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11-14-2007, 07:01 PM | #1 |
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135i Value vs. 128i
So now we know: the 135i costs $6,300 more than the 128i. That money buys you 70hp, a sport suspension, the M body kit, the Brembo brakes, 18" wheels, and Xenon headlights.
For the performance enthusiast buyer, that is a freakin' steal. I know some of those options are available on the 128i, but you'll pay extra for them. I think what we've really learned today is that BMW is serious about targeting the high end sport compact market with the 135i. This pricing is almost exactly on top of the Evo and STI. |
11-14-2007, 08:51 PM | #4 |
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BMW's management smirked when they stated that their target was under 30K for the 128i, so why are people so surprised with the price?
I agree that the 135i is a better deal, but for some the under 30K price of the 128i will get them into the dealers. If they end up with a 135i or a 3 series, I'm sure that BMW won't complain. I'm still more curious about what the sales numbers will be, particularly the breakout between the 128i and 135i. I've heard about 20,000 with a 50/50 split between models. We'll see. |
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11-14-2007, 08:54 PM | #5 |
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^ I know that the 20,000 number is from BMW but it is odd to me. They sell over 100K 3 series in the US alone each year. So what is the real purpose of the 1 series?
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11-14-2007, 08:56 PM | #6 | |
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The 128i for just $3K less than the 328i or Evo/STI? Not even close. I would much rather get a GTI and keep my $7K. $7K! |
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11-14-2007, 09:06 PM | #7 |
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that's a very good question. any ideas? brainstorming i'd say hedging against increasing oil prices (engines can be swapped later), getting traffic to up-sell to the 3er, provide a cheaper car so "rich" kids can become loyal customers earlier (i.e. maintain market in the future)
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11-14-2007, 09:08 PM | #8 |
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The price of the 128 is high, but not unexpectedly so (by myself), but the mere $6 difference with the 135 is...hardly makes the 128 seem worth if it you plan to put ANY options into it...
It'll be interesting to see how the pricing transfers over to Canadian dollars...:iono: |
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11-14-2007, 09:20 PM | #9 | |
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And there might be poaching of some sales out of the 3-series pool of buyers, but the 1-series might bring in more new buyers to the showroom that end up not liking the small size of the 1-series, but end up buying a 3-series instead. I would be very happy if my wife's business could turn over a 20% increase in sales on a year-to-year basis. |
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11-14-2007, 09:40 PM | #10 |
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The 20,000 was a surprise to me as well, but i thought that the 50/50 split was even odder. I would love to see their marketing plan, since it would give us some clue as to where BMW is heading.
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11-14-2007, 09:42 PM | #11 |
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You have to remember that a 6-pot Brembo kit will retail at 3-4k, BMW could have just put some off the shelf brakes on the 135i and had the price set at 32k...but its all about performance with the 135i.
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11-14-2007, 09:45 PM | #12 |
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You have to temper that with the cost of bringing a new vehicle to market. It ain't cheap - granted they've had the 1 series out since '04 in the the rest of the world (and I'm pretty confident the coupe was part of the 1 series plan from the beginning) - but still it's fixed costs that have to be recovered from sales.
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11-14-2007, 09:49 PM | #13 | |
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11-14-2007, 11:23 PM | #16 |
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128i is a steal
A 2008 BMW with 230hp starting under 30k, its an absolute steal.
When was the last time BMW sold a car in the US with over 200hp under 30k? Maybe one of the history buffs will know the answer. I don't think BMW has ever sold a 200+ hp car with an MSRP under 30k. |
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11-15-2007, 07:35 AM | #17 | |
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230HP is nothing these days. Just keep in mind that that number is good 30HP lower than most V6 Japanese family sedans. I'm not saying HP is everything, but 200+ HP ZOMG so powerful days are long gone buddy. |
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11-15-2007, 07:45 AM | #18 |
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That argument would hold a lot more water if BMW hadn't deliberately dumbed down the suspension to the point where the 135 understeers like a Hyundai Azera.
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11-15-2007, 09:43 AM | #19 | |
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Maybe I just need to pony up for the Cayman. We'll see. :iono: |
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11-15-2007, 09:52 AM | #20 |
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That's a wee bit hyperbolic, isn't it? Most cars come from the factory with understeer dialed in to the chassis. Yes, some reviews have been rather harsh on this point, but others have praised the 135i for its fluid chassis. It might be easy to dial out some of the understeer through an alignment or a change of tires. Maybe cars without Active Steering don't suffer from it as much. There are a lot of unknowns about the "understeer issue" at this point. Let's see where we're at in a year. :iono:
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11-15-2007, 10:07 AM | #21 | |
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Exchange rates are exchange rates. I doubt they could have priced it any lower and maintained a healthy profit margin. And no, BMW doesn't only compete with itself... but you'd think so with all the people bitching about how close it is to 3er pricing... which will probably go up quite a bit the in the coming years, regardless. |
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11-15-2007, 10:20 AM | #22 | |
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