I managed to get a discount on the BMW i3...

My dealer claims I am the first person to get an actual discount on the car, it was about $725 off retail and it was through USAA buyers program. Are other people getting discounts off retail and my dealer is full of "crap" or is this really that rare? Also, if you are a USAA member, you should consider using this service since it doesn't cost anything to use (as long as you are a member of USAA).

louisk said:

My dealer claims I am the first person to get an actual discount on the car, it was about $725 off retail and it was through USAA buyers program. Are other people getting discounts off retail and my dealer is full of "crap" or is this really that rare? Also, if you are a USAA member, you should consider using this service since it doesn't cost anything to use (as long as you are a member of USAA).

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I got a discount off of MSRP that was more then that and I am not a USAA member.

Depends largely on market. In the Dallas, TX area there isn't a huge demand. BMW of Dallas took $3640 off sticker without me even asking. The car had no dealer add ons. In and out in under an hour.

I got 6% discount (~$3,100 off MSRP of $52,200) and was able to get $1k more than other local dealers for my trade. Negotiated all through email on the discount.

We received a $1400 discount off MSRP. BMW Asheville,NC

Tummy said:

I got 6% discount (~$3,100 off MSRP of $52,200) and was able to get $1k more than other local dealers for my trade. Negotiated all through email on the discount.

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Good for you!

Would you mind sharing what dealer (or even just what city) you got this great deal at?

Thanks.

louisk said:

My dealer claims I am the first person to get an actual discount on the car, it was about $725 off retail and it was through USAA buyers program. Are other people getting discounts off retail and my dealer is full of "crap" or is this really that rare? .

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Dealers full of crap. I paid $100 over invoice. That worked out to a little over $4K on my loaded up Rex. If one dealer won't work with you, another one will. My experience is that I can pretty much always negotiate a far better deal for myself than I get going through USAA.

Also, if you are looking to finance rather than lease, check out Navy Federal Credit Union if you are eligible. Usaa offered me $50,000 @ 3.2% for 5 years while NavyFed offered me 1.79% on the same money and term.

tiburonh said:

Tummy said:

I got 6% discount (~$3,100 off MSRP of $52,200) and was able to get $1k more than other local dealers for my trade. Negotiated all through email on the discount.

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Good for you!

Would you mind sharing what dealer (or even just what city) you got this great deal at?

Thanks.

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I got it from United BMW Roswell. I think i could have done a little better, but I didn't want to push to hard and get stressed out.

I got $2,370 off a BEV with a sticker of $49,100 and had several other dealers ready to match it.

There seem to be a glut of REx models on lots around the SF Bay Area.

jtoast said:

louisk said:

My dealer claims I am the first person to get an actual discount on the car, it was about $725 off retail and it was through USAA buyers program. Are other people getting discounts off retail and my dealer is full of "crap" or is this really that rare? .

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Dealers full of crap. I paid $100 over invoice. That worked out to a little over $4K on my loaded up Rex. If one dealer won't work with you, another one will. My experience is that I can pretty much always negotiate a far better deal for myself than I get going through USAA.

Also, if you are looking to finance rather than lease, check out Navy Federal Credit Union if you are eligible. Usaa offered me $50,000 @ 3.2% for 5 years while NavyFed offered me 1.79% on the same money and term.

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This will vary depending on your area. Some locations there is enough demand to keep discounts minimal. In the LA area, there were 3 available at the time I was looking. One was a REx and 2 BEVs but none where the color, world, or option set I was looking for so I had to order to get it the way I wanted.

When you order a car, it can limit your ability to negotiate. I worked with 5 dealers but ultimately purchased from the one I perceived best based on gut feeling and talking to Car Club members who have used the various dealers around here. I could not get any of them to offer more than $1K below MSRP. In other parts of the country, demand maybe is softer and you will be able to deal. If the car is on the lot, every month it sits costs the dealer money so that can be pretty good motivation for them to move it particularly if they think demand is low.

I'm a USAA member too but didn't buy from one of their certified dealers. At a minimum, their invoice pricing information is helpful to have when you negotiate. You can usually take your price sheet and get them to match but don't show your hand too early

Zzzoom3 said:

When you order a car, it can limit your ability to negotiate.

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I've had the opposite experience.

Ordering means I have to wait several months which means I am taking a risk on the interest rates and incentives in play. It also means that he dealer has a quick sale with minimal time invested for his sales staff and zero floorplan money paid. Using those arguments I have, in all but one case, managed to order a vehicle at or near invoice. The exception was on a vehicle with a very limited dealer allotment.

It does help that I am an email blast type person. I send an email to every dealer with 200 miles of my location offering $300 over invoice and buy from the first one that bites.

Perhaps here in Bellevue, WA (Seattle area) there is too high a demand to get good discounts. I checked with both Seattle and Bellevue dealers and at first they wouldn't offer any discounts... then I came in with the USAA paperwork ,and they offered the $725 off. Either way, I ordered a custom build car not one that was on hand... and I would have paid full MSRP for it to get it... glad others are getting good deals on them though, and I suspect if I was willing to wait another 6 months or so I could have gotten a better price.

When I bought mine, I asked for three things: I didn't really want the HK option, but the car they could trade for had it...discounted that price (otherwise, I"d have had to wait probably at least a few months); a set of all-weather mats free, got that; a set of winter tires at their cost - still waiting, they haven't been released to the US market yet, but hopefully in the next two months where they will become much more useful! Now, could I have gotten a better deal? Maybe, but I was happy with what I got - and, got the car within a week (they had to send a truck to pick it up elsewhere, then prep it).

On Saturday I walked into my local BMW dealer and left with the exact REX I wanted and paid $2K under MSRP. The sales guy said I was the first person to buy under MSRP which I'm not so sure I believe. They are a high volume dealer and had 18 available for purchase (they now have 26 according to their online inventory). I ended up financing it for 5 years with a $10K down payment using the new Owners Choice program. My plan is to take the $10K in tax rebates I get and immediately invest it. If all goes well, in 5 years the value of investment will easily cover the residual that is due.

Murph, did you buy from Stevens Creek?

To the OP. Dealers lie, plain and simple. They want to make the sale and will do what's necessary to get it.

BMW flooded the market with base cars - there are many on dealer lots. Maybe they did this because of the leather shortage or they are going to be service loaners, but there are many out there.

A couple dealers on cars.com are $2,500 to $4,000 off to start with....

jtoast said:

Zzzoom3 said:

When you order a car, it can limit your ability to negotiate.

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I've had the opposite experience.

Ordering means I have to wait several months which means I am taking a risk on the interest rates and incentives in play. It also means that he dealer has a quick sale with minimal time invested for his sales staff and zero floorplan money paid. Using those arguments I have, in all but one case, managed to order a vehicle at or near invoice. The exception was on a vehicle with a very limited dealer allotment.

It does help that I am an email blast type person. I send an email to every dealer with 200 miles of my location offering $300 over invoice and buy from the first one that bites.

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I completely agree, that's internet shopping. I did a slightly less aggressive version, but did contact about 8 dealers. Within 6hrs I had a price for my local dealer to match, and an alternative if they did not match. The local dealer immediately matched the price from the more distant dealer.

Final discount for me will be close to $5k. I got the 7% residual increase "voucher" plus $1,000 off plus a set of Tera World mats (anthracite)....and hopefully the trunk mat/box also.

Taking delivery of my REx on Monday!

Mike74jcw said:

Final discount for me will be close to $5k. I got the 7% residual increase "voucher" plus $1,000 off plus a set of Tera World mats (anthracite)....and hopefully the trunk mat/box also.

Taking delivery of my REx on Monday!

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Well done. Enjoy your Monday!

I just picked up my Rex today. My buying experience with my local dealer was subpar, I shopped around other dealers and found a lower price, when I told my local dealer, he wouldn't match. Internet is really powerful shopping tool.

Found a dealer that had a "Genius" kind of like Apple Retail - young kid who knew more about the car and electric industry than any sales guy I talked to. Plus he didn't work for commission. I think traditional sales guys don't know how to sell these.

Putty said:

I just picked up my Rex today. My buying experience with my local dealer was subpar, I shopped around other dealers and found a lower price, when I told my local dealer, he wouldn't match. Internet is really powerful shopping tool.

Found a dealer that had a "Genius" kind of like Apple Retail - young kid who knew more about the car and electric industry than any sales guy I talked to. Plus he didn't work for commission. I think traditional sales guys don't know how to sell these.

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That's great but the Genius can't sell you a car. He has to pass you to a CA for the purchase.