[williamf]

I have a hard time thinking of a 3 series as a luxury car. To me it is somewhere between luxury and non-luxury. Having said that, I just finished driving a frog green Ford Fiesta 2013 base model for a week, while on vacation. This thing had 120 HP and was basic but comfortable. It got over 40 MPG and the "new out the door" price is a mere $13K. The whole car costs as much as a major BMW repair.

I guess what I am saying is I liked driving Kermit the frog because it was exactly what it claimed to be. It did not pretend to be a sports car or a luxury car. It got me from point A to point B and did it in a comfortable way. It was fine and if my financial situation was to deteriorate I would not have a problem driving a car like that.

[Sara]

No.

[Sara]

Originally Posted by williamf

I have a hard time thinking of a 3 series as a luxury car.

When your 3 series has a sticker price of over $62,000 Its luxury.

[Kolyan2k]

base or close to base 3-series are not luxury at all, while fully loaded models are somewhat luxury imo. i wouldn't go back to Camry or Corolla or Maxima for a different reason, they are FWD cars and I prefer RWD

[ken1137]

No, not for a DD. I would however if I am lucky enough to add the following:

1) Boss 302 (track car)
2) F150 (hauling shit)

[litxus]

Originally Posted by Sara504

When your 3 series has a sticker price of over $62,000 Its luxury.

This could be yes and no, price does not always = quality.

[Turb0Surge]

Originally Posted by CombatNinja

Since when is a 3-series a "luxury" car anyway? Bad enough that half of this board thinks their 335i is some kind of racecar. I guess the other half thinks that their 3-series is some kind of exclusive luxury automobile. This thread is indicative of the mindset that has earned BMW drivers the distinction of being some of the biggest douches on the road. Guess what? I probably saw 5 e90 3-series on the way to work today. And I don't even live in a city with any wealth in it. Get over yourselves.

They are sporty, mid-priced cars that are as common as can be.

^ As douchey as that sounds he's right. The 3 series is bmw's entry level "luxury" car. Now the 7 series, that's luxury. But the 3 series? Hardly. These cars have depreciated so much and are so common nowadays that high school kids can afford them.

[williamf]

Price is only one component of luxury. A Porsche GT3 is not a luxury car and it costs 200,000K. Correct me if I am wrong but the interior of the 335is is not drastically different than the interior of a base 335i, right? Whatever, the changes are they are related to sporting, right? The 335is is a sports coupe, maybe a quasi-luxury sports coupe, but it is not squarely a luxury car. This is not a bad thing. I am merely stating that in my mind a luxury car must meet several tests and price is one of them. There are many others and most of them I am not personally interested in.

I think BMW shares this belief as it offers the 5 series, 6 series and 7 series. These are basically increasing levels of luxury right? On a separate track are the is and M series (these are the performance track).

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by williamf

Price is only one component of luxury. A Porsche GT3 is not a luxury car and it costs 200,000K. Correct me if I am wrong but the interior of the 335is is not drastically different than the interior of a base 335i, right? Whatever, the changes are they are related to sporting, right? The 335is is a sports coupe, maybe a quasi-luxury sports coupe, but it is not squarely a luxury car. This is not a bad thing. I am merely stating that in my mind a luxury car must meet several tests and price is one of them. There are many others and most of them I am not personally interested in.

I think BMW shares this belief as it offers the 5 series, 6 series and 7 series. These are basically increasing levels of luxury right? On a separate track are the is and M series (these are the performance track).

i think the difference between base 3 and loaded is huge. for one, none-sport leatherette seats look ugly and are not comfortable, same goes for halogen lights, wheels, etc.

[mxa121]

Not sure if I can move to a less luxurious car right now. I am enjoying it too much. I think I will just move up in performance in the BMW line.

How can a 3 series not be a luxury car? (i get that a stripper model can be less luxurious)

for example, my seats are heated, leather, with lumbar support, bolster adjustment, and they move in every direction. The seats can also be moved while outside the car to ease access. The seatbelt gets handed to me (mine works). The navigation system is excellent and it shows vehicle service intervals, tire pressures, oil level, etc.
Compare that to a civic or a camry. Not just the option list, but the quality of them as well.

This is all in addition to how well it drives.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by mxa121

Not sure if I can move to a less luxurious car right now. I am enjoying it too much. I think I will just move up in performance in the BMW line.

How can a 3 series not be a luxury car? (i get that a stripper model can be less luxurious)

for example, my seats are heated, leather, with lumbar support, bolster adjustment, and they move in every direction. The seats can also be moved while outside the car to ease access. The seatbelt gets handed to me (mine works). The navigation system is excellent and it shows vehicle service intervals, tire pressures, oil level, etc.
Compare that to a civic or a camry. Not just the option list, but the quality of them as well.

This is all in addition to how well it drives.

well to be fair tire pressure and service intervals are standard on most cars now....probably even Corolla

iDrive and heated sport seats are luxury features

[Saintor]

Yes, but I'd probably try to get an used "luxo"-one first.

[mlifxs]

I'm keeping my 3 as long as I can, but next car will probably be a downsizer. If I had to pick today, GTI. If I couldn't afford that, Honda Fit.

[E902009]

The brand means nothing to me. I bought an E90 because it is simply the best handling car out there that has four doors within my budget. The E90 could have been made by Hyundai, and I would have gladly bought it.

Pound for pound, a new BMW may not be a good deal, but it becomes a fantastic deal when it's used and well-cared for. Before this, I thought about a Maxima, but I can't get over the FWD platform, and that damn CVT. But I've had it several times as a rental, and I love the way the car drives. And, for the money (again, I'll pick one up used), the SV is packed with features that would make my E90 look stripped down.

But brand-concious people are out there. This is why BMW, Lexus, Mercedes all make bargain models, because people will buy it for the badge.

[Titanium3er]

Originally Posted by E902009

The brand means nothing to me. I bought an E90 because it is simply the best handling car out there that has four doors within my budget. The E90 could have been made by Hyundai, and I would have gladly bought it.

Pound for pound, a new BMW may not be a good deal, but it becomes a fantastic deal when it's used and well-cared for. Before this, I thought about a Maxima, but I can't get over the FWD platform, and that damn CVT. But I've had it several times as a rental, and I love the way the car drives. And, for the money (again, I'll pick one up used), the SV is packed with features that would make my E90 look stripped down.

But brand-concious people are out there. This is why BMW, Lexus, Mercedes all make bargain models, because people will buy it for the badge.

+1

My thoughts exactly.

[KwlAznKid]

nope, my first car was a bmw and I've stayed true to euro ever since, I do have a 2010 corolla on the side and it's a great little car, decent power, easy to park etc.. but I would never drive a non "luxury" car as a primary car

[John 070]

Of course. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That's like saying, "If you lost your 200k/yr. job, would you deliver pizza like you did when you were in college?"

[John 070]

Originally Posted by litxus

This could be yes and no, price does not always = quality.

A non-M 3 is 62k? That's pretty sad. Like I always say, an E92 M3 was 58k back in 2009. Isn't it a shame that we didn't buy it back then, and we settle for paying that much for a non M today? We never buy a stock or a home at the top, I don't really know why we do that with a car.....

[Meeni]

No, I'd rather stay longer with a luxury (to amortize depreciation on a longer time) than get a new POS every 3 years. Installment are always more expensive than repairs. A used luxury is the same price as a new POS. I rent a lot of cars for work, they are fun for 2 days, but they clearly remind you why you bought the BMW instead.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by n54gte

Mitsubishi EVO

I'm a DSMer and still have my '92 eclipse GSX with 250k miles. I have to say that i have invested heavily in maintenance but i wouldn't ever do a road trip with that car.

EVOs, just kiss ur warrenty goodbye the second it leaves the dealership lot after the PDI lots of stuff breaks and they don't age well. Pound for pound... The n54 e90 is a much better car than an EVO.

I'm kinda banking on some new motors/turbos for the 2015 1/2/3/4 series, i'm guessing the n55 will end of life in 2014. Which would mean by 2016, most of the kinks will be worked out and 2017 will have the LCI. I'll probably get a cpo 2011 x5m to hold me over till 2017 to get a new 3/4 series.

[JMD415]

As long as I have the extra income to pay for it I'll never go back. Unless I want a beach cruiser or something for home depot runs.

[Jnat]

My 335xi is not a race car and I'm pretty sure it's somewhere close to luxury. I came from an 11 STI which was like a car go cart (lol) and I loved it but wanted something more refined. In the 335 I have found more refined, that's my view. I would drive something else but am happy with this as long as it treats me well.