msjwhite

Hi all - I'm new to post here, but must 1st thank all of you for helping me decide the spec for my soon to be born E61 Touring.

I'm wondering about UK price rises - I've not had any confirmation from my dealer about spec changes and price rises, but there are new prices on bmw.co.uk. Given my build is week 10, I'm assuming I'll get any spec changes and have to pay the new price.

The bmw.co.uk car configurator indicates a rise of ?335 in base price - all options unchanged in price. From what I can gather the only spec change is the std Aux In connection. Does anyone know if there are any other changes, and is the price increase correct?

Robert J

I don't see that you have to pay any extra for your car. I have also a car on order that will be built in v12 and my dealer put in a code that "fixed" the price for mine. So even BMW rise the price I have my contract and my price fixed. Here was a rise announced on cars that was built from 1st of April.

msjwhite

Yes, I'd rather not have to pay more, especially if there is no benefit to me in getting new equipment. In this case I probably would've added the aux in for my ipod anyway (but ?335 just to add that is OTT!).

But, there is small print in the T&Cs which allows the dealer to do this;

"..if after the date of the order and before the collection of the vehicle the manufacturer's or importer's recommended price for the vehicle is altered we will inform you in writing. If the increase in price does not exceed 2.5%, the increase shall be added to, and become part of, the purchase price. If the increase exceeds 2.5% you may, within seven days of being informed in writing of the increase, terminate this contract..."

So the dealer is covered legally to do this. I guess there may be room for local negotiation, but from the dealers POV they have to account for it somehow - if they have to pay more for the car, they have to pass on the increase or give more discount. As I was more than happy with the discount I got (and the dealer was not so happy about !! ), I don't see my dealer extending his discount.

Do you have the same small print in Sweden? Any info on the price fix code?

DaveH

Mine's being built in week 10 too. My understanding is that, as long as the car is registered before 1 April, the price rise does not apply. Since 5's are built in Dingolfing and the railway runs into the factory, cars get to Zeebrugge in a day and to your dealer not long after, so registering in last week of March should easily be achievable. A new car can be registered for a year and a week, so the tax will run until end-March 2007.

Aux-in plus two 12v sockets are the only addition to standard equipment (see my post elsewhere in this forum for a photo). There are one or two other options, but they weren't relevant to me, so I didn't take much notice can't remember what they were! Certainly nothing very exciting. Any dealer will be able to give you details.

PS for anyone ordering a 520d - there is no price rise on the 520d SE or M Sport

msjwhite

Darn - I added optional wood trim partly to get the 2x12v sockets in the back - they weren't standard on the Alu Cube trim of the M Sport.

pedrollo

Mines a week 5 build - was allocated a chassis number last week and could well exist by now.

I hope you are right about the minimal changes, I don't fancy paying serious money for obsolete kit!

The big changes for the E60/61 were September 06, 231 diesel engine, push button start etc. so I am hopeful that this is just detail stuff. The dealer has no specific information, he says this is normal to try to prevent harm to current sales. Changes at week 14 are usual it appears, my dealer doesn't think that week 10 cars will be affected anyway.

Thanks for the near heart attack guys

I paid for wood trim just to lose the Aluminium.

Herwig

Guess you have to take into account the level of rebates / discounts you can negotiate - these can be different for 'old' 06 models compared 'new' 07 ones. At least that's the impression I got when ordering (hope I've done the right thing).

I'm waiting delivery of my new 525 - see details below - end of this month / registeration early March. Can't wait.

Robert J

@th dr: We don't have that in the contrancts here in Sweden. At least I have never seen it. I was specified a car and then we made the contract on that. If I remember all correct is the laws for signing contracts more detailed when it gets to cancelling of orders and delays. I don't remember the code, but it was a special one in the BMW order system that was an option, just like choosing Nav, this option could be selected in the system. As I could understand it, this was more or less standard selection here in Sweden, as cold weather package.

OT: I still don't understand why BMW still have this awful alu-cube trims for the M-pack! I fel't a wood was wrong in a performance car so I went for brushed alu.

DaveH

And I didn't order the luxury pack I wanted, just because wood trim is a mandatory component; like Robert J, I find wood trim, especially high-gloss stuff (there could be anything lurking under all that lacquer), all wrong in the 5. But that's just me!

msjwhite

I think dealers can be quite fickle. It would be great if all dealers gave the same efficient pre-sale and post-sale-pre-delivery, but in practice everyone is different. If you have a good one, DaveH, then stick with them, they're hard to find.

Did you buy local? I'm not far away from you and I found a wide range of attitudes from salesmen in the few dealers in the local area I trawled. Post-sale, in the past I had better information and updates from my salesman when I've not got a discount, and minimal when I have got a good discount.