iateyourcheese

Well... it's not really free. You end up paying for it in the purchase price.

Mikelikes2drive

i didnt say it was free... i said it was provided ::dumb look::

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

The 330i that Consumer Reports tested was more than $42,000 as tested.

Also, those Car & Driver numbers that someone listed are ridiculous.

Road & Track clocks the RX-8 at 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds, doing 0.91g on the skidpad, with a top speed of 141 mph, and braking from 60-0mph in 118 feet, all better than the 330i.

staticlag

I've driven the '06 330i MT.

The clutch pedal was so light, I was like: "wheres the clutch? and who put that pillow there?"

The shifter was long and very clumsy with lots of play in every direction.

Do you know how the RX8 is low on low end torque? Well, so is this car, but it doesn't get much better when the rpms go up. I can honestly say my 1992 Nissan Maxima with 145K miles on it has more lowend pull than this car.

The inside was very spartan, it is very "rental-car." or "Dodge neon" if you perfer.

Suspension feels suprisingly good, though I didn't push it.

Brakes leave much to be desired.

I absolutely hate the digital turn signals. They are a PITA..

------------------
I had 2 college girls with me for the test drive...

And their final verdict when the drive was over was: "I don't know what all the hype about BMW is about, that didn't feel like it was worth the money, I thought I was going to be impressed." and "I like your car MUCH better"

I absolutely concur.

Slick8

I've been challenged by a 2006 330i. I had one 200lbs passenger with me and still pulled away from the 330i who had just a driver.

BMW is just a BIG SCAM that people subscribe too. Just like Coach, Rolex, Prada, etc. They play on your materialism/consumerism and charge you $15,000 for a watch that really is just a plain "watch".

But somehow people think...
"Oh my God, what a great idea, take my money. I'll slave 2080 hrs (40hrs x 52 weeks) this year so that you can take all my money and do little to nothing in exchange for it. Fabulous! Now I can look rich!"

Detrich

The very first time I rode in a BMW was in 1977- when my aunt just bought a new 5 series and drove my cousin and I to school. And, even though I was only 8 at the time, I totally fell in love with BMW's- the styling, the sunroof, the safe & secure feeling I got in it, the smell of the new leather. Everything basically.

I currently own an 2005 Mazda RX-8 GMT6 fully-loaded, which I special ordered for $35.5K earlier this year. My daily commuter is a 1999 BMW 323i 5-speed, fully-loaded (minus the navi), which I bought new in 1998 for also $35.5K.

EXACT same price paid, but two entirely different cars. But, both are GREAT cars in their own ways. And, they satsify different things about driving to me.

The BMW is about solid handling, smooth shifting, luxury, feeling safe, and THE best-sounding stock premium audio system I've ever heard in any luxury car at that price- period. It's still fun to drive after all these years. And, even though it's tame, it has a touch of class. It's what I would call the best of what you could get out of a sedan- ie the boringest class amongst cars.

The 8, on the other hand, satisfies that inner childhood adrenaline rush- ie what Mazda very accurately calls the "zoom zoom." Not only does the car scream fun, it handles awesome, accelerates nicely, is one-of-a-kind unique, and really feels like an extension of your body. It is everything opposite of the boring sedan and much more. It's not about luxury or snotty image or the best of quality. (I'm sorry, but Mazda's Bose sound system pales in comparison to the BMW's- not even in the same ball park.) The RX-8 is all about the fun of driving- period. And, OMG what fun it is to drive!

My .02 anyways

dos

Its pretty simple, if you don't think the BMW is a great value, don't buy one. A car is only worth what you are willing to pay for it. You can make this argument for why is a Polo shirt worth so much more than the one I choose to buy from Walmart, why is a house that is identical to mine sell for twice as much because it is in a different neighborhood, etc...

Slick8

These examples are very different when compared to a car, the most expensive depreciating asset that most people buy. A polo shirt's extra cost over a walmart shirt is too small to compare with a house or car, this is a negligible. Go buy 30 polo shirts and then 80 walmart shirts, so what's the point... NOTHING .

Location is the most important factor in a house and the design/size/characteristic of the house is worth a lot less, very-very different asset from a car. You cannot reasonable change the location of a house, but can definitely change design/size/characteristic of any house with some work and/or capital.