Maybe this belongs in car talk, but I wanted to get some opinions on this. I've got an 03 TL-S that I will probably replace in a year or so. I'm tempted to stay with Acura and go with the 08 TL-S (or possibly the 09 redesign). Then there is the option of buying a BMW. Everyone knows that BMW is the car magazine enthusiast's darling. To them nothing will ever compare to a BMW, or so it seems. My question to you guys who own the new TL-S is what was the deciding factor in choosing the TL-S over, say, the 328XI? Was it reliability? Features? Price? I think I can probably get the BMW to within $2-3K of the TL-S price, albeit with fewer options. Thanks in advance for any replies...

 

I am about the get the 335i coupe or sedan. depends how long your planning to drive the car? like BMW has no problem if your driving it short term like 5 yrs. Problem starts to come after like 50k. but if your talking about a couple of years. it is definitely fun to buy a BMW. the handle is just sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet especially the 335i. Its fast like a evo and anyone who drives the 335i coupe everyone would look and stare at it. I know the 328 coupes are like 43k pretty much loaded. if your looking for like a 335i coupe its like 50k almost loaded. I say go with the 335i sedans. Your gonna regret it gettin the 328.

 

Mine friend has the 328xi and I love that car..It actually has me thinking about BMW and never have before. I think my next ride will be Infiniti or Lexus though

 

Comparably Equipped, BMW's cost too damn much.

IMO, you pay to big of a premium for the name.

OTOH, if money we not a factor, I'd try a 335, M3 or M5. Maybe when I hit the lottery.

 

Thanks for the replies thus far. I know the 335XI is a rocket, but that would be at least $42K and I'm trying to keep it at $37K or so. CL Platano, why would you choose the Infiniti or Lexus over the 328XI (I assume you are referring to G35 and IS350)?

 

theres no such thing as 335xi . even if your trying to look for the new TL-s it will cost around 40 out the door. (cali tax is like 8%) but if ur gonna get the 328 i prefer you to get the is350 or the g37.

 

The 335 is available with all wheel drive as a sedan, not a coupe...

 

i preferrr the TL-S... nicer exterior/interior design and costs less to maintain...

 

Bearcat beat me to it: money not a big issue, type-s is not in the same league as 335i or M3 or M5 hands down ... but if you look at the long term reliability vs. money spent, type-s will win ... BMW has the performance upper hand but Acura has the overall package in TL/type-s. Till I hit the jackpot or my company goes public, I will have to "settle" for what I can have right now, which is the TL.....

 

^^ agreed.

big factor for me having already owned a bimmer is the local dealership. my experience with bmw vs acura/lexus is that they are horrible. if you do have one of the before mentioned warranty issues they seem to go out of there way to not fix it. lexus and acura have been the exact opposite for me...

 

Bearcat94 and shooter, you both seem to think that you pay a premium for the BMW name. Don't you get some of that money back in re-sale value? In other words, if I can get the 328XI for $2-3K more than the TL-S (admittedly not with the same equipment) won't it be worth that much more at trade-in time?

 

^^the other way around. bimmers lose there value more than anyhonda/acura product...

 

Hardtimes, I can easily see that as a deciding factor. If your local dealer sucks there is no reason to support them. I have had good luck at my Acura dealer, too, and that is one of the reasons that I feel compelled to stay with the TL-S...

 

I was looking into the 335i as well before purchasing my TL-S. Like everyone said, to equip the BMW as the TL-S are standard, you will be paying A LOT more. I thought it was way too much. Plus, Acura keeps the highest resale value, supposedly.

 

The 335 would be a great car - I actually followed one today - great throaty exhaust and so much torque! Wish I could afford that one... It is nice to have all of the equipment that the TL-S has, but the AWD, peak torque at lower rpm's, and neutral handling of the 328XI is nice also...

 

I was considering both, among others. I chose the TL-S.

Short story: < $35k fully loaded, amazing resale value, MUCH more backseat room (matters to some), and the comfort in knowing that I'll never have to think "I wish I had gotten this or that option" - since everything is standard. (I used to think that all the time with my A4...)

There are faster cars to 60, and cars that put your nose a little higher in the air, but for day to day use there's not much the TL-S will leave you wanting.

Only things on my list when car shopping that the TL-S didn't offer were cooled seats and brown leather. In the end, Taupe leather and tinted windows seem just fine.

Good luck with you decision!

*

 

I daydream about both cars everyday. I would rule out the 335 as I live in a crowded city and there is no where to open it up. The power is overkill.

For me it comes down to the TL-S' power vs the amazing handling and feel of the 3 series. Its is a very difficult decision as I have never gone near a car with the 3's handling. I got back into my old 05 Mazda6 after driving the 328i and thought it was going to fall apart.

 

Personally, I've never driven the new 3-series or even its predecessors, but hearing rave reviews about it...it's got me thinking about a test-drive very soon. I'm just concerned that it will spoil me when I get back into my TL-S... Don't get me wrong, the TL-S is an amazing car with great handling, but sometimes...I just want more.

I just got a new job as a Compliance Officer for a reputable financial institution (AVP title)...if I only knew ahead of time about this position...I would've gotten the 335i Coupe decked out. 300lbs of torque at 1300 rpm is insane!!! But nonetheless, the TL-S is an amazing car, especially for its price. If you're comparing the 328xi with the TL-S...go with Acura...unless you really need the all-wheel drive.

 

For me the biggest factor was the size. The TL-S is closer in size to the 5 series, so to compare it to the 328 or the 335 is apples to oranges. (Both good but totally different). I am 6' and 300 lbs. I am just not comfortable in the 3 series (Not to mention that I also need a useable back seat pretty frequently)

Just for giggles, I priced a 535xi on the BMW website. For one equipped the way I wanted (Naviagation, upgraded radio and leather seats) the price was $56k!!! (about $20k more than my TL-S) I find it very annoying that BMW charges extra for Leather Seats on a $50,000 car!!!

 

bmw's dont come with leather seats stock?

wow, lol

ACURA DOES hehehe (EVIL LAUGH)

 

That's a good point, camporealer. The 328 and TL-S are different sizes. For myself it is usually just me in the car so I know the 328 would work. Still, I've never liked small cars, particularly on long trips. Probably the 328 is more composed than most in it's size class, but larger cars always feel somehow more substantial...

 

Only because Im not a big fan of BMW. The Infiniti I may upgrade to is a M35x and the Lexus GS300.

 

The M35X must be a great car as it's won every comparison I've ever seen - including against the 5 series BMW and Mercedes...

 

DM, don't hold your breath about the bimmer's trade-in values as they are nowhere near Acura's market values in terms of the resale value percentage. Also a good buddy of mine works at a Bimmer dealer and i have test drove pretty much all the cars there (some of them are very impressive, like M3, M5, M6, etc), but he always tells me stories about how they taking back trade-in Bimmers with deminished values all the time. So private selling might be your only hope if you want to consider your options about your car's resale values.

Like I said in my earlier post, a bone stock 330 or 335 will not get you even a leather seat and loaded ones will get you up to 45k easily. While you can get a type-s around 35k nowadays even for a 08 model and it will run for at least 150k, why bother with the hassle of have to fix those little problems BMW is famous for ?

 

Yeah those are good points, shooter, about reliability. One thing about the car magazines is that they are just comparing how they perform today, and oftentimes largely at the track. Most of us don't use our cars on the track. Also, they don't have to worry about performance down the road (i.e. reliability) like you and me. I've always thought that when you add up everything, reliability and performance (and value), the Japanese cars are tough to beat. I'm tempted by the new Cadillac CTS but would pause before laying out all that money for a first year re-design of an American car. It does look good though...

 

I love BMW. I love the looks, I love they way they handle. I hate the price though. They are merely average in terms of resale. If I could get a good lease price on a 335, Id jump on that in a heartbeat.

The TL Is a very nice car though, especially for the price, and amazing once you add in resale value. Hard to justify stepping up to the bmw money wise.

 

Sooner or later I think us car nuts will have our hands on a BMW somehow. Dont know about you but I cant get BMW envy out of my system.

 

^^agreed, that 335I looks better and better........


but this really does belong on Car Talk.