Worth the wait for the 2010 3 coupe?

Hi, I'm thinking of getting a 3 coupe this summer. The rumors and spyshots show that the 3 coupe will be getting a facelift for the 2010 year, which I'm sure most of you know, and I'm not sure if I should wait to get it.

I really enjoy the exterior of the current car, and can't see the difference being too major to affect my purchase. What I do want to know if the interior will be changed, what people know or expert bmw fan advice on what they will most likely do. I think the current interior is nice but definitely needs an upgrade. Is it likely that elements seen in the new 5 GT or 7 series will make their way down to the 3 coupe?

Thanks

Maybe you should wait for it to come out? You can search for spyshots but obviously they're going to be pretty different than the actual vehicle. Personally, I think the 09 model looks great... the facelift that they gave to the sedan was a big disappointment for me so I doubt I'll like the new coupe as well.

Really a very personal decision. For me, I would not have bought a pre-LCI sedan, but I love the LCI e90 sedan and now own one. So even little things can make a difference to some people.

I dont think features/interior will change much...they didnt really change at all on the LCI sedan. It is more cosmetic usually with the LCIs it seems. (besides the new iDrive for 09 which is amazing!)

I went with the current model. I think it already looks fabulous and with m sport package will look even better. Besides you won't be able to get one any cheaper than for what you can get for it now. Unlike most recent change e.g. Idrive, the new cosmetic changes probably won't be as significant.

I would wait, you don't want the value of your brand new car('09) to fall substantially when the new one comes out('10).

I kinda believe in market efficiency. Your upfront costs for the '09 are lower and that more than compensates for lower resale value of the '09 vs. the '10 in the future.

I'd say if you find a good deal on a car configured as you like it, jump on it. (Why delay that gratification?)

It depends whether you're going to get a 335 or 328. The 335 has fuel pump problems and maybe the '10 model won't have them. We don't know how prevalent they are but there have been enough nightmare stories to worry any reasonable person. As a person that has a car with the N54 engine I can tell you I worry and who needs that ? It's ridiculous and makes me angry with BMW even though I've had no problems.

Originally Posted by mclaren

It depends whether you're going to get a 335 or 328. The 335 has fuel pump problems and maybe the '10 model won't have them. We don't know how prevalent they are but there have been enough nightmare stories to worry any reasonable person. As a person that has a car with the N54 engine I can tell you I worry and who needs that ? It's ridiculous and makes me angry with BMW even though I've had no problems.

Dude, I think you are forgetting that online more people complain. Plus people who have issues come and find somewhere to complain about those issues. The happy people just keep driving their car.

My guess would be the "major" problem is much less major than people think. Also online there really are not THAT many threads and posts on it when you think about just how many people have these cars on some of the sites out there (like e90post where a good majority of the user base has a 335).

Originally Posted by grentz

dude, i think you are forgetting that online more people complain. Plus people who have issues come and find somewhere to complain about those issues. The happy people just keep driving their car.

My guess would be the "major" problem is much less major than people think. Also online there really are not that many threads and posts on it when you think about just how many people have these cars on some of the sites out there (like e90post where a good majority of the user base has a 335).

+1

I had originally planned to wait for the 2010, but financing and invoice pricing made me change my mind. It was just too good and saved me too much $$$ to say no. Besides, I really don't think there will be significant changes. So they move a switch by 4mm or they change a taillight or they reconfigure a package, who cares? I wouldn't expect much trickle down. On the new coupe in 2012/13 maybe. Also think about the refresh on the sedan. Who besides a BMW smart guy notices the difference on that refresh? Certainly not your average commuter. It's your money, so you decide what's important to you, but I chose to order my car last month. Do you think the incentives and financing will be as aggressive with the refresh? Probably not. As for the fuel pump that some are mentioning. Don't blow it out of proportion. I'm with Grentz, by nature of the site, you're just going to read about it more here. Besides, it's all under warranty and really.....there will ALWAYS be something. It's just the nature of performance, high tech cars.

Remember.....there will ALWAYS be a refresh or new model coming. You can keep waiting for the next one or you can get into a spectacular car and enjoy yourself.

Either way you go, I would wait

Between the "cash for klunkers" program and the rebate on the sales tax from the fed on any new car purchased, I would wait for those programs to be official. Add to all this European Delivery, and you are looking at a great price for a new car in the next few months

I had precisely the same debate you're having now between the '03 and '04 model year after I'd decided to buy a 3 coupe. After much soul searching and many test drives I decided I liked the '03 enough that I'd be happy in it every day, and decided that having it X months earlier would make me happier than anything they might add for '04 (as it turned out, I think the biggest differences were to the area under the front grill and the addition of LED brake lights as standard). I also decided that I'd rather have a car built in the last week or two of a model year's production run than a car built in the first few weeks of a model year's production run, when they might still be working out the bugs on new features.

That '03 coupe was the best car I ever owned, and I never regreted the decision to buy it when I did even for a moment. Now, my decision to ultimately sell it and get an '08 e93 was a different issue, and one I do second guess regularly. But that discussion is for a different thread...

Wait for the LCI.... otherwise in less than a year you will no longer have the current body style. It just gets better.

Originally Posted by Pedal2Floor

Either way you go, I would wait

Between the "cash for klunkers" program and the rebate on the sales tax from the fed on any new car purchased, I would wait for those programs to be official. Add to all this European Delivery, and you are looking at a great price for a new car in the next few months

Cash for clunkers is only going to apply for cars $45,000 and less...and we all know you can push a 3 past that price.

I'm planning to wait to see the changes to the 2010 3-Coupe before I make a decision on what to do.

My reasons-

1) I want new stuff. The '09 is not really different than my '07 other than Shadowline trim with ZSP, the M-Sport option, and new iDrive. Would be nice to have some styling changes. Fingers crossed for LED brake lights.
2) I'm kind of bored with the interior/exterior color palette- hoping that there are some new choices for '10 like the LCI sedan received for '09.
3) I want the new Voice Control system that BMW just announced for September production.

For those of you that haven't heard about the new Voice Control, it will allow you to speak song names for music on the HDD, and coming next spring will also work for music on your iPod like Ford/Microsoft Sync. You will also be able to enter new destinations into the nav by speaking the entire address in one breath.

Originally Posted by Blubaron79

Cash for clunkers is only going to apply for cars $45,000 and less...and we all know you can push a 3 past that price.

Yes....less than $45k and you have to have a combined gain of at least 4mpg for a passenger car. That means the car you're trading in (has to be trade in) had to get a maximum of 16mpg average (numbers are a little different if you have a truck). That's using the www.fueleconomy.gov which shows a 335 average at 20mpg. That's just to get the $2500 credit...if the bill is even approved. I saved more than that just by getting the car at invoice. I'll save almost triple that by getting the 0.9% financing rate I locked in. I didn't pay sales tax so I can't speak to that. Again, all this talk is about something that hasn't been approved yet and who's to say that if it does, it will be in the same form as it is now.

However.......the single MOST important factor in using this argument is that the current proposal states that the combined mpg of the NEW vehicle has to be at least 22 mpg average. So the 335 WILL NOT qualify for this incentive. The 328 will as it has 22mpg average.

My expectations for the new voice activation are going to be low. Hopefully it's as advertised but I doubt it. I wouldn't let that be the big reason to hold off on purchase at this point. I've never encountered a voice activation system that I havent found frustrating to use and quicker to just input manually.

Originally Posted by Thomas76

My expectations for the new voice activation are going to be low. Hopefully it's as advertised but I doubt it. I wouldn't let that be the big reason to hold off on purchase at this point. I've never encountered a voice activation system that I havent found frustrating to use and quicker to just input manually.

I agree. Sounds like a good system, but really, is that a good reason to not get a car?

Anyone know when the production cutover is for the 2010? August as is typical?

Just get it now with the M sport package...it will look different regardless...

Originally Posted by Pedal2Floor

Either way you go, I would wait

Between the "cash for klunkers" program and the rebate on the sales tax....

"Having money's not everything, not having it is."

--Kanye West

According to my c/a very minor changes--a refreshening. The most significant would be the lines on the hood will be the similar to the ones on the '09 sedans.

Gosh I hope they don't change the hood on the e92. I know the e90 needed a change, especially the moustache, but the front of the e92 already looks sleek and beautiful as it is. I guess if they do change, I can boast that my preLCI looks much better

Originally Posted by jwac

I'm planning to wait to see the changes to the 2010 3-Coupe before I make a decision on what to do.

My reasons-

1) I want new stuff. The '09 is not really different than my '07 other than Shadowline trim with ZSP, the M-Sport option, and new iDrive. Would be nice to have some styling changes. Fingers crossed for LED brake lights.
2) I'm kind of bored with the interior/exterior color palette- hoping that there are some new choices for '10 like the LCI sedan received for '09.
3) I want the new Voice Control system that BMW just announced for September production.

For those of you that haven't heard about the new Voice Control, it will allow you to speak song names for music on the HDD, and coming next spring will also work for music on your iPod like Ford/Microsoft Sync. You will also be able to enter new destinations into the nav by speaking the entire address in one breath.

Do we know when exactly the new voice control will go into production? Will it include late run 2009 335s?

Originally Posted by Thomas76

My expectations for the new voice activation are going to be low. Hopefully it's as advertised but I doubt it. I wouldn't let that be the big reason to hold off on purchase at this point. I've never encountered a voice activation system that I havent found frustrating to use and quicker to just input manually.

Just a few years ago you had to pre-program voice control systems with your own voice. Then came pre-programmed commands that anyone could speak. Then came the current generation of systems that recognize your phone book, also with no pre-programming necessary (which works quite well for me), along with a large database of available spoken commands.

The next generation systems are moving towards completely natural speech, where you can just say "turn the temperature to 72 degrees" and the system deciphers what you want.

Things only continue to get better and more sophisticated. Just because systems in the past didn't work so well for you means they never will? This new system claims to offer advancements nothing else on the market can do. BMW doesn't do separate press releases on new technology unless it's pretty special.

Originally Posted by energetik9

I agree. Sounds like a good system, but really, is that a good reason to not get a car?

At least for me, it is only one of at least 3 reasons, which I listed. On its own, no.