- BMW raises the starting price on its redesigned 2012 3 Series sedan by an average $1,200.
- The 2012 BMW 328i sedan will start at $36,650.
- The 2012 BMW 335i sedan will start at $44,150.
WOODCLIFF LAKE, New Jersey — BMW North America has raised the starting price on its redesigned 2012 3 Series sedan by an average $1,200. The sixth-generation four-door goes on sale in February in the U.S.
The 2012 BMW 328i sedan will start at $36,650, up $1,175 from last year's model. The 2012 BMW 335i sedan will start at $44,150, up $1,225 from the 2011 sticker. Prices include an $875 shipping charge.
The sixth-generation BMW 3 Series sedan is longer, wider and roomier than its predecessor, and features all-new sheet metal, a revamped cockpit, a new turbocharged four-cylinder variant and a new eight-speed automatic transmission option.
The 328i and 335i will be offered in three trim levels: Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line. BMW also will offer an M Sport package some time after launch.
They will be followed in summer by the 335i xDrive and 328i xDrive and next fall by the all-new ActiveHybrid 3.
Inside Line says: The price increase works out to around 3 percent, which isn't likely to dent 3 Series sales.
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nkeen says:
02:05 PM, 01/22/2012
re: "All cars are expensive especially since you are buying something that depreciates and is not an asset. Just buying a v8 Camaro made in the good ol USA with a few minimum options is easily in the + $40,000 range"
Well, not exactly. Using an online service I just priced a 1SS (rather than a 2SS to get the superior cloth seats) with the RS package (to get the bi-xenons) at $32,195. Throw in a GM card savings of a couple of grand and you're in at just over $30K for 426 HP, under 5 seconds to 60 and 155 mph top end. But then there are the massive front side pillars and the letter box slits for windows to contend with.
nkeen says:
01:37 PM, 01/22/2012
The price has risen by considerably more than that for the car I'd want to buy. For bi-xenon headlights I now have to pay $3600 package price (for items I either do not care about or prefer not to have, i.e., auto-dimming mirrors) plus $900 for the headlights themselves. (Note that a $22K Mustang now has these as standard for 2013). To get the sport suspension, along with summer high performance tires and a 150 mph speed limiter (up from 130 on the base car) I now have to pay $2,500 to upgrade to the Sport Line. This shift from the excellent individual options approach that BMW had in the past (and still has in Europe) to a Mercedes-like approach that forces you into packages is bad news.
scott230 says:
07:38 AM, 11/20/2011
All cars are expensive especially since you are buying something that depreciates and is not an asset. Just buying a v8 Camaro made in the good ol USA with a few minimum options is easily in the + $40,000 range
oakbourne says:
11:11 AM, 11/19/2011
Remember the days of the 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, and 300ZX, Nissan Sport Cars. They were reasonable until they got to the 300ZX, and people quit buying the autos because of their outlandish pricing. Nissan shot themselves in the foot. Production stopped making the sports car! This is precisely what BMW is doing. They are pricing themselves out of the market. They are making inferior cars that break down, peeling plastic, electrical problems, transmission problems, and BMW dealerships that treat customers rudely and don't know anything about fixing a BMW. As one BMW mechanic told me, you the customer know more about your BMW than the Computer techs at BMW know about your car. With more gadgets, bells and whistles added to the new BMW 2012, expect more things to break and go wrong and your frustation has just begun. BMW has lost their way.
tbone85 says:
05:42 AM, 11/19/2011
"Damn 44k is a lot to spend on a base mid-size sedan! "
Even with the size increase, I think the 3 series is squarely in the compact size class.
1198sp says:
12:03 AM, 11/19/2011
Great move to make the brand more exclusive. Way too many slobs driving Bimmers these days.
fortstring says:
11:11 PM, 11/18/2011
i mean a bmw 3 series is great and stuff but for that ENTRY price, that's an Infiniti G37 right there... what the hell, bmw!
smallfield says:
07:26 PM, 11/18/2011
@bimmerjay
What about the ~$500 for a folding rear seat in the sedan? Love BMW feel/drive, but the options screw you.
blueguydotcom says:
05:10 PM, 11/18/2011
Why are people saying this car is priced higher? If auto trans is really standard then the way most americans buy them, this car is really about the same as the e90 but with more standard features.
Additionally, why do people talk about the cars on the lots? One of the advantages of buying a BMW (or Porsche or Mini) is that you custom order the exact features you want. And pay well below MSRP.
garrym says:
03:56 PM, 11/18/2011
As much as I like most BMW models, I cringe when a new one is announced knowing the price will be hiked upward. And even with our strong dollar, Canadian buyers of almost any make of car are still getting screwed. I say almost as Porsche has been fair in quickly adjusting pricing for prospective buyers when the dollar spirals upward.
Bottom line, I'll likely continue to buy pampered preowned vehicles and let someone else take a hit on depreciation.