best place to get a deal these days?
 

Hi Everyone,

So I keep reading about all these great deals on 4.4's/4.8's that everyone is finding out there on the internet since SUV prices are going down so I was curious, where is the best place out there to find a deal? Any recommendations on common websites/etc?

Thanks!

I'd check out http://www.bithauto.com/ they quoted me ~3.5k less than what I actually paid for the 4.4i I purchased. The only reason I didn't go through with a purchase from them was because I had a daily driver I wanted to trade in that had ~5k in negative equity and the dealer I purchased my X5 from ate that cost. Their main guy is Darren and his e-mail address is [email protected], he's also my neighbor and a very good guy! :thumbup:

I found a rare 4.8is, it was an '04 with only 27k miles and it was priced very well.... just over $30k. I actually found it on Carmax.com and had it shipped to my local Carmax. It did have a few problems with it when I got it though, torn CV boot, RF air bag has a slow leak, and there a few paint scratches that have been touched up.

I bought the 4 yr. extended warranty through Carmax (only $1500!) so I can still take it to the dealer when it needs major work. I actually fixed the CV boot myself though.

Pretty much everywhere. :)

I bought our 05 X5 4.8is for $34k.. it has 50k miles... was a lease return. Got it with new brakes. I had the airbags and air lines checked and no leaks.

Recent Auction Numbers
 

For week ending Sep 10. 2008:
National avg. selling price of 2005 4.4s at auction = $22,500
National avg. mileage of 2005 4.4s at auction = 44K
2005 4.4s sold that week at auction = 99

National avg. selling price of 2004 4.8s at auction = $25,500
National avg. mileage of 2004 4.8s at auction = 58K
2004 4.8s sold that week at auction = 6

National avg. selling price of 2005 4.8s at auction = $29,500
National avg. mileage of 2005 4.8s at auction = 48K
2005 4.8s sold that week at auction = 13

This may not be fact but I also heard that the dealers markup these cars on avg. about $5K to attain the advertised selling price then negotiate down from there. There should be some deals out there. Negotiate hard because you have nothing to lose I say. There are plenty available every week. Unfortunately/Fortunately, the way the economy and general perception is lately - prices should go down from here. Also, most of these cars sold at auction are lease returns.

No need to thank me. Just sharing information I received from a member here but will remain nameless as it was a personal favor. I'd hate to name him/her then he/she get inundated with requests. Hope people understand.

Additionally, I have a local dealer friend that will try to find me a nice 4.8 at Manheim PA in October. So, I'm trying to stay patient. Good luck to everybody!

04 x5 22k 22thou
 

4.4 sport, climate, winter
cpo warranty

i got a great deal

To "TwinsPoppa"

Can you get me data on 2003 4.4 & 4.6's please?

Thank you,

Tim

Sorry but per my previous post:

" ... Just sharing information I received from a member here but will remain nameless as it was a personal favor ..."

I think it's a pretty safe guesstimate that 2003 4.4s, of the same mileage as my previous post, are probably going for around $3k-$4K less than the 2004s with the 4.6 prices in between them and the 4.8s.

Just remember that I was talking about AUCTION prices. Looking at retail prices, they range from $3K-$10k over current auction prices. I think some of the higher pricing can be attributed to lower mileage, CPO warranty, condition, perceived "rare color combo", etc. Personally, if the seller doesn't want to budge too far, I'd stay away from those only because there are plenty of cars coming to market everyday. The longer they hold the car the worse for them. I think for the 4.8s the auction selling prices from around March to now has gone down $8k-10K.

Some dealers may not want to budge too much because they're holding cars that they bought earlier in the year. So, even though the market has gone down, they're still unwilling to negotiate too much as they will lose money. In my mind, it's a losing proposition as these cars are NOT going to increase in value - they can only go down.

On the other hand, if you know or are confident of a car's history and it's the "exact" car you're looking for (color combo, options) and it's not too far from your ideal price point - then buy it. If you're picky like me, I'd rather pay the extra $2K-$3K and enjoy the car now - because it was exactly what I was looking for. Again, assuming the car is the right color combo, options, condition, etc.

For the same price, which would you rather have:
A car with all the options, only 25K miles, but you have no idea of the care given to the car (maybe it was abused)? Or the same car that has 50K mileage but was serviced regularly (even by indy) and you're confident the owner took good care of the car? What price do you put on KNOWING the car's history?

There ya go. Plenty to think about. :D

Good luck in your car hunt! ;)

If you need an access to Manheim Auto Auction just use this one it's a cool tool, price statistics, search and everethig you can even bid on the cars.

Good Luck