[graaja]

Originally Posted by d3mon

An excel based approach only makes sense for the bean counters. If you were truly to make your decisions through the excel sheet alone, you'd get your Jetta remapped and be done with it...

You are absolutely right. If everything came down to just spreadsheet, Jetta would have been the clear winner.

Call it feeling bored, or the urge to experience something better or something different, I really can't explain that decision to upgrade in the first place. Guess this is something many of us do undergo and have no way to explain

That is why the answer to "should I upgrade" was from the heart and "what to upgrade to" is all this discussion about.

[androdev]

I am afraid to post on this thread Please don't take my comments personally, I tend to dramatise a bit. I may either offend you or push you towards 530i both are undesirable outcomes at this point. It is your hard earned money and you are the best judge of what floats your boat.

What I can say though is you have aged about 10 years mentally since the time you started this thread. And the whole purpose of spending an insane amount of money on a BMW is to turn the clock back, to get some kicks in life, to be quirky, to be ready to suffer the German unreliability, to be ready to look foolish, to be the king of the open roads, to spend that extra minute in the garage before you turn off the lights, to catch admiring looks from the corner of your eye. Did I mention I tend to dramatise?

And since GC and space have tilted the scales towards 3GT (and also a very common pattern in many "what to buy" threads), I want to share my 2c on these two aspects just to offer a different point of view to those who are following this thread:

I don't know why people freak out because of low GC. It is a minor irritant and worst case a breakdown fully covered by insurance. Low GC will never put you or your family in danger. Inconvenience yes, danger no. Speed breakers and parking ramps cause absolutely no damage to a low GC car. The probability of a breakdown with +20mm car is nearly equal. On the other hand it has so many benefits:

Low GC + adaptive suspension makes it go like a dream. It's physics and engineering working overtime for you.
The train like ride offers great passenger comfort (you don't have to over compensate)
It makes a car like 5 series with short overhangs look very sharp
It gives you extra margin when you judge a curve incorrectly.

People living in urban areas and using paved roads during their travel should not consider low GC a deal breaker. That's my opinion but I understand how deeply people resent low GC. Hopefully more sedans will come with height adjustable suspension in future.

I also have to mention something about space and rear seat comfort. There is business class comfort and then there is economy class with more knee room. This is a bit tricky to evaluate during short test drives. One needs to consider under thigh support, recline, cushioning, bolstering, suspension behaviour, NVH, etc. Leg room alone is not that useful especially for an average family with 5'8" members (like mine). F10 has less leg room (more than adequate for us) but it comes with nice comfortable seats. There was no rear AC as well, but still we find it very comfortable. Car makers tend to shorten under thigh support and make seats upright to create more leg room, it is outright cheating. Foldable rear seats also tend to be upright to provide more cargo.

[vb-san]

I am fully aligned with Androdev here – you are aligned to get a brand new BMW which is soon going to get a generation change. If the pull for a current gen 330i is so strong, look for a used 330i/328i; you should be able to save big there.

If not, you may consider one of the following

• Stay on with the Jetta and wait for the new gen 3 to drive in
• Upgrade your option to a 530i
• Get a Jaguar XE petrol

[graaja]

Originally Posted by androdev

I am afraid to post on this thread Please don't take my comments personally, I tend to dramatise a bit. I may either offend you or push you towards 530i both are undesirable outcomes at this point. It is your hard earned money and you are the best judge of what floats your boat.

What I can say though is you have aged about 10 years mentally since the time you started this thread. And the whole purpose of spending an insane amount of money on a BMW is to turn the clock back, to get some kicks in life, to be quirky, to be ready to suffer the German unreliability, to be ready to look foolish, to be the king of the open roads, to spend that extra minute in the garage before you turn off the lights, to catch admiring looks from the corner of your eye. Did I mention I tend to dramatise?...

I did not take it personally at all. Of course, telling that I have aged 10 years mentally just from the car discussion is definitely a little (or even over) dramatization indeed But hey, this is an open forum. I posted asking for opinions and I should be open to all inputs!

Also turning the clock, or getting some kicks in life or being quirky doesn't mean I should become totally blind to some obvious problems at hand.

Leaving aside my physical and mental age, coming to the problem at hand...

Originally Posted by androdev

I don't know why people freak out because of low GC. It is a minor irritant and worst case a breakdown fully covered by insurance. Low GC will never put you or your family in danger. Inconvenience yes, danger no. Speed breakers and parking ramps cause absolutely no damage to a low GC car. The probability of a breakdown with +20mm car is nearly equal. On the other hand it has so many benefits:

Low GC + adaptive suspension makes it go like a dream. It's physics and engineering working overtime for you.
The train like ride offers great passenger comfort (you don't have to over compensate)
It makes a car like 5 series with short overhangs look very sharp
It gives you extra margin when you judge a curve incorrectly.

People living in urban areas and using paved roads during their travel should not consider low GC a deal breaker. That's my opinion but I understand how deeply people resent low GC. Hopefully more sedans will come with height adjustable suspension in future.

I did give the 5 series a fair chance. I test drove it twice - just came back from another test drive. This time took it on a 4 lane highway and on the service roads. It was a charm on the highway, absolutely no doubt about it. And it scraped every speed breaker in the service road with just 3 people on board with no luggage. Let us say I decide to ignore these scraping on the speed breakers and also in my parking ramp.

Though I would be traveling through nice paved roads say 80% of the time, there are going to be some occasions where I may have to go through some really bad roads. Below video shows one of my road trips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iARmhM-857I

Watch 1:08. That was a 10km stretch of bad roads. This is just an example. Many times on some of my trips into interior Karnataka, I have come across really bad roads. In a 250km trip, I may encounter 5km of such roads. But 5 series is not a car for these roads - at least the G30 5 series that I did a TD.

Before you say I am looking at the wrong car and I need an SUV, not really necessary. A car with a decent GC would go through these roads. Sadly, I do not have the luxury of having multiple cars each catering to a specific need - good roads, bad roads etc. Hence the leaning towards the GT. The low GC may not be a deal breaker to you, but it is to me.

If choosing the GT (lets call it Jack of All Trades) for these reasons makes me older, so be it I still believe I can have fun with the GT, though not race track level fun, fun nevertheless.

Originally Posted by vb-san

If not, you may consider one of the following

• Stay on with the Jetta and wait for the new gen 3 to drive in
• Upgrade your option to a 530i
• Get a Jaguar XE petrol

The new gen 3 series is going to be 2nd half of 2019. I really do not want to base my purchase decision on something that is expected 18 months in the future, and who knows, by the way BMW has been softening their cars, the G20 may be still worse than the current platform.

Can't consider 530i for the reasons I have listed above.

A Jaguar XE petrol would be the same as the 330i, but with a poorer service network. I have discussed with a few Jaguar owners who have really bad experience with the spare parts availability.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by graaja

If choosing the GT (lets call it Jack of All Trades) for these reasons makes me older, so be it I still believe I can have fun with the GT, though not race track level fun, fun nevertheless.

I can totally understand your predicament. I am the guy who went and bought an X3 instead of the 530d when both were priced exact same with the 530d being somewhat of a dream car!! But in my case the need for buying the new car was that my family was growing and the sedan was becoming too tight on space. My mom was having some back issues and was looking forward to a switch to an SUV. Among the SUVs I picked the one with the best driving dynamics.

We all read your opening post and got excited with your need to buy a fast, fun car and the need to not postpone joy with cars like the VRS, the 3 series and the 5 series. Somehow the 3GT does not invoke the same emotions. It could well be the best compromise among all options here.

Originally Posted by graaja

The new gen 3 series is going to be 2nd half of 2019. I really do not want to base my purchase decision on something that is expected 18 months in the future, and who knows, by the way BMW has been softening their cars, the G20 may be still worse than the current platform.

Don't think BMW will dilute the driving experience again from the 3 series. They did that with the F30 and then realised their mistake and made amends in the facelift. This is a new generation and the BMW will leave no stone unturned to regain the crown of the best driving compact luxury sedan. These companies are fiercely competitive and every new generation car coming out recently from Mercedes and BMW and also Audi (except for the looks) is better in so many ways. Just look at the difference between the E90 and the F30 and you'll know what to expect. Or for that matter latest and old versions of the C and A4 even. The E90 or the E60 handled really well , but their harsh ride quality is not easy to live with on a daily basis. With modern advancements car makers are now capable of giving you best of both worlds.

[Turbanator]

If choosing the GT (lets call it Jack of All Trades) for these reasons makes me older, so be it I still believe I can have fun with the GT, though not race track level fun, fun nevertheless

I have not read your recent past posts in details, but if you are inclined towards GT over 3 or 5, I will agree. It does appear larger and rear seat is far comfortable, in fact, better than 5 and those frameless doors look sweet If I am not mistaken, next generation GT will come 6-9 months after 3 beside it already has new Idrive and all current gizmos, go for it.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

We all read your opening post and got excited with your need to buy a fast, fun car and the need to not postpone joy with cars like the VRS, the 3 series and the 5 series.

I am still responding to that original post. Lol!

All the best @graaja, the differences are too marginal so I am sure you will have a blast. It is a BMW turbo petrol after all.

[graaja]

UPDATE:

After lots of discussions in this thread, with my other car enthusiast friends and lots of sleepless nights, I went ahead and finalized a good deal on the GT (from December offers) - 330i GT M Sport, Estoril blue exterior, Cognac interiors.





Image source: Google Images

The car does have that controversial, "love it" or "hate it" look!

Have paid a booking amount. Dealer has promised in two weeks time. Hope everything goes through without any hitch.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

We all read your opening post and got excited with your need to buy a fast, fun car and the need to not postpone joy with cars like the VRS, the 3 series and the 5 series. Somehow the 3GT does not invoke the same emotions. It could well be the best compromise among all options here.

Originally Posted by androdev

I am still responding to that original post. Lol!

All the best @graaja, the differences are too marginal so I am sure you will have a blast. It is a BMW turbo petrol after all.

Thank you Santhosh and Androdev. I think I owe an apology. When I started the thread, I started it with the enthusiasm of a child. But then I had to come to the real world where I had also consider taking my family on a long vacations and keep them happy as well. And that is where the compromise part came in. I can totally understand your frustration on seeing how my choice wandered away. Thank you so much for your patience with me.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

It is very difficult to upgrade from a D1/D2 segment sedan in India as most of the offerings are more or less similar to the entry level(3/c vs octy/Jetta) or mid sized(5/A6 vs superb/Passat) luxury sedans...

Go ahead with the GT 30i, you won't regret buying it. You get the power, gearbox, rwd layout and practicality. Best of everything. Happy shopping!

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I have not read your recent past posts in details, but if you are inclined towards GT over 3 or 5, I will agree. It does appear larger and rear seat is far comfortable, in fact, better than 5 and those frameless doors look sweet If I am not mistaken, next generation GT will come 6-9 months after 3 beside it already has new Idrive and all current gizmos, go for it.

Thank you for the morale boost Turbanator and Asit. I really needed that I hope the car brings in lot of joy in the coming years.

[androdev]

Let me be the first to congratulate to make up for all the hard sell Good to hear you are getting that colour combination without much delay.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by androdev

Let me be the first to congratulate to make up for all the hard sell Good to hear you are getting that colour combination without much delay.

There goes our commission!

graaja, hope you enjoy the turbo petrol and the famed BMW rwd and handling for years to come. All the best with the purchase.

[AShubrah]

Many many congratulations on finally biting the bullet & making a decision, Graaja Sir.
Are you going for any accessories from the catalogue that I shared earlier?
On a lighter note, now you can have your BMW, with your stuff in the boot, while your family sits comfortably in the backseat & feeling nauseous from all your cornering on that lovely staggered setup.

[Prathiiik]

Many congratulations on finally arriving at a conclusion and going in for the 330i GT. The Estoril Blue is a beautiful colour.

Have you received any discounts/offers?
As I told you before, since this is not a very fast seller for BMW, you can push them for discounts.

Glad that you reconsidered the GT and finally booked it.

I feel that the GT is the perfect upgrade from your Jetta in terms of power and space and also a very comfortable car for your family.

Here's wishing you many happy years and trouble free miles with the GT.

PS: Is the Jetta sold?

[HKap]

Its a great car! You can't go wrong with the 3 series in any guise. The GT is slightly more roomier and a great choice for a family car. I would not call it a compromise at all. The fact is that you are going to be driving around on city roads and highways with probably not many visits to the race track. You would really have to be Michael Schumacher to tell the difference between the sedan and the GT, during 95% of your driving.

The G20 will no doubt be good and will have all the latest bells and whistles but then the F10 facelift is all the car you will ever need. Yeah it probably won't have the gesture control and a LCD screen in the instrument cluster but then how do these things really matter?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by androdev

Let me be the first to congratulate to make up for all the hard sell Good to hear you are getting that colour combination without much delay.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

There goes our commission!

graaja, hope you enjoy the turbo petrol and the famed BMW rwd and handling for years to come. All the best with the purchase.

Thank you Santosh and Androdev. Though I may not have gone the 530 way, the detailed discussions you offered helped me to really look deep into 530. I think you guys still deserve the commission as I would not have looked into the GT had I not experienced the space and features in the 5

Originally Posted by AShubrah

Many many congratulations on finally biting the bullet & making a decision, Graaja Sir.
Are you going for any accessories from the catalogue that I shared earlier?

Thank you for the wishes AShubrah! As I have booked the M Sport variant, it comes with almost all the accessories. So, not planning for any other accessories for now.

Originally Posted by Prathiiik

Many congratulations on finally arriving at a conclusion and going in for the 330i GT. The Estoril Blue is a beautiful colour.

Have you received any discounts/offers?
As I told you before, since this is not a very fast seller for BMW, you can push them for discounts.
...

PS: Is the Jetta sold?

Thank you Prathiiik! I remember you suggesting me the GT very early in the thread, and in the end, it came to that choice. Yes. I did get close to 12.5% off on the OTR.

Originally Posted by HKap

Its a great car! You can't go wrong with the 3 series in any guise. The GT is slightly more roomier and a great choice for a family car. I would not call it a compromise at all...
The G20 will no doubt be good and will have all the latest bells and whistles but then the F10 facelift is all the car you will ever need. Yeah it probably won't have the gesture control and a LCD screen in the instrument cluster but then how do these things really matter?

Thank you for the wishes. Surprisingly, the GT is as loaded as the 5 - with the full digital instrument cluster, heads up display, adaptive headlights etc.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by graaja

UPDATE:

After lots of discussions in this thread, with my other car enthusiast friends and lots of sleepless nights, I went ahead and finalized a good deal on the GT (from December offers) - 330i GT M Sport, Estoril blue exterior, Cognac interiors.

Congratulation Graaja, can't wait to see the detailed ownership thread from you. Any DIY planned?