[Chad20]

I'm in the market to lease a BMW .
Either a 328i or 528i. Leasing a 535i would be ideal but I don't wanna stretch my budget too far . Is the 528i with a tune enough for most ? Is dynamic drive good enough to wait out for until I feel comfortable with the 535i payment ? I drive a 328i e90 non sport and like the drive other than the stiffness. I'm leaning towards a 528i to be honest . Is leasing a used 535i even possible/cheaper?any help appreciated thanks .

[MELLOWYELLOW06]

Whats your budget?

That would help guide you in the best direction.

[r33_RGSport]

Chad,
I have 528i the 2.0T with JB4 Stage 2.
I think it is sufficient enough power.
Just keep in mind that you won't feel it as torqy as your E90 inline 6 328i.
But, if 535i can fall within your budget, I would go that route.

[Chad20]

Originally Posted by r33

Chad,
I have 528i the 2.0T with JB4 Stage 2.
I think it is sufficient enough power.
Just keep in mind that you won't feel it as torqy as your E90 inline 6 328i.
But, if 535i can fall within your budget, I would go that route.

Ya the 535i with dynamic handling, pdc, and harmon kardon and BSM paint would be the only options I choose . The 528i would be BSM paint driving assistance package , and harmon kardon. How is the base suspension on the 528i ? How's the body roll?

[r33_RGSport]

Uhm, I couldn't help you with that, I changed the suspension to KW V2 the first week of ownership.

[ezmaass]

Unless you're getting the sport suspension (or plan to swap it like r33 did), I've found the "regular" suspension for the F10 in test drives to be just too mushy. It certainly feels better in the LCI cars, though, but considering you're looking at used, I think you may find it a bit soft. Then again, if you thought your non-sport e90 was too stiff, maybe you'll like it. The only way to tell is to test drive several options.

The Dynamic Handling Package is very worthwhile IMHO. I have it and LOVE it. I came from an e90 335 with sport package, and the suspension was great until you got into city driving situations - then it was just too stiff. The DHP gives you the best of both worlds. You can adjust the suspension stiffness with the click of a button, and the Active Roll Stabilization (ARS) works incredibly well. Taking on/off-ramps at some speed in curves you'll really notice it. The F10 is not a light car, and it won't handle like your e90... the ARS helps to "fix" that problem. While I'm conscious of the additional weight of the F10, I don't think twice about tossing it around with the DHP. And when I want it to be a gentle city-going suspension, I just click it back to Comfort or even Comfort+ for really bad roads (e.g. cobblestone) and all is well with the world.

What's your budget? I think the 4-banger in the 528 has plenty of get-up-and-go for people who drive very casually. It's not going to be a quick car. If you want something relatively quick, I'd get the 535i. But by all means, don't stretch your budget - no car is worth that kind of discomfort.

As for whether you can lease a used car, the answer is yes. You can lease a CPO car from BMW, or you can even lease through an outside (3rd party) leasing company - pretty much any car. Would I recommend it? I can't really say - I think you'd have to look at the money factor and residual rates any company would be willing to offer on a car that's 3 or 4 years old. Most CPOs will just be sold straight-up or financed (they have very attractive rates - as low as 0.9%, which you can't go wrong with!).

Also make sure you consider the warranty. I think financing a CPO is a great deal for many people. It extends the warranty to 6 years and 100k miles. So, if you're buying a 3 year old off-lease car with 36k miles on it, you're covered for another 3 years and 64k miles (whichever comes first). Not a bad deal at all.

[ZeusE93]

I was looking at a 2012 528i also but after test driving it I felt it was too under powered for a 4,000lb + vehicle (though power could be sufficient with a JB mod). I ended up getting a 2012 535i M Sport instead last week. The power on the 535i feels fine though not overly powerful, so unless you plan on just cruising 99% of the time with your car I would suggest going with the larger engine if the price is right. I would also suggest going for the M Sport package as the it makes the F10 look way more aggressive and sporty.

[Chad20]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

Unless you're getting the sport suspension (or plan to swap it like r33 did), I've found the "regular" suspension for the F10 in test drives to be just too mushy. It certainly feels better in the LCI cars, though, but considering you're looking at used, I think you may find it a bit soft. Then again, if you thought your non-sport e90 was too stiff, maybe you'll like it. The only way to tell is to test drive several options.

The Dynamic Handling Package is very worthwhile IMHO. I have it and LOVE it. I came from an e90 335 with sport package, and the suspension was great until you got into city driving situations - then it was just too stiff. The DHP gives you the best of both worlds. You can adjust the suspension stiffness with the click of a button, and the Active Roll Stabilization (ARS) works incredibly well. Taking on/off-ramps at some speed in curves you'll really notice it. The F10 is not a light car, and it won't handle like your e90... the ARS helps to "fix" that problem. While I'm conscious of the additional weight of the F10, I don't think twice about tossing it around with the DHP. And when I want it to be a gentle city-going suspension, I just click it back to Comfort or even Comfort+ for really bad roads (e.g. cobblestone) and all is well with the world.

What's your budget? I think the 4-banger in the 528 has plenty of get-up-and-go for people who drive very casually. It's not going to be a quick car. If you want something relatively quick, I'd get the 535i. But by all means, don't stretch your budget - no car is worth that kind of discomfort.

As for whether you can lease a used car, the answer is yes. You can lease a CPO car from BMW, or you can even lease through an outside (3rd party) leasing company - pretty much any car. Would I recommend it? I can't really say - I think you'd have to look at the money factor and residual rates any company would be willing to offer on a car that's 3 or 4 years old. Most CPOs will just be sold straight-up or financed (they have very attractive rates - as low as 0.9%, which you can't go wrong with!).

Also make sure you consider the warranty. I think financing a CPO is a great deal for many people. It extends the warranty to 6 years and 100k miles. So, if you're buying a 3 year old off-lease car with 36k miles on it, you're covered for another 3 years and 64k miles (whichever comes first). Not a bad deal at all.

Thanks for your response I called a few dealerships and they told me leasing a used is not possible

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by Chad20

Thanks for your response I called a few dealerships and they told me leasing a used is not possible

Chad, while I wouldn't necessarily recommend leasing a used car (probably best off to finance it), you CAN in fact do it. If BMW Financial doesn't do it, you can find a third party who would. Many third party leasing companies exist - remember, BMW Financial is just a bank... you don't necessarily have to use them for anything.

I'm not sure what your motivations are here, but if you really wanted to lease a used car, I'd look at one of the third parties like Putnam. Many people use them for leasing used exotics. But they'll pretty much lease you anything.

But again, all things considered, I'd just purchase a CPO car if you're looking to get into something a few years old. The rates are typically GREAT - something like 0.9% - 1.9% for top tier credit, which is nothing.

For instance - a 60 month loan on $35k @ 0.9% would be just under $600/mo. I think you'd be able to get a 2011 528/535 in that range. Again, I don't know what your budget is here. If that's out of your comfort zone, perhaps look at a 3 series? I wouldn't buy a 2nd hand BMW without a warranty - no less a 5 series. So, while you can certainly keep going older/cheaper, the maintenance will tend to get expensive and unpredictable. My personal experience has been that 6 - 7 years old is about the max before stuff really has the potential of getting unpredictable - and that's with owning the car from new. So, buying a 2011 - 2012 and keeping the car for 2 - 3 more years as a CPO under warranty is probably the best move, I think.

[rabjab12]

try swapalease.com

[scottz5]

Lots of good lease take over deals from members on this site