Lines trim levels as well but that would be too much... :D
 
#57 · (Edited)
The only shape that is identical between the E90 and the F30 is the side view, because its front and rear are really distinctive to each other, IMO. Especially the rear, which looks very similar to the F10. I consider myself having a extremely sharp eye in identifying cars and model years and the only way that I can separate an F30 from an F10 when looking at their rear from the distance is the F30's lower chrome strip in the rear bumper. Otherwise it is very difficult to me.
Agree. If someone confuses an F30 for an E90 or vice-versa they probably need to check something with their visual perception. :) The F10 and F30 are very close. I often get confused when walking through a dealer's lot. Only the front is distinctive.

From my perspective, the F30 is hands down (inside and out) a better design than the E90.

My concerns with the car (but I don't think any of these is a show stopper):
- longer stopping distance (this is a safety thing and hence my biggest concern);
- NVH;
- lack of spare;
- expensive to replace run flats plus not as smooth;
- beige seat belts with beige interior...those are going to get dirty;
- seats not as comfortable as the C class;
- too many gizmos means expensive to maintain outside of warranty (also means that the resale value will drop through the floor once the car is out of warranty).
 
#75 ·
The statistics are for the 3 Series in total for two month span where besides the F30 being in knowingly short-supply:

1. There are no F30's available with XDrive.

2. There are few F30's available with 6CYL and/or MT.

3. The E92 is on its last legs with a tired design.

4. The E93 is on its last legs with a tired design.

5. The E91 is on its last legs with a tired design.

So the best-seller is only half-released and the other derivatives are known to be soon replaced with a new design. Just reminding that the stats aren't for E90 vs. F30 - they're for the whole 3 Series, and there are plenty of Coupe, Convertible, and Station Wagon customers out there who haven't been offered an exciting new product.

BJ
 
#76 · (Edited)
The statistics are for the 3 Series in total for two month span where besides the F30 being in knowingly short-supply:

1. There are no F30's available with XDrive.

2. There are few F30's available with 6CYL and/or MT.

3. The E92 is on its last legs with a tired design.

4. The E93 is on its last legs with a tired design.

5. The E91 is on its last legs with a tired design.

So the best-seller is only half-released and the other derivatives are known to be soon replaced with a new design. Just reminding that the stats aren't for E90 vs. F30 - they're for the whole 3 Series, and there are plenty of Coupe, Convertible, and Station Wagon customers out there who haven't been offered an exciting new product.

BJ
BJ - not everyone shares your opinion of the E9X. After checking out the F30, we bought an E90 328i xDrive for wifey. Our daughter got an E93 M3 to get the last of the NA V8s; the same reasoning my wife used to get a fully developed NA I-6.
 
#77 ·
In a city like San Francisco where BMW's are a dime a dozen, I have only seen one F30 (328) on a test drive near BMW of San Francisco. I work in the financial district and drive all over the bay area, not a single one and I'm actually curious to see one in person. I guess I have to swing by the BMW dealership to check it out.
 
#81 · (Edited)
I think the fact that the F30 is out in the sedan models and that the coupes and convertibles being sold are still the E92 and E93s (i.e. the older model) would have a negative effect on coupe and convertible sales.

I have been kicking around the idea of replaciing my E93 and would not be interested in replacing it with a newer model year of the same car, especially when the model would be discontinued soon after the car was purchased.

I think BMW should introduce all of the body styles of the new model at the same time.

CA
 
#105 ·
Styling aside, after having spent a few hours in a F30 335i, and kicking it in the pants, the car does drive bitchen. The majority of the respondents here in this forum have only demoed 328i. They both drive awesome. The 6 Cyl turbo is more similar to my supercharged M3, hence I prefer it. It kicks @$$ as a matter of fact. Can't wait to get it.. *SAG*
 
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