New Buyer, questions and concerns...

Sportsguy34 · 10-22-2010, 08:36 PM

Hey guys,

I am looking to purchase a used AW 135i (2008 to 2010, depending on price and package) at the beginning of next year. Been looking everywhere, autotrader, ebay, kijiji, etc. However i have some unanswered questions that id love some input on.

1. I live in the GTA, as we all know canadian prices are higher than american, so does it make sense to import a car from the states? (obviously id have to look at places like buffalo, detroit or even NYC, cuz theres no way im buying a car without having a good look at it myself, which means driving down

) With taxes border dues, gas expenses, etc i think it would still be a significant amount saved.
If anyone has experience with this do share!!!

(warranty valid or not, if any mods have to be done, etc)

2. Is it economical to buy from BMW directly? (aka from the dealer, some of their financing rates on used vehicles are ludacris!)

Any other tips would be much appreciated

Alex_bm · 10-22-2010, 09:10 PM

The starting price point for 135 is not much different in Canada from States. If you count the 6% import tax, all the costs associated with importing and your own time, the savinds are not substancial.

There aren't that many 1 series for sale at this time in Canada period. Personally I would go with certified series for the peice of mind.
The other option is to look for lease take overs that have short term left. It might make sense to make the payments and then buy the car out.

Sportsguy34 · 10-22-2010, 09:18 PM

Def gonna take a look at leasebusters, see the inventory.
What peace of mind are you referring to with the certifid series? warranty is always there if im not mistaken... just knowing that theres never been an accident on the car?

Hopefully by next yr theres gonna be a few more 135's up for sale...

thanks

TheFastestOne35 · 10-22-2010, 09:18 PM

There's a few things you have to look at before you make your mind up.
First, how long do you plan on keeping the car? Buying in the U.S will probably save you some money upfront but if your not going to keep the car for over 5 or 6 years you're going to lose the same money you saved on the resale. The reason is U.S cars are worth less here and I have seen it happen lots of times where clients of mine have tried to trade in their U.S purchased car and have lost pretty well the same money that they saved in the first place. So unless you're going to keep it a really really long time where 90% of the depreciation is done with then be prepared to take a hit when you go to sell it.

Second thing to consider is the warranty, it will not be valid here, same thing with free scheduled maintainance. I think you should be able to go down the U.S and get the work done however I'm not 100% sure. I'm not sure if you have to be a U.S citizen with a u.S address. It sure would be a pain in the ass to have to drive the car down every time it needed service or warranty work, or worse, If you break down and have to get it rowed there just so you can get it under warranty.

Third thing to look at is the changes you will have to get to the car and the import duties you will have to pay for. Even with with those two things taken into consideration you may come out ahead price wise buy then when you look at the warranty situation it may not be worth your time.

One more thing to think about is the financing, if you are going to get the car from a certified dealer (which I would recommend because they get the first pick at all the good cars compared to indepent lots) you may bot be able to get financed because you don't have a U.S address so you will have to pay cash.

TheFastestOne35 · 10-22-2010, 09:27 PM

The certified program is great because the extra warranty you get and the fact you know where the cats come from and usually you have really good rates too! However right now on 2008's and higher the rates are not great because all the deals are on 2007's because those are the cars coming off lease.

Why don't you consider leasing a new one?? The one series have really good residules because they are coupes and there is not too much of them pm the road, so the payments are really good with taking into consideration the price of the vehicles. I leased mine because when the next generation comes out I can hand in the keys and her another one.

TheFastestOne35 · 10-22-2010, 09:28 PM

Please excuse my spelling mistakes, I'm on an iPhone, lol. Makes my fingers seem fat!

Sportsguy34 · 10-22-2010, 09:31 PM

In terms of getting one from the dealer, i wouldn't even consider the states, i was for sure thinking getting one from one of the dealers in the GTA, just worried for the finance rates on preowned...

thanks for ur reply man, gettin one from the states seems like just too much of a hassle at this point...
and yeah id like to keep it for a good 5 years hopefully

TheFastestOne35 · 10-22-2010, 10:36 PM

You should look at getting a brand newbone or a demo on a 5 year balloon finance. I don't always recommend blloon finances however on the 1 series it's a great option. Cause they gold their value so well and you get a nice low payment with some good rates. We don't have much used 1 series come in at all at our store but when we do they're usually almost the price of a new one exept you don't get an attractive rate on it, so I would say go for a new one then that way you get exactly what you want. If your looking at getting something next year I probably will be selling mine. It's on a lease and I want out because I'm doing to many mm however because I'm an employee I have a sweet buyout residual. If you have any other questions on the pricing of a new one let me know and I can get you some answers

The1 · 10-22-2010, 11:32 PM

I too was looking into going to the states as an option, but as other have pointed out, there are a lot of fees you probably aren't familiar with.

as stated, there's the 6% tax, along with all the registration stuff that has to be done here, then add on top of that, safety (which you'd need to get some programing done on the car to make the day running lights come on and etc)

it's a headache. Not worth the time, I was finding things in the states were only 2-4k cheaper then they were in canada, and that's not worth going for as you start dealing with crossing the border. the time and effort put in when compared to the expenses saved are basically on par.

I can see this working for some other cars, but the prices just aren't different enough on this specific vehicle to justify it. I figure you need to be looking for closer to a difference of 10,000 for it to be worth while with all the headaches.

10-22-2010, 08:36 PM	#1
Sportsguy34 New Member 5 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135I. Sapphire Black. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	New Buyer, questions and concerns... Hey guys, I am looking to purchase a used AW 135i (2008 to 2010, depending on price and package) at the beginning of next year. Been looking everywhere, autotrader, ebay, kijiji, etc. However i have some unanswered questions that id love some input on. 1. I live in the GTA, as we all know canadian prices are higher than american, so does it make sense to import a car from the states? (obviously id have to look at places like buffalo, detroit or even NYC, cuz theres no way im buying a car without having a good look at it myself, which means driving down ) With taxes border dues, gas expenses, etc i think it would still be a significant amount saved. If anyone has experience with this do share!!! (warranty valid or not, if any mods have to be done, etc) 2. Is it economical to buy from BMW directly? (aka from the dealer, some of their financing rates on used vehicles are ludacris!) Any other tips would be much appreciated
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10-22-2010, 09:10 PM	#2
Alex_bm Major 175 Rep 1,040 Posts Drives: Giulia QV Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Canada, Toronto iTrader: (1)	The starting price point for 135 is not much different in Canada from States. If you count the 6% import tax, all the costs associated with importing and your own time, the savinds are not substancial. There aren't that many 1 series for sale at this time in Canada period. Personally I would go with certified series for the peice of mind. The other option is to look for lease take overs that have short term left. It might make sense to make the payments and then buy the car out.
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10-22-2010, 09:18 PM	#3
Sportsguy34 New Member 5 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135I. Sapphire Black. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	Def gonna take a look at leasebusters, see the inventory. What peace of mind are you referring to with the certifid series? warranty is always there if im not mistaken... just knowing that theres never been an accident on the car? Hopefully by next yr theres gonna be a few more 135's up for sale... thanks __________________ 2008 BMW 135i: COBB, M-Sport, Toyo T1 Sport - 255/18, 225/18, M Mats, Performance Pedals, Performance Shifter Boot & Knob, Performance Handbrake, Performance Drilled/Slotted Rotors, K&N Drop-In... Dogoni
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10-22-2010, 09:18 PM	#4
TheFastestOne35 Private 10 Rep 50 Posts Drives: White on Red 2008 135i/MSport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridge, Ontario iTrader: (0)	There's a few things you have to look at before you make your mind up. First, how long do you plan on keeping the car? Buying in the U.S will probably save you some money upfront but if your not going to keep the car for over 5 or 6 years you're going to lose the same money you saved on the resale. The reason is U.S cars are worth less here and I have seen it happen lots of times where clients of mine have tried to trade in their U.S purchased car and have lost pretty well the same money that they saved in the first place. So unless you're going to keep it a really really long time where 90% of the depreciation is done with then be prepared to take a hit when you go to sell it. Second thing to consider is the warranty, it will not be valid here, same thing with free scheduled maintainance. I think you should be able to go down the U.S and get the work done however I'm not 100% sure. I'm not sure if you have to be a U.S citizen with a u.S address. It sure would be a pain in the ass to have to drive the car down every time it needed service or warranty work, or worse, If you break down and have to get it rowed there just so you can get it under warranty. Third thing to look at is the changes you will have to get to the car and the import duties you will have to pay for. Even with with those two things taken into consideration you may come out ahead price wise buy then when you look at the warranty situation it may not be worth your time. One more thing to think about is the financing, if you are going to get the car from a certified dealer (which I would recommend because they get the first pick at all the good cars compared to indepent lots) you may bot be able to get financed because you don't have a U.S address so you will have to pay cash.
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10-22-2010, 09:27 PM	#5
TheFastestOne35 Private 10 Rep 50 Posts Drives: White on Red 2008 135i/MSport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridge, Ontario iTrader: (0)	The certified program is great because the extra warranty you get and the fact you know where the cats come from and usually you have really good rates too! However right now on 2008's and higher the rates are not great because all the deals are on 2007's because those are the cars coming off lease. Why don't you consider leasing a new one?? The one series have really good residules because they are coupes and there is not too much of them pm the road, so the payments are really good with taking into consideration the price of the vehicles. I leased mine because when the next generation comes out I can hand in the keys and her another one.
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10-22-2010, 09:28 PM	#6
TheFastestOne35 Private 10 Rep 50 Posts Drives: White on Red 2008 135i/MSport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridge, Ontario iTrader: (0)	Please excuse my spelling mistakes, I'm on an iPhone, lol. Makes my fingers seem fat!
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10-22-2010, 09:31 PM	#7
Sportsguy34 New Member 5 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135I. Sapphire Black. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Toronto, ON iTrader: (0)	In terms of getting one from the dealer, i wouldn't even consider the states, i was for sure thinking getting one from one of the dealers in the GTA, just worried for the finance rates on preowned... thanks for ur reply man, gettin one from the states seems like just too much of a hassle at this point... and yeah id like to keep it for a good 5 years hopefully __________________ 2008 BMW 135i: COBB, M-Sport, Toyo T1 Sport - 255/18, 225/18, M Mats, Performance Pedals, Performance Shifter Boot & Knob, Performance Handbrake, Performance Drilled/Slotted Rotors, K&N Drop-In... Dogoni
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10-22-2010, 10:36 PM	#8
TheFastestOne35 Private 10 Rep 50 Posts Drives: White on Red 2008 135i/MSport Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridge, Ontario iTrader: (0)	You should look at getting a brand newbone or a demo on a 5 year balloon finance. I don't always recommend blloon finances however on the 1 series it's a great option. Cause they gold their value so well and you get a nice low payment with some good rates. We don't have much used 1 series come in at all at our store but when we do they're usually almost the price of a new one exept you don't get an attractive rate on it, so I would say go for a new one then that way you get exactly what you want. If your looking at getting something next year I probably will be selling mine. It's on a lease and I want out because I'm doing to many mm however because I'm an employee I have a sweet buyout residual. If you have any other questions on the pricing of a new one let me know and I can get you some answers
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10-22-2010, 11:32 PM	#9
The1 Major General 76 Rep 5,114 Posts Drives: white 135 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: KW ontario/vancouver temporarily iTrader: (0)	I too was looking into going to the states as an option, but as other have pointed out, there are a lot of fees you probably aren't familiar with. as stated, there's the 6% tax, along with all the registration stuff that has to be done here, then add on top of that, safety (which you'd need to get some programing done on the car to make the day running lights come on and etc) it's a headache. Not worth the time, I was finding things in the states were only 2-4k cheaper then they were in canada, and that's not worth going for as you start dealing with crossing the border. the time and effort put in when compared to the expenses saved are basically on par. I can see this working for some other cars, but the prices just aren't different enough on this specific vehicle to justify it. I figure you need to be looking for closer to a difference of 10,000 for it to be worth while with all the headaches.
	Appreciate 0 Quote