[zinengineer]

You'll likely get as many different responses as there are options here. I don't have the specifics in front of me, but in general I ended around (2016 X5 Msport, "almost all" the options)

Down payment = ~$3000 (traded in 2004 Acura MDX)
Monthly payment ~$1250...I rounded up and simply pay $1300
Credit score - I don't recall the exact number, but I was in either the top or second highest tier from BMW's scoring method.
Terms = 0.9%, 72 months

Lots of logic, emotion and theory around financing vs. paying cash. Since we keep our cars for a LONG time (MDX = 12 years @170 K miles; CRV I just traded was 10 years @ 200K miles), the cost to finance spread over that time is relatively small. We drive way too many miles to make leasing a viable alternative.

the conundrum of credit = "you need to have credit to get credit". My daughter's BF just purchased a new Acura...wanted to get the 0.9% they were offering, but since he has no student loans, no home loans, no credit cards.....they turned him down. He pulls out his checkbook and writes a $35k check for his car.

BMW seems to be fairly aggressive on their financing, both directly and via leasing. If you're looking to establish credit, you could also talk with whichever bank you're using for checking and routine banking, assuming you've had a long term relationship with them.

my 2c worth