My 128i is my commuter car...110 miles minimum per day...so my choice was driven by 1) purchase price - for the options I wanted the 128i was prefect and already a huge upgrade from what I was replacing & 2) operational cost over the life of the car - gas mileage, etc will be significantly lower with the 128i. In the end the 128i was a great balance of fun + practicality. Although I do keep getting funny looks when I tell people I bought a BMW because it was "practical"
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Status Totaled: BMW 128i, Alpine White, Coral Red, Grey Poplar, Premium Pkg, Premium hi-fi, HD radio, IPod.
Replacement 7/6/2010: BMW 128i, manual, Alpine White, Coral Red leather, Premium Pkg, Value Pkg, Harman Kardon surround, and M-Sport Pkg!