Only BMW can sell you a $33,000 328i for $47,000! Insane Package Fees!

[Delmarco]

I really don't know why my friends ask me to take them to BMW dealership when shopping for a new car. I was appalled last year when my gfriend and I went and saw the pricing of some basic package options were either insanely high or so unclear that you really needed to love BMW cars in order to want to buy one.

Today my good college friend, who is a now a doctor that just started working a solid shift pulling in some good money, loved my BMWs so much that she wanted one for herself (albiet a brand new one-she has the money and credit).

We walked into BMW Of XXXXXXXX Dealership and sat down with a nice sales lady today and went thru a few options.

Based on what my friend (she is a single 5'3" Fillipino chick who wants a small, easy to park, easy to upkeep sedan for New York City driving) liked, we decided on a simple 2009 328i that starts at around $33,000 after adding stuff that she wanted the car came up to $47,595!

Below is a copy of the dealership print out sheet.

Needless to say, when a 2010 E Class starts at $48,000 I couldn't persuade her to clunk down close to $50,000 for a 2009 3 series. And she has the money.

She is thinking it over because the options seems shady. They billed her twice for BMW Assist and Leather Seats and no other dealership charges $400 for an iPod connector when iPods don't even cost $400 these days (hell, its a freaking free option on way cheaper cars like a Honda Civic).


As you can see the Premium Package is totally Bullsh1t! And comes down a compass/homelink mirror and powers seats for $3,350!

I highlighted red for where they try to bill you double for one thing.


Could it be that I was right all along...

The 2009 328i starts at $33,600

Options & Packages
OEM CodeDescription MSRP

TRANSMISSION
205 6-Speed Steptronic Automatic Transmission $1,325.00
normal sport & manual shift modes


PRIMARY PAINT

A52 Space Gray Metallic $550.00
SEAT TRIM

LCA DGRAY, Dakota Leather Seat Trim $1,450.00

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

ZPP Premium PKG $3,350.00
Dakota leather seat trim
universal garage door opener
auto-dimming pwr folding exterior mirrors w/2-position memory
auto-dimming rearview mirror w/compass
pwr front seats w/4-way pwr lumbar
2-position driver seat memory
BMW Assist w/4-year subscription
Bluetooth interface

ZCW Cold Weather PKG $1,000.00
heated front seats
split-folding rear seats w/ski bag

522 Xenon Adaptive Automatic Headlights $900.00
corona ring daytime running lights

653 High-Definition Radio $350.00
677 LOGIC7 Sound System $875.00
6FL Ipod & Usb Adapter $400.00
322 Comfort Access System $500.00
417 PWR Rear Sunshade w/Rear Manual Side Window Shades $575.00
4MG Glacier Silver Aluminum Trim $0.00
639 BMW Assist $750.00
auto collision notificationAssist & SOS buttons
Bluetooth interface
roadside assistance
TeleService
stolen vehicle recovery
concierge & customer services

508 Park Distance Control $750.00

TOTAL: $47,595


STANDARD FEATURES:

Exterior

• 16" x 7.0" multi spoke alloy wheels (style 282)
• P205/55R16 run-flat all-season tires
• Pwr tilt/slide glass moonroof-inc: 1-touch open/close, sliding sunshade, wind deflector
• Front/rear body-color bumpers
• Chrome kidney-shaped grille w/black vertical slats
• Automatic high/low beam halogen headlights-inc: corona ring daytime running lights
• Retractable headlight washers
• Fog lights
• Adaptive brakelights
• Pwr heated mirrors
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers w/heated washer jets
• Exterior door handles w/ground lighting

Mechanical

• 6-speed manual transmission
• 3.0L DOHC 24-valve I6 engine-inc: double-VANOS variable valve timing, Valvetronic
• Engine start/stop button
• Electronic throttle control
• xDrive all-wheel drive system
• Double-pivot strut front suspension-inc: coil springs, steel lower arms
• 5-link rear suspension w/coil springs
• Front/rear twin-tube gas-pressurized shock absorbers
• Front/rear stabilizer bars
• Engine speed-sensitive variable-assist pwr steering
• 4-wheel ventilated pwr disc brakes
• Chrome-plated dual exhaust tips

Other

• Anti-theft AM/FM stereo w/CD player-inc: MP3 capability, radio data system (RDS), auto-store, aux audio input
• Prep for satellite radio
• 3-channel FM diversity antenna

Interior

• Leatherette seat trim
• Front bucket seats-inc: 8-way manual adjustments, adjustable active head restraints
• Rear bench seat-inc: center armrest, cupholders
• Front center armrest w/storage, cupholder
• Front/rear floor mats
• 3-spoke leather-wrapped tilt/telescopic multi-function steering wheel-inc: audio controls
• On-board computer-inc: vehicle check control w/pictogram display, vehicle operating status, oil level indicator, distance to next service appointment/oil change, spark plug & microfilter status, travel information, trip computer, external temp
• Advanced Vehicle & Key Memory-inc: climate-control temp & air-distribution settings, exterior mirror settings, audio tone settings, central-locking & lighting preferences
• Coded driveaway protection
• Pwr front & rear windows-inc: 1-touch open/close
• Remote keyless entry
• Central locking system-inc: center console switch, double-lock feature, 2-step unlocking

Safety

• 4-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS) w/dynamic brake control (DBC)
• Dynamic stability control (DSC)-inc: brake fade compensation, brake standby, brake drying, start-off assist, dynamic traction control (DTC)
• Hill descent control
• Interlocking door anchoring system
• Front dual-threshold dual-stage airbags w/passenger occupant sensor
• Front side-impact airbags
• Front/rear side curtain airbags
• Crash sensor-inc: disconnects battery terminal, hazard lights on, interior lighting on, doors unlock
• All-position 3-point safety belts-inc: front pretensioners, ALR in all passenger positions
• Child safety rear door locks
• LATCH attachments for rear seats
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Interior trunk emergency release handle

EPA Fuel Economy & Specification

• Base Curb Weight (lbs) : 3583
• Body Style : 4 Door Sedan
• Brake ABS System : 4-Wheel...

[witeshark]

Well, that's a dealer trying to make a big profit...

[johnnyBgood]

^ Correct.......every dealership is privately owned & can basically charge what they want......for service, parts, & the vehicles they sell.....that is why you must shop around & chew them down........


jb

[Torque]

That's what you get when you want every option under the sun. I'd essentially build the same car for 35 grand.

Get the basic car with manual tranny and leather seats. Ignore everything else. Auto dim mirror and garage opener can be retrofitted for <100 dollars using used parts from other BMWs. Power and memory seats are not really needed: how many people will drive your car? Only you pretty much. Xenons? DDM ... 50 bucks. Need your iPod crap? DICE system ... 200 bucks or whatever it is. Fully integrated.

It's exactly how car companies make money these days ... options. All the crap that cost her 14 grand cost them 1 to put in it.

You gotta pay to play.

[witeshark]

^_)^ See? There you go!

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

×m they charge that cause well They CAN they're there to make money and did you know you can do this thing called a counter offer? Stop complaining oh and yes the benz starts at that BUT it will be in the shop so much more.... I'm tired of your compaining about pricing.... they wanna make money not makey you feel happy and fuzzy on the inside....

[drz]

That sucks Del. The best thing to do is to build the car you want on a site like edmunds, which will also show you the invoice price, print it out, and take that with you to the dealership. Or you can just email the online sales person in a couple of dealerships.

Anyhow, double-dipping in the options and packages is one place teh dealerships (regardless of brand) will try to get you. And they often get the unsuspecting people.

Good luck to your friend finding a car that fits her needs and expectations. Let us know how it goes.

[drz]

I just built a C300 (base model starts at $33,600) on mbusa.com with teh equivalent options as you listed on the 328i. It came out to $46,355 before allowing for any double-dipping of options/packages and without park distance control (as far as I can tell). I guess they're all bastards

I've never bought a new car. But if the day comes when I do, I will show up and tell them what I want and how much I am going to pay for it. If I can't find any no-nonsense dealers, then I'll keep buying used cars, I suppose

[jimmythepie]

is there a point to all this? we all know bmw dealers rip us off so we dont go there.parts and cars are available elsewhere,wise up.

[drz]

Originally Posted by jimmythepie

is there a point to all this? we all know bmw dealers rip us off so we dont go there.parts and cars are available elsewhere,wise up.

+rep

[Numark318i]

counteroffer 38.


that is all.

[coolvegase34]

Why would you buy a brand new bmw, park it and drive it in NYC? It is going to get destroyed period. Anyone with a decent car parks in a garage. If she has money, steer her towards a 5 series. You can also find her a nice "demo" for thousands less and it will still have the factory warranty. Anyone that spends that kind of money to have a car in NYC needs to go to Bellevue before the dealership.

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

Oh and with all those option it is no longer a $33k it is a $47k car.... honestly what did you expect checking most the options? Can I just ask you one thing? Why did you start this thread?

[nukeduster]

Want scary package fees, go buy a porsche. If you want options, from the factory, they aren't free. BMW's options are about average in terms of package choices compared to all the other luxo. companies out there. If you want every single solitary possible option, OPTION, its because you want the luxury of them. Luxury isn't cheap.
We used to build $100k-$300k cars about once a week at the dealership I used to work at.

QQ.