[wetzie]

Hello everyone
My wife is considering a new car and the 430i Drive convertible is what is looking for. We have 2017 230i Drive convertible with 65K. I have not purchased a new BMW in decades, is there a way to get a good deal on the new car?
Has anyone made this switch from the 2 to the 4, differences seem minimal? We feel forced into the 4 series because of the convertible but we love the 2 series!
Thank you

[aerobod]

It depends on what you mean by a good deal. In the current market with new car supply generally still constrained, not paying over MSRP could be considered a good deal, unless you can find a car with an unpopular configuration that has been sitting at a dealer for a while.

[morphomeman]

Ditto. In today's market, your best bet is to hang onto your current vehicle as long as you can, unless there is something wrong with it.
Convertibles are becoming as rare as hens' teeth. The 4-series is much larger on the outside than the 2, but the interior dimensions are not that different (the width is most noticeable, if you are feeling squeezed in the 2).
The price difference is much more noticeable! Personally, the 4 feels a bit too boat-like to me, but then I am partial to smaller cars, where I feel one with the road.

[freakystyly]

Pretty sure the F33 is a hardtop convertible too... so more parts, more complexity, more weight.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Pretty sure the F33 is a hardtop convertible too... so more parts, more complexity, more weight.

If he is buying new, its G23 now and those are soft top

[freakystyly]

Ah, still approx. 300 lbs heavier going from F23 to G33. It's pushing 4k lbs with a 4 cylinder. I didn't notice they were soft top now.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by wetzie

Hello everyone
My wife is considering a new car and the 430i Drive convertible is what is looking for. We have 2017 230i Drive convertible with 65K. I have not purchased a new BMW in decades, is there a way to get a good deal on the new car?
Has anyone made this switch from the 2 to the 4, differences seem minimal? We feel forced into the 4 series because of the convertible but we love the 2 series!
Thank you

Do you want to "drive" or "cruise"? Choose 2 vs 4 accordingly.
Personally, I'd spend less and do all possible updating/maintenance on the 2. We have members past 100k here. But, she may have a different driving experience in mind.

[VAcurler]

If you are ordering new from the factory to your specifications, you should be able to get below MSRP. A few percent anyway since the dealer is really just pushing paperwork for you.

[nazali]

I'm trying to do this, big difference is the cabin more side by side space

I'm waiting to get my risiduals down a bit more and get a better trade in
Summer is usually best time

I have a 2 vert and want the new 4 vert Big Grill

Originally Posted by wetzie

Hello everyone
My wife is considering a new car and the 430i Drive convertible is what is looking for. We have 2017 230i Drive convertible with 65K. I have not purchased a new BMW in decades, is there a way to get a good deal on the new car?
Has anyone made this switch from the 2 to the 4, differences seem minimal? We feel forced into the 4 series because of the convertible but we love the 2 series!
Thank you

[nazali]

it's a hard/soft top,
not your traditional soft top, thats why it splits into 3 when folding
looks like a soft, but there are hard bits in it,
check out a youtube video

best of both worlds

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Ah, still approx. 300 lbs heavier going from F23 to G33. It's pushing 4k lbs with a 4 cylinder. I didn't notice they were soft top now.

[nazali]

[aerobod]

It's a full soft top with a hard tonneau cover.

[Gregoryb01]

Originally Posted by wetzie

We feel forced into the 4 series because of the convertible but we love the 2 series!
Thank you

If you love the 2 then why not just stay in it?

[wetzie]

Thank you all for the comments. The wife wants a new car but I do not think she is going to like the bigger size of the 4 series. The 230 is already starting to show some issues like previous BMWs at 80K miles, now with gas tank evap leak errors and check engine light.
This is a daily driver so trying to get something newer is her goal and a warranty. She does not have the bug yet but I sense it is coming.
We have been quoted MSRP but the cars move quick, sometimes before they arrive at the dealership. The trade-in for a 6 year old car seems low but BW said 80K miles is high for the year ??

[JMcLellan]

Originally Posted by wetzie

Thank you all for the comments. The wife wants a new car but I do not think she is going to like the bigger size of the 4 series. The 230 is already starting to show some issues like previous BMWs at 80K miles, now with gas tank evap leak errors and check engine light.
This is a daily driver so trying to get something newer is her goal and a warranty. She does not have the bug yet but I sense it is coming.
We have been quoted MSRP but the cars move quick, sometimes before they arrive at the dealership. The trade-in for a 6 year old car seems low but BW said 80K miles is high for the year ??

My take is that the used car market (not all but some areas) has plummeted in terms of car values over the last few months. Specific to used 2 series cars it seems like inventories are starting to build up, new inventory is recovering to meet demand, interest rates are still high, but the best rates are for new cars. Seems like more of the demand for purchasing is aimed at new cars. I tried selling my 2019 M240i this spring/summer. A year ago I could have easily gotten $40K+ plus for it. Over the last few months the best offer I got was $33K which wasn't enough to part with the car. And now I am seeing similar mileage M2's with asking prices around $40 to $43K. Why pay me $35K plus when you get an M2 for $40K?

All that said people trying to sell of trade in a car are going to be pissed getting a low ball offer on their used car. Meanwhile new car prices are not coming down. That is exactly why I kept my car and didn't get the new M2. If I were to be moving away from my car I would try to maximize the value by selling it privately then picking up a slightly newer used car with low miles to avoid the new car price and depreciation cliff. Sorry for the rant but I can relate to the pain.