Sad to hear the deals of last year are gone.... I spoke to my sales manager and he said BMW isn't offering as many discounts anymore and they have scaled production back significantly due to the economy....
I think a better approach would be to give it some thought... How long does your girlfriend typically keep a car? Does she by a newer, updated look every so often?
If not, a few thousand dollars here or there will not mean much when she finances it for the longer term .... I personally think if she is not planning on keeping the car for a long time (i.e. 5+ years or so) then I would try to keep my monthly payments as low as possible....
After all, a good deal is one that makes you/her happy!

I know I'm already upgrading a few things here and there, I've scratched my car, people have scratched my car and dented it but I keep getting it fixed and I'm happy.
Good luck and when she buys it, post some pics!