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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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  • nobeenobee Member Posts: 194
    mschukar, yes, I agree, firewire would be a better a better way of transferring files, but based upon their website, the module supports up to 320 kb/s. That means a typical 4-5mb song would take up to approx. 16 seconds. Not too shabby. It may be a bit slow for some people but I think the benefits outweighs the drawbacks. 1. It can hold a crap load of songs 2. It never skips unlike a CD changer 3. anytime you want to add and/or delete a song, you just grab the DMS cartridge and plug it into the cradle and voila!, instant download of your favorite tunes. 4. Last but not least, it's a perfect match to our BMWs!

    I believe the entire system is not portable, however, the hard drive can be inserted to any phatnoise system. Kind of like a 3 1/2" disk.
    -nobee
  • nobeenobee Member Posts: 194
    The link below shows a diagram of how the system would be installed into your BMW.

    -nobee


    http://www.phatnoise.com/products/systemoverview/index.php

  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    When the rear starts to slide, you should keep on the gas and steer your way out. If you lift off the gas, you'll worsen the problem by shifting weight to the front.
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    Holy cow, this Phatnoise thing actually interfaces with the OEM receiver in the Bimmer: BMW 99-02 Compatibility. and according to that link the OEM receiver works with their advanced features. "Using voice prompting, the PhatNoise Car Audio System reads album, artist, genre and playlist names to you while you drive." Cool...


    The only possible stumbling block for me is the music management software. If I would have to re-rip my entire CD collection using their proprietary software, I'd have to wait until someone hacks around that limitation.


    Now if they can only get Mercedes compatibility working.
  • mschukarmschukar Member Posts: 351
    All of the Phat Noise advantages apply to the iPod except for the perfect match for BMW.

    As for connecting to your car stereo, I'm thinking there must be some way to plug a line level input into the BMW audio system. Obviously, the Phat Noise system does.

    Bottom line, for $800 I'll change my CD's manually and get better sound.

    -Murray
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    Did someone post above that the insurance provided by BMW did NOT include theft insurance? What about other forms of comprehensive? I just talked to my agent and their policies do not provide coverage in Europe, so it looks like I'll have a gap if theft isn't covered.
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    I don't have the details in front of me (I'll post them later) but I believe the BMW ED insurance does cover theft in Western Europe but not at 100%.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    When I was working for MB in Stuttgart, they rented me a BMW (long story), and the rental agency told me that I was NOT allowed to drive to ANY eastern European country, Italy, Greece or Spain, because of the theft problem. Basically, if I did, and the car got stolen, I just bought it. This *Might* be the same with the ED Insurance.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • john01john01 Member Posts: 246
    Shipo is correct, and it is still the case, for the most part. Depending on the renatl company, you can purchase additional insurance for coverage in former eatern bloc countries. Many will allow you to take your car to Spain and Italy, though, including ED
  • genie1genie1 Member Posts: 398
    Fianlly got to test my Nokians on Friday. We received about 15cms over the course of the afternoon. Traffic headed home at 8pm was fairly speedy bumper to bumper with troughs of unplowed ice/snow making lane changes scary. I hydroplaned a couple of times and got to test the stopping power of the brakes. They stop on a dime even on ice.

    Off the highway, the Nokians were extremely noisy on the compacted chunks of ice/slush, but were easy to control.

    My only mishap was when I stopped at a light and the front wheels went into a rut. I couldn't get rolling again and had to back up a couple of inches.

    That's it. I'm extremely glad I had them on my car as there's no way I could have made it back home with my all seasons.
  • raavirraavir Member Posts: 64
    do anybody have canadian invoice prices?
  • genie1genie1 Member Posts: 398
    I haven't found any FREE reliable sources for Canadian pricing. I read about a car-buying service that charges an annual fee and provides that info. If you like, I can dig up the contact info in some back-issues. Let me know if you are interested.
  • raavirraavir Member Posts: 64
    do anybody have canadian invoice prices?
  • rednblackrednblack Member Posts: 8
    All right guys I am set-up to pick my 3-series in Munich in 6 weeks.If anyone has done the ED program do you have any recomendations???
    I will be there for 4-days by myself.Kids are in school and the wife does not want to fly.

    Do they give you directions/instructions to the pick-up facility?
    Can you turn the car in on the weekend?

    Where would you drive too if you only had one overnight stay?Salzburg,Vienna,Zurich,Black forest?

    Any input would be greatly appreciated.
  • pen101pen101 Member Posts: 238
    I plan to lease a 330i with PP, SP, zenons, metallic paint and fold down rear seats. If not for the ED program, I would probably order the car in January. But according to BMW's official site, I can save $2,380 by the ED program. Independently of the proposed purchase, I have tentative plans to be in Germany around end of May.

    According to the BMW delivery planner, I must order the car by 4/4 for pickup on 5/30. I will use the car 8 days and then drop it off on 6/8. Then I must wait until 8/2 to pick up the car at my dealer.

    Here are my questions. I do not want to sound petty over a few dollars, but I want to see if the ED program really is such a cost savings as is advertised.

    I understand that for ED, the car must be paid for one month in advance. Presumably that means the lease will start around 4/30. This means that except for the 8 days I'll have the car in Germany, I will be just dreaming about the car and paying the monthly lease payments for 3+ months. Assuming that the monthly lease cost is around $600/month (with all the above options, and tax, license, doc fees, etc.), I would be paying $1,800 without the use of the car.

    In addition, by the time I pick up the car in August, It would be 4 months since my inital order date, and the car had depreciated by 3 months from the time I started with the lease payments, without me even being able to use it. Plus, by the time I get the car from my dealer in August, the 2003's are just around the corner and therefore, I probably could get a better deal on a model year-end 2002 than I could have back in January. And of course in August, my "new" 2002 BMW 330i will be 1 model year old in just a few months.

    On the other hand,the additional cost benefit is of course, that while in Europe, I would not have to rent a car (a savings of maybe $400 for the week).

    Does the above analogy make sense or am I missing something about the benefits and costs of the ED program? If I am correct, then, is there really any substantial benefit to ED?

    Thanks for your responses
  • rafromerorafromero Member Posts: 1
    Manajo - I have a 1999 328i with 40K and I have the EXACT SAME PROBLEM you described in your post: It rolls smoothly up to about 55-60mph. At about 60-65mph it picks up a low frequency drone sound with light vibration that I can feel in the seat and I also notice in the rearview mirror, and at 75mph everything is smooth and quiet again. Someone responded that perhaps you should have your tires rotated and balanced, have you had a chance to do this and did it take care of the problem? Please let me know. Thank you.
  • rednblackrednblack Member Posts: 8
    pen,
    European Delivery does not make sense if you are going to lease.Why lease a car when you cant use it for three months;however, it makes perfect sense if you plan to purchase.I will be saving $3,500 on my purchase which essentially goes or stays in my pocket.
  • pen101pen101 Member Posts: 238
    How are you dealing with the waiting? I'd go nuts waiting 4 months from the time I placed the order until final pick-up here at home. Especially with the teaser of driving the car in Europe for a little while and then having to wait the 2 months until delivery at home.
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    Even without ED, many of us had to wait for our cars to be built, and delivered (my wait was 1 month or so). Something you have to deal with if you only want specific options.
  • pen101pen101 Member Posts: 238
    I agree about the wait. However, with ED, there is an extra wait of 2 months while the car is being shipped back and for dealer prep time. All this while I am paying the monthly lease payments, which start one month before European pick-up. If I lease the car here without ED, my lease does not begin until I pick-up the car at the dealer. With ED, that is about an $1,800 cost ($600/month total lease payment estimate) without my use of the car. And per the BMW web site, the ED cost savings is $2,380 (plus the savings on tax and interest on that amount).
  • raavirraavir Member Posts: 64
    I just got quotes for canadian and europien deliveries. I got to pay arround 3k for canadian customs, no difference at all, I can't believe this......
  • jpcbeardenjpcbearden Member Posts: 37
    Yes, they give you directions/instructions to the pick-up facility. They will mail you an ED package once the order is confirmed.

    No, you cannot turn the car in on the weekend.
    I suggest you call for the directions. It wasn't easy for us to find it. We almost missed our drop-off time. It closes at 4 on Friday.
  • raavirraavir Member Posts: 64
    I just got quotes for canadian and europien deliveries. I got to pay arround 3k for canadian customs, no difference at all, I can't believe this......
  • ubrsfubrsf Member Posts: 51
    ED does have saving advantages, but it is mostly done for people that would like to enjoy the driving experience in Europe.

    I'am leasing and doing ED. First I am saving $2380 BMW ED discount, then I am getting $1400.00 over ED invoice, then the floor mats are free ($80.00 value), and no Maco Fee which in california is about ($400-500). so Almost 3k in savings. I got free miles so all I have to do is pay for hotel and food. Yes, you have to pay an extra month if you lease and do ED [1st month (prior to pick up), 2nd month (when you are driving the car in Europe)and 3rd month (the wait)], but you'd still have to pay two month if you were financing and doing ED. BTW, my payments are 2k down $450.00 a month for a 2002 330i PP,SP,Heated Seats,Metallic and Bi-xenons. I will most probably brake out even at the end, but I will have seen and driven through Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Boy, that just sounds beautiful.
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    didn't think of this. I suppose because I had only recently changed my plans from purchasing to leasing. I guess it's back to purchasing!
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    I was in Germany summer before last but didn't do the ED. My recommendation would be to drive down to the palace of Neuschwanstein which is about 40 miles SW of Munich and is the number 1 tourist attraction in Germany -- for a reason.

    Go to my ED cross reference post by clicking here:

    postoak Dec 13, 2001 4:04pm

    and read platypus' description of his trip. You might get some more ideas. Plus, I think he recommends one or two places to stay in Munich.
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    made the comment about no theft insurance on the ED. Here's his post:

    hgeyer Dec 12, 2001 5:11pm

    Yes, I know if you rent a car in Germany and take it into certain other countries your theft insurance is void, but he doesn't seem to be saying that.
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    I see you posting over in the 5-series thread -- are you dissatisfied with your 3-series? Or do you just need the extra space?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Hmmm, No and No. I don't actually NEED the extra space (yet), my wife has a mini-van for the trips when the whole family is along for the ride and the camping gear is packed in back. Having said that, due to a potential shift in my business situation, I may well wind up with more clients hopping in the back for a trip to the local watering hole than my current consulting gig requires. ;-) So, I guess a better description is that I MIGHT WANT the extra space.

    My decision matrix is a little convoluted at this point, my lease on my 1999 328i is expiring in April, where I will have two options; 1) Dispose of the 328i (peddle it or turn it in) and get another car, or 2) Re-lease it for another year (certainly an option) and delay the new car thing until 2003.

    What makes me hesitant to Re-Lease my 328i is that I very well might NEED the extra space sometime next year, and the 2003 5-Series is not as pleasing to my eye as the 2002 530i. As I see it, this is my last chance for several years to drive a BMW larger than my 328i, and still be small enough to be fun (and have a stick shift).

    So, do I keep the 328i, or do I replace it with a 330i or a 530i next spring? If I keep the 328i, do I then replace it with a 2003 330i or 2003 530i (if there is such a thing), or maybe an Audi A6 2.7t? I am kinda partial to the current BMW lineup as far as looks goes, not to mention the RWD aspect of these cars, the Audi has a great interior, a cool engine (I have always been fond of blown engines {the kind without a belt that is}), a 6-Speed, and lose the exterior styling that I am fond of, not to mention the RWD of the BMW.

    Time is starting to run out and I am nowhere nearer a decision than I was 6 months ago. I will keep y’all posted.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • 262956262956 Member Posts: 1
    Help! The Boise weather is back to normal and the stock 1999 3281 m/s tires don't do a great job (continental). Suggestions? Is it just the car or are there better snow tires?
    Thanks, Chuck
  • seivwrigseivwrig Member Posts: 388
    First, I will thank all of you for your advice. I still blew but it could have been worst. I could have paid the full ED MSRP price. I will not tell you what I lost most of you will start throwing daggers.

    ED seems like it will make sense regardless of lease or finance, you will still pay for the time the car is not used, but depending on the dealer that you use, the price can and will come down. There is only one dealer in TX that I know of that will come within $1500 to $2000 of invoice and I cannot remember the name.

    Price for me was the difference of getting what I want. My wife is still mad that I did not get a 525i, but at 32, I can wait. My wife will probably buy a 525i, especially since she can learn from my purchasing mistakes. I will be getting a Blk on Blk 325i. I have not received my date but it will be in March. I go home(UK) every other year and always in March. The weather is tolerable. Jan/Feb never, I live in TX.
    There is theft insurance on the ED but it will only cover 90% of cost, you are left holding the 10%. I don't think the theft insurance covers going into Eastern Europe. Rental cars are the same.
    Like ubrsf mentioned about the savings, there are many. You don't have to pay for floor mats, first aid kit and triangle. Can also get accessories cheaper. Deal with a dealer that will give you less than MSRP. For me, I will end up paying the price of US invoice, with for me is great on an almost loaded 325i(no SP the roads are too bad in Houston, no heated seats and no rear airbags) In my case, I don't pay for room, board or food just a plane ticket, ferry ticket and overpriced gas. Not bad for a bloody Brit with too much West Indian blood. ED is a good even if just to drive the Autobahn. Don't drive in Paris, if you like your car.
  • bing330ibing330i Member Posts: 89
    6 weeks from now will be 1/28. I will carry out my ED that time! I will arrive Sat 1/26 and stay at Holiday Inn North Munich.

    Anybody going there around the time and interested in meeting up?

    BTW, are you a Stendhal fan?
  • bing330ibing330i Member Posts: 89
    Pros:
    - Cheaper. Period. regardless of bargaining.
    - Free floor mats.
    - Other ED freebies.
    - No MACO.
    - Drive in Europe, esp autobahn!
    - Factory tour.
    - Euro license plate.
    - Esp good for those with tons of free air miles and hotel points like me :->

    Cons:
    - Longer wait.
    - pay 2+ months for a car you can only drive in ED for days.
    - Limited financing options if not paying cash due to the advance payment (lien holder issue).

    Add on, folks.
  • rednblackrednblack Member Posts: 8
    JPCBeardon,Postoak,Bing330i and pen101......Thanks for your generous advice on the ins and outs of the ED program.

    Pen,yes these three months of waiting are killing me.

    Postoak,great write-up on your experience!

    Bing330i,not sure what a Stendahl is???please forgive.....My trip is actually planned in the second week of February,hopefully you can share some details when you return.

    JPCBeardon.....Did not realize the car needed to be returned by 4:00 Friday.Certainly changes my travel plans although I expect to have a great time regardless.
  • pen101pen101 Member Posts: 238
    postoak:

    Even at 3 months of lease payments without use of the car (one month prior to delivery and then wait up to two months after European drop-off), at $450/month (per ubrsf), that is only $1,350. But the cost savings can be up to $3,000 (per ubrsf), not to mention the tax savings of leasing the car vs buying (if you lease the car through your business all expenses are deductible as a business expense, while if you buy, only a portion each year is tax deductible by your business). bing330i lists some good pro's (except let me add that for the BMW driving experience in Europe, you can always rent one - I did, plus max speed in a new BMW is limited to 80 MPH first 1,200 miles, while in a rental, its pedal to the metal on the autobaun - I've done over 120 MPH in a rented 3-series)

    ubrsf:

    Good luck on ED. I am leaning towards going with the ED program. Driving in Europe with a BMW is awesome. I did it (drove about 3,500 miles in 3 weeks in Europe a few years ago). I see from your post that I over-estimated the monthly lease cost. Did you lease your car from a California dealership? If so, can I get the name of the dealership?
  • nobeenobee Member Posts: 194
    I'm assuming you still ordered the steel gray/black interior right? Ahh, a man of my caliber...=) I just ordered the exact same thing. I'll pick mine up on 7 Jan.
    I've been living here in germany for over two years now and just love the traveling. Last month it was snowing like crazy in Austria, so be careful out there with your new BMW! If you're a history buff, I would definitely recommend Hitler's eagles nest and perhaps a drive down to Chimese. If you have some time, Salzburg and Innsbruck are two beautiful places. Be careful driving your BMW into Italy, however. BMW's are preyed upon by the local thieves. I believe even the car rental companies will not let you rent a bmw or a mercedes and let you drive it down to Italy. Let me know when you're coming over, perhaps I can show you around Germany.
    -nobee
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    rednblack - that was not MY experience, but rather Platypus' -- I just built the xref post to help bring people interested in the ED up to speed.

    pen101 - the car has nothing to do with my job, so I get no leasing tax benefit. I agree that for those who do, that is an important "pro".

    bing330i - an important pro for those who are making a vacation of this is the savings on a rental vehicle. I priced this out last summer and I was going to be paying $1600 for the European equivalent of a Contour - I forget what they call it "Monteo"? I could get by with a smaller vehicle, but I wouldn't, so that is a pure $1600 savings for me.

    One thing that must be factored in, if you don't place the order with your local dealer, is that you're going to have to pay $250-300 dollars to the "delivered to" dealer plus (if you're purchasing) title and licensing fees and state tax. So this is about $2500 "up-front" money you'll need. I think I'm right on this, I need to go check platypus' posts again.
  • derprofiderprofi Member Posts: 250
    One minor correction about the break-in period. Here's what it says in the 2002 owners manual (p. 104):

    "ENGINE AND DIFFERENTIAL

    The first 1,200 miles (2,000 km): Attempt to constantly vary both vehicle and engine speed during these initial miles while remembering to avoid engine speeds in excess of 4,500 rpm and/or vehicle speeds of over 100 mph (160 km/h):

    Always obey all official speed limits.

    Refrain from using full throttle and avoid pressing the accelerator beyond the kickdown point.

    After the initial 1,200 miles (2,000 km) you can gradually increase both engine and vehicle speeds."
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    you need good snows. blizzaks or artic alpins. call tire rack and ask them what would be best for your area.

    good luck.

    -Chris
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    If leasing is $550/mo and you have to pay for 3 months without using the car for more than a few days, that's a $1,650 expense that you would not incur with a U.S. delivery. If you were purchasing and the car cost about 35 grand, with no money down, at 6% a year, that would be about $175/mo in interest, or $525 over 3 months. That makes taking delivery through ED $1,125 cheaper for those buying compared to those leasing, all else equal.

    Now, let's say that ED prices are $2,000 lower on average for the 3-series. Here are some expenses to consider:

    $600 - plane ticket to Frankfurt
    $200 - getting from Frankfurt to Munich and back
    $200 - hotel and food for one night
    $100 - other (this could easily be a lot more)
    -------
    $1,100

    That's 1,100 + 525 = 1,625 for those buying and 1,100 + 1,650 = 2,750 for those leasing.

    Most dealers' ED discount is not nearly as attractive as their regular discount (in my case ED was discounted by $500 less than U.S. delivery). Even if you go ED through Joern Essner in Passport BMW in MD (admittedly the best guy for the job), you'd still have to pay $250-500 to have your car trucked to your local dealership. In the end, you could easily end up paying as much or even more through ED. The program makes more sense when more of the following conditions are met:
    - You are buying
    - You have a lot of frequent flyer miles to use OR you will be in Europe anyhow
    - You have the time (two days minimum) to do it
    - You can time your schedule with the ED pickup schedule

    The program is designed for you and your family to share something special and bring back a memorable experience for the same price or just a little more than what you'd end up paying if you took U.S. delivery. For me it would be a torture to drive a great car that's not broken in on the autobahn or in the twisties. However, if the net savings were substantial (at least $1,000 over what I'd be paying in the U.S.), I'd find a way to fly over for a weekend or I'd time the ED pickup schedule with my next vacation in Europe.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I have run a fairly detailed spreadsheet comparing Domestic Delivery (DD) vs. ED for both the 330i and the 530i. Apples to apples (dealer profit wise) the price difference between DD and ED is about $2,500 for the 330i and about $3,000 for the 530i. Assuming that the transit time for us lucky folks on the east coast is only about a month, the ED program looks much better. I still think that for my situation, I am going to lease one of the above two cars and do the ED thing.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • jliu_cajliu_ca Member Posts: 11
    Not sure if this helps or pertains to leasing, but I just negotiated a purchase of a 2002 330CIc for $1500 over ED invoice price including options from Weatherford BMW in Berkeley.

    Email me if you want further details or contact information.
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    You might be able to save $1,000 on the 330 and $1,500 on the 530, and that's assuming your dealer is willing to deal you the same ED discount as what you'd get on DD and further assuming that you have a lot of free miles. For the 330, I am calculating
    2,500 discount
    - 1,100 2 months lease
    - 200 getting from Frankfurt to Munich and back
    - 200 hotel and food for one night
    - 100 other
    --------
    900 net savings over DD, or 1,400 for the 530 under the above assumptions. Am I missing anything?
  • ubrsfubrsf Member Posts: 51
    Pen101- The dealership is Cutter Motors in Santa Barbara.
  • nobeenobee Member Posts: 194
    hmmm...never paid that much for a hotel room in Munich. Where did you stay?
    -nobee
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Here is where the numbers get fuzzy. My wife and I have been putting off a trip over to France and Germany for a while to visit our friends and family (her niece is doing the foreign exchange thing this year), so, a car is needed anyway. As a result, I can count the savings from the otherwise necesssary rental car with my new one. The plane tickets are another matter, I have enough air miles to fly First Class to Munich for both of us, on the other hand, given how cheap tickets are right now, it might make sense to just buy them and save the miles for another time.

    If I end up doing the ED thing solo, I would just stay with a friend of mine in Neuffen (a couple of hours from Munich), however, I am sure that we would spend any money not spent on Hotels on food and beer. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    I meant to say hotel for 1 night and food, which would include dinner, breakfast, and lunch at minimum. I'd budget about $200 for the above. I am sure you could stay at a youth hostel for $10 or so a night if you share a room and eat hot dogs instead but that's not my idea of picking up a BMW. How much would you say is reasonable?
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "eat hot dogs"

    But those are German hot dogs. Much better than the ones we consume here in the States. ;)
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    I agree with your figures except I don't see a 3 month delay. Rather, it's 30 days beforehand and about 45 days after you drop the car off = 75 days. I figure that's about $1250 worth of lease I would be throwing away. On a purchase I figure about $220 in interest.

    Of course, I AM doing all the other things you list, so ED is a GREAT deal for me.

    I'm sure you could easily spend $200 for a room in Munich, but in general, I think accomodation over there is cheaper than here. I would imagine $75 would be closer to what I'll spend. But that's a small point.

    Oh, and I just WISH my round trip airfare in June was $600. We'll be spending more like $3,000 for 2 tickets.
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    Money spent on food and beer is money well spent ;o) I'd consider it entertainment and would not count it as part of the cost to obtain your BMW. Well, assuming a car rental would be what - $400-500 a week, that would be direct savings to you. It seems that ED is very attractive in your case.
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