There is going to be a whole new class of budget luxury cars coming over the next few years. Starting in 2008, BMW will be releasing their 1 series to the US, and in 2011 Mercedes will be answering back with their new BLK class (which is based on a modified C class). I’m assuming both cars will be around the high $20’s to low $30’s in terms of price range.

The BLK top of the line model will have a 3.5 liter V6 motor which is front-mounted and rear wheel drive. It will come in a coupe and hatchback version, and then a convertible version coming a little later.

The BMW 1 series on the other hand will come in two flavors, the 128i and 135i. The 128i will be a 3.0L I6 with 230hp and 200lb-ft. The 135i will have a 3.0 twin-turbo I6 with 300hp and 300lb-ft. The 135i will be able to do 0-60 in 5.3 seconds. That should be a very fun car to drive.

In terms of looks, I think the the front and side of the Mercedes BLK look amazing. The hard lines make the car look very aggressive in mean. With the big grille and awesome looking headlights, this car would look insane in black.

Unfortunately I don’t feel the same way about the back, it just looks like Mercedes dropped the ball on it. The taillights look too small and too low, it just doesn’t feel like it matches the rest of the car:

The BMW is “almost there” in my opinion. The lower front bumper looks great, but the headlights just don’t match the sporty bumper. There is something about the top of the car which makes it feel too bubbly. The rear of the car looks good though, the taillights look a lot better than the regular 3-series. I also like how there is a small “spoiler” molded into the rear:

What do you think about the two cars? Would you buy one for $30,000? Which do you prefer between the two?