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I'd say most people seem the think the lighting package is well worth the price, and is often skipped and regretted. I would have skipped it, and am glad the car just happened to have it.
The 2013 and 2014 are almost identical. I think the 14 allows for the auto start stop system to "keep" in the off position instead of having to push the button. I might be wrong on this.
if you can find a used 2013 I'd go for it, you can get more car for a lot less. the only used 13s I could find in my area were the 35i and I wanted a 28.
I think the sunroof really makes the cabin feel a lot larger than it is, particularly for those in the backseats.
The S has electric steering, the Xdrives have hydraulic. You might want to test drive both and see if you notice the difference. Also, servotronic steering, some love it, some hate it. again, a test drive to see how it feels to you.
build quality is very good, but not as good as the next range of BMWs (another 10k gets more soft touch materials, and newer tech like lane departure, blind sport monitoring, adaptive cruise control, etc)
msport rides a little rougher (and has 18 wheels instead of the 17s, which adds to this) but also handles better. It also comes with the paddle shifters which are really nice.
I love the sports seats and would strongly recommended them. They had much better bolster support and reminded me of the WRX seats more than any other car I test drove.
The xdrive version will give you better weight balance (almost perfect 50/50 on the 28i) and it will do some dynamic stuff to help in cornering. The sdrive I hear feels great though so your not missing that much if your not going to drive in the snow.
The backup camera is nice, but not something I think is needed on this car. Lot of lower priced cars have more tech features but less of a feeling of quality.
It's way smaller than a WRX (at least for me as I had a 2002) even though it doesn't look that much smaller. I lost the room for a fullsize spare, larger glove box, enough storage for jumper cables under the floor, larger center console storage, and larger trunk.
What I gained, quieter ride, better handling, and much nicer over all drive experience, less turbo lag.
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