Name: Randy
Location: Pennsylvania
What He’s Got: Navi, BMW Assist (bluetooth), Logic7 premium sound, Xenons, Comfort access (keyless), Upgraded wheels.
What It Cost: MSRP $42,050+, Euro Invoice + $250 – about $36310, Money Factor with MSD: .00101, Monthly Payment: $400.00, 15k/yr 36 months
My Take: European Delivery ROCKS! Thanks for the pic Randy! Neuschwanstein Castle in the background? You’re killing me! That’s like on my TO DO List. Hahaa. Very awesome, sounds like you got a solid deal AND got a sweet vacation out of it. Can’t beat that! You got me wanting to do an Euro Delivery next year when my TSX is up. I can just imagine asking my boss for time off…”I need time off to go pick up my car…in Germany”
Want your ride featured on RIDE with G? Head over to THE WALL for more information.
Randy:
Congrats!
Just curious… how come your monthly payment is so low? Did you put a lot of money down?
Thanks!
He was able to drop the money factor by putting multiple security deposits. So, technically, yes, he did put a low of money upfront, but the security deposits are refundable at lease end. He just has to make sure he doesn’t try trading in or selling the car before lease end, or he’ll lose his deposits.
After looking over my paperwork again, I decided to break down the numbers for everyone here that can follow. Note: this may be confusing to some so stay with me!
Model: 2009 BMW 328i Xdrive Sedan
Euro Delivery agreed upon price: $36,345
MSRP Price: $42,050
Of note, what seemed to work to my advantage was the fact I locked into the pre-2009 base price increase of the 3 series on December 31st by ordering the car for pickup in March. When the dealer finished my paperwork prior to my Munich pickup in March, they used the pre-base price increase for my agreed upon price, but used post-base price increase for my MSRP, accounting for a whopping difference of $600 which further helped my lease numbers!
By locking into my price in December, I was able to also lock into the December 08 lease rates on the car as well. Since December of 2008, lease rates have tanked, making it more expensive for prospective lessees, so buyer beware!
At drive off I paid $4753.21 of which $3200 is refundable at turn in (due to multiple security deposits aka MSD’s). Of this total amount the following was charged:
License, tax, title, and acquisition fees: $1015.31 (acquisition fee of 725 + taxes, tax, title fees)
1st month payment: $400 (monthly payment of 366.97 + taxes of 33.03)
Capitalized Cost reduction: $137.90 (to bring lease payments to and even $400 per month and to reduce total initial outlay due to MSD)
It may seem like I did put a “lot of money down” on the lease. However, in reality, this seems quite low considering I will be REFUNDED for the MSD’s at lease end, bringing the total cap cost reduction, acquisition fees, and first payment in the amount of: $1,553.21
Another important thing to realize when using a MSD to lower the MF rate: if your vehicle is totalled by your insurance company, you will still receive 100% of your MSD’s back – this is NOT the case if you put down money as a cap cost reduction. In fact, putting money down as a cap cost reduction is probably NOT a good thing to do, due to the fact that an individual can loose quite a bit of money (depending on their initial outlay toward the cap cost reduction).
Overall, I have to say that this is the best deal I ever got on a car so far. My advice would be to work with multiple dealers and have them battle for your business based on price. Also, before doing this make sure to do your homework and ask many questions – find an enthusiasts board (such as bimmerfest dot com) for individuals to help you decide on how to proceed. In my honest opinion, it helps to be well informed when working with dealers. In fact, when I was signing my paperwork the dealer tried adding in extra fees and not complying with the terms agreed upon before the sale of the vehicle! I immediately recognized this and they quickly fixed the multiple problems they had in their calculations – the problem was they were trying to charge me over $500 per month for the car posted above by increasing the dealers profits! Going in there, I knew EXACTLY how much I should be paying thanks to G, and I made it a point to let the dealer know that I was not getting taken advantage of!
Now that’s exactly how you should cut your deals. Couldn’t have done it better myself! Knowing exactly what to expect for inception and monthly payment prevents them from getting “creative” with the math. The negotiation part is just the beginning. For those who plan to lease soon, remember that the finance dept likes to fudge with the numbers too! Randy, thanks again for the detailed description of your deal, it is definitely going to help a lot of people understand the process and see how MSDs can help you save some money.