Odd? I've found that the BMW dealerships that I contacted recently were all professional. The "haggling" process was super easy and all done via email. So, I didn't waste a lot of time at the dealership. I went there to test drive an X5 a few weeks prior. After going home to mull over the options and color we wanted, I contacted all the dealerships (Mt View, Stevens Creek, and Fremont) that I wanted to do business with and got price quotes. When Fremont gave me a price I was happy with, I went there and started the paperwork.

The entire process was quick and easy. For the SA who got the sale, it couldn't have been easier. He'll get his commission for minimal work. I think it comes down to how you approach it. Some ppl are scared when it comes to the new car purchase process. And, it's written all over their faces. So, the SA's see it and take advantage of them. Note, I've done it this way for the past 4 cars that I've purchased in the last few years.

For the OP (and others that I've seen), I don't understand how you can agree to a bad deal and then complain about it after the fact. The deal is done. You agreed to it. If it was that bad, then why didn't you just walk away? Your unwillingness to walk away and ignorance got you into this situation. You CANNOT blame the SA's. They all need to make a living too. If given the choice, of course they want to make more commission on a sale that's closer to MSRP. That's the nature of the game. They are certainly not going to automatically give you near invoice pricing.

So OP, what's done is done. You got a sweet car. Be happy with it. In the end, you still got the Eco credit which makes it a decent deal.

z2g, my negotiating experience wasn't bad, it was all done through email like you. However, at some point I had to go in and drive the car, I don't buy/order any car blindly. Unfortunately for me the last 2 BMWs I bought weren't readily available to test drive so I had to go to a few dealers to find the car. (X5ds were very hard to find on dealer lots at the end of October, and believe it or not finding a 330i with sport package and 6 speed manual was even more difficult to find 3.5 years ago) It is at this point that I had my bad experiences.

I'm sorry to hear about you bad experience at Concord BMW. I got my 35d last week from them and had a great experience. I also bought a 330ci 4 years ago from them and was also good which was the main reason I came back. I did the dealer Internet salesand both purchases and everything was done via email or phone call. I only went to the dealership 2x to test drive and order after the test drive and then a second time to pick up. The less face to face contact I have with the CA the better since I don't want to play games as well. If they don't want my business, I'll go elsewhere. Fortunately, its been good and even the Service department there had been good as well.

Anyway, we both have a nice 35d which we can enjoy .

I had to order my X5 too. I just went to the dealerships beforehand to test drive a similar car they had on the lot. I then continued the negotiation process at home via email.

I don't know if I'm just lucky or what. But, my last 4-5 car purchases have been very easy. And, I don't consider myself as a ruthless haggling machine.:rofl: Yet, I was able to get a good price (at or near invoice pricing) with little haggling. It is because I was willing to shop around nearby dealerships and I did my homework as far as knowing the invoice pricing. Seriously, anyone can do this.

I don't understand this.

1) You procrastinated about buying a new vehicle
2) You wanted to get a deal done by 12/31 to save on taxes
3) You revealed your dilemma to the salesman
4) You made the deal, no one forced you to make it
5) The dealership is in business to make money.
6) It doesn't appear that you've ever bought a car from this dealership before, so there's no prior relationship established.
7) You could have walked away and bought another high end car to save money on your taxes.

Where in this entire mess did it turn into the dealership screwed you? It seems like you screwed yourself.

Sorry for the tough love, but a good look in the mirror is in order.

To be honest, you owe the dealership an apology for bashing them on a BMW internet forum, all they did was maximize their profit. If I were the sales manager I'ld print out your rant, frame it and hang it over the salesman's desk with a big gold star saying "this is how you make money" (which is what they're in business to do).

Agree with above. I missed the point were they had to give you the car right away with a great discount.

I don't play well with others :rofl:

Don't get me wrong. We all want a good deal, but in the end, the buyer decides, no one else.

I don't know what it is - we bought our '09 35d new six months ago from a very large BMW dealership in the D.C. suburbs. It was nearly loaded (we're extremely happy with what's in this 35d), and, of course, it was our first car of this caliber, having always driven Honda, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc.

Our dealership experience was WORSE than any other (21 years buying vehicles) - terrible attitude and jiving like used car salesmen.

Why did we buy from them? That's a good question, and some measure of an answer is, we were very busy and didn't want to shop around. Also, BMW and the dealership were both advertising attractive offers at the time - so price-wise, the time was good.

Our price was good - the experience was filthy. Afterward, we needed a shower - my last Chevy dealer had more class and was genuinely happy I bought a car.

What a shame.

I really can't blame a dealership that can make a buck on a car in this terrible market. It's been a buyers market and for BMW dealerships, the X5 35d is one of the few hot items they have. Dealerships with lower allocations probably are tighter on the pricing.

I have nothing but good things to say about negotiating with my local dealership (Motorwerks BMW). They have always been fair with me and the service guys have been excellent also.