Genesis vs. 3-series

[rachmass]

Hi, first post here. I looked around the site and didn't find any comments specifically about someone who gave up a beloved 3-series for one of these cool cars, so thought I'd start one.

I have a 2005 325ci which I like quite a bit, but it is now out of warranty and I still have 3 years worth of payments (I bought it used) and worry it might start costing me too much money with repairs and payments combined so I started looking at a replacement. I really like the Genesis (so far have only looked at the base sedan), but having been a Bimmer owner for the past 10-years I am rather addicted to their handling and quality. Have any of you swapped a Bimmer 3 series for a Genesis, and if so, how do you feel about your decision. Are you happy with it? Although not an aggressive driver, I am a stickler for a car that responds as I think. Does the Genesis handle this way as well?

Any input before i look too much further would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Rachel

 

[crupp]

Welcome to the forums Rachel -

I have never owned a 3 series but keep in mind the Genesis is a much larger car (about the size of a 7 series) so there maybe some trade offs in handling. Though the power, for some, may be a good trade off. I believe there are some people on here that have migrated from 5 series and I know of one that came from a 7 series.

The best thing to do is take one for a LONG test drive, some dealers even let you take one over night. Drive the car on the same roads and routes you are currently driving on to get a good comparison.

 

[scottdk]

Welcome to the forums Rachel -

I have never owned a 3 series but keep in mind the Genesis is a much larger car (about the size of a 7 series) so there maybe some trade offs in handling. Though the power, for some, may be a good trade off. I believe there are some people on here that have migrated from 5 series and I know of one that came from a 7 series.

The best thing to do is take one for a LONG test drive, some dealers even let you take one over night. Drive the car on the same roads and routes you are currently driving on to get a good comparison.

Very well said Crupp I have never owned a BMW, but I have a close friend that owns a 2002 325ci (and loves my car). He car is nice, but very overpriced for such a car and my girlfriends 3.3L 2006 Sonata is just as fast, but faster top speed

Anyway, I think his car handles well, but again is tiny compared to the Genesis. He doesn't drive it very much and has around 70,000 miles. He said the car is getting too expensive to drive and will just hang on to it for now, since he has another car. He said he did race a 4.6 Genesis just like mine, and said it was not even close. He got smoked he said. He admits he is a badge douch, but really, really admires my car especially for the value/price.

Rachmass, I would recommend a test drive, maybe the V8 due to the larger brakes and of course power, and see how you feel the performance is compared to a smaller car such as your 3 series.

 

[TJPark01]

Hi, first post here. I looked around the site and didn't find any comments specifically about someone who gave up a beloved 3-series for one of these cool cars, so thought I'd start one.

I'm assuming you mean the Genesis coupe, since the car you have now is a coupe. For what it's worth, the 2.0 Turbo on the 4 banger is more powerful than the car you have now. The 3.8 is a monster in comparison and frankly unnecessary if you're not much of a aggressive driver. Nicely equipped it's sub 25k. For a proper rear drive sports coupe, much like what you have now.

 

[Sayantsi]

If you like the 3, I think you'll find the Genesis sedan quite large and soft in comparison. If you're looking at a Gen coupe, you might want to look at used BMW 1 Series off lease, or a newer 3 off lease. There's a ton of off lease BMWs to choose from and the CPO is quite good. If you were driving a 5 or 7 Series, I can see looking at a Genesis sedan, as they are bigger cars. I've had a couple bimmers and the Genesis is not tuned like them, but if you're looking for 7 Series size and 5 Series power for 3 Series money, the Genesis is the way to go.

 

[rachmass]

Thanks folks!

I did test drive the sedan and rather liked it. It was a lot bigger and a much more luxurious car than the 325ci. It isn't a convertible and isn't as nimble, but it had decent power (I prefer a stick, the automatics just don't respond the same unless you have the paddle shifter, which I don't). I am going to test drive a coupe and see what I think. Kind of like the idea of a bit more space and luxury though (getting older and more staid).

 

[TJPark01]

Thanks folks!

I did test drive the sedan and rather liked it. It was a lot bigger and a much more luxurious car than the 325ci. It isn't a convertible and isn't as nimble, but it had decent power (I prefer a stick, the automatics just don't respond the same unless you have the paddle shifter, which I don't). I am going to test drive a coupe and see what I think. Kind of like the idea of a bit more space and luxury though (getting older and more staid).

It's a massive change, in size, you can't really compare the two. Test drive the coupe, you will be surprised. The car is a lot bigger inside than it looks. Not to mention the rear seats fold down so the cargo room isn't bad. And yes, it also had paddle shifters too in the auto.

 

[jailer]

Rachel, I would keep your car if I were you, unless you can sell it and come out significantly above. Those are good cars, and IMO, ALOT of that generation are very reliable vehicles. When you hear stories of alot of problems/costs with the E46, always ask if they were going to the dealer. There are ALOT of people who drive those cars well into the 100k and up with few problems, BUT there are quite a few, maybe for in-direct reasons, who have ALOT of problems.

If you get a good independent bmw mechanic, and know how to locate parts online, etc..., you would be much better situated. Just go to the E46 forums and see what they talk about.

Otherwise, if you do sell it and want the Genesis coupe, the 2.0T is about where yours is performance wise, although I will give solidity/refinement and interior design to the BMW, bigtime. That's just my opinion. The Genesis Sedan is a little more on par with the dash sophistication and solidity, but it's WAY bigger than your car, and not cheap.

 

[rachmass]

Thanks Jailer

I have to 3-series, one is older with 160K miles on it, a stick, no major trouble (I am the original owner). The one I was thinking of replacing has a loan on it which would be okay if I didn't end up with repairs. I bought it because the old one is at that point where things do need to be replaced and I wanted to put less wear on it and alternate cars, plus I wanted my drop-top sooooo badly (replaced a convertible 350Z which was so sweet). Just more concerned about payments and repairs at the same time, not any unhappiness about the performance other than it isn't a manual tranny.

 

[TJPark01]

Thanks Jailer

I have to 3-series, one is older with 160K miles on it, a stick, no major trouble (I am the original owner).

If you can afford it and have the space, having 2 cars is the way to go. I have a 15 year old Lexus LS400 that I use as my beater to take to baseball games and the beach, supermarket, wherever parking is going to be an issue. For most people this is not feasable. I wouldn't worry about fixing a 3 series, they aren't as bad as other BMW models.

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[jailer]

Any high costs usually come up only if you go straight to a dealer or indy who immediately just checks parts, brand new, from the dealer. That is when the SHTF. There are SO MANY smarter alternatives.

The only MAJOR thing on the E46 is the auto ZF losing reverse, but there is a forum that figured out what is happening, and how to be smart about repair. It's not even that bad when you have to fix it.

Rachel, yours has the GM auto, I believe, so this would not be you.

 

[ImInPA]

Hi, first post here. I looked around the site and didn't find any comments specifically about someone who gave up a beloved 3-series for one of these cool cars, so thought I'd start one.

I have a 2005 325ci which I like quite a bit, but it is now out of warranty and I still have 3 years worth of payments (I bought it used) and worry it might start costing me too much money with repairs and payments combined so I started looking at a replacement. I really like the Genesis (so far have only looked at the base sedan), but having been a Bimmer owner for the past 10-years I am rather addicted to their handling and quality. Have any of you swapped a Bimmer 3 series for a Genesis, and if so, how do you feel about your decision. Are you happy with it? Although not an aggressive driver, I am a stickler for a car that responds as I think. Does the Genesis handle this way as well?

Any input before i look too much further would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Rachel

It is my belief that if you are truly addicted to the performance of the 3 series, the Genesis will probably disappoint you. Now if you are looking for a very high quality, luxury cruiser, the Genesis might fit the bill perfectly. The Genesis and 3 series are radically different vehicles. If you regularly have rear seat passengers, they will likely love your decision to buy a Genesis. The rear seat space in a three series is well, er, cramped. There I said it. The Genesis has the "carved out of a solid steel block" feeling of solidity, it has one of the quietest interiors on the planet, all the luxury doo-dads one could want, a superlative sound system (enhanced by that quiet interior), real stretch-out room for the driver and every passenger, high quality materials, near flawless assembly, and power to spare in either V6 or V8 configurations. All this wrapped up in an attractive, albeit conservative, exterior. What's not to like?
Have you taken a test drive in the Genesis?

 

[rachmass]

Hi, I test drove the coupe last night and did not like it one bit. Perhaps I am not as performance sensitive as I thought as I really preferred the sedan (drove one again), and even the Azera much better than the coupe.

Thanks for everyones advice. I think I'll get through the winter with my car and see how I feel afterwards, and get a look at the 2010 by then as there are none available in my area. I really do like the Genesis but am trying to be practical on whether now is a good time to make the move or not. This forum has been quite helpful.

 

[TJPark01]

I really do like the Genesis but am trying to be practical on whether now is a good time to make the move or not. This forum has been quite helpful.

The onlt thing about getting a car this year, is that there is a tax credit that expires Dec31. It's not huge, but it can push people if they're on the fence.

 

[scottdk]

The onlt thing about getting a car this year, is that there is a tax credit that expires Dec31. It's not huge, but it can push people if they're on the fence.

So what officially is the credit? Tell me more TJ A couple people at work have said that if you have bought a new car in 2009, that you would get all the sales tax back. Any thoughts?

 

[Mark_888]

So what officially is the credit? Tell me more TJ A couple people at work have said that if you have bought a new car in 2009, that you would get all the sales tax back. Any thoughts?

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act permits taxpayers to take a deduction for state and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase of new cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles. The deduction is available on new vehicles purchased from Feb. 17, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2009. In states that don't have a sales tax, the law provides a deduction for other taxes or fees paid. This deduction is available whether or not a taxpayer itemizes deductions on Schedule A.

The deduction is limited to the taxes and fees paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of an eligible vehicle. The deduction is reduced for joint filers with modified adjusted gross incomes (MAGI) between $250,000 and $260,000 and other taxpayers with MAGI between $125,000 and $135,000. Taxpayers with higher incomes do not qualify."

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204519,00.html

Edit: note that a tax deduction reduces your taxable income, whereas a tax credit directly reduces your taxes paid. From the above description, it appears to be a deduction against taxable income, although you do not need to itemize deductions on the long form to claim the deduction.

 

[TJPark01]

So what officially is the credit? Tell me more TJ A couple people at work have said that if you have bought a new car in 2009, that you would get all the sales tax back. Any thoughts?

-Say I make 50k a year and pay 30% income tax.
-I take home 35k and pay 15k to the govenment.
-If I paid 35k for the genesis and my state tax is 10% then I paid $3500 in taxes.
-When I go to file, my taxable income will be reduced from 50k to 46,500.
-SO instead of paying 15k in taxes I will be paying 13,950. So in real world terms I got back $1,050.

Honestly it's not really that much when you consider how much coin you're actually dropping. But 3% refund is better than nothing, and in this economy every penny counts, which is partially why i gravitated to this car to begin with instead of say a 535i.

 

[scottdk]

-Say I make 50k a year and pay 30% income tax.
-I take home 35k and pay 15k to the govenment.
-If I paid 35k for the genesis and my state tax is 10% then I paid $3500 in taxes.
-When I go to file, my taxable income will be reduced from 50k to 46,500.
-SO instead of paying 15k in taxes I will be paying 13,950. So in real world terms I got back $1,050.

Honestly it's not really that much when you consider how much coin you're actually dropping. But 3% refund is better than nothing, and in this economy every penny counts, which is partially why i gravitated to this car to begin with instead of say a 535i.

Great and I bought mine in January, and according to Marks post, I don't qualify. Geez