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Originally Posted by Koenigsegg220 I am in the process of buying my first luxury car in the US. I always want to go for a BMW, but want to check out on other cars and compare in terms of reliability, expenditures in the long run, CPO/lease etc.
I am really missing Team Bhp-esque site in US.
Is there any site like that comes close ? |
Let me quickly straighten your doubts !
A bit background - I came to US in Aug 2016. I stay in NJ , walking distance to Trains to NY office. Never required a car. But heavy rental pricing and the sense of not owning a car in the land of cars, made me and wife uneasy. So we decided to go for a car.
I recently (2 weeks) bought a Feb 2017' BMW X1 xDrive 28i - 4400 Miles on ODO.
About the car:
- Certified Pre-Owned. Car is a Loaner Car of the Dealership.
- Comes with all the bells and whistles (packages), except the M-Sport.
- 3 Year Lease with BMW Financial Services.
- 10,000 Miles annual mileage limit (30,000 in 3 years).
- Annual Oil Change (incl Labour) covered under warranty. I pay only for wear and tear and tightening up services.
- 4 Year BMW Warranty Covered.
- Took additional Tire Package, that covers Unlimited Free Tire and Alloys (if needed) replacement. The car has Pirelli RFT. So I take it to any nearby dealership and tire is changed FOC.
All these costs me 439$ per month. Insurance extra.
X1 as an entry level SUV costs this much. If you buy a 3 series or a 2 series, that would be way cheaper per month.
Overall, instead of paying $45,000, I end up paying just about $16,000. However at the end of 3 years, I own nothing.
So my general car buying advice to you:
- Look for Certified Pre-Owned - Through Dealership Only.
- Look for cars which are still under warranty.
- Go for Lease, if you just want to enjoy the car only, and there are no plans of modifications or track events.
- If your company has tie up with Perks at Work, you can get some good discounts.
- Search for the model / variant on True Car to get an estimate.
- If you do not have a great Credit History (either due to not owning many cards; or less time in US, like me; or didn't pay your bills on time), then do not buy a car on Loan. Your interest rate will kill you. Go for a Lease then.
- I was refused a Lease at a Mazda dealership due to my non-immigrant status.
- BMW Financial Services is a great organization. They have some corporate lease plans which is pretty good. My lease application was Approved in 20 mins. I submitted my Company's US Deputation Letter, Passport, Visa, i94.
Good Luck
Quick Edit:
Q) Why X1 ?
A) Because Q3 is Boring, GLA is Tiny. RDX and C5 were so so.
Q) Why not a 3 series ?
A) Because the rear bench's floor hump of a RWD sedan makes the middle person sit like a frog. 3 series is essentially a 4 seater.
Q) What other cars ?
A) I loved the Mazda 6 Grand Touring.