X5M 3rd row seat

[heatmizr]

That's Crazy!
That wasn't on my radar. Not bad.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

Very helpful, again.... That car looks perfect. Thanks Jiggz!
Unfortunately that is pretty far away from me. I will be patient and look closer to home.

Agreed - you'd never want to put a car seat back there anyway, best to use the second row for that and the older kids can go all the way back. Mine are 3 & 5 so perfect.

What decoder are you using? BMWarchive gives the below descriptions for those same options:
S451A Active seat for driver
S453A Climatised front seats *
S456A Comfort seat with memory

Sometimes instead of reading all the VIN results I do a Ctrl+Find on "Vent" or whatever I am looking for, and this one wouldn't have found it. Tricky... Lesson learned.

No problem, happy to help.

I typically use BMWvin.com, but I've used BMWarchive as well - they provide the same information, sometimes worded just slightly different.

Well, if you're ready to buy now, a vehicle fits your budget, and it has all the packages/options you want, color combo & miles are acceptable, etc., I would highly consider having it shipped. Especially if you're looking for a vehicle with a rare combination of options. I'd probably only do it on a CPO vehicle though, and I see this one is not CPO. With CPO the vehicle must pass a long list of mechanical and condition checks, so you're typically pretty safe. I purchased mine w/o ever seeing it in person and had it shipped from another state, but it was CPO. Showed up in nearly new condition.

This one does have high miles for a 2013, I think.

But if you don't need a vehicle right away, I think the search is half the fun!

[heatmizr]

I am excited, and ready financially. But I only started looking a week ago, and don't have an immediate need so trying to be patient that I end up with the right one.
I really need to sit in and drive the M Sport or Perf to be sure, so need to watch for one close enough to get to it, even if not the right one for me.
Good point on the shipping being worthwhile for a CPO. Are all BMW dealers able to ship? Does the price vary on the distance?

My local dealer just sent me the first one he could find with a 3rd row, after a week of looking. Its a 2012, with the vented seats, upgraded audio and third row, low miles. I think I have added the M Sport pkg (at least) to my list since I spoke with him though (pending first person look). I'd also much prefer a 2013.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

I am excited, and ready financially. But I only started looking a week ago, and don't have an immediate need so trying to be patient that I end up with the right one.
I really need to sit in and drive the M Sport or Perf to be sure, so need to watch for one close enough to get to it, even if not the right one for me.
Good point on the shipping being worthwhile for a CPO. Are all BMW dealers able to ship? Does the price vary on the distance?

My local dealer just sent me the first one he could find with a 3rd row, after a week of looking. Its a 2012, with the vented seats, upgraded audio and third row, low miles. I think I have added the M Sport pkg (at least) to my list since I spoke with him though (pending first person look). I'd also much prefer a 2013.

Keep in mind the M Sport and M Performance don't add any suspension upgrades - it's all cosmetic (and performance if you get M Performance).

But yes, good idea to drive a few before deciding which one you want to buy…that's what we did. That's when I drove the 50i and never looked again for a 35i

Any dealer will ship if it means a sale, and most of them have good contracts with shipping companies. I would definitely keep that option in mind…these vehicles are not that plentiful when you're specific about packages, options, color, year, etc. There just isn't that many around. I spent 10 months looking, and found mine in CA…had it shipped to WA. I still look for fun and have still never seen anything close to my vehicle in WA state. Figure about 2K cross country, and then exponentially less from there, depending on distance.

Small price to may IMO for getting the exact vehicle you want.

[heatmizr]

Originally Posted by jiggz

Keep in mind the M Sport and M Performance don't add any suspension upgrades - it's all cosmetic (and performance if you get M Performance).

Argh, so even those don't include the uprated suspension?
Maybe this is ok, from the semi-negative comments I've seen on that susp being too stiff. Do you have it?

And that is a separate option? -> S226A = Sport Susp = Adaptive Susp?
I know it is 'deleted' from the non-M sport package on a Sport Activity; is it a completely stand alone option? Can it exist on any Sport Activity or Premium?

I am going to have to just go by the 5 or so exact option codes I really want, and not worry about packages, its too confusing.

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

Argh, so even those don't include the uprated suspension?
Maybe this is ok, from the semi-negative comments I've seen on that susp being too stiff. Do you have it?

And that is a separate option? -> S226A = Sport Susp = Adaptive Susp?
I know it is 'deleted' from the non-M sport package on a Sport Activity; is it a completely stand alone option? Can it exist on any Sport Activity or Premium?

I am going to have to just go by the 5 or so exact option codes I really want, and not worry about packages, its too confusing.

Check out this thread, it might help with the suspension questions -
http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...sport+vs+sport

Yep….these vehicles came equipped a million different ways depending on year, model/engine, trim, etc. Once you know what you want, you can narrow down the search. Hit me up with a PM if you'd like/have specific questions, though my knowledge/research is limited to LCI models (2011-2013).