I love the look of the M-sport pack, which was a key reason I went for that option - so not so much a financially based decision.

However...
Whilst configuring my car on the company car leasing configurator, I took an empty 5er, i.e. without M-Sport, and started adding the options I absolutely wanted. These included Sports suspension, 18" rims, sports seats, leather, anthracite-headlining and sport/M steering wheel. (These where just items that I had on my last car and saw as a "must-have".) After adding in my minimum requirements to the base 5er, it actually worked out cheaper to go with the M-Sport! I guess it's just the way they combine packages/options.

So the M-Sport, in my case anyway, not only gave me the look and options I was after, it also saved me money - which is what you want to achieve when you start taking the packages.

As for the debate about whether it suites the car or not, thats up to each person to decide. IMHO it looks simply awesome and since laying eyes on the 5er M-Sport no other 4dr (around this price range!!) has come close. So I'm happy!

Cheers

 

Agreed that you would save money as a pack rather than individual items. The thrust of my post was that whatever way you buy these items, they are not ?3,200 worth. Most are different versions of what the SE has already. If the roof headlining in beige costs BMW ?50 as a parts cost, does anthracite cost more? I doubt it. These 'options' are what some industries call 'adding value'. In the food industry, you take a $1 chicken fillet, put it in some sauce and a packet, and you get $2.99 for it

I think if i had an extra ?3200 on my budget i would have bought the media pack, heated seats, and one or two other things that added features to the car. Equally I may have suddenly fallen in love with the Msport pack. I still have problems seeing where ?3,200 is going in this upgrade tho....

cheers

steve

 

OK, I follow you.

If it wasn't for other manufacturers, especially the likes of Lexus etc., offering a lot of equipment as standard with their cars, we would probably still be paying EUR200 for a Cassette player in the car - unless you buy the 550i, where the Cassette player would standard.

I agree, the option pricing policy of certain manufacturers is, how can I put it... "questionable". However on the plus side, it does offer you a lot of choice and opportunity to create an individual package that fits your budget down to the last cent/penny. Pros and cons, as with most things in life.

Cheers

 

?Agreed that you would save money as a pack rather than individual items. The thrust of my post was that whatever way you buy these items, they are not ?3,200 worth. Most are different versions of what the SE has already. If the roof headlining in beige costs BMW ?50 as a parts cost, does anthracite cost more? I doubt it. These 'options' are what some industries call 'adding value'. In the food industry, you take a $1 chicken fillet, put it in some sauce and a packet, and you get $2.99 for it.?

You?d believe this wouldn?t you, in many cases I?m sure the margin is increased to add perceived value to customer as well as increase seller revenue, this will vary obviously to how the seller wishes to add any additional costs or where there is room to add additional margin, BMW is well known to push the boundaries in pricing options!

However I don?t believe it is that simple for some options. I?ve been involved in several projects related to car sequencing on automated production lines in the past and costs to manufacture can and do vary when you deviate from the std.- cars are manufactured on automated sequenced production lines, disturbing the sequence can/will add build cost for the seller e.g. different paint options is a real cost issue for mfrs. - minimising the impact of changing paint finishes is reduced by sequencing the same options inline to reduce set-up and clean down times, especially the costs associated in recovering & reclaiming paint from the spray booths used in the process. I'd believe that the parts associated with the MSport trims require to be painted with the same paint batch as the body, therefore these parts would need handling which is likley another sequence requirement - this may or may not be a major issue here, I don't have intimate knowledge of the BMW plant, its offered as an example. Your headlining example can only be guessed as to mfr cost impact if any in real terms as it differs from the std., someone here may know the real deal?..

Additionally more options will likely add to the through life support costs of the model hence the retail price e.g. each part option has a design, manufacture, warehousing, repair, and general admin cost burden associated with it.

 

The BMW codes goes like this.

i - gasoline (or should I reite petrol) engine and d - diesel engines.
No matter turbos etc.

Only UK have this SE as in "standard" (that's why your Heathrow is all smogged up )

OK, not, but I have asked about this matter from UK Forum members maybe a year ago,
and of course I did get the complete answer; Go Search!

But the A - automatic transmission, has been there fore some 30 years.

I drive a 525iA.

Happy Christmas and a better New Year!