[LuvMyE92]

I am still waiting on my local dealer to get an allocation for my M550ix in Aventurin Red Metallic, but it could be a while. So I started looking for cars that were in stock, every dealer east of California. I used cars.com (if you know a better tool, please let me know). The BMW website is useless beyond a couple of hundred miles for a search.

Around 60% of the cars were pre-sold.

Of the remainders, a couple were unacceptable colors, half were missing "must have" option of nappa, and one if you can believe it, had zero options, not even premium (my other "must have"). The remaining few had too many options, killing the budget. There are a few where I am still waiting to hear back from the dealer on availability.

One dealer wanted $5K over MSRP, on top of his already inflated add-ons (nitrogen, wheel locks, ceramic coating, etc.) of nearly $2K. I did get them to knock off the $5K, but their attitude has really ticked me off, so that's a no-go.

It's tough out there. You have to either settle for something that doesn't check all of the boxes, pay way too much, or both.

Fortunately I have a very nice car to drive now, so it's not like I'm in a position where I have to buy something. But you know... it is frustrating.

[eliphil]

I feel your pain, started my search about a month ago and the first delaer I went to said 10K over sticker for cars in stock 5K if we order, it took a few minutes to get them back to msrp but it was annoying. I found my exact build in Maryland its on its way from Europe now. There is a nicely built one that just showed up in Michigan Graphite Grey its 90K list every option is in it. Just keep searching every day until a match comes up auto traders and cars.com select newly listed

[LogicalApex]

Good luck hunting!

This market is one where you need to buckle up and get ready to drive aggressively through NYC. You'll make it through with a lot of battle scars to prove it.

I am very glad I was able to get in right before this whole mess went down. More importantly. I'm glad I don't lease. As I'm able to choose when I jump back in on my terms. The current market being forced into it in a lease context. Brutal.

You get a bump on the lease side potentially with the used car inflation being high enough you might be able to buyout and sell at a bump, but once you go out there to buy your balls are put into a meat grinder. You're then forced to accept all kinds of pain to get something less at prices higher than normal.

MSRP is a "deal" now... Wild...

The biggest reason I'm happy I can avoid it is we still don't know how long the tail is on this market. Some manufacturers are hoping they can keep incentives low to juice their profits by controlling stock a lot more (via pushing ordering over lot cars). Will it work or last? Who knows, but it will probably take a year or two for them to "test" the market anyway once it starts to rightsize. Then you have the unknown of how will this shift the configurations of cars as well. Will BMW do more locking options out of lower trims to push profits? Such as the loss of B&W on trims lower than the M550i? Etc. Etc. etc.

We'll probably see this "sorting" itself out (whatever that means) closer to 2024 or 2025 IMHO. But we shall see...

Either way, buckle up! The seat belt light is still illuminated as we're still experiencing turbulence...

[ezaircon4jc]

This is also killing those of us that have to deal with the 3G shutdown and no support from BMW on an upgrade. My plan was to get rid of the 2012, keep the 2014 for my wife (she couldn't care less about the tech) and get a 19 for me. Looks like that ship has sailed, so I may be forced to jump ship and get a Korean car. The 2012 is still going on the block.

[eliphil]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Good luck hunting!

This market is one where you need to buckle up and get ready to drive aggressively through NYC. You'll make it through with a lot of battle scars to prove it.

I am very glad I was able to get in right before this whole mess went down. More importantly. I'm glad I don't lease. As I'm able to choose when I jump back in on my terms. The current market being forced into it in a lease context. Brutal.

You get a bump on the lease side potentially with the used car inflation being high enough you might be able to buyout and sell at a bump, but once you go out there to buy your balls are put into a meat grinder. You're then forced to accept all kinds of pain to get something less at prices higher than normal.

MSRP is a "deal" now... Wild...

The biggest reason I'm happy I can avoid it is we still don't know how long the tail is on this market. Some manufacturers are hoping they can keep incentives low to juice their profits by controlling stock a lot more (via pushing ordering over lot cars). Will it work or last? Who knows, but it will probably take a year or two for them to "test" the market anyway once it starts to rightsize. Then you have the unknown of how will this shift the configurations of cars as well. Will BMW do more locking options out of lower trims to push profits? Such as the loss of B&W on trims lower than the M550i? Etc. Etc. etc.

We'll probably see this "sorting" itself out (whatever that means) closer to 2024 or 2025 IMHO. But we shall see...

Either way, buckle up! The seat belt light is still illuminated as we're still experiencing turbulence...

The market will adjust back to what we are all used to once the supply chain straightens out. The dealers will begin to get normal inventory levels and then they will begin discounting again. Competition will drive priicng, no pun intended...........

[G30 B58]

Not an M550 or an M5 but we ordered a loaded 540i well below MSRP and will take delivery on Mon Jan 10th at the Perf Center.

I was prepared to lease for the very first time in my life but you know what, I''m still buying this thing outright. With all the EV coming to market and supply chain issues, this car is built our way and we may never get the chance to build another just the way we want it,

Hell, at this rate in this market, we may never be upside down in the car.