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I agree. I think the 3-series will always be around, but it is getting out of the bread-and-butter territory that it once occupied and really into the upmarket range. The 335i is proof of that, as it (and the less powerful 328i) will basically be out of arms-reach for buyers that like me.
I figure I'm a typical entry level BMW customer (double income, mid-thirties professional, car nut, married, 1 kid, 2 cars), but the current 323i or 325i is about all that is in reach (and barely, if at all). And the 323i would be full of compromises for a car nut.
BMW should value people in the entry-level-buyer profile, because we're the one's that will buy in to the entry level, establish loyalty to the strongest brand in the auto market, and continue to trade up. That's my basic plan, because I identfy with the brand and I love the product (my parents currently have two).
But as the 3-series becomes bigger, better and more upscale, that opportunty fades. There are opportunuties to get into the luxury car class at the entry level(B200, A3, TSX, IS250) , but until a 1-series or 2-series comes along, those opportunities lie elsewhere, unfortunately.
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