[Eric5273]

I'm about to place an order for a new X1 Xdrive28i. In order to be able to afford this car, I have to go very light on the options. Anything higher than around $37k MSRP is going to be out of my price range. As I'm a big tech geek, the one thing that is a "must" is the tech package. I want the big screen with the navigation. That leaves room for a couple other items, but I'm not sure what they should be.

1) A few years back I had a first generation X5, and was not so impressed with the quality of the leather seats. I only had the car 3 years (lease), and by the end of those 3 years the drivers seat looked pretty worn. So I was thinking that I should go with the leatherette both to save money and because it wears a bit better. The dealer showed me a car with leatherette and it seemed fine. I think that most people would not even realize that it's not leather. Any thoughts?

2) Originally I was going to get Jet Black so to avoid the extra charge for metallic paint. But then in the showroom they had a Sapphire Black X1 and IMO it is a beautiful color. I guess the dealer must think so too, because out of 6 different vehicles they had in their showroom, 4 of them had Sapphire Black paint. It really seems to add some sparkle to the car, which is much needed since I won't be getting any of the "line" packages.

3) I was thinking of possibly spending the $600 extra for the upgrade to 18" wheels as I think they look nicer, but I drive a ton through NYC where the roads are very rough and pot hole infested. My last car had 18s and I bent a rim at one point and had to have it replaced. I'm thinking I may be better off with the 17s for that reason, and for better ride quality.

4) I was thinking to maybe get heated seats. The winters are cold here, and it's a nice feature to have, but you only use it a couple of months out of the years, so not sure if it's worth $500.

5) I had HID headlamps on my X5, and while they are nice I now live in a much more urban area and there are street lights everywhere, so not really sure they would be very useful. If you get the HIDs, do the daytime running lights look any different? I tried looking for pictures, but can only seem to find nighttime pictures of the headlights turned on. The price on these also seems a bit high.

6) HK sound upgrade... I had the standard non-HK system in my X5 and was fine with the sound. How is the quality of the basic system in the X1? In my experience, these upgraded sound systems from the factory usually do not sound that much better than the stock system, and usually not worth the extra cash.


If I get the Sapphire Black paint and add the tech package, then I'm at an MSRP of $36, 325, which then leaves me room for one more of the above options.

Also, after some negotiating, I'm being offered $4k off MSRP (which includes a $750 factory incentive). Is that a good deal?