2013 Lightning Lap

[John V]

A brief Google search shows the base price of a 1984 Carrera 3.2 was $33k including destination. In 2012 dollars that works out to $73k. So what are those extra couple hundred horsepower, bigger brakes, vastly improved handling, shifting, reliability and safety worth to you?



(The same window sticker shows $645 for metallic paint and $1,580 in forged 16" alloy wheels as options, so some things haven't changed).

[Jeff_DML]

Originally Posted by ZBB

Something tells me BMW realizes they raised the price too much... I hadn't seen more than a handful of the new 3er until a month or so ago -- which coincidentally was shortly after the lease deals appeared...

yeah I have been surprised how few new 3 I have been seeing around my area, previous gen were like honda accords and are everywhere.

[bren]

Originally Posted by jst

.

I'm pretty sure somebody already brought up the silliness of leasing the VW over a 3series. Although, I suspect the the 3er will run quite a bit more as "we'd" spec it.

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

yeah I have been surprised how few new 3 I have been seeing around my area, previous gen were like honda accords and are everywhere.

This is true around here too. There's a BMW dealer right down the road and still no new 3's anywhere to be seen.

[wdc330i]

Originally Posted by TD

I noticed yesterday that the 3ers are on seriously subsidized lease deals right now and the promo rate for the 335i (with some options like prem pkg in the promo example) is $419/mo.

Sure makes the Golf R's $469/mo promo deal look pretty weak. And it means that I at least need to go test drive one, ugly or not.

I wonder how you'll feel about the new steering.

[JST]

Originally Posted by bren

I'm pretty sure somebody already brought up the silliness of leasing the VW over a 3series. Although, I suspect the the 3er will run quite a bit more as "we'd" spec it.


This is true around here too. There's a BMW dealer right down the road and still no new 3's anywhere to be seen.

MSRP of the one that I just built was 54 and change (M Sport) or 51.8 in Sport line. The example given (http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...regiontypeid=3) is 419, but is based on an MSRP of 46 and change and includes 3K in cap cost reduction.


Actually, this is probably what I would get if I were TD--last of the 3 series coupes:

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...regiontypeid=3

The 439 figure for the coupe is based on an MSRP of 55,445, but includes 3500 in cap cost reduction.

[TD]

Originally Posted by JST

MSRP of the one that I just built was 54 and change (M Sport) or 51.8 in Sport line. The example given (http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...regiontypeid=3) is 419, but is based on an MSRP of 46 and change and includes 3K in cap cost reduction.


Actually, this is probably what I would get if I were TD--last of the 3 series coupes:

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...regiontypeid=3

The 439 figure for the coupe is based on an MSRP of 55,445, but includes 3500 in cap cost reduction.

Funny you posted this as I just spent the last 20 minutes (since before you posted) building an E92 335is. My MSRP was $57,695 so, after some negotiation, my payment would be minimally higher than the quoted rate.

Again, to lease a $57k BMW for less than a $35k VW is just silly. And certainly tempting. I might have to.

EDIT- I only ponder the point in having another car so similar to the M3 I already own.

[JST]

So, reverse-engineering the sedan example lease I come up with a residual of 63 percent and a MF of 0.00067, which is about 1.6 percent. Taking out the 3000 cap cost reduction leaves you with a payment of 525. Assuming you could get the car for less than MSRP, the payment would be less.

Seems like a pretty nicely subsidized lease. Even on the M sport one that I built, the payment would "only" be 600/mo, selling at MSRP.

[JST]

The numbers on the coupe look pretty similar; I think the MF is about the same. Residual is 2 percentage points higher (65 percent). Backing out the 3500 cap cost reduction gives a payment of c. 535/mo (at MSRP, including the rebates).

That's a pretty attractive deal on a 335is. I sort of wish I had a need for one, but I really can't see where it would fit in the fleet.

FWIW, though, it's pretty clear from the website that the 335is is now shipping with a slightly higher power N55, rather than the hotted up N54 that that car launched with.

[SCA]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

yeah I have been surprised how few new 3 I have been seeing around my area, previous gen were like honda accords and are everywhere.

+1


I also noticed in Atlanta last weekend that E90/E92s were essentially at every traffic light. At one time I counted over 12 during my parking garage walk, car to the building. Over 3 days I saw maybe 3-4 F30s.

[John V]

I have seen a grand total of two F30s so far. One 335 and one 328. But I recall making the same observation with the (substantially uglier) E90 when it came out and now they're everywhere.