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Everyone here knows how much I simply LOVE my 2011 E90 328xi. One of the many benefits to owning (leasing in my case) a BMW is the excellent service & great pool of loaner cars available. Hey, you're getting a new BMW as a loaner, how bad could it be? For my 1st service I had the distinct pleasure of driving an E90 335d which I gushed about.
This past Tuesday I brought it back to the dealer (2nd time in a year, damn those unreliable German cars), for a few nagging issues. The trunk latch needed to be replaced (this part was ordered form my previous service) and my right headlight was looking a little droopy. The loaner I was given this time was a 2013 BMW X1 X-Drive 28i.
For those of you unfamiliar (although I'm pretty sure most of you are), X1 X-Drive 28i is BMW speak for X1 with the N20 2.0L Turbo 4cyl engine & AWD. My
testerloaner was equipped (from what I could tell) with Premium Package (leather, home link, power seats, panorama roof), heated front seats, and keyless go. I was excited to drive the X1 for it's power train, the 1st BMW I drove with the Turbo 4cyl engine & 8 speed automatic transmission.First Impressions:
Exterior: The X1 definitely has the whole "tall wagon" look going for it. My loaner was Black with 17" wheels and standard halogen headlights. The European Pedestrian Crash Safety nose combined with BMWs traditional short overhangs make the car look stubby.
Interior: The seating position is definitely "down & in" the car as opposed to my E90 which is more level. The cabin seems wider than my E90. I immediately grab the perfectly thick, 3 spoke steering wheel & start thinking of ways to switch it with mine Soft touch plastics are all over the place. The top of the instrument cluster feels hard. Outward visibility is not good. Thick A Pillar almost forces you to stick your head out the window like Ace Ventura. Look over your left shoulder (like when moving from right lane to center lane) and there's a sight blocking B Pillar. Rear visibility is also dismal. A backup camera and blind zone alert sensors should be standard.
Driving Impressions:
Foot on the brake, insert key (I didn't realize it had keyless go yet), press start button. The N20 growls to life, but never settles down. Idle is almost coarse. In its defense, my Prelude's engine is impressively smooth (with counter rotating balance shafts), my Pilot's 3.5 L V6 is damn close to silent, & my BMW's Inline 6's smoothness is legendary.
Snaking my way around the parking lot, I notice the steering is a touch lighter than my E90, but very communicative. A right turn out of the dealership, a couple of traffic lights and its time to jump on the highway. Left blinker and put the throttle half way down while merging & I'm going 75 without breaking a sweat. I settle down and set the cruise at 70 because its late and I'm tired.
The X1 holds the road well as a BMW should. The ride is not as compliant as my 3 series. The engine note is audible, but not offensively. Its a 4cyl after all.
Time to pay a toll. Slow down to 5mph in the EZPass lane, slide the shifter into DS and drop the hammer. The car actually forced me back into my seat. This car has an incredible power band. The 8 speed auto trans shifted crisply. I look down and see the speedo needle sweeping past the 110 mph mark. Whoa. Slow down. Ease on the brakes and set the cruise at 70 for the remainder of the ride home.
Once I got off the highway, I was able to test the X1s handling as we have some brilliant back roads here in CT. The X1 drives as if it smaller than my 328xi. I really noticed this while taking corners. The steering is quick and you can feel less mass over the rear wheels.
My average gas mileage over the 100 miles I drove was 23.5
The verdict:
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a BMW with this N20 4Cyl turbo engine. It is not as smooth, but much faster than my Inline 6. I also couldn't justify the extra scratch for the N55 Turbo Inline 6 powered X1 X-Drive 35i. I really liked the way it drove.
The X1 just doesn't look right to me. The loaner's 17" wheels didn't fill out the wheel wells enough, the standard halogen lights were horrible and made the X1 look cheap.
Gas mileage was a little better than in my 328xi, but with the 4cyl engine, auto start/stop, and 8 speed automatic, I expected much better.
I wouldn't run out and buy an X1 when my lease is up. But if there was a fire sale on service loaners or executive demos, I'd consider it if other BMWs are too pricey for me.
Thanks for reading. Sorry to steal some of your thunder today Sandy.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
For my 1st Ft. Myers run today, i had a top of the line Chrysler 200 in charcoal with 18" alloys, a very sedate looking vehicle and all I can say is..."wow"! hat a sleeper car this is! Smooth as glass and I got it up to 102 to pass someone and the car didn't even flinch just did what my right foot asked of it. Soft touch dash and nice hardware with every control right where it needs to be...wonderful ergonomics and the leather wrapped wheel was just meaty enough where it felt like one with my arms. Great steering and minimal road noise made for a fun and energetic run across the alley. This car really is a sleeper and surprised they don't sell more than they do. I know it's the fleet queen but it's a really good family sedan and although not the looker that the new Accord or Fusion is, anyone in this market should give this vehicle a good tryout as I'll bet it's priced aggressively and I had a smile on my face the whole way over. This is the 4th 200 I've driven this week with two being the lux model and the other two the regular one with 17" bolt on wheel covers and they both drive superbly though if I had to purchase one, I'd go for the top model to get that great steering wheel and the Sirius/XM.
Trip two almost got me into a brand new with the plastic Nissan Sentra but my buddy saw it first and he took it. Was a bit envious but I'll just get the next one. At this Dollar out lot, we're in the process of swapping out the fleet so there are new vehicles waiting including Altimas and Sonatas. But I got a beautiful ref 2013 Ford Focus with just 435 on the clock. No sat radio but my flash drive synched perfectly with the standard radio though the speakers are on the cheap side. If I were to own one of these puppies, I'd have to swap out the speakers and put in a small amp to get more sound bang for the buck, as to me it's an investment in happiness and the cost isn't much when a car is kept as long as I do with mine.
These Foci have nicely bolstered seats which really hold you in place but they really need some more padding where it counts...I got back fatigue by the midpoint of the trip which caused a considerable amount of pain and problems with my bad left leg on the return trip to Lauderdale. For the seat alone, I could never purchase this vehicle. This is it's major faux pas for me because in the hatch version, it's a nice looking ride. The other major problem was the irritating wind noise the driver side mirror resonates which just gets louder at higher speeds...very annoying and unacceptable inn this segment. The 2013 Sentra I tested last week was so much quieter and even the little Kia Rio was stellar in this regard. No matter how high I put the music, I could still hear that annoying wind noise and it took away some of the enjoyment of the drive. the seat fabric was acceptable, not class leading but it did it's job and didn't itch my legs. I usually wear shorts on these trips so comfy fabric is important.
Mileage is impressive though and I had the a/c on most of the time as it has warmed up by the afternoon. in this car, the dash surrounds one like a cockpit which is a bit claustraphobic at first but after awhile, it's not even noticeable. All the controls fall to place and are within easy reach. Not a fan of the awkward cruise buttons but they are better than some of the GM products of late. Still, for simplicity sake nothing beats my '06 Civic's cruise control buttons...one push operation and it always works without fail. Why the other guys don't copy it's form and function is a mystery to me but it works...period! Ford and GM I hope you are listening here folks!!!
In the compact segment, this Focus is just mid pack and really, nothing to write home about. The Elantra is still the benchmark hands down with the Sentra moving up the ranks nicely with it's new 2013 model but I will have to wait till I get some extended seat time to really evaluate it properly. But just from my little test drive last week I'm gonna say that Nissan did a very commendable job here, much better than the comfortable one of the last generation. This new one looks so much better and I think is very comfortable especially in SL version which has the nicer seat fabric and extra options. But I'm very excited to see what Toyota has up it's sleeve with the new Corolla coming soon. These last two generations have shown this to really be a "blahmobile" no matter what version one chooses...but that's not to say that blah is a bad thing. It gets the job done with stellar mileage and though not a looker in any trim, it quietly goes about it's business and still seems to sell in record number so they must be doing something right here. I guess many folks are happy with an appliance that's still "cheap to keep" with minimal input. I had a couple years ago when Toyota and Honda were the major players in this segment and could do no wrong and they were great vehicles then. These past two generations have just been very dull looking but are still appealing to many. Toyota knows that it needs to beat the Elantra in this segment because the Koreans have seemed to duplicated the Toyota playbook and tweaked it in such a way that they are now the class leading benchmarks of the compact segment. How and why Toyota and Honda got left in the dust is an interesting question but they both know that they have a lot of catch up to do. Hopefully Toyota is up for the task and will hit a homer with the next Corolla. Saw a brand new Civic today on the road, my only comment was "meh", still a bit on the bland side and if I had to purchase today, I'd skip the Honda store completely. As we shop for the next Mrs. Sandmanmobile, no Honda or Toyota is even on the short list as there's nothing that she's remotely interested in. My how things have changed in the import vehicle segment!
Until next time reader, I am,
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sleepy Sandman :surprise: :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Hmm, your daughter may complain about the tight space.
My advice? Stay out of it if they argue about that.
breld - yep, it was Go Nissan on Arapahoe. Wife's new office is just north of Arapahoe on Peoria, so quite close.
Headed up to meet the wife after our daughter got home from work. Didn't go directly to the dealer; the girls needed to get a bit of retail therapy first so we went to the local Vera Bradley store. Then a bite of dinner at California Pizza Kitchen before heading to the dealer around 7-ish.
Took a few minutes to find the specific car we were wanting to look at ... 2013 Nissan Juke SL AWD in Metallic Bronze. Since it was dark out, you couldn't really appreciate the color. I took a look at the window sticker - OMG! Over $30K - this particular car had the "sport" package - rear wing, gunmetal alloys. Also equipped with the front armrest and carpeted floor mats. Dealer sticker wanted to charge for pinstrips, nitrogen in the tires, and other fluff.
Nobody approaches us so I head into the showroom to grab a salesman. Managers greet me and introduce me to "Marv" (not his real name). I tell Marv that we want to see that specific Juke and give him the stock number so he can get the keys. I also give him my license to copy so we can do the test drive without any other delays.
The girls are standing by the Juke and I introduce them to Marv. I explain to him that I know about the car but the wife does not so he needs to explain it all to her. I'm trying not to influence the wife's opinion one way or the other.
Marv does a decent job of explaining the major features of the Juke (torque vectoring, small turbo engine, etc.), but he's doing so in a somewhat condescending manner .. as if my wife had never driven such a feature laden car.
He pulls it out of of the line and under a large light so we can see it better. He opens up the hatch to put in his dealer plate and the wife comments how small the rear storage area is (yep, 1/3 the size - 29 cu ft. in the Mazda vs. 10.5 in the Juke). Marv flips the seat down - it folds flat, which is nice.
Wife hops into the drivers seat and Marv starts explaining all the features - auto headlights, buttons on the steering wheel for cruise and Bluetooth, etc. Tells us he can't demonstrate the Nav system as all the SD cards are locked up in the showroom. Bummer - that's a feature my wife will use a lot in her new job.
So, off we go on the test drive - Marv explains how you can "configure" the Juke to operate normally, in Sport mode or in Eco mode. Each affects the way the engine responds to throttle inputs and handling. Wifes' eyes glaze over - like she's gonna change modes while driving. Not!
Test drive route is a mix of business parks roads and a short blast on the highway. Takes us to a parking lot to demonstrate the turning radius (for some reason, this is a big deal for my wife) and the backup camera. Turning radius is really small - as it should be, since the car has a WB of under 100". The backup camera includes lane markers shaded in green, yellow and red - a nice feature the Mazda doesn't have.
I ask her how she likes the ride. The Mazda is pretty firm, but since it's a larger car, you don't notice it as much. The Juke, OTOH, is about a half step up from the daughter's MINI. Not sure how that would play on a long road trip.
Decent power, easy to drive, very responsive, according to the wife.
Daughter said she was OK in the back seat, her biggest issue was that the windows were smaller than in the Mazda. Yep, quite true.
The test drive ends and we tell Marv that we need to give it some serious thought. He doesn't try to pressure us at all .. no questions about a trade, though it was pretty obvious that we'd be swapping the Mazda. No "trial closes". Very professional. We tell him it's not a matter of choosing the Juke over something else, it's a matter of keeping the Mazda or not.
So, what did we decide to do? We had a long talk afterwards and a decision has been made .. will share that with you here in a bit.
In the words of our departed friend Mack, to be continued...
Fairly typical of DI engines nowadays.
I think we give up linearity and smoothness, but the power and economy balance are impressive.
I predict we'll see more and more "fake" engine sounds piped in to cabins.
Guess it depends how it is tuned. The 3.6 in my LaCrosse is very smooth at idle (can't feel it) and outside the car (as long as the cooling fan is off) there is barely a whisper coming from under the hood except for the electronic "clicking" of the injectors.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
The segment is competitive, you just can't rest on your laurels nowadays. Others will simply outgun you, and then you'll have to lower prices and say bye bye to profits.
Fitzmall has a brand new Corolla for $15,306, how much of a loss is there for a price like that?
The rear doors do seem small. Did she have to duck to get in and out?
$30k seems a bit steep for such a small vehicle, but it does sound loaded up. I've priced Altimas for a lot less than that, though.
I bet your Buick has excellent insulation, too.
I don't know, but wouldn't be surprised if she had to. Quite a bit of slope on the rear doors.
$30k seems a bit steep for such a small vehicle, but it does sound loaded up.
Yeah, I don't think there was an option or accessory it didn't have.
While at the dealer, you should say "why don't you try one of these" and just see what she says.
Now Sandy, a couple months back you saw a new Civic and were "in awe" of it, stating that Honda was back on track with the new Accord and redesigned Civic. What happened?
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2024 Corvette - 2024 BMW X5 - 2023 Tesla Model Y
So Michael, you've posted this morning, but with no reveal? Oh, the suspense!
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2024 Corvette - 2024 BMW X5 - 2023 Tesla Model Y
She doesn't want just a "car" (read: sedan). When I bought my Saturn L300 10 years ago she commented that it was a "grandpa car" -- and I was 39 at the time!
Vehicles that have caught her interest lately:
Fiat 500
Subaru Crosstek XV
Nissan Juke
VW Beetle
MINI Countryman
I suspect she will continue to drive hatchbacks and SUVs, given her need for cargo capacity and ease of loading.
While at the dealer last night, the girls found a pretty purple car (purple is my wife's favorite color). I told them it was a Rogue.
Another constant is that whatever she drives needs to have a lot of "get up and go". I figure if I ever got her to a FIAT dealership and test drove a standard 500, her enthusiasm would wane after the first 500 feet.
Even the daughter commented recently that if she had to do it all over again, she would get a Cooper S.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2024 Corvette - 2024 BMW X5 - 2023 Tesla Model Y
She's seen the CX-5. I suspect she would like it since she's familiar with the "Mazda Way" (ergonomics, zoom zoom personality). I know she liked the 3i GT we test drove last year, and it only had 155HP. Now that the -5 has the bigger 2.5L SkyActiv engine with 184HP, it might make the cut on her "get up and go" scale.
I, too, would think the trade value of the -7 would be better at a Mazda dealership.
But .....
The exciting finale to our sales story!
After leaving the dealership last night, I noticed a couple of other bells and whistles she would give up if we got the Juke - automatic wipers, blind spot monitoring, and the smart mirror that we can program the garage door remote to. This is in addition to the HID headlights and power memory seats the Juke lacks.
After getting home, I had to fill up the Mazda. Turns out she got almost 22 MPG on this last tank ($53 to fill it with PUG at the local Shell station). A co-worker shared with her than her last monthly mileage reimbursement check was $112 (at $.0555/mile). If we fill the Mazda up once a week at $50-60 per tank, and get $100 or more in reimbursements, then we're spending only $100 or so each month on gas. The Juke gets 27 combined, so not really a big improvement. Plus, the smaller tank might require us to fill the car up more than once every 7 days.
Couple that with the lack of creature comforts and the wife decided that the "fun factor" of driving the Juke wasn't worth starting over on payments with a new car, especially with the negative equity we have in the Mazda.
In short - she liked the Juke, but didn't love it.
We'll continue to monitor the situation for the next few months - keeping track of the mileage she gets, etc.
I'm pretty sure that whatever we get next for her will have, at the very least, the same features she has now; hard to go backwards in terms of feature content (I'll be interested if fin feels the same way about his new Benz).
I'll give "Marv" a call tomorrow with our decision.
If there is any good news from this, it means that my next car won't be delayed. Given that I'm averaging about 20K per year on the ION (and it has 85K on it now), I'll be well into 6 figures on the clock by the time I'm ready for a new ride.
Getting my wife to the dealer is pretty difficult. Not sure that we'll do anything for now. She's gotta really like the car to even agree to see it in person.
And like you pointed out, makes the next purchase for you that much closer.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2024 Corvette - 2024 BMW X5 - 2023 Tesla Model Y
I agree, but different makes of cars often have different feature sets. E.g., Mazdas offer blind spot monitors but Nissans don't; Ford has those curved blind spot mirrors, etc. Compared to the 540i, my GLI lacks Homelink, a power passenger seat, adjustable thigh supports, real leather, power steering wheel tilt/telescope, automatic wipers, and automatic seatbelt height adjusters. On the other hand, it has keyless ignition, a nav system, Bluetooth, adjustable lumbar support, an MP3 player, a center console with storage, good cupholders, a sunglass storage area, etc.
Very true, when I went to the LaCrosse from the Genesis I lost the power tilt/tele and rainsense wipers even though the LaCrosse has a higher equipment level overall with Nav, heads-up (not available on Genesis), and blind spot monitor.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Agreed. As much as I like the idea of a new car, I'm getting more prudent with my spending as I get older.
It's not that she dislikes the Mazda, I think she wants something a bit smaller since most of her driving is in town. Parking and maneuverability are going to be more important - as well as better mileage.
But, when she gave it a serious think last night, she really uses the blind spot monitoring and would miss it greatly. The auto wipers are nice due to the rain and snow we get here - one less thing to think about, along with the headlights. The memory seats are a feature that she's grown to love - there is about 8" of height difference between us and the convenience of having to hit only 1 button to reset the seat position is nice for her.
As far as brand loyalty, I'm not sure there is any now. She owned a Datsun when she first learned to drive, then a series of Fords (Tempo, Escort, Expedition, Explorer, Focus), then the Saturns we've had most recently (L300, two VUEs and the ION). Toss in the '99 New Beetle and the current Mazda.
Which brands does she like now? MINI and Volvo come to mind. She might still get a Countryman if and when the finances allow it.
With all that said, I'm hoping she decides to stick with the Mazda - it improves my chances of getting a new ride sooner. New or used, I'm not sure. And, as my posts over the past year have indicated, I'm all over the map in terms of what I want.
What I've test driven over the past year:
Ford Mustang GT
Chevrolet Camaro SS
Chevrolet Sonic
Volvo C30
VW GTI
VW CC
BMW 3-series coupe
BMW 1-series
MINI Countryman
MINI Cooper Convertible
The hunt continues!
Explained to him our reasons (not enough of an increase of MPG, lack of certain features that the Mazda currently has) and he was very gracious about it. Seems like someone who's been in the business for a while and understands that not every contact will result in a sale.
If I was ever in the market for a Nissan (if I win the lottery, they have 2 GT-R's in the showroom), I'd be certain to reach out to him.
I once test drove a Durango and a Miata on the same day.
What did we buy? A minivan, naturally.
Heck, the wife wanted the Dodge conversion van.
Not sure if I'm going to give in to my adolescent self and get the mid life crisis car or something that is fun but still a bit sporty in case I'm doing the pizza thing longer than I expect.
Would be fun to pull up in front of a customer's house, drop off their order, and do a burnout when I leave!
But, the money I spend on gas would leave me in the red from the tips I earn.
I agree with you. I find that if you need a car just for commuting, then a base Toyota or Hyundai feels no different than a 10 year old Toyota or Hyundai for 1/5 of the price.
Therefore it would be hard for me to spend $20k on some base new econobox when I can spend $4k and get the motoring equivalent, just a tad older.
EDIT: Unless it's a dirt cheap lease. I meant to say I can't see plopping down $20k cash for a basic car just because it's new.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Heck, for under 20 grand you can get a base Juke with 188 HP and a stick.
But I see your point. I'm conflicted about new vs used for my next car.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
actually, the next car is likely to be a 2000 Acura TL. Hopefully real soon, since that means my about to graduate son got a job, and is moving on to a new(er) car and I get the TL back.
and in 1.5 years, I will get my Volvo back, when my daughter leaves for college and the car stays behind. Then I only have to fight her for it over breaks when she is home!
though until I start driving more (I have about 250 miles on my Integra in almost 3 months) it really won't be an issue!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
But for about half the price you can get (if you can find one) a nice Acura Integra Type R with same power, less weight, and a quasi-collector status, meaning it probably won't depreciate any more than it has already.
:shades:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
A deal-breaker for me on any car is rattling. It drives me insane.
The competition has gotten so much better, even the Ford Focus, that the Civic really is a bit primitive. And since I do drive so many different new models, it's only natural that I'd change my mind about the Civic and my real dislike of the car. The new Forte is gonna be a big game changer also and Toyota knows that it must hit a grand slam with the re-designed Corolla.
I'll give y'all a teaser about my rides for today. I had the maximum pleasure out of a brand new vehicle today which only had 4 miles on the clock. And on the 2nd run, I finally got to drive a 2012 Fusion. But that's for another post!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
To be fair, a LOT of 2006 cars did not have an aux-in ports.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
I do believe you can add an AUX port/Ipod interface to your car. I did a quick check on Crutchfield.com and put in 2006 Honda Civic (I guessed at LX) and this came up USA Spec Ipod for Honda
I had one of these in my 2006 Avalon, worked flawlessly.
Any questions ask away.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Thanks though. I will stop by and see my stereo guy and maybe he'll have this thing & will throw it in for me at a good price. Will stop over later maybe. Now that I'm working so much, maybe I should treat myself!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I use them too, but they are quickly fading.
Here at work we're already deploying the next generation of laptops without a DVD/CD drive at all. We'll have a few portables to share.
Some cars even include connectivity and their own hot spots, though to me it makes more sense to use a phone's connection since it's already paid for.
Who needs another monthly bill?