HankScorpio

Me and a mate always make a point of checking out BMWs at exhibitions and shows etc to compare base book price and "car displayed" price and today we both were left absolutely gobsmacked at a display of BMs at Brands Hatch.

M3 - 50k base but still had 5k of extras - 260 for heated seats and 200 odd for a usb connection on the stereo ???? 50k for a car and no heated seats???

Then came the 135m - 28k base and NINE GRAND of extras - 37k for something that looks like a 1986 suzujki swift saloon??

Then the genius one - 123d - 24k base with 8k of extras, none of then particularly stupid. wtf is that about? a third of the base price on extras???

I know this is nothing new but these were outstanding examples.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Lease a new Mondeo instead, wait for the twin turbo derv unit.

Shark Man

They've always done this to make the cars appear cheaper.

Worst is the peverty spec 316 (or 116). 2 cylinders short of a real BMW, slower than than the diesel models, yet uses more fuel, horrid fabric seats, no climate control. There is even some poverty spec 5 series too.

Stupid thing is people who "really" want a BMW but can't really afford them buy the damn things. That badge to some people must be so important.

BMW is an expensive brand. But I really wish they'd stop offereing poverty spec models, because they really are nasty.

Anyhoo,

I was talking to someone the other day about the new M3 in the local showroom: pricetag £55kish.....I could buy two nearly new Monaro 6.0 VXRs for that and have some change for the insurance, several tanks of petrol and a couple of track days.

Varboy

^^^ Your right in many respects.

In my experience a lot of the cooking models are company cars obtained by clueless female exec. wannabees who go for the 316 with leather rather than the 318 (which in itself is a pile of slow turd)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

You are all so caught up in status and pecking order, Leather has become a big deal on cars as it is now shorthand for posh, it isnt even really any good when you look at it, I have had cars with leather, half leather and cloth and I have to say I prefer cloth, you end up sliding round in leather or you have to have huge bolsters to hold you in which look sporty but generally aren't that comfortable, its too hot in summer and cold in winter.

What is poverty spec anyway nowadays, to me it was base spec Fiesta in 1980, no rear wash, no cig lighter, vinyl seats not a 30 grand BMW.

BMW and their ilk have you right where they want you, the cars are overpriced enough even allowing for them being good quality, they sell you a car that as standard comes with no twiddly bits so to cut it in the bragging rights you pay twenty grand and then put 8 grands worth of options cos the wheels look to small, it has cloth seats and it has aircon not climate.

In actual fact, most of it makes very little difference, the big wheels just tramline and **** the ride quality, the leather is as described above and climate control though useful doesnt make that much difference.

The final irony is that the second owners are just easilly conned so you have to spec it up if you ever want to sell it again, just try selling a white, manual petrol 5 series after you have had it three years, in reality it will be pretty much the same experience to drive (maybe better) than a loaded diesel auto in Black.

zip106

Or better still get a 5 series diesel company car, add 5 grand of options without using any of your own money and hey presto! a 32K car I and couldn't give a toss about resale values, running costs or depreciation.
Works for us

Got to agree with you on the leather issue. Not worth it imho.
BMW's are now wholly aimed at the co. car market so they'll charge what they can get away with and what they think companies will pay.
I must say though that the base car is definately NOT poverty spec.

There's no way we could afford a 32k car, run it and put 20k miles on it each year ( especially not with the 19" wheels - those tyres are HOOGE and pricey!) so we specced it up abit and after 3 years we get something else.

I really wanted a white one but chickened out

Shark Man

I'd also wish BMW would stop selling Silver cars with Black/grey interiors. I thought I went colour blind when I walked through the last dealership ad everything in stock was Silver or black, with black/grey interiors

Who orders these cars? And do thay have any imagination?

(although better than a Green 330 Clubsport I once saw with special order yellow leather )

On the leather aspect BMW leather is terrible. The "standard" leather looks like vinyl and nappa leather looks great but wears badly if its maltreated. Then the cloth seats seem to be made from a fabric remeniscent of a 1980's rental suit.

But the leather does have its forte: My 325 touring work horse has a leather interior, which I'm glad, as it get filled with so much shyte (I had 3 old disasembled Rover v8s loaded in it last week, blocks in the boot, cylinder heads and pistons on the seats -including the oil and sludge )...everything just wiped off. If it was cloth, well, I wouldn't even have used the car to transport it.

The cars ex-works, payed £10K for it Now THATs poverty - it would have cost some poor sod £28K four years ago

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

Beemer prices are pathetic, they should be ashamed of themselves..........

Brendan Hughes

I thought Porsche did much the same?

Dracoro

This also destroys the myth that porsches are best at holding their value. Yes, they are better than many but not as good as you may think.

Take one Porsche Boxster at £35k. Add the essential and commonly wanted *extras*, e.g. leather, climate, TC/PASM, proper stereo, wheels etc.... and you're at £40k easily. Remember, pretty much NO-ONE buys a Porsche as standard, there are always options put on it.

Trade that in at porsche a year or two later at £28k and see it on the forecourt a day later at £33k.

One look and you think, hey a £35k car only loses £2k. In actual fact it lost £12k.

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

Beemers are even worse IMHO.

Devildog

And MB.

On the other hand, people do go a bit mad with spec these days. A 1 Series doesn't need leather - the market doesn't expect it on any bar the top of the range cars.

Many, of not most people who but cars of 50k and up (certainly anywhere except London) will have a garage. Hence heated seats are nice, but hardly a must have.

The same goes for most of the extras.

Some want them, and the opportunity is there.

My old 120D Sport was carefully specced. Met paint, big wheels, arm rest. Standard spec pretty generous.

Very low losses when I sold it.

Salesman said not to bother with much else, to be honest, waste of time on the 1 series, and to a lesser extent on the 3.

Porsche are the worst, no question. One of my colleagues was going to finance a Cayman S. Actually worked out very little more to do the deal on a Carerra4S in real terms, as the base cayman spec is poor.

SimonD

Dead right about the options. Most of them will become liabilities after the car is out of the dealer network and/or warranty period.
BMW and particularly Mercedes have done an astonishing job over the last 10 years or so of increasing appeal with gimicky tat, reducing quality and bumping up prices.
I wouldn't say they were bad cars but they're certainly not worth the silly money being asked for them.

HankScorpio

I do like Nissan's idea with the Murano - one model - one spec - no options. You get everything on it.

I think my problem with it goes back to my childhood, you had things like L, LX, GL, GLX, Ghia etc and when you bought top of the range, you got top of the range and all the toys. If I was buying a top of the range car new, I would expect to get everything and have to pay nothing extra and choices were colour, upholsery and stuff like that.

If you want a real laugh, get hold of a copy of the AMG options list...