[///Macht]

I own a 2007 335i, and it's in service right now for a transmission problem that may or may not require a replacement transmission altogether, so while I wait for my warranty company to deny my claim, I figured I'd look into leasing my dream ride.

I've never leased before, so I'm looking for some feedback. I built a beautiful Alpine White M-Sport 335i that priced out to about $65k, and I'm wondering what the process is like having a car built for you. I've submitted the configuration to my local dealership; now what? I should know whether or not my transmission problems are over by tomorrow, and if they aren't, I'll be devoting a lot more time to my new ride.

If it gets to the point where I'm ready to go ahead and pull the trigger on a new ride, what should I expect the process to be like? Is there room to negotiate in the same way as when you're purchasing new or used? What have some of you paid for similarly optioned cars (fully loaded, every available option checked)? Are there subtle differences between leasing and purchasing that I should be on the look out for?

My main motivation for doing this is a) I want to customize a car to my exact liking, and b) I want to continue driving the ultimate driving machine without having to pay the ultimate price to keep it running. That manufacturer's warranty is looking real tasty to me right now. Complete newb to leasing, I appreciate the help!

[python]

Originally Posted by ///Macht

I own a 2007 335i...

I just got my Estoril Blue M-Sport, almost completely loaded. I didn't custom order. I went to dealer looking for an M-Sport with Dynamic Handling Package, and there only 5 in all of California. After about a week of thought I got one of them. It has a few packages that I didn't want.

I didn't want to build one because they said it takes 8-10 weeks, and I had 2 things working against me. My tires were nearly beyond the limit, and my car registration was coming up. So, I would have to put out almost $1k in cash and wait 2 months to get a new car. Because the one I got was mostly exactly what I wanted anyway I pulled the trigger.

Quickly, lease goes like this....

configure car to specs, go to BMWconfig.com to do this, because you get invoice. Say the car MSRP is $65k, which is tough to believe because mine was $59 and I have ever package, and only missed a couple options. Anyway, invoice will be about $3k less than that. You can likely get your car anywhere from $500-$1200 over invoice very easily.

BMWconfig.com also has great financing section tab. Go here http://www.ridewithg.com/index.php/c...ase-rates/bmw/ to get current lease info. Mine was residual of 62% and MF of .00129. I chose the multiple security deposits, which you should google. Residual is bascially how much the car is worth afterward, so if you pay $60k and the residual is 62%, it will be worth $37,200 in 3 years, and you only pay the difference $22,800 over 3 years, with money factor acting as interest. You can put money down but you should research some because some insurance policies make you lose your down payment in a big accident, and with rates this low, the down doesn't remove that much of a financing charge.

Because BMW loves to keep people leasing over and over, they give you nice deals at the end. I got over $1k worth of loyalty stuff and the ability to end my lease early with no issues at all. I had a pretty big scratch under my front bumper and they didn't even care. It was no questions asked.

I've typed too much. Ask more questions if I didn't help enough.

[R12ax7]

If your in Virginia you wont have to wait quite as long as those in California. I ordered mine exactly 2 weeks ago and it will be finished today. I should take delivery by the end of the month...so less than 6 weeks from order to delivery. At most, add a week for you in Virginia (not sure if the port of entry will still be Newark for you or if it would come through Baltimore or Virginia).

There is absolutely room to negotiate just like buying the car. Your negotiating the "sale price" on which your lease will be based. Python is right, $500-$1200 over the invoice from BMWconfig is the most you should pay.

One thing to consider is the MY2014 cars are just around the corner and could have some different options ... but the best deals are now, the end of the MY2013s, so that will be your best bet in terms of lease deals.

[alex2364]

There are a lot more things to negotiate in leasing vs buying. You should learn the terms and how all the numbers are calculated before stepping into the dealership. Some of the things you need to negotiate...purchase price, money factory (MF), lease acquisition fee (should be $725, but dealers can mark up to $925). Also, learn about multiple security deposits (MSD), and how it can lower your lease payment.

Oh and since you're leasing, it's actually cheaper to lease an AH3 than 335i since there's a $3500 EcoCredit. Might want to look into that.