[novemberspawnedamonster74]

I had started my search by looking into the 2 series xdrive convertible, but have come to see that my wife will ultimately not be able to get comfy with the price.

I was about to pull the trigger on a new Mini convertible (2016 4cyl S), but realized I wanted to give one last look at a larger cabrio.

The Audi dealers near me apparently don't lease CPO A5s.

The BMW dealers near me will lease CPO vehicles. I'm waiting to hear from a rep on the residual and money factor numbers for a good credit sign-and-drive on a 2013 CPO 3 series convertible.

I wanted to ask if this is a good idea (it seems to me to be a workable solution for getting a car that's closer to what I had wanted - i.e., a convertible with decent room in the back for my 9-year-old who would be around 12 by the time I'd be giving the car back, but with a pricetag my wife would not roll her eyes at)

Some would say not to lease a CPO and instead take the new Mini, but I realize my heart wants a more capacious cabrio.

If the BMW CPO lease is a viable idea, can anyone give a sense of the money factor and residual numbers I should lobby for? I'm basically trying to get a sub-$400 payment with no money down.

Thanks for your help!!

[pimp4cheddar]

You gave no numbers to go off at all...

Not sure how we can help, but my advise would be to see if your local dealership can get Corporate Fleet cars. They are lightly used (2-3k miles) and they can lease them. Much better savings as the residual is based off the MSRP Sticker Price but the payment is based off the discounted price.


There's also a Pricing section of this forum a few inches down on the main page.

[c1pher]

Wat kind of car are you looking for? What about a rwd 228i instead? What price is your wife willing to accept?

[BEM-S4]

You should look at exec demo versions of the BMW you want. Should save you some money.

[Elvisfan]

Actually,you are all over the place here. You are on a 2 series forum. But,you are asking about a cpo 3 series. A larger car. You mention the A5, but you do not mention the A3 which is cheaper.
Also,I will be slammed for this but you may want to check out the Buick Cascada. It's more of a cruiser,but it is also considerably cheaper. I know nothing about you or how old you are. This is probably the only time Buick will be mentioned on a BMW forum. It wasn't for me but you should check all your options.

[xantdieselx]

Best advice. Save your money and get a car you can afford.

[Elvisfan]

Remember what I said before. Dealers don't lease cars because it's a great deal for you. Used cars are always cheaper. But I don't think you should lease just to lower your payments. It could end up costing more then buying that car.

[Millennial666]

Originally Posted by Elvisfan

Actually,you are all over the place here. You are on a 2 series forum. But,you are asking about a cpo 3 series. A larger car. You mention the A5, but you do not mention the A3 which is cheaper.
Also,I will be slammed for this but you may want to check out the Buick Cascada. It's more of a cruiser,but it is also considerably cheaper. I know nothing about you or how old you are. This is probably the only time Buick will be mentioned on a BMW forum. It wasn't for me but you should check all your options.

Actually, the 235i has been compared to a Buick!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...mparison-test/

[Elvisfan]

That's funny.

[novemberspawnedamonster74]

Originally Posted by 228JB4

Wat kind of car are you looking for? What about a rwd 228i instead? What price is your wife willing to accept?

I'm not wedded to a specific car model. I was hoping for a vert/cabrio with a fun factor and some degree of peppiness in the engine. I've enjoyed my Fiat Abarth to some extent, but it's got an awful turning radius, it's actually a bit tippy and my wife finds it cheaply appointed and rather cramped.

Due to a reassessment by my very waspy town, my property taxes have gone up enough to prompt my dear spouse to ask us to reign in the car budgets (we just leased her a vehicle a couple months ago, and the Abarth is due to be turned in in Sept).

She wanted a ~$400 monthly payment without putting lots of money up front.

[novemberspawnedamonster74]

Originally Posted by pimp4cheddar

You gave no numbers to go off at all...

Not sure how we can help, but my advise would be to see if your local dealership can get Corporate Fleet cars. They are lightly used (2-3k miles) and they can lease them. Much better savings as the residual is based off the MSRP Sticker Price but the payment is based off the discounted price.


There's also a Pricing section of this forum a few inches down on the main page.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will certainly ask about the Corporate Fleet situation.

[novemberspawnedamonster74]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

You should look at exec demo versions of the BMW you want. Should save you some money.

Thank you, Bem-s4. You always respond so promptly, graciously and helpfully. Much appreciated!

[novemberspawnedamonster74]

Originally Posted by Elvisfan

Actually,you are all over the place here. You are on a 2 series forum. But,you are asking about a cpo 3 series. A larger car. You mention the A5, but you do not mention the A3 which is cheaper.
Also,I will be slammed for this but you may want to check out the Buick Cascada. It's more of a cruiser,but it is also considerably cheaper. I know nothing about you or how old you are. This is probably the only time Buick will be mentioned on a BMW forum. It wasn't for me but you should check all your options.

Elvisfan, your handle reminds me only fools rush in...

My apologies for starting with a somewhat unfocused post. I think the vagueness and lack of clarity in my initial posting reflects the confusion and ambivalence that sets in when one is too focused on meeting a price point.

I found this forum because I became very intrigued months ago with getting a 228 xdrive convertible. I like a nimble and petite car. In my heart of hearts, I know that the car, outfitted the way I was hoping, would not at all be back breaking for our pocketbook. However, perception is as good as reality when it comes to marital matters, so although I thought about ruthlessly asserting myself and saying YOLO, let's just get my dream car, this does not a peaceful marriage make.

And so, the compromise formations began. For a price point beneath my 2 series ideas, my wife seems ok with a new Mini Cooper. In her mind, it resembles the existing fiat in our driveway. I have simply been aware that, although we could readily pull the Mini trigger, I haven't felt that preoccupation and enthusiasm for the car the way I did for the 228i.

I didn't mention the a3 much, because the reviews I'm reading seem to suggest that if you're going to go with an a3, one should just get the 228.

This is when I thought that a compromise would be to get a cpo A5 or 3 series convertible. Cars like that come in at a price below the 228 convertible, but the finance price doesn't sync up with the request to arrive at a $400 monthly payment. Hence my thinking to do a lease on one of these cpo vehicles. of course, it's been hard to get a sense of money factors and residuals on slightly older cars.

My next best idea is to find a cpo 2015 228 vert or a3 cabrio that someone may have abandoned recently. It would be easier to initiate a lease situation with a newish car like that, and the price would line up with the new minis we were looking at. Problem here is that there aren't many recently abandoned 228s. A quick search for 2015 a3s yields like 5 units within 500 miles of my zip code.

Color me confused.

I'm going to look into the corporate fleet ideas you guys have kindly offered.

Thanks for listening and for any other ideas you folks wish to add. Sometimes it's helpful just to talk out the situation and discover ideas I had never even knew existed...

[Elvisfan]

Good luck.

[simsimma777]

Originally Posted by novemberspawnedamonster74

Elvisfan, your handle reminds me only fools rush in...

My apologies for starting with a somewhat unfocused post. I think the vagueness and lack of clarity in my initial posting reflects the confusion and ambivalence that sets in when one is too focused on meeting a price point.

I found this forum because I became very intrigued months ago with getting a 228 xdrive convertible. I like a nimble and petite car. In my heart of hearts, I know that the car, outfitted the way I was hoping, would not at all be back breaking for our pocketbook. However, perception is as good as reality when it comes to marital matters, so although I thought about ruthlessly asserting myself and saying YOLO, let's just get my dream car, this does not a peaceful marriage make.

And so, the compromise formations began. For a price point beneath my 2 series ideas, my wife seems ok with a new Mini Cooper. In her mind, it resembles the existing fiat in our driveway. I have simply been aware that, although we could readily pull the Mini trigger, I haven't felt that preoccupation and enthusiasm for the car the way I did for the 228i.

I didn't mention the a3 much, because the reviews I'm reading seem to suggest that if you're going to go with an a3, one should just get the 228.

This is when I thought that a compromise would be to get a cpo A5 or 3 series convertible. Cars like that come in at a price below the 228 convertible, but the finance price doesn't sync up with the request to arrive at a $400 monthly payment. Hence my thinking to do a lease on one of these cpo vehicles. of course, it's been hard to get a sense of money factors and residuals on slightly older cars.

My next best idea is to find a cpo 2015 228 vert or a3 cabrio that someone may have abandoned recently. It would be easier to initiate a lease situation with a newish car like that, and the price would line up with the new minis we were looking at. Problem here is that there aren't many recently abandoned 228s. A quick search for 2015 a3s yields like 5 units within 500 miles of my zip code.

Color me confused.

I'm going to look into the corporate fleet ideas you guys have kindly offered.

Thanks for listening and for any other ideas you folks wish to add. Sometimes it's helpful just to talk out the situation and discover ideas I had never even knew existed...

If your flexible on getting a convertible, you can probably find a 228 coupe within your budget.

Get a RWD and it will make up for whaterever you lost by giving up the ability to drop the top.

[Elvisfan]

Originally Posted by ballinisahabit

If your flexible on getting a convertible, you can probably find a 228 coupe within your budget.

Get a RWD and it will make up for whaterever you lost by giving up the ability to drop the top.

I disagree. There is nothing like dropping the top for the first time of the season.

[Kiwi]

Why an X drive convertible as you were looking at a Mini convertible.

Why lease why not buy an older model and live to what you can manage. It always seems odd seeing Americans with new cars and toys but don't own them as its all leased. If your job falls over or health goes bad then what happens.

[BEM-S4]

Maybe not helpful now but you could be well served by waiting if you can swing it. The convertibles have been out for 2 years this fall. Next fall they will start coming off lease and there should be many more in the CPO market to choose from if you want to go that route.

If you need AWD and vert and can do 2 seats check out TT. I've been looking at them, can be had in low 20s and with a $500 APR tune you can have something very quick.

[hoyasaxa]

Car shopping based on the monthly payment is not smart. Dealerships are going to love you...

Buy a car you can afford. Accord leases are sub$300 with nothing down these days.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by hoyasaxa

Car shopping based on the monthly payment is not smart. Dealerships are going to love you...

Buy a car you can afford. Accord leases are sub$300 with nothing down these days.

Saying you want to spend $500 a month or whatever is perfectly fine as long as you understand what you're doing to get there. Ignoring everything else for sure a horrible idea. I could lease a GT4 for $500 a month but would have to do terribly stupid things financially to get there.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Saying you want to spend $500 a month or whatever is perfectly fine as long as you understand what you're doing to get there. Ignoring everything else for sure a horrible idea. I could lease a GT4 for $500 a month but would have to do terribly stupid things financially to get there.

For a GT4...I'd be willing to do disgusting things that you can't even begin to imagine.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by pimp4cheddar

For a GT4...I'd be willing to do disgusting things that you can't even begin to imagine.

My cousin once advised me "you can sleep in your car but you can't drive your house"