[tbird]

Just the simple point of the BMW warranty means so much. Repairs just keep getting more and more expensive. My wife's last car was a E46, and even with her driving it gently, it still was $2500 a year in repairs. That was only like two or three repairs, but it adds up. Break that down, it was a bit over $200 a month.

If you want to save money on payments and get a used car, you have to factor in repairs as well. $300/month plus another $200 or so in repairs, that's $500/month for a used car. Plus, the interest rate for a used car is in the 5%+ range. BMW Financial for new is still bouncing around nice and low. That 0.9% I got is INCREDIBLE!!

Lease the 1 Series, get a plain 128, pay $300/month, and don't pay anything else as the warranty will cover you. Heck, if you want to do better in two years, do the Mini. Get a Cooper S, with its incredible residual value, save up your pennies on having low gasoline bills, then trade it in for your 135.