I traded in my wonderful 2008 ("Year of the one") BMW 135i Convertible for another (my third) 3 series.
While I usually spend months making the decision about which car I will drive, this decision really came down to the last minute.
I like to lease my cars in South Atlanta because Adrian Avila is the best car salesman that I have had the pleasure of doing business with. Therefore, I gave him the first shot at showing me a car that fit my criteria. The choices I came down to were another 135i vert, a 335i coupe, and the 328i convertible.
Adrian did not have a 135i, so if I wanted one, I would need to look elsewhere. I thought about getting one from Arkansas, but I wanted to explore the options that he had on his lot first. He did have the 328i Vert in black and a 335i coupe in black, so he did have two of the three cars on my short list.
Both cars had a sticker price that was beyond what I had thought about spending. However, Adrian contacted me a couple weeks earlier so I could take advantage of $1000 off deal that they were having. He also made me an offer on both cars "that I could not refuse".
Since, to my surprise, the cars were both going to cost me less money each month that the 135i, who was I to say no? Now I had to decide whether I wanted the better engine or the top down fun. The choice was easier than I had imagined. I LOVED the turbo boost in the 135i, but it was really more engine than I really needed. However, the top down fun was something I knew I would really miss. I am not saying a convertible is exactly a practical decision, but given the choice it seemed more practical.
Now that I have the 328i, I actually do miss the fun factor of having a engine at your command that can pin you to the seat at any speed when you step on the gas. The 328i feels heavier and slower, but it does have a much smoother ride as the main trade off. Also, because of the hard top, it is a lot quieter on the highway. It really is luxury vs sport and this time luxury won. Not that the 328i is not sporty...it has a BMW chassis after all! :)
The 328 is rumored to be the last of the non-turbo thrusted BMWs, so there is some nostalgia dating back to my first E46 (325i) that began my love affair with BMW. For that, I am sure this car will live on in my memories for a long time..not that I will soon forget the feeling I had when I hit the gas on my 1 series.
I like to lease my cars in South Atlanta because Adrian Avila is the best car salesman that I have had the pleasure of doing business with. Therefore, I gave him the first shot at showing me a car that fit my criteria. The choices I came down to were another 135i vert, a 335i coupe, and the 328i convertible.
Adrian did not have a 135i, so if I wanted one, I would need to look elsewhere. I thought about getting one from Arkansas, but I wanted to explore the options that he had on his lot first. He did have the 328i Vert in black and a 335i coupe in black, so he did have two of the three cars on my short list.
Both cars had a sticker price that was beyond what I had thought about spending. However, Adrian contacted me a couple weeks earlier so I could take advantage of $1000 off deal that they were having. He also made me an offer on both cars "that I could not refuse".
Since, to my surprise, the cars were both going to cost me less money each month that the 135i, who was I to say no? Now I had to decide whether I wanted the better engine or the top down fun. The choice was easier than I had imagined. I LOVED the turbo boost in the 135i, but it was really more engine than I really needed. However, the top down fun was something I knew I would really miss. I am not saying a convertible is exactly a practical decision, but given the choice it seemed more practical.
Now that I have the 328i, I actually do miss the fun factor of having a engine at your command that can pin you to the seat at any speed when you step on the gas. The 328i feels heavier and slower, but it does have a much smoother ride as the main trade off. Also, because of the hard top, it is a lot quieter on the highway. It really is luxury vs sport and this time luxury won. Not that the 328i is not sporty...it has a BMW chassis after all! :)
The 328 is rumored to be the last of the non-turbo thrusted BMWs, so there is some nostalgia dating back to my first E46 (325i) that began my love affair with BMW. For that, I am sure this car will live on in my memories for a long time..not that I will soon forget the feeling I had when I hit the gas on my 1 series.
RSS Feed