Not sure why they depreciate so much. I just traded in my 2009 328i for a 2013 328i with M package and light package. Heated seats etc. The original sticker was in glovebox for 44k even. I paid 23k out the door. Has 46k miles. Love the car. Black with beige interior. It’s a 4 cylinder Twin Turbo 8 speed. In Sport mode it really gets after it.
I ended up going with the BMW 3-series. 328i Turbo w/ M-Sport package.
I love it... Very happy with my decision. I still like the outside looks of the Mercedes a little bit better, but this thing drives so much better
than the Mercedes.
This is the exact car I bought:
I'm so pissed. My battery died, and they make it soooo friggen hard to get the battery out.
First of all, the battery is in the trunk. After an hour of unscrewing shit, the battery won't budge a bit. I google videos on it, and
there's some locking brace that has a screw at the bottom of the battery, and you need a 12" extension to your ratchet it get to it.
But, there's only around a one inch gap in the crack between the battery and the car frame - so there is no room to do anything.
This picture isn't accurate for my model, in my case it's a foot down and one inch gap. WTF.
Assholes make it so hard for the average Joe to do anything on the car. Grrrrr.
That, and the battery starts at $200.
Comment from one of the explanation pages says you have to use a flashlight to find the bolt - which I did have to do. !@#!@#!@#!
It's going to be even harder to get the thing back on...
Finally, use a 13mm socket wrench and a long extension (8″ or more) to remove the battery support rail. The support rail is located at the rear bottom of the battery and is held in place with a single bolt. It is a little tricky to remove (and even trickier to reinstall), so use patience. Use your hand and/or a flashlight to first locate the bolt, then lower the 13mm socket on it. Remove the rail from the car.
Since third row is a priority, the Mazda CX-9 is hard to beat for the money. Luxury like cabin, sporty ride and handling, great looking, and has options factory that BMW Mercedes etc will charge you $10k+ to get. The turbo engine also runs off good ole 87 octane. It’s definitely worth a hard look to anyone looking in the category you described, imo...
..
Built like a POS with inferior components, though...
I have the CX-5, love it, now with two kiddos, it's not as practical as it was with one, but it will suffice. I definitely made the right decision to put $20k+ in my pocket and forgo the "luxury brands." Mazda's new motto is to go after the luxury brands at a bargain price, and they're doing a mighty fine job of it...
All the X series BMWs are built in my hometown, and you couldn't pay me to buy one. It is a car meant to be leased, and that's not for me...
My only gripe about Mazda is they lost the Mazdaspeed banner, and I'd love to have a Mazdaspeed CX-5 meant to be like an M series BMW for a fraction of the cost, but it's still no slouch. They're said to be producing an inline 6 that may come close to that, so we shall see, though...
If the name KIA in itself doesn't bother you, the Telluride is a badass midsize SUV with awesome looks and features to boot, and the 3rd row is more practical than the CX-9. I'd choose it over any of the luxury brands as well, and the options and price tag destroys all of them without question...
