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      10-20-2013, 09:50 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by diesel20 View Post
My F21 125i started off at a reasonable R330k. Pretty much the cheapest Way to get that amount of power and a decent badge. But the standard spec is pathetic.

Then came the M sport pack (and another R7k for the 18" wheels which you gotta have, ouch). Xenons, sunroof, front and rear pdc (pays for itself if you ever knock the front) H/K sound, navigation, extended Bluetooth (I must be the only person I know who actually has a cradle for my iphone to charge it and use the cars phone aerial, plus give me a place to store it out of sight, the joys of jhb) and of course bypassing the need the for the infamous Y cable and give my H/K a chance by receiving digital signal from the iPod.

Then bits and pieces, the comfort pack with climate control, auto dimming mirror and extended lights pack.

And lastly the sports auto box. Problem is I came from a GTI which had so much of that standard, even more, like heated seats! And before I knew it I was at R450k before discount. Nothing there is excessive I don't think, sure some nice-to-haves but the GTI had spoiled me in that regard.

And trust me there are many more toys left on the price list I don't have! In fact my car has the alcantara interior which I love, instead of leather (from choice not budget, owned so many cars with black leather that is the only sensible colour to get on an EB car that I'm bored of it)

Spitting distance from a M135i, modestly specc'd. So the M135i is a performance bargin if you spec it lightly, although a lot of the stuff I added is already standard on that.

But you take the lower fuel consumption and insurance of the 125i, the slightly lower appetite for rear tyres and I'm not much of a robot racer and drag strip king, and hardly get to use all of my mere 160kw, let alone if I had 240kw! So I'm happy with my choice, I enjoy the toys more than the power as I spend most of my driving in traffic.

Take an M135i to the same spec level and you paying bang on the same money as a 328i m sport with the same toys. Actually went into the dealer to order a 328i and saw an 1 in EB M sport and fell in love with it. One last hatch before I turn 30 and buy a grown up car

Don't get me wrong when I do see an M135i I'm prone to a bit of doubt. But I also remember it takes a trained eye to tell the difference between that and a 118i M sport!

Funnily enough I saw in a CLA at the show and at a very average 5'10" my head was digging into the rear roof lining when I sat in the back. They should have just made it a sexy coupe if its that compromised in the back. Plus merc dealers, and I went to a few, have major attitude if you want to buy an A class, because of the demand.

No way am I gonna beg a dealer to sell me a car and let's see how the attitude changes when the hype wears down and it becomes just another hatch fighting for a place in a crowded segment.

Btw don't forget those diamond quilted seats on the S3 are an extra R20k, and LED headlights are R20k on anything other than an S3.

When my parents were buying their bmws in the 80's/early 90's the only question was if you wanted a sunroof. How times have changed!
I think you've got the perfect spec going on there. I ALWAYS choose xenons, pdc, sunroof, 18" wheels, m-sport (well sport line in the case of my F30, as I preferred it to M-sport surprisingly) and manual.. I've never touched an auto, navigation and upgraded sound, although I'm inclined to choose a variation of that for my next car hopefully! I seriously can't believe that you spent 450K for your 125i!!! But that's the reality nowadays. Nothing is cheap and you get what you pay for. But those extras obviously increase the enjoyment and quality of your daily drive, so it's definitely well worth it, if you think about it. I'm just such a conservative person and quite miserly with my money lol.

I'm good with just having the standard bluetooth for hands-free calls lol! I only listen to the radio exclusively, which defeats the purpose of extended BT and HK systems for me. The spec on my F30 was very generous to begin with, so it was one of the reasons I chose it. Climate control and leather come to mind.

But you can't beat the spec of the GTI. It's probably the best performance bargain right now, especially the MK7. Did you consider the new GTI as a viable replacement to your previous GTI? It's also very technologically advanced, but obviously not in the way as the BMW is...

You're right in that the M135i would be a waste for you, when the extras and sufficient 160 kW is enough for traffic-rich day, especially in JHB. It definitely makes sense especially when you consider that the same spec'd out M135i would run for demo 335i money..

It's just plain stupid that MB dealers have an attitude to sell A-classes due to the limited supply? Such nonsense. I can imagine the same happening with the CLA. But the price of the CLA does make you realise why they would be in demand. The CLA200 is cheaper than a standard F30 320i, just saying...

Those diamond-quilted seats is a must-have for the S3, as well as the LEDs. At 11K, I don't expect to see any S3s on the road without them.
If the S3 is priced right (especially in saloon form, yum), it will be a tough decision between that and the new M235i next year
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