'Rather Have A Kia': BMW Sits On The Lot For 3 Months. Then The Dealership Does Something ‘Crazy’

A dealership is struggling to sell a luxury vehicle and decides to offer a discount in hopes of luring a buyer. When a vehicle sits on the lot for too long, it occupies space that could be used for new inventory.

Stephanie Paxton (@steffsells) from Cadillac of Knoxville shares about a 2023 BMW 840i currently sitting on their lot. In a TikTok video, she reveals that the BMW has been on the lot for more than three months. She highlights the vehicle in a TikTok that has generated over 2,600 views as of this writing, hoping to find a customer.

“OK, we’ve had this car on our lot for 91 days. So, what does that mean? The price has dropped,” she begins. “It has dropped something crazy. The original MSRP on this vehicle is $86,745. The average market price on this vehicle right now is going for $53,095. Our price is $45,995. That means you would be saving $7,400 just because this vehicle has sat on our lot.”

Paxton mentions that this BMW is a trade-in but insists it shouldn't be overlooked because of it. 

Paxton showcases the 2023 BMW 840i and calls the vehicle a luxury sedan. She lists the features, including 0-to-60 MPH stats, horsepower, frameless doors, heated steering wheel, heated seats, infotainment system, and sunroof. 

“Definitely not your typical sedan. It looks and feels like a $120,000 exotic car,” she says. 

She believes this car is a perfect mix of fast and smooth, with a combo of luxury and a sports-like feel. 

“This is at the top of the BMW lineup, but it’s something you don’t see everywhere,” she adds.

The big question remaining is how many miles are on this vehicle. Paxton reveals that this BMW  has 52,600 miles. 

“This is a great deal,” she concludes. 

Viewers Speculated If The BMW's Value Is Actually There

Viewers went to the comments section to express concern about buying a BMW with over 50,000 miles for that price. 

“55k for a 4 year old car with zero warranty,” one TikTok commenter said. 

“Nope ! Another 50k miles and it will need to be rebuilt,” another commented. 

“Because BMWs are for rich people that lease them for 30,000 miles after that, they’re garbage,” a third shared. 

Beyond mileage, other viewers believed the car is still overpriced for what it is. 

“Bout $25k cash get that one done,” one shared.

“20k,” another offered. 

“Great deposit, how do you plan to pay the rest?” Paxton replied. 

“So I can sell it back to you for 53k?” another asked.

“Probably Carmax or carvana I’m sure. Definitely worth a shot,” Paxton replied. 

Should You Buy A Car That's Been On The Lot For Too Long?

Everyone loves landing a deal, especially when it comes to a car. The car-buying process can be tense, as negotiations are a big part of the process. Some potential car buyers will make lowball offers to secure a better price, while others will hire a professional negotiator to handle the negotiations. 

Now, when the dealership is straight-up offering a discounted price on a car, it probably means it’s been sitting on the lot for some time. With this, even steeper savings are possible during the negotiation phase, as the dealership will want to move this car off the lot. This is because the longer a particular car sits on the lot, the carry-on fee increases, blocking the chance to replace the spot with a best-selling vehicle, AutoTrader reports. 

So, this means that stale inventory or inventory that has been sitting on the lot for over 60 days can be used as a negotiation tactic. For context, anything over 90 days sitting on the lot is “too long." When this happens, dealerships have to offer discounts, cut out-the-door fees, or add maintenance packages to incentivize a buyer to sign on the dotted line.

Seeing a car sitting in the lot for a long time may raise suspicion that something is wrong with the vehicle itself. It’s best to mitigate any suspicion by reviewing the vehicle history report and monitoring the listing online. A CarFax report can verify any accidents or any potential issues that may be causing the delay in the car sale. 

Overall, seeing a car discounted because it has been on the lot for an extended period means there is an opportunity for savings. While the dealership is already offering a discount, additional savings can be obtained if requested. Most of the time, the dealership is in the driving seat of negotiations, but in this scenario, the car buyer has greater power to negotiate. 

Motor1 has contacted Paxton via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. This post will be updated if she responds.