Hello All,

Well the deal is finally done, or at least agreed to at this point. Now it’s just time to place the order once week 18 build allocations come out this week. I know they are taking week 16 builds but PCD was not available for those builds so we’re pushed to week 18. Worked out a deal with BMW Minnetonka through a SCA that was referred by a member of this site. Overall we got a respectable deal on the vehicle price and a less than favorable (but that’s the way it is) deal on our trade. Good news is I have until PCD to try and sell the trade on my own. Then the fall back is to just trade it in.

Both my parents and my wife and I purchased X5s through this two car deal. Theirs is a Vermilion Red/Oyster Premium X5 with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Nappa Dash, running boards and then a few accessories. Our X5 is a Platinum Gray/Oyster Sport Activity with Cold, Convenience, Premium Sound, Technology, Nappa Dash, 3rd row (for the self-leveling suspension), running boards and then a few accessories.

The only sticking/frustration point has been a bit of contention around the dealer accessories. We negotiated to have the accessories (winter floor liners, rear cargo floor liner, and base support system) purchased from the dealer at “dealer cost”. Afterwards the SCA sent us the retail pricing from BMW’s website as the cost for which we would be charged. When I called to clarify why there was no mark-up on their accessories or was I now being charged retail prices I got a huge string of excuses and comments that bordered on rude/smart-alec. The primary excuse was they meant new car department dealer cost. Meaning that the new car department has to pay that price to the parts department to get the accessories for the new car buyer. That is the new car department dealer cost. However, my retort was we negotiated dealer cost and not new car department dealer cost. Which means the cost of the accessories that is incurred by the dealer. His response is that eats into his profit on the new car purchase (amount referenced above invoice) and that it couldn’t be done. My response was that was what we agreed to and that I know it’s not eating into the profit of the price above invoice as there is profit also below invoice in the difference between dealer cost of the vehicle and invoice pricing. Not only that, if the accessories are at dealer cost there should be no loss on the cost of that accessory and it will not eat into the bottom line of the sale. I think what happened is he got approval on the deal but overlooked what he had written and committed to with regards to dealer cost. Now he has to go back to the Manager and get approval/push it through since we have an agreed upon deal. There have been several snide comments through this discussion by the SCA with things like “I’ll speak with the Parts Department and see what additional discounts I can get you above the pricing I provided.”. Those are frustrating but I’m looking past them at this point and just want to be done.

Other than the questionable comments, the SCA has been a joy to work with and I’d recommend him and the dealer. I do find the comments extremely odd though as when my parents and I were visiting the dealer my father bumped into his co-worker (CFO at a local corporation in the Twin Cities where my father is the CIO) who is looking at buying a second 7-series. They spoke for a while with the SCA, so the guy has to know there is potential for future purchases from both of them and myself. Why make comments over what is probably $200 total in accessories mark-up that you agreed to forfeit and risk potentially aggravating future customer purchases to push us somewhere else?


In any event, the orders should be placed this week and we should be a week 18 build based on what we were told. Then it’ll be a PCD for both vehicles in the end of May per what we were told. I look forward to the trip and reporting back with pictures. Thanks again to everyone’s help and opinions during the process. Now the search for winter tires and rims begin. I already have my list and will be posting that, along with example pictures in the upcoming months.