BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

tiredofmanual

It really was informative. I'll have to see what my situation is come summertime and if I really want to put myself into the perpetual car payment game. Again, thanks guys!

shipo

Hey my friend, I am still here sort of in "lurk mode”, I have a heavy deadline coming up on the 26th, so, I do a quick scan of my favorite threads, and then back to work. I promise I will be more loquacious after I deliver this current project.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

A quick re-post for those of you who might be interested.

As many of you know, I am nearing the end of the lease on my 1999 328i which came shod with All-Season tires (no SP), which I have never rotated. Given that I hit 36,000 miles last night, I thought it would be a good time to check the depth of the tread on my tires.

As a former FWD driver, I have grown used to the fronts wearing out before the rears, so, it comes as a bit of a surprise to me that, on this car, the rear tires have just over half the tread depth of the fronts (3mm vs. 5mm). It seems that I lean on the go pedal harder than I lean on the steering wheel. ;-) I guess that is not too surprising considering virtually all of the miles on this car have been in and around the NYC metro area.

According to the tirerack.com web site, my tires had 10/32” (about 8mm) of tread depth when new, so that equates to another 21,000 miles remaining for the rear tires and another 60,000 miles for the fronts (assuming that I drive the tires until they are smooth, that I do not rotate them AND that I keep the car after the end of the lease). If I do keep the car, I am inclined to drive the tires until the wear bars on the rear tires start showing, and simply buy two new tires (or one and keep the best of the two to swap out for the spare).

Another interesting item to note, there seems to be perfect symmetry to the wear patterns on my tires. Both rears look exactly the same with maybe a hair more tread depth on the shoulder than in the middle. Meanwhile, the fronts look perfect with no apparent wearing of the shoulder at all. I say “no apparent” because my tires (Michelin MXV4 Plus) do not have any measurable tread patterns near the shoulder, so, I have to “eyeball it”.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

As many of you may or may not know, I live in Manhattan and parking here is either hard to find or incredibly expensive (especially on the Upper West Side). So I leave my Saab up at my parents' house in the 'burbs (Rockland County) and when I need my car I go and get it. While it rots in the driveway, my mother has free use of it for whatvever purpose she deems necessary (hey it is the least I could do). She likes its FWD better than her RWD CLK in the snow & being a hatchback (5 Door) it has more cargo capacity for her trips to Costco & the Dry Cleaners. Every time you start the car there is a message on the on board computer that says "Check Brake Lights." Now when there is a beverage in the beverage containment unit (Read: Cupholder) it blocks the part of the message that says "lights." She calls me up the other day and tells me that she thinks my car needs brakes. I'm saying to myself: "Wow, my Mom noticed that the brakes are wearing down." I asked her why she thought the car needed new brakes and her reply was: "Every time I get in the car and start it up today it tells me to check brake." I asked her if there was a drink in the cupholder and then told her that the car says that on every start up. She was just being my concerned mother.

nyccarguy

You've mentioned in the past that you'll be looking at either a 330i or a 530i whent the lease is up on your 328i. You also said you may extend your lease another year and wait for the new 5. Did you see that new 5 series on that UK website? Beautiful car. What'd you think of it?

Also...Do know anything about this multiple security deposit thing?

shipo

Yes, I saw the new pictures of the next generation of the 5-Series. Said new pictures look soooo much better than the earlier ones on the same site that I am now thinking about keeping the 328i until the new 5er is available. My leasing company BancOne is currently on my case about what I am going to do at lease end, so I will have to make a decision soon.

As for the multiple security deposit issues, what I have heard is only hearsay and the same as what you have heard. Given that such a maneuver would most likely not benefit my company, I have not researched it at all. I suspect that a call to BMW finance or (maybe) a discussion with the Finance Manager at a dealership would give you a definitive answer.

Best Regards,
Shipo

ccotenj

on e36's anyway... not sure if the steering and suspension geometry change on the e46's has changed this...

rears will tend to wear to the middle...
fronts will tend to wear on the shoulders...

all three sets of tires i've had on mine (all not rotated, as recommended in the manual) have exhibited this characteristic, so i tend to agree with this... i've also found that the shoulders on the fronts wear *slightly* more than the middles of the backs... this could be (and this is just a guess, i really don't know if this is why or not) because i tend to run about 2 psi more in the fronts than recommended (34 instead of 32)...

i do know one thing for sure... improper alignment will EAT performance tires faster than i can go through a pint of ben&jerry's coffee english toffee!!

as always, ymmv...

-Chris

ps. to the snow tire poster. hunt around a little bit, i'm sure you can find a decent used set of steel wheels for the snows (you might even be able to find a set on ebay that would come with a set of snows to get you through the rest of the winter). as has been pointed out a billion times, it's not just the snow you have to worry about, it's the temperatures as well.

lfgpit

For those of you looking around and comparing price and lease data, I ordered a 330xi in PA at the end of January (steel blue, grey leather, pp, hs). My 1999 328i lease is up 4/1, and the new x should be in by the end of march. It is produced but not shipped. I negotiated at about $2100 over actual invoice, 62% resid. and factor of .00230 on a 36mo/12k mi. lease. The new Jan '01 invoice is $36,855. The dealer told me, for information only, that his advertising cost is 240, and dealer prep is 210 which includes floor mats. The advertising and prep are included in the deal.

I also understand that BMW FS puts out new lease data every 2 months. True? As such, if the March residual and/or factor is better, I can use those numbers. If anyone knows if the "real" resid. and factor for the 330xi as of March 1, I'd love to hear it.

Happy shopping!

jim52

Where in PA do you live? What dealership are you leasing from? When you say 2100 over over actual invoice I assume you mean before advertising and prep (or 1650 over what the dealer may consider his invoice to be).

tenet1

500 miles round trip from DC is going to be awesome.

Happy Cruising guys!!

lfgpit

The deal was 2100 over actual invoice, not the "dealer's invoice" including their costs. I am in Pittsburgh. No dealer in the area had a 330xi to drive, and most places wanted MSRP to order me one. Luckily, I had a friend who had a friend who helped me with the dealer. At least I hope he did! Otherwise, I wonder if they would have negotiated at all. All the dealers indicated that they didn't have enough allocation to deal on the 330xi, and could sell the few they get at sticker. Has anyone negotiated better on a 2002 330xi?

seivwrig

I would not drive in Amsterdam. When I went in 2000, I parked my rental at Amsterdam Arena, when Ajax of Amsterdam plays. Got on the train, and when down to Central Station. It was easy and cheap. I hate to drive in areas that have trams. The tram always wins especially given the momentum that they pick up.

postoak

Thanks for the tips, based on your advice, I'll just drive straight to the drop-off center and use taxis from then on.

orkwis

I'm planning to drop off there too, but I need to get in on Sunday evening. Is the driving any better on the weenends? I booked the Le Meridan near the RAI center just off the A10 in the Apolloan. How is that area?

mschukar

Where can I find used rims for snow tires? I would like to find something for less than $80 each for my 325i.

-Murray

bmw323is

Murray, are you a member of BMWCCA? If so, you might find someone in your local chapter selling rims. Otherwise the national magazine, Roundel, has classified ads in the back where you might find some. New steels wheels and hub caps will cost less than $80 from TireRack. I've also been told to try eBay. Finally, I've seen new Alloy wheels for as little as $120 ea. Good Luck.

bmw323is

I spent over 4 hours today washing, waxing and wheel cleaning on my car. I had a bit of time for my mind to ramble around and here are some ramblings.

My Jet Black E46 is absoutely awesome when it's clean - NOTHING looks better. That said, I don't think I'll buy another black car. You can see every little nick and chip. I cannot keep the swirl marks away even though I only hand wash it and use Zaino to exacting directions. And I baby this car since I currently have a second vehicle for foul weather. Next Bimmer will be White or Silver. I really enjoy cleaing a beautiful car, but it takes too long to clean this one and I hate driving a dirty looking car (water spots, swirl marks, chips, what else!).

My Conti Sports are wearing twice as fast in the rear as in the front with 12,000 miles on them. Even though it is not recommended by BMW, I'm going to have the tires rotated next week at the dealer (while in for a thermostat recall). Just front to back and back to front. I belive one rotation will get me 5-10,000 more miles from the tires. Even with this, they will only last 25,000 miles. I'm really considering an ultra high performance all season tire for my next set, like BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDWS. (Anybody with experience with these?) If these would get me by in snow season, I could save getting an extra set of wheels with dedicated snows (I know - all season tires are a compromise).

Otherwise, I love this car.

Dave

topspin627

Has anyone had the experience of the surround sound on the HK system fading in and out. I'm not sure if it's just because the FM signal has gotten weaker in the area I'm passing through or because the system itself is faulty. It only happens once in a while.

hgeyer

I can never hope to be able to put together a trip report as comprehensive as that from Derprofi. However, I did spend some time today putting together a quick page with some pictures from my January ED trip.

The link is: www.geyer.org/bmw.htm

I hope you enjoy. If not, sorry.....

Hans

derprofi

Nice little video! I definitely enjoyed it. In fact, it's only been 2 1/2 months and you've got me ready for another trip to Deutschland. What a pity that I used to really love traveling by train in Europe and now I'll never be satisfied unless I'm piloting a Bimmer or equivalent on the Autobahn. I noticed you had quite a bit more snow on the ground than when I was there in Nov./Dec. Were all the roads you traveled kept in pretty good condition?


PS, please put up more pix of the car :-)


Here's the above URL linkified.

brave1heart

bmw323is - Plus, they last twice as long and your car will look good year-round. The BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDWS tires have great ratings on the Rack. I'd seriously consider them if I decide to go with all-seasons.

mschukar - Even after one winter with my 325i SP, I have not decided what I will do with my tires next season. If you drive carefully, they will get you through (or limp along as you said it) most snow storms, as long as you don't have to get going from a steep spot. You get MUCH better traction in snow with all-seasons and especially snow tires - you have to decide for yourself how many days you will be driving on snow and how much traction you really need. I have driven on dry roads in temperatures as low as 18 degrees with my Contis and the low temperature has not been a dramatic problem on dry roads. For now, I am leaning toward buying the best all-seasons in any price range. If I decide to go with snows, they will definitely NOT be going on crappy steel wheels. In your situation, you have the whole summer to decide what's best for you. If you are still not sure, wait till the first snow and then see how comfortable you are with the stock tires. If you need to replace them, maybe you will decide to go with high performance all-seasons or snows - who knows - but don't get pressured into believing that there is only one option for you. Bottom line is, you do have options and you should consider all of them. Make a decision based on YOUR own circumstances and experience.

shipo

Based upon my readings and from many testimonials here at Town Hall, the hot setup for High Performance All Season rubber, in order of preference (cost no object) is as follows:

1) Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ($216/tire)
2) Yokohama AVS dB ($144/tire)
3) BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDWS ($125/tire)

I am inclined to get the Michelin tires on any SP equipped car that I drive in the future.

Best Regards,
Shipo

mordrid52

I'm looking to replace my Accord in the near future, although I haven't decided what type of car I want yet. In the Autotrader there is a 1998 328I Sedan that's in the price range I'm looking at. Are there are good/bad things about this year I should know about before looking at the car?

Also, it says the car is a "Sports Edition." Does that just mean it has the sports-tuned suspension? Thanks.

dl7265

Im the same way im sooo picky i had to go Silver if not id wear myself out cleaning it, plus in hott TX it don't hurt either...

I had to replace my sport rubber at 26k miles and went with Yoko AVS DB , that have been Excellent, the only thing is at 8/10th cornering i can tell they give up some ground to those sticky ER30 Bridgestones, but a great compromise i think.

Good luck
DL

quattrosis

I'm on a budget...so no fancy extras...just the basics. 2002 325XI, cold weather package and sunroof. The dealer will order for me, since none are in stock in my price range. They quoted $31,000 (plus tax). Will include floor mats free (big deal) and he will give me the chrome tail pipes for free (believe it or not, that's not standard). It's about 700 off MSRP. Not great, but that's the best I've come across in this area. I went to Peabody BMW dealership outside Boston. Very nice experience. I also tried Herb Chambers in Boston...NO DISCOUNT WHATSOEVER...and a slick salesforce. Thoughts on price? My only other dilemma is the color. I was quoted on a black car, which I like, but everyone says how difficult it is to keep clean. The only light color I like is the grey/green. Is that a better choice or stick with the black and spend hours at the car wash?

dl7265

Brett Hull ties game for Team USA ! let hope we can beat those fiesty Russians

dl

langenthal

O.K., I'm new to this discussion, and have owned two Lexus ES-300's. I test drove a 330 and have a 330xi on order for delivery in 2nd or 3rd week in April. I ordered with Premium package, cold weather pacakge, bi-xenon headlights, and automatic. MSRP for $42,735, they offer $42,000 in New Jersey. I got a 36 month, 15k/year lease deal at $543/month with paying sales taxes up front and putting down multiple security deposits ($5500). This is refunded when the lease is over and it lowers the lease per month by about $50/month. FYI -- This is not available
in many areas, but NJ does offer it, NY and Connecticut can not. I did this for my least two leases. New York dealer also offered $572/month without $5500 multiple security deposits. Anyway, seems like an exciting car, great handling and very sporty, but the features and interior are not as plush as the ES-300. It is a smaller car, but I like the handling and performance. I would not use a rear-wheel drive car in New York, but the AWD is a great feature and I don't need to buy an SUV. Obviously I liked the car, anyone elses opinions or comments.

rhmass

The 325xiT I ordered was listed yesterday as "produced, awaiting transport". I am very pleasantly surprised it was produced in only two weeks after I had placed the order. The VIN # is also now listed on the website.
Based on your past experience, how long will it approximately take for it to be shipped to my dealership? Thanks.
BTW, this is the third BMW I'll have in jet black. The last time I had vowed my next one would be a lighter color one, with the same reasoning as expressed by David as well as others here, yet this time again, I just couldn't find/decide on any other color that is as attractive/gorgeous as the black and would keep looking nice long term. Will continue to do lots of car washing by hand, as always!

hgeyer

There was about 4 inches of snow on the ground when we were there. However, the Germans use chemicals (I don't think its pure salt) to keep the A-Bahn and major streets clear. The temp was 15-25 degrees F.

The bigger problem with snow being on the ground was that fog was pretty prevelant, keeping the posted speeds pretty low (80ish MPH), especially on our drive from Munich to Stuggart. The drive to the Alps was best because once you got to a higher elevation, you got above the fog and could drive faster.

I brought my brother along and he brought his digital camera to document the car. By the time we dropped off the car, I discovered that he took NO pictures of the car (I think it's VW-owner's envy - although I did get him to take the BMW-HQ shot). The pictures that I do have were taken by my dad. Next time, I take the pictures!

mschukar

I've already decided to get snows, but I wanted to look at options for wheels. I don't mind steel rims for the winter months for $300 less. I'm also thinking of getting the snow tires when I trade in my 626 in case it snows a foot in March.

My 325i was "produced, awaiting transport" for a month until it finally changed to "en route". YMMV. I swung by my dealer on Friday to appraise my trade in. The ship my car is on, "Atlixco", has an ETA of 2/28/02. I can expect the car around the first or second week of March.

-Murray

ccotenj

look good v. drive good (not to mention keep your bimmer out of the ditch)... i know which one i'll take every time (of course, the tow truck driver will probably look admiringly at your nice alloys as he's pulling you out)... as far as "do what you think is best for you and don't listen to anyone else", that's not really good advice... literally dozens of posters have been consistent in their advice (including several far more knowledgeable than i), and one continues to be a lone voice in the wilderness... i'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but i'm sure sharp enough to listen when someone who has a lot more experience that i has a strong opinion on a subject... anyone who is a bmwcca member knows that there's 1 poster on this board who has been driving bmw's forever who offers a certain opinion on snows in the winter... also, anyone who is a regular poster on this thread knows there is someone who is driving his first bmw who offers a directly opposite opinion... not to tell anyone who to believe/trust, but i know who i'd listen to for advice...

re: rotating the worn rears to the front. don't be surprised if all of a sudden you are getting a vibration in your steering. there's a good reason why bmw doesn't want you to rotate your tires front to back. the uneven wear patterns can (read: will) cause problems. also, don't expect much sympathy from the service rep when you show up with this "problem" that just magically occured...

-Chris

rhmass

I have put on snow tires on both BMWs in the past three years. I purchsed them on steel wheels from Tire Rack for under $500 per car. I had one set with Blizzaks and the other with Arctic Alpins, just for comparison's sake. We have had very mild winters in the northeast in the past two years, so I couldn't really tell the difference much in their snow/ice performance. However, I definitely can tell the Alpins handle A LOT better in dry pavement and on highway. The Blizzaks seem to be quite soft and make the car lean a bit more. May be they are better on ice, precisely because of that. In your part of the country, you'll definitely need snow tires, I think.
Thanks for telling me about the timeframe between "awaiting transport" and "enroute" Well, my purchase order indicates probable deliver date in April, so I'll just wait it out.

bmw323is

Topspin, my HK changes sound like you referred to in your message. I notice it every day at one certain point on my commute to work. So I am certain that it realates to the FM signal. I have a friend that made the dealer change out the whole stereo and she still has the problem.

butmywife

Guys, I just ordered my 2002 325xi (gray/green, premium/leatherette/5 speed, of course)and got it for $1250 over ED invoice. I could not have done it without the advice I read on this board so I want to express my thanks. Man, my first Bimmer!

I want to recommend two dealerships here in the Northwest who were easy to work with and didn't play any games; One is Hahn Motors in Yakima (spoke with Dan Jolley) and the other is Kuni in Portland (spoke with Bob Adams). Both dealerships accepted my offer and were pleasant and professional. My wife and I are off to Munich in April and plan to tour Italy.

One question: I'm debating whether to get the tape deck and install a CD changer to have the best of both worlds. Anybody out there old enough still to have a lot of music on cassette? How is the BMW cassette system sound? Or, should I donate my tapes and get the issued CD player? Any suggestions?

bmw323is

I know BMW does not recommend rotating tires (I think the owners manual did say something about it not being worth it - but 'worth it' to whom?). Does anyone know of ANY tire manufacturer that does NOT recommend rotating tires? What about other car manufacturers? Does MB have the same "no rotation" policy? Maybe I will give a call to the good folks at TireRack.

I've accepted the 15,000 mile oil change interval (grudgingly), but the tire thing seems much more basic. What if BMW recommended not blowing your nose (I'll let the mental picture speak for itself).

quattrosis

I live in the city (Boston) and the BMW dealer suggested I get a clear coating for the bumpers and hood which REALLY keeps it from getting scratched and marked. It's about $350.00. Have any of you heard of this or had it done by the dealer? It it worth it? He claims you could shoot the bumper with a bebe gun and it wouldn't leave a mark?

kdshapiro

Just leased it froma dealer in NJ. 4000 down, 518/mo. 12k/3 yrs. grey-green metallic sand leather interior. Premium, cold weather, sun roof, HK upgrade. The only thing I wish I could have gotten was the bi-xenon headlights, but I took it off the showroom floor. (the halogen one's are very good indeed - btw) I love driving the car, the only problem I have is a slight buzzing in the speakers.

I think this car is head over heels better than competitors in the price range. Yes there are cars who are roomier, cars that have more horsepower, cars that come with more options, but everthing taken into considersation the BMW is a class act unto itself. I don't know of any other cars that can go 15,000 mi between service (cept maybe the Benz). Service is included for 3 years and it drives unlike any other car I've been in.

searay5

I have been lurking on this board for some time, soaking in all of the info. Finally ready to buy a 325I, Premium, Auto, Leather. I live in Phoenix, at city with only 2 dealers for 3+ million people. Not much competition.

Anyone have any experience purhasing a BMW in this area? Anyone traveling to So. CA in search of a better deal? Having a difficult time determining what people are paying in these markets. Any help would be appreciated. TIA.

brave1heart

We've been here too many times for me to list the advantages and disadvantages of snow tires again. Snow tires on steel wheels look like crap and perform like crap on all road surfaces but snow/ice. So far this winter, I am counting about 3-4 days that this would have been an issue in Boston (maybe a few more days in the suburbs). With extreme caution while driving, my summer tires took me through the biggest snow storm (12 inches) that Albany, NY has ever seen in a 24-hour period. All I am saying is that different people have different circumstances and preferences and not everyone needs snow tires. There's something to be said about your maturity level if you make it a priority for yourself to argue with a complete stranger on the internet every time he offers a dissenting opinion. I am a BWMCCA member as well. I am subscribed to three auto magazines and I know that even the best automotive journalists often do not agree on what seems like basic facts. I have been driving for 16 years and I have never (not once!!!) caused an accident. Do you care to tell us about your accident history? You intentionally turn around what I say and try to use it against me. There is one word that summarizes who you are: it's called a TROLL. This board has fairly intelligent posters and I trust that everyone can judge for themselves who to believe. Most people around here do like to hear different opinions before they decide what's best for themselves. Instead of trolling, save your energy for something productive and try to get a life.

brave1heart

My 325i came off the assembly line in Munich on 4/2/01 and it was at the dealer's (BMW Peabody in Boston) exactly 4 weeks later on 4/30/01.

pat

Well, we've been around and around on that subject, and I think there's nothing left that needs to be said by the folks who keep going around and around about it.

Anyone reading this discussion (or any other conversation on the web) has a clear and present obligation to him or herself to take everything everyone says with one or more grains of salt and perform his or her own "due diligence".

As we all know, anyone can say anything "on the internet" -- it is entirely up to the reader to discern what is worth paying attention to, and what is not.

And of course we are all free to honestly and sincerely see things from different perspectives, different needs/requirements, and different wishes/wants.

There is no reason to continue to argue about those things. There also is no reason to not trust the readers of this conversation to make up their own minds about what they want to believe. Comments, opinions, thoughts may be offered without going to the extreme of lashing out at those who see things differently.

So please let's just move on. This is not worth arguing about any more.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

brave1heart

And they call that a "..great, safe Daytona 500"?!? No-one died this time, I guess that qualifies it as safe... Never mind all the crashes (including 18 cars at a time) - everything is peachy as long as the drivers drink Coke or Pepsi or motor oil while being interviewed. What a parody of a race... they should just bring the WWF crew to drive the cars next year. I might watch it if China drives naked...

abcnyc

I just picked up my 330i with SP, CWP, xenons, and the BMW alarm system. I have a question concerning the alarm system. The manual indicates there a motion detector and tilt sensor on the alarm, but I cannot seem to get it to work or confirm that it exists. I know douible clicking the "lock" button disables it, but I don't think I did that. If I did, how do you activate the motion detector and tilt sensor again ? Does anyone have any experience with the alarm and motion detector and tlit sensor ?

cnorthrup

Lock car with remote with windows open or sit in car. You have to wait like 45 seconds... then if you move around it should set off alarm.

To test tilt you would lock car and actually jack up one corner of the car.

I did this on my 330i and it will indeed work.

I have read that sometimes dealer does not program the system correctly and everything will work except the motion detector and tilt.

CNorthrup

brave1heart

quattrosis - These are exactly the types of myths propagated by dealers that ruin any chances for a customer to walk into a dealership without thinking they will get screwed. I live in Back Bay and park on the street. I know that if you park on the street, there is nothing that can protect your car's bumpers from occasional scratches. Save your money and have your bumpers detailed in a couple of years.

abcnyc - I also have the BMW alarm. The motion detector is right in the middle of the roof - look over your shoulder to the right and you'll see the squarish box attached to the roof. The tilt sensor engaged the alarm the one time that I was towed so I know firsthand that it works (what a way to find out...). There is a detailed description of the alarm in the owner's manual - read it for more details on how to control its options.

mschukar

I've posted some Quicktime VR files on my website of the interior and exterior of some 3 series. I think I got the files from the European BMW site, but I don't remeber.

Have a look:

http://homepage.mac.com/mcmurman/FileSharing7.html

-Murray

pfaust

I am looking to buy a 2002 330i with leather as the only option probably around June. I am considering the ED option. I despise the the whole car buying game and hate the idea of having to go to several dealers and deal with all the offers, counter offers and inevitably walking out, etc. What has been everyones' experience with Eurobuyers? To me, if they can really get a good price, it's worth it to me to spend a few hundred bucks to avoid the headaches. I assume they can look for either a US or ED bargain. Thanks for any input.

abcnyc

I just tried the motion detector and it worked. I guess I wasn't waiting for enough time (~45 seconds) for the system to arm. I'll have to try the tilt sensor some other time.

cnorthrup & brave1heart - Thanks for your feedback.

nobee

butmywife, congrats on your first bimmer! I got the exact options are you did except for the exterior color. The steptronic is a good idea, but I tend to only slide it to the left when either I need to slow my descent down a hill or when I need to pass a guy in a hurry. steptronic is a great option...for my wife, that is.
So which dealership did you decide on? Kuni or the Yakima store? Both stores have great reputations and I wouldn't hesitate purchasing anything from both dealerships.. I think I'll purchase my next Z8 from Kuni!

Shipo, you forgot the Kumho tires off your list. Even with $$$ not being a factor, Kumho still kick [non-permissible content removed]!

Question for all, When I received my car, I didn't get the continentals, but rather, Goodyears RSAs. Anyone else get different type of tires?
-nobee

nobee

Subject: Trip report on Brussels, Belguim
Travelers: Me, Wife and 3 friends

Brussels is not a "must-see" city but a great weekender thing to do. This was the first time I really drove "Betsy IV" hard and fast on the Autobahn. She took it like a champ but I thought the Goodyears were a bit loud. But again, I also noticed that Belguim's freeways are not as well maintained as Germany's, Austria's or France's. Once we got into Brussels, I of course found the nearest underground parking lot and left here in there for the most of the weekend. Did the typical tourist stuff and ate the typical tourist eats...
For lodging, I highly recommend Sofitel hotels. We paid around 105 Euros (92 USD) for the night that included a champagne breakfast with late check-out.
Sofitel
Some vitals:
Estimated time from Trier to Brussels: 2.25 hrs
Avg. Temp: 45 F
Avg. speed: 46mph
MPG: 24.0
-nobee