Ask the Car People.SM


Entry Level Luxury Performance Sedans

16087 messages,  Last post on May 09, 2013 at 9:32 AM

You are in the Lexus IS Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G37, Acura TL, Lexus IS 350, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Cadillac CTS, Volvo S60, Audi A4, Acura TSX, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 1555 of 1609

#15539 of 16087 Re: 320i [robr2] by nyccarguy

Jan 17, 2013 (2:09 pm)

Replying to: robr2 (Jan 17, 2013 1:50 pm)
Tick a fair share of option boxes & a 335 quickly approaches the mid - upper $50K price tag.

#15540 of 16087 Re: 320i [nyccarguy] by sweendogy

Jan 17, 2013 (7:35 pm)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jan 17, 2013 2:09 pm)
Yeah it's official - it's jumped the shark- BMW 3 series no longer Ellps -hosts please remove it from the right hand column and add another acura.
 
Lets throw another low lease deal to say affordable to the leasing mass- throw us some "free" wiper blades and a couple of oil changes. Sure its underpowered and has pleather seats, its a bmw. I've been saying it for years bmw makes great drivers cars but they are not cheap- sure they might be the enthusiast choice but for 9/10ths you can save 20% and get a comp car with better technology and more hp. so are you really getting a better car ?

#15541 of 16087 Re: 320i [sweendogy] by nyccarguy

Jan 17, 2013 (9:02 pm)

Replying to: sweendogy (Jan 17, 2013 7:35 pm)
Buying out my E90 at the end of it's lease seem like a better & better idea;)

#15542 of 16087 Re: Chipping & Tuning [flightnurse] by scwmcan

Jan 18, 2013 (4:42 am)

Replying to: flightnurse (Jan 17, 2013 9:19 am)
Partly it is lack of competition, and partly it is because they are some of the best cars in their classes for fuel economy, and I think I am responding even though your comments are probably for Dino. I am a diesel supporter and think the market has been suppressed, I think that if there were more offerings we would probably have around 20-25% of the market being diesel, therefor the current 2% is unrepresentative.

#15543 of 16087 Re: 320i [sweendogy] by habitat1

Jan 18, 2013 (6:15 am)

Replying to: sweendogy (Jan 17, 2013 7:35 pm)
sure they might be the enthusiast choice but for 9/10ths you can save 20% and get a comp car with better technology and more hp. so are you really getting a better car ?
 
That's the "better" question that should really have a "for you" attatched to the end, since everyone has their own priorities and preferences. I could cancel my 2014 Cayman S order and get 40% more horsepower for $20k less in a new Corvette. Does that make it "better"? Not for me. The Corvette design, albeit improved, still looks like it has to many legacy Pontiac designers trying to get their two cents into it. And I don't need to spend anything for a car that I don't like to look at.
 
You are an Infiniti G guy - I would have liked to join your camp back in 2004, having had a great 150k experience with my 1995 Nissan Maxima SE. But I was disappointed in the lack of refinement in the Infiniti G35 sedan vs. the TL 6-speed. I had to make the tough compromise of going with a FWD car, but given that it was/has been a daily driver and we have a second home in the snow belt, I accepted the trade off. I certainly respect those that go the other way, and the G37S 6-speed is a damn nice car, but is still just a perplexing notch away from the engine and transmission refinement that I think Infiniti is capable of.
 
Also, let's not forget that Japanese horses are a bit more of the Shetland style than Germany's Clydesdales. The former 335i (haven't driven the new one with a stick), was still the quickest ELLPS on the market, in spite of a 30+/- rated horsepower disadvantage to Infiniti. And as quick as the 450hp/450 ft.lb Corvette is likely to be, I still doubt it will significantly outrun the 911S in spite of a 50hp/125ft lb advantage on paper.

#15544 of 16087 Re: 320i [sweendogy] by dino001

Jan 18, 2013 (6:36 am)

Replying to: sweendogy (Jan 17, 2013 7:35 pm)
Sween, I'm afraid the competition will keep up (in terms of pricing). Everything is getting more expensive. Loaded Ford Focus is getting close to 30 grand on the sticker, same goes for many other compacts, loaded Accord crosses 30 grand in a snap, Lexus raised the sticker for its hatchback hybrid by three grand or so without clear increase in its content (don't know too much about this vehicle to say, but saw a headline), so why wouldn't BMW want to charge 40+ grand for its detuned entry level 3-series with couple of options? I bet Infinity will soon come up dreadful with G25 replacement, which will be opportunity to "reset" pricing for it and G37. Even Acura with its traditional value approach, made a move down, but mostly by rebadging and redressing Civic, which I would hardly call an attractive ELLPS. However, ILX is an opportunity to move prices on next TSX up (provided they will they keep the car, I sure hope so).
 
Everything is getting more expensive. We all have to deal with it. Price limits set 10 years ago no longer apply.

#15545 of 16087 Re: 320i [nyccarguy] by dino001

Jan 18, 2013 (6:37 am)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jan 17, 2013 9:02 pm)
Told you so year ago, didn't I?

#15546 of 16087 Re: 320i [dino001] by habitat1

Jan 18, 2013 (7:23 am)

Replying to: dino001 (Jan 18, 2013 6:36 am)
$63k for a 414hp 8,400 rpm M3 coupe is beginning to look like real bargain.

#15547 of 16087 Re: 320i [dino001] by flightnurse

Jan 18, 2013 (9:12 am)

Replying to: dino001 (Jan 18, 2013 6:36 am)
Sween, I'm afraid the competition will keep up (in terms of pricing). Everything is getting more expensive. Loaded Ford Focus is getting close to 30 grand on the sticker
 
Bingo.... Mark my words, Dinan will have a reflash for the 320i, and it will keep the factory warranty. So a 320i for less then 40K and have the same performance as a 328i, is a good thing.
 
The new Wagon, will be an excellent value, with the diesel engine.

#15548 of 16087 Re: 320i [flightnurse] by habitat1

Jan 18, 2013 (10:42 am)

Replying to: flightnurse (Jan 18, 2013 9:12 am)
Flight,
 
You conveniently avoided my previous post with an excerpt from Dinan's own website that forewarned that, essentially, there is no free lunch and "reflashing" will result in greater engine stress and wear. Go back to my previous post for the direct quote or read through their homepage.
 
And Dinan's willingness to match BMW's 4/50 engine warranty is not much consolation when modern engines should easily last 150k+ miles. Hell, I could probably do fine over the next month or two having a 5 hour energy drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But I don't think that would be a wise long term solution to just eating right and getting exercise.
 
I don't know the percentage of daily driving 3-series buyers that go to their local Dinan store for a pick me up to try to turn their 328's into 335's and their 335's into M3's. But my guess is the percentage can be counted using less than the fingers on one hand - and a thumb isn't a finger. I do know that the resale value of an everyday BMW that has had the "reflash" or other engine modifications is significantly reduced. And I suspect that it's not permitted in a lease. It certainly will never qualify for a BMW CPO warranty.
 
So the idea of reflashing a 320 might be an option for you and a handful of your buddies, but that's really not comparing factory apples to factory apples for 96%+ of the market. Maybe 99%.

Messages Page 1555 of 1609

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement