dasMafia

thanks you my prodding and the warm reception on these forums, my mom took delivery of a Bordeaux/Charcoal ML320...

this may have been the final battle in the war to convince me to abandon the whole BMW thing and order my damned C230

gab

How long are you gonna keep your car?

Remember E46 is in its 4th model year running, probably new model will due 3 or 4 years later

E46 is just around EVERY corner in bay area, no turning heads at all

325ci is will be a little bit more than C230K when nicely equipped.

330ci is another story unless you have the extra $$

Panorama Roof let you dream about sitting in a 996 Targa for much less.... hahahahah

dasMafia

this is so true!

probably keep the car 5-8 years. The BMW lists higher but leases lower (MB is gouging... "its impossible to lease a new MB for less than $400 a month..." I actually had a dealer quote me a mid-$500 lease for a C-coupe...)

I REALLY like the current E46 coupe... don't want the inevitable '03 facelift, i like it just the way it is... and in NEBRASKA nothing german is common (save Jettas)

thanks for the support!

Flashman

Lease costs or residual values are not set by the manufacturer. They are set by individual banks and such. The only thing the manufacturer can do is offer some form of 'rebate' to lower a lease cost.

MB isn't gouging anyone, they just aren't offering any rebates on the C230. Are you suggesting that BMW offering lease rebates on the 525?

Rick

gab

Yes since the E46 sedan has undergone a "facelift" in 2002 (IMHO headlight is ok, bumpers and tail light are ugly, esp in US spec all corner and tails are amber) so I would guess the E46 coupe will underg a facelift too.

And i think your wife is a very open-minded too, let you choose the car and a stick shift you like without her interference. I know many guys cannot buy a stick car 'cos the wife couldnt drive it

dasMafia

gab, my wife is pushing for the manual... she traded her '96 integra on her CR-V (for work) and she used to abuse my sorry a** all day long... her only thing is seats. my car is always clean and ready for a night out, (she's a nanny... you figure out what her car looks like) but the seats are too low and are not really adjustable at all. other than that, she has pretty much given me free reign... unless I do something really eggregious to **** off the fashion police (she likes citron green, so crossing that line is pretty unlikely), I'm on my own.

thanks for the continued input... and MB does set the residual if you lease through MBCC... which may or may not happen in my case, I'll shop it around first.

BMW is not offering any rebates that I can see... they are publishing lesaes with higher residuals however. (coupes still bring ~90% at 12-months out) MB seems to have made a pretty drastic change to the C-coupe residuals (MBCC that is) in the past few months as they were previously very close and the MB is now about $65-80 higher.

Lynn

Jump right on in there and be our first member with Citron.

dasMafia

ummmm, no.

Lynn

Awwww, come on, go for it. Actually, the color is sort of eccentric, and the special order fee is better spent on other options.

IrishinNE

that in Nebraska BMW's are not common. Maybe not in Lincoln. Here in West Omaha, every other car you see is a BMW 3-series. Markel must sell a ton of them.

That is one thing that made me decide on the C230, that and that sunroof! I could have gotten a better deal at Markel also since my boss and his wife are good friends with the owner.

So far I have only seen one C230 on the street. I followed the guy amost all the way to his home passing him/slowing down and letting him pass me so that I could really look at the car. He must have thought I was a stalker! The C230 looked great on the road even in silver - a color I really am not too fond of.