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Comments
Colt.
Colt.
Colt.
I was determined that this car would be a stick. I ordered at 1998 Nissan Maxima SE with a 5 speed. The car I wanted never came in (the dealer kept jerking me around) so I said forget it. My Dad suggested I get an Explorer Sport since the dealer where he bought his Ford Explorer from was running this awesome "pay $6422 and drive a loaded 1998 Ford Explorer Sport for 2 years/24,000 miles." The explorer was only available with a stick if you opted for the 160hp pushrod engine. So for 2 years I drove the truck with a 5 speed automatic and a 205 hp SOHC V6.
The lease on my truck ended and I had been living in the city and needed a car, but didn't need anything too fancy (but still wanted a stick). My Mom suggested that if I get a FWD or AWD car with an Automatic, then my parents would pay for half the lease payments. She said this so she could drive my car in the snow (as she was afraid to drive her RWD CLK in the snow). I ended up with my Saab and am happy with it.
But...I swear this time around that since I'm buying and nobody has to drive my car but me (cause my mom got an AWD A6), I'm getting a stick. I'm very close to inking a deal to get a leftover 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH (which only comes in stick).
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Colt.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/vehsafe.htm#safeinspect
Best Regards,
Shipo
actually, the '04 lex GS look like not bad (only can look front, not rear), but it still can not compare with currently BMW 5 series, that is why CR gave 530i highest rank.
but i am a little worry about next 5 series, the style doesn't attractive, when it release, maybe people will change idea to buy Lexus, but currently 5 series beat anyone now.
I have had no problem so far whatsoever with this car (almost 20k miles now). I have neither driven nor owned before any car (including MB) with this kind of perfect balance between handling and comfort, plus the linear response from the powertrain, and the quietness. The sound system is definitely not as good as the Lexus's Nakamichi, but that's OK.
It is the Ultimate Driving Machine (for the money anyway)! Well, perhaps second to the 740i with the Sport package.
New5&7Fan.
My wife bought a nicely equipped '00 323iA service loaner that had 18,000 miles. She bought it from a BMW dealer so her's is CPO to 100K. She loves it.
How does the standard BMW 5-series stereo compare even to the Bose - anyone know? Is it better, the same, or a lot worse!!
All and all, at age 37 most of my Ted Nugent/AC/DC - Van Halen - days are over, so it is talk radio for me anyway - but I would like to know!
Once in awhile to relieve some anxiety I like to crank it up!
Besides, the upgraded audio also gives you a 5-band equalizer plus a couple of extra speakers.
Also read my earlier post on why I decided to go for the DSP audio.
And no, even the upgraded audio cannot match the Mark Levinson in the Lexus, but it is adequate.
Vishnu.
But if you mainly listen to talk radio, I think a $15 Radio Shack monaural handheld would be sufficient
How does the standard BMW 5-series stereo compare even to the Bose - anyone know? Is it better, the same, or a lot worse!!
All and all, at age 37 most of my Ted Nugent/AC/DC - Van Halen - days are over, so it is talk radio for me anyway - but I would like to know!
Once in awhile to relieve some anxiety I like to crank it up!
Wifes response: "let some stranger drive my car??!! You take it & drive it in for emmisions test!"
My response: "Yes dear". Any excuse to drive. (haha)
Colt.
Besides, the upgraded audio also gives you a 5-band equalizer plus a couple of extra speakers.
Also read my earlier post on why I decided to go for the DSP audio.
And no, even the upgraded audio cannot match the Mark Levinson in the Lexus, but it is adequate.
Vishnu.
This board has been such a wonderfully useful source of information. What should this rookie know in advance about the delivery process? I will own the car, not lease, and therefore really want to get it right. Anything special I should check for? Any hiccups to address before driving off the lot? Should I be tempted by extended warranties beyond the factory standard?
Sorry to sound naive, but I want to have this car a long time and can't afford the driving time to and from the dealer if problems are discovered that could have been taken care of delivery time.
I appreciate your experience and expertise!
Thanks in advance ...
Of the questions you asked, the one I'll address is extended warranty. This is based more on opinion than experience, but I'm sure others can fill in. The E39 is now a mature design and has a decent reputation for reliability. That said, however, when repairs ARE needed, they can be expensive. If you plan to keep yours a long time, that can be a factor. In the short time I've had mine, I had an entire headlamp assembly (incl xenon) replaced due to condensation under the cover. It was a warranty repair at no cost to me, but they showed it as a $2,100 job! That one job would pay for an extended warranty. Cheaper warranties are available from 3rd parties, but someone here has pointed out that they can lead to problems due to small print exclusions and the chance the insurer may go under. All in all, I would give the BMW extended warranty serious consideration. I don't know if it must be purcahsed with the new car, or if you can do it before the original warranty expires.
As for checklist, there's a fairly comprehensive one at http://www.fool.com/Car/Worksheets/DeliveryChecklist.htm, but it's obviously generic. I wish I could impart some personal knowledge from my delivery, but since I did it at the Spartanburg Delivery Center, it was an exhaustive and professional two-hour process that left no stone unturned.
The only recommendation I have is: Watch that tachometer needle closely. Although I knew full well about the break-in period, as soon as I left the parking lot (with 3 miles on the odometer), I accelerated out and within a second or so I had bumped up against the redline. It just raced up much faster than I expected. Boy, that was a fun day I wish I could relive...
BMW raised the invoice prices of its cars by 1% as of January 1, 2002. Check out the pricing of the "revised 5 series invoice pricing" on the eurobuyers pricing.
$1900 over invoice sounds a bit high. Many on this board are getting Invoice plus $1500.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Appreciate your help!
Here's the calendar: Dropoff: 3/20, Bremerhaven 3/25, boat 3/28. Will post when it arrives Stateside.
By the way, you can track your car about a week after it is put on the boat by putting your VIN in www.wlna.com cargo tracking.
Snagiel - you are right - Owner's Circle still shows the dumb "produced not shipped" and an equally dumb flash animation to the same effect.
It did not have a CD player. I bought a CD changer (Alpine unit, I believe) from Pacific BMW, and installed it myself. 30 minute job.
and/or fax. Quoted to each one the invoice prices for USA delivery and for ED.
Asked them first to correct any errors in the prices (there were none, as eurobuyers.com was
corrrect). Then, simply asked for how much OVER the total invoice - for here and ED - I could drive the car out of their shop. No MACO, no 'processing' fee, no 'NUTHIN' over that fixed
add-on to the invoice. Some dealers will tell you that ED is non-negotiable and simply is
7% under U.S. MSRP (as I remember it). This is not true.
I went ED. I was going to Europe anyway, and the price was right. There are other savings
keyed to buying it in Europe - sales tax, licensing, etc. related. Good luck. Daan
What, exactly, was extended by the dealer? The BMW new car factor b-to-b warranty? Thinking only BMW AG or NA could do that. Or is he giving you some coverage from a 3rd party warrantor? Or just agreeing to do parts & labor work during the period, either free or reduced prices? Is there a deductible to what the dealer extended?
1. I recently purchased a passport 8500 radar detector. The manual cautions again mounting it on a windshield with a soft anti-lacerative coating on the inside surface. Does my BMW have this coating? Also, where is the most effective place on the windshield to mount the detector?
2. The front seat seat-belt shoulder anchor at the center pillar of the car is adjustable, however I cannot seem to manually adjust its height. The height does change when the seat is moved forward and back, but not when the seat height is adjusted. My wife complains that the belt cuts too high across her neck and would like to lower the belt. Can the height be manually adjusted?
3. I saw the other day a new M5 driving with its fog lights on and the halo lights around the headlights on, but the headlights themselves were not on. On my car, this combination does not seem available. What gives?
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
They also said there was a $160 dealer training fee assessed by BMW and a dealer prep fee of approximately $360.
Have any of you encountered these fees?
Also, Momentum BMW quickly balked at the idea of $1500 over invoice on a new 530.
Any input is appreciated.
The BMW dealer agreed to extend the b to b warranty from 4/50 to 4.5/55. How they arrange it with BMW, or if they simply pick up labor and parts, I do not know. As far as I am concerned, there is no out of pocket expenses for me if that extended warranty is required.
Here's some answers:
1) I, too, have the Passport 8500. Mounting it on the windshield is fine--I haven't had any issues with it. Ideally, I think the best location would be to the left of the rear-view mirror just under the tinted part of the windshield, but placing it there restricts opening the visor. Therefore, I placed it directly below the rear-view mirror, but leaving a little bit of room just above it to ensure its viewability is clear in all directions. I hard-wired the unit with the optional ($10) wire (you can order from escortradar.com or their 800-number), following the instructions at http://www.bmwtips.org/. I went a step further and tucked the power cable between the top of the headliner and the windshield (it snakes down to the left and behind the rear-view mirror) for a very clean install.
2) Good question. In the manual it states what you discovered--that it automatically adjusts based on seat position, but there's no mention about manually overriding it. I'd ask the deal if they can adjust the passenger side to better fit your wife's preference.
3) You can have your lights behave the same way, unless you have the daytime running lights (DRL's) turned on. Simply turn the lights on to the "parking" position (one notch to the right of off), and turn on your fogs to the right of the steering wheel.
http://www.geocities.com/diver00/checklist.htm
Thanks....new to bmw
Steve