2009 BMW 3-Series

fedlawman

I don't know what's worse, the demise of the 8500 RPM Inline-6, or an SUV with an M badge.

Both are reasons why I'll probably never own a BMW built in the 21st century.

jmaroun

A necessary move in the right direction of progress. There's nothing to fear since fuel efficiency says nothing about power/lb ratio. I expect this ratio to steadilly increase along with efficiency. Hopefully much more effort will be placed on reducing the denominator of that ratio. My turbo'd 335i is just as high reving as my ni 330i and I hope that aspect doesn't change.

This news isn't surprising at all. I expect a new M3 in less than 3 years time.
Can't wait!!

Joseph
San Diego

Mr_Shiftright

As long as it's an inline 6, I'm happy. If I ever see a V-6 in a BMW I'm going to throw up. It took me years to accept a V-8, but I caved in when I remembered BMW's history had precedents. V12s don't seem relevant to 3 series cars.

fedlawman

"My turbo'd 335i is just as high reving as my ni 330i and I hope that aspect doesn't change."

Yes, but neither of those is an M car. I don't care if BMW puts a turbo V-6 in every grocery getter they sell (I'm not buying one anyways) - as long as they leave the M's alone. M cars are supposed to be special, focused, and uncompromised.

What they're doing with the M cars tarnishes the whole brand. It's like hearing a punk rock song from your favorite independent band in a TV commercial for maxi pads. It's a sell out, nothing more.

carnaught

Anyone else experience the newer generation iDrive that's found on the 2009's?

Among other things, the graphics are much better. You now have the ability to go back to the previous screen and the surrounding buttons that go directly to a given function such as "Audio" make using it quicker and easier. Redundant controls for the radio with six preset function buttons are available as are climate control functions so you can totally bypass the iDrive for routine use.

I think IDrive for all its bad press is really easy to use and is much more intuitive. It greatly trumps the Command Center controls of the Mercedes while still overall falling short of those found in Japanese marques. The single control of the round dial on the console has been trend setting and iDrive, I believe, will continue to improve.

roadburner

What they're doing with the M cars tarnishes the whole brand. It's like hearing a punk rock song from your favorite independent band in a TV commercial for maxi pads. It's a sell out, nothing more.

At the 2001 X5 4.6is press intro BMW NA's Martin Birkman told me why the hot X didn't wear an M badge:
"An M car typically has a manual transmission, rear wheel drive, and a high- revving engine."
So much for that... :mad:
On the other hand, I'm sure BMW realizes that the softer, low-revving M cars will attract more BMW wearers and poseurs. And it appears that the strategy is already bearing fruit... :P

cdnpinhead

". . .it appears that the strategy is already bearing fruit..."

Already?

Hasn't this strategy been in play since the '80's, when the "driver's car" became the must-have accessory of the upwardly-mobile?

It appears to have worked every time it's been tried, for going-on 25 years.

The fact that actual car guys have shunned the brand in recent years, for a variety of reasons, is beyond irrelevant in the land of the BMW marketing "team."

There's more at the door.

Oh boy.

roadburner

Hasn't this strategy been in play since the '80's, when the "driver's car" became the must-have accessory of the upwardly-mobile?

Yes, but the M cars were the last refuge of the real enthusiasts. Now even more M driver seats will be filled by imbeciles who think that trailing throttle oversteer is a band that used to open for Kansas.

fedlawman

Here's what put the 3-series on the map...



Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, and a 325.

circlew

The engine change aside, shorter term concerns exist.

They might need to do another movie quick...

CEO says BMW in “biggest crisis in its history;” rivals have similar concerns

BMW, which has seen it sales double since 1999, is now in the “biggest crisis in its history,” CEO Norbert Reithofer told Germany’s Spiegel. Like all automakers, BMW’s sales have been hit hard by the financial crisis, but the company’s reliance on leasing for a large percentage puts it in an even more vulnerable position.

Reithofer isn’t alone in his sentiment. Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche admitted the situation could easily be the “worst crisis since World War II.” If that’s the case, expect more job cuts and production slowdowns at Mercedes and BMW.

Even Volkswagen, which has a much broader brand and model mix, is concerned about its future. “We have never before seen this kind of a crisis,” chairman Martin Winterkorn said. He said it would be impossible for his company to avoid “difficult cuts” and “painful” measures.

According to the New York Times, luxury cars from BMW and Mercedes are beginning to pile up at U.S. ports. But they aren’t the only ones. Literally thousands of Toyota and Nissan models have filled acres of land at the port in Long Beach, California. In fact, Mercedes, Toyota and Nissan have requested to lease additional space at a 160-acre lot to park their slow-selling cars.

Recently, Toyota Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita characterized the current situation as “an emergency, of a magnitude we have never seen before.”

So is any automaker immune to the economic collapse in America, Europe, and Asia? Simply put: no. After all, Mercedes, BMW, VW, and Toyota are usually thought of as the most stable automakers in the world. Their survival will depend entirely on their ability to quickly adapt to slowing sales. Without the same rigid union and legacy costs of the Detroit Three, we’re hopeful they’ll all pull through.


Regards,
OW

xman7

Does anyone know if 'Training and MACO' ($560) comes from BMW charge to dealer on every car?

kyfdx

Training is $180... that is on every US delivered BMW.

MACO is a regional advertising charge, that varies by location.. Probably 90%-95% of dealers pay this. Averages $300-$500 in most locations.

regards,
kyfdx
Host-Prices Paid Forums

xman7

Thanks, kyfdx.

xman7

Hi,

Do you know if 'Sales Tax $0 (BMW will cover sales tax for the month of December) ' applys to all 3 serise in purchase? I have just purchaseed my 328ci two days ago. But dealer didn't mention it to me at all. Please let me know as soon as you can. Thanks.

kyfdx

That's a Texas thing, not a BMW thing..

espan

I priced out both 2008 and 2009 328i on edmunds. I found out the calculation did not include any paint charge in the invoice for 2009 model, but added the charge (500) for the 2008 model. Did dealer actually pay for the paint charges? I need some help in this to give an offer to my dealer. Thanks.

sammybmw

I'd agree that price increase was too much for the 2009 with little in return and don't forget that was after a mid-year price increase. The removal of the Logic 7 from the base 335 without discounting was a nasty trick. Will they take the HID's next? I was considering waiting to buy a 2009 in 2009 and then I saw the price increase. I just couldn't see where I got much in return for the huge increase so I bought a 2008 335i late in the year, (i still see some available online) BMW unlike other high priced, poor value cars like MB for instance does make the best car in the class, the 335i so the high price is partially justified. imho

general comment for discussion. since when do so many need these "all wheel drive" cars with its weight/mileage and other disadvantages to drive around in the winter. How about snow tires and sensible winter driving? Maybe even some added weighted over the rear axle.

jmaroun

Yeah, an 09 335i just can't be justified over an 08.
Anyone into buying now should consider all their options.
Buying a used car these days REALLY makes sense!
People in a crunch are even more desperate to sell than dealers!
If I could, I'd seriously take this time to think outside the box.

For example, you could cop a 2006 997 911S! :blush: for less than 60k right now!!!
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?num_records=25&search_lang=en&pa- - - - - - ge_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=both&distance=0&address=9212- - - - - - 8&marketZipError=false&style_flag=2&body_style=COUPE&make=POR&model=911&make2=&s- - - - - - tart_year=2006&end_year=2010&min_price=&max_price=60000&seller_type=b&transmissi- - - - - - on=Manual&engine=&drive=2+wheel+drive&doors=Two+Door&fuel=&max_mileage=45000&col- - - - - - or=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&keywords_display=&only_photo=1&only_price=1&sort_t- - - - - - ype=priceDESC&body_code=2&certified=&advanced=y&highlightFirstMakeModel=&showZip- - - - - - Error=n&default_sort=priceDESC&awsp=false&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&systime=&rdm- - - - - - =1229711447623

For those privelleged few immune to the insecurity of the day, it could be quite a Merry Christmas this year indeed! For the rest of us, thank goodness dreams are still free.

Ho Ho Ho,

Joseph
San Diego

joesao

What's the best way to find the invoice prices on the different packages of the 328i, and then figuring out the lease payments from there? I want to find out the bare minimum I could offer to various dealers in my area.... Thanks!

fedlawman

The BMW 3-series base price went up $700 for MY2009. For comparison, here are some other makes:

The Mercedes C300 went up $1,300.
The Audi A5 went up $800.
The Infiniti G35/37 went up $1,000.
The Lexus IS350 went up $300.
The Cadillac CTS went up $2,230.
The Volvo S60 went up $1,825.
The Lincoln MKZ went up $1,715.
The Saab 9-5 went up $695.

Looks to me like the BMW is not out of line with their MY price increase. And your $700 actually gets you some nice stuff - not the least of which is the much improved front and rear styling.

roadburner

Looks to me like the BMW is not out of line with their MY price increase. And your $700 actually gets you some nice stuff - not the least of which is the much improved front and rear styling.

That's worth much more than $700; at the very least it ensures that your E90 will no longer be mistaken for an Infiniti G20:

johnnye1

Sad news is RFTs are once again OEM on 3 series. BMW is losing sales over the problem. My advice, based on my personal experience: DON'T!

2006 330xi best car I've ever driven EXCEPT FOR THE RUN FLATS! Have read multiple posts on many sites..nobody likes them, Sentiment for class action is there. Sadly, BMW NA has stuck its head in the sand, ignored customer pleas for resolution and worse--denies there is a problem. Further, I just replace with a new set of Continentals and noise persists.

Good Luck all---just be aware!

gatorbrick

I just got an offer for a 335i sedan, sports package, nav system, for 50,775. They dropped price by $2000 over the phone. The price is now $48,775. Do you think they will go even lower?

sammybmw

I think some are missing part of the point I was trying to make, The Logic 7 had become optional on the '09 335, therefore those who want it, pay an extra $875 MSRP!. The Base Price increase for a 335i Sedan is $800. And for those that want the sport package but don't want to pay extra for the now included shadowline trime will pay an additional $350. That totals $2025 increase in MSRP for the 2009. (Invoice around 91% of MSRP) I also got the free automatic - MSRP - $1260. I paid invoice for the '08 and sales tax is 8% so I saved $3,353.40 on the '08 versus a similarly equipped 2009 given that I could get the '09 at invoice. For me, the 2009's upgrades - the styling changes weren't worth the extra $$$$. Of course, it is true that you can't get exactly the same car off the dealer lot as you would order. I ended up giving up the HD radio at $350 for a Sirius Satellite Radio at $595 so I paid extra $225 invoice. I may have forgone the auto trans if I ordered by since it was free, I took it. Not many manuals on dealer lots.

jmaroun

$48.7k???? Unless you mean including tax/registration ..the price is $4k too much

09 335i Sedan with Sports Package, and Navigation: $43.8k on carsdirect.com
-> http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=92128&acode=USB90BMC312A0&restor- - - - - - - - - - - - e=false
09 335xi " " yadayada..: $44840 -> http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=92128&acode=USB90BMC313A0&restor- - - - - - - - - - - - e=false

And these numbers are with no negotiation... meaning you can definately get them down by at least $500 to $1000.

Even if they throw in Premium Package.. the price they've quoted you is more than $1.6k too much.

Good Luck,

Joseph
San Diego

fedlawman

All manufacturers increase the price of options/packages along with base prices, so again, BMW is no different than any of the others.

Yes, for Logic 7 fans, it's a bummer that BMW made it optional for 2009. Other than that though, everything else is standard industry practice. As for the "free automatic," I'm guessing that was a dealer move to get rid of a car that's been sitting on the lot for many moons - not a BMW promotion.

From the info you provided, here's what I see. The car you would have ordered was a 2009 335i with MT, SP, Logic 7, and HD Radio. After destination charge, the 2009 has an invoice price of $40,780. The car you bought is a 2008 335i with Auto, SP, and Sirius. after destination, it had an invoice price of $39,160.

So yeah, you spent $1,600 less by buying the 2008 off the lot (again, the "free" auto tranny doesn't count). You got a great car and saved some money, so that's good. The alternative would have been to spend the additional $1,600 and get the EXACT car you wanted and get a car that's one year newer (and has not accrued one year of depreciation).

Again, every car company raises prices and rearranges options/packages with the new model year. For you it made sense to buy last years model, for others - maybe, maybe not.

sammybmw

The free auto tranny is a BMW NA offering only on the 2008's. It's on their website "* Be sure to ask your BMW center about adding an automatic transmission at no cost." Check it out link title. Unfortunately, some folks missed it or are missing it. So the final cost was actually below invoice. The difference between the 2008 335I and 2009 for the same equipment was as I posted $3,353.40 including the 8% sales tax. I'm very certain of my numbers. I didn't detail the other options - ZPP (Premium Package), 494 - Heated Seats, 2XA - Paddle Shifters, 6FL - iPod and USB Adapter along with the aforementioned ZSP (Sport Package), Steptronic, and Sirius Satellite Radio. I already mentioned that the car was very close to the one I would have ordered except Sirius vs. HD. In my case, I keep the cars for a long time, I have a 94 325 so the one year depreciation was not an important factor for me, though it would be for someone that trades their cars in after several years. People should make choices based on the facts and their personal preferences and situation. I made my choice. And there are a few 2008 335i's left. Cars are not flying off the dealer lots due to the recession and in the North, folks have been sold on the necessity of all wheel drive. It's funny the other night, a driver of poor skill even got an awd stuck in the road without a lot of snow on it. And when you are driving down the road, those awd and 4wd vehicles are in the ditch along with the 2wd cars.

fedlawman

Hmmm, I didn't know the free auto transmission was a BMW promotion - way to go. Given your preferences, I agree you did well choosing the 2008 model. Congrats on your new car.

roadburner

Cars are not flying off the dealer lots due to the recession and in the North, folks have been sold on the necessity of all wheel drive.

Yes, the driving public has certainly been dumbed-down; I've even heard some poor imbeciles claim that they need AWD because they need to be able to drive in the rain.
Pathetic.

fedlawman

We've had snow and ice on the roads here in Seattle for a week now and it's only reaffirmed my decision to NOT purchase an AWD car.

Once the roads got slick, my wife and I did just fine with our FWD Volvo and all-season tires by simply slowing down, being smooth, and not trying to climb hills that are too steep.

Now that we have inches and inches of snow on the streets (only major roads get plowed up here), the Volvo is completely trapped in the driveway and we're staying home (as we should). I feel sorry for all the people that bought a 330xi or G35X thinking they'd be able to drive year-round - only a vehicle with traction tires and ground clearance can go out right now.

The M is in the garage and still shiny clean, hooked up to a battery tender...