BE HONEST: MS3 or BMW 1-Series 5-Door?

[redspeed]

MS3.

The Beemer looks like it is already sagging between the doors. The rear end is nothing special either. OK, it is rwd, but that is still extra weight. better balance yes, but still extra weight nonetheless. Why now are all of the car companies so intent on copying the 3 so exactly? I know that the 1 series has been in Europe for a while. But this thing really is a copy of the 3. So is the new Subie. Exact copy of the 3. Maybe I should feel flattered by this somehow.(cheers)

Sorry my friend but this is not a copy of the ms3. Hatchbacks are super popular in Europe, so basically every auto brand out there was one. If it was available in the u.s. and I had the money, I would get one in a heart beat.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still in love with my ms3.

Here's the 5 door & 3 door:

 

[Kosh]

If that car was a person I would want to punch it in the face.

 

[shockdoctor]

Honestly, this is an ugly car. It has more in common visually with a Pontiac Aztec than our beloved MS3. There will be way more of these on the road than the MS3, so the whole exclusivity argument has to be thrown out the window. Owning a Mazda says more about you than owning a Beemer. The Beemer crowd is a bunch of followers. Look at all of us. Who did we follow? Certainly not the Beemer folks.

 

[shockdoctor]

Pound for Pound the MS3 is the more appealing car.

While I don't think the MS3 is a particularly pretty car,the bimmer doesn't light any of my fires either. I've never been a fan or Chris Bangles "flame surfacing" malary and that downward swooping character line is just nasty.

Having to choose between the 2, I'd take the MS3 hands down (despite the monstrous potential of the top of the range Twin Turbo 1 series hatch).

Although I think the P5, New GTI and the R32 are the best looking hatches.

But once Alfa comes back to the US with this bad boy, all other hatches will look like yugos!

This thing looks like an A3 with a Pontiac Grand Am front end on it. lol

 

[CantCMe]

Gimme da MS3

The BMW looks nice, but if I'm paying that much, it's not gonna be a hatch.

 

[jred321]

1 series, no hatch though i'll take a coupe

 

[jbiird317]

i am a bmw fanatic and I dont think I would get this car over the ms3. There are plenty of bimmers that I would choose first, but not this one. The thing that appeals to me about that almost makes me choose it over ms3 is the rear wheel drive, but its the underpowered engine and trendy stying that doesnt appeal to me. The audi A3 will dominate the 1 in this market.

 

[redspeed]

Shockdoctor I have to disagree with you. Were is the exclusivity in owning a ms3, is just a mazda 3 with a turbo engine and better suspension. My ms3 has been by far the best car i driven. But I used to drive a 325i and I can tell you BMW has a following because their cars are so freaking good. Sure the break down like every other car in the market, but the way they handle, sound and feel is very different from other cars out there.

 

[Donas64]

This thing looks like an A3 with a Pontiac Grand Am front end on it. lol

blasphemy!

 

[ispypsi]

If that car was a person I would want to punch it in the face.

+1, it looks like a wide eyed smiling retard. no energy or aggressiveness at all.

plus for the one with half decent performance it will be out of my price range.

i dont have an MS3 yet, but i am hard pressed to find another car that looks good, performs, and has as much to offer as the MS3 does.

 

[Kshaw5]

if offered at 25k? take the BMW - rwd will always be cool. 35k? mmmm, maybe not.

 

[shockdoctor]

Shockdoctor I have to disagree with you. Were is the exclusivity in owning a ms3, is just a mazda 3 with a turbo engine and better suspension. My ms3 has been by far the best car i driven. But I used to drive a 325i and I can tell you BMW has a following because their cars are so freaking good. Sure the break down like every other car in the market, but the way they handle, sound and feel is very different from other cars out there.

I thinks it is great that you disagree with me. I like the fact that everybody in this forum has an opinion. Opinions show the world that you are capable of thinking. But, knowing that Mazda only made 5000 MS3s, and what BMW will likely produce (9 thousand to 14 thousand isn't an unreasonable guess), the speed is still more difficult to get your hands on. BMW cache' or not. The other thing about the speed is that no one knows what it is. This has to be my favorite aspect of the car. If everyone knew what a blast these cars are, they'd all want one. Nobody who would spend 40 large on the smallest BMW cares what the car is capable of, other than making an impression of wealth.
Don't get me wrong though, I like the 325i and would kill to have an old 2002 in my garage. I know BMW cars are great to drive, but this is not the motivation to purchase one for the typical real estate agent/budding lawyer/stockbroker etc. that can afford one. Just my opinion.

 

[Donas64]

I thinks it is great that you disagree with me. I like the fact that everybody in this forum has an opinion. Opinions show the world that you are capable of thinking. But, knowing that Mazda only made 5000 MS3s, and what BMW will likely produce (9 thousand to 14 thousand isn't an unreasonable guess), the speed is still more difficult to get your hands on. BMW cache' or not. The other thing about the speed is that no one knows what it is. This has to be my favorite aspect of the car. If everyone knew what a blast these cars are, they'd all want one. Nobody who would spend 40 large on the smallest BMW cares what the car is capable of, other than making an impression of wealth.
Don't get me wrong though, I like the 325i and would kill to have an old 2002 in my garage. I know BMW cars are great to drive, but this is not the motivation to purchase one for the typical real estate agent/budding lawyer/stockbroker etc. that can afford one. Just my opinion.

so very true.

BMW's are great cars but they are more status symbols than anything else. A shame too because they are truly great automobiles.

I still lust after a last gen M5.

 

[MS3Chik]

the 135 should be the s***!! i love the 335! now the 135 is going to be lighter than the 335 so it should be even more fun..its just the price that sucks for me..the 135 will take the ms3 no problem..if i could afford it, it would have to be either 335 or 135.. oh, i saw the new e92 m3 today!! sexiest thing ever..it had everything all covered like the hood and the wheels..i cant wait to see what that thing is going to be like..

 

[redspeed]

I thinks it is great that you disagree with me. I like the fact that everybody in this forum has an opinion. Opinions show the world that you are capable of thinking. But, knowing that Mazda only made 5000 MS3s, and what BMW will likely produce (9 thousand to 14 thousand isn't an unreasonable guess), the speed is still more difficult to get your hands on. BMW cache' or not. The other thing about the speed is that no one knows what it is. This has to be my favorite aspect of the car. If everyone knew what a blast these cars are, they'd all want one. Nobody who would spend 40 large on the smallest BMW cares what the car is capable of, other than making an impression of wealth.
Don't get me wrong though, I like the 325i and would kill to have an old 2002 in my garage. I know BMW cars are great to drive, but this is not the motivation to purchase one for the typical real estate agent/budding lawyer/stockbroker etc. that can afford one. Just my opinion.

Agree to disagree. (poke) But I have to agree with you in the price comment. $40k for a compact BMW is just too much. (thumb)

 

[shockdoctor]

Agree to disagree. (poke) But I have to agree with you in the price comment. $40k for a compact BMW is just too much. (thumb)

That's what I said. $40 large is too much, unless you don't care about anything but status.(hear ya)

 

[Haltech]

Well BMW placed themselves out of the $25K market with the increase of 3XX series pricing. They dont have any other choice but to bring the 1XX series in. But, youre going to be spending close to $40K for the twin turbo 135i. That car might as well be called an M1. Its going to be a fast car.I cant imagine there will be much luxary in that 1 series though. The 335i is damn fine car and can rock a M3s world, so seeing this engine find its way into something smaller, is going to be really interesting.

When i look at wealth status, it begins with an M5... Not someone driving a trendy 325i or stripped down 5 series... Same goes with the Mercedes. I get a laugh at people with their lowest model offerings thinking, they " hit it" big.

The MS3 is a fine car but unless mazda goes back to the drawing board and gives us 325hp, this market will be attacked by the beginning of 2009 with some serious german competition.

Infinity finally caught the 3 series BMW with the G37... however.. Germany is fighting back and going after the japanese's money making markert... the $20k-$35K range. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo and a few others have some hot hatches headed to our level in the next 18 months.

 

[SwampAss]

When i look at wealth status, it begins with an M5... Not someone driving a trendy 325i or stripped down 5 series...

heh. You'll get a pretty poor idea. I have a 325i. I didn't buy it to be trendy. I bought it because I promised my wife she could get one when she passed her CPA.

The 325i is small enough that she wasn't intimidated to drive it, handled well, and actually knocks out some decent gas mileage. It was also well equipped for the 34k price tag. Other cars we were looking at were the Nissan Altima 3.5, Acura TL, and the Passat. All were within 4-5k of the BMW.

I might look trendy driving my 325i and I could have bought an M6 if I wanted to (the thought crossed my mind)
So what separates me from the M6 driver when we are sitting side by side at the light? I have another 50k sitting in my mutual funds. (first)
Cars are some of the shittiest investments you can sink money into. In this area, the wealthiest people don't look wealthy at all. The ones who do look wealthy are trying to look wealthy and usually are just doing ok.

That's why I pimp a 24k Mazda.

 

[Haltech]

heh. You'll get a pretty poor idea. I have a 325i. I didn't buy it to be trendy. I bought it because I promised my wife she could get one when she passed her CPA.

The 325i is small enough that she wasn't intimidated to drive it, handled well, and actually knocks out some decent gas mileage. It was also well equipped for the 34k price tag. Other cars we were looking at were the Nissan Altima 3.5, Acura TL, and the Passat. All were within 4-5k of the BMW.

I might look trendy driving my 325i and I could have bought an M6 if I wanted to (the thought crossed my mind)
So what separates me from the M6 driver when we are sitting side by side at the light? I have another 50k sitting in my mutual funds. (first)
Cars are some of the shittiest investments you can sink money into. In this area, the wealthiest people don't look wealthy at all. The ones who do look wealthy are trying to look wealthy and usually are just doing ok.

That's why I pimp a 24k Mazda.

(boobs) LOL.. well people where i live, by the 325i's because it says BMWs... Hell, they buy cars here that cost over $100K because they cant afford a $850K house out here. But youre correct, cars are bad investments.... Bang for the Buck always rules.

 

[JD32883]

Eh ms3 is soooo much hotter. My friend had a 318 TI not impressed. Never a fan of BMW never will be. All the 1 is is a 21st century 318 with some different body parts. I of course would stay with the ms3.