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I agree completely with chad86tsi's use of mdecoder, and how dealers cannot possibly know all the options on a car, and also, a spreadsheet, if you are tracking a lot of cars. I hope you and I are not looking for the same thing at the same time. I don't like competent competition. :-P
and will just add: I use ALL online shopping methods available, to widen the net. Autotempest, Autotrader, Cargurus, BMWUSA. Ebay, Craigslist, this forum, and Bimmerfest. I even start to find duplicate postings of certain cars on say, CarGurus and Autotrader at the same time.
one question tho: if a car ticks all your boxes, but the price seems a bit high, do you call them up and negotiate? I certainly do. I do observe cars over time, and watch pricing trends, but that is usually with ones I am less interested in. I use that info as leverage over a dealer that just came on the market with one that ticks all the boxes. The dealers will know, and if they are not a prick, will likely work with me. I have lost a couple from playing hardball. One was an orange Jag F-type. (never mess with someone selling a special color like that, it was priced $3k higher than blue, I tried to wait them out, and it was gone in a day).
Sometimes I see one that is just priced right, just came on, and they obviously want it to move. I just call them up ASAP and make the deal, offer them asking, no quibbling, and see if there is anything else in it for me, like a spare key, replace the tires, etc.
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