Actually, given the difference in residual values, the lease on the G37 will be around $200+/month cheaper on a 36 month/36,000 mi lease lease with no money down after TTL/fees are rolled in. (Around $600-$650 for the G37, likely around $850 or more for the 335i). If you have to spend an extra $200+/month for the rest of your life due to the need to lease ("only an idiot" would do otherwise), then it gets expensive indeed ($200/month invested at a reasonable 8% return nets you about $300K after 30 years of investing). That's a pretty steep price to pay for BMW cache. Again, I like the Bimmer better, but let's not kid ourselves that the price difference is "negligible" to most people.
Comparing investing the $200 extra a month at an 8% return isn't really that important to most people as sadly too few of our citizens invest. I read somewhere that on average most people have more debt than assets these days. You should probably figure $200 a month less credit card debt for the average person. I don't feel like checking it but did you use the PvIfa? formula to figure out the 300k? 300k seems about right for that kind of annuity.
Comparing investing the $200 extra a month at an 8% return isn't really that important to most people as sadly too few of our citizens invest. I read somewhere that on average most people have more debt than assets these days. You should probably figure $200 a month less credit card debt for the average person. I don't feel like checking it but did you use the PvIfa? formula to figure out the 300k? 300k seems about right for that kind of annuity.
I agree that most people ignore the opportunity to save, but they could make that choice. Drive a brand new BMW every 3 years (10 cars) or drive the equivalent brand new Infiniti every 3 years + save up $150,000 in the process.
If you look at the $200 per month as money used to pay off credit card debt rather than invest, then the long term impact is actually much greater than $300K since the effective interest rate is whatever you are saving in credit card interest by paying it off, assume at least 12% conservatively. In that case, that extra $200/month works out to around $700,000 in credit debt savings (assuming they don't just charge it back up). If their credit card debt is 20% (like some) that extra $200/month applied to credit debt works out to an astonishing (but true) $4.6 million in savings at the end of 30 years.
Since you asked, I am actually calculating the Future Value of the payment stream. Obviously, the PV is quite a bit less to be fair, but the Future Value illustrates "where you end up" by making the less expensive choice as opposed to what is the value of all of that difference today. Most people don't have the opportunity to capture the PV today (i.e. nobody is going to hand you the Present Value of all those future savings today because you bought a cheaper car), but they could get the FV tomorrow by choosing the cheaper car every 3 years when their lease is up...
That deal was because i was a return customer off of a lease...my wife's 330i came due on Dec 31st. They give you a bit of incentive to get into another BMW...especially when you are planning to go to the Benz dealer across the street.
So I guess for some it is a $100/month difference, but for the common man like me, it is $200 or more...
does anyone else find the recent course of this thread a bit odd? you guys are talking about the amount of money you would save over the course of 30 years driving infiniti at current g37 pricing vs. bmw at current 335i pricing. if you're wanting to be thrifty, why did you buy a g37 in the first place? why not a honda or even a slightly used G35c... either of those will net you significantly more savings monthly.
does anyone else find the recent course of this thread a bit odd? you guys are talking about the amount of money you would save over the course of 30 years driving infiniti at current g37 pricing vs. bmw at current 335i pricing. if you're wanting to be thrifty, why did you buy a g37 in the first place? why not a honda or even a slightly used G35c... either of those will net you significantly more savings monthly.
1. I'd also like to state that the G37 has been noted to get big block V8 like gas mileage in the magazine write ups....similar to the G35c's. The 335i gets 4 mpg better on average...so multiply that out and your savings decrease.
2. If you are driving a lesser car because you want to save $100 a month.........live a little...i've never seen a hurse with a suitcase on its roof.
1. I'd also like to state that the G37 has been noted to get big block V8 like gas mileage in the magazine write ups....similar to the G35c's. The 335i gets 4 mpg better on average...so multiply that out and your savings decrease.
2. If you are driving a lesser car because you want to save $100 a month.........live a little...i've never seen a hurse with a suitcase on its roof.
1. The 3.3 mpg difference works out to about $25/month, true enough.
2. If I thought the G37 was a *significantly* lesser car, I would have gotten the BMW. I just think the difference is much, much less than $10K and I could live a little by using that money on vacations or other luxury goods rather than a very marginal difference (to me) in cars.
Quote: Originally Posted by the750
does anyone else find the recent course of this thread a bit odd? you guys are talking about the amount of money you would save over the course of 30 years driving infiniti at current g37 pricing vs. bmw at current 335i pricing. if you're wanting to be thrifty, why did you buy a g37 in the first place? why not a honda or even a slightly used G35c... either of those will net you significantly more savings monthly.
My original comment was that the difference in these cars was not $5K but $10K. Looksfast responded that leasing was the only way anyone should ever get a Bimmer. My point is that leasing every 3 years only makes the choice of BMW over Infiniti that much more expensive. Buy it once, the difference is only $10K, but get sucked into a routine of choosing a $10K more expensive car every 3 years and you have really changed your economic fortunes...I agree that I could be more thrifty and get a honda fit of something, but I am comparing two cars that *most* people feel are relatively comparable in performance and quality and pointing out that the cost difference is not nearly negligible. It's just hard for me to listen to people imply that these cars basically cost the same when the difference between them is much more than the difference between the G and a comparably loaded Camry.
But I'm done. Peace out and enjoy the Bimmer - it truly is a fantastic car (and even a pretty good value - just not as good a value as the G37 IMHO).
something else not being factored in is the bmw's warranty. i can say from experience that Infiniti's warranty is horrible. One of the worst 'Luxury' car warranties out there. BMW covers everything but tires. That means oil changes, light bulbs, PMs, brakes, windshield wipers etc. I know that I just put nearly $1,000 in brake pads, rotors and labor into my G - that on a bimmer would have been covered under warranty and cost me $0.00.
1st If you have to worry about 100-200 a month you shouldn't be worrying about your choice of car. You should be in a honda accord saving money for your future. I'm not saying that 100-200 a month doesn't make a large impact in the future, Just that you may have better things to worry about then having fun in your car and looking good.
2nd If you drive both cars and find out which you like better....100-200 a month isn't going to change your opinion about a car.
__________________
biada: "I'm an idiot who bought a car I didn't like"
everyone keeps raving about BMW's fee maintinence ...but has anyone seen the maintinence schedule? there are guys at bimmerfest claiming every 15K for an oil change. the maintinence intervals are so spaced out that the savings are not as large as expected.
everyone keeps raving about BMW's fee maintinence ...but has anyone seen the maintinence schedule? there are guys at bimmerfest claiming every 15K for an oil change. the maintinence intervals are so spaced out that the savings are not as large as expected.
I can't speak on the cost, or the savings thereof, but if the vehicle performs who cares how many oil changes the car needs or doesn't need. All I know is that when I walk in, they change whatever needs changed/fixed. Then, I'm out the door.
__________________ Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
something else not being factored in is the bmw's warranty. i can say from experience that Infiniti's warranty is horrible. One of the worst 'Luxury' car warranties out there. BMW covers everything but tires. That means oil changes, light bulbs, PMs, brakes, windshield wipers etc. I know that I just put nearly $1,000 in brake pads, rotors and labor into my G - that on a bimmer would have been covered under warranty and cost me $0.00.
Not true. I've read about many a BMW owner complaining about the same issues we've heard about the G35......namely dusting, pad replacement and the infamous feathering tire.
Once again it's about the people not doing their homework and expecting great performance at Honda Civic prices.
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Now I'm just laid bad - G35Princess
R.I.P. MBC
everyone keeps raving about BMW's fee maintinence ...but has anyone seen the maintinence schedule? there are guys at bimmerfest claiming every 15K for an oil change. the maintinence intervals are so spaced out that the savings are not as large as expected.
I am stunned that the schedule would be 15,000 miles for an oil change. My Ford F150 work truck freaks me out that they run a 5,000 mile change, but hey it is what it is. You sure on that (or at least WTF are those bimmer guys looking at)?
__________________
Now I'm just laid bad - G35Princess
R.I.P. MBC
everyone keeps raving about BMW's fee maintinence ...but has anyone seen the maintinence schedule? there are guys at bimmerfest claiming every 15K for an oil change. the maintinence intervals are so spaced out that the savings are not as large as expected.
it's not 15k for an oil change, it's 5-10k depending. on my audi it stated i could receive an oil change once per 10k miles. i brought it in every 5k anyhow and they never made me pay. they also detailed the car and topped off the fluids while it was there.
if you're stupid enough to change your oil every 15k miles, you deserve what you get.
i understand if it's a weekend car or a lease (which 85% of all bimmers are)then having to change the oil once a year isn't too bad. i understand they use very good syn oil on all their cars. but as a general commuter that racks good hard miles....ehhh...i dunno. unless you know you're trading up in 3 years i guess it's no biggie.
when i was shopping for a 335i the maintinence was not such a selling point as i was going to have the oil change at least every 5K...because 15K oil changes on a TT engine i know i'm going to push every now and then is a no-no for me.
i still don't understand why an oil dip stick is not fashioned on their engines. i'd like to see the oil and the condition of it rather than have an on dash computer tell me.
i guess my point is the 'free' maintinence is not as great as people set it out to be. i would like to see what nissan's maintinence schedule is like compared to bmw's and compare side to side. i bet you get 2 sides of the spectrum...one is too excessive the other is too lacking...both set up to maximize profit.
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