thought id post this question, down to a desision between these two cars

2010 bmw 328i (base model, no optional at all ) aprox 31K
or a 2010 tsx, aprox 27k

thats pretty much as much as i can spend, i love the bimmer, and would perfer the awd xi but the extra 2 grand is seriously streaching the budget. or the tsx and save like 5k after the financed total.

 

a BMW with no options at all? haha... i dunno. buying a BMW without options is like buying a mansion and then not having any money to actually put stuff in it.

 

yea, gotta get the options if you're getting any BMW car. Does the TSX come with the tech package?

 

very true. but i really like the bmw for the driving aspect, when i test drove the new e92 its really blew me away, its really amazing.

 

Bimmer options will easily run you 5k+. Do yourself a favor and invest that money, or better yet put that money towards the TSX. The 328 is nothing special in my opinion.

 

yep. i think on cars.overstock.com, a 328i with comparable options to the TSX runs you about $37k.

 

TSX which basically comes fully loaded >>>> stripped BMW

Especially if the extra couple grand is stretching your budget.

 

I drove the 128i and was debating between that and a TSX base model. However, to similarly equip the two, the 128i was $9,000 more. It drove better, but not $9,000 worth for damn sure.

 

The BMW drives much better--no one is going to argue with you on that one.

But if the budget is already stretching then you really have no choice but to get the TSX or something else more affordable. You know BMW's are expensive to service, right?

I'd get a loaded TSX over a stripper BMW any day.

 

Have you considered the ownership cost of each? I "hear" that BMW maintainence is expensive; granted I can't compare it to Acura maintainence costs....

Cost to insure the same? Mileage/gas?

Lastly, on either one, any thoughts on CPO?

Good luck with your decision.

 

i just bought a tsx tech, and i was seriously looking at the 328 base too. but a base is so bare. yeah i loved how it drove, much better than the tsx. but nothing else is really comparable. bmw interiors havent changed in 20 years and the tsx interior is flawless. its tough to compare the 2 cars since one is 6 cyl and other is 4. also, its very hard to actually find a base 328. youd have to order it and that coul take months. the lowest i found was like 38, and that still had the cold weather package. bmw and mercedes advertise their cars starting 34k, but good luck finding a 34k car on any dealer's lot.
and then there is always the tsx v6 non tech. and thats still cheaper than 99% of 328s, unless you wait a few months for your order to go through.

 

i say, if u reli like the bimmer that much, save up a few more grands and get it with a few options

but if you really NEED a car now, tsx, although less power and fwd, is great.

 

I'd also say go with the TSX. You can't really compare the TSX and 3 series as far as driving experience goes anyways. I don't know where you live, but that's another factor to look at. If it snows where you live then you'd have to buy snow tires for your car to add onto your costs. Plus, driving in a rear wheel vehicle sucks. Sure, the Bimmer looks better but it'll cost you more in the long run. It's better to have some money in your pocket as opposed to living from paycheck to paycheck. Especially if an unexpected repair like a flat tire occurs.

Also, you have to ask yourself if you're really going to drive the Bimmer for what it is everyday. That is, are you really going to drive like a sports car that it is or just use it to get from point A to point B like you would in any other standard compact car?

 

No one is going to argue that the BMW doesn't drive better. Or that it has more power. It does. But it is not THAT much different. What is THAT much different however is how many luxury options you'd get on that TSX compared to a bare bones 328i. A BMW without options is basically not even a luxury car, it's amazing what they charge for and what you'd be missing. I bet you don't even get leather or heated seats or even a garage door opener!

I also think the TSX has a much nicer, higher quality interior, and a significantly better stereo system. Just my 2 cents. Everyone in here cross shops the A4, 3-series Bimmers, etc. Most in here chose the TSX for reasons of value and peace of mind. I swear my TSX Tech is about equivalent to a $41,000 BMW in terms of options, and it is much more reliable.

 

What about going for a 320 and using the money you save to add options?

 

Get the Bimmer if you want performance and RWD. Get the Acura if you want dependability and FWD.

 

That model is not available in the US.

 

we had a 3 series before. after the 3 year warranty was up, maintenance just got very expensive. i remember paying $400 - $800 each time something had to be replaced.

go TSX.

 

Thanks for the info.

The TSX may be filled with 'essential' technology, but I don't think that replaces a good chassis and quality finish in the long term. I was seduced by the toys and the promise of reliability in my Accord but, given the choice again, I'd go for a 328 and specify only the options I really need.

 

the OP doesn't want any options in the 328i because he/she cannot afford any. to me, getting into the BMW means buying a ~2007 CPO 328i with not-as-many options (since bare-bones, zero options BMWs are hard to come by) for ~$22-26k, depending on mileage.

 

You "heard" wrong. Scheduled Maintenance is free for 4yrs 50k miles on all BMW's.

Tough call, OP. I love the way BMW's drive. And personally, i would choose driving experience over options if i had to make my choice again. But to each his own. If you're ok with the 4-banger and FWD in the TSX, don't break the bank going for a bare bones BMW.

 

I don't know how options are chosen in the UK, but here in the USA we have to choose packages and can't just choose individual options. For the most part that is.

 

dont' buy a new car. that's just pissing money away.

look for a 2-3 year old CPO car. you'll spend 26-27k and be able to buy a car that cost double that new. I just picked up an 06 RL, CPO, for $26,500 and it only had 29k miles.

you could likely find a nice 335i for around $30k. you could easily find a 328/330 type 3 series for under $30k. look at 06-07s....

car prices plummet the first couple of years... just look at the residual value or most leases after 36 months..they are at 60% or so.... and with only 30-36k miles on the car - they are still great cars with lots of life left.

let someone else take the big depreciation hit and you benefit by getting to buy/drive a much nicer car, and if you go the CPO route, you wind up with a warranty that is almost the equivalent of the factory warranty in terms of time/mileage..

that's my recommendation.

 

yes, the scheduled maintenance is "free." however, that covers what, 3 oil changes? i think it's funny how before they offered the "free maintenance," BMW dealerships would want you to change your oil every 3,000 miles on the dot, but now, suddenly they are okay with stretching it out to 15k? seriously?

3 oil changes (with Mobil 1 or similar synthetic, performed yourself): $100 total
say you change your wiper blades once: call it $40.
engine drive belts: should that really be changed after only 50,000 miles? i suppose i drive more than 12,000 miles per year, but still.
brake fluid "service": not really sure what that means, but i don't think brake fluid really needs to be changed in that first 50,000 miles, does it? (depends on how hard you drive, i suppose)
brake pads/discs: these too should not be worn completely out after only 50,000 miles, should they? perhaps BMW's performance brakes wear out faster and are put to more difficult tasks than other cars.

either way, the "maintenance" in the first 50,000 miles should be relatively minimal with cars in this day and age. also, it's not "free" no matter how you spin it...you're paying that premium for the BMW badge to begin with, and that stuff is most certainly accounted for there. it's like states that don't have income tax...yeah, on the surface it looks nice compared to other states, but what are the property taxes there? etc etc.

if you DIY oil changes and don't abuse your car, you won't really be racking up much maintenance costs at all through 50,000 miles. and as others have said, have fun once you're outside the warranty period.

that's not to say that the TSX is a good choice either. they're different cars, packaged differently, but to me, you're better off buying like a used 2007/2008 TSX, ~2007 328i, or something cheaper (with an emphasis on CPO/used), since you're not willing to go anywhere higher than $31k.

something tells me you should be putting away some money instead of being car poor for 5+ years.

 

this.

 

3 oil changes with Mobil 1 can be done for less than $100 (maybe not on a BMW I guess, if the filters are expensive, which I'm sure they are not cheap).

Honda does recommend you change your brake fluid every three years, regardless of miles driven. Brake fluid flushes can run $50-150 depending on where you go to have it done.

I agree though, brake rotors and pads SHOULD last longer than 50,000 miles. I've heard of brakes on Honda's (Civics, Elements, CRV, etc.) going 100,000 miles plus easy (Not sure about the TSX). Once again Bimmers might be a different story.

If you only keep the BMW 4 years/50K miles, it is a good deal, but I bet it will cost you big time for that 50,000-100,000 mile interval, whereas the Acura would/should be a lot less.

 

Your sig says you have an 07 TSX. Is it leased and the lease is over soon? Honestly, I'd find a way to keep it a bit longer if you can. Either buy it out if it's leased, or just keep it longer if it was financed. In a few years, you'll be better off.

 

I have to agree with most of the recommendations on here to keep your car and pay it off. I paid off my 2006 Civic and 2007 Odyssey after about two years (both of them). Saved a lot of money that way and made life easier (made it real easy when I did want to go ahead and by my new TSX).

 

I'll never buy used again. I bought my 3G TL new. I still love it. It runs great. However it doesn't justify the premium I paid compared to if I bought it one or two years old with low mileage. Just a thought.

 

i was saying $100 total for 3 oil changes....~15 quarts + 3 filters. you can always find oil and filters on sale at autozone, etc.

 

Here in the UK, with the German brands at least, we buy a base model and then specify each option individually. The BMW option list is renowned for it's potential to almost double the cost of the basic car.

Honda (and most other Japanese brands) come in just a few flavours with hardly any options available.

 

In Canada, you order the 328, choose the colour, cloth or leather interior and then there's five packages to choose from and afterwards options...

Get the six speed Steptronic, it's $1600, want paddle shift with that an extra $100 please .

It can get expensive pretty quickly loading all the packages/options (kind of reminded me how Detroit car companies used to sell their cars).

 

Exactly right. Ford in particular used to offer an endless amount of factory options. And if that wasn't enough, there were dealer options, too. Clever marketing meant that a base model with a few options came in at just under the price of the next level car. This meant it was a no-brainer to go up a grade, thereby maximising Ford's profit.

In the UK, the only manufacturer with an option list longer than BMW's is Mercedes.

The Japanese philosophy of just a few models and limited options (including colours) removes the opportunity to create an individual vehicle. But I guess the trade off is quick delivery.

 

And also cheaper prices, because they don't have to manufacture each car with different options. There is a definite premium for customization.

 

Do a little research on what happens if you have a flat tire with your new BMW. There is no spare tire or a place to put one. If one of these run-flat tires fails it must be replaced instead of repaired and it will cost at least double what an ordinary tire costs. My tire guy says they last half as many miles as standard tires. Mercedes stopped installing run-flat tires on their cars. BMW gives you no choice in the 3 series. Acuras use standard tires and have a spare.

 

Lets face it, we would all take the bimmer over the TSX if they were similarly optioned.

So do u want a few extra luxury features or do u want the ultimate driving experience?

 

id love to keep my car, but it was in an accident, and unfortunaly was fixed poorly, its just not the same since, its a shame, these first gen TSXs are just frekin awesome!

 

im gonna go test drive the new tsx and see just how bad it is. all i keep hearing is the new modles are far worse of a drive compared to the 1st gen. i think the new interior really sucks compared to the 1st gen, especially design and layout. the materials are ok, but truly uncomparable to the new e90s, which are far superior to prior bmws including the e46s.

 

Why not a Legacy 2.5GT?

If the budget is that close I suggest you wait or set your sights a bit lower.

 

although ive never had a 1st gen, just by looking at the interior of the 1st gen pics, 2nd gen interior looks waaaaaaay better than the 1st.

test drive the V6