Car Pricing: 128i vs 135i

[friedymeister]

I've been looking for a good CPO 128i convertible w/ sports package and a manual transmission.

Unfortunately, I found two cars:

2008 CPO 128i convertible w/ bluetooth/bmw assist, heated seats, electric seats, and 24,700 miles for $26,995.

2011 USED (not CPO) 135i convertible w/ sports package, leather, harmon kardon sound, xenon headlights, alarm, satellite radio, bluetooth/bmw assist, and 12,350 miles for $34,985.

The dealer that has both is giving me a great deal on my trade-in, so I could essentially get either one.

Is one a better deal than the other?

How bad is the 128i convertible w/o the sports package?

Is it worth the extra money for the 3 years remaining maintenance on the 135i?

Thanks in advance.

[sjp3003]

Both look decently priced.

Plusses for the 128: Being in the NE the heated seats option is actually pretty useful to extend the top down season (I have 135 vert and am already using the heated seats/steering wheel this weekend in DC). Also, not having a turbo should mean less hassle longterm mechanically if you will keep it many years. Personally I'd also like having the SAT radio and the HK sound system

Plusses for the 135: Aside from the included maintenance, 135 performance is nice to have but it didn't seem to be a big deal for you if you were considering a 128 from the start. If you are planning on selling either car in a few (say 3) years, the cost of owning the 135 may be the same or even lower than a 2008 128. The residual on my 135 with June pricing is $29K with a 36 month lease. The residual under August pricing was $31K. So you may take a hit of $6-7K for owning the car if you drive under 12K/yr ...that's very reasonable.

I'd be inclined to get the 135 (practically new, better performance, sport package, better sound system and someone else already took big hit on initial ownership).

[friedymeister]

Thank you for your response.

The main reason I didn't jump on the 128i is because it doesn't have the sport package, which is what I want most.

My main concern about the 135 is the hpfp. I've been trying to dig through all the threads on the forum to determine the current status, but I still don't have any real answers. What's your opinion?

[tracer bullet]

Percentage-wise not that many people have had issues with the hpfp. It's common though, don't get me wrong. But - there's a replacement, it's free to swap, it's warranted for 100,000 miles, etc. I think it's something to keep in mind but personally it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if I was in your situation.

[byebyemyti]

Originally Posted by sjp3003

Both look decently priced.

Plusses for the 128: Being in the NE the heated seats option is actually pretty useful to extend the top down season (I have 135 vert and am already using the heated seats/steering wheel this weekend in DC).

wow, seems silly but i never thought of that. i am ordering a 128 vert this week (my first convertible, can you tell?) and was not opting for heated seats. now you've just made me reconsider....

[jkoral]

Forgetting about 128i vs 135i and sport pkg vs. non-sport pkg, I would value the longer factory warranty on the 135i as the biggest and most important difference.

Factory warranty != CPO warranty

The included maintenance on the 135i should be of minimal importance, it really covers so little, it should barely factor into your decision.

Also, when I was used car shopping I got CPO and non-CPO prices for the same cars. If the 135i doesn't have it, you can always ask for the price with CPO and vice versa. I got CPO prices on a couple cars *after* I negotiated a lower price, which ended up being close to the original asking price (i.e., if $34,985 is the dealer's "list" price, I bet you could get it CPO'd for $34,985).

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by jkoral

Forgetting about 128i vs 135i and sport pkg vs. non-sport pkg, I would value the longer factory warranty on the 135i as the biggest and most important difference.

Factory warranty != CPO warranty

The included maintenance on the 135i should be of minimal importance, it really covers so little, it should barely factor into your decision.

Also, when I was used car shopping I got CPO and non-CPO prices for the same cars. If the 135i doesn't have it, you can always ask for the price with CPO and vice versa. I got CPO prices on a couple cars *after* I negotiated a lower price, which ended up being close to the original asking price (i.e., if $34,985 is the dealer's "list" price, I bet you could get it CPO'd for $34,985).

Factory warranty DOES not = CPO warranty !!!!!!!!!!!

as a partial example CPO does not cover

a) Radio
b) Nav computer / Screen( if audio related)
c) Amps / speakers
d) telephone unit for bluetooth
e) worn components i.e bushings, tie rods, shocks, springs.....
f) water leaks / wind noises / body seals
g) trim peeling on any surface ( basically)
h) seat bolsters
I ) rattles / squeaks
j) NORMAL MAINT ITEMS
etc etc etc .....

and there is a 50.00 ded per visit

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by DriveHard

Factory warranty DOES not = CPO warranty !!!!!!!!!!!

Uh... that's what I said. "!=" is "NOT equal".

But thanks for reinforcing the whole point of my reply with specific examples.

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by jkoral

Uh... that's what I said. "!=" is "NOT equal".

But thanks for reinforcing the whole point of my reply with specific examples.

OOPS MISSED THE "!" sorry... but yes reinforced