Posted this on the wrong board initially...

So, I'm waiting for my 335i sedan to arrive (should be here on the weekend), and when I spoke to the dealer to find out which day, he offered me a loaner until it arrives.

I was thinking it would be some cheapo rental car, and he pulls out this LOADED 530xi wagon.

Sooooooooooo nice.

What??? You don't even have the car yet and he gave you a loaner???

That'll be a 535xi for 2008. Just entered pricing into my site's database the other day. Finally, a BMW wagon with real power in the U.S.! Great looking wagon as well.

Unfortunately it isn't cheap, starting at $54,775.

Yeah - all I did was to call to oconfirm which day it was arriving, and he asked what my current driving situation was. I said that I had sold my only car two weeks ago, and it was an inconvenience not having any wheels.

I was being honest, and not at all expecting his response.

I think this bodes well for a good relationship with the dealer.

It is not a 535xi...it's a 2006 530xi wagon (255hp).

I assumed you were correct about the loaner. Just seemed a good time to express my lust for the 2008 535xi Touring. If you like the 530xi...

The dealer does sound excellent.

Ha ha...nice one - expression of lust is usually a good thing!

I wonder if that TT engine will make it into the X3 and X5 as well...hope so.

My dealer did the same for me. I had sold my car about a week before. Gave me a chance to get acquainted with car and computer system before actually driving my new one.

I'll be trading in my 2005 Nissan Maxima fully loaded. I wonder if I can trade it in 2 weeks earlier and get a loaner car too. lol! That'll be cool!

I'm doubtful you could trade it in early!

Obviously, I don't know your circumstances, but I advertised my car on Autotrader.com and said to myself that if it didn't sell by the time my car arrived, I would suck it up and take a hit at Carmax.

My car sold in two days.

Now I'm driving a $60k car while I wait. I would say things worked out nicely.

I think it will depend on the dealer though....

I'm doubtful you could trade it in early!

Obviously, I don't know your circumstances, but I advertised my car on Autotrader.com and said to myself that if it didn't sell by the time my car arrived, I would suck it up and take a hit at Carmax.

My car sold in two days.

Now I'm driving a $60k car while I wait. I would say things worked out nicely.

I think it will depend on the dealer though....

How was your experience dealing with autotrader.com? I might just put my car up for sale on there instead of trading it in, since I have until the end of next month. Is there a fee that you have to pay to list your car?

There is a fee schedule. The cheapest is about $20. You get one photo and a brief description, and it goes online for a few days.

The next tier is $30 and you get 9 photos online, and it will be advertised for 4 weeks, I think. It also gets placed in your local Autotrader magazine with your "main" photo for a short time.

There's one more tier which is the same as the second but for longer.

As you can probably tell, I did the second option.

Everything went very smoothly. Obviously, you success will depend on how you price your car. If you have 3 weeks, I'd be optimistic in pricing it for one week, then you could edit your ad and reduce your price (at no additional Autotrader cost), if nobody shows any interest.

Personally, I thought my asking price was a little high, but then I got 5 emails within two days, and the vehicle was sold in three. I think that indicates how wide the net is that Autotrader casts. I mean, as well as being posted on that website, it gets posted on Yahoo! Autos, and I think that has good coverage too.

Honestly, I think it's a no-brainer, and I'd definitely do it again.

Thanks for the info wales, I will definitely look into it.

No worries - keep me posted with your success...or lack thereof.

What car exactly have you ordered, and with what options? Mine should be here this weekend!!!!!!

Thanks for the info wales, I will definitely look into it.
I agree with the suggestions given about Autotrader. I would also use Craigslist, as it is free and many of us use it too. My experience with Autotrader has been that, for a higher end car (I sold my CLK55 last year) I had almost no response for about 2 months, then suddenly a buyer called and he bought the car the next day. Sometimes you just have to be patient until the right buyer comes along. The biggest nuisance is the brokers that want to give you a low-ball price so they can flip it for a profit. And Craigslist is subject to a lot of scam offers that you need to ignore. They provide plenty of warnings about how to spot these if it isn't obvious.

I've been using cars.com, autotrader.com, and craigslist to try and sell my C230 since I ordered my 335i in December. Unfortunately still no luck. I have it priced reasonably, but unfortunately the C230 Sport Coupe is apparently not a very desirable car.

I have gotten the most hits (about 15-20 calls/emails) from the cars.com listing but have gotten a few (2-3) from autotrader.com. All of the responses from craigslist were scams (i.e. let me send you 5k more than you are asking and you send me back a 5k money order right away, etc).

The cars.com interface is easier to use/update than autotrader.com IMO. Cars.com also has the "list it until it sells" option which for one fee up-front ($40 IIRC) it will be listed until your car sells. Autotrader.com does not have a similar option, the longest is 12 weeks after which you have to pay the $40 again for another 12 weeks.

Good luck with your sale and let me know if you know anyone who wants a well cared for 2002 MBZ C230! :D:D

530xi's are sweet... What color was the loaner and what color is your 335i?

Loaner is Titanium Silver Metallic, and like you said - very sweet.

My car is Sparkling Graphite Metallic. Can't wait...

Loaner is Titanium Silver Metallic, and like you said - very sweet.

My car is Sparkling Graphite Metallic. Can't wait...

:buttrock

Very nice..