Sims 3 is just like every other "3rd" EA game. It sucks, bare exception being cnc3.
My advice is get Sims 2, weather and nightlife.
Those 2 expansions are actually cool and add some neat stuff into Sims 2.
Sims 3 is just same dance different name but now the expansions, as Rug said, contain only locations to go. Not more stuff.