[vjbox]

Like many other members stated, this totally depends on one's needs, financial status and their priorities. Premium cars aside their snob value or bragging rights they bring, are engineered well and offer a good package of luxury, performance and safety. When these factors are well balanced, it comes at a certain cost. At the end of the day you have got to pay for a well engineered product. In my personal ownership experience, it has brought a great deal of difference with our road trips and how it allows our family to go places without breaking a sweat. Although I would say we need a certain amount of luck too when owning and maintaining these premium cars in India.

[abhinav007_007]

YES

Given that, A luxury car can be:

• Higher variant of Alto
• An Automatic Sedan
• A Sedan with inbuilt massager
• A car with V12 engine
• A car with the roof inscribed with a specific constellation
• An armored car withstanding landmines
• Etc.

The thing is that 'luxury' varies from person to person.

As it is aspirational, there are associated risks which person has to manage. (Service cost being only one of them. )

Also, as the question asks about India, it doesn't matter... It's just that once you step into a more developed country, your aspiration changes... For ex: Someone aspiring for a Merc in India, may change mind if he lands up in Germany (with Merc taxis lining up to pick you!). The social status dictates the luxury in that aspect. Apart from duty, tech royalty etc, its due to this social status attached is why a same car can become costlier in India!
(Another ex: Landcruiser commands respect in India. Where-as in dubai, its not uncommon to have it as a security fleet car for the boss in the supercar behind..)

[AirbusCapt]

Originally Posted by Breathe2drive

I won't buy a new one even if I could have afforded one since depreciation takes a huge hit in the first 2-3 years. I want to go the used way route. However, there are other things that keep worrying me like maintenance and parking it wherever I take it. I would like to buy a used 3 series and take it on highways, but there again, I'm worried about low ground clearance . X1 won't be as much fun to drive as a 3. So these things keep bothering me, but I know that if I'll be able to maintain one, my heart would surely win over my head.

From personal experience i say don't worry about parking etc, these cars are a dime a dozen now and the common public doesn't bat an eye. The usual precaution you would take for any car when parking it will be ok for a 3 series or X1. Maintainance costs will be much higher than a regular car so taking in extended warranty and a good zero dep bumper to bumper insurance helps. Again pertaining to the 3 series it can tackle all highways, most broken roads except larger breakers and you will use the same precautions that you use when driving a Honda City for example. If you are buying pre worshipped, don't buy anything older than a 3/4 year car and buy the one which has been regularly serviced in bmw centers and is in warranty.

[Prawaal]

I think some of the cars in traditional non-premium brands might give a tough competition to lower variants of premium brands. For example a Jeep Compass/ Skoda Karoq/ Octavia/ Passat/ Camry might offer you near similar built, safety, premiumness as a 2 series or Q2 or A/B Merc at a much lower price, service and upkeep cost. The only thing you loose is the social (show off) impact but is that really important from mechanics perspective.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

If you really want to make financial sense, buy a cheap used car.
Just don't be this guy.
Attachment 2086559

That's just where he has kept his mother in law. Or he must be cooking meth!

See a lot of folks commenting on Warren Buffet but for all his posturing I believe his companies do spend on fancy cars and jets, but that's just not seen in the public.

Do not be car rich and cash poor, please buy one within your means. If you can afford living with a fancy German or an Italian go for it as long as it doesn't break your bank. Do not over stretch yourself to flex your muscle at a traffic light at people who you may never meet in life. Rainy day events can come all of a sudden and you may be caught without an umbrella.

Maddy

[Breathe2drive]

Originally Posted by AirbusCapt

From personal experience i say don't worry about parking etc, these cars are a dime a dozen now and the common public doesn't bat an eye. The usual precaution you would take for any car when parking it will be ok for a 3 series or X1. Maintainance costs will be much higher than a regular car so taking in extended warranty and a good zero dep bumper to bumper insurance helps. Again pertaining to the 3 series it can tackle all highways, most broken roads except larger breakers and you will use the same precautions that you use when driving a Honda City for example. If you are buying pre worshipped, don't buy anything older than a 3/4 year car and buy the one which has been regularly serviced in bmw centers and is in warranty.

Thanks a ton AirbusCapt for your valuable inputs. This is an amazing community where members are always so helpful to fellow members. Interestingly, my current highway car is actually a Honda City, and you're absolutely right that apart from very large breakers, it can handle most roads. But a friend in this thread mentioned that he makes sure to plan the route carefully when taking his 3. I would definitely buy a pre worshipped 3 not more than 4 years old and check whether serviced in BMW centers and is in warranty. Also, can you please share your experience regarding maintenance and its costs over the years.

[jbpanda]

Voted Yes!

Whether one likes it or not, a premium luxury car in India is directly corelated with exclusivity and status of an individual and the attention one gets mostly in a Tier-II or a smaller city/ town. In metro cities however, most cars have become too common and no longer have that exclusivity. However, from an individual's perspective, I would say if someone has spare money at disposal to own one, why not? While the price at which it comes, the rate at which they depreciate and the maintenance costs may not appear to be value for money at the first instance but the brand value, driving pleasure, engine, technology and most importantly safety features are worth most of the money one spends (if not all of it).

Left to me, I would certainly like to own a BMW 330i Msport/ Sport in the near future just for experiencing the monstrous power and sheer driving pleasure, though at this point of my life I do not think I need it. Hence, the choice of owning may be completely subjective but if one can afford, one must, after all we love cars.

[ronk]

As someone who just bit the bullet, I will say yes!

Like any other answer, there obviously are a bunch of if-else statements, conditions, clauses and pre-requisites. However, I saw 'yes' for the EXPERIENCE!!

Personally, I assume if you are asking this question, then you are not debating between buying an Alto vs. a premium car! Neither are you most likely going to stop your child's education to get a nice fancy car. After all, experiencing german luxury got to be be more life enriching than experiencing german schooling (#kindergarten, #sarcasm...).
So, with that assumption of normalcy, if the urge has bit someone he/she should just go for it and experience it. One could definitely make it safer by making calculations that save you from going kaput if things go downhill, and also make sure as many risks are covered, but then what role will destiny play (not Destiny's Child)!?

Anyways, like I said, I finally caved. Had to go for the X1 while I really enjoyed the 330i because affordability and practicality are both apparently a thing! Went for it new because I had the option of a company lease, and I have spent enough years grinding my teeth at the thought of politicians using my tax money to buy premium cars! Now it was time for me. I have the privilege of access to other mortal cars (wife's included), but as of the 4 week ownership, I am really trying to make sure this is the primary car we use, and not park it in the garage for my child's wedding baraat 20-30 yrs later. We did Blr-Goa return with a big dog & a child, and have used it in Goa for about 2 weeks(including beach runs, food, fish buying...) and Bangalore for a week. The suspension is a bit hard for current gen Bangalore roads, but that apart it's been awesome and completely usable. Of-course I had to turn a blind eye to some initial scratches and mis-use. But as they say, all for the family! I'm hoping this provides a good experience for the family. If things go financially south, I guess I will forgo the lease or sell it and take the loss and move on to the afore-mentioned alto!

PS: no offence meant to the Alto, it's a fully functional car, that is totally loveable as well. Just that I would pick an M800 used over that any day!

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by ronk

As someone who just bit the bullet, I will say yes!

Anyways, like I said, I finally caved. Had to go for the X1 while I really enjoyed the 330i because affordability and practicality are both apparently a thing!

We did Blr-Goa return with a big dog & a child, and have used it in Goa for about 2 weeks(including beach runs, food, fish buying...) and Bangalore for a week. The suspension is a bit hard for current gen Bangalore roads, but that apart it's been awesome and completely usable.

Congrats! Very happy to hear this, and do post pictures when you can.

The X1 is an awesome vehicle - trust me, the 330 is just too cramped in the back seat and the boot is pretty useless. Any long trip will need serious planning unlike your much more practical choice.

[Merc_Freak]

I would definitely say yes.But, it also varies due to several factors, for example I bought an E200 brand new in 2013 for 40xx lakhs. But I didn't buy it just because I wanted one, but because I had :
1) A beater car for everyday use
2) Extra cash saved for maintenance
3) A secure, covered parking space
and so on..
It really just depends on these factors. So if you want to buy a premium\luxury car and have the means to afford it beyond purchase, then you should go ahead. Just my two cents.

[666arj]

Putting in my 2 cents here, expensive cars simply do not do it for me.
I've been fortunate and lucky enough in life to be blessed with many opportunities,

Having had experience (thanks dad ) with cars like a Mercedes SLK, BMW 760Li, a GL63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne Turbo , they never pulled at my heart. There was never a moment where I felt like driving them more than needed.

I've had more fun in my Isuzu Dmax and my cheap motorcycles than I ever did in expensive performance cars.
I can drive over potholes without worrying about my air suspension, I can park it anywhere, I can fill it up and forget about it.

Just the other day, I was more excited about my friend buying and tuning a Polo GT than a new sportscar or luxury car.

The maximum luxury for me now would be a Ford Endeavour or something similar for when I have a family. Nothing more.

[ButterRider 7]

Yes, I think it is worth to buy a premium luxury car in India. Such a car attracts attention, gains road presence and is a status symbol. The higher cost of such a car is not because of it's brand but because of the safety, technology, reliability, comfort and luxury which it offers to the customer.
Each person would have a different perspective on this topic, some might think they could invest that money in a different product to increase their income whereas some might think that the car would be worth the cost.
The cost of the car is subjective from person to person that is, one person might think the car is very expensive but for another it might be very cheap.

[deepak_bajaj]

I was of the opinion that they are totally worth it but after my experience with my current X1, I have sifted sides. No, they are not worth and here are my reasons for it:

• Despite being overpriced than European or Western counterparts, we do not get all the features provided outside India. However, we are charged premium for the same.

• Missing basic features which a normal 10-15L car provide. I remember, 2016 X1 did not provide reversing camera !!!

• Most of the dealers think they are doing favour selling us the car. I had this experience with all three German trio and Volvo. Only Merc was a shade better

• I cannot justify that, at present X1 costs around 40L while X3 costs around 70L. They both have the same engine and same missing feature. Of course X3 comes equipped with some more gadgetry and features but I cannot justify a 1.75 times jump.

• After spending upwards of 40L, I cannot take my car where roads are rough whereas I never thought about it with my Swift. You have to babysit them.

X1 always brings a smile on my face. It has no comparison in driving pleasure (for me) to all other cars I have driven in up to 20L bracket. It does get you some additional attention and (false) respect but I would not be upgrading to higher model. As rightly pointed out in a thread, a 20-30L car can provide 80-90% of premium factor with tons of features.

[astrodex]

I don't think it is that clear cut. We have an X1 and the new 330i. I was planning to use the X1 for a long drive since I thought it had more usable space. But I noticed that if I remove the big wheel support thingy from 330i and just leave the donut tyre and jack in there, it is actually better than X1. Especially since the X1 parcel tray limits how much you can cram there. Since the trunk was full it didn't rattle.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Congrats! Very happy to hear this, and do post pictures when you can.

The X1 is an awesome vehicle - trust me, the 330 is just too cramped in the back seat and the boot is pretty useless. Any long trip will need serious planning unlike your much more practical choice.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by astrodex

But I noticed that if I remove the big wheel support thingy from 330i and just leave the donut tyre and jack in there, it is actually better than X1.

yes, true.

What we need is this OEM accessory to avoid disturbing the battery:

https://www.bmwautoparts.net/en/cata.../60411/0/0/0/0