Gas mileage is not bad.
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Chances are greater that the sidewall of a run-flat is more likely to lose integrity due to potholes than the tire being punctured with a nail. Broken reflectors also gouge holes in the rubber. (Thanks CalTrans....) Using regular tires is problematic on some models. The electronic TPM will not work with them, and it may have some effect on the braking system. Otherwise, I would do it, because the run-flats increase the noise level and magnify every bump.
Reality if you never take your bimmer long distances, the solution to the tires is just not to run runflats and to keep a AAA premium membership. You can't repair a runflat more than twice if you get a nail in the tread. And if you get one in the sidewall its gone anyway.
At least you folks on a regular 3 series aren't running staggered tires so at least you can still rotate them.
Just wait until your battery needs to be replaced.
Yeah, the tires cost a freakin' fortune: about $1,400 for a set of 4, plus tax, etc., plus or minus about $200 individually.
Having l had a 335i, I can say that it was a great car in terms of bang for the buck: sporty, fast when you need it, nice ride for long road trips, and fairly good on gas--provided you were driving at 70 mph. In heavy traffic, the mileage sux. You might want to consider one of the hybrid models. You can get better mileage in traffic in eco mode--because you aren't burning gas, and similar road performance as the 3 series in sport mode. Also, you can usually deal down to the same monthly payment for a lease with comprehensive warranty (--why pay cash if you can actually claim the write-off on taxes, which I can--) as a similar class BMW. I tend to keep the cars I actually buy until they die. But if trade-in value is a consideration for you, you might want to wait until the 2016 model year, for the reasons poster 102452 indicated.
Oh. And if you worried about gas mileage and gas prices. You aren't ready to buy a bmw especially after the 4years of free maintenance. You can price yourself a set of run flat tires that bmw uses if you want a sample of what to expect in terms of cost of ownership.
Bad idea for many reasons. The 3 series is due for a mid-cycle (LCI) refresh for MY2016. So if you buy a 335 or 328, those will be outdated with the new 340 and 330 respectively (and if you plan on buying a 320i you might as well go buy a Toyota Camry). The new 340 will have a brand new b58 engine with a larger displacement and power, and the 330 will have a revised b48 4 cylinder engine, also with a larger displacement. Also, with the LCI update, there will be exterior tweaks. So if you buy a 335 or 328 now, you'll regret it. Also, since it's a German car, and bound to have issues, never buy a "new" car the first production year. So reality is, you should be buying the LCI update after 2016. If you do buy, don't buy in SD, because the deals in LA are much better (For porsche, it's opposite...Porsche of SD has a better price than almost all the stealerships up in LA, including the one in Newport Beach). You have 8-9 BMW dealerships to choose from in LA. You can get invoice and sometimes below invoice on your run-of-the-mill 3 series (unlikely if you plan on buying a MY2016 since that will be the first production year of the LCI update). If you do buy one, make sure you check the VIN and that your car comes from Germany, not South Africa because BMW uses two plants to make these bound for the U.S., and the price is the same. Personally, with 340's pushing close to $60k, I'd just get the M3/M4 or wait for the M2. There's a backlog for M's in SD and they won't go below sticker in SD, but in the LA you can probably negotiate $2-3k off of sticker. Then add another $1k discount for being a loyal customer and another $500-1k for being a BMW CCA member. Or you can save more by doing what I did and take European delivery. You get a slightly better pricing, and you get a trip out of it, since for M cars, it doesn't count towards the dealership's allocation.
If you plan on keeping it beyond 4 years of ownership, you better be willing to pay for upkeep or be really handy garage mechanic. Sincerely, BMW and Porsche Junkie.
Real men get chauffeured to work.
Dam... you must be a long timer and very high up. My RSU will net me about 90 shares....
Unless your full of shiiit.