Thank you all for the kindnesses. I'd have loved a 335 instead, but the cost difference between any of the CPO 335s versus 330s I could find was close to $10k. This should keep me relatively content for 2-3 years until I scratch the next itch.
Railton, I originally was working with Budds' BMW in Oakville. Christian there was superb. Unfortunately the black 330 I was originally working toward sold before I got off my butt and moved on it.
Saffy, yes, it's 3 years old... and when I look for the flaws (little nicks and marks in the paint here and there) I can find them. But when I park it next to my equally-aged MX-5, the Bimmer is in considerably better condition (and I'm far from an abusive owner with the Miata). The 330 also has 30,000 fewer kms than my MX-5.
There will definitely be aspects of the MX-5 I'll miss (not the least of which will be the pending late spring and summer top-down months), but after a big career change earlier this year and the realization that my wife isn't going to wait for young'ns forever, I needed something with a back-seat. Plus, the MX-5 is really not a distance-trip car in my wife's opinion and I found any time we visited my parents or other road trips, I'd be asked to take the missus' Mazda3 instead -- which is a fine car, but not what I'd choose to drive.
An e92 coupe would've been nice, but they're much more expensive and have a higher interest rate (
www.bmw.ca/ca/en/usedvehicles/external_content/usedvehicles_external_content.html), making them nowhere near as good a deal as the sedans. So, don't go reading anything into the 4-door purchase that isn't there... yet.
There are a lot of good CPO e90 330s out there in the $30-35k range with varying equipment levels. The only must have for me was the sport package, but I'm glad it's got the leather instead of leatherette too.
The deal was a rather convoluted one (and has been about 6 weeks in the making since I first test drove the car!). I'm several months from the end of the MX-5 lease and the used car values have tanked, meaning my buy-out is not on par with wholesale values. So... there was a bit of negotiating there to come up with a deal I was happy with. Plus, I required snow tires (runflat 17"s) and wheels (genuine BMW alloys). When all is said and done, I believe the discount to be around $5k. I feel this is a lot of car for the money and made for a better deal by a considerable margin than what I was able to negotiate on any of the other 'front runners' on my list (such as the white WRX 265 my brother bought instead as posted elsewhere in this forum).
Wing, do I intend to AutoX it this year? Yes. Although the replacement cost on those 255/35/18 Runflats does give me a cause for concern.
I have been lusting after another Bimmer for a while, yes. To me there's just an inexplicable enjoyment out of driving them. Solid, performance beyond their on-paper numbers, refined, solid and classy.
