[iTNerd]

@DrMohit, congratulations on the beemer! The color is fantastic and so is the car. I am also looking out to upgrade from my Civic within the budget of 30 lacs. Today, I checked out the '3' (prestige variant) in Deutsche Motoren (Noida). Though overall I came out impressed, I found some negatives.
- The doors feel light and closing it didn't quite have the assuring 'thud'.
- The beige interior plastic didn't look good, less exciting. I sat in A4 and the interior is so inviting and felt lush. May be, in black, it would be better.
- The design of the 5 spoke alloys on the base/prestige variant is boring.
- The steering design is also quite dated and couldn't get a good grip. I asked if they could change the steering to that of the sport/luxury variant, but 'no' is the answer from the dealer.

Anyway, according to the quotation after initial negotiation, the offer is 34.38L OTR with UP registration (2013 model) on the prestige (base + corona rings).This includes 3.6L discount. Additional BSI 60K kms/5 yrs (plus + extended warranty) for 2.7L. I see that you got a much better deal with the same variant, and that too, with Delhi's registration. Do you have any contact?

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Have you got the Paint Sealant treatment done for the car? Since the car is new I advice you to get it done for better results and shine for longer duration.

Is it really necessary? None of my cars ever has got that done. The paint sealant is part of the package as mentioned below in detail.

Does that annual package have that mentioned?

The package has the following things:

1. Power Shine Package: Quantity: 1
Vacuuming of interiors.
Exterior foam wash, clay wiping and tar removal.
Surface preparation with 3M 2000 grit.
Scratch removal with 3M PERFECT-IT rubbing compound.
Polishing for swirl mark removal.
3M wax application.
Bumper and tyre dressing.
Glass cleaning

2. Paint Sealant Advanced: Quantity: 1
Exterior clay wiping.
Surface preparation with 3M 2000 grit.
Exterior compounding.
Exterior Polishing.
3M paint sealant application.
Bumper dressing.
Tyre cleaning.
Glass cleaning.
Dry Vacuuming.

3. UV Protect: Quantity: 1
Complete car body cleaning.
Dry Vacuuming.
Cleaning wheels and wheel arches.
Dashboard cleaning.
Engine cleaning and degreasing.
Wax application.
Tyre dressing.

4. Complete car wash: Quantity :2. The owner promised me a wax treatment in one of these car washes too as complimentary.

Regarding the PPF, I strongly advise as it will keep the car clean and shiny after highway travels where stone-hits are common, dust, muck will all be settling on the film which will be easy to clean and not damage the paint. I know the cost is step but results are beautiful in the long run.

I have got it done on my car on the all 4 door edges and door handle cups.

I am thinking of getting them on the bumpers and side view mirrors. The thing about door edges is that with time dust accumulates at the edges of the film and that shows as a ugly line all along the film edge. The owner of 3M here as an Audi A4 and his car has the films on the door edges and the line wasn't really looking good. How long does this film stay? Will it last for around 3-4 years atleast and the colour and shine stay the same?

Originally Posted by iTNerd

- The doors feel light and closing it didn't quite have the assuring 'thud'.

Well but they are still solid. All my other cars are Japanese and hence I feel they are pretty solid.

- The beige interior plastic didn't look good, less exciting. I sat in A4 and the interior is so inviting and felt lush. May be, in black, it would be better.

A4 interiors are way better anyday. The dual tone interiors looked classy. The BMW is far behind in this compartment. Having said that I prefer BMW's design of the gear lever and the driver's handrest. That looks really classy to me.

- The design of the 5 spoke alloys on the base/prestige variant is boring.

Again agreed. The luxury and sports line alloys are much better. But these gel with the car too.

- The steering design is also quite dated and couldn't get a good grip. I asked if they could change the steering to that of the sport/luxury variant, but 'no' is the answer from the dealer.

Again I agree. The steering is good and stable at speeds etc but I would have really liked it to be a little more chunkier. The unit on the sports line is amazing and so perfect to hold.

But man the drive is just too good and blows the competition away. And the added benefit of BSI helps to enjoy the car to its full potential.

Anyway, according to the quotation after initial negotiation, the offer is 34.38L OTR with UP registration (2013 model) on the prestige (base + corona rings).This includes 3.6L discount. Additional BSI 60K kms/5 yrs (plus + extended warranty) for 2.7L. I see that you got a much better deal with the same variant, and that too, with Delhi's registration. Do you have any contact?

That is odd. The discount should be more now that the year has changed.
What is the ex-showroom price for the car that they are quoting? PM me the quotation and I can also put you in touch with my SA. Will call him tomorrow and ask about the offers now. Also the BSI rate is wrong. For 5 years/60k kms its 3.03L.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I am thinking of getting them on the bumpers and side view mirrors. The thing about door edges is that with time dust accumulates at the edges of the film and that shows as a ugly line all along the film edge. The owner of 3M here as an Audi A4 and his car has the films on the door edges and the line wasn't really looking good. How long does this film stay? Will it last for around 3-4 years atleast and the colour and shine stay the same?

I have the film on my Swift ZDi (Torque Blue) for 2 months approximate and I travel in pretty dusty conditions but one use of the Jopasu duster removes all the dust without any issue or scratches.

We must be careful and at the same time inform the ASC guys that the film is installed and not to peel it off or damage it. I am ot sure how long but expect it to last 2 years easily if taken care properly.

Here are two pictures of the PPF installed on the door edges and door handle cups.

Anurag.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I have the film on my Swift ZDi (Torque Blue) for 2 months approximate and I travel in pretty dusty conditions but one use of the Jopasu duster removes all the dust without any issue or scratches.

See even in the pics of your car one can easily make out the edges of the film due to little bit of dust that has already accumulated there. Overtime this will become more prominent. And on Imperial blue colour of my shade this will contrast even more and won't look good.

And Jopasu car duster is good but even that does leave swirl marks. I have been religiously following all the cleaning instructions on the car and dust off the whole car before covering it with the cover and even then the car has already developed a few swirl marks.

[sharadmumbai]

Great to see this beauty getting pampered as it should be.

I noticed a pic of open engine bay after the car wash. Was the engine bay also washed?
I have been categorically told by my dealer that the engine bay should never be washed especially with pressurized water jet streams.

Secondly, I also have similar questions about paint protection and not sure what to get done and if its needed at all. Akshay on my thread has advised that its not needed but I feel that at maybe at least paint sealing should be done. Do share your experience on this. What about teflon coating?

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Anyway, according to the quotation after initial negotiation, the offer is 34.38L OTR with UP registration (2013 model) on the prestige (base + corona rings).This includes 3.6L discount. Additional BSI 60K kms/5 yrs (plus + extended warranty) for 2.7L. I see that you got a much better deal with the same variant, and that too, with Delhi's registration. Do you have any contact?

I also agree with Mohit that 34.38 is too high. You should be getting a minimum of 5L of pure discount and then if you have any old car, you can get additional 1L of exchange bonus. You can also bargain on the insurance wherein you can get the NCB transferred in case you sell any of your old car with NCB. Also check if BMW secure is part of your package.
My guess is that it should be between 31 to 32L OTR in delhi unless BMW is gone further beserk by actually implementing the price rise which anyways wont apply on the 2013 stock car with dealer.

As far as your dilemma with Audi goes, I'll just say just one thing: If you are going to be behind the wheel for most of the time, then go for the 3 series as this car makes it up completely there though it may lag behind A4 in several other departments.

Best of Luck

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by sharadmumbai

Great to see this beauty getting pampered as it should be.

Thanks for the kind words.

I noticed a pic of open engine bay after the car wash. Was the engine bay also washed?
I have been categorically told by my dealer that the engine bay should never be washed especially with pressurized water jet streams.

No they use only compressed air and later some colin like spray to clean it. No water though.

Secondly, I also have similar questions about paint protection and not sure what to get done and if its needed at all. Akshay on my thread has advised that its not needed but I feel that at maybe at least paint sealing should be done. Do share your experience on this. What about teflon coating?

Akshay had told me the same thing too and I tend to agree with him that its not needed. Why? Because all my others cars have been doing fine without any such treatment from 1989. But I went ahead with this as it was part of the package and hence I did not have the option of not taking it.

[Simple_car]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Why? Because all my others cars have been doing fine without any such treatment from 1989. But I went ahead with this as it was part of the package and hence I did not have the option of not taking it.

Firstly, a BIG congratulations to you and your family on the car. Personally, I am not a fan of the new gen BMW's, BUT... the first german is always a special one in most Indian households (I have become a huge fan of these cars ever since I sat in one.. hope the dream is realized soon enough).

Now, w.r.t. your confusion on pain protection etc., 3M's paint protection is rubbish. It doesn't really last that long as per their claims (however, the shine will last for long though). Swirl marks will appear soon (less than a month inspite of good care), and you will feel kinda cheated. To top it all off, 3M's products aren't the best in the market.

I am currently experimenting with these sealants et all, and have just gotten probably the most expensive treatment done on a friends car (partly invested my money as well... just to give you an idea, it costs as much as a repaint of a mid-size hatchback.. more if I had done the full car). Couple of months down the line, I am having mixed opinions on it. However, one thing is certain: it isn't really worth the money in our conditions, inspite of good care. I will wait for a year before writing a review, since I need to see exactly how well this protection layer performs in the kind of abuse my friend and I put it through, and I need some questions answered as well).

As of now, this is something I have learnt the hard way:
1. It is better to get the pain protection treatment (a super sealant or a good sealant) when your car is new.
2. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you will get access to different sealants which protect the paint (do note... you will STILL get some swirl marks after some time, depending on the way you wash your car) for different periods of time. Some products are really good (but expensive).
3. At the end of the day, it is cheaper (and better, since you will come to know your beauty in and out) to train yourself and clean the car on your own This is a hobby to be developed with patience.

For a better idea, you are better off contacting forum member NOTORIUS (a.k.a. Jaspreet Singh), who is a pro-detailer (an excellent one at that) based in NCR region, or Mudhalaipatti (who is detail addict). I have just given you a brief from the point of a laiman. I have just started taking a personal interest on this side of car enthusiasm, but I know nothing.

Thanks,
Simple_car

P.S. forgot to mention: the PPF film is something which you should preferably install on the side mirrors and door handle inserts. Believe me, it is worth it considering how much scratches these areas are prone to. Even if you see those dust marks on the sides, on the long term, they protect your paint from nail scratches and car brushes which you will inevitable encounter. On the bumpers, I personally don't think it is worth the price quoted by 3M because of 2 simple reasons:
1. You seem to have your own garage, and in general your family will be more protective of this car.
2. On such a large area, you will see the adhesive getting a little yellow over a period of time after exposure to sun (typically about 3-4 years down the line according 3M, but in real life.. it tends to be early). You won't like to see that on your bumpers/*insert any large area*.

[iTNerd]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Well but they are still solid. All my other cars are Japanese and hence I feel they are pretty solid.

A4 interiors are way better anyday. The dual tone interiors looked classy. The BMW is far behind in this compartment. Having said that I prefer BMW's design of the gear lever and the driver's handrest. That looks really classy to me.

Again agreed. The luxury and sports line alloys are much better. But these gel with the car too.

Again I agree. The steering is good and stable at speeds etc but I would have really liked it to be a little more chunkier. The unit on the sports line is amazing and so perfect to hold.

But man the drive is just too good and blows the competition away. And the added benefit of BSI helps to enjoy the car to its full potential.

That is odd. The discount should be more now that the year has changed.
What is the ex-showroom price for the car that they are quoting? PM me the quotation and I can also put you in touch with my SA. Will call him tomorrow and ask about the offers now. Also the BSI rate is wrong. For 5 years/60k kms its 3.03L.

Sorry, could not reply to you earlier. Precisely, the discount should have been more. Attached below is the quotation.


And the 5 yrs/60000 kms BSI at 2.70L


And with the excise duty cut, I am expecting further reduce of ~ 1 lac in ex-showroom. Anyway, I am still negotiating (can wait)

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Sorry, could not reply to you earlier. Precisely, the discount should have been more. Attached below is the quotation.
Attachment 1209908

And the 5 yrs/60000 kms BSI at 2.70L
Attachment 1209909

And with the excise duty cut, I am expecting further reduce of ~ 1 lac in ex-showroom. Anyway, I am still negotiating (can wait)

Hi this was exactly what I was suspecting. They are taking you for a ride as the 2013 models should and have to carry the 2013 exshowroom prices which was 30.9L for the baseline with Xenons in Delhi. Might be slightly different by a couple of thousands in UP. The new price is only applicable on 2014 made cars. Again the insurance amount quoted by Bird is 68k for 0% depreciation. In your case they are selling you the same for 1+L. Registartion amount you can calculate very easily. I think UP tax rate is 8% if I am not wrong. Also there is this confusion that many RTOs allow registration on discounted price. So try and get the car registered on your own after reducing the discount from the ex-showroom price and you will end up saving some 40-50K there.
Lastly I am not sure how can the BSI rate vary. I just bought 5 year/60k kms plan and it costed me 3.07L. The same figure was also mentioned on the forum elsewhere. I think in your case the dealer might add some tax etc to that amount. Do double check on that.

[iTNerd]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Hi this was exactly what I was suspecting. They are taking you for a ride as the 2013 models should and have to carry the 2013 exshowroom prices which was 30.9L for the baseline with Xenons in Delhi. Might be slightly different by a couple of thousands in UP. The new price is only applicable on 2014 made cars. Again the insurance amount quoted by Bird is 68k for 0% depreciation. In your case they are selling you the same for 1+L. Registartion amount you can calculate very easily. I think UP tax rate is 8% if I am not wrong. Also there is this confusion that many RTOs allow registration on discounted price. So try and get the car registered on your own after reducing the discount from the ex-showroom price and you will end up saving some 40-50K there.
Lastly I am not sure how can the BSI rate vary. I just bought 5 year/60k kms plan and it costed me 3.07L. The same figure was also mentioned on the forum elsewhere. I think in your case the dealer might add some tax etc to that amount. Do double check on that.

Thanks for the information. Clearly the dealer taking me for a ride. I plan to purchase by mid-2014 and I am just starting to make initial inquires/negotiations and test drives. If I do decide on the beemer, I plan to change the alloys and the steering of the base version. if that is not possible, have the idea to opt for the luxury/sport variant, of course with decent discount on 2013 stocks (provided there are still available in mid-2014). I guess I'll need your help then

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Thanks for the information. Clearly the dealer taking me for a ride. I plan to purchase by mid-2014 and I am just starting to make initial inquires/negotiations and test drives. If I do decide on the beemer, I plan to change the alloys and the steering of the base version. if that is not possible, have the idea to opt for the luxury/sport variant, of course with decent discount on 2013 stocks (provided there are still available in mid-2014). I guess I'll need your help then

I don't think that switch is possible. Also even if it is, the cost is going to make no sense and you are better off going with the higher variant in the first place. Happy hunting.

[AdiSinghV12]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Thanks for the information. Clearly the dealer taking me for a ride. I plan to purchase by mid-2014 and I am just starting to make initial inquires/negotiations and test drives. If I do decide on the beemer, I plan to change the alloys and the steering of the base version. if that is not possible, have the idea to opt for the luxury/sport variant, of course with decent discount on 2013 stocks (provided there are still available in mid-2014). I guess I'll need your help then

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I don't think that switch is possible. Also even if it is, the cost is going to make no sense and you are better off going with the higher variant in the first place. Happy hunting.

Changing the alloys and the steering won't be a big deal... You can get the M Performance alcantara steering with carbon for around 81k...then there's one with LEDs which costs around 1.4L and for the alloys you can get the 18" 328i design with tires for around 2.5L from the dealership after deducting the discount and stock rims buyback. Apart from this, there's always the aftermarket option. You can get a good 18" set for around 1.2L and keep the stock wheels and tires with you for warranty claims. You can just swap them before sending the car for service.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12

Changing the alloys and the steering won't be a big deal... You can get the M Performance alcantara steering with carbon for around 81k...then there's one with LEDs which costs around 1.4L and for the alloys you can get the 18" 328i design with tires for around 2.5L from the dealership after deducting the discount and stock rims buyback. Apart from this, there's always the aftermarket option. You can get a good 18" set for around 1.2L and keep the stock wheels and tires with you for warranty claims. You can just swap them before sending the car for service.

So when you are anyways going to spend a couple of lacs or more on these 2 modifications then why not simply opt for the next variant of 3 series? It makes much more sense to me and it will come with additional features too other than the different Alloys and the Steering.

[AdiSinghV12]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

So when you are anyways going to spend a couple of lacs or more on these 2 modifications then why not simply opt for the next variant of 3 series? It makes much more sense to me and it will come with additional features too other than the different Alloys and the Steering.

Yes I totally agree with you but since you said that it wouldn't be possible I thought I'll just right down the options for him. I, for instance is one of those person who will get a higher variant for the features you're talking about but some people irrespective of the variant they have might want to change the rims or even the steering wheel for that matter...totally depends on the individual's taste.

[sandeep108]

One thing all prospective buyers of these types of cars should note is that accessorising these cars subsequently is very difficult, if not possible, especially in India. Abroad they have coders, very good parts, expertise, etc. so many buy the base model and carry out serious modifications, including tune-ups, suspension, exhaust, etc. Even then they face continuing error codes, stuff not working, etc. But in India, I am not too sure whether it would be advisable at all.

Therefore it is better to spend a little more at the outset for a higher model/factory features.