mmarshall

I agree with 1SICK. If your mom's Highlander is in good shape and has had no accidents or body work, 17K for it is more reasonable than 13K....but the 55,000 mileage figure for a 2004 is somewhat more than average (12,000-15,000 a year). That will cut into its value a little; not a huge amount....the Highlander is popular and in high demand both new and used.

mmarshall

I agree the 3-series is overpriced, but its extreme popularity as a sport sedan and its more-or-less tradition of winning or almost winning auto-magazine comparison tests has allowed BMW to charge....and get....premium prices, especially for the M3 models.

thetopdog

I think it has more to do with the fact that it says "BMW" on the hood than the fact that it wins a lot of comparison tests. The people who read comparison tests would be more likely to get a 335i than a 328

doug_999

Maybe - I won't argue the fact that some people are just so confused by it that they don't buy the car. But I will argue that is a very very small percentage. Most people who test drive a car, do not get into using all the gizmos. I'd argue that few people who test drive a lexus ever realize you can't program the NAV while driving - would that stop them from purchasing the car? Probably not - would that stop them from getting NAV? Maybe.... My point is that I do doubt that I-Drive costs very many sales from a test drive perspective.


This is a class of car - people cross shop the IS/G/TL/3-series. My wife's friend cross shopped both the 325 and the IS250 and she much preferred the 325 simply from the way it drove. However at the time she was putting 25K a year on her car and she was keeping her car for upwards of 150K. Having just come from a Volvo, I recommended she stick with the Toyota product.....

KevinGS

I think BMW can get $45,000 for a small sport sedan because it's hard to find a small sedan that does everything dynamically so well.

It just feels good, especially when you're trying to beat it up. No need for the I-Drive, and skip that active steering option as well. Neither are needed.

The G35 is nice, with a huge interior for a smaller sedan, but that same interior is still a little plain, and that V6 doesn't produce the nicest sounding notes. But boy is it quick. You can spin the wheels effortlessly in the new G. It made a fine rental last month when my car was in the bodyshop getting painted.

The Acura TL is front-wheel drive. Acura has done a good job taming it, but it's still creates a bland steering sensation when you're really getting into it. Driven at 8/10ths and below though, the Acura is a fine sedan, at a nice price. Don't even need the Type S version, unless you're a true boy racer...and if you're a true boyracer, get a rear wheel drive car (IS350, G35 or the BMW 3). Better sensations.

The RL is nice, but bland, and not real engaging. And the exterior looks the part too. Nice car, but it's so easy to get lost in the crowd in the RL. It really doesn't stand out, and that's spending alot of money for your car not to stand out.

If you don't consistently need the extra space, you love to drive, and you don't put a lot of miles on your car every month, the 3 is an excellent choice. You'll pay a premium for it, but you can't put a number on "magic".

sdbrandon

Isn't the smaller IS250 $40k loaded? Did I mention smaller?

thetopdog

A lot of people do cross shop the IS/G/TL/3-Series but from my experience there are a lot of people that buy a C-Class/3-Series or Lexus ES (the IS tends to appeal to people who like driving more than the ES) primarily because of the status a 'luxury' badge has, even when it's a bottom of the line stripper entry-lux car like a 325i with no options

Nextourer

Hmm, I don't know. My friend test drove the 330i (2006 model of course) while I sat in the passenger seat and it took me the entire 15 min test drive to figure out how to change the radio station >.<. I consider myself someone who can learn technology quickly so I was a bit disappointed with that. My ex-gf also tried working it on a separate test drive when I drove and she sat in the pass. seat. She never got it to work =(.

Anyway, I would still get the 328i just without nav and iDrive.

I'm only speaking from experience of the 06 325i but I gather it'll be the same, just with a bit more hp. It handles well although the steering is a bit stiff at low speeds.

If you can afford it, go for it. It's more fun-to-drive than the TL and more economical than the G.

$5k difference btwn the Toyota and BMW dealer is quite bit. Try selling it yourself maybe?

vince1128

wow, thanks for all the help guys... My mom just signed the contract for 3 years, 30k mi on an x3 for only 729/month....

just kidding, im listing it on autotrader today, and were not going back till its sold i guess. the other thing with the 328 i forgot to mention was that it was for 18k mi/year... i know thats kind of high, given this, and without the trade in, what would a good deal be for this car?

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

dont trade the Highlander in at the dealer, you can easily sell a vehicle like that privately and make significantly more money, more money to cover the tax you wouldve saved from trading it

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Did she try the X3? It is more $$ than the 328 though. Sell the Highlander privately for the most profit. Anyway, just go to another BMW center to compare lease deals, and don't put all your eggs in one basket.

lalexusgs

I just leased my 335i auto with CA for $500/month with $0 down. (Just paid drive off fees of like $1300). And it has already pretty much all the features your mom might need, except for the iDrive.

Och

iTrader: (3)

$500 a month? Thats a pretty good deal.

LexFather

That is a smoking deal, congrats, great car

newr

That seems like a good deal, but what is the milage allowance?