Really appreciated all replys.

I slept on it and decided to take her home once the dealer paints the scratch to my satisfaction. Its the kind of scratch you would get when coming out of a restarant and the guy next to you opens the door against yours but no dent. That could happen tomorrow but not going to sell or trade the X5 for that so why do it now? At least the cherry has been poped so when/if it happens again I am less likely to have a stroke.

The dealer took off several hundred dollars but would not go a grand. Hopefully get it on Monday.

Just have them repair it and perhaps discount it a bit. Believe me, after the next scratch (which is surely to appear), you'll forget the first one was already repaired.

I disagree with an earlier post about repaints never being as good as factory. I think it depends on who you use.

I recall using a paint shop in Toronto called Rodeo Classic Automobiles to repair my BMW 3 series. I had the cheapest car in the shop. The rest were brand new exotic cars that were being re-polished (some were being repainted) because the owners were not happy with the orange peel in the paint.

When the cars were finished they looked wet they were so smooth. Crazy, I agree, but some people want perfection.

I think if you find the right body shop, the only people who will know the car had a scratch will be you and us. As a final though, the dealer is going to have to fix the car anyway. Why don't you see how it turns out? If it is perfect, take it. If it is't, wait for a new one and hope for the best.

As long as you're happy with it, that's fine. Personally, I wouldn't have taken less than a $1000 discount. If they wouldn't budge, I'd wait for a new one to arrive. If the custom order is going to be too long to wait again, I'd just shop around for new cars already in the dealers' inventory.

Enjoy your beautiful car and share some pics. Not of the repair site;) In the mean time the rest of us with orders will keep our daily ritual of calling the 800#, checking the web site and bugging the CA... what will you do with all that extra time?

FYI, the website still shows at PDC at 4pm Friday but the X5 was at dealer on Wednesday am. Also, the 800# "blacks out" with no further information from automated gal or operators once production is completed...for all the good folks still waiting.

the 800 is behind.. Dealer has most recent info...

example:

Dealer told me today that production finished and car has been released to the carrier.
800# automated message says it's in the paint shop with estimated completion of 11/6
Operator says that production has been completed and QA check has been passed..

+1. I'd choose choice D if it included more compensation. $1000 really isn't much when it's a scratch on a new car. Granted you'll get little scratches here and there. But nothing like you described, right?

Any scratch that I could buff out or remove with Scratch X or the like is inconsequential.

The dealer already did their magic on this scratch and it was still apparent. If it was on the bottom third of a door or under edge of a bumper prob. not notice until I was quik detailing it some day. It is just inferior and caudal/toward the rear of the drivers side door handle on the rear passenger door so very obvious.

I tried to take two pictures (a close up and about 5 feet away) for my wife to review on my LG Dare with a 3 megapixil camera and the 5 footer does not show it. The close up is even very hard to see. My ability to post it here is a technical impossibility due to ignorance.

I kind of feel silly not just sucking it up and taking her home last night but it will be fixed and I have a few more bucks in the bank to boot when I get it in a few days....If I were the suspicious, paranoid, mistrustful type, I think THEY made a bigger deal out of it perhaps with another buyer in mind...lemonade out of lemons?

thx - wasn't aware of such a thing. Good thing avg joe & his mechanic may not test with that.

More mechanics test with it than you might think, as there are cheap versions around:

ProGauge Magnetic Paint Thickness Gauge