Buying Your First BMW: How To Get a Better Price

Some people thrive on haggling with their dealer when buying a new car. Others want to find a no-haggle dealership who offers the best price they can right off the bat. Of course, even so-called “no-haggle” dealerships can usually come down at least a little off the price when it comes right down to it. While it may not be in your blood to haggle over prices, you should understand that it is all part of the game and that you are cheating yourself out of money when you don’t at least attempt to play a little. This is even more true when it comes to buying a luxury automobile like a BMW. If you’re able to afford such a pricey car, it’s clear that you have means that many don’t. But you probably didn’t get to that state by throwing your money away. Here are some easy tips you can implement when it comes time to buy your new car.

First of all, don’t go onto the BMW lot without having done your research. This was a lot more difficult to do a few years ago than it is now. Today, website after website is devoted to giving people inside information about automobiles and how much they are selling for. This can give you an idea of what sort of deal you should expect. Talk to others on enthusiast forums and find out what they recommend as it pertains to a good final price. Try to keep your information as localized as possible. Cars are going to sell for more in rich neighborhoods than in poor ones. Also, don’t miss out on dealership sales, as this can be a fantastic opportunity to get a car for hundreds less, if not more.

You’ll want to lowball the dealer on your first offer, but don’t get ridiculous. There are those who think it’s best to write “$1” on a piece of paper and slide it across to the salesman, but this is just wasting your time. You should already have a price you’re willing to pay for the automobile. Undercut that price by a small percentage and see if you can’t negotiate up to the price you really want. When you’re taking overstock off a dealer’s lot—buying a car that no one else wants—you can sometimes get away with murder when it comes to the negotiations. This isn’t going to be true of buying a BMW. The dealer knows, the salesman knows, and you know that this is a fine automobile that will sell one way or the other.

Don’t get wrapped up in special features or dealer rebates that would be there whether you negotiated or not. A common salesman ploy is to throw these on later as if they are doing you a favor and coming off the sticker price. Basically look at it this way: if the salesman is giving you money off the car without you having to say a single word, you aren’t haggling for a better price. It just took a few minutes to get to the price they want you to pay. It is after rebates and discounts and such that you get to the price you want to negotiate.