Can anyone from experience share what the relative affordability of 3 series cars is now compared to the past? It seems to me that with every new model, the 3 series becomes more unaffordable. For the F30, I have yet to see the prices, but the expectation is that prices will go up, of course.
For example, in the Netherlands, the E90 started out at around €38,000 for a bare-to-the-bones 318i. If you start ticking off the options, that figure easily go up to €50,000 (Nav, Leather, Sunroof, nice wheels etc). Choose one of the mid-range engines, 320d for example, and you're already looking at €55,000.
Going on the rough assumption that a person can afford to drive a car that is 0.8x their annual salary, one would have to be earning €69,000 a year to buy or lease a nicely specced 320d. Not exactly in the "yuppie" range, if you ask me.
Was the 3 more affordable in the 80s and 90s? I seem to remember that back in those days, 3er's were mostly being driven by 20-somethings. Then again, maybe my memory is not as sharp as it usd to be.
