To be, or not to be... Loaded vs. Stripper

[818M3]

To all my fellow M enthusiasts, I am in a bind and would like some input perhaps. So, my plan is to do a build sometime soon. My question is whether to go with loaded car with everything minus CCB's or with nothing other than ZEC and that would be for the headlights only. What would you guys recommend?

[paliknight]

To answer your title, I have an affinity for strippers

But to answer your thread, what's the purpose of the car? For me it's a daily so I wanted creature comforts. If it's gonna be a track car then obviously there isn't a need for all the fancy tech.

But some people are old school and want the bare minimum in their daily drivers so...

[GOLFFRR]

get as much car as you can comfortably afford so when it comes time to sell (if thats what you are thinking down the road) you will be able to have a little better luck. We have found that stripper Ms although save you some in the beginning on your purchase come back to hurt you when comes time to sell. We find used car buyers want a car with all the options. just my 2 cents

[tropicalypso]

I recall some sage advice from this forum:

If you are leasing, get it loaded
If you are buying, get it stripped.

The line of reasoning is that the options don’t hold their value (the resale of a stripper is similar to the resale of a loaded model). Also, when leasing, the options are residualized, so you pay less for the options over the course of the lease.

[SMGCFP]

I think GOLFFRR and tropicalypso both make good points. I think if you're going to drive it for 7 or 8 years and put 70-80k on it, then the stripper will depreciate closer to the same as a fully loaded car. If you're going to flip this car in 3-5 yrs, then the loaded car will hold value better. The point of leasing is spot on. You only pay for a fixed amount of depreciation that the bank determines upfront.

Regardless of decision, it's not an investment by any means. You may get back some of the cost of options depending on holding period. But you might not. I'd rather get what I want and love driving it rather than compromising and thinking about what my car doesn't have the whole time I own/lease it.

[Alan l.]

Aside from all the good points already mentioned above.... it also depends on what car you are coming from.

If you are coming from a old beater Civic then even a stripper M3 will feel like an upgrade in every way. My previous cars include loaded F10 550s and X5M so even a highly spec'ed F8X will feel lacking compared to what I've had before.

Alan

[mmmmQuattro]

I always go loaded - perhaps I have FOMO
I spent $20k in options on my wifes Macan

[shortseller]

Based on the used car market, options return less than a third of the cost when ordered new. With that said you should equip the car to your personal liking so to get the most enjoyment out of your purchase. That runs the gamut from a stripper to loaded, it’s all in what you want and can afford at the time of placing your order. Just remember when it comes time for resale, just don’t expect you’ll get most of the option money back, thought you will be able to sell it quicker than a stripper model.

[SMGCFP]

Originally Posted by mmmmQuattro

I always go loaded - perhaps I have FOMO
I spent $20k in options on my wifes Macan

This. Just spent about the same in options on a GLE 43 AMG for the wife. The German cars come with seats and a steering wheel. Everything else is extra.

[Howard_R]

I'm planning on keeping the car for at least 5-6 years - no way do I want to drive a stripper for that length of time. Only option I didn't get was the CCBs. The M4 is also my daily driver so the creature comforts are well worth it - particularly the full leather option.

[RobbyMack]

It's your money, buy what you want. A stripper might be marginally harder to move on the used market when less than 5 years old. After that my guess is used buyers are going to be somewhat more cost conscience vs option specific so the cheaper the better.

[FatRear08]

For me, the stripper was all about the bare driving experience. No added tech or electronics to either assist, comfort, or have an issue with down the road. Just a 6MT, Carbon Structure interior, and Carbon roof. From there, modded her mechanically and cosmetically how I wanted and love every second of it.

[Hachima]

I'd go for the super stripper 320i

[NickyC]

STRIPPER (medium kind?). Screw all the camera, HUDs, lane assist etc garbage! ;P

[JibSTir13]

Is this a track car or DD?

If track car, stripper is the way to go.

If DD then it likely depends on your expectations and the car you're coming from. IMO the two best options are full leather and comp pack.

[NYBulldog]

I like a few options, neither loaded nor stripped. If you gonna drive it for a few years you may as well get some creature comforts.

[EricSMG]

Originally Posted by JibSTir13

Is this a track car or DD?

If track car, stripper is the way to go.

If DD then it likely depends on your expectations and the car you're coming from. IMO the two best options are full leather and comp pack.

Agreed. I definitely want (but don't require) leather in a BMW - they're nice cars and leather is very nice. And the ZCP is a must have for this model, in my opinion.

All the other "tech" options are for the birds with the exception of a premium sound system - that should always be ordered for a street car (is there an option for this in the F8XM?)

Lane assist, camera, HUD, etc. are all complete nonsense for a car like this. Very poor ROI on shit like that and add nothing to the daily enjoyment.

[shortseller]

Originally Posted by FatRear08

For me, the stripper was all about the bare driving experience. No added tech or electronics to either assist, comfort, or have an issue with down the road. Just a 6MT, Carbon Structure interior, and Carbon roof. From there, modded her mechanically and cosmetically how I wanted and love every second of it.

That actually brings up another point to consider, as a weekend fun car a barebones weight saver driver focused is probably a good candidate for a stripper model. As a daily driver, the options ie creature comforts are extremely hard to live without.

[TS29849228]

I have a ZEC and my friend has a fully loaded beast.

When we meet up for our weekend soccer meets, he always complains about the extra 21k he spent on his or whatever the extra mark up was....

Just putting that out there. The headlights and Manual and the noise of the car were all i cared about. Only regret might be heads up display.

[818M3]

I'm coming from a fully loaded M4. Everything including CCB's and full leather. All the bells and whistles. This car will be a individual order and I plan on keeping it for long time. It will be a weekend driver for me, as I have a Honda as a DD. Besides the ZEC, what is essential to have? Does ZCP make a world of difference like some claim? Also, I feel like long term (if I ever sell) a car with low options in pristine condition with low miles will outweigh a car with tons of options, high miles and no so immaculate of a condition in terms of appeal to a used car buyer. I don't know.. Just what I'm thinking.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

I don't think I can live without surround view camera anymore. Makes parking so much easier and eases the anxiety of curbing a wheel.

[shortseller]

Originally Posted by pheerIx

I don't think I can live without surround view camera anymore. Makes parking so much easier and eases the anxiety of curbing a wheel.

That along with all the safety features should be considered manditory. Park assist and the likes, and all that gimmick stuff is expendable in my mind. I barely park near anyone as it is, does BMW actually think I’m going to let them park it for me?