[NYe60chrisIU]

So the 3 year lease on my Dad's 750i is up at the end of the month and he is debating, as many others are, whether to stay with a 7 or to opt with the new 6er GC.

To give you a little back story, he has had a boatload of trouble with his 7 and has become increasingly frustrated with it. Over the past 6 months, it has been at the service department 6 times. First his AC blower broke and the next 5 times have been for a Drivetrain Malfunction. The car also broke down twice ... He has been a BMW owner since '88 and is wondering if he is entitled to any sort of discount on his upcoming lease because of the trouble he's had with his car and his history with BMW. A salesman at our BMW dealership advised that if they does not give some sort of discount that he should write a letter to BMWNA and see what they can do. I'm sure some of you BMW veterans could provide some insight here as I have no knowledge whatsoever to BMW's policy with these sort of situations and also the best course of action that he should take. (I told him that if he gets a big enough discount, he should get me a shiny new ///m5 on the side.)

Anyway, I showed him some pictures of the 6 GC and he likes it a lot. You should've seen him at the interior. He is leaving heavily towards that. The only complication is that he wants x-drive for the NY winter. To my understanding, there is no 640xi GC, only 650xi GC and this wont be available until September. The question I have is, if he puts a 650xi GC on order at the end of the month, what will his options be until September. Can he extend his current lease? Will he be given a loaner for 3 months?

The reason that I'm asking here is because I have read waayyy too many stealership horror stories and have not had good experiences myself at either of the dealerships that I go to. At this point I don't trust these salesman to tell the truth because I don't think they really know anything and if they do I expect to be lied to.

Thanks for reading guys! Please comment with any info!

[E36ic4Me]

My first thought is he wouldn't be entitled to anything. If you buy a few items that break at say....Target (or another retail business), they certainly wouldn't give you a freebie in the future.

However, your question reminds me of something that just happened to me last month. My new VW was wearing through its rear tires quickly. I took it in and the dealership found issues with the rear suspension, which they replaced under warranty. Tires for that car in general but especially the ones I had on it were quite expensive. I called VW of North America and explained what had happened. They asked a lot of questions but the last one they asked I think was the key to everything........"have you owned other Volkswagens and if so, how many"!! Bingo! When I told them that I had owned six in the past, they said that I would here back from them tomorrow. They got a hold of me first thing in the morning and said they would pay for a complete set of tires for me due to my issue and my brand loyalty. They rushed the check and I received it the very next day!

So, given my story perhaps something could be done. Although, most new cars will have an issue here or there. It certainly doesn't sound like a lemon or anything like that. Think of how many parts comprise a car, how much engineering, etc. I personally don't think it should shock people when something as complicated as a car (especially one as tech forward as a BMW), even a need one has an issue sporadically. I just look at it is a small price to pay for having a beautiful new car. So, I could see that going either way. If he has been a member of CCA for a minimum of a full year, he is entitled to $500 off a new or CPO vehicle purchase.

[NYe60chrisIU]

Originally Posted by E36ic4Me

My first thought is he wouldn't be entitled to anything. If you buy a few items that break at say....Target (or another retail business), they certainly wouldn't give you a freebie in the future.

However, your question reminds me of something that just happened to me last month. My new VW was wearing through its rear tires quickly. I took it in and the dealership found issues with the rear suspension, which they replaced under warranty. Tires for that car in general but especially the ones I had on it were quite expensive. I called VW of North America and explained what had happened. They asked a lot of questions but the last one they asked I think was the key to everything........"have you owned other Volkswagens and if so, how many"!! Bingo! When I told them that I had owned six in the past, they said that I would here back from them tomorrow. They got a hold of me first thing in the morning and said they would pay for a complete set of tires for me due to my issue and my brand loyalty. They rushed the check and I received it the very next day!

So, given my story perhaps something could be done. Although, most new cars will have an issue here or there. It certainly doesn't sound like a lemon or anything like that. Think of how many parts comprise a car, how much engineering, etc. I personally don't think it should shock people when something as complicated as a car (especially one as tech forward as a BMW), even a need one has an issue sporadically. I just look at it is a small price to pay for having a beautiful new car. So, I could see that going either way. If he has been a member of CCA for a minimum of a full year, he is entitled to $500 off a new or CPO vehicle purchase.

Thank you for your response. He contacted a sales rep today and he was told that he would receive a discount but did not disclose to what extent yet.

In the same breath she said that there was no such thing as a 650i Gran Coupe with x-drive and that only the 2 door got x-drive. This is obviously incorrect and I am at this point I am seriously considering buying 2 tickets to Munich and talking to someone who actually knows a thing or 2 about BMWs (I will learn German if I have to).

In all seriousness, are all BMW salesmen this inept? Because from my experiences, that's what I am led to believe.

I understand and agree with your point that these cars are highly technical and are not all perfect but I think if he is able to translate the notion that he has been a loyal customer for almost 25 years and that over the passed 6 months their service department has been ineffective, they will be swayed.

[E36ic4Me]

Actually, the rep that he spoke with was absolutely correct! According to BMW, the Gran Coupe is only available as a 640i and no Xdrive in the US at this point. For now the 650i Xdrive is only available as the traditional Coupe and Convertible. Here is a direct quote from BMW:

"The BMW 640i Gran Coupe currently available is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine producing 315 hp. Later in 2013, we will debut the 650i Gran Coupe with 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 and be available in either rear- or all-wheel drive."


As for inept and incompetent BMW sales representatives, I have to say that I agree with you. It would seem that per capita, there are more moronic BMW sales team members then other marquis. Most that I have had dealings with did not know the cars well and gave conflicting information. I personally find this unacceptable, especially for an automobile like BMW. The bright point is, I never buy one without knowing basically everything about it. So, even when the sales rep is clueless and confused, I typically already know the answer.

[NYe60chrisIU]

Originally Posted by E36ic4Me

Actually, the rep that he spoke with was absolutely correct! According to BMW, the Gran Coupe is only available as a 640i and no Xdrive in the US at this point. For now the 650i Xdrive is only available as the traditional Coupe and Convertible. Here is a direct quote from BMW:

"The BMW 640i Gran Coupe currently available is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine producing 315 hp. Later in 2013, we will debut the 650i Gran Coupe with 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 and be available in either rear- or all-wheel drive."


As for inept and incompetent BMW sales representatives, I have to say that I agree with you. It would seem that per capita, there are more moronic BMW sales team members then other marquis. Most that I have had dealings with did not know the cars well and gave conflicting information. I personally find this unacceptable, especially for an automobile like BMW. The bright point is, I never buy one without knowing basically everything about it. So, even when the sales rep is clueless and confused, I typically already know the answer.

I see. The sales rep must have been implying that x-drive would not be available until September...or maybe she didn't know at all.

[NYe60chrisIU]

Bump...?