[CaliNew2BMW]

Hi Everyone,

Stumbled upon this forum/website and it looks like a great place to learn about BMW and to get advice. I'm in no hurry as my current car (as boring as it is) has no problems and gets me from a to b, but I'm looking to lease a X5 3.5d within the next 12 months. Does anyone have any advice as to what the best time of year to lease one is? I'm fairly picky, I know what options I want if possible, so I will likely need to special order one. I'm flexible with lease durations and am willing to put down a decent drive off amount, but need my monthly payments to be manageable.

So far, this is what I'm thinking...

X5 3.5d
- M-Line (I like the look of the Luxury Line more...but really like the M-Line steering wheel...is it possible to option the M-Line steering wheel?)
- Mineral White Metallic with Black Dakota Leather
- Fineline Oak or Fineline Pure Wood trim
- 20'' Rims (are these realistic? I live in warm California sunshine but love to ski. Go up to the snow about 10 times per year and will need all season tires)
Packages:
- Cold Weather Package
- Dynamic Handling Package
- Drivers Assistance Package
- Lighting Package (love how the LEDs look)
- Luxury Seating Package
Options:
- Harman Kardon Sound
- Side Window Shades
- Ceramic Controls
- 3rd Row Seat w/ rear axle air suspension
- Surround View

BMW states through the build your own tool that the MSRP would be $74,500. Using their payment estimation tool I get the following numbers...

Down Payment - $5500
36 month lease (i'm flexible with duration)
10K miles per year
Monthly payment of $856 (is this realistically what I should expect or could I potentially get this monthly payment down a good amount? ... would really like a payment with a 6 in front of it.)

Thank you everyone for reading and responding. Like I said I'm new to BMW and new to leasing.

 

[admannj]

I don't think there is a "best" time. Leasing fluctuates throughout the year. The key is the right combination of residual (what the car is worth after the lease is over), money factor (the interest payment for leasing the car) and incentives. Usually, manufacturers tweak one or two at the expense of the others.

Determine what you're comfortable paying on a monthly basis and find a dealer that's willing to be transparent about pricing. When you get some figures, check back here. There are plenty of people on this forum who will guide you.

As for a down payment, consider not doing one on a lease. That money, called cap cost reduction, will bring the payment down but it will also vanish if the car is stolen or totaled in an accident. I never do any money down on a lease but that's just my advice. Do what you feel is right for you.

Lastly, I think the steering wheel for the x line and the luxury line are the same. In fact, I think the no line steering wheel is as well. The only steering wheel that is different is the m-sport.

Good luck.

 

[admannj]

I should add that you should also consider doing multiple security deposits. BMWFS permits up to 7. It is calculated by rounding up your monthly payment. For instance, $835 per month would round up to $850 x 7 = $5,950. Each MSD will reduce the money factor by a bit.

Again, in my opinion, $5,950 in MSDs is a better investment than $5,500 in cap cost reduction.

 

[V_Rod_Muscle]

The best time to buy a BMW is November-December, so may be next holiday season for you, you have exactly one year. First and the most important thing is become a BMWCCA member, since u have one year, u will get $1000 after one year of membership, attend UDE or any other events that's $1000 again.
"NO" u cannot get M Sport steering wheel as a stand alone option it has to be with M Sport package, get M Sport don't look back you will not regret

 

[senoromar]

I would say the best time of year to order one is right now. Although the X5 is still a popular car, the deals and lease programs have gotten a lot better in the last few months. I think the best deals could be had right around Christmas and before New Year as dealerships try to hit their end of month, end of quarter, and end of year bonuses (although I don't think that applies for factory orders since they get the credit at time of delivery). As the model year goes on, the residual % will creep lower and the leases won't be as attractive. In general I find Sep-Dec to be the best time to lease, especially December.

Remember that when you order your car, it does take at least a month for it go into production and be shipped all the way out here to California, and that's if it goes into production right away. Production times have greatly improved, so I would expect it to take 4-6 weeks for your car to arrive here. At the time you place your order, you can lock your lease deal if you get approved by bmw financial. This means that you can secure the best deal you can in december then reevaluate when you take delivery. If the lease programs get better or a new incentive is available, you can take advantage of it, otherwise you can keep your locked deal.

If this is all too soon for your schedule, you can still get a good deal next year however you will have to work harder to get it.

Regarding your build, I recommend you double check it. You cannot order the M-Sport line in combination with Dynamic Handling and the 3rd row seat. If 3rd row is a must, then you very well may need to get the Luxury Line you like more. The bmw website is a little buggy but when I add the 3rd row, it deletes the M-Sport. Lookup the 2015 pricing guide here which lists all the restrictions under each option:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=774800

The 20" wheels do look a lot better and would be perfect for most Californians who don't venture near snow. In your case, what you can do is buy 4 all season tires and put the stock run-flat performance ones in storage. Then before the lease is up, swap it back and sell the all-seasons. I actually plan on doing this myself because I've read the performance tires don't last that long... I've read maybe 10-15K miles. Since bmw requires the car to be returned with run flats, I'd rather not buy another set of those expensive tires mid-lease. Plus the run flats are harder, easier to be damaged, and not as easily patched.

The payment estimator always shows a much higher number than what you can really get, especially in California where there are so many dealerships competing with each other. Getting a 75K car though in the 600s thought would be unrealistic, unless you put an extraordinary amount of down payment which is never advisable for a lease. I always recommend just paying the drive off fees (1st month, tax, title, registration, doc, acquisition fee) and not any extra down (known as cap cost reduction) because if something were to happen and your car were stolen or totaled, the insurance would pay off the car and you would lose your down. For a 75K car, an aggressive deal would come out to about the mid 800s with just the drive off. Most people would be paying in the 900s.

When you start talking numbers with dealers, don't just focus on the lease payment and driveoff, make sure they also quote you the selling price they are offering. Leasing can and should be negotiated like a purchase where you agree on a price. The rest is just some formulas which factor in the interest, residual, and tax and you end up with your payment. By agreeing on a price and making sure you get the best possible interest rate with minimal fees, you will really know if you are getting a good deal. You want to negotiate as close as possible to the Invoice price of the car, and if you can get under that even better. The selling price will also help other board members evaluate any offers you get.

I hope this helped, good luck with your hunt!

 

[senoromar]

The best time to buy a BMW is November-December, so may be next holiday season for you, you have exactly one year. First and the most important thing is become a BMWCCA member, since u have one year, u will get $1000 after one year of membership, attend UDE or any other events that's $1000 again.
"NO" u cannot get M Sport steering wheel as a stand alone option it has to be with M Sport package, get M Sport don't look back you will not regret

+1, if you can wait a whole year, then getting the bmwcca membership, plus doing an ultimate driving event next fall, plus possible holiday inventives should result in a fantastic deal. The only question is if you can wait that long!

 

[CaliNew2BMW]

Thanks everyone. Yes I am more than willing to wait 12 months. I will go ahead and sign up for a BMWCCA Membership.

A 3rd row seat is not as important to me as having a car that drives the best it can. So I would much rather have the Dynamic handling instead of the 3rd row. From what I've read everyone highly recommends the Dynamic handling.

One more question is about this "Racechip" i've seen mentioned. What is this and does it do anything to void the warranty on the car? Is it allowed with a lease? Finally does it affect the gas mileage on the car at all?

Thanks.

 

[CaliNew2BMW]

The best time to buy a BMW is November-December, so may be next holiday season for you, you have exactly one year. First and the most important thing is become a BMWCCA member, since u have one year, u will get $1000 after one year of membership, attend UDE or any other events that's $1000 again.
"NO" u cannot get M Sport steering wheel as a stand alone option it has to be with M Sport package, get M Sport don't look back you will not regret

What events qualify for the $1000 from BMWCCA? Where do I see this on the website?

 

[senoromar]

The BBMCCA member rebate has nothing to do with an event. It's a discount that you get just for being a member. The only requirement is that you be a member for 1 year before being eligible for the discount. On the X5 it qualifies for a $1,000 rebate.

More details are here:
https://www.bmwcca.org/vehicle_rebate