Quote:
Originally Posted by tony20009
Next time you are in the mood to throw away $1500-$2000, please PM me. I live relatively close to you and I'm sure I could be there within an hour or less to take that money off your hands.  I have two kids in college and a third about to head there. I know if I don't know what to do with that money, they will.
I'm not sure what a badge whore is. Still trying to figure out if I am one or not for I have 2 BMWs of my own and gave one each to my two oldest kids. Don't know if that makes me a whore or a pimp. 
Laden with options isn't what I'd call the 320 I described in my first post, aside from that's what it looks like because the 320 carries fewer things standard than does the 335, which is what I have now. Basically, I agree with you about keeping the options list short on a 3er. My 335 has but sport package, heated seats and leather, the last only because I wanted red seats, not because I mind having leatherette.
For me, must haves on my cars are:
- Sport suspension
- Sport seats
- Navigation
- Moonroof
- Power, heated seats
- Heated steering wheel, provided that buying CWP to get it doesn't force me to spend $1450 to buy leather also
- Xenon lights
- Rear view camera
Were I content with just the extras you mentioned, $5200 would be enough of a savings for me to go with the 320i.
The only reason I can come up with for why BMW don't do this is CAFE, to which BMW was a supporting party in the 2011 CAFE standards promulgation, so they can't really just ignore it. Even so, I don't understand at all how it is that BMW can spend money to detune the N20, yet sell it for less money than one that hasn't been detuned. |
So like I said in the private message you sent me, I didn't say I didn't use the pre-paid maintenance plan; I just said I hated it. For the $2,000 it increases the price of the car, I can do 3-times the maintenance as DIY work for the same amount of money. All the "free" maintenance plan does is allow BMW to invest the money it collects up front for the maintenance work. I'd prefer to opt out of it. The free maintenance was developed so that Roundel hounds who only want to lease a BMW for 3 years will get the maintenance done.
I prefer a less-optioned car, as things like I-drive, leather, heated seats, heated steering wheel (LOL), etc., add nothing to the driving experience (which is what BMW used to tout as the reason to spend 1/3 more money for their cars).
BMW has to make the 3-Series as fuel efficient as possible just because of the CAFE regulations in the US. The "economical" 3-Seriers has to counter act all those 550 horsepower X5's and X6's and not to forget the X5M and the X6M (LOL again). Us 3-Series owners get shit on so some people who will pay $100K for a stupid good handling SUV can buy one.
Since two out of the three BMWs I've owned I've taken over 200,000 miles, and the third at 154,000 which I take to 250,000, I'm far from a Roundel Badge whore. Just sayin'.
Peace.