[BIGGY]

I've been following the 335 since last August and held out a year to buy it because I don't like having the first year model of anything. I've read some threads about the price going up a couple percent as being standard and I've gotta wonder if it's really a good move? I've never considered other cars competition for BMW in general except for higher end Audi's and similar class cars. The previous 3 series I must say (sorry everyone) I used to look down on. Nice drive for sure, but I could get more car for less money with others...true my Z has a cheaper feel to the interior than my friends 328, but for me it's all about the power and drive which it does very well. The 335 really caught my eye in terms of style, interior, and drive where I see it as being more or less worth the money now.

Now to get to the point. I do feel the 335 is a great car overall and you pay an upper fair dollar amount for the car especially to put some features into it. Now I've been out test driving a few cars with my g/f since she's in the market to get something like an '08 Accord or the new Altima coupe. When we walked up to the Altima it had some things standard which the 335 doesn't like Comfort Access. Ok they are totally different cars, no comparison there, but my point is that if a company like Nissan can do it on a car like the Altima and have it standard...why isn't it standard on BMW? I look to BMW to be the leader and then for everyone else to play catch-up like I feel Infiniti did with the G37. Granted that the 335 coming out only a year before the G37 doesn't allow Infiniti to take everything from the 335 and do a major redesign, but enough time to make some changes. So picking at this specific point, why is it that BMW didn't come out with the 335 and say "comfort access is standard on our cars as it should be" and then everyone else follow like I've seen before? I guess they can't take the lead on every feature all the time, I understand there is some pressure to not only get to the top, but to stay there, and then keep everyone happy at the same time. Not to mention then you have customers like me who start to pick at details which probably doesn't happen as much with a car like the "Cobalt" where people take it as it is and are happy with it. Maybe it's because I'm about to spend a fair amount of money that I feel more entitled to question the details? How can the price keep going up when some of the features that are standard on lower end cars aren't on one well above those?

[OC Guy]

A few things,

1. BMWs have never been and will never be your best bang for your buck.
2. You can't compare a German car price to a Japanese car. They have two very different economies.
3. Did you just compare a BMW to an Altima?
4. I guess you missed the other Altima thread.
5. With German cars, the base models are pretty bare. This allows people to order the cars exactly how they want them. Some people don't want the extra weight of comfort access or other things like this.
6. With Porsche, they charge a premium for every option, why? Exclusivity.
7. If you want bang for your buck, buy a G37.

[ward]

don't complain about the choices available in options on the 3

it allows you to only pay for what you want

you should complain about how much cheaper the nissan would be if it didn't have all that crap as standard

[LEDZEP]

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

[Revlis]

Prices are rising as the Dollar Tumbles into the shitter. Nothing mysterious there... Also, BMW prolly left some money on the table and they are smart enough to realize this...

[BIGGY]

No I'm not comparing the cars...simply what comes in the car as a basic standard. In cars today the keyless entry and start seems like it should be as standard as 6-disc cd players...not on every single car on the market, but once you get to a price point and class it's assumed. I might not have expressed it the best way, but it was just looking at that one particular feature.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

NICE!

[ejazbmw]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

i like that comparison lol

[scottp999]

First thing you have to understand is the relationship of one fiat currency to another. BMW has prices increases even inter-year for fluctuations in the Euro vs. USD exchange rates. The bank of japan's rates are so low, they are giving the Yen away for free to stave off an even worse economy.

[scottp999]

Originally Posted by Revlis

Prices are rising as the Dollar Tumbles into the shitter. Nothing mysterious there... Also, BMW prolly left some money on the table and they are smart enough to realize this...

If you are into Monetary Policy:

Global Exodus from US$ in Motion - July 3, 2007

http://sirchartsalot.com/article.php?id=61

[BIGGY]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

Paying for the beautiful model is fine. I get that point and understand that BMW is obviously a car that's not bought out of necessity, but out of desire. It's what's in the car as a base that counts too. And if I'm paying more for that model...I expect that she still goes down on ya like the gal from the book store would.

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

Yes but the Nice Girl at the book store Does that thing with her tongue, has a brain in her head, and doesn't "accidentally" sleep with all your friends.


If I can only teach the younger guys ONE thing? It would be that the Smarter the Lady, the Kinkier the Lady... Usually...

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by scottp999

If you are into Monetary Policy:

Global Exodus from US$ in Motion - July 3, 2007

http://sirchartsalot.com/article.php?id=61

Yeah... Doesn't surprise me a bit...

[BIGGY]

Originally Posted by Revlis

If I can only teach the younger guys ONE thing? It would be that the Smarter the Lady, the Kinkier the Lady... Usually...

LIAR! Then explain why I dated a girl who was the DePaul student body president, one of the top in her class with honors, very worldly...but pretty boring in the sack? Did I get a defective one or something? Was it too early of a build that didn't come with an oil cooler or perhaps a bad fuel pump?

[ward]

Originally Posted by BIGGY

No I'm not comparing the cars...simply what comes in the car as a basic standard. In cars today the keyless entry and start seems like it should be as standard as 6-disc cd players...not on every single car on the market, but once you get to a price point and class it's assumed. I might not have expressed it the best way, but it was just looking at that one particular feature.

did you miss when BMW still had tape decks as standard into the late 90's, even when you couldn't really find tapes anywhere, BMW's came standard with tape decks

the germans do things their own ways

on some technologies BMW is a leader (vanos.... )
on others they're really behind (nav, tape decks...)

[BIGGY]

Originally Posted by ward

did you miss when BMW still had tape decks as standard into the late 90's, even when you couldn't really find tapes anywhere, BMW's came standard with tape decks

the germans do things their own ways

on some technologies BMW is a leader (vanos.... )
on others they're really behind (nav, tape decks...)

Good points. But I'll add that My 2004 350Z did come with a tape deck as well as a 6 disc changer, so others have it as well apparently. I guess my view was overall that they should be the leader in everything.

[ward]

it's something that many forget, BMW is great at engine technologies, and they produce cars with very well developed suspensions

but there are certain things that BMW is terrible at

cupholders weren't standard in the E36, I think the E46 had them but I'm not sure on that, but even cupholders weren't std until at least 2000. Hey I guess we shouldn't be drinking in our cars anyways though right?


I like that most of BMW's "shortcomings" are ususally with things that are not related to driving the car.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by BIGGY

LIAR! Then explain why I dated a girl who was the DePaul student body president, one of the top in her class with honors, very worldly...but pretty boring in the sack? Did I get a defective one or something? Was it too early of a build that didn't come with an oil cooler or perhaps a bad fuel pump?

One has to look at themselves at that point.

[The Cleaner]

The Altima needs to one up Toyota and Honda, they are fighting over the car masses, they sell hundreds of thousands of soul-less transportation units every year. I have had a lot of Japanese and German cars and there is one thing I can assure you about Porsche and BMW, they drive better and they do have soul and heritage.

These are things the Japanese cars can not reverse engineer, copy or minic. They can get close but the Japanese car are still lacking the magic ingredient. That ingredient is not some gadget like CA or fancy Leather or LED lights.... the magic comes from the sum of all the parts together.

[discoboy1]

Not too long ago Rain sensors were optional in BMW's, then they became standard in Mazdas like the Protege, now it's standard issue. I'm sure CA will become standard soon, the thing I can't understand is packaging the cars differently in US and Canada, BlueTooth is part of the premium pkg in US but a 1100$ option in Canada(ok it comes with Assist but I don't care).
Logic 7 is standard in US but 1200$ in Canada, as a tradeoff we get cold pkg a 600$ option. Great deal!
GIVE US THE SAME OPTIONS IN CANADA; IT'S EASIER AND CHEAPER FOR EVERYONE.

[S4to335]

This is the car business...where they try to make money. Every year you should expect a slight increase in base price...does your salary go down every year? NOPE. Cost of living man..it goes up..prices will always raise on automobiles.

[nusevad]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

A beautiful model is also a more expensive date than the nice girl who works at the book store.

lol awesome analogy.