Can anyone provide insight?

[R3D D3MN]

Hey guys,

Apologizing in advance for the long post, but please bear with me.

I am currently leasing an 08 e90 335i moderately loaded. I am an E6 in the Navy stationed in the Hampton Roads, VA area. I love the car, but I don't enjoy being hindered by a lease, so when it ends in July of 2011, I would like to finance an M3, becuase 300hp is not enough.

I have several questions however, a little more info, my current lease is from Checkered Flag BMW in Virginia Beach, VA. They quoted me around 600 a month for 20k miles a year, adding in the perks of tire/rim replacement, key fob replacement, interior/exterior protection shot me up to 800 a month.

Comparing to other individuals, that seems a bit high, I assume since I opted for 20k miles, since I love to drive.

The M3 I plan to get will be a fully loaded e90, built on the website showed a sticker of ~75k.

Hefty, I am sure there are some things I can trim down. Looking at estimates on the website show for both leasing and financing (60 mo) equal payments of 1450, however BMW Select shows 1050.

I am not good with math, so I am trying to search through other threads to find out more about the pros and cons of BMW Select.


Q1)What features would you consider a necessity in the M? What prefered comfort features do you really enjoy? (This will help me trim down)


Q2)1450 is a bit much, if you are fully loaded, is that close to numbers you have seen or is it inflated?

Being in the military, I don't really make enough to justify that payment, hence why BMW Select seems enticing.


Q3)Is it possible to negotiate when you are doing a custom build or are you stuck with the website's estimate?


Q4)So far I would say that my experience at Va Beach Checkered Flag has been good, not excellent. Does anyone have any recommendations for dealers on the east coast?

I am notorious for having bad luck with cars (hence why I leased), my 335's brakes squeal when dry, the muffler rattles, but service never seems to find the problem.


Q5)Is it worth the extra ~10k to extend warranty and service out to 100k?

I have already put 42k on my 335 and I have yet to hit 2 years, a lot of trips, I plan to have the M3 for the entire 6 years or more, as long as it doesn't screw me over, so this would seem like a good move for me and my bad luck.

Sorry for the long post, any info is appreciated, I know it is a little early to be thinking about the next vehicle with a year and 3 months left, but I like to plan ahead when making a big investment.

Thanks!

[Sephiroth]

What features to get is personal opinion. Im also planning on buying in 1 years time and im looking at Tech pkg, maybe leather?, sound, ipod, paint. Thats it. Out of these i would consider tech pkg essential, because it allows you to personalize the feel of the car to a small degree. But again, this is my opinion.

There is definitely room to negotiate price. Being in the military i think you get a special discount.

$10k for extended warranty and service is outrageous!!

[Genro757]

If possible, I would take advantage of the BMW Military Sales program that is available for us in the service...I'm also from Virginia Beach...but am fortunately stationed in Germany and picked mine up through miltary sales. If I'm not mistaken, when you guys are underway, you should be eligible for it. As far as things I see essential...it all depends on what you want to do with the car...I got pretty much everything except for the sunshades, headlight washers, and ski bag for mines. I'll actually be in Virginia Beach on R&R in about a week or so...shoot me a PM and I can show you what I've got.

[Genro757]

Also, I've gone to Checkerd Flag a couple of times to pick up stuff...and the customer service there wasnt what I expected from a "premium" car dealership...my girlfriend took the car up to Casey BMW in Newport News and she said they treated her like a queen and what she would expect from a "premium" dealership.

[Ghicks99]

10k warranty, geez