[AMG Power]

Interestingly you went for the option that nearly 80% of folks didn't recommend.

Underlines the fact that reasons / prioritisations for buying a car are so different from person to person.

Wishing you a great ownership experience!

[graaja]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Interestingly you went for the option that nearly 80% of folks didn't recommend.

Underlines the fact that reasons / prioritisations for buying a car are so different from person to person.

Wishing you a great ownership experience!

Thank you for the wishes! Very true. I think the final decision comes to ones own circumstances and preferences. But the inputs received in the thread helped a lot in checking out all the options in detail even if they were not chosen.

Originally Posted by ecenandu

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

Thank you for the wishes! As of now, no DIYs planned. Planning to keep it stock as I did the Jetta. Only possible upgrade would be to better suspensions, and only if required.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

There goes our commission!

Ha ha! Good cop bad cop trick didn't work. But you did a great job!

TBH, I knew the deal fell through when he mentioned low GC. There are three insurmountable words: GC, DSG, German.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by androdev

TBH, I knew the deal fell through when he mentioned low GC. There are three insurmountable words: GC, DSG, German.

You can add 'Skoda' to that list. We at T-BHP have created an aura about German cars and at the same time a certain fear factor about everything related to it. Must be confusing for readers.

In the OP's case, I can understand what his thought process is. I went through something very similar. First luxury car + big budget purchase and you don't want it to be all about you. You need to think of the family's needs as it is an exciting moment for them as well. Within those limitations you have to try and accommodate bits that will satisfy you. For me it was the 30d engine for graaja its the turbo petrol. Its a big deal for someone from CBE to buy a petrol BMW in a diesel dominated city. Remember Coimbatore was a diesel market much before the rest of India. I still remember all those diesel Lancers in the era of the Honda City 1.5s and the Vtecs.

[AMG Power]

My post at the beginning of this thread

Originally Posted by AMG Power

You've already made your decision to go with a 330i. Nothing here will change that - even a poll that swings heavily in the opposite direction.

Wishes in advance for good times with your BMW.

[hema4saran]

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.

Congrats on the 3GT. I am happy that you went with the most practical choice and that too in one of the best colors suited for a BMW. I wish you a very happy motoring and peace of mind with the taller 3.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

You can add 'Skoda' to that list. We at T-BHP have created an aura about German cars and at the same time a certain fear factor about everything related to it. Must be confusing for readers.

Add me to that list. Being in US, I know that this is my best and easiest chance to own something from the Big German marques. I am still skeptical to touch one fearing the service costs and depreciation associated with it and also partly due to the ever changing Visa rules. Only saving grace for me here is Rental companies. I can easily rent a BMW 5 series or X3 for less than $100 per day which can easily satisfy my driving needs. Last year we took Volvo XC60 for $30 per day during our trip to Florida.

[hajaar]

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.

Could you let us know the ballpark figure?

[Rammee]

Congrats graaja! You have made me take a relook at the 3GT! I was looking at SUV's ONLY for the increased ground clearance it offers, and GT does have it. It does look like best of both worlds.
Let me check what pricing I can get in Chennai.

[vb-san]

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.

Congratulations! The car indeed look very good in this shade of blue - somehow make it look lean and muscular compared to the other M Sport option (white). And good choice with the interior color choice too! Looking forward to your ownership review thread

[graaja]

Originally Posted by androdev

TBH, I knew the deal fell through when he mentioned low GC. There are three insurmountable words: GC, DSG, German.

LOL. I am not averse to German and DSG. Both my present cars are German (Jetta and Polo GT), and both are DSG, one with the notorious DQ200. But yes, GC was an insurmountable word for me

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

In the OP's case, I can understand what his thought process is. I went through something very similar. First luxury car + big budget purchase and you don't want it to be all about you. You need to think of the family's needs as it is an exciting moment for them as well. Within those limitations you have to try and accommodate bits that will satisfy you. For me it was the 30d engine for graaja its the turbo petrol. Its a big deal for someone from CBE to buy a petrol BMW in a diesel dominated city. Remember Coimbatore was a diesel market much before the rest of India. I still remember all those diesel Lancers in the era of the Honda City 1.5s and the Vtecs.

Thanks a lot for rightly judging my situation!

Originally Posted by hema4saran

Congrats on the 3GT. I am happy that you went with the most practical choice and that too in one of the best colors suited for a BMW. I wish you a very happy motoring and peace of mind with the taller 3.

Thank you for the wishes!

Originally Posted by hajaar

Could you let us know the ballpark figure?

Got about 7.5L off on the OTR. A little more negotiation may have been possible, but I am a very bad negotiator!

Originally Posted by Rammee

Congrats graaja! You have made me take a relook at the 3GT! I was looking at SUV's ONLY for the increased ground clearance it offers, and GT does have it. It does look like best of both worlds.
Let me check what pricing I can get in Chennai.

Yes. Do check out the GT. It falls between a low slung sedan and a high GC SUV.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Congratulations! The car indeed look very good in this shade of blue - somehow make it look lean and muscular compared to the other M Sport option (white). And good choice with the interior color choice too! Looking forward to your ownership review thread

Thank you for the wishes! I will definitely put up a detailed review of the car for the benefit of others in my situation.

[lancer_rit]

Many congrats graaja. Looking at the emotions on this thread, I refrained from posting about the 3GT :-)
It is indeed a practical family car that is also reasonably sporty! The rear leg space, boot space and GC are all much better than 3series and even 5series!

Wish you many many miles of enjoyable and safe motoring!

[jraj]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Remember Coimbatore was a diesel market much before the rest of India. I still remember all those diesel Lancers in the era of the Honda City 1.5s and the Vtecs.

Even before then. Coimbatore was the place the good old Petrol ambassadors came to get a Matador or Isuzu diesel engine implant

Congratulations graaja and heres wishing many more miles of happy ownership

[roby_dk]

Congratulations graaja. GT probably is the best of the lot. It looks better than 3 series at least to me. Even I feel we have to keep many factors in mind while buying a car especially our beloved family.

GC can be a major factor once we ply on indian roads. We all know how good our highways are just forget about other roads. Whatever others say it is very irritating scraping the car on every braker and potholes.

From my personal experience I would like to stay away from low GC cars considering our indian roads. I will stick to SUV's as they provide peace of mind with go anytime anywhere capabilities. But from my perspective with GT you are getting best of both worlds.

[Tanveer_2558]

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.

Simply PERFECT! According to your requirements the GT makes total sense, The heck my F10 530d is used as a 2 seater 99% of the time, Even during my car hunting the GT was ticking all the boxes apart from the bigger engine criteria which was the most important one for me & was the sole reason i had to drop the car out.

Honestly i really like how it looks! It stands out in the crowd and for the good reasons, Love the retractable spoiler, You now have a turbo petrol spacious BMW with a lot of practicality!

Can't wait for your ownership thread & yeah don't forget to get the BRI (Extended warranty) + BSI package, Its the cheapest while buying the car, High usage or no, Simply get it & it will be like a licence for you to rip the car everyday all day long without worrying about the brake pads or engine oil & servicing costs.

[ece2k2]

You have made a very sensible decision. Congrats!

I almost bought a 3GT a year ago and it is a very good car.