[JCtx]

Originally Posted by g21

I'd say most likely he has a few SUVs and didn't drive the sedan and traded the 550 for a LCI X5/X5M

The weird thing is it was apparently traded for a freaking Chevy. Will have to run the VIN thru one of those services (Carfax, etc), and also call a BMW dealer, to see if I could get the service history by any chance. Just want to make sure I wouldn't be buying a lemon. Thanks for all the help.

On the Merino leather, I was confusing the extended vs full Merino with the M3/M4 (just checked)... but extended Merino is available on even the lowly 530i currently on the configurator, so weird the range-topping non-M M550i wasn't available with it. Oh well. Apparently the Nappa is good enough. And as far as not having the leather dash, apparently at least it has stitched vinyl covering, which is fine with me. I just didn't want ugly plain black plastic there. Apparently also the top of the doors are covered in stitched vinyl, rather than leather, but again, it'd be fine. And since sun hits those areas hard, it's probably better for longevity anyway. Now need to try to dig the history with this car.

The other '22 fully loaded I found with 4K miles had had 3 owners, and it was auctioned off all 3 times, apparently, and the first one with just 400 miles. And it ended up at BMW dealers twice, so very fishy history. I suspect a lemon/buyback at some point. Won't even consider that one, especially at $79,500. It's listed on Autotrader too, but under 'private sale exchange'. It seemed to have every option, but not worth the risk IMO. Will search for a new one as well, equipped the way I want it.

[BMW012]

Originally Posted by JCtx

The weird thing is it was apparently traded for a freaking Chevy. Will have to run the VIN thru one of those services (Carfax, etc), and also call a BMW dealer, to see if I could get the service history by any chance. Just want to make sure I wouldn't be buying a lemon. Thanks for all the help.

On the Merino leather, I was confusing the extended vs full Merino with the M3/M4 (just checked)... but extended Merino is available on even the lowly 530i currently on the configurator, so weird the range-topping non-M M550i wasn't available with it. Oh well. Apparently the Nappa is good enough. And as far as not having the leather dash, apparently at least it has stitched vinyl covering, which is fine with me. I just didn't want ugly plain black plastic there. Apparently also the top of the doors are covered in stitched vinyl, rather than leather, but again, it'd be fine. And since sun hits those areas hard, it's probably better for longevity anyway. Now need to try to dig the history with this car.

The other '22 fully loaded I found with 4K miles had had 3 owners, and it was auctioned off all 3 times, apparently, and the first one with just 400 miles. And it ended up at BMW dealers twice, so very fishy history. I suspect a lemon/buyback at some point. Won't even consider that one, especially at $79,500. It's listed on Autotrader too, but under 'private sale exchange'. It seemed to have every option, but not worth the risk IMO. Will search for a new one as well, equipped the way I want it.

3 owners within 4k, wowzers

[JCtx]

Have some more info on the first car. Chevy dealer dude says it was traded for a Z06. He sent the Autocheck, and car arrived at a Salt Lake City dealer 3/16, and it was sold to that dude on 4/17 (registered in Herriman, UT), so less than 3 months on the warranty, apparently. No window sticker, and car has rash under the front bumper (bummer). Salesman says it's clean otherwise, but if a dealer cannot confirm the car hasn't had any warranty service done (to avoid a lemon), I'd absolutely pass. Will keep you posted.

EDIT: My local dealer said they cannot access that info (different state), but even if they could, they wouldn't give to me anyway. So that, plus the rash, I was going to text the guy I'd pass, when he texted that it just sold. So good for them. At this point, there's no rush, so will drive one of the Austin ones first, then decide what to do. The sad part is none is equipped with DHP (nor massage seats, and other options I want), so I wouldn't buy it there. May I ask how you can do a nationwide search when the vehicle is not on the configurator anymore? I'm not going to be calling a million dealers. Thank you.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by JCtx

...and car has rash under the front bumper (bummer)....So that, plus the rash, I was going to text the guy I'd pass...

Good luck finding one without some under-bumper rash. These cars are low and there are many, many under-bumper hazards out there just waiting to inflict damage on the underside of the bumper. It's not visible anyway, unless one gets down on the ground. I wouldn't let that bother you. You could always get a spray can of touchup paint, spray it and no one would be the wiser... except you.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by JCtx

The sad part is none is equipped with DHP (nor massage seats, and other options I want), so I wouldn't buy it there. May I ask how you can do a nationwide search when the vehicle is not on the configurator anymore? I'm not going to be calling a million dealers. Thank you.

It’s going to be a tough search for you, but doable. You might want to consider custom ordering a g60 after all as well.

My general strategy for searching for a fully loaded M550i was to search autotrader, cars.com and cargurus in that order. Filtering by feature on these aggregators is nearly useless, as is doing so on bmwusa.com. I’d start by sorting price high to low, and then taking deeper dives into the ones that stood out. If the msrp is listed, it’s the easiest number to determine whether it’s worth your time or not.

Use mdecoder on examples that could make the cut to ensure they have what you’re looking for. Id end up keeping those 3 websites sorted by newest posted date so I could keep track of new listings. The really high spec examples (msrp >95k) would sell within 2 days, sometimes within hours. This was over 2 years ago, im not sure if the market is still as rough. It was a labor of love and a hobby unto itself, and I feel nuts even while typing this. I was able to find what I was looking for after about 4 months, but I was close to the point of cracking and going new with custom order…

And I agree that almost all of them will have under bumper rash, as long as they’re past 5k miles.

[JCtx]

Thank you guys. And yes, I've been searching on autotrader, but only a fraction of dealers advertise there. And so far I cannot find what I want, especially now that I added B&W, so basically ALL options now (except C/F ones, which I don't like). And I'm not going to compromise this time. I could compromise on exterior color (not black or matte), and wheels/tires/caliper-color, but that's it. if I can't find one, will start doing research on the M850i, which can still be ordered for '24, and with all options (no C/F) would be $118K ($15K more than the M550i). And no massaging seats nor DHP, which is a bummer. But as long as it handles like an M550i with DHP, I'd be okay with that. The plus of the M850i is it'd have full Merino leather with ivory Alcantara headliner. Thanks again for all your help.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by JCtx

Thank you guys. And yes, I've been searching on autotrader, but only a fraction of dealers advertise there. And so far I cannot find what I want, especially now that I added B&W, so basically ALL options now (except C/F ones, which I don't like). And I'm not going to compromise this time. I could compromise on exterior color (not black or matte), and wheels/tires/caliper-color, but that's it. if I can't find one, will start doing research on the M850i, which can still be ordered for '24, and with all options (no C/F) would be $118K ($15K more than the M550i). And no massaging seats nor DHP, which is a bummer. But as long as it handles like an M550i with DHP, I'd be okay with that. The plus of the M850i is it'd have full Merino leather with ivory Alcantara headliner. Thanks again for all your help.

M850i has DHP standard. But it’s missing massage altogether. Edit: at that price point I’d be looking at the M5.

[JCtx]

Yeah, no massage... but full Merino leather (vs Nappa). The M5 (and M8) would be too uncomfortable for my wife with the sportier seats, and also too stiff. And it cannot be ordered anymore either, but found a '23 in stock, and it's $134K man. A fully optioned '23 M550 would be around $101K, and a '24 M850 $116K, so a substantial difference. An M550i is definitely the better deal, so will try that.

Anyway, I was shocked to find the M850 is actually heavier than an M550i, even though it's 5 freaking inches shorter, and just 2 doors (vs 4). Why? Makes no sense.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by JCtx

Yeah, no massage... but full Merino leather (vs Nappa). The M5 (and M8) would be too uncomfortable for my wife with the sportier seats, and also too stiff. And it cannot be ordered anymore either, but found a '23 in stock, and it's $134K man. A fully optioned '23 M550 would be around $101K, and a '24 M850 $116K, so a substantial difference. An M550i is definitely the better deal, so will try that.

Anyway, I was shocked to find the M850 is actually heavier than an M550i, even though it's 5 freaking inches shorter, and just 2 doors (vs 4). Why? Makes no sense.

I was also very tempted by the f90, because the options I wanted were very hard to find on the M550i and fairly easy to on the M5. But leaned against it for the same reasons. (And the stretch of budget of course) The G30 multi-contour seats are as good as it gets imho. Better than the 8’s, which are narrower. I don’t notice the difference between merino and nappa personally.

The coupes are all heavier.

Check this one out- the pics are wrong, and the interior is actually ivory nappa. Has just about every option: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/3...-45be44389cda/

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Gautam

Check this one out- the pics are wrong, and the interior is actually nappa. Has just about every option: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/3...-45be44389cda/

i just got wet

[JCtx]

I just called, and salesman said the car didn't exist. Ha ha. After about 5 minutes of trying to find it, he said he'd call me back.
Hey, wasn't it possible to order the M550 with the ivory Alcantara headliner? It's not listed. But seems to have most of what I want. Seat ventilation is not mentioned, which would be an immediate deal-breaker, but I assume it has them. Not sure what it's missing, since it's not $100K+. Hopefully all safety/driver aid options. It's in Cali, so they better not want to add any crap over MSRP, or it's not going to happen. Thanks guys. And if somebody else finds another, please post it too. Will let you know what happens.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by JCtx

I just called, and salesman said the car didn't exist. Ha ha. After about 5 minutes of trying to find it, he said he'd call me back.
Hey, wasn't it possible to order the M550 with the ivory Alcantara headliner? It's not listed. But seems to have most of what I want. Seat ventilation is not mentioned, which would be an immediate deal-breaker, but I assume it has them. Not sure what it's missing, since it's not $100K+. Hopefully all safety/driver aid options. It's in Cali, so they better not want to add any crap over MSRP, or it's not going to happen. Thanks guys. And if somebody else finds another, please post it too. Will let you know what happens.

i just want to warn you, since i remember it -

the phone wireless charging dock in the G30 is a joke. it is too small for big phones ... just to warn you

[JCtx]

Yeah, thanks. I don't use them anyway. Fried a phone with that crap, so just use a cable now. For some reason, they get super hot when using a wireless charger, especially if you're using the phone, like to listen to Spotify streaming, or using nav on your phone (Apple CarPlay). By the way, didn't hear back from that CA dealer.

[Gautam]

Picky down to the point of knowing the msrp you want… man after my own heart

I ran mdecoder on it. It’s missing a couple of things.

No alcantara headliner as you noted, and no extended shadowline. Both the paint and trim are standard.

But all the assistance stuff is there, as are ventilated and massaging seats.

But I’ve went through this several times with dealers outside of state. “Misplaced” cars… often means they’ve been sold, or spoken for by someone who works at the dealership. Hope that isn’t the case here…

[JCtx]

I'll call again Monday, but they might open until Wednesday. The extended shadowline does not include the grille, right? If it's just the black mirrors, rear spoiler, and exhaust tips, I actually prefer it deleted. But really wanted the Alcantara headliner, especially in ivory, which I'm almost sure was an option on M550s. But not a deal-breaker. Will look for others on the other sites you mentioned. Anything under $98K is not going to have all options I want, so should be easy to find possible alternatives. Enjoy the long weekend, guys.

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by Gautam

Check this one out

Just found this 'same' car in Autotrader, but it's listed correctly there. Unfortunately, no B&W, so a deal-breaker. And it does have both extended shadowline and Alcantara headliner (but black). Seems to have every option except B&W. I knew with all options it'd be above $100K. I could sacrifice the white headliner, but not B&W. Will keep looking. https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

[jphcbpa]

Good options

https://www.sewell.com/VehicleDetail...-TX/5627441760

[JCtx]

Thank you for that, but really want the ivory interior. I know myself, so I'm not going to settle anymore, especially for something this expensive (and that depreciates that much). I've lost tens of thousands of dollars selling vehicles in less than a year in the past, after doing just that, so no more. Anyway, just finished searching basically all online car sites, and there are no matches. My last hope is people like you, posting cars not advertised on car sites. I'm not going to move with an M850i order until I drive both the M550 and M850 when I go to Austin in a week or two. If I like the M550 better, might sacrifice the ivory interior, and consider a car like the Sewell one above. Otherwise, ,I'd just order an M850 the way I want it, and bite the bullet and pay the 18 grand extra. Thanks again guys.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by JCtx

Just found this 'same' car in Autotrader, but it's listed correctly there. Unfortunately, no B&W, so a deal-breaker. And it does have both extended shadowline and Alcantara headliner (but black). Seems to have every option except B&W. I knew with all options it'd be above $100K. I could sacrifice the white headliner, but not B&W. Will keep looking. https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

That’s not the same one. Totally different vins. Totally different dealer.

The one I linked: https://www.mdecoder.com/decode/wba13bk03pcn34510
This one: https://www.mdecoder.com/decode/wba13bk0xpcm85791

Though it looks like it’s gone :/ B&W and DHP together are very hard to find.

[JCtx]

That car you initially linked wasn't the car that was described (it had black interior); and THAT was the problem, I think. Apparently the car with B&W and DHP was already sold. Anyway, looks like I'll have to 'settle' for an M850i, and order it exactly the way I want. By the way, before ordering it, I also want to drive a Lexus LC500, just for kicks. I don't think I'll like it better than the 850 for one reason: If you order the handling package, it comes with Alcantara seats, which is a deal-breaker for me. So would have to order the 'touring' package, and add Torsen diff, and I don't think it's going to handle the way I want. I want a GT car, but but don't want to sacrifice handling too much. But the reliability aspect of a Lexus is definitely appealing. I'd have to get rid of the 850 before warranty expires.

[BMW012]

Originally Posted by JCtx

That car you initially linked wasn't the car that was described (it had black interior); and THAT was the problem, I think. Apparently the car with B&W and DHP was already sold. Anyway, looks like I'll have to 'settle' for an M850i, and order it exactly the way I want. By the way, before ordering it, I also want to drive a Lexus LC500, just for kicks. I don't think I'll like it better than the 850 for one reason: If you order the handling package, it comes with Alcantara seats, which is a deal-breaker for me. So would have to order the 'touring' package, and add Torsen diff, and I don't think it's going to handle the way I want. I want a GT car, but but don't want to sacrifice handling too much. But the reliability aspect of a Lexus is definitely appealing. I'd have to get rid of the 850 before warranty expires.

btw, which 850 we going for? coupe, gran coupe, vert?

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by JCtx

That car you initially linked wasn't the car that was described (it had black interior); and THAT was the problem, I think. Apparently the car with B&W and DHP was already sold. Anyway, looks like I'll have to 'settle' for an M850i, and order it exactly the way I want. By the way, before ordering it, I also want to drive a Lexus LC500, just for kicks. I don't think I'll like it better than the 850 for one reason: If you order the handling package, it comes with Alcantara seats, which is a deal-breaker for me. So would have to order the 'touring' package, and add Torsen diff, and I don't think it's going to handle the way I want. I want a GT car, but but don't want to sacrifice handling too much. But the reliability aspect of a Lexus is definitely appealing. I'd have to get rid of the 850 before warranty expires.

Can’t speak to the Lexus, but the 850 seems like a good play after all. Compromising just costs more in the long run, and I wouldn’t want to have to choose between B&W and DHP. I was dead set on ivory as well, and ivory is the rarest non-individual color, which makes the search even harder.

The M560e is likely a year out…