mmarshall

Nonsense. There is NO reason a male cannot buy one.

But I agree.....enjoy.

I did a formal review on a 128i convertible just a few days ago (see the review in CAR CHAT) and was quite impressed with it. I would have done a 135i but I had already sampled that engine in the 335i.

plex

iTrader: (11)

Well you will only see the rear of one from your car......

The way these cars are selling I doubt the majority of the buyers are male........

Brian231

The new 135i looks cool, but it will have that entry level beemer stigma like the 318. Also, the sensor issues never seem to be rectified with BMW. For such a solid car and great driving feel, you would think the engineers would focus on reliability in that aspect.

tex2670

C&D has a cover story on the 135 in the May issue--$42K, and that's not even fully loaded. For that coin, I'd get a G37, or splurge for the 335 coupe.

Threxx

BMW options are stupid expensive. I'm of the belief that the only way to buy a BMW is in base configuration with the motor you want and only the options you absolutely must have.

In my 335i I have 8k dollars worth of options and yet I don't really see where that money went. I mean yes I can point here and there but other than the sport package and auto transmission I don't really see value in much else... feels like I should have paid maybe 4-5k tops for what I got above and beyond the base 335i. One thing that bothers me is that my 'premium leather' doesn't much if any different/better than the base fake leather stuff they use.

The 135i is a bargain IMO in terms of performance and practicality for the dollar at its base price... but with options it just stops making sense.

lalexusgs

I'm 100% there with you. That's how I was guided in buying my 335i

newr

agree 1000000%

mmarshall

Again, nonsense. You guys need to toss those idiotic stereotypes in the trash where they belong.

mmarshall

Yes.....you're right on. That's the same conclusion I come to every time I look at or drive a new BMW. The Steptronic transmission, though, in some urban areas, is a must. And the Sport package, unlike the harsh sport suspensions in some other vehicles, gives you great handling without undue harshness over bumps. But I would do anything possible to avoid I-Drive, and would not buy the car if I-Drive was standard or non-deletable.

newr

There was a thread posted on CL with real data not too long ago. It showed that the majority of IS owners are women.

mmarshall

Of course they are. I never said otherwise. And a lot of women drive Miatas, Mini-Coopers, Foresters, and Outbacks too....but that does NOT make them "chick" vehicles or present any reason why men cannot buy and drive them....I drive an Outback myself. One of our male CL moderators has a Miata...and LOVES it. And when I had my yellow IS300 several years ago, young guys, more than girls, went ape-**** over it.

When I said toss the stereotypes in the trash, I meant exactly what I said....not maybe. I'm not trying to be arrogant by saying that....just realistic.

plex

iTrader: (11)

Well since everyone is throwing out opinions and feelings

135i & 335i > IS250
335i >IS350 and IS350 >335i
IS-F= M3

Threxx

I don't disagree that cars driven predominantly by girls are still fine to be driven by men, but to me that doesn't make them not a 'chick car' it just means that there are always exceptions to the norm, and if you're being open minded then you'll be fine with that... but on the flip side if you're being open minded you'll also accept the culture norms that say that a given car is more feminine or masculine than another given car.

Would you agree that some men wear skirts, but skirts are generally, culturally speaking, still considered predominantly feminine clothing?

Would you be surprised if you saw a 1988 Cadillac Deville with 24" chrome spinners, pitch black tint, and subs you could hear from a mile away and then saw a mid-40s white man in a business suit step out of it?

Cultural norms and generalizations exist for a reason... though that doesn't mean that we can't still buy what we want and except people to be accepting of it.

kyang91

iTrader: (5)

I say go with the 335 and not the 135, just some personal point of view.

mmarshall

I see open-mindedness as not buying into preconceived stereotypes.

For that matter, even WOMEN don't wear skirts much anymore. Most females today wear pants, even in conservative churches and institutions.


Growing up and living in Washington, DC area, I have learned, auto-wise, to expect just about ANYTHING.

Yes, D.C. has its share of pimp-cars, with both blacks and whites behind the wheel.