Picking up a demo rex tomorrow

[motreez]

Will be buying a 2014 base Rex with 8k miles on it tomorrow.

Any suggestions on how to look out for battery condition or anything else that might bite me in the butt later.

Thanks,

 

[jacqueusi]

Be aware of the In-Service date, that's what killed my initial deal. Actually worked out for the best, found an even better deal, fully loaded BEV for not much more money.

Hmm, over 1,000 miles I don't believe the car will qualify for a BMW CCA rebate. Otherwise, ENJOY!

 

[motreez]

Thanks.

How about the federal tax credit, what specifically should I get from the dealer to ensure the demo wasn't registered so I can claim the tax credit?

 

[gt1]

The rules for the tax credit state that you must be the first person to put the car in service. Which means if the in-service date and the purchase date are different you are out of luck. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8936.pdf page 3
Keep in mind, that the credit is offset against the taxes you owe, if your total federal tax liability is less than $7500 you will not get the full amount. Check line 63 on your 1040.
I have a "fleet discount" through my work, which looks similar to the CCA discount (can't combine the two). It states that the demo cars are not eligible regardless of the mileage, the rule must be the same for CCA.
There is a way to enter the service menu, which will show the battery capacity, but I don't know the steps.
Please share the price you got. I'm also interested in 2014.

 

[jacqueusi]

Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit

Certification and Other Requirements

The following requirements must be met to qualify for
the credit:
• You are the owner of the vehicle. If the vehicle is leased,
only the lessor and not the lessee, is entitled to the credit;
• You placed the vehicle in service during your tax year;
• The vehicle is manufactured primarily for use on public
streets, roads, and highways;
• The original use of the vehicle began with you;
• You acquired the vehicle for use or to lease to others,
and not for resale; and
• You use the vehicle primarily in the United States.

 

[jacqueusi]

BMW CCA restrictions.

Ineligible Vehicles
* New, non-registered vehicles in excess of 1,000 miles including company vehicles, retail demos or loaner vehicles. 3rd party brokers, lease companies, etc. do not qualify.
* Already active Pre-owned vehicles not re-enrolled in the CPO Program.
* Military & Diplomatic vehicles do not qualify.
* MINI Models and Active E are not included.

 

[motreez]

Bummer. I can't get tax credit for this car since it was in service in Sept 2014.

The deal was for $32,500 for a 2014 andesite silver base rex with 8k miles.

 

[jacqueusi]

motreez, consider yourself lucky to have found this board. I was in a similar situation but Thank God someone in the forum chimed in about in-service date.

I can totally relate to how you're feeling right now, but keep looking. There's gotta be an even better deal out there. I'm proof there are better deals to be had.

 

[jhu321]

I think it purely depends if the dealership ever claimed the 7500 tax credit in 2014... if it has never been registered and the irs has never received that vin number on a tax form to backup a 7500 tax credit then you are still eligible since you are technically the first owner and and you've placed it in service for you in the current tax year.

 

[gt1]

I talked to dealers about similar cars and they told me no credit. I believe that the warranty start date is the in-service date.
motreez, keep looking. I checked many dealers, and found at least 20 2014s in the Mega trim.

 

[i3atl]

The in-service date has nothing to do with the federal tax credit.

 

[gt1]

The in-service date indicates the beginning of use. Thus the car does not confirm "The original use of the vehicle began with you" condition.

 

[jacqueusi]

INTERESTING! I re-read the rules after i3atl's post and I got a new perspective.

I'm not 100% comfortable with the following post because they do not use the term in service exactly as in the statute, but maybe we can find another, better resource with this start.

If I ordered a vehicle in 2013 but it wasn’t delivered until 2014, can I claim the credit when I file my 2013 tax return? Taxpayers can only claim this credit in the year when the vehicle is placed in service. The IRS has issued guidance defining ‘placed in service’ as the year in which a taxpayer takes delivery of the vehicle).

https://www.plugincentives.com/blog/answers-15-common-questions-about-electric-vehicle-tax-credit

Now in-service from the BMW perspective has to do with the service and warranty date. I found something called a "Punch Date" that's adds even more confusion. To complicated to explain in a few sentences.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-730620.html

 

[i3atl]

The in-service date indicates the beginning of use. Thus the car does not confirm "The original use of the vehicle began with you" condition.

No, that's not the case. It's common for dealers, due to incentives at the time, to mark a car as "in-service" despite it not being put into service as a loaner/demo/etc. That's why you'll find cars with 6 miles on them, despite having an in-service date that's months or even a year or more prior to the retail date.

On a side note, there are dealers who will put in writing that their cars with older in-service dates are eligible for the federal credit. There are definitely reasons to pass on a car with an older in-service date, but eligibility for the federal tax credit isn't one of them. With that said, I wouldn't buy one of these cars from a dealer that refuses to put in writing that the car is eligible, since there's no way for you to verify whether or not they've already claimed, or plan to claim, the credit themselves.

 

[gt1]

I saw a car exactly like you described at a local dealer. It was 2014 with 68 miles and in-service date in Nov. 2014. The dealer told me that this car was not eligible for the credit.
We need a lawyer... And an accountant.

 

[i3atl]

I saw a car exactly like you described at a local dealer. It was 2014 with 68 miles and in-service date in Nov. 2014. The dealer told me that this car was not eligible for the credit.
We need a lawyer... And an accountant.

FWIW, most dealers that would have an i3 sitting on the lot for that long are not the best source of info for EV-related info. The dealers that are well versed in the EV-specific aspects of buying are much more effective at moving the cars.

With that said, there's a good chance that specific car is not eligible for the credit due to some other factor. As noted before, I wouldn't buy one like that without confirming, in writing, that it IS eligible.