I think it's a great looking car and I've always respected BMWs.
That said, I ran across a Blog that reported that a lease payment for the new 1 Series would be about $700/month if the customer didn't put any cash as a down payment. The Blog suggested that a better deal could be negotiated on a 3 Series.
Here's a link to the Blog:
http://www.bmwblog.com/2008/02/28/bm...e-lease-rates/
Since you're the BMW Expert in these parts, do you agree or disagree with the lease quote in the Blog?