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I'm going over to hang out on the Ford Escort board until my self-esteem recovers a little.
response: Suburban.
My wife: "I wouldn't mind learning to drive a stick if it was a Porsche."
I'd honestly much rather be seen driving a minivan than an SUV as far as image is concerned. Although as far as driving pleasure, it doesn't get much more boring than a minivan.
-Getz
Followed F1 (and Moto GP since age 12), never missed an F1 or CART race (thanks to VHS) subscribe to car mags and my garage is full of posters scavenged from races I have attended.
AutoX for several years, and now, at the tender age of 36, decide to start my go-karting career.
All my cars have had manual transmissions.
Recently, was finally able to fulfill a long term goal of buying an "economically irresponsible" high performance luxury-sports car (330ci)
So, after defining my self, I confess: I OWN A MINIVAN AND I LOVE IT"
Probably the most intelligent purchase I have made in my entire life. I might regret some day expending the money on the BMW instead of saving it, investing it in a 529, you name it. But I will never regret the purchase of the minivan (never say never
This thing (Honda Odyssey) is reliable, has all the room in the world (I transport my kart to the track inside the van! and I don't thing the vast majority of monster utes can accomplish this task)
The kids are hypnotized by the DVD player and last hours without even asking to go to the bathroom.
Loading this thing is the easiest task, low access, wide door openings (remote controlled motorized), cannot be matched.
It even goes 0-60 in 8secs (just in case)
You can WALK back and forth inside the van!
The 3rd row seat is not for midgets
I can care less of the image I transmit when driving it. I can care less of what other people might think of me because I drive a minivan (I can care less of what people think of me when I drive the BMW)
I cannot believe somebody who says, "I would never be caught dead driving a minivan" Why?
I do not need to prove my manhood to anybody (you guys (and gals) can email my wife and ask
I only regret the need to apologize to the driver behind me, since I will be obstructing his view of the road, sorry and yes, the fuel economy of the wagons are better
The chances of being caught dead in an SUV by the way are higher than on a Minivan
Come on, get over the stereotype, soccer dads, your stubbornness are denying you the enjoyment of the MOST utilitarian vehicle ever created! Have you guys ever driven one.
You can always put a sticker in the back that says "My other car is a Bimmer" in order to get the thumbs up from your fellow drivers on the road
The Odyssey has had great reviews in the press. I remember one tried to keep up with me on the highway once a few months ago and he was right behind me up to ~100 ;o)
The M2s are sweet---I'm very impressed by the wet and dry traction. I have a friend with M2s on his 540i Sport, and he swears by them, as he lives a the top of a steep hill in NJ. He's had no problems so far.
I pulled out my copies of the glossy full-length extensive BMW 3 Series Sedan brochures for MYs 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. (I don't have a MY 1999 brochure.) None shows rear side airbags as an option. I tried to buy a new MY 2000 323i in CY 1999. I saved the option order sheet from the dealer. In MY 2000 "Rear Seat Side Impact Airbags" were a "Special Order" with a "$385 MSRP". My copy of the BMW 2000/2001 Fast Facts, which has a ton of detail, shows these rear seat side impact airbags as "Optional--Special Order". There is even a warning that the dealer should talk to the buyer about the ramifications of this option.
I'm not sure these were offered after MY 2001. Thought they were dropped in MY 2002. Don't think you can get in MY 2003.
They remained an available option in the E39 5 Series. For MY 2003, 5 Series has standard front and rear seat head protection with optional rear side impact airbags.
-Paul
The auto companies should be held liable for calling these road hogs "safer" than cars! The only "safety" these things have over cars is when you ram a Miata head on.
People need to get over their vanity and drive cars that are safer for the occupants and other drivers. Perhaps we could reduce our dependance on foreign oil at the same time without drilling more wells!
Sorry for the rant...
-murray
Take her to an autocross to learn some car control skills, let her drive your 3er.
Actually, I know someone who rolled a Miata now that you mention it.
-Colin
All of that extra steel doesn't do much good when you're bouncing the roof on the pavement.
-murray
anyway I certainly agree a Cherokee is easier to roll. unless you hit something firm or dig in the tires, a Miata or even a 325 is probably just going to spin.
but the driver must be aware of the vehicle's limitations and tendancies. in a Cherokee, you've gotta use the vehicle's mass as it should be-- you try to stop in a straight line, you don't swerve much, and you just hit something in favor of getting way out of control. a Miata's techniques would be biased much more towards using handling to not even get in the accident.
if you get off the paved road though, anything can roll.
-Colin
2. The heavier SUV monster, even with 4wd (which on many brands only works up to 30mph) will not out corner a car with snow tires.
3. God protect whoever is in front of the stupid useless vehicle when the time to apply the brakes in the snow comes! the larger mass and momentum will certainly keep it going.
4. 4WD will NOT allow you to stop faster.
5. You know what... they are right. An SUV is UNSTOPPABLE
I always take-as our British friends would say-"rather briskly". This morning is no different, though I do notice that I'm really coming up fast on a Subaru Impreza; it's traveling @25 mph slower than the Pathy. As I get closer I see the Soob has a WRX badge. By this time we're both in the acceleration lane. Once he was moving in a straight the doofus Soob driver floored it, but he had a hard time pulling away since I was traveling quite a bit faster. What a loser. Then just about a month ago ANOTHER feeble-minded WRX pilot starts to tailgate my Jeep Wrangler-in the right lane of I-65. It turns out he's taking the same exit as me. I hustle around the off ramp with just a hint of squeal from the crappy Goodyear RT/S tires. I check my mirrors and sure enough, Soob boy has fallen waaay back. Jeez, why don't these jokers buy Kia Rios and be done with it??? FWIW, my wife took the Pathy out on the wet/dry skidpad at a CCA school and had a ball. The Pathy never lifted a wheel, but it REALLY chunked the front tires.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021212/NYTH125
I have always believe that you should drive what ever you like and want, and hope I did not offend any fellow board participant who drives one of those..... things 8-D
That being said... My neighbor just borrow our minivan for the 4th time in 2 months because his Ford SUV doesn't have the room to do the job
Div, I'll take my Performance Pack 330i in Topaz! Sounds sweet! According to my agreement with wife,, only one more year before I'm ~allowed~ to start shopping again. ;-)
I doubt it'll perform overall as well as an E36 M3 though.
-Colin
it's a lot more popular to bash on SUVs than it is to drive an Insight. or even a Metro.
-Colin
It took 10 years for the 3 series to jump from 180 to 220 HP. Now, with the HP war we are witnessing, I wonder what will come next?
To compete (by numbers only) and advertise 260HP like the G35, means the same 40H increase but in 1 instead that gradually in 10 years!
The bigger heavier cars, on the other hand, need large amounts of HP to barely move, and the fact that the companies sale so many of those, is probably raising some eyebrows.
10 years ago, a 7 sec 0-60 was exotic car territory, nowadays, the econoboxes easily match this, so the monster trucks.
Live is good, but also cyclical. Venezuela is in strike, Sadam is playing cat and mouse with the world.= no oil... interesting
Perhaps I'll be buying my car at the end of my lease if the HP curve turns around (scary)
From an earlier post, where I mention having a 330Ci as selfish. I think that maybe mg330ci asked if I might be jealous. The answer is yes. The 325i was as selfish as I could get. I have owned one coupe (when I was single). I also have a two seat pickup truck. When purchasing my 325i, I tried to justify to my wife that I have a truck with two seats, why can't I get a coupe? (I don't put the seat back for anyone, so a 325Ci/330Ci for me just as well have two seats. If you don't have any children, a 325/330Ci is a cool car to have. When you have children that as tall as yourself, having a coupe seems like a cruel joke. Hence the justification of the term selfish. O.K., let me have it. I think I have developed seal skin by now.
with wife: "slow down Mario".
with girlfriend: --no words, she just can't stop laughing and smiling.
Now that Porsche has follow suit with the Cayenne, lets hope the Ferraris and Lamborghinis are not going to be next.
And for all those HPs:
Honda Accord V6 - 240HP
Infinity G35 - 280HP
Nissan Maxima - 255HP
...
Porsche Boxster S - 258HP
They are not in the same class, but something is still wrong.
is that post supposed to read like it's *your* wife and *your* girlfriend?
sounds kinda first person.
if so what's up with that???
-Colin
I mean his message title was "jokes" but it wasn't really funny...
___
Kenny:
It is scary that you can option a 325i that high, but obviously here at edmunds and other places (like autos.msn.com) you have the numbers at your fingertips. I'd guess you can get another grand out of 'em if they've had a bad holiday season and want to score a bit before year's end. If not, find a dealer that does.
Regarding your rear seat question-- um, have you been in one? Internet price shopping is a tool but doesn't replace getting your hands on and all over a car before buying. But to answer your question, nothing but a small child can fit comfortably in the back with the seat adjusted all the way rearward. It's pretty tight.
-Colin
0-60 6.0 6.1
0-100 16.0 15.9
1/4 mi. 14.6 14.7
60-0 120 ft. 129 ft.
80-0 217 ft. 230 ft.
Skidpad .87g .86g
Slalom 62.8 mph 65.4 mph
Fuel Econ 24.6 mpg 25.9 mpg
These two cars are VERY close in overall performance-and that is before you factor in the extra 10 hp, the six speed tranny, lower final drive, and the more aggressive suspension/rolling stock of the 330i Performance Package. Methinks the Performance Package car will show a stock E36 M3 the fast way home. Is the E36 M3 a more entertaining and visceral type drive? Probably; much as the E30 M3 is slower but-IMHO-more beloved then the E36 M3. Of course you can always buy a clean 1995 M3 and really pump up the hp and nail down the suspension for considerably less than $30K. So you pays your money and takes your choice. And-since we're dealing with BMWs-neither choice is a bad one...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134596287_sink15.html
-nobee
I will keep the day job.
HP:
There certainly is a HP war going on. Cars are becoming awfully quick. I like that as much as everyone else, but it probably isn't that great for society as a whole because of safety and environmental concerns.
I even wonder how much is enough. I can get to 60 in about 5 seconds, a 330 can do it in 6 seconds. That is pretty quick and after that moment is over you think to yourself -- now what to I do--I am cruising at 60-70mph, do I set the cruise control, or do I repeatedly brake and accelerate just to get a fix (or do I keep going till I hit 120mph).
I had this conversation with a friend 2 days ago (he has a NOS equipped Corvette) and he thinks you can never have too much. What is the value in decreasing your 100mph to 150mph times? It is fun, but it may not be healthy.
As HP increases exponentially we asymptotically approach the 3 second mark for 0-60mph. Does a car that goes 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds really feel that much different from one that does it in 4.5 seconds? -- At legal speeds, both vehicles probably create similar sensations for the driver. It is at the illegal speeds that the two cars will begin to diverge.
Don't get me wrong--I am not trying to blaspheme the McClaren F1. The trend towards outrageously fast mass production cars comes with a high price tag--it may not be one that we are willing to pay. I would not be surprised at all to see HP limitations in the future.
I the meantime I will continue to drive the most powerful naturally aspirated 3.2liter engine on the planet.