i don't really agree with the posts saying you should pay $50k for a 3 series for it to be a real bmw.
i mean , the OP obviously had no idea how to order his car. I just ordered mine last week. it would probably be considered fairly stripped by many here, ( 328i, sport auto, m-sport, lighting, and estoril paint), but its what i wanted and the negotiated price is just barely over $40k +tax. if you want a bmw to uh handle best, you'd probably want the sport package. if you want it to be a luxury filled gadget fest probably want the premium and tech packages which ididn't feel were worth $6000+ tax. if you want everything get all of them and dynamic handling and pay the extra money, but spending the extra money "just because" is probably not smart. If you want a stripper, get a stripper. its all about your priorities with what to do with your money. who is to say the guy who buys a 38k BMW is a poseur when all he wanted was a premium car compared to the guy with a $50k 328i, when the guy with the stripper BMW blew that extra $12k on a gold chain and diamonds in his teeth. if thats what he wanted well more power to him.
Examle my current A4 is a sport pack quattro premium plus model. its definitely not the most expensive. you could buy a prestige model CVT front wheel drive model which would cost even more that would handle worse. and it would feel more like a boat and understeer / torque steer. and if you had no idea what you were ordering then thats what you could end up with having paid even more.
I'm not super rich or anything but I do make a bit over 100k a year. So I COULD buy that stuff, but i choose not to buy it. hell it saves me $6k+tax that i can roll into my next car or spend on a vacation or some other thing i want. So like some of the really rich guys posting, who do own a 3 series when they could afford much more, you go get exactly what you want. the original posters problem is he is stupid and didn't even figure out what he wanted, before buying an expensive ass car. if you are going to buy a big ticket item perhaps you shoudl figure out what you want instead of making a dumb impulse purchase.
That said, i do like this thread, there has been some intelligent discourse in it at least. I also buy shirts and such on sale. why throw money away right? hell warren buffet supposedly drives some ancient lincoln towncar or a caddy DTS , i guess get what you want, but know what you actually do want before tossing money away.
someone mentioned that millionaires cut coupons etc. its because they are smart. my father has managed to do pretty well for himself in the last 10 years or so. my family was pretty middle class until after i got out of college. so he's probably worth in the just over 8 figures range now. that said he will still buy cars that don't have random useless to him features and buys golf clubs on ebay at a discount, or whatever. hell he drives a 2004 X3 with a squeaky sunroof and 130k miles on it probably out of nostalgia and doesnt replace it (first german car...). i guess my point is if you are smart you can make an F30 328i that handles great for probably $40k. and you'd get exactly what you want and keep all the money you dont want to spend.