Hey Cool Car Fans,

Last night I sold a really cool black with brown leather interior 2004 BMW X3 to a woman who traded in her 2001 BMW X5. She was definitely a BMW fan and the guy I sold it for was as well, but he had been given a new vehicle to drive for his job, so he didn’t need it any longer.

I consign quite a few vehicles for people throughout the year and it’s pretty cool when it works out for both parties like this one did. She wanted it checked out by her personal mechanic, which was fine, and all he recommended was having the rear brakes done.  The seller agreed and he even threw in a set of Winter snow tires for her.  How cool is that?

I structured the financing and handled her trade, so that the payments worked for her and I was able to get her financed at a good rate through one of the lenders that I have a relationship with through JFR & Associates, where I hang my license.

It’s a cool vehicle and I thought I would list it here at CoolCarGuy.com with some of the photos that were taken when it was placed online for sale. This is a very popular small SUV in the high-end car market and 2004 was the first year of the BMW X3.

In 2004 the X3 was a new SUV from BMW.  It’s only slightly smaller than the X5, but the X3 is more than 600 pounds lighter and features the all-new xDrive all-wheel drive and traction system that automatically transfers more torque to the front wheels when needed, which was a really cool feature in 2004.  It also came in a smaller 2.5l engine and the larger 3.0 motor with 225hp like this one.

The 2001 BMW X5 she traded with over 128,000 miles still wholesaled for $7,500, so BMW’s are still bringing some bling with high miles.

Here are some of the options that this vehicle came equipped with…

2004 BMW X3 3.0i Vehicle Options
Air Conditioning
Owners Manual
Alarm System
Passenger Airbag
Alloy Wheels
Power Locks
AM/FM
Power Mirrors
Anti-Lock Brakes
Power Seats
Bucket Seats
Power Steering
CD
Power Windows
Cruise Control
Rear Defroster
Driver Airbag
Sun Roof
Extra Keys
Tilt Wheel
Keyless Entry
Tinted Windows
Memory Seats

Cool Car Guy Rating: Very Cool

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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

I try to warn my clients all the time that most car dealers have earned and deserve their bad reputation, especially when a client calls to tell me what a great “deal” they’ve found on their own. As The Cool Car Guy, I buy, sell, trade and lease vehicles for clients everyday and I still exercise extreme caution because I know how easy it is to get burned buying the wrong vehicle.

This past week for example, I was searching for a 2007 BMW 328xi for a client and I spotted one at the Denver Auction that was being offered by a local dealership. This “royal” dealership, quickly became a royal pain and I knew who they were, but I had never done business with them before. I pulled the dealership up on Google and found a few good reviews about the dealership from former “clients”, so they looked reputable.

I wrote to the owner and discovered he had the vehicle on display in a Walmart store, which immediately was a red flag for me. Why would you put a $23,000 high-line vehicle in a Walmart store that is located in a traditionally lower income part of Denver? He said he didn’t have room at his dealership, so I went along with it. I asked if he could get his vehicle back to his dealership and I would pick it up, show it to my client and that I wanted to get a mechanical inspection done on the car before buying it.

Normally, if I buy a vehicle through a dealer auction, I pay for a frame and mechanical inspection on the vehicle. If it doesn’t pass I can arbitrate with the seller or depending on the findings, return the vehicle. This provides protection for me and my client, so that we don’t get stuck with a problem vehicle a dealer just wants to pawn off on another dealer.

When I put in my request to see the vehicle, this was the response that I got back from this “reputable” dealer with their great Google reviews…

“MAN YOU SOUND LIKE A CUSTOMER JUST SEND THEM TO ME ILL SELL IT AND MAIL YOU A CHECK FOR $500, WE DONT ALOOW OUR CARS TO GO TO MECKANICS. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.”

Yeah, right!   Not only could he not spell, but I’m willing to bet this vehicle has serious issues.  Somebody who doesn’t know any better is going to get burned when they buy that vehicle from this dealership. There is almost always a reason why a vehicle is being sold at discount, usually there are issues with the vehicle. To require an inspection before a major purchase is not an unreasonable request. If the dealer won’t allow you to get an inspection, my advice is not to do business with that dealer. It doesn’t matter how nice they are, what their reviews are, how long they have been in business or how great a deal their car is that they are selling.

There are just too many things that can go wrong with a vehicle, especially today, with cars being more complex than ever before. Your great “deal” could quickly become an expensive nightmare and I see it all the time. You are always better off paying a little more for the right vehicle than less for the wrong vehicle. No two used cars or trucks are the same.

The reality is that it is really hard to pay too much for a used car, if it is the “right” vehicle, because you have some protection with Kelly Blue Book and NADA.   If you end up paying $1,000 more than you planned and you keep the vehicle for five years, that’s only $200 more a year to drive a vehicle that isn’t going to cause you a great deal of problems.  I can tell you from experience that it’s worth it!  Where people get into trouble is when they want to buy vehicles for wholesale book and they fail to realize that reputable dealers will pay wholesale for the right vehicles for their inventory that they will recondition and sell retail. Shady dealers will buy the “junk” that good dealers don’t want, they don’t spend the money to properly recondition them and then they put them on Craigslist or other sites at a “great” price.

If you’re shopping on your own, you need to be aware of this, so you don’t get burned. I have a list of dealers that I refuse to buy from and some of them are popular in the Denver area, but I know how they do business. Just remember what you were taught when you were younger and you’ll avoid a great deal of pain – “You get what you pay for and there is no free lunch.”.
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

2010 was an interesting year for automobile sales that’s for sure. Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas had this to say about 2010…“This is definitely a year we’d all like to put behind us,” and Toyota is feeling the same way for sure after their recall of more than 11 million vehicles last year.

After striving to beat GM as the world’s largest automaker, the Japanese giant has seen its stellar reputation for quality and reliability whacked. They had their executives pulled before Congress and hit with fines, while even being poked fun at by Saturday Night Live with this video that is pretty funny…

Toyota is hoping that it has seen the end of its recall issues and that it can turn things around in 2011, but it looks like sales in the United States may continue to decline.  VW on the other hand is making a move to become number one and knock Toyota off the throne.  It’s CEO Martin Winterkorn is telling the world that his plan is to make VW the world’s largest automaker.

The Volkswagen family includes:  VW, Porsche, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Spyker, Scania, Bugatti, Bentley,and Lamborghini. It also owns the Auto Union name.  The big deal is that VW plans to open a new plant in Tennessee in 2011, which will be the first time that the German manufacturer has manufactured cars in the United States.  They shouldn’t have the same problems they had when they started putting the New Beetle together in Mexico.  People like myself in the auto industry joked around that the check engine light coming on was a feature!  It’s not just Toyota that has had recall issues or quality control problems.

2011 should be an interesting year as the challenges of 2010 will persist, which include rising fuel prices, increasing costs of raw materials, challenging economic times and increased competition from countries like India with Tata Motors, Italy with Fiat and their acquisition of Chrysler, and soon the Chinese will be arriving as well.

There are also discussions about fuel prices jumping to $4 a gallon that will create major problems for people once again, if it happens, like fuel prices did a few years ago that sent the auto industry into a tailspin.  I really think we’re going to need to see a change in the U.S. moving off our total dependence on foreign oil, with the Nissan Leaf leading the way, along with the Chevy Volt.  They are not going to solve the problems we’re facing in the automotive industry overnight, but what has always made America great is improvements in technology and good old fashioned ingenuity.
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

Earlier today, I got the following email from one of my buddies over at Nissan about their new Murano convertible that is going to be hitting the market in early 2011. If you haven’t seen this new ride, you can check it out at the following link – Nissan Crosscabriolet.  This vehicle is going to start out at around $46,390 according to their website.

Be sure and get in touch with me early if you want to secure one of these because I can’t imagine they are going to be easy to get initially and I can track one down for you.  After all, I am The Cool Car Guy.

Here’s what he had to say…

“John, as you know, Nissan is about to blow the roof off the Crossover market.

Murano CrossCabriolet, the first all-wheel drive crossover convertible. It’s a premium vehicle that offers the open-air exhilaration of a convertible, along with the crossover virtues including comfortable seating for four, easy entry and exit, ample cargo capacity, high ground clearance, and all-wheel drive.

Murano CrossCabriolet is based on Murano LE AWD, but has been redesigned from the A-pillar back. Sold only in the U.S., it stakes out a unique niche in today’s market. It offers premium amenities that will appeal to upscale convertible buyers and those who may have been unwilling to make the sacrifices in practicality convertibles traditionallt required.

Murano CrossCabriolet represents a breakthruogh in concept and design, and it will be available in a variety of color combinations ( top, exterior, and interior ) for people who want to express their own unique style.

Look for more details as it’s release approaches early next year.”

_________________________________________________________________________

Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy

Hey Cool Car Fans,

If you’re looking for an SUV as we head into the Colorado Winter months be sure and check out this 2005 BMW X5 with the 4.4i V8 motor.  It was owned by an attorney who purchased it new and it’s in mint condition.

It’s a one-owner, vehicle with a clean CarFax and AutoCheck and it’s loaded with heated seats even in the rear of the vehicle.  It’s green with tan interior and has the large panoramic roof for maximum light exposure on those sunny Colorado days and moonlit nights.  It has the Sport Package that allows you to downshift the transmission when coming down the mountains or steep hills, so that you don’t have to ride your brakes.

This vehicle needs nothing!  It’s in fantastic shape and extremely well maintained.  You may find some for less on the market, but wait until you go to see them and realize you have to put more money into making the vehicle what it should be.  Believe me, I look at vehicles everyday and no two used cars are exactly the same.  You get what you pay for on the used car market and this vehicle is priced to sell for the features and options it has included.

The 4.4i has standard 18’s, with 19’s available in tandem with the Sport Package. The Sport Package include firmer suspension tuning.

The V8 X5’s are super fast SUV’s for their size.  They are capable of going 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds with the 4.4l engine and are very fun to drive.  They handle really well too.  You really get a great deal of bang for your buck when you purchase these vehicles on the used market like this one. You can get this vehicle for half the price of what it originally sold for new with only about 10,000 miles a year of driving on it.

There are a number of BMW X5’s available right now, but the majority of them are the smaller 3.0 liter V6 with more miles and not the 4.4 liter V8.  BMW doesn’t make as many of the V8’s because of the additional cost involved and since they are out of the budget of many American’s who want to drive them.  Many BMW enthusiasts tend to keep their X5’s and drive them until they have over 100,000 miles or more, unless they have leased them new.  When they come off lease, BMW dealers usually sell them for more money with additional certification costs.

The spec’s on this vehicle are great too with the really low miles…

Body Style: SUV

I have driven quite a few of the X5’s and most people settle for the V6 3.0l motor, but the big engine has much more power while not paying much more for fuel economy. If your goal is to keep the vehicle for a long time, like many people are doing these days, you have 8 cylinders working compared to 6 cylinders.

This is a big deal that most people don’t think about long term because of the of effort that the 6 cylinder needs to put forth to push the amount of metal on this vehicle compared to the 8 cylinder engine is greater.  The motor has to work harder over time.  It just makes sense because you have two additional cylinders working in the 8 cylinder compared to the 6 cylinder.  You should be able to get several more years of use out of the 8 cylinder compared to the 6 cylinder and this is something that most people don’t think about.

There is not significant fuel savings between the 6 cylinder and the 8

cylinder engines either, but the horsepower jumps from 225hp in the 6 cylinder to 315hp in the 8 cylinder.  If you’re going up in the mountains or you live in the mountains here in Colorado, you definitely should go for the additional power.  You’ll notice it cruising on I70 and going on mountain passes.

City (mpg) 16
Highway (mpg) 22

Standard Engine: 4.4L, 315hp V8
Horsepower: 315 @ 5400 RPM
Torque: 324 @ 3600 RPM

Features: Air Conditioning, Alarm System, Alloy Wheels, AM/FM, Anti-Lock Brakes, Back Up Sonar, Bucket Seats, CD, Driver Airbag, Fog Lights, Heated Seats, Keyless Entry, Leather Seats, Owners Manual, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Power Seats, Power Steering, Rear Defroster, Sun Roof, Tilt Wheel, Tinted Windows, Traction Control

Cool Car Guy Rating: Super Cool & A Great Value

Drop me an email or call me to arrange a showing and to find out if this vehicle is still available.
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Auto Consultant – John Boyd: The Cool Car Guy

John is an auto consultant with his license at a car dealership in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com or Twitter @coolcarguy