[boypaulkim]

Hi guys.

i'm about to pull the trigger on 228i. (and hope to get a good deal since 230i is coming)
the only problem is that the exact configuration i want cannot be found anywhere in the united states.
(alpine white, M pkg, lightning pkg, black sensatac, HK audio, driver's assistance)

i am currently using autotrader.com.

do you guys have any other suggestion? i would greatly appreciate it!

[orangeglim]

I'm new to BMW, but it seems like if you've got a very specific list of colors/features you want but can't find one in stock your best bet is probably to order one.

[BEM-S4]

Have your dealer search for you. They can do it much more easily than you can.

[nike001]

The 2 series doesn't have a whole lot of options, thus, shouldn't be hard to find an exact configuration of.

Go to a dealer you trust and they can pull info of any and all dealers that have that exact configuration on their lot, or they can order one for you.

[BentZero]

Originally Posted by boypaulkim

Hi guys.

i'm about to pull the trigger on 228i. (and hope to get a good deal since 230i is coming)
the only problem is that the exact configuration i want cannot be found anywhere in the united states.
(alpine white, M pkg, lightning pkg, black sensatac, HK audio, driver's assistance)

i am currently using autotrader.com.

do you guys have any other suggestion? i would greatly appreciate it!

It's probably the lack of tech package and possibly the addition of DA package that's causing you issues.

For me it was the 6MT and the combo of my other options that aren't typical. Only package I had was the cold weather package.

I was doing PCD, so ordering was a must for me anyway even if they had found my exact build.

[MikeT]

Bad news. Your chances of finding that EXACT configuration on a lot are close to ZERO. When I did the Munich factory tour (where they build 3 & 4 series cars) last summer, the tour guide tossed out some crazy statistics along the lines that the factory produces 300,000 cars per year and only maybe 2 or 3 are configured exactly alike. Maybe that's an exaggeration, I don't know, but I suspect that it's pretty close to the truth.

When you consider all the possible options and colors (and country-specific configurations), there's an astronomical number of possible combinations. If you want to find your exact configuration on a lot, forget it. It's not happening. Unless you order a car, your only real option is to find something CLOSE to what you want (e.g., maybe it has everything that you want PLUS the tech package and leather; or maybe it has nearly everything that you want except for HK, etc.; or maybe it's in a different color).

I'd recommend using cars.com to filter 228s within a certain price range.

[BentZero]

Like MikeT said you may want to widen your net. BMW is having a hard time unloading sedans and coupes. You may be able to get a better deal on a car that has your desired options and then some as opposed to ordering your exact match.

[Kenetic]

If you go to the dealer and ask them to find one they can usually find it or something very similar. I just went through this about a week ago. I wanted a 6MT car and there was only 1 vehicle in New England with a 6MT and on car.com and autotrader.com only a handfull of M235i were popping up with the 6MT.

I actually ended up making an online offer to the dealer for a zf 8 speed model with almost no packages and they accepted that. When I got to the dealer, I told them I actually wanted a vehicle with a 6MT they ended up finding one in their system with a bunch of extra packages such as tech and assist packages. It had just gotten to port so it wouldn't have shown up in an online websites that a normal customer would see.

Since they had already agreed to a price, they ended up getting this vehicle which was about $4k more for me and pretty much honored the same price we had originally agreed upon. It was about $20 more than the original price which I could live with since it had so many extras in the vehicle.

[Y0tsuya]

It depends on how attached you are to the options. If you're willing to wait a few months, order one with the exactly options and colors you want.

The vast majority of cars on dealer lots are stocked for people who want to walk-in and lease a status symbol. Usually they're white/black with AT. If you're particular about certain options, especially MT, your best bet is to order one yourself.

Every BMW I've bought (3 so far) have been custom-ordered. And they're worth the wait.

[Grentz]

Get a good CA (dealer/client advisor) and work with them on finding what you want or close to what you want.

I could not find anything on the cars.com/autotrader.com type sites or spot checking dealers, but my CA (who is awesome) found almost the exact config I wanted as a car that was in route to a different dealer. They traded for it and that was that. Nice as it is a brand new car (has not been on a dealer lot yet), I don't have to wait as long for it, and my dealer was more willing to deal on it than a true ordered car as they could swap something they had.

The only config difference for me was it had a different interior trim and did not have enhanced bluetooth, both I can live with. I simply told my CA what was most important to me (had to be MG or BSM exterior, Terra interior, Cold Weather/Tech/Driver Assistance/HK)