[R1ckyB0bbyyy]

I have a friend who thinks leasing is the greatest idea... I think not.

He chose a new 328i with ZERO options... I believe the MSRP the lease will be based off of is $34,450.00 which essentially gets you one without any goodies and fake leather I assume right? oh and an automatic transmission...

You must pay:

• $369 First months payment
• $2,500 Down payment
• $400 Security Deposit
for a grand total of >>> • $3,269 Cash due at signing before you can drive the car away...

and that gets you a stripped 328i for 36 months... at 10,000 miles a year? so in total, for you to drive a stripped 328i around for 3 years it costs you...

$16,553.00 !!! and that does not include tax, title, registration...

How much roughly will it cost for one to have this thing for 36 months?

He also seems to think that the reason people are paying $500-700 a month for a lease on a 335i is because they have weak credit... He seems to think leasing is SOOO cheap. I think not.

[GreenThree]

Originally Posted by R1ckyB0bbyyy

I have a friend who thinks leasing is the greatest idea... I think not.

He chose a new 328i with ZERO options... I believe the MSRP the lease will be based off of is $34,450.00 which essentially gets you one without any goodies and fake leather I assume right? oh and an automatic transmission...

You must pay:

• $369 First months payment
• $2,500 Down payment
• $400 Security Deposit
for a grand total of >>> • $3,269 Cash due at signing before you can drive the car away...

and that gets you a stripped 328i for 36 months... at 10,000 miles a year? so in total, for you to drive a stripped 328i around for 3 years it costs you...

$16,553.00 !!! and that does not include tax, title, registration...

How much roughly will it cost for one to have this thing for 36 months?

He also seems to think that the reason people are paying $500-700 a month for a lease on a 335i is because they have weak credit... He seems to think leasing is SOOO cheap. I think not.

See my thread in this section "328xi lease question" that will tell you how much I am paying for my 328xi. The leatherette is actually a great option in this car. Very close to the leather IMO. His mon pymt is low, but its too much to put down on a lease. I know a couple of people who have gotten this car stripped just for the drivnig experience. Hey, to each their own. Leasing fits some peoples lifestyle, not all. Payments on leases tend to be lower then buying a car. (depending how much is put down, etc.)

Regarding the 335xi, I was quoted 2500 down, 588 per month for a 3 year 15k miles per year lease. Not bad, but it only included step, metallic paint and CWP. And did not fit my budget right now

[chaz58]

Actually, there is no such thing as a stripped BMW in this country.

Compared to a stripped 3 series in Europe, you are getting about 10,000 in options (Sunroof, automatic climate control, upgraded stereo, speakers, and all kinds of do dads).

Ain't nothing wrong with a stripped US 3 series. Doesn't cost much more than a basic sedan (Malibu, Camery, Legacy, Saturn), and drive much better with a long list of standard equipment.

I probably shouldn't tell you that the Invoice cost for this car through the European Delivery (ED) program is just over $27,000.

As for leasing -

Well, you are buying a car at retail, and selling at wholesale 3 years later - that is why it is so expensive to lease. If you don't want to take that hit, either keep the car longer and/or sell it yourself. Dealers are making a fortune off of people who lease.

After three years, you could sell that ED car yourself for close to what you bought it for.

[chaz58]

+1 for leatherette. Leather has a slightly more "greasy" feel to me, but has been processed so much it feels like leatherette. Look at a 5-10 year old car, any you will see leatherette is much more durable than leather (which scratches, cracks, splits and tears).

[GreenThree]

Originally Posted by chaz58

Actually, there is no such thing as a stripped BMW in this country.

Compared to a stripped 3 series in Europe, you are getting about 10,000 in options (Sunroof, automatic climate control, upgraded stereo, speakers, and all kinds of do dads).

Ain't nothing wrong with a stripped US 3 series. Doesn't cost much more than a basic sedan (Malibu, Camery, Legacy, Saturn), and drive much better with a long list of standard equipment.

I probably shouldn't tell you that the Invoice cost for this car through the European Delivery (ED) program is just over $27,000.

As for leasing -


Well, you are buying a car at retail, and selling at wholesale 3 years later - that is why it is so expensive to lease. If you don't want to take that hit, either keep the car longer and/or sell it yourself. Dealers are making a fortune off of people who lease.

After three years, you could sell that ED car yourself for close to what you bought it for.

I suppose the 328xi does come with some decent standard equipment, but not as much as it should. The invoice on what car is $27,000 through ED?