Buying experience in the U.S.

[srini81]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd start this thread to hear about people's stories about their buying experience. Things like prices paid, wait times, dealer inventories, etc. Other than Tom's awesome blog, information's been a bit hard to come on this awesome car since it's just been released stateside. My wife and I test drove the car and are looking to buy the BEV in the San Francisco bay area. Loved the car - the handling, interior, even "the look" (it looks way better in person).

I look forward to a good discussion.

Cheers,

Srini

 

[Devin]

I signed the papers to buy a solar orange tera Rex model in early May. The BMW web site says that production has started on it and the dealer says that it should be here in a few weeks. I've been very interested in electric cars for a couple of years but the existing ones all had a fatal flaw ( Tesla - too expensive, Leaf - no range extender, Volt - back seat too small, PHEV C-max - too bland) I've test driven a BEV I3 twice and thought it was the nicest balance of all the factors that I'm looking for. It's a little pricey, but after the $7500 rebate and factoring in the savings on fuel the price came into range.
I was a little surprised that the dealer, without asking, offered an extra $1500 off the price. It seems that even though lots of people came to test drive them, I was the only one to actually place an order. I do live in the Midwest and people here might be a little slower to jump onto the new technology bandwagon, but still I was a little surprised that sales seemed to be a little slow. I wonder is anyone else has had a similar experience.

 

[srini81]

Thanks Devin for the response and congrats! Here in the bay area, it looks like MSRP is the best we're being offered at the moment.

Hope you get your car sooner than later.

 

[Gonville]

The long lead time here in UK is putting people off.

 

[Devin]

I had heard the lead times were long in much of Europe and that some people are having to wait 6 months or more. I went to my dealer expecting a long wait and to pay at least MSRP, I was surprised when they offered a discount. As I understand it, the BMW dealers that signed up to sell the I3,s were guaranteed an allotment of cars to start out with. My dealer showed me a list of about 12 cars that were guaranteed for delivery to their dealership. Since none of them had been built yet (or sold for that matter) I was able to make modifications and order the car I wanted.
I test drove the I3 twice and liked it from the start. I'm guessing that sales are slower here in the midwest, partly because petro is relatively cheap, I paid $3.40 / gallon earlier today ( about 0.5 pounds per liter, right? ) so it's harder to justify the extra cost of the car compared to a less expensive ICE vehicle. Also, we don't get any of the cool incentives that all you others get like the $2500 rebate in California plus access to restricted lanes, etc, etc, etc. But it was a lot of fun to drive, I would say the most fun you could have in any car of that price. And I like the idea of having my car use locally produced energy instead of inported oil
Devin

 

[cyellen]

I just ordered on Monday...i3 will replace my three year old LEAF. My advisor says I have July build, probably a late August or September delivery. I've been in to see him several times, and he reluctantly, but honestly admits that he doesn't know a lot about the car. That saddens me, since I am sure it won't get a fair shake against all the other BMW goodness that they are offering.

 

[stumbledotcom]

I'm in SF also. While I've bought from BMW of SF in the past, I found them difficult to deal with for the i3. I wanted to place an order as soon as I drove the i3 in January. The sales person was elusive. Refused to discuss price or take the deposit I offered. He did accept my specs; told me in February that he was ordering my vehicle and would be in touch when the process was complete--about a week in his own words. Never heard from him and he didn't respond to my subsequent messages.

In March, I expressed my frustrations on this board and got a PM suggesting I go to Sonnen instead. Turns out the sales person I'd bought my 2009 E90 from at SF had moved up there. His name is Gert Visser. I called him up. Happily he had a vehicle that matched my specs exactly in assembly. Told him I'd pay MSPR so my name went on it. The following weekend, I drove up to Sonnen, completed the financial paperwork and gave them a refundable deposit of $1,000. (They never charged my credit card, btw.) A delivery date was uncertain but Gert estimated early May. The last week of April, he called with the news that my i3 had arrived in Oxnard. He still didn't know when BMW NA would release it though. He called on May 13 to say my car had arrived and I could collect it as soon as the next day. I couldn't get up there until the 15 though. Got to Sonnen around 5. They gave me a fair price for my trade. Completed the paperwork with no haggling or pressure to take extra items or packages. Drove off in my new i3 by 7:30.

I feel like I dodged a bullet by ending my relationship with BMW of SF. I've become convinced that they were playing me for a sap. Had every intention of waiting until the cars arrived then trying to get a mark up—just as they have done for years with Mini.

If it's not clear yet, I strongly recommend Sonnen. Everyone I dealt with there has been pleasant and eager to please. Gert is a rock star. He's sold BMWs for years. Knows the vehicles and the way the company functions in and out. Doesn't pull the typical car sales tricks.

For what it's worth, a friend in the East Bay took delivery on his i3 from Weatherford a few days after I got mine. He seemed pleased with the experience there, too.
--
Mark

 

[srini81]

Thanks for the detailed response Mark. I have gotten a weird vibe from BMW SF as well. I will give Gert from Sonen a call and see what they have available. I have also found Peter Pan pleasant to deal with so far. Weatherford has been flaky for us so far. Looks like MSRP is the best anyone is offering though.

 

[CompuMagic]

I just bought one yesterday 5/28/2014 right out of the showroom... REX with Tera interior and all options applied... Love it!
The North American i3 tour was there with 6 test drive vehicles and the dealer had just gotten two i3's on their lot about a week ago, a BEV and an REX... Hudson Valley BMW was great and as was the BMW genius staff and helpers. I have had the charger installed for a few months now. Full MSRP.

Pics at:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXRddST

My Leviton 9.6kW charger:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjV1Bj56

 

[TomMoloughney]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd start this thread to hear about people's stories about their buying experience. Things like prices paid, wait times, dealer inventories, etc. Other than Tom's awesome blog, information's been a bit hard to come on this awesome car since it's just been released stateside. My wife and I test drove the car and are looking to buy the BEV in the San Francisco bay area. Loved the car - the handling, interior, even "the look" (it looks way better in person).

I look forward to a good discussion.

Cheers,

Srini

Thanks for the props Srini, I am doing me best to get as much information out there as possible. I too am a little disappointed at the lack of information and communication. After having my car for a week now, I can say it really is living up to my expectations. It's not perfect, but it's really a great EV. I do hope things improve with regards to the customer experience, but in any event I'll continue to report everything I can on my blog. Please feel free to ask me anything and I'll do my best to get answers.

 

[Gonville]

Tom great blog on the trip to the wrap. My other half had the same feelings about the two tone so we went for Laurus Grey as well.

On the Eco pro limit. It behaves the same as the "speed limiter" function in the active cruise on other models. You have to 'push' through the limit with additional pressure on the throttle.
Also on the demo model I borrowed I was able to reset the Eco pro plus speed limit from 55 up to 60 in one of the settings menus. Might make it more palatable for our California freeway drivers?

(... And how much gas did you refill the tank with?)

 

[e52fanatic]

I've been using a broker for all of my car purchases for several years. Why mess around all day at a dealer, who often knows less about what they're selling than you do, when you can make one call, get a great price, and have the car delivered to your home? While convenience is the big win, a broker who places hundreds of cars per year can generally beat any deal that I could negotiate.

With the i3, I did the same. I asked my guy to find a REX on 3/23. He sourced the car fit to my spec from one of his best BMW dealer's inbound allocations. It's on schedule to be delivered to my home a few days after 6/11 at a price a little over invoice. What's not to love?

I highly recommend seeking out an experience broker in your area. Lose the hassle and save a little cash getting exactly the car you want.

 

[srini81]

I've never heard or thought of using a broker. If you paid a little over invoice, that means definitely below msrp. I am the Bay Area as well so if you don't mind, can you give info of your broker?