[S.BMW23]

QUOTE=kpgray;22959865]Something that is not listed above that is worth a good look is the 440i GC. It is really sporty with the sloped back, the hatchback is sweet with lots of storage. The model change is 1 year later than the F30 so it is still new till 2020. The center of gravity is a little lower so it handles better. I would order with MPPSK (355 HP/369 lb-ft) as it makes the car so much better of a driver. The Dinan Stage 1 kit will put you to 426 HP and 468 lb-ft (w/MPPSK) for M3 numbers without the insurance cost. You have enough time to order with a "Individual" color for even more individualism and would most likely be in the cost range of the models above.

Just saw one on the road and it looks great. Only thing I want BMW to update the interior. I like it the one in the new 5 series. Believe g20 will be similar.





Add the MPPSK (computer & exhaust), I have added the MPPK (computer) and MPE (exhaust) on my 335i. I added these item a year into my ownership and I can tell you it changes the entire driving dynamics. My car is more responsive, it really wakes up the engine above 5,500 RPM, the sound has a deeper growl and the engine burbles very nicely (but not too loud to irritate neighbors). GetBMWparts has it for $2,867 (with chrome tips), but it is worth every penny.[/QUOTE]

[kpgray]

Originally Posted by S.BMW23

Just saw one on the road and it looks great. Only thing I want BMW to update the interior. I like it the one in the new 5 series. Believe g20 will be similar.

True, seen some extended leather F80's and it is quite the upgrade in interior feel. For a short while, BMW offered a leather dash option on the F30 for about a grand, but it was at the same time the M3 first came out, unfortunately it was short lived (seems the M3/M4 were getting all the leather dashes and may have been a shortage). If you were looking at the 540, at least get the MPPSK, on the other hand, maybe the M550 is worth consideration but the price certainly jumps quite a bit. The new 5er certainly looks fabulous. Personally, the Audi is nice but just doesn't have the BMW feel. The Merc is nice, some new designs are cutting edge but familiarity is comfortable and that feeling is hard to overcome. Good luck and report your decision what ever it may be.

[5ilver-5amurai]

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that? Would be interesting to hear how long it took to get over the 'ultimate driving machine'.

[Calvin36]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that? Would be interesting to hear how long it took to get over the 'ultimate driving machine'.

Wrong part of the interwebs to ask this. Haha I would think most of us are still pretty in love with it and those who have fallen off are probably not on here anymore. But it is definitely a smart move.. financially speaking. A car is a depreciating asset.. I even want to call it a liability with all the costs that are associated with it. But.. a performance car is not about being logical.. it's a emotional bond between (wo)man and machine. I really should not dump anymore money in my car and continue investing in property.. but life is too short to be driving a Toyota ecobox. My daily commute is the only time I'm actually really having fun.. and that's in SF traffic too. haha

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by BSM F30

I'm thinking about the Audi A5/S5 Sportback. But, I'm not sure if I want to leave BMW. I did that once; went to Mercedes after an E92. Kept it for a year and traded it in on an F30. I haven't done a whole lot of research on the Audi yet.

This. If I was replacing my 328 today, A4/A5 Sportback would be at the top of my list, unless I decided to do something totally different like a Mini Countryman....

[2000Z3M]

Originally Posted by FastF30

Thanks for the heads up...

wife drives a kia 50k miles and only issues is the tail gate wont open sometimes

[N0Chill 335i]

F80 M3
Macan GTS
R32 Skyline

All drastically different vehicles and my decision will come down to what's going on in my life 4 years from now.

[Fuller]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that? Would be interesting to hear how long it took to get over the 'ultimate driving machine'.

Reducing the funds spent on transportation makes sense, so we're not going to discourage you from doing that. You most likely will, however, miss the bimmer when it's gone. It's always difficult to downgrade in things like cars.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that? Would be interesting to hear how long it took to get over the 'ultimate driving machine'.

I was just talking about this on my thread and another 'do you lease or own' thread. The 2018 Jetta is an attractive option. You can go SEL and have the equivalent in options of a fully loaded $60k 3 series along with the 1.8T engine which, power to weight is the same as a 320i, which can be tuned with APR stage 1 software to be a pretty quick car. That will get you same mileage roughly as a 328i and can be had for roughly $16k CPO with about 20k miles on it. Or you could lease a new Jetta SE with the 1.4TSI and get 40mpg highway and one of these can be had for about $100 a month and minimal down. They are literally giving those little fuckers away and they are fun little cars.

I spoke about this at length, that I figured I would be saving at least $300 a month over what I'm paying now and if I auto-pilot set up that $300 to divert to my Roth or high yield savings account each month, thats $10800 plus interest over a 3 year lease. Not to mention 87 gas, cheap insurance and registration etc.

I mean how much of a sacrifice is that, really? Like if you are in a 328 or something, is it really that much better? Only real drawback I see is FWD, which is a big one, but we are talking commuter cars here. I'm not taking my 328 to the track, so what do I care? I know it wouldn't be the same or as good but its a dirt cheap option for someone who gives a shit about cars.

The Jetta SE can be had with a 5 spd manual too if you just want a little beater to drive the shit out of and wring that little engines neck all day. I don't know. Its occurred to me, obviously.

There is spotty VW reliability, but its hard to say. We are on our 2nd Tiguan and both have been flawless. My GTI had a shit load of problems.

[RedKloud]

I just placed an order for a S5 Sportback.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that?

I didn't buy a BMW until the money that I'd invested had accumulated to the point that I was set for life, and I could afford to indulge myself with no regrets. If you're not investing at least 10% of your income you're only robbing your future self.

[terryd5150]

Probably go in a different direction than most of you, but I'm currently considering the Camaro 2SS or a Challenger 392.

[rbol13]

If the G80 m3 is awd then that, or an rs3. Or some other fast awd sedan that isn't out yet

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by 5ilver-5amurai

Seriously debating picking up a moderately equipped Jetta and having more disposable income for investing. Has anyone here done a move like that? Would be interesting to hear how long it took to get over the 'ultimate driving machine'.

I have since abandoned this idea, since whenever I posted it was a good idea - like 2 weeks ago, haha. I just can't do it. I don't really know why I can't do it but I can't. I love my car and I love driving a 3 series every day. I love the sport seats, the ergonomics, the layout of the cockpit, iDrive, the ride, the handling, the M sport steering wheel the near flawless marriage of turbo 4 and 8 speed auto, the look of the car, etc. And I couldn't live with FWD again, either. No way. Thats the one thing about my wife's Tiguan I don't like, is FWD. That car has the 2.0TSI, same engine as the mk6 GTI and if you go heavy throttle from a stop or around a corner, it just gets squirrely. Torque steer is the worst.

The new Jetta looks kind of lame. Only engine is the 1.4T which is like, I mean, come on. 150HP in a near 4000lb car is just weak.

Nah, just gonna keep throwing my money into the a bottomless hole in the ground because at the end of the day, I can't ever go back to driving Accords, Civics, Camrys, whatever. Not to save a $150 a month or whatever. What good is making money if you never spend it?

[dkreidel]

2019 Bullitt Mustang on order - in Dark Highland Green

[Fuller]

I don't know what my next car will be, but I'm not sure I'll go with bmw again. This isn't meant to be an indictment of modern bmws, I generally enjoy my car. But....

1. If I decide to get another 3/4 series, it's got to have an I6. Don't infer from this that the 4 cylinder engines are inadequate though. I've driven a 4 cylinder bmw, and it was punchy and fairly refined. It's a great motor. It's just that to me a bmw 3er has an I6, and that's final and non-negotiable as it stands now. If I had to get the 4, I'd just get an accord, Camry or similar car. A car like a bmw is a luxury, not a necessity, so to compromise beyond a certain point doesn't make sense.

2. Considering the first point above, that puts the cost of a new 340/m340 at about 60k optioned how I want it. This is assuming the price remains similar over the next couple of years when the g20 is available. Sorry but, as much as I enjoy my f36, it's not worth 60k. It would bother me to pay that for a 3/4.

3. I'm not 100% certain I want to lease. I think bmw lease terms seem fair as there are now, but I abhor limits on miles and restrictions of that nature. I understand why they're in place, but I don't think that's for me. I'm still split on this though. Leasing is still an option that I'll consider for a 3/4/5/6 series.

4. How about cpo? This seems like a reasonable way to obtain a nice, gently used car and stay well within the transport budget. Problem is bmw now only offers one additional year of cpo coverage, and it doesn't even include on board electronics. If you want to extend it, and can cover more, you have to pay a premium. Also, there's a high risk that the cpo you're buying was previously abused by someone who had it on a lease. I'm not unreasonable, I understand that people should be able to enjoy the car that they leased, but if you want to install some cheap, unauthorized tune, track the car, skimp on maintenance, and otherwise be an irresponsible shithead, ante up and buy it, and be upfront about what you're doing. Why should anyone else have to pay for your carelessness, or unknowingly buy a car that can be a time bomb, that's at worst, dangerous to drive. And yes, it is different from someone who owns the car, because someone who owns it will tend to be more careful. They also tend to hang on to the car for longer, making it less likely to pass for a gently used cpo.

It's also in the dealers' best interest to do a quick inspection and rubber stamp low mile cars "cpo", so they can attract those thinking it's a reliable used car with extended warranty coverage. I think some dealerships just perform the inspection on lease return, and consider that to also be the cpo inspection. In other words, the notion that cpo cars have undergone some special comprehensive inspection is probably bullshit in some cases. I'm not saying every leasee abuses or neglects their cars, or that all dealers simply rubber stamp cpos, but it doesn't seem that it would be uncommon either. It's enough to put me off on cpo bmws for now anyway.

Where does that leave me? Not sure at this point. Maybe buy something new that offers a better value proposition. That doesn't necessarily mean cheaper than a 3 series, it just means I feel like I'm getting closer to what I paid for. If I pay luxury sports coupe/sedan prices I want something special, not just a car with a nice badge that's equipped with tech that's no better than I'd find in most modern cars.

Hmm, Kia stinger anybody?

Used Chevy ss? Sure it's another used performance sedan that might have been driven hard, but they're naturally aspirated and you can't extract serious increases in power without bolt ons or a blower. There aren't many, or any real plug and play tunes available. The ls3 is also a fairly simple, robust engine that can handle some abuse and not be much worse for the wear. BMW motors, on the other hand, while advanced, also seem to be somewhat more fragile. The ss sedan also wasnt leased, and being a low production, niche car, owners tend to take better care of them.

New m3/4. The car I really want and should have just anted up for to begin with.

Merc, Audi, etc...... nice cars and all, but meh.

Or, just reduce car expenses, and go with a nice, respectable, highly functional and reliable accord or Camry. The real beauty here is that you can usually just do planned maintenance on these cars and not have too many unplanned trips to the dealer or garage for repairs. It's not even the cost, but unplanned issues are a pita that most people don't have the time for, unless you have the option to diy.

[skilby99]

[cb804]

Also thinking about a G80 AWD. Have had previous 3 series and 5 series and I always come back to the 3 series. Not enough sportiness in the 5 series for me but nice cars.

Can we throw dream cars in here too... how about a 458 Italia

[chetman7]

Originally Posted by vooonoo

Guys do not, I repeat DO NOT get a hyundai or Genesis whatever they're trying to call themselves now, they go to shit after a year.

Had a 2011 gen coupe. Added ~5k ....stage 3 16g turbo....it was a beast ~350whp at 20psi

[bri1042]

I made my decision. I decided to let go of the HUD, getting surround view cameras, and the thought of higher-grade interior materials, and put my name on the list for the M2 Competition. I'm not very far down the list, so hopefully this will work out. This was a long debate, with myself and my SO to play devil's advocate, and there are some downsides to the decision but I'm pretty excited.

[mfstrby]

e92 m3

[Mike.]

it is wrong of me to kind of want an S4?