Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidN
45K for a 135 is a lot of coin. Most of the BMW buyers (aka posers) will probably just pay the extra couple of thousand and get themselves into an e90/92. I can't see this car being a success at those prices. Look at the competing cars listed. The audi, volvo, and mercedes do not sell very well to my knowledge (I hardly see any of them around here). The Audi A3 has been a sales disaster in the United States due to the high price tag. BMW needs to learn from the mistakes made by their competitors, not repeat them.
If I were to price both cars, I'd put the 128 at 32,000 and change, right where the old e36 318 used to be (BMW has not had a car in that price point since that particular model). And I'd put the 135 at 38,000 or 39,000. A 6-7k difference is substantial enough between the two to justify settling for a 128 over a 135 for the budget conscious buyers.
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On one hand, I hope you're right. The lower the price points, the better. On the other hand, as long as the car is affordable, I'd love for it to be good enough to command those prices.
The A3 is overpriced and has been a disaster, especially with the 3.0 selling somewhere in the $45K range. Couldn't agree more that BMW has to learn from this.
And using the $50K 335i as a benchmark, not sure $45K is way off. 135i will come with the M Sport kit and have the same engine with better performance. 335i will offer a little more than more space and maybe a cushier ride. 135i may be competitive at that price..... But I'd love to be wrong....