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If the purchase doesn't meet that criteria, it's not getting made.
If ya believe that, I've got a seaside San Diego home to sell you for 100k.
BTW, the new BMW 3-series will be in Gran Turismo 4 for the Playstation 2. People can see the cars in the game well before they're available for sale in the US.
I've never heard of any Acura going close to invoice, you must have good negotiation skills to do that. GOOD JOB!!!
The 325i does feel quite underpowered though.
For more horses at that price point and similar features, I guess you could go with the $35,000 G35.
If you can live without some of the extras, of course the difference is $6K... A new '05 325i with no options has an MSRP of $30K.
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I like the IS300 and almost bought one... but, I decided to get a slightly used 3-series instead. Since my wife drives it, it really wouldn't have mattered that much.. but, when the blue moon comes around and I get to drive.. I'm glad I did.
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BTW, I saw the '05 G35 at the Auto show last weekend and it's the one I'd choose if was shopping this segment today. With 298 HP, 6-speed MT, and nicely-updated interior quality, how can any other $30,000ish car compete?
As for the price difference between the 325i and 330i, I think the 325i is the better choice. You can order it with fewer options, and if you don't think it's quick enough, you can add a Conforti chip and CAI for a few hundred dollars and make it perform within a hair of a 330i.
'Brian
(still searching for that perfect '89 325is)
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325i (metallic paint, premium package, auto, heated seats, xenon, premium sound): $35,920
330i (metallic paint, premium package, auto transmission, heated seats, xenon): $41,545
Difference of about $5600.
Equipped in that way, what does the 330i have over the 325i other than horses and different rims?
Maybe I'm missing something.
I might have missed something small other than that.. but, that is the main thing..
EDIT.. also, if you add the sport package, price gets closer by a few more hundred, as the sport suspension is standard in the 330i.
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Thought leather was part of the premium package for the 325i.
If you include leather, the 325i price becomes $37,370, about $4000 less than the 330i, as you pointed out.
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Best Regards,
Shipo
and, those cool M68 wheels w/sport pkg.
225 HP... That is mostly what you are paying $4K for.. It makes a big difference.. but, if you don't have the money, you can live without it.. it is a great car, either way.
regards,
kyfdx
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The ti is ugly enough to me to be a deal-breaker...
On the tl we are missing a few creature comforts like the electric steering wheel and automatic lights. The tl looks in my opinion nicer on the outside. The tl has again in my opinion the worthless voice activation system which gets the request right about 50 percent of time. All in all these 2 cars are very close. The awd of the g would probably make me buy it if I was in the market at this time. Price however will certainly be higher on the g.
Bill
did they fix the overly firm leather seats as well?? i heard they upgraded the interior materials as well, though im guessing not by much...
Or are people even paying over MSRP?
How likely is it to get the car exactly configured as you want? Or like other imports, do people tend to end up with whatever is on hand and what kind of deal they can get on it?
My A4 just got totalled, so now I'm scrambling to find a replacement car. I've pretty much narrowed down to the G35 and TL. I'd personally love a G35 coupe 6-speed. That would be too perfect. But, this car also has to be my commuter and I drive > 75 miles/day. Also, I live around DC so I can't get by for a couple weeks with RWD only. So, this makes the TL my first choice. Trust me, I'd love to have AWD or even RWD, but it's just not really a suitable choice. FWD does have its drawbacks, but I think it'll serve my purposes well.
I'm going to go ahead and check out the 2005 G35 too...they supposedly improved the leather, among other things.
Otherwise, I can't really think of any other choices at this point! (and the wife said I can have a 6-speed if I get the TL. sounds fair!)
As for configuration, you can order your car exactly as you want it. When I was looking for my car, I couldn't find what I wanted, so I ordered mine. The order process was very easy. It took 7 weeks from order to delivery.
Ummm, why not?
I live in New Hampshire and drive a 530i all winter (in fact, it's snowing right now ;-), and I'm about to head out to run some errands). I simply invested $1,000 in a set of winter wheels shod with Michelin Arctic Alpin tires and even though we had just shy of ten feet of snow two winters ago, my car did not miss a single day of driving and easily a match for any FWD or even AWD car that didn't have winter tires on it too.
Yeah, I know that it's kind of a pain to have to swap rubber twice a year, but that way you don't have to compromise on the car that you want to drive.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Not once has the 325 (all seasons w/ LSD) let me down, and only once have I not been able to get where I wanted to go in the M3 (and that was my fault - car was wearing Z-rated tires at the time).
If FWD makes you feel more comfortable then don't let us stop you, but dismissing a modern traction controlled, LSD equipped, RWD vehicle because of some snow in February is hooey.
oh well. I'll make the wife stay home and just take the 4runner. yeeee ha!
nightmare = ANY car with summer tires + snow
FWIW, I used to be a FWD/AWD bigot; that is until I put winter tires on my car in 2002. Prior to that, I was convinced that RWD simply required too much work to drive safely in the slippery stuff. When I did finally break down and get the winter tires, I was simply astounded at the difference. That car is now (by far) the easiest car to drive in the snow that I have ever driven.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Sure it does. By sheer distance I am calculating risk based on law of averages, % risk, and variable road conditions.
For example, I could make it one mile up the road in my Audi with Z-rated summer tires. however, I would NEVER drive any further since odds dictate that my minimal traction would eventually cause me to lose control and crash.
Anyways, I'm way off topic now. Just glad to hear RWD is usable in snow since I'm currently an AWD/FWD bigot.
Now that you mention that, I might be heading to the Infiniti dealer to get a nice G35 coupe 6-speed. That car is amazing. Just have to convice the wife that the G35c is better than the TL. That'll be harder than driving uphill with RWD and summer tires.
Yikes! Been there, done that, got the Tee Shirt! In my experience, a car with RWD and summer performance tires becomes practically undrivable with something like .00001" of snow on the road if there is anything more than a .5 degree incline. Oh well, enjoy your TL. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
RWD & snows > ( FWD | AWD ) & all_seasons
Is fascinating that so many Americans will spend $30-50K on a sport sedan but then drive on mediocre all-season tires. All that separates you and the road is a small contact patch of rubber. Buy the best tires. That means dedicated summer (really 3-season) tires and dedicated winter tires.
Key to safe winter driving is driving skill. Traction is reduced. Modify your driving habits. Select the right gear. Apply the throttle differently. Take things slower.
Nothing used to bring a bigger smile to my face more in winter than driving my RWD '97 Camaro with snow tires and seeing all the SUVs in the ditch during a snow storm because their foolish driver thought they were invulnerable to winter conditions. They would barrel past me on interstate at 70 mph while I'm doing 55 mph. Then down road I pass 'em while they dig out of a snow bank.
Then have them swapped out between season?
Man I'm glad I live in CA.
"Man I'm glad I live in CA."
Hmmm, the cost of my winter set is less than a fifth of the extra taxes that I'd be paying per year if I lived in California, that and my 1,500 square foot basement has LOTS of space to store a set if tires. Man I'm glad I live in New Hampshire. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Had the four tires/wheels shipped directly to one of the participating Tire Rack installers in Omaha, NE (T.O. Haas). Very easy to order. No problems with installation. Worked like a charm.
I'm going to put on a set of snow tires for my '04 IS300 sedan. I'm still deciding. Looking at Dunlop Snow Sport M3s or Michelin Arctic Alpin. I'll likely make my mind up this week.
Don't forget that taller, narrower winter tires work best. So for me that means going from 17 inch to 16 inch tires.
Best Regards,
Shipo
LOL. You got me on that one, Shipo. Of course, I'm originally from NH so I may find that a little more amusing than most people. Also, my wife is from CA . Hence why I have to buy her an AWD car (xi) AND equip it with Blizzaks.
I have read previously that a RWD car is easier to drive UP a hill than a FWD car equipped with comparable tires due to the weight shift to the rear.
You may want to consider that in your decision.
Regarding UP hill in a RWD car, yes, I believe that depending upon the situation it is easier, assuming you can maintain enough momentum to keep the front wheels rolling fast enough to allow you enough steerage to correct for the resultant fish-tailing. Yikes, what a sentence (my Mom was an english teacher). :-/ That said, of all the cars that I've ever owned, my hill climbing champ was indeed a car setup in the FWD configuration, my 1982 Audi 4000. Talk about low-tech FWD! How on earth could that have been my best climber? Simple, in reverse. ;-) I was on my way to an assignation which included an almost empty rental ski condo, a hot fire and good food and wine, up in Boyne City, MI and all that stood between me and Valhalla was a VERY steep, slippery, snow and ice covered dirt road. After several attempts to climb the hill nose first, I sat at the bottom for a few minutes and thought about the situation logically. I popped it in reverse, and climbed that hill with absolutely no problem.
When I pulled up in front of the condo she came out and asked, "How in the hell did you get your car up here? I needed to park in town and bum a ride from somebody with a Jeep."
I don't think I ever actually confessed to her that I did it in reverse. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
and no belive me you dont want summer tires in heavy snow, it almost got me killed once though i dont know how much it snows in DC, but it cant be worse than minneapolis right?
Best Regards,
Shipo
I used to live in 10,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies. At first I was intimidated by the thought of snow storms and compromises with mobility. Then I quickly realized that the snow crews are nothing like NYC areas where you sometimes have to wait a day to have roads cleared. In dem dere mountains snow barely had a chance to touch the ground before they would clear the roads (the more populated areas anyway). My brother lived in Montreal and it’s pretty much the same way. So it seems to me that one’s daily conditions play a role when considering winter driving equipment. If you can whisk your way onto clear roads and highway, the risk of getting marooned is considerably lower.
I often find myself on lots of hills with plenty of deep stuff and/or ice. I know a thing or two about getting by with two wheels, but nothing beats AWD in snow—nothing. Never even came close to having a snag. You have to use more skill and savvy with the others, like taking circuitous routes home, maintaining momentum into a hill or driving uphill backwards. Not many people would think of these things.
I agree that all-season tires are not the way to go with RWD and FWD. They have mostly summer-tire characteristics and I would only use them with AWD. Even then, they compromise traction, braking and handling in snow.
Bottom line here. Driving in snow with RWD and FWD is like jogging with Florsheim wingtips. Sure, you can do it. But a G35x, 325xi or anything else like this is a great choice.
Shipo, your Mom should be proud of you—I see nothing wrong with that sentence. I would imagine however that she wouldn’t approve of your 100 mph jaunts ;-)
You CA people must me TOTALLY bored with this stuff. Question does Santa Claus go to places like San Diego? Indeed, I envy you.
regards,
kyfdx
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1) AWD w/all-seasons
2) FWD w/winter tires
3) RWD w/winter tires
4) FWD w/all-seasons
5) RWD w/all-seasons
Handling/Stopping:
ANY car with winter tires over any other car (even AWD) with all-seasons.
No two-wheel drive car has the traction of an AWD, even with winter tires... But, if you want to do it all...
regards,
kyfdx
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1) AWD w/Winter Tires
2) AWD w/All-Season Tires*
3) RWD w/Winter Tires*
4) FWD w/Winter Tires
5) FWD w/All-Season Tires
6) RWD w/All-Season Tires
* I'm not completely convinced that the AWD car with All-Seasons would be of any advantage over the RWD car with winter tires.
Then again there are the issues of handling and braking, and if I remember the results of the side-by-side test performed by an auto magazine several years ago using cars as nearly matched as possible (MB E320 4-Matic, MB E320 RWD, Audi A6 Quattro, Audi A6 FWD) the results shifted more in favor of the Winter tire shod RWD car. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, in the braking department, the RWD car easily won due to its inherently more neutral front/rear weight distribution (especially compared to the FWD A6) combined with its (relatively) lighter weight (compared to the two AWD cars).
Personally, I am willing to give up some "go power" to gain some "stop power", hence my comment that I believe that a RWD car (especially one with a near neutral weight distribution) shod with winter tires offers the best driving experience for winter driving. That said, if I lived in a mountainous area such as the Rockies, I would certainly opt for the AWD car simply because on a steep enough hill, the FWD/RWD car simply ain't gonna start moving from a standing stop while the AWD car will move away from the stop with relative aplomb. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Anyways, I now believe it is possible to drive uphill on snow in summer tires, because the wife actually likes the G35 family. Not so much the sedan (its looks aren't the best, IMO), but the coupe. I will admit that driving a RWD coupe/sedan is just a completely different experience from a FWD. In this case, different is much better. The handling, acceleration, and braking are all a world better.
I am aware of the G35x, but I was really hoping to get the 6-speed. Of course, the wife wandered over to the FX35 and I knew it was all over. Fortunately, this is MY car so there's a chance that I will win this battle.
The dealer had some '05 G35x's in stock, but I didn't get a chance to see one or drive one. The interior is supposed to be up in quality now vs. the 04's. Unfortunately, the 6-speed won't be around until late January or February...and I need a car NOW since mine is totalled.
Thanks for all the comments on winter tires and such. I'm paying cash for the car anyways, so I might as well just take $1000 and get a quality set of winter tires. Then I can run summer/winters and have it all. Geeze, having your cake AND eat it too...say it ain't so!
-tim
And I also put some heavy stuff in the trunk, so if the FWDer has an engine on top of their front wheels, I got my small loaded fridge on the top of my rear wheels. well it works.! It does help traction and a happy 20-35 mph on snow. lol
I've had four AWDs with three different AWD/4WD systems, and everyone of them had better traction (go power) with all-seasons than any 2WD car I've driven with winter tires, including my current one..
And although I would rather have RWD/winters than FWD/winters for the overall handling experience (stop/turn/go power), if I am considering only traction (go power), I still have to go with the FWD.
I will grant that the type of car makes a difference though.. A large car with a long wheelbase loses some of the traction advantage that FWD provides, by moving more of the weight off the front wheels.. My old '82 Accord hatchback with 63-64% of the weight over the front wheels would leave any RWD car spinning its wheels... A new TL or ES300 would have much less advantage over a 5-series or GS300.
regards,
kyfdx
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I do agree the placement for the seat adjustment is wrong, but the seats are quite comfortable (if you are not tooo wide in the backside).
I suppose I could settle with the automatic '05, or even an 04 6-speed, but something tells me I'll regret it. On the other hand, aren't the 04's going for well under invoice now??? There's quite a few things I can spend $3-$4k on...
VEGAS!!!