Does 5GT need Variable Damper Control? Yes, I like the 5GT.

[Del Lardo]

If a passing mod can update the title to "Shock horror, I like the BMW 5GT" to reflect Post 7 that would be appreciated.

Off to look at a BMW 5GT tomorrow that like most of them isn't fitted with VDC. Most reviews say you should go for one with VDC but as they're never spending their own money I take that with a large pinch of salt. Pretty much all of my journeys are on well surfaced Motorway and A roads so I am wondering if anyone with experience can comment on whether a can expect to need back surgery after the test drive or whether it will probably be just fine?

 

[Del Lardo]

So I need to find a car with the even harder to find Adaptive Drive instead of VDC

 

[Del Lardo]

Thanks all. It's an M-Sport with 20" wheels and runflats. I'll make sure to keep my mouth tightly closed so my teeth don't rattle out.

 

[Del Lardo]

So I went to see this car today.

Ride on 20" wheels without VDC on the rubbish roads around central Birmingham was absolutely fine and I must say that whilst it's still not a beautiful car the facelift (LCI?) has made it a very striking car and surrounded by 5-series saloon and touring cars made them all look a bit humdrum. Given my car history maybe I shouldn't be surprised but I really rather like it, feels very well built, comfortable and very nice to drive for a 2 ton barge.

Don't think I'll be buying this one as the dealer is totally unwilling to do a deal (seriously do all Main Dealer Sales people get trained at the same place?) and it's missing a £325 option of parking camera which they want £1800 to retrofit (8 hours of labour and £900 parts). Blows my mind that people will spring for £1500 on 20" wheels but not £325 on a reversing camera

Confirmed what I already knew, must be the 535d but does leave me in the tricky position of wanting to buy a car that's actually my 2nd choice. I would prefer a Jag XJ but will be getting whatever car I buy on PCP as I have much more important things to spend my capital on at the moment and loans are cheap (been offered 3.2% APR, obviously not by a main dealer). Problem for the Jag is residual value over 3 years is £6-7k lower than the BMW which can add 60%(ish, I can't be bothered to do exact maths at the moment) to my monthly payments and a Jag isn't worth that much more over what I found to be a surprisingly accomplished car for my needs.

I may need to wait a few months until I can find a car with the spec I want to depreciate a bit more in to my price range but will be keeping a close eye on BMW AUC site!

 

[Del Lardo]

What happened with this then - no movement at all? Bizarre. Most dealers seem happy to do a deal (And indeed appear to price cars in such a way that many of them make no sense unless a deal can be had).


I doubt you will get 3.2% APR on a PCP at a main dealer on a used car so I'd counter that if you are relying on a dealer PCP then finance really isn't *that* cheap at the moment. BMW's base rate atm appears to be 10.9% APR!

(been offered 3.2% APR, obviously not by a main dealer).

I'll admit that I went in with a lowball offer £25000 + my Lexus (book part ex of £4750). They were only willing to go to £4000 for my Lexus and didn't even seem very interested in doing anything with the £750 dealer deposit contribution that had expired as I wouldn't collect the car until February. Apparently Synter and Stratone (SP) now advertise their cars for what they expect to sell them for. In all fairness I don't doubt they can sell the car for more than I am willing to pay but lack of enthusiasm from the commercial manager to do anything other than try and talk monthly figures and tell me (for the 4th time between them) that parking sensors are all you need made me lose interest.

 

[Del Lardo]

I've heard that Stratstone do that - and the prices they advertise for are bizarrely specific too but you can negotiate with Sytner if they think there is a deal there. I suspect going in at 25k did you no favours but why not - maybe you'll get a call later..

I even stuck my hand out and said Come on, let's have a deal! What more am I supposed to do?

What about checking out Lloyds? See what they have.

Lloyds bank? Sorry I am not understanding.

 

[Del Lardo]

What book did you get the price from on your Lexus?

A sensible combination of Autotrader, Autotrader Trader sales prices (with a sizeable chunk taken off), other recent part-ex values I've been offered and webuyanycar.

Dealer deposit contribution is normally a manufacturer/finance company incentive so its not coming directly from the dealer's pockets. If the person paying this £750 (manufacturer/finance company) removes this at the end of January, why would you expect it to still be available in Feb from the dealer? Please bear in mind that, although you may buy it in Jan, the car trades works in monthly figures and so picking it up in Feb counts as a Feb deal therefore any Jan incentive may not be available.

If an advert says £750 dealer deposit contribution then frankly I don't care where they money comes from unless it states somewhere that I must take finance to get it, I just factor it into the price I am willing to pay for the car. If it's no longer available then take it out of the advert.

Surely this makes it easier?

Where's the fun in that?

 

[Del Lardo]

An actual car question......

I understand BMW now offers remote internet based car services including some kind remote or timed heat system? Anyone here know how it works, does it use an auxiliary heater or start the engine and if it's auxiliary is it a standard fit on UK models?

 

[Del Lardo]

The advert it probably had something along the lines of "subject to terms and conditions"... This is where you would find the qualifying criteria... Did you look at these T&Cs before becoming butthurt about not qualifying for it?

No it didn't. It was listed in Optional Equipment as something along the lines of

• £750 Dealer deposit contribution

There were no T&Cs stated there. Believe it or not I am literate and capable of reading an advert properly

 

[Del Lardo]

That's something the dealer themselves have chosen to add so I can understand your frustration

I think you mean my butthurt

Very different experience today. Told me clearly there was no negotiation on the price when he told me the price over the phone and when in the dealership made no effort to sell me a finance package with a car attached once I told him my bank was offering 3.2% APR.

Despite no negotiation on the base price he was willing to do a few things to help make the deal work for me so I've bought a 535d GT. I'll post details once I've collected it but it's newer, lower mileage and higher spec and thanks to the joys of PCP future value it's not costing much more despite the higher 'purchase' price.

 

[Del Lardo]

Sounds like you've been blinded with PCP mystery science, at least now we know how they manage to shift cars at high prices Of course increasing the GFV reduces the monthly payment but thats surely because they are moving cash between the monthly and the final payment without changing the overall value of the deal?

I'm amazed they were unable to do anything with the base price - perhaps because he'd already worked out he could get you to sign without the need to do so....

Compared to what else was on the AUC site it was already competitively priced, higher spec, lower mileage and newer than cars priced the same or higher. The base price is less relevant when you can do other things to reduce the cost of the car.

 

[Del Lardo]

Are you reducing the overall cost of the car though or just reducing the monthly cost at the expense of the final payment, meaning the overall deal value remains the same?

If the total payable is reduced, then fair enough, but you need to be careful that they don't just move the figures around to make them look more appealing whilst in reality all you are doing is obtaining a lower monthly cost, making it look cheaper, at the expense of a higher GFV - a higher GFV isn't appealing to you because it simply erodes your equity at the end of the deal.

The real value of this car won't change irrespective of what they do to the GFV - GFV's are typically set low to give you equity in the car at the end and to protect the finance house. The higher they set the GFV to reduce your monthly payment the less equity you have at the end. The car belongs to them, it's their asset not yours, hence a big GFV doesn't work in your favour as it means it costs you more to buy it at the end (or gets you less when you trade in).

Even if you never intended to pay the final payment and wanted to simply walk away you still end up worse off with a better GFV, if that makes sense..

My understanding is that there are no 'joys of PCP future value' to anyone but the salesman and finance company unless there is some sort of epic market crash a-la 2008

There is one number that matters here - 'Total amount payable'.

Simply as I don't have time to go into the numbers now, spending £1000 extra to get a newer car (ignoring the extra spec for the moment) gets me a guaranteed future value £1800 higher so £800 less depreciation or 'cost' over the 3 year ownership period. Now what I actually sell/part ex the car for is an unknown but as an indication it's what I had to work with.

 

[Del Lardo]

If this is the case then thats good and it must mean any reduction in the monthly payment is a reduction in the overall cost (Unless the term has increased).

Just make sure you are fully aware of what they've changed to reduce the monthly cost, thats all. Be smart

They did nothing to adjust any costs. I did all the finance myself on my banks website so I was able to play around with different cars and deposits to my hearts content to get me something I was happy with.

If I had been relying on dealer finance I would never have bought the car as monthly cost would have been 30-35% higher

 

[Del Lardo]

So I'll be borrowing this for the next 3 years.
Options are:
20" 303 M alloy wheels
Enhanced bluetooth
Anthracite wood trim
Head Up Display
BMW Advanced loud speaker
Multi function instrument panel
Reverse assist camera
Speed limit display
Sun protection glass.

RRP new £58 000. "Purchase" price at 11 months old £33 000

Options reflect the insanity of the UK buyer, £1100 on alloy wheels and £995 on a HUD but not £345 on comfort seats, £985 on VDC or £775 on Nappa leather.

Still I'm happy with the spec and whilst I'd never pay for it I must admit that the HUD is far more useful that I thought it would be and I'm now calling myself Maverick and playing the Top Gun soundtrack loudly in the car

 

[Del Lardo]

Very nice car, I'm extremely jealous!



The depreciation isn't that mental. Whilst the RRP is £58k with the options the 535D can be ordered new from a main dealer for £40,464 with no options or £44,871 with the options listed.

Given adding on options rarely results in getting money back you are basically talking about a £41k car going for £33k after 11 months.

Out of interest where did the quote for the lower price come from? I know that no-one (apart from the insane) pays the RRP but biggest discounts I'd seen was £11k.