[Haebler]

just before Thanksgiving, I gave my BMW salesman the standard $1000 deposit to hold my place. I later learned that I was the 2nd person on the dealer's new X3 list. (meaning I'll get their 2nd allocation when the time comes) As of last week, they already had 92 customers on the list, each with a $1000 deposit. (not sure where they keep the $92,000?)

anyway.... I have never done anything like this before. A year and half ago, I bought a new X1(U11) with M Sport package and almost all available options and packages. I didn't want to buy a new X3 at that time because I knew a new X3 was coming soon. I always purchase my cars and keep them for 7 to 8 year. If I bought a X3 back then, it would be a 14-year-old car(the design, that is) 7 years from now. My plan was to buy the new X1 in 2023 and then trade- it in for the new X3 in 2025 or 2026.

Like I said, I've never put down a deposit for a car even before the dealers have seen the new car. As the 2nd person on a list, along with almost 100 other paying customers, am I in a horrible position to negotiate the price? The dealer has a strict policy of never selling above MSRP... is it safe to say that I will most likely be paying MSRP when the time comes? Any advice appreciated.

[nyalpine90]

get your deposit back

[VER]

Generally if it's a car that's worthy of a waitlist plan on paying MSRP and nothing below. And have in writing that it won't be a cent above MSRP.

[JoeyO]

Without any negotiating, it’s pretty much like handing over a blank check. You really don’t hold any cards. They’ll dictate at what price they sell the vehicle at. Knowing that you’ve waited several months, they’ll assume you really really want the vehicle.

[Haebler]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

Without any negotiating, it’s pretty much like handing over a blank check. You really don’t hold any cards. They’ll dictate at what price they sell the vehicle at. Knowing that you’ve waited several months, they’ll assume you really really want the vehicle.

don't know if it'll work with BMWs... but I once ordered a Mercedes with only the options that I wanted... in a really unpopular color(but I loved it) it took almost 12 months before it went into production. my friend suggested that I speak with the salesman and bring up the possibility of cancelling it. At that time, the car had just finished production and was a few days from being loaded on a ship. When I brought that up with my salesman, he and his manager went into mini panic mode. I used my favorite excuse: "my wife got mad when she found out that I ordered this rare color" They knocked off almost $4000 to convince me not to cancel the order. It would have been really difficult for them to sell that car with those kinds of options and color to another buyer.

[swestland85]

You still can negotiate, if you don't agree on the price you simply ask your deposit back. You didn't confirm a blank cheque. You just placed a deposit to get a production spot reserved for you. If you don't take the spot, there will be 100 others wanting it
So just get a quote and start negotiating. 'The best' price you will only get when you start requesting quotes from other dealerships and play them against each other, but that will mean you will not have any of these early production spots.

[Jen4BMW]

OP- the deposits no big deal. It just holds your spot in line. No real harm in this. You’ll be paying full MSRP though. Maybe 6 months from now if sales are soft you could see a few grand knocked off but no way you’ll get a discount on the just launched G45.

[IAmSpeed]

My friend is also second in line and just received the price sheet from the dealer. There is no room for negotiation, so you have to take it at MSRP or leave it lol

[MidnightLight]

Originally Posted by IAmSpeed

My friend is also second in line and just received the price sheet from the dealer. There is no room for negotiation, so you have to take it at MSRP or leave it lol

Is this in the US? Would love to see the pricing guide for the US. Any chance your friend can pass a copy along?

[Haebler]

Originally Posted by IAmSpeed

My friend is also second in line and just received the price sheet from the dealer. There is no room for negotiation, so you have to take it at MSRP or leave it lol

had a frank discussion with my BMW salesman earlier this evening.

to sum it up, he said the benefits of me being on their #2 spot were: (by the way, as of today, I'm now #2 out of 117 on the list... holy cow...)

(1) bragging rights for being the very first ones to drive around town with the new X3

(2) help pay for the sales manager's new RV, at least partially... and pay for my salesman's daughter's tuition when she enters college next year

(3) become one of the first guinea pigs for BMW so they can iron out the "bugs" which will surely accompany my new X3

(4) free xpel tint installed(all windows except windshield) better than nothing, I guess?

[avi66]

Originally Posted by Haebler

just before Thanksgiving, I gave my BMW salesman the standard $1000 deposit to hold my place. I later learned that I was the 2nd person on the dealer's new X3 list. (meaning I'll get their 2nd allocation when the time comes) As of last week, they already had 92 customers on the list, each with a $1000 deposit. (not sure where they keep the $92,000?)

anyway.... I have never done anything like this before. A year and half ago, I bought a new X1(U11) with M Sport package and almost all available options and packages. I didn't want to buy a new X3 at that time because I knew a new X3 was coming soon. I always purchase my cars and keep them for 7 to 8 year. If I bought a X3 back then, it would be a 14-year-old car(the design, that is) 7 years from now. My plan was to buy the new X1 in 2023 and then trade- it in for the new X3 in 2025 or 2026.

Like I said, I've never put down a deposit for a car even before the dealers have seen the new car. As the 2nd person on a list, along with almost 100 other paying customers, am I in a horrible position to negotiate the price? The dealer has a strict policy of never selling above MSRP... is it safe to say that I will most likely be paying MSRP when the time comes? Any advice appreciated.

So you didn’t ask about discount before handing over your money ?

Highly likely you will be screwed over as if the dealer really has 92 deposits + for a then yet to been seen car, why would it not ? You don’t want to pay, there’s theoretically a line of customers just gagging to buy.

It’s brave putting a deposit on a yet to be seen car, and given the disappointing result of the G45, that interior is butt ugly and cheap, I’d be looking for my deposit back and cross shopping.

Good luck on a gen one model if you’re panning to keep it for a while, and I would question bragging rights lol, but it’s personal taste or not I guess.

[myg45]

Originally Posted by avi66

So you didn’t ask about discount before handing over your money ?

Highly likely you will be screwed over as if the dealer really has 92 deposits + for a then yet to been seen car, why would it not ? You don’t want to pay, there’s theoretically a line of customers just gagging to buy.

It’s brave putting a deposit on a yet to be seen car, and given the disappointing result of the G45, that interior is butt ugly and cheap, I’d be looking for my deposit back and cross shopping.

Good luck on a gen one model if you’re panning to keep it for a while, and I would question bragging rights lol, but it’s personal taste or not I guess.

I would wait to see it in person, sit in and take a test drive before I buy.

[myg45]

Originally Posted by IAmSpeed

My friend is also second in line and just received the price sheet from the dealer. There is no room for negotiation, so you have to take it at MSRP or leave it lol

The MSRP is for white color. Other color will jack up the price significantly. Options and fees will make the car over $60K out of the door. Especially in the Bay Area. Be patient, don't fall in love wait for others to drive and own. Recall might happen in the first MY.

[VER]

Originally Posted by myg45

The MSRP is for white color. Other color will jack up the price significantly. Options and fees will make the car over $60K out of the door. Especially in the Bay Area. Be patient, don't fall in love wait for others to drive and own. Recall might happen in the first MY.

What? MSRP doesn't mean price without options. It means MSRP of each car with its options or lack of options, and the point is you won't pay more or less.

[Haebler]

Originally Posted by myg45

The MSRP is for white color. Other color will jack up the price significantly. Options and fees will make the car over $60K out of the door. Especially in the Bay Area. Be patient, don't fall in love wait for others to drive and own. Recall might happen in the first MY.

all three BMW dealers in my area have a strict policy on pricing.. they do not ever sell a penny over MSRP. (how much of a discount off the MSRP is another matter )

at least that's more reputable than the Toyota dealer across from me who wants $7500 "market adjustment" above the MSRP for a 2024 Toyota 4Runner. (yes, 4Runner!)

[myg45]

Originally Posted by VER

What? MSRP doesn't mean price without options. It means MSRP of each car with its options or lack of options, and the point is you won't pay more or less.

Sorry, I have to restate this. What I mean is the lowest price is for white color, not MSRP. You are right, MSRP is priced for all options already ( without tax). Yes, some areas in the U.S, dealers sell at MSRP. In the Bay Area, Toyota has the so-called mark-up price due to the car's popularity.I am really interested in this G45 and will check it out. However, I won't pay more than MSRP.

[MidnightLight]

Is a 92 person wait-list considered long?

I have no idea how many X3 allocations a typical dealer gets a month. Will it take many months to get allocations to all 92 people? Or will they fill all those orders right away the first month, with plenty of allocations left over?

[avi66]

Originally Posted by MidnightLight

Is a 92 person wait-list considered long?

I have no idea how many X3 allocations a typical dealer gets a month. Will it take many months to get allocations to all 92 people? Or will they fill all those orders right away the first month, with plenty of allocations left over?

IIRC, G01 achieved about 65000 units last year in the US, so that’s 5.4k units a month avg.

I think BMW hope the G45 will maintain or eclipse this number lol.

[Sportstick]

@OP What is your rush? If you keep a car 7-8 years as you wrote, and could wait for 2026, why not just do that? Give the plant time to gain assembly experience. Give BMW a chance to discover some possible design issues from warranty reports in the field that can be corrected for year 2 of production. Give the "first on the block" kids a chance to rush ahead and spend more money.

[pr0gi]

If you know the dealer, you may be able to negotiate a discount. Our family has been buying from the same dealer since 2005, and we always get 10% or more off any car we negotiate for. The last one was the X3 M40i in January 2023, and we got 17% off. I remember in 2008, we got a 7 Series, and they gave us almost 30% off, but they were desperate for a sale, and it was during the financial crisis. Now we are considering trading in the X5 for the new X3 M50 or the 550e. From a phone call, the dealer quoted roughly 13% for the X3. It really depends on the dealer and your relationship with them. This is our personal experience here in the EU.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by MidnightLight

Is a 92 person wait-list considered long?

I have no idea how many X3 allocations a typical dealer gets a month. Will it take many months to get allocations to all 92 people? Or will they fill all those orders right away the first month, with plenty of allocations left over?

I would say that is quite long. Just using averages based on sales, each dealer gets 14 allocations a months. Keep in mind though that is not how BMW issues allocations. Some dealers may get 50 a month and others 2. It depends on sales volume, product mix, etc.

[nyalpine90]

Originally Posted by Haebler

had a frank discussion with my BMW salesman earlier this evening.

to sum it up, he said the benefits of me being on their #2 spot were: (by the way, as of today, I'm now #2 out of 117 on the list... holy cow...)

(1) bragging rights for being the very first ones to drive around town with the new X3

(2) help pay for the sales manager's new RV, at least partially... and pay for my salesman's daughter's tuition when she enters college next year

(3) become one of the first guinea pigs for BMW so they can iron out the "bugs" which will surely accompany my new X3

(4) free xpel tint installed(all windows except windshield) better than nothing, I guess?

none of these points, benefit you at all.
most people wont know difference between 2024 and 2025 X3 unless you have 1.
the majority of the forum dont like new design.

good luck with it, hopefully you dont have any issues with it.