I actually have to agree with you. The Winters here seem to be getting milder, with less snow. But it is still freakin' cold. It's just that 1 or 2 days a year when the white stuff is on the ground; although, my wife has a Camry, so in the worst case, I can garage the BMW and drive her car.
Braveheart1 - I have driven plenty of Quattro's and know how capable they are, but I have never put an ix through its paces so your information is much appreciated.
Does anyone have any info on reliability for the 3-series vrs. the A4?
If you are interested in a CPO 3 Series, you might want to quickly run thru BMW NA's web site locator to find that one nearest you. As the big ad from my local BMW dealer in the local paper blares out: "Last Chance!" The "No First Payment" on CPO BMW's financed through BMW Financial Services ends 12/31/01. Happy New Year!
According to the April 2001 Consumer Reports, the 3-series BMW has consistently "better than average" overall reliability; the Audi A4 has varied from "worse than average" to "better than average," depending on the model year. (The ratings are based on responses to reader surveys.) CR also rates the reliability of about a dozen specific areas (such as engine, cooling system, etc.) in the April issue. You can get back issues of CR in most libraries, but you might get more up-to-date reliability ratings in the CR "Annual Buying Guide," which I think is on sale now.
By the way, even though Consumer Reports has a different idea of what makes for the perfect car than most of us who own BMWs, they rated the BMW 330i as best in its class (in May, I think) and the BMW 535i as the best car they ever tested (sometime this past fall).
In my opinion audi's are just inferior to BMW or Mercedes. Just look at the interior, or sit in one and you will understand. Everything is just a tad bit cheezyer, its sort of like the feal I get when I sit in a lexus: Nice but quality is not on par with BMW, Mercedes or even Jaguar (a ford for god sakes)
Since we were on the topic of "direct drive 5th gear" the other day, I was wondering if someone knows of dyno readings of hp at the wheels for the manual 325/330? Just curious about how efficient the transmission is. My understanding is that most manual trannies lose about 10% through driveline losses.
rezo00: Re interior. You should really sit in either the current generation A4 (or previous, for that matter) and you'll see that the A4 interior is much better designed with higher quality materials than the 3. I know this is only my 2 cents, but most if not all auto journalists have found this to be true.
BTW, I also think that the A4's interior looks nicer and has more class (definitely better material quality) but I find the 3-series' interior a lot more ergonomic and intuitive - they built it with the driver in mind.
10-15%manual 15-25%auto NOTE: AWD have more drive train loss. O and I sat in an A6 at the lasvegas motor show this year...it feels cheezy...the only audi I like is that little TT, that is a decent interior..
Audi's interiors have always been well designed and well executed and I agree that the new A4's is excellent, but I compared the 3 series and the A4 interiors side by side and here is my take:
The Audi's climate control & audio switches feel a little cheaper and don't quite actuate with the same substance as the BMW's. Audi's interior lights, especially in the dash and instrument clusters, are notorious for going out.
BMW's dash lighting has always been nice but the new A4's use of red and white is really cool.
The dash materials, the carpeting and leather/ette are all comparable. Even the trunk materials are comparable.
Audi has the best Sunroof controls in the business!
The Audi's interior has some great cubby holes and storage (like in the front seats) and the rear seats get their own vents whereas the BMW is a little short on these features. The Audi has some folding anchors that extend down from the rear deck inside the trunk; although, strangely, some of the cars on the lot had them and some did not, and it wasn't consistently 3.0's or 1.8T's. But all of the folding handles and visors in the Audi fold back into position slowly with sufficient spring load.
The seating position seemed a little better in the BMW where the Audi's center armrest can get in the way.
I would give the Audi folks an A for design and an A- for execution and the BMW folks a A- for design and an A for exection.
IMO these cars are so close in interior quality that I don't think you can honestly declare one much better than the other. I think it comes down to personal taste, and mine is for the BMW.
I have been driving my new xi (mostly) in the snow for almost three weeks now. I have snow tires on steel rims, but waited a while to change tires to directly compare all season/snow tires on the same day and conditions.
First with all-season tires, climbing and starting up in hills with 3-4 inches of heavy wet snow (the worst kind) is much easier than it ever was with my old RWD 325i with a 100# weight in the trunk and new snow tires, but tracking was definitively not as good. With the xi/snow tires, traction is better for acceleration and braking, but the biggest difference from xi/all-season is tracking and lateral stability. For this AWD does not help much and tire traction is the biggest factor.
I have not compared with the A4 in the snow. I have driven 4WD trucks in the snow a lot, and LandCruisers, Subarus, etc in mud and sand. The xi seems to compare very well except obviously for the ground clearance. There is a worry about wearing out the brakes. I will reserve judgment on this and will check brake pad wear when I switch back to summer tires.
A possible clue to brake wear: climbing hills in very slippery conditions with DSC on, the traction control indicator very rarely turns on. If this is when the individual brakes are applied, this cannot amount to much wear. You see the indicator turn on and off more when starting up in a snowy up hill grade. With DSC on, the traction control is more idiot proof and you cannot spin off the wheels and dig holes in the snow as would an over-anxious snow driving rooky.
With DSC off and the right touch, it will accelerate up hills noticeably faster but wiggle sideways a bit in the process. The indicator light is always on with DSC off, so I cannot tell what proportion of the time brakes are activating. I would think that the individual wheel breaking involved is pretty light unless some wheels have perfect traction and others none.
The ideal comparison with the Audi would be to test drive them both on the same snowy day. I did some comparison in dry conditions including some dirt road parts last summer. For traction and bits of slaloming on dirt, they seems comparable, but with a different feel. That was the old A4 (I tried both the 2.8 and 1.8t), so the 330xi power won me over. With equal power, I would say it all depends if you like a car which tends to plow a bit (Audi) or one that tends to oversteer slightly (xi). BTW, my test drive of both gives me the impression is that the 330xi will out accelerate the 330i in all but perfect road traction conditions.
One advantage of the xi in some cases is that you only need traction on any single wheel to get unstuck. With the A4, there is a limited slip differential in the back and effectively one front to back, but there is regular differential action between the front wheels where the greatest fraction of the vehicle weight is.
My advice to dg95 is: compare them head on and buy the one you like best.
in a sedan, you don't have many choices. But I wouldn't say the Audi is the hands down over whelming choice. The Audi has a more sophisticated AWD system than the Subaru and the BMW, but is not what swayed my final decision. Actually the high level of sophistication raised a concern regarding repair and maintenance. Both the Audi and BMW web sites offer good descriptions of their systems.
AWD is not about getting stuck, with enough snow any vehicle can get stuck. A good AWD system is about maintaining control on slippery surfaces, and allowing for easy dead start acceleration on snow or ice. I have been driving a 96 Subaru Legacy wagon for 6 years in Alaska and it has preformed wonderfully. My understanding is under normal conditions the Subaru’s power is distributed 90% to the front and 10% to the rear. When wheel slippage is detected the power distribution is reversed, 10% front / 90% rear, a very basic system that works pretty well. I believe Subaru’s new VDC is more sophisticated.
I regularly drive 100 miles to Anchorage in conditions that would keep most of the forum members home or the roads would have been closed to traffic in many lower 48 states. In the last 6 years I have lost control of the Subaru one time, on a straight stretch of highway going about 50 in extremely bad conditions. It had snowed about 18” 2 days before then turned to rain, cleared up and the temp dropped to about 15F. The roads had literally become a sheet of ice nearly 2 inches thick. So why was I going 50? The Subaru was performing so well it was easy to become over confidant. I felt the car starting to move laterally, eased off the gas pedal then held on for the ensuing 180-degree ride until I slammed into a 4’ snow bank on the side of the road. Fortunately no one was hurt and there was no damage, the snow bank had absorbed all the force. Would I have lost control driving the Audi or BMW, probably, the roads where so icy I had know business being out there.
Driving in these conditions, my wife and I decided the next new car must be AWD probably another Subaru. But that was before I drove a BMW. Needless to say ( not considering AWD ) there is no comparison between a Subaru Legacy and a 3 series BMW.
I test drove both the A4Q and the 325xi in snowy winter conditions this past December. Both salesman allowed me and even encouraged me to try and force the cars into a spin while driving on an icy snow covered parking lot. Both cars performed very well and I would have to give the advantage to the A4 for maintaining control, however (this is hard to explain) but I didn’t feel like I was driving the A4, it was driving me. I could get the 325xi to slide a little and felt more in control of the car. Both the A4 and the 325xi performed better than my 96 Subaru.
Both cars apply braking at the slipping wheels so if brake overheating is going to occur on one vehicle I don’t see how it won’t on the other. Now, if your stuck and you continue to rev and spin the wheels it’s time for a winter driving lesson.
Earlier in November when I test drove both the A4 and the 325xi on dryer roads I personally felt more comfortable in the BMW. While the A4 might have the edge in interior quality, IMO the BMW cockpit is more of a drivers car. I have not had the opportunity to drive a RWD BMW but was encouraged to read the 330xi review at http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2038a.shtml claiming “we found the extra all-weather prowess in no way compromises the 3- series' superb dry handling”.
Both A4Q and the 325xi are excellent choices. If AWD and control is your number 1 primary concern you might want to go with the A4. If not go with a car that’s the most fun and appealing to drive under normal conditions, which may very well be the A4. Even considering the 4 or 5 months of horrific driving conditions in Alaska I chose the 325xi. (waiting for March delivery)
I am consistently surprised at the number of people at various forums who live in areas that may have a few weeks of snow and ice a year who choose AWD. If you believe you’re sacrificing performance by going with AWD for the few days a year when conditions are icy, consider taking the bus, stay home, call in sick, bum a ride from your neighbor with the SUV.
Looks like there is a 13% loss at peak hp, vs. an 8% loss at peak torque. Which kinda makes sense, with more loss at higher rpm's likely due to higher friction.
I remember hearing somewhere that BMW was going to increase their dealers cost for the 3 series by 1%. I was talking to a dealer this afternoon and he said the invoice on the 3 series was going to be increased by 2%. Anyone know what the actual dealer invoice increase will be?
I'm planning to lease a 325 in the Dallas, TX area. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with the local dealers (Classic BMW and John Roberts BMW)? What's the Dallas BMW market like in terms of negotiating above invoice or below MSRP? I just moved here from Los Angeles so I'm pretty unfamiliar with the market here--in LA you can get 325's for $1000-2000 above invoice. Any help is appreciated, thanks!!
At least Cadillac is pushing the new CTS for the European market. Here in USA you can get it only with the Opel-derived 54 degree 3.2L V-6, with either 5-speed automatic or manual. In Europe there is a less expensive 2.6L V-6 model in addition to the 3.2L model.
Infiniti has changed the HP figure for their G35. Now the web site showing 260 HP, up 5 HP. But makes clear it comes standard with 5-speed shiftronic-type automatic. Too bad! Big mistake. They didn't learn from Lexus' mistake with IS300.
You can get a Cadillac with a manual tranny in the U.S.?!?!? I am impressed; would've never thought that enough Cadillac owners would be interested in driving manual...
My wife shopped for a BMW 3-series in early December and had a really bad experience with Classic BMW. They did not have exactly the car she wanted, but their only interest was in trying to convince her that paying MSRP was a bargain! We have been told by others that John Roberts is having big problems with customer satisfaction, but she did not shop there. I might add that the dealers in Houston appeared to have the same attitude about pricing.
She has ordered a car from Mike Pile BMW in Tyler, TX (about 90 miles east of Dallas). It is a small operation attached to a Jeep/Mazda dealership, but it ranks very high in customer satisfaction with BMW. A very pleasant shopping experience coupled with a decent discount off MSRP.
Check out Moritz in Arlington, they are very fair and provide BMW loaners with a valet sevice with in 50 miles. However they might not meet a lowball offer from Temple.
Classic while i never would buy from them probably. since i live very close, i have had very satisfactory service there.
Dale: ED hmmmm good question would that mean a train ride to Detroit from NJ ? sounds interesting ! and dont forget to ride the peoplemover while your there hah.
The sales manager (who is also the salesperson) pointed out the award certificates in the showroom. I don't recall the specific numbers. He did stress that they have to gain points on service since they don't get many for volume.
By the way, I did check the Better Business Bureau website. This dealership is a member of the local BBB and has a clean record.
O i forgot to mention had a emergency activation of a on -star system this weekend, turns out the 2002 Tahoe was in Cartoys getting a stereo and they hit the panic by mistake, very impressive however have me a direction 1/10 mile from a intersection, i found the car instantly. I can see where in a car jacking situation it would be very helpful.
I love the styling of the older 325 sedans (1991 and before). I've heard about the horrible maintenance costs and repairs, but I really want one. I saw a 1986 325e sedan with 108,000 miles,carfax certified, and the interior/exterior is in great condition, $3500. But is it worth the money to buy one? Can someone who has an older 325 give me some advice on choosing one?
brave1heart... Or where you think it looks good? And where it won't block critical vision. Wouldn't recommed driver's windshield or middle of rear window.
I've put mine on the small rear quarter window on driver's side backdoor. Out of way but visible and people will see it if they pass me on interstate. Didn't want them to see it when I pass them!
Went to the DC Autoshow yesterday and must say I was dissapointed that there was no new 7 Series to display.
The A4 was sharp looking but I must say that the interior looks a bit cheaper than the 3er, though trunk space is huge in comparison. I was curious about the interior because some claim that it is really great.
The biggest dissapointment was the MB cars. The interior of the Mercedes cars have deteriorated significantly as the buttons are now more rounded and give off a cheap effect. The material inside the car is more "plasticy" and I noticed signs of wear on the interior dials and knobs and they resembled the type found in lower end cars. Just plain ugly.
Ofcourse the Bimmer section was crowded with a line waiting to get into the M3 convertible and the X5 4.6. Overall the Bimmers are the smartest looking cars inside and out. I know that when I upgrade my other car, the decision will be pretty easy.
Yes i mentioned before id rather spend the bucks on a Lojack then a blinking clown nose. But it depends what your looking for.If your insurance gives a break for Lojack, the idea is that most cars are damaged or stripped after being dumpted, and that a quick recovery might prevent that.
All that being said is it possible to steal a 3er without using a key or towing it ??? I need to read again but i though it has the starter kill and fuel cutoff. If i owned a : Honda Silverado
Official BMW 2000 centers of excellence list. Not sure about the details of the ranking system but should factor in customer satisfaction. Keep in mind this ranking does not necessarily correlate with pricing.
Sorry for being so vague. You had mentioned in msg 12073 that you had gotten within 1/10 mile of the car equipped with OnStar, so I was wondering if you had any experience with recovery of a car equipped with LOJACK. I too agree with you about car security systems and put my money into LOJACK instead. However, because of where I live, my break-even period in cost of the system and saved insurance premiums is 7 years (not meant to be a complaint, just an observation).
I appreciate the info Bing. Unfortunately, none of those dealers are close to me.
I got to experience a little dealer arrogance today. Asked why I should consider buying from his dealership the salesman says "you should buy at the dealership you feel most comfortable with (delivered with a real condescending tone)." Needless to say, I didn't feel comfortable with him and left. I suppose business must be good or I should have dressed better.
Actually i meant they said car is 1/10 mile east of said intersection ...
far as either there have not been a lot of recoveries yet, my thoughts are most that purchase the system are on more top of line vehicles that maybe not quite have the propensity to get stolen, ie more elaborate alarms, ect.. but as it becomes more common and on more vehicles such as Escalade ect that seem to be the hot stolen cars for now , im sure we will see more recoveries.
I can guess that you are probably talking about the BMW Store off of I71. I have had numerous people tell me the same thing about their experiences with this dealer. I actually went there for a test drive and the salesman that I had was very accommodating; although, we didn't get into any pricing discussions yet. I have had a few friends purchase or lease their cars from Voss in Centerville. It's a smaller market but they are still pressured to meet sales quotas; therefore, they are much more willing to deal, especially against the BMW Store. They'll even valet your car for service, and they'll bring you a loaner. I will be visiting both of these dealers when it's time to purchase mine. Hope this is helpful.
Hondafan2, if you want my opinion on an old 325e, please contact me on my e-mail address, which is available in my profile. I had a 1986 325e, 2-door, 86k miles, before. I was not that happy with it as I am with my 99323i, just to give you an idea, but that would be normal, one cannot compare an old with a new car, I guess...
What gets me is these dealerships want you to turn in your customer survey with a perfect score marked. Why should I do that when the salesmen behave this way. I called a dealership the other day and spoke with a saleswoman. I told her I was interested in taking a testdrive and getting a brochure. She went to check on whether she had such a vehicle in stock -- I still haven't heard back from her.
dg95: Actually it was not the BMW Store but another dealership in the area. I wasn't going to name names but I also don't want to put a bad mark on this place. The BMW Store was quite helpful although I've yet to get in a real price discussion with them. I'm glad to hear about Voss though, it's close enough to deal with and I will consider them if I don't get a fair deal.
I really don't understand how sales people can be so arrogant, they've got to eat don't they? Are there that many people who will take attitude while they are writing a huge check every month? All is want is a fair deal and to be treated like a human, seems like an easy equation.
Still debating on my choice. I felt that the leatherette option on the A4 was a good one as that looked very nice and I hear the wear was even better than leather. Does anyone have any comments on the BMW leatherette option, particularly how it looks (I haven't seen a car with it yet). We are interested in the sand color.
Also, does anyone have any comments on the Navigation system? Is it worthwhile? Does it have similar mistakes in directions like Mapquest?
The grey leatherette I saw in a new A4 is the best vinyl I've ever seen,beating my previous favorite,Mercedes MB-Tex. The BMW sand vinyl has a rather yellowey unnatural sheen I don't like-I think the black looks much better. And,yes,vinyl will far outwear leather. Personally,I can't stand any of the navigation units. They add so much ugly clutter to the instrument panel,and are quite expensive,to boot.I'd put the money instead into moving up to a 525i. the 325i offers more sheer sporting pleasure,but the Audi has equally nice,but different,qualities.
How much is eTrex going for? One of my colleagues rented a Taurus from Hertz a couple of weeks ago that came with a portable hand-held unit like that (it was attached to the dash with some sort of a plastic stand). We used it to get to the restaurant that we wanted to try out and it worked flawlessly. The voice was as sultry as Lexus' ) Also, does anyone know how much BMW typically charges for upgrading the software? It seems that they could charge a lot because you're stuck with the expensive hardware and it's all proprietary stuff.
It would be almost impossible for anyone not familiar with a BMW to tell whether they were looking at leather or leatherette. For me, the give away is the different appearance of the material around the hand brake.
Feel is something else. Some owners say they can tell the difference in feel.
The reason I'm going with leather is neither of the above but because it seems pretty definite that leather is cooler. Depending on where you live this may or may not be very important.
I saw an eTrex at Wall Mart for $120, but I think this is a lower model.
A buddy of mine has the eTrex Vista and the Magellan map software. The software gives you local restaurants, etc. It's fun to watch the streets pass by on the map while you drive down the road. I think he spent $3-400 for the hardware and software.
Personally, I would get one of these instead of the in dash unit so I could use it in both our cars as well as my bike, hiking & fishing.
I poked around the on-line GPS store and it seems that the cheapest unit that has most features that built-in car nav systems offer is the Garmin Street Pilot III Car Navigation System at ~ $1,000. It has automatic route re-mapping, color maps, sultry voice guidance and the whole 9 GPS yards.
I know that the SMG is an option for the M3 but I read that it is already available for the 3er in Australia. Does anyone know if BMW is planning to introduce it as an option for 2003 3er in the U.S.?
In aviation circles Garmin GPS systems are arguably the finest units available. The StreetPilot III is a variation of an aviation grade unit and well thought of by most of the pilot types that I talk with. FWIW, I saw said StreetPilot III on Yahoo! Shopping! a week or two ago listed for $799. Given that my wife can get herself lost going to work (she has worked there for 7 years), I think the investment of a “G” note to eliminate her frustration is well worth the money. ;-)
Comments
Braveheart1 - I have driven plenty of Quattro's and know how capable they are, but I have never put an ix through its paces so your information is much appreciated.
Does anyone have any info on reliability for the 3-series vrs. the A4?
By the way, even though Consumer Reports has a different idea of what makes for the perfect car than most of us who own BMWs, they rated the BMW 330i as best in its class (in May, I think) and the BMW 535i as the best car they ever tested (sometime this past fall).
rezo00: Re interior. You should really sit in either the current generation A4 (or previous, for that matter) and you'll see that the A4 interior is much better designed with higher quality materials than the 3. I know this is only my 2 cents, but most if not all auto journalists have found this to be true.
330 dyno
~10% loss seems about right.
BTW, I also think that the A4's interior looks nicer and has more class (definitely better material quality) but I find the 3-series' interior a lot more ergonomic and intuitive - they built it with the driver in mind.
15-25%auto
NOTE: AWD have more drive train loss.
O and I sat in an A6 at the lasvegas motor show this year...it feels cheezy...the only audi I like is that little TT, that is a decent interior..
The Audi's climate control & audio switches feel a little cheaper and don't quite actuate with the same substance as the BMW's. Audi's interior lights, especially in the dash and instrument clusters, are notorious for going out.
BMW's dash lighting has always been nice but the new A4's use of red and white is really cool.
The dash materials, the carpeting and leather/ette are all comparable. Even the trunk materials are comparable.
Audi has the best Sunroof controls in the business!
The Audi's interior has some great cubby holes and storage (like in the front seats) and the rear seats get their own vents whereas the BMW is a little short on these features. The Audi has some folding anchors that extend down from the rear deck inside the trunk; although, strangely, some of the cars on the lot had them and some did not, and it wasn't consistently 3.0's or 1.8T's. But all of the folding handles and visors in the Audi fold back into position slowly with sufficient spring load.
The seating position seemed a little better in the BMW where the Audi's center armrest can get in the way.
I would give the Audi folks an A for design and an A- for execution and the BMW folks a A- for design and an A for exection.
IMO these cars are so close in interior quality that I don't think you can honestly declare one much better than the other. I think it comes down to personal taste, and mine is for the BMW.
First with all-season tires, climbing and starting up in hills with 3-4 inches of heavy wet snow (the worst kind) is much easier than it ever was with my old RWD 325i with a 100# weight in the trunk and new snow tires, but tracking was definitively not as good. With the xi/snow tires, traction is better for acceleration and braking, but the biggest difference from xi/all-season is tracking and lateral stability. For this AWD does not help much and tire traction is the biggest factor.
I have not compared with the A4 in the snow. I have driven 4WD trucks in the snow a lot, and LandCruisers, Subarus, etc in mud and sand. The xi seems to compare very well except obviously for the ground clearance. There is a worry about wearing out the brakes. I will reserve judgment on this and will check brake pad wear when I switch back to summer tires.
A possible clue to brake wear: climbing hills in very slippery conditions with DSC on, the traction control indicator very rarely turns on. If this is when the individual brakes are applied, this cannot amount to much wear. You see the indicator turn on and off more when starting up in a snowy up hill grade. With DSC on, the traction control is more idiot proof and you cannot spin off the wheels and dig holes in the snow as would an over-anxious snow driving rooky.
With DSC off and the right touch, it will accelerate up hills noticeably faster but wiggle sideways a bit in the process. The indicator light is always on with DSC off, so I cannot tell what proportion of the time brakes are activating. I would think that the individual wheel breaking involved is pretty light unless some wheels have perfect traction and others none.
The ideal comparison with the Audi would be to test drive them both on the same snowy day. I did some comparison in dry conditions including some dirt road parts last summer. For traction and bits of slaloming on dirt, they seems comparable, but with a different feel. That was the old A4 (I tried both the 2.8 and 1.8t), so the 330xi power won me over. With equal power, I would say it all depends if you like a car which tends to plow a bit (Audi) or one that tends to oversteer slightly (xi). BTW, my test drive of both gives me the impression is that the 330xi will out accelerate the 330i in all but perfect road traction conditions.
One advantage of the xi in some cases is that you only need traction on any single wheel to get unstuck. With the A4, there is a limited slip differential in the back and effectively one front to back, but there is regular differential action between the front wheels where the greatest fraction of the vehicle weight is.
My advice to dg95 is: compare them head on and buy the one you like best.
AWD is not about getting stuck, with enough snow any vehicle can get stuck. A good AWD system is about maintaining control on slippery surfaces, and allowing for easy dead start acceleration on snow or ice. I have been driving a 96 Subaru Legacy wagon for 6 years in Alaska and it has preformed wonderfully. My understanding is under normal conditions the Subaru’s power is distributed 90% to the front and 10% to the rear. When wheel slippage is detected the power distribution is reversed, 10% front / 90% rear, a very basic system that works pretty well. I believe Subaru’s new VDC is more sophisticated.
I regularly drive 100 miles to Anchorage in conditions that would keep most of the forum members home or the roads would have been closed to traffic in many lower 48 states. In the last 6 years I have lost control of the Subaru one time, on a straight stretch of highway going about 50 in extremely bad conditions. It had snowed about 18” 2 days before then turned to rain, cleared up and the temp dropped to about 15F. The roads had literally become a sheet of ice nearly 2 inches thick. So why was I going 50? The Subaru was performing so well it was easy to become over confidant. I felt the car starting to move laterally, eased off the gas pedal then held on for the ensuing 180-degree ride until I slammed into a 4’ snow bank on the side of the road. Fortunately no one was hurt and there was no damage, the snow bank had absorbed all the force. Would I have lost control driving the Audi or BMW, probably, the roads where so icy I had know business being out there.
Driving in these conditions, my wife and I decided the next new car must be AWD probably another Subaru. But that was before I drove a BMW. Needless to say ( not considering AWD ) there is no comparison between a Subaru Legacy and a 3 series BMW.
I test drove both the A4Q and the 325xi in snowy winter conditions this past December. Both salesman allowed me and even encouraged me to try and force the cars into a spin while driving on an icy snow covered parking lot. Both cars performed very well and I would have to give the advantage to the A4 for maintaining control, however (this is hard to explain) but I didn’t feel like I was driving the A4, it was driving me. I could get the 325xi to slide a little and felt more in control of the car. Both the A4 and the 325xi performed better than my 96 Subaru.
Both cars apply braking at the slipping wheels so if brake overheating is going to occur on one vehicle I don’t see how it won’t on the other. Now, if your stuck and you continue to rev and spin the wheels it’s time for a winter driving lesson.
Earlier in November when I test drove both the A4 and the 325xi on dryer roads I personally felt more comfortable in the BMW. While the A4 might have the edge in interior quality, IMO the BMW cockpit is more of a drivers car. I have not had the opportunity to drive a RWD BMW but was encouraged to read the 330xi review at http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2038a.shtml claiming “we found the extra all-weather prowess in no way compromises the 3- series' superb dry handling”.
Both A4Q and the 325xi are excellent choices. If AWD and control is your number 1 primary concern you might want to go with the A4. If not go with a car that’s the most fun and appealing to drive under normal conditions, which may very well be the A4. Even considering the 4 or 5 months of horrific driving conditions in Alaska I chose the 325xi. (waiting for March delivery)
I am consistently surprised at the number of people at various forums who live in areas that may have a few weeks of snow and ice a year who choose AWD. If you believe you’re sacrificing performance by going with AWD for the few days a year when conditions are icy, consider taking the bus, stay home, call in sick, bum a ride from your neighbor with the SUV.
Happy New Year!
2. 5 speed standard
3. All speed traction control
4. more room than a 5 series
give up ?
Cadillac cts lol
Looks like there is a 13% loss at peak hp, vs. an 8% loss at peak torque. Which kinda makes sense, with more loss at higher rpm's likely due to higher friction.
Thanks for the "Heads Up", ummmm, sort of. ;-)
To my eye, the CTS sorta looks like an Audi A6 that got lost in the silly mirror section of a fun-house in a cheap carny.
Do you know if the CTS is available with ED? ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Infiniti has changed the HP figure for their G35. Now the web site showing 260 HP, up 5 HP. But makes clear it comes standard with 5-speed shiftronic-type automatic. Too bad! Big mistake. They didn't learn from Lexus' mistake with IS300.
She has ordered a car from Mike Pile BMW in Tyler, TX (about 90 miles east of Dallas). It is a small operation attached to a Jeep/Mazda dealership, but it ranks very high in customer satisfaction with BMW. A very pleasant shopping experience coupled with a decent discount off MSRP.
Classic while i never would buy from them probably. since i live very close, i have had very satisfactory service there.
Dale: ED hmmmm good question would that mean a train ride to Detroit from NJ ? sounds interesting ! and dont forget to ride the peoplemover while your there hah.
Regards,
DL
By the way, I did check the Better Business Bureau website. This dealership is a member of the local BBB and has a clean record.
DL
Can someone who has an older 325 give me some advice on choosing one?
I've put mine on the small rear quarter window on driver's side backdoor. Out of way but visible and people will see it if they pass me on interstate. Didn't want them to see it when I pass them!
The A4 was sharp looking but I must say that the interior looks a bit cheaper than the 3er, though trunk space is huge in comparison. I was curious about the interior because some claim that it is really great.
The biggest dissapointment was the MB cars. The interior of the Mercedes cars have deteriorated significantly as the buttons are now more rounded and give off a cheap effect. The material inside the car is more "plasticy" and I noticed signs of wear on the interior dials and knobs and they resembled the type found in lower end cars. Just plain ugly.
Ofcourse the Bimmer section was crowded with a line waiting to get into the M3 convertible and the X5 4.6. Overall the Bimmers are the smartest looking cars inside and out. I know that when I upgrade my other car, the decision will be pretty easy.
All that being said is it possible to steal a 3er without using a key or towing it ??? I need to read again but i though it has the starter kill and fuel cutoff.
If i owned a :
Honda
Silverado
the most stolen cars id recommend it.
good luck,
DL
http://www.bimmer.org/3series/messages/archive/msgsy2001w40/65338.html
I too agree with you about car security systems and put my money into LOJACK instead. However, because of where I live, my break-even period in cost of the system and saved insurance premiums is 7 years (not meant to be a complaint, just an observation).
CNorthrup
I got to experience a little dealer arrogance today. Asked why I should consider buying from his dealership the salesman says "you should buy at the dealership you feel most comfortable with (delivered with a real condescending tone)." Needless to say, I didn't feel comfortable with him and left. I suppose business must be good or I should have dressed better.
far as either there have not been a lot of recoveries yet, my thoughts are most that purchase the system are on more top of line vehicles that maybe not quite have the propensity to get stolen, ie more elaborate alarms, ect.. but as it becomes more common and on more vehicles such as Escalade ect that seem to be the hot stolen cars for now , im sure we will see more recoveries.
hope that explains it,
DL
I will be visiting both of these dealers when it's time to purchase mine. Hope this is helpful.
I really don't understand how sales people can be so arrogant, they've got to eat don't they? Are there that many people who will take attitude while they are writing a huge check every month? All is want is a fair deal and to be treated like a human, seems like an easy equation.
Also, does anyone have any comments on the Navigation system? Is it worthwhile? Does it have similar mistakes in directions like Mapquest?
Thanks for any input you have.
Personally,I can't stand any of the navigation units. They add so much ugly clutter to the instrument panel,and are quite expensive,to boot.I'd put the money instead into moving up to a 525i.
the 325i offers more sheer sporting pleasure,but the Audi has equally nice,but different,qualities.
-Murray
I have been thinking about studded snow tires. What is the opinion out there? Does Tireracks do studded tires?
Feel is something else. Some owners say they can tell the difference in feel.
The reason I'm going with leather is neither of the above but because it seems pretty definite that leather is cooler. Depending on where you live this may or may not be very important.
Also, with leather, you get more color choices.
A buddy of mine has the eTrex Vista and the Magellan map software. The software gives you local restaurants, etc. It's fun to watch the streets pass by on the map while you drive down the road. I think he spent $3-400 for the hardware and software.
Personally, I would get one of these instead of the in dash unit so I could use it in both our cars as well as my bike, hiking & fishing.
-Murray
Garmin StreetPilot III
Best Regards,
Shipo