U.S. Dealer Selling Prices?

[toolworker]

What are U.S. dealers asking for the i3? Are they asking a premium above MSRP?

 

[ultraturtle]

Nope. No premium, but no discounts either. This will be my first auto purchase ever paying the retail price.

 

[CRU14]

Here in Las Vegas, the dealer stated full list price
But no market adjustments. They stated that i8's
Will be a different story when that times comes.

CRU14

 

[Jkoeller]

No premium above MSRP in St. Louis.

 

[tiburonh]

What are U.S. dealers asking for the i3? Are they asking a premium above MSRP?

My dealer (in northern California) is currently saying they will charge $5,000 over MSRP!

They won't be my dealer if they stick with that position.

 

[toolworker]

My dealer (in northern California) is currently saying they will charge $5,000 over MSRP!

That would probably be the same dealership near Tiburon that sells Porsches.

16 years ago, when there was a 9 month wait for the new model, the Boxster, and Porsche Cars of North America told their dealers not to sell above MSRP, that was the only dealership in the country to my knowledge that was slapping on a protective coat and theft protection and marking it up thousands.

So we ordered from Oakland. I offered them the chance to match the MSRP deal, and they jerked me around and wasted a couple hours of my time.

After my wife had the car, they talked her into a (synthetic) oil change at 5000 miles when the factory and everyone else said 10,000 miles.

 

[tiburonh]

My dealer (in northern California) is currently saying they will charge $5,000 over MSRP!

That would probably be the same dealership near Tiburon that sells Porsches.

16 years ago, when there was a 9 month wait for the new model, the Boxster, and Porsche Cars of North America told their dealers not to sell above MSRP, that was the only dealership in the country to my knowledge that was slapping on a protective coat and theft protection and marking it up thousands.

So we ordered from Oakland. I offered them the chance to match the MSRP deal, and they jerked me around and wasted a couple hours of my time.

After my wife had the car, they talked her into a (synthetic) oil change at 5000 miles when the factory and everyone else said 10,000 miles.

You guessed it. They're not alone here - BMW SF also planning to do the same up charge.

The joys of life in the heart of the tech world.

 

[Yiiikes]

My dealers aren't quoting a markup yet, only made coy comments like "We don't know the final price yet" and "we will see what the market will bear". So I have placed a deposit at three dealerships -

1st one with the first guy that actually returned my call when I was looking for a dealer with a waitlist. Mid sized dealer in a medium income urban area.

2nd one with the gal that called me to let me know the configurator was up the very first morning it was available. Mid size dealer in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in southern California, Newport Beach, virtually guaranteed to get away with a large premium. May even discover that Daddy Warbucks bought his way on to the list ahead of me to get his 16 yr. old daughter a birthday present, money no object for his little girl. BTW, his 7 series is almost 2 years old so he is going to need a fresh one soon.

3rd one with a large dealer in a medium income suburban area that may not be as hip to EVs.

When the order bell rings, I am going to go with the dealer with the lowest or no premium - that is the plan anyway.

 

[Buskraut]

Stevens Creek BMW in Santa Clara, CA has told me they will not charge above MSRP.

I'm on their wait list and have provided my configuration, but they can't give me a build date yet.

 

[WaffleHouse]

Yiiikes, so you can add yourself to several waiting lists?? What happens with your deposit when you turn it down?

tiburonh, are you sure BMW SF is planning to charge $5,000 over MSRP? I've asked and they simply say they don't have pricing yet, even though I'm on the waiting list. They haven't taken a deposit.

 

[tiburonh]

Yiiikes, so you can add yourself to several waiting lists?? What happens with your deposit when you turn it down?

tiburonh, are you sure BMW SF is planning to charge $5,000 over MSRP? I've asked and they simply say they don't have pricing yet, even though I'm on the waiting list. They haven't taken a deposit.

Hi WaffleHouse-

I only have hearsay evidence on BMW-SF's plans: my CA at Sonnen said Sonnen was going to charge $5,000 over MSRP and he had heard that BMW SF was planning to do the same. Not that the two dealerships would ever get together and collude on pricing

In any case, the guy at Sonnen told me this a few weeks ago, which was before the details came out about BMW's planned pricing for their US lease and Owner's Choice programs. As hot as this car is likely to be at launch, unless BMW modifies those plans substantially before they actually start selling in the US, I suspect any dealer trying to charge a big mark up over MSRP will meet with major resistance.

 

[TomMoloughney]

Yiiikes, so you can add yourself to several waiting lists?? What happens with your deposit when you turn it down?

tiburonh, are you sure BMW SF is planning to charge $5,000 over MSRP? I've asked and they simply say they don't have pricing yet, even though I'm on the waiting list. They haven't taken a deposit.

Hi WaffleHouse-

I only have hearsay evidence on BMW-SF's plans: my CA at Sonnen said Sonnen was going to charge $5,000 over MSRP and he had heard that BMW SF was planning to do the same. Not that the two dealerships would ever get together and collude on pricing

In any case, the guy at Sonnen told me this a few weeks ago, which was before the details came out about BMW's planned pricing for their US lease and Owner's Choice programs. As hot as this car is likely to be at launch, unless BMW modifies those plans substantially before they actually start selling in the US, I suspect any dealer trying to charge a big mark up over MSRP will meet with major resistance.

Personally I wouldn't pay over MSRP for any car. I'm sure some dealers will do so, but I also am sure there will be many that won't so you'll have to shop around a bit. Of course it will be more difficult in the EV hotspots where demand is highest. I believe my dealer here in NJ will be selling at MSRP. Also, I know someone in PA that just put a deposit on one and his dealer took $1,000 off MSRP so there will be dealers willing to make deals, you just may have to make a lot of phone calls.

 

[jsongster]

Wow... they clearly saw you richie rich guys coming... tiburon and huntington beach... wow... well if you don't want to be parted with too much money... since the car can do 75 miles... I'd look for dealers at least 40 miles away... just to see how the pricing is there. I live in Martinez, CA and when the time came to buy my LEAF, I ended up getting 3 bids... from 300+over inv to 1500 under.

 

[toolworker]

We had it nice two years ago when the Plug-in Prius was coming out. Those of us who had signed up for updates got an invitation to order our car online. So we had the allocation, and could take it to any dealer who gave us a good price.

Pretty much everyone paid MSRP. But the webmaster of the forum made a deal with a dozen dealers around the country for $500 off MSRP for board participants. So those dealers got a lot of PiPs from the initial orders and we saved a little money.

 

[tiburonh]

Wow... they clearly saw you richie rich guys coming... tiburon and huntington beach... wow... well if you don't want to be parted with too much money... since the car can do 75 miles... I'd look for dealers at least 40 miles away... just to see how the pricing is there. I live in Martinez, CA and when the time came to buy my LEAF, I ended up getting 3 bids... from 300+over inv to 1500 under.

LOL.

And not to worry - I'll go with any dealer anywhere so long as they offer a good enough deal to offset the cost of flatbedding the car to me!

 

[Hwy1rnr]

Schomp here in Denver is at MSRP + std Destination Charge of $925.
Total for a Launch vehicle - $50,875

 

[davidrshelton]

The three SoCal dealers I've been working with are all quoting MSRP. I'm with Tom--it's against my religion to pay anything over MSRP.

The variability I'm seeing is in the BMW financing plans. I've even been told contradictory information on the availability of OwnersChoice in California. I'm doing further research, but these finance deals are where I'd be watchful. Don't settle for simply being told a monthly rate without understanding what goes into it.

David

 

[JWBMW]

OC and OC Flex will be available as a finance option in CA

 

[Yiiikes]

Yiiikes, so you can add yourself to several waiting lists?? What happens with your deposit when you turn it down?

tiburonh, are you sure BMW SF is planning to charge $5,000 over MSRP? I've asked and they simply say they don't have pricing yet, even though I'm on the waiting list. They haven't taken a deposit.

All of the deposits I have submitted are on deposit forms that clearly state "fully refundable deposit". I wouldn't normally go to this much trouble but I have two leases ending in April and I need to get in on the ordering as soon as possible to minimize my gap but I don't want to be overcharged just because I have a challenging timing situation.

 

[Yiiikes]

The three SoCal dealers I've been working with are all quoting MSRP. I'm with Tom--it's against my religion to pay anything over MSRP.

The variability I'm seeing is in the BMW financing plans. I've even been told contradictory information on the availability of OwnersChoice in California. I'm doing further research, but these finance deals are where I'd be watchful. Don't settle for simply being told a monthly rate without understanding what goes into it.

David

As I mentioned in my PM, I have a quote from one of my dealers on OC w/flex so it is definitely available in CA. As you know, the terms are tricky and I may have asked some questions that stumped them because they have not responded in a week.

How do they come up with the buyback amount? Is it related to residual? (seems logical but doesn't show that way in the quote). From the quote it looks like interest is charged on the full amount of the value of the vehicle, not just on the part that you use like a lease.

And the $7500 seems to get lost in the terms somehow - if they are adding it to the balloon payment, then somehow it should be reducing the principle financed to reduce the monthly payment but the dealer hasn't (or doesn't want to) shown me the money trail yet.