Focusing on that is a mixed bag. Especially in current market conditions, driving growth entirely through that sort of thing might not serve them well in the longer run.
Regarding the 3 series, I meant more quality and finishings than just the pricing. It was apparent to me that the new 3 is meant to be a slightly higher class of vehicle than the old one.
Coming up with a better 3 Series was a very low bar to set. The last one was the worse in handling/dynamics, or so I read. The new instrument cluster looks cool but I would take the older one (still available in the 3 Series) any day if it provided the same types of information the new one does. RPM going counterclockwise is weird.
I was reading on the taycanforums last night, and you wouldn't believe someone asking about interest rates on an 84-month loan. Others did suggest that 12-60 months interest rates were very favorable, like 1.95% and slightly the longer the term it gets. This rate is for the US market and it's easy for them to get loans from credit unions too. In Canada, car loan rates from banks or CU's will be at least 5%/year, which doesn't make sense during this decade long low interest-rate regime.
Not everyone who wants a nice car will want to pay for everything upfront because there are other financial commitments. But subsidize new buyers to the brand and it can make wonders when they want move up to a more expensive model. It's better than deep discounting like Korean makers, which is not as transparent.
Once one commits to a car purchase, if need be (heaven-forbid), one's household will have to curtail spending in other non-essentials like travel and eating out. Unless, of course, one is the type who trades underwater vehicles for the latest and greatest three to five years later, which is a really not a good financial move anyway.
