Purchase Story from Canada (228i)

LeeT73 · 06-13-2015, 08:50 AM

Hey All,

The following is my purchase story from Canada. Admittedly, I've been searching for more Canadian content on this board, as both optioning and pricing is different from the U.S.

-----------

I strolled into a local BMW dealer on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Prior to that moment, I had essentially zero knowledge of BMW product lines. I had always liked the look of BMWs, but didn't know much about them beyond the folk lore.

The sales guy started salivating when he saw me pulling up in a very nice 2014 RAM 1500 Crew Cab (which would eventually be used as a trade-in). When he asked me where to start, I thought the 3 Series seemed logical. That said, I was shocked to see the sticker price (on his lot) ranged from $58k to $65k. Wow. That's rich for my blood, I thought, and I'm doing pretty good financially.

Nonetheless, out we went.

The drive around the industrial block is a good one. Some long fast on-ramps, and some long stretches of open road. This allowed me to open up the 328i a bit to see what it was made of. Nice, I thought. Quite nice. But what's with all the hard materials inside? And what's with the less than mediocre steering wheel? The steering wheel on my truck felt like pure luxury comparatively. At that moment, I got a bit bummed. I really liked the look of the vehicle, and the 4 cylinder engine was surprisingly strong. But $58k? Not this guy.

I then took the 335i out for a spin. Now we're talking! Engine was beautiful. Pulled from down low all through the rev range, sounded great, handled well. Very nice. But $60k? Again, not this guy.

I then tried a couple of Used 3 Series cars, but the two in stock did nothing for me, and were $40k & $45k with high kms (50kms & 65kms).

Whelp... that was that. I thanked the sales guy for his time, and walked away a bit disappointed.

But just before I jumped into my truck to leave... Ooohhh... What is this little blue car on the grass? I chased down the sales guy for one last test drive. Even better, he let me take the car out myself this time.

The first thing that struck me was how small the car was from the outside, especially compared to my (near) monster truck. When I sat inside, the seats were clearly not leather, but were very supportive, and I got excited when I was able to adjust the side supports of the seat to fit my waist. Awesome! My excitement grew when I grabbed the steering wheel and... Holy Shit... It felt better than my truck (which I never dreamt was possible). M Sport. Cool. I'm liking this.

After all adjustments, I set off down the road. I clicked the button to go into Sport mode. I punched the throttle. And... Wow. Wow. I took the on ramp at a speed I never would have imagined possible before. The little car hugged the road like it was, well, on rails. I had seen similar handling before, in my 2011 VW GTI, but not at this speed. I passed a couple of minivans on the 2 lane on-ramp like they were standing still. And something was happening... I was smiling. Ear to ear. And laughing to myself. OK... NOW I get it. NOW I see the whole to-do about BMW.

When I got back to the dealer, I knew. One way or another, I had to own that car... BMW 228i with:

- M Sport Line (Includes M Aerodynamics Package, M Rear Spoiler, M Leather Steering Wheel, and M Sport Suspension)

- Performance Package (Includes Variable Sport Steering and Adaptive M Suspension)

- M Track Package (Includes the blue M Sport Brake Calipers, M Double Spoke Style Rims - 461M in Ferric Grey)

- Premium Package Enhanced (NAV, Backup Cam/Sensors, Sunroof, Auto-Dimming Mirrors, Electric seat controls, and Heated Steering Wheel)

- Heated seats (Which from what I can tell, comes with all trim levels)

I would spend the next month scouring the internet for deals. There were none with xDrive. Bummer. I live in Canada and work as a field engineer (lots of travel). All wheel drive felt like a must-have feature.

When a finally found a 228i with xDrive, it was essentially brand new and well out of my desired price range of $35k-$45k.

Back to the drawing board.

I then decided that perhaps I needed to find a 2-3 year old 335i. And again, I came up underwhelmed. That is until... While driving by London, Ontario, I figured I'd make a pit stop at the local BMW dealer. As luck would have it, the sales guy (Alex Wolfe) was first rate. Alex is a young lad, with a surprising knowledge of the car industry in general, and a wealth of knowledge on BMWs. When I told Alex my story, he smiled coyly when he realized he had the right car for me.

We walked out to the main showroom, and there it was - A gorgeous M228i in Melbourne Red, with 17,000 kms, no xDrive (unfortunately), and all the features listed above.

Admittedly, I struggled. I really had my heart set on Estoril Blue and xDrive. I figured I might as well negotiate to see the best price. After a couple rounds of negotiation, he offered me a deal I could not refuse. Out of respect for Alex, I won't say exactly what I paid, but it was in the $40k range (CAD) and came with a stellar 6 year / 160,000km BMW Certified Pre-Owned warranty. For another $24 per month, I got the chips and scratch warranty for the same 6 years.

I took it out for a rip, and I felt good knowing that this little 228i, with all these performance parts, was as close to perfection as I might get. Sure, the 335i engine was a beast, but I wasn't comfortable adding another $10k at this time (Lost $15k in depreciation on my truck, and other 'life concerns'). Were my financial situation a little different, I might have bit the bullet on the 335i, but as it stands, I have zero regrets. This car is near perfection, and the fuel economy (car will be my daily daily driver).

As for the xDrive… Alex assures me that this won’t be a problem with winter tires. He himself drives a rear wheel drive Bimmer in London, Ontario (they get a lot of snow). And also, BMWs weight distribution is 50/50, which should help once I put the winter tires on. (I will update this thread once winter comes).

Well... There you have it friends.

Best of luck!

DanG · 06-13-2015, 09:31 AM

Congratulation and welcome to the BMW family.

wjones14 · 06-13-2015, 10:50 AM

Very nice story! Congrats. What were thinking of when you bought the truck?!

J/K. But you have to admit, that's about as much of a 180 degree turn as you can have.

Good luck with it. I'm in my first BMW as well and the only thing I can say is, "why did I wait this long?"

BMWZ4 · 06-13-2015, 11:20 AM

Welcome! Great story.

1ChrisRuck · 06-13-2015, 12:06 PM

Awesome story

Congratulations and Enjoy

mike@x-ph.com · 06-13-2015, 12:47 PM

Congrats!!

eBlue2 · 06-13-2015, 01:19 PM

Congrats, nice pick up! Trust me you'll be fine in the winter. I've done Cambridge to Brampton in the snow on the P7 all-season tires, with winters you won't have any problems.

Phiberoptik · 06-13-2015, 05:20 PM

Congrats! reading your story just puts more anticipation as the date of my M235i gets closer

LeeT73 · 06-13-2015, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phiberoptik

Congrats! reading your story just puts more anticipation as the date of my M235i gets closer

Awesome! Congrats man! Be sure to post a pic!

2+3=5 · 06-13-2015, 08:35 PM

6 more months till winter! Woohoo

LeeT73 · 06-13-2015, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanG

Congratulation and welcome to the BMW family.

Thanks man!

I can't wait for this Tuesday (pick up day)!

LeeT73 · 06-13-2015, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wjones14

Very nice story! Congrats. What were thinking of when you bought the truck?!

J/K. But you have to admit, that's about as much of a 180 degree turn as you can have.

Good luck with it. I'm in my first BMW as well and the only thing I can say is, "why did I wait this long?"

Thank you. Apologize for the length, but I was hoping to find a similar read when I was researching. I'm hoping it will help someone.

And yes, it was a complete 360! I really enjoyed my truck (it was a thing of beauty, and fine Engineering), but once I tried a Bimmer, I bit - Hook, line, and sinker!

LeeT73 · 06-14-2015, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2+3=5

6 more months till winter! Woohoo

ABPReader · 06-15-2015, 02:33 AM

.

Taxinha · 06-15-2015, 06:29 AM

Congratulations

G-Mann · 06-15-2015, 08:50 AM

Beautiful car, Cool story.

Good things do come to those that wait.

dalrx · 06-15-2015, 01:23 PM

There is a thorough thread in canada section I started you can post.

gaijin · 06-15-2015, 01:36 PM

Congratulations! Enjoyed reading your post and could imagine the wide grin as you realized what it was all about. Here's to many more miles of smiles to come!

uberspeed · 06-15-2015, 04:24 PM

Congrats and enjoy!

Primetime97 · 06-15-2015, 07:01 PM

Great story! As I was reading I was surprised to find that I bought my 228i M sport with the same set up as yours from the London dealer in April from Dilan. After I got my beauty (estoril blue btw)

I remember checking the London BMW website and seeing the 228i you bought and thinking whoever buys this is getting a Great deal! Enjoy!! And Great Choice!

cire · 06-15-2015, 07:28 PM

I live in Alberta and have basically the same car. 7l/100km on my commute. I have 30,000km on the car now. Not an X Drive, just a set of Blizzacks for the winter. The Car is well balanced, great to drive and no problems yet.

LeeT73 · 06-15-2015, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluebmw228icoupe

Great story! As I was reading I was surprised to find that I bought my 228i M sport with the same set up as yours from the London dealer in April from Dilan. After I got my beauty (estoril blue btw)

I remember checking the London BMW website and seeing the 228i you bought and thinking whoever buys this is getting a Great deal! Enjoy!! And Great Choice!

Thanks man!

06-13-2015, 08:50 AM	#1
LeeT73 Enlisted Member 13 Rep 38 Posts Drives: BMW M235i xDrive Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0)	Purchase Story from Canada (228i) Hey All, The following is my purchase story from Canada. Admittedly, I've been searching for more Canadian content on this board, as both optioning and pricing is different from the U.S. ----------- I strolled into a local BMW dealer on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Prior to that moment, I had essentially zero knowledge of BMW product lines. I had always liked the look of BMWs, but didn't know much about them beyond the folk lore. The sales guy started salivating when he saw me pulling up in a very nice 2014 RAM 1500 Crew Cab (which would eventually be used as a trade-in). When he asked me where to start, I thought the 3 Series seemed logical. That said, I was shocked to see the sticker price (on his lot) ranged from $58k to $65k. Wow. That's rich for my blood, I thought, and I'm doing pretty good financially. Nonetheless, out we went. The drive around the industrial block is a good one. Some long fast on-ramps, and some long stretches of open road. This allowed me to open up the 328i a bit to see what it was made of. Nice, I thought. Quite nice. But what's with all the hard materials inside? And what's with the less than mediocre steering wheel? The steering wheel on my truck felt like pure luxury comparatively. At that moment, I got a bit bummed. I really liked the look of the vehicle, and the 4 cylinder engine was surprisingly strong. But $58k? Not this guy. I then took the 335i out for a spin. Now we're talking! Engine was beautiful. Pulled from down low all through the rev range, sounded great, handled well. Very nice. But $60k? Again, not this guy. I then tried a couple of Used 3 Series cars, but the two in stock did nothing for me, and were $40k & $45k with high kms (50kms & 65kms). Whelp... that was that. I thanked the sales guy for his time, and walked away a bit disappointed. But just before I jumped into my truck to leave... Ooohhh... What is this little blue car on the grass? I chased down the sales guy for one last test drive. Even better, he let me take the car out myself this time. The first thing that struck me was how small the car was from the outside, especially compared to my (near) monster truck. When I sat inside, the seats were clearly not leather, but were very supportive, and I got excited when I was able to adjust the side supports of the seat to fit my waist. Awesome! My excitement grew when I grabbed the steering wheel and... Holy Shit... It felt better than my truck (which I never dreamt was possible). M Sport. Cool. I'm liking this. After all adjustments, I set off down the road. I clicked the button to go into Sport mode. I punched the throttle. And... Wow. Wow. I took the on ramp at a speed I never would have imagined possible before. The little car hugged the road like it was, well, on rails. I had seen similar handling before, in my 2011 VW GTI, but not at this speed. I passed a couple of minivans on the 2 lane on-ramp like they were standing still. And something was happening... I was smiling. Ear to ear. And laughing to myself. OK... NOW I get it. NOW I see the whole to-do about BMW. When I got back to the dealer, I knew. One way or another, I had to own that car... BMW 228i with: - M Sport Line (Includes M Aerodynamics Package, M Rear Spoiler, M Leather Steering Wheel, and M Sport Suspension) - Performance Package (Includes Variable Sport Steering and Adaptive M Suspension) - M Track Package (Includes the blue M Sport Brake Calipers, M Double Spoke Style Rims - 461M in Ferric Grey) - Premium Package Enhanced (NAV, Backup Cam/Sensors, Sunroof, Auto-Dimming Mirrors, Electric seat controls, and Heated Steering Wheel) - Heated seats (Which from what I can tell, comes with all trim levels) I would spend the next month scouring the internet for deals. There were none with xDrive. Bummer. I live in Canada and work as a field engineer (lots of travel). All wheel drive felt like a must-have feature. When a finally found a 228i with xDrive, it was essentially brand new and well out of my desired price range of $35k-$45k. Back to the drawing board. I then decided that perhaps I needed to find a 2-3 year old 335i. And again, I came up underwhelmed. That is until... While driving by London, Ontario, I figured I'd make a pit stop at the local BMW dealer. As luck would have it, the sales guy (Alex Wolfe) was first rate. Alex is a young lad, with a surprising knowledge of the car industry in general, and a wealth of knowledge on BMWs. When I told Alex my story, he smiled coyly when he realized he had the right car for me. We walked out to the main showroom, and there it was - A gorgeous M228i in Melbourne Red, with 17,000 kms, no xDrive (unfortunately), and all the features listed above. Admittedly, I struggled. I really had my heart set on Estoril Blue and xDrive. I figured I might as well negotiate to see the best price. After a couple rounds of negotiation, he offered me a deal I could not refuse. Out of respect for Alex, I won't say exactly what I paid, but it was in the $40k range (CAD) and came with a stellar 6 year / 160,000km BMW Certified Pre-Owned warranty. For another $24 per month, I got the chips and scratch warranty for the same 6 years. I took it out for a rip, and I felt good knowing that this little 228i, with all these performance parts, was as close to perfection as I might get. Sure, the 335i engine was a beast, but I wasn't comfortable adding another $10k at this time (Lost $15k in depreciation on my truck, and other 'life concerns'). Were my financial situation a little different, I might have bit the bullet on the 335i, but as it stands, I have zero regrets. This car is near perfection, and the fuel economy (car will be my daily daily driver). As for the xDrive… Alex assures me that this won’t be a problem with winter tires. He himself drives a rear wheel drive Bimmer in London, Ontario (they get a lot of snow). And also, BMWs weight distribution is 50/50, which should help once I put the winter tires on. (I will update this thread once winter comes). Well... There you have it friends. Best of luck! Attached Images Last edited by LeeT73; 06-14-2015 at 10:51 AM..
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06-13-2015, 09:31 AM	#2
DanG Major General 10645 Rep 6,935 Posts Drives: 2018 M2 AW DCT Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2018 BMW M2 [7.68]	Congratulation and welcome to the BMW family.
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06-13-2015, 10:50 AM	#3
wjones14 Captain 657 Rep 891 Posts Drives: 2021 M2C Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Niantic CT iTrader: (0)	Very nice story! Congrats. What were thinking of when you bought the truck?! J/K. But you have to admit, that's about as much of a 180 degree turn as you can have. Good luck with it. I'm in my first BMW as well and the only thing I can say is, "why did I wait this long?" __________________ Vehicles: 2021 Alpine White M2C 6MT; 2011 Kawasaki Z1000 (1/4 mile 10.3 seconds @ 129 mph - stock) Previous: 2018 Camaro 2SS 1LE 6MT; 2015 BMW M235i 6MT; 2015 Mini Cooper F56 6MT; 2005 Mustang GT 5MT; 2003 Mini Cooper R50 5MT
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06-13-2015, 11:20 AM	#4
BMWZ4 Major General 1910 Rep 5,103 Posts Drives: '23 X1/'23 Allroad Progressiv Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Toronto iTrader: (1)	Welcome! Great story. __________________ '11 Z4 30i (retired);'11 X3 28i (retired); '15 M235i Stage 1 Dinan (recalled & crushed); '16 M235i Stage 3 Dinan (retired); '15 X3 28i (retired); '14 328i (retired), 2019 X3M40i (retired); Loaded '18 X1 (retired); Loaded '20 X3MC DG, Black/Tan Merino (retired); Loaded '23 X1 Cape York green and Red/Black interior; '23 Audi A4 Allroad Progressiv
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06-13-2015, 12:06 PM	#5
1ChrisRuck Lieutenant 244 Rep 442 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW M2 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Springwoods Village, The Woodlands, Texas iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 M2 LCI [10.00]	Awesome story Congratulations and Enjoy __________________ 2018 Alpine White M2 My Instagram Page *"What’s behind you doesn’t matter" –Enzo Ferrari*
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06-13-2015, 12:47 PM	#6
mike@x-ph.com Joint Chiefs of Staff 24180 Rep 190,777 Posts Drives: 07-335/12-328/18-M4/21-M4CP Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (23)	Congrats!! __________________ Check out our current sale by clicking on this link! https://x-ph.com/sale/ Phone number 702-494-9435
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06-13-2015, 01:19 PM	#7
eBlue2 Private 11 Rep 72 Posts Drives: 2014 estoril blue M235i Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: GTA iTrader: (0)	Congrats, nice pick up! Trust me you'll be fine in the winter. I've done Cambridge to Brampton in the snow on the P7 all-season tires, with winters you won't have any problems. __________________ 2014 EBII M235i 6MT \| MP Kidneys \| MP Front Splitter \| MP Side Splitters \| MP Rear Diffuser \| MP Carbon Spoiler \| MP Pedal Set \| 30% Pinnacle F1 \| iND Painted Relfectors \| OEM Style 225m \| H&R Sport \| More to come...
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06-13-2015, 05:20 PM	#8
Phiberoptik Lieutenant 140 Rep 505 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW M235i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Congrats! reading your story just puts more anticipation as the date of my M235i gets closer
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06-13-2015, 08:35 PM	#10
2+3=5 Lieutenant 285 Rep 586 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	6 more months till winter! Woohoo
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06-15-2015, 02:33 AM	#14
ABPReader Deserter 215 Rep 401 Posts Drives: BM&W Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	. Last edited by ABPReader; 10-14-2015 at 03:19 AM..
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06-15-2015, 06:29 AM	#15
Taxinha New Member 3 Rep 21 Posts Drives: Audi A3 Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ireland iTrader: (0)	Congratulations
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06-15-2015, 08:50 AM	#16
G-Mann Captain 413 Rep 678 Posts Drives: M4CX Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	Beautiful car, Cool story. Good things do come to those that wait. __________________ 2022 M4 Comp X 2021 M440ix - Sold 2015 M235 - Sold
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06-15-2015, 01:23 PM	#17
dalrx Lieutenant 88 Rep 435 Posts Drives: 530i Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: regina iTrader: (0)	There is a thorough thread in canada section I started you can post.
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06-15-2015, 01:36 PM	#18
gaijin Mess Deck Commando 244 Rep 807 Posts Drives: F30 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (4)	Congratulations! Enjoyed reading your post and could imagine the wide grin as you realized what it was all about. Here's to many more miles of smiles to come! __________________ ///Sursum Ab Ordine
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06-15-2015, 04:24 PM	#19
uberspeed Lieutenant 45 Rep 459 Posts Drives: 328i Join Date: May 2013 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0)	Congrats and enjoy!
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06-15-2015, 07:01 PM	#20
Primetime97 New Member 2 Rep 7 Posts Drives: blue 228i coupe M sport Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Great story! As I was reading I was surprised to find that I bought my 228i M sport with the same set up as yours from the London dealer in April from Dilan. After I got my beauty (estoril blue btw) I remember checking the London BMW website and seeing the 228i you bought and thinking whoever buys this is getting a Great deal! Enjoy!! And Great Choice!
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06-15-2015, 07:28 PM	#21
cire Enlisted Member 27 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2009 128i Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Okotoks iTrader: (0)	I live in Alberta and have basically the same car. 7l/100km on my commute. I have 30,000km on the car now. Not an X Drive, just a set of Blizzacks for the winter. The Car is well balanced, great to drive and no problems yet.
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