Is the MX really that bad?
Has the interior held up well? I still like the look but is it wearing well and rattle free?
What are your plans for yours beyond warranty?

 

Sounds like you have an auto, Bahula03? As discussed extensively in the M3 "no love" thread, autos tend to suck the fun and emotional connection out of these cars. For me the gear-rowing in traffic is a small price to pay to feel that connection. Of course even with a 6MT you won't feel the same connection with the road as you do in the S, but that can be said of practically every car in most people's price range. But it also is (obviously) way more refined and comfortable, handles well for its weight, etc, etc. The one thing I don't like much about mine (and DOES blunt the "emotional connection" is that the exhaust/engine note is very quiet. A louder note would make revving and shifting more fun. But that is (apparently) easily remedied by going aftermarket.

OP, Lemans Blue, really? That's the same color as mine! Looks great, and a fairly rare color to boot! Hope you get it... GLWP.

 

MX = maintenance experience? For me, it has been, but that's very dealer/service dependent. Each time I need to take the car in, it's "we don't want to cover x under the warranty" or "this also needs to be done, and it's a consumable." While that's the norm for service departments, I was hoping for something on par with my Lexus ownership experience (which was a much less expensive car and out of warranty). Also figure out how much tolerance you have for the parts cost; even going the cheapest routes, everything is still well above average...and the car needs coding if you change anything related to the electronics and various computers. Just for some perspective, I have maintenance done on my Ducati at dealership, and the costs associated with that don't bother me, which has a lot to do with the dealership being honest and reasonable to deal with.

I'd say my interior is holding up very well. I'm the second owner and the car is up to 61k miles, the only visible wear is (oddly enough) on the buttons surrounding the iDrive controller. The only rattle or creak was there when I got the car, coming from the vent to the left of gauge pod...I can't be bothered to try and fix it and I don't hold it against the build quality of the car.

My car is under warranty through 100k, and I'll sell it around 90k or so...wouldn't consider owning it without warranty. Just too much of a needless liability IMO.

Yup, my BMW is an auto, it was actually a requirement. I bought the car for my commute that runs ~35 miles/day through downtown Seattle. Having commuted in my S for years, I felt bad wasting that car's operating hours and wear+tear on the clutch sitting in traffic, not to mention the annoyance of constantly partially engaging the clutch. If I want a more engaging experience, I can take the S or baby duc. Everyone has their preferences, I wanted a comfortable and quite place to be while logging A to B miles, and didn't want to degrade that with stiffer suspension or a manual transmission. And for that purpose, my E90 is freaking awesome. That it looks great, is very well composed, has an interior devoid of button vomit and pulls like a train doesn't hurt either

 

My vote would go for the BMW but with some caveats. My daily driver is a 2009 E92 328i Sport (Alpine White with Dakota leather interior) with just about every option available. It's a very good looking, comfortable, and luxurious daily. One item to keep in mind is that these cars will be significantly more finicky than your typical Honda. While I've not had any major issues several small items have cropped up (interior pieces wearing early, tail light bulbs burning out frequently, overly sensitive tire pressure sensors, expensive windshield wipers, annoying cup holders, etc). Through it all it's still a very nice car, and even though yours may be covered by a CPO warranty, having to take your car in for service at least once a month gets old quick.

 

I have had two 335 coupes over the years with little problems and my current one (M-Sport 6spd manual)is more modded than my first. The car is easy to work on for the most part now. I am partial to the N54, but the N55 motor is just as good around town. I went from an S2000 and don't miss it that much. Only thing I miss is the convertible on a nice day.

 

We have a 2007 E90 335 6mt (silver w/ black and loaded minus navi) with over 100K on the clock almost of which have been FBO and no fuel pump issues or unexpected repairs. We also have a 2009 E92 335i 6AT (Black sapphire metallic /w coral interior and every option but rear sunshade) with about 46K on the clock and it has also been problem free. They like new plugs about every 25K and it's not unusual to need to replace the coils after some miles but they're wonderful cars. My coupe is a bit quicker with basically the same mods...a tad lighter and autos hold boost between shifts. I have two cars that are manuals and I like having the auto for commuting as sitting in traffic is more pleasant in the auto.

 

Speaking of, have you found the OEM blades or something that fits the little arm cover for less than Tischer?

 

Thanks for all the input guys, especially current owners. I think I am inching closer to making the move. The last is overcoming the hurdle of the cash. Not affording it, just life priority wise I keep hearing the little voice saying that a Civic SI is more than nice for 15k less, etc.

 

Yeah I ended up buying some Bosch wiper blades that are just as good (but substantially cheaper) than oem from Rock Auto: https://www.rockauto.com/dbphp/x,cat...397007452.html

I did try some of the premium RainX blades from Autozone and they fit terrible and streaked badly.

 

I feel like a wrx/sti is still in the performance/tuner line of vehicles. If you are not getting the enjoyment out of the S in your living area than the wrx/sti may not be enjoyable as well. Sure its more fun in a straight line, well that's arguable, but its still part of the tuner scene. Perhaps I need to read the whole thread, but I feel like a more practical car full of electronic amenities will better suit a condition where you are sitting in the car more than driving it. Everyone loves a high end audio system, cool gadgets to play with. All aspects of what is missing from "kid" cars.