[NorCalAthlete]

So I know it looks to be somewhere around mid 2015 for the 4-series update, but from my understanding little things are happening much sooner - for example, splitting the steering vs engine/suspension tuning so you can stay in sport + for steering while in eco for everything else. Also the nav getting split off into its own $500 option vs being part of the $3k tech package is nice.

I'm looking at buying a 435i, and initially was thinking about buying in March as a combination 30th birthday present to myself / early college graduation present (projected grad date - May 2016).

Factors I'm considering:
LCI update - with the B58 engine coming, there will be better deals on dealership lots. However, I want to custom order because I want some specific options, not others, and I want an M-sport in Estoril Blue with Oyster and Piano black interior. Not gonna find that at a dealership, and most "optioned" dealership cars are all-or-nothing affairs - either they have ALL the options, extra cameras, sensors, etc., or none of them. I live in San Jose, CA so I don't need a heated steering wheel anymore (even though I got one on my truck heh). I don't need or want the extra side cameras, just the backup camera and sensors.

If I wait until the LCI models come out, will I even be able to order a 435 with an N55 engine through BMW's website or will I be stuck ordering a 440i with the B58? I'd rather have the tried and true N55 than the B58, and just stick the M performance power up kit on it.

Does anyone know 1, exactly when the new models will be rolling out/hitting the website for order (and replacing the 435 for order), and 2, what other minor updates are coming out in the meantime like the nav change and such?

Thanks!

edit - will likely be posting a separate thread in the purchasing configuration sub forum. And if anyone has a 435i in estoril blue with oyster interior, I'd love to see it!

[SamS]

You're not going to see an LCI 4-series until MY2017, i.e. 2 years from right now.

[Professor///M]

I think the more important question is why you are graduating college at 30. You better be some sort of form of doctor.

j/k

There is very little information about the LCI models, and whether they will correspond across F30 to F32. If anything was like the e90s and e92s, there were 2 years between the e90 LCI and the e92 LCI.

I don't know how this changes your decision. Hope it's helpful

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by JSTDR1V

I think the more important question is why you are graduating college at 30. You better be some sort of form of doctor.

j/k

There is very little information about the LCI models, and whether they will correspond across F30 to F32. If anything was like the e90s and e92s, there were 2 years between the e90 LCI and the e92 LCI.

I don't know how this changes your decision. Hope it's helpful

Ok, sounds good if I have till 2017. Will still buy around March most likely then.

Any word on further updates not related to LCI then? Stuff like the steering adjustment? Any reasons to wait till March vs ordering in December?

As for why I'm not graduating till 31, I spent 10 years in the Army before deciding to switch careers and move back to California. Studying Computer Science now

[brhon]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Ok, sounds good if I have till 2017. Will still buy around March most likely then.

Any word on further updates not related to LCI then? Stuff like the steering adjustment? Any reasons to wait till March vs ordering in December?

As for why I'm not graduating till 31, I spent 10 years in the Army before deciding to switch careers and move back to California. Studying Computer Science now

Thanks for serving, and congrats for finishing school.

[P-Bass]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Ok, sounds good if I have till 2017. Will still buy around March most likely then.

Any word on further updates not related to LCI then? Stuff like the steering adjustment? Any reasons to wait till March vs ordering in December?

As for why I'm not graduating till 31, I spent 10 years in the Army before deciding to switch careers and move back to California. Studying Computer Science now

10 years in the Army, thanks Buddy. You deserve a nice ride.

[ynguldyn]

4 series LCI will start production in March 2016. If you custom order, you will get it in May, and it will be a 440i with B58. You won't be able to order an LCI with N55.

BMW does rolling updates for specific pieces of equipment. Nav is one such example: transitions to new versions of the hardware occur suddenly, sometimes within the same model year. Another example was the transition to LED angel eyes: you have to know the production month of some BMW models to determine if the specific car has regular yellowish AE or the new white LED AE. What's worse is the option codes remain the same, only part numbers change. So, don't expect to know what you'll have installed in your car until you actually go to place the order.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Ok, sounds good if I have till 2017. Will still buy around March most likely then.

Any word on further updates not related to LCI then? Stuff like the steering adjustment? Any reasons to wait till March vs ordering in December?

As for why I'm not graduating till 31, I spent 10 years in the Army before deciding to switch careers and move back to California. Studying Computer Science now

Hooah!! I graduated at 32. The Army College Fund paid for the second half of my college career. I had a pre-Army GPA and a post-Army GPA and I'm sure you can guess which one was higher. :-)

[SamS]

Originally Posted by ynguldyn

Another example was the transition to LED angel eyes: you have to know the production month of some BMW models to determine if the specific car has regular yellowish....

When/what model did this happen to? Every transition from halogen to LED AE's has occurred with an LCI/model year update, at least in the US.

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by SamS

When/what model did this happen to? Every transition from halogen to LED AE's has occurred with an LCI/model year update, at least in the US.

X5.

[simongym]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Also the nav getting split off into its own $500 option vs being part of the $3k tech package is nice.

Currently the nav is already a stand-alone option outside of tech package, but for $2,150 - so I'm curious where you're getting $500 from?

I'm only asking because I'll likely be trading my MY12 in around the same time (MY16 or so) and would be much more willing to spend $500 on nav vs. 2k.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by simongym

Currently the nav is already a stand-alone option outside of tech package, but for $2,150 - so I'm curious where you're getting $500 from?

I'm only asking because I'll likely be trading my MY12 in around the same time (MY16 or so) and would be much more willing to spend $500 on nav vs. 2k.

Mixed up my numbers on that one - could have sworn there was something that got split off for ~$500 but can't find it now configuring a 435.

For those interested, here's my build (and I'll be posting this over in the build forum separately, just in no hurry seeing as I still have ~ 4-6 months before I'm actually planning on placing this order...probably...the bug's bitten me pretty bad right now ) but classes are picking up which should get my mind off it for a bit.
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...tionId=5724075

Base MSRP: $46,000
M Sport Line: $3,000
Estoril Blue Metallic: $500
Leather Dakota Oyster/Black with dark Oyster accent
Aluminum Hexagon interior trim
Estoril Blue matte highlight trim
Driver Assistance Package: $950
Premium Package: $2,200
M Sport Brakes: $650
Heated front seats: $500
Navigation system w/ touchpad: $2,150
Harman Kardon surround sound system: $875
Destination and Handling: $950
Total as built: $57,825
Estimated w/ CA sales tax and such: $62,740

Buddy of mine is coincidentally traveling to Germany in the spring. When I told him I was looking at a 435i (he just bought an X5 for his wife) he offered to pay for my plane ticket if I wanted to take Euro delivery and do a little mini vacation in Germany with him. I'm sorely tempted to take him up on that generous offer...but it would mean I'd get to drive my new baby only for a week or so and then not have it for another 2 months! (Takes 8-10 weeks to reach the west coast of the US from Germany) Through USAA my price is more like $56,000, so more like $60,760 out the door. If I took Euro delivery, I would maybe save another $1,000, but wouldn't have anything to drive when I got back aside from my motorcycle. Choices, choices...

Thanks for the kind words and warm welcome to the forum I've always liked BMWs and really just German cars in general (plus, I'm half German and have visited several times). I'm really excited to finally own one, but just need to have a bit more patience heh.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Hooah!! I graduated at 32. The Army College Fund paid for the second half of my college career. I had a pre-Army GPA and a post-Army GPA and I'm sure you can guess which one was higher. :-)

Heh, I ended up getting a GED with somewhere around a 1.8 GPA from high school. Went through a rough time, lost my dad, grades dropped, was pretty depressed for a while. Now I finished out my associate's in Business Admin with a 3.86 GPA, and currently have a 3.1 GPA in Computer Science working on my bachelor's. Much tougher material, but still worlds apart from a 1.8 so I'm somewhat satisfied. I know I can do better though and aim to raise that back up to at least a 3.4 or so for graduation.

Originally Posted by brhon

Thanks for serving, and congrats for finishing school.

Originally Posted by PSA955

10 years in the Army, thanks Buddy. You deserve a nice ride.

Haven't finished quite yet, still have a year to go, but thank you for the support. It does mean a lot to feel appreciated. Sure as hell didn't get much of that from my chain of command, but then, they all got relieved anyway

Also, as far as the nice ride...can't wait to get this 435i, but I'm gonna be trading in my 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie for it. And it's a pretty sweet truck that I'm gonna miss, but it's honestly just not practical anymore. It was great while I was still in since every time I moved, went TDY somewhere for a few months, etc. it was easy to throw my bike and a couple tac boxes in the bed, rucksack in the backseat, and go. But I'm not moving around like that anymore, I've accumulated a decent amount of apartment furniture, and being back in California vs Texas roads are tighter, parking lots tighter, parking spaces smaller, gas is way more expensive, etc. 400hp is nice to have on tap, but man...17 mpg average when gas is $4.09/gallon is not fun. Services and tires and registration all cost more than the BMW will too. Might as well trade it in while it's still worth something. 57,000 miles and the truck's still worth almost $23k-24k. Which brings the cost of the BMW down from $60k to $36k territory, which is quite nice. Factor in 0 maintenance cost for the next 4 years (I've spent at least $3k over the last 5 years on service and tires) and believe it or not it almost sounds economical

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Mixed up my numbers on that one - could have sworn there was something that got split off for ~$500 but can't find it now configuring a 435.

For those interested, here's my build (and I'll be posting this over in the build forum separately, just in no hurry seeing as I still have ~ 4-6 months before I'm actually planning on placing this order...probably...the bug's bitten me pretty bad right now ) but classes are picking up which should get my mind off it for a bit.
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...tionId=5724075

Base MSRP: $46,000
M Sport Line: $3,000
Estoril Blue Metallic: $500
Leather Dakota Oyster/Black with dark Oyster accent
Aluminum Hexagon interior trim
Estoril Blue matte highlight trim
Driver Assistance Package: $950
Premium Package: $2,200
M Sport Brakes: $650
Heated front seats: $500
Navigation system w/ touchpad: $2,150
Harman Kardon surround sound system: $875
Destination and Handling: $950
Total as built: $57,825
Estimated w/ CA sales tax and such: $62,740

Buddy of mine is coincidentally traveling to Germany in the spring. When I told him I was looking at a 435i (he just bought an X5 for his wife) he offered to pay for my plane ticket if I wanted to take Euro delivery and do a little mini vacation in Germany with him. I'm sorely tempted to take him up on that generous offer...but it would mean I'd get to drive my new baby only for a week or so and then not have it for another 2 months! (Takes 8-10 weeks to reach the west coast of the US from Germany) Through USAA my price is more like $56,000, so more like $60,760 out the door. If I took Euro delivery, I would maybe save another $1,000, but wouldn't have anything to drive when I got back aside from my motorcycle. Choices, choices...

Thanks for the kind words and warm welcome to the forum I've always liked BMWs and really just German cars in general (plus, I'm half German and have visited several times). I'm really excited to finally own one, but just need to have a bit more patience heh.

Perfect build.

You have to take him up on the offer!!! Remember, patience is character building.

The $500 is for enhanced Bluetooth plus something else.

By the time you learn here (and the other BMW forum) how to calculate prices your ED purchase price should be around $52k before incentives.

[NorCalAthlete]

Other BMW forum? What do you mean how to calculate prices? I know there's some deals to be had on aftermarket parts and getting dealers to price match internet sales, not sure what you mean as far as knocking another $4k off MSRP before incentives O_o

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Other BMW forum? What do you mean how to calculate prices? I know there's some deals to be had on aftermarket parts and getting dealers to price match internet sales, not sure what you mean as far as knocking another $4k off MSRP before incentives O_o

ED discounts the base price of a car (not options) by 7%. Any ED car that's not in high demand (read "not a brand new model") can be had for $500-$1000 over invoice (which is also 7% off MSRP). $57K MSRP means you will easily find a dealer who'll sell you this car with ED for $51K.

The other forum (replace "post" with "fest") has a large group of salesmen who specialize in low margin high volume ED transactions.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by ynguldyn

X5.

Don't all E70s with the newer style tail lights get LED coronas?

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by SamS

Don't all E70s with the newer style tail lights get LED coronas?

Angel eyes, not tails.

[SamS]

Originally Posted by ynguldyn

Angel eyes, not tails.

What I'm asking is if all LCI E70s (with newer tail lights) got LED coronas? You are implying otherwise?

[nepats81]

dont punish yourself. Just lease now. You can get a good deal. Then in 3 years you can switch over to the LCI 435.

[MikaM3]

what are some good computer science programs in the bay area???

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by SamS

What I'm asking is if all LCI E70s (with newer tail lights) got LED coronas? You are implying otherwise?

Yes. Can't say for ROW, but US X5s started getting LED AE in April 2011, last month of MY2011 production. And no, it didn't make any sense to anyone.