rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

Congrats on the purchase!
Piccys please mate

Jimpreza

What engine did you get Trout?

Trout

iTrader: (1)

123d in the end. Delivered in November although might be a slight delay due to a shortage of the 2.0l diesel engines. Wonder if the 123d is simply a remap of the 118d

Got a pretty good deal - certainly was offered a lot up front without even pushing!

rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

Nice/Wise choice!
The 123d is a totally different engine than the 118d, toughened internals, uprated oil system (not sure about the "60" plates, but up to the the "09" plates i know run on castrol tws 0w-60!!!) TWO turbos (similar set up to the 335d turbo system)
What deals did they give you T??

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Seemed to be pretty good - got the optimum upgrade packs and a wedge of cash off the base price.

What Car says the target price is around a £2,000 discount off list - and we bettered that plus the upgrade packages

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Having had the wife decide that she wanted a manual I was concerned on potential resale without an auto. He reckons soft south only 10% are sold as manuals, 40% in the North and 50% in Scotland.

As we live in York it would seem to be a norm so an OK choice.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

The other thing that surprised me was how much tech is on the car. For a car that does 0-60 in just over 7s it will also do 50mpg, combined!!

It has brake energy recovery, it has stop-start technology. It is a lot of money for a small car, but you do get a lot of kit and technology for it.

And the hood is brilliant, OK it is a soft top and everyone else has hard tops, but fully automatic and it does not rob TOO much space in the boot.

rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

Hmmm, start stop on a turbo car...... i never like that combo.
Sound like you got a good deal buddy.
Dealers in London hardly move an inch on the sale price. The old saying, if you can't afford it....... You shouldn't be asking.

These cars are extremly intelligent, with brake regeneration (the brakes don't actually charge the battery, it has in intelligent battery system which only charges the battery when it's needed by cutting in the alternator when you are, for arguments sake, coasting down hill or onto a slip road etc)
start-stop (pointless on a diesel as they are so frugal),
Improved aerodynamics (plus lighter pannel work),
Low rolling resistance tyres,
Not to mention, fibre optic coms systems between certain units (reduces the ammount of wiring in the car- therefore reducing yet more weight)
The list goes on!!!

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Rooky - even before we got out of the car on the test drive the guy said let me get you a very keen price! And he did!

Near the end of the quarter so prices can get sharper.

rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

Hats off to the salesman. He actually did his job!
Feel like printing this thread off and showing our sales staff, with the quote "this is how you look after customers!!"

Trout

iTrader: (1)

He has been a BMW salesman for 39 years and knows every customer at his dealership personally. He must get them SO much repeat business it is unreal! He attributes it to a great team of sales and service working together. He was having someone pick up a converted (motability) X5 that day for £60k. He said the car was completely sold by the service manager and all he did was fill in the order.

We have used them for servicing for six years on our 5 series.

Why can't all dealers be like this?

rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

Unfortunately, most dealerships are profit focused.
This usually means customer care suffers (this is the problem with my dealership)
The biggest kick in the nuts for me is, no matter how well or fast i repair a car, the customer automatically hates the place before he/she gets a chance to see all the graft i've put in to make sure their car is tip top.
It becomes very frustrating!!
However i'm glad there are some dealers doing it right out there!

Matteeboy

Nice one Trout - should be lots of fun!

Twin turbo diesel BMWs rock... ;-)

Trout

iTrader: (1)

However I am very confident that the behaviour at this dealer will get them far more business. The 5 series was bought from another dealer (same group) and yet the favoured dealer has got all the servicing and now a new car purchase because they are good to us.

Surely that can only help profit.

Last year I went to the 5 series dealer to look at an M3. Having arrived I barely got a nod from a receptionist then after 20 minutes of hanging around I left. And they were happy to see a potential £50k customer walk out of the door.

Having not learned my lesson, earlier this year called to see if we could book a test drive of the new 5 series. On the phone the arrogance of the salesman was so bad I cancelled the appointment. He went for an assumed close even before he had even met me!!!!

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Looking at some potential plates - her indoors is TDT

GO60 TDT (looks more like GOGO on the plate )

LE60 BMW (LEGO!)

DR60 WHO - stupid money!

hodgy0_2

goods skills Trout, always like to see a women "working the stick"

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Picked it up today - ideal weather for picking up a cab with all the snow on the ground!!!

So here is the combined birthday, Christmas, deviant sexual favours present for the next five years

scooby1929

iTrader: (1)

There is a major fault in the 116i and thats the vanos unit. It usually fails at about 20-30 k leaving you with a nice repair bill. Girlfriends failed at 24k

hodgy0_2

sorry to hear that - Girlfriends often fail at 24, try and keep them under 22 if poss,

Dingdongler

Glad you're happy with it. A couple of points though.

1) I found the rear leg room useless. I can't see how you would fit adults in the back, even kids would be cramped. Though I understand it suits your needs.

2) Have you really bought her a license plate that is meant to read 'blonde'???? Why on earth did you do that??

Trout

iTrader: (1)

The kids are only 5 and 3 so no problem in the rear for years.

If we need big stuff carting around then we still have the old 5 series.

Plate was a bit of fun - she chose it! Only cost a couple of hundred quid, so why not

And it is her car with her name on the V5 so she can have any plate she likes!

Dingdongler

Sure, but is it meant to say blonde or is your surname some variation of bonde?

If it's the former then you should have b1 ald as your plate

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Haha - it is B1ONDE

hodgy0_2

it's Dave Trout - surely

Trout

iTrader: (1)

My last plate was T80UTS

I pondered over buying T8OUT for about a year. Decided to buy it and it was sold the week before!

SPEN555

You sound like Matteeboy, does BMW ownership do this to you?

rookymatt

iTrader: (15)

That's not entirely true mate.
It was actually the timing chain tensioner that became weak, causing the timing chain to jump a tooth or two, causing.....
sluggish response,
poor start characteristics (sometimes we'd see a car that actually wouldn't start at all!),
engine warning light on.
Some "specialists" Would charge for a new vanos unit, when all they needed was a new tensioner, and two cam end bolts and re set the timing to repair the fault .
The Vanos that was supposedly fitted was just them making an extra profit!!

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

check that plate on www.hpicheck.com its down as on a porche cayman s

bighead

iTrader: (1)

gr8 input there Rookymatt......so i'm guessing yr are Bmw tech ??

oh Trout ....nice car by the way

Dingdongler

Yes, and a very good one!