BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

abcnyc

Though I no longer live in NYC, I was born in NYC and spent my first 22 years there. I still go back often to visit my family. I agree with most of the comments that driving in NYC is generally not a pleasure. Between the trafiic, taxi cabs, pedestrians, and cost of parking, it's generally easier to take public transportation or the taxis. You often need to plan for about 30-45 minutes to find parking. If you do find parking, the cost is outrageous. My parents have an open parking lot across the street from their apartment and I believe the rates are something like $16 for 10 hours, $20 for 16 hours, and $28 for 24 hours. The clock starts again everytime you take the car out. A week at my parents often costs over $100 just for parking. If one is fortunate to find parking on the street, then you worry about cars or bikes knocking off your side mirrors or causing more damage to your car. Having said all that, it's still nice to have a car when you want to leave the city to go upstate or somewhere. So in summary, having a car to drive in the city is not all that great, but having one to leave the city is a good option. I guess one just needs to weigh the various options (purchase, rent) and the costs.

chewie5

I was in a similar situation when looking for a new car. I had narrowed my choices down to the TL type-S or a 325i. At first, it was tough trying to justify spending a few grand more for the BMW. The major plus for the Acura was the "bang for your buck" factor--I got more for my money. I was leaning towards the BMW initially based on my individual preferences for styling. I liked the BMW much better, both inside and out. I also have a Honda Accord, and I could recognize that Acura had raided the accord parts bin. I felt like I was driving around a very nice, powerful accord. In other words, it wasn't as "special" of a car.

What really sealed it for me was driving both cars back to back. It was tough for me to do a comparison when driving the cars on different days. But when I drove them back to back, all became clear. The Acura, while it did have a lot of power, just didn't feel as refined to me. The ride was harsh compared to the BMW and I didn't feel as connected to the road. The BMW drove beautifully--the guys at BMW have the magic formula. I can't describe it to you; it's something that must be experienced. Both my wife and I came away with the impression that the BMW was a lot more "fun" to drive.

As far as the sport package goes, I think that it was well worth it. The sport seats are more comfortable. I didn't like the looks of the 325 w/out the sport pkg. I haven't driven a 325 without the sports supsension, and have heard opinions on both sides--some say it's fine, and others say that it drives like a cadillac. My personal opinion is that the sport suspension is wonderful, and is not harsh riding at all.

Sorry this is so long, but to sum it all up, it really was a subjective decision. On paper, the TL-S is the way to go--much more bang for your buck. But having experienced the BMW, it was well worth the extra money that we paid.

Hope this helps!

jluftig

I paid ~ 1600 over invoice for my 3301 SP, PP, Xenon, Universal Transmitter, & Alarm. My dealer did not move until I had a quote from a dealer willing to do this in another city. Different regions discount differently, this guy is to unflexible, ask for the salesmanager. Good luck.
I had a Houston dealer who was not willing to budge, so I bought in Austin. Good luck, you will love your 330i !

kdshapiro

Congrats on your decision. I agree with you that BMW has that magic formula that is very hard to describe, but when you take the car for a spin. WOW! After 1800 miles I'm getting used to my 330i and I love driving it more and more every day.

Ken

brave1heart

I actually love driving in NYC. I know that all the cabbies and most other drivers are at least as crazy as me so I feel right at home. When I used to visit my wife in NYC, every once in a while I'd go flying (I've literally had all 4 wheels off the road at the same time) on Park Ave when traffic is very light on an early Saturday afternoon. It's keeping a car there that's a pain but I totally agree with you that the key thing is it helps you get out of the city, not drive in it.

rdl40

I purchased my '02 330i without sunroof and with spt. pkg, leather and 18'" wheels for $1200 over inv. at east bay bmw in pleasanton.

Might be worth a trip to the coast to pick up
your 330i.
ron

rdl40

Had my 330i for a couple days now and every time I get out of the car I just shake my head. What an incredible driving machine, I don't mean to sound like a commercial but this car gets better every time you drive it.

My friends and co-workers love its looks. Wish I was good enough to let them drive it.

It took me over 4 months and probably test driving a dozen cars to make me realize that I made the right choice.
See you on the road.
ron

bmw323is

I bought my 323i in Denver (at Murray Motor Imports) two years ago so my buying experience might not be what is happening currently. I paid $2,100 over invoice or $1,200 off sticker (with free floor mats) and ordered my car (without a sunroof). That was the best I could do here after trying to deal with all five Colorado dealers for over a month. This is my advice. My first choice would be ED. Next choice - dump the broker and try getting a best price with one of the five local dealers (all within an hours drive of the city). Let them know you will go out of the state if you have to. If $600 under sticker is all you can get, consider going elsewhere and fly to get your car. A couple hundred dollars on a one-way plane trip could save you $1,000 or more and what a great drive home you'll have if you come back through the Rockies.

If all of this isn't worth the trouble, then you just have to take the best offer in the area, which is what I did (didn't know about ED then). The next closest dealer has to be at least a 6-8 hour drive and they know it. I also notice the local dealers having very few 330's (versus 325's) on their lots so that may also add to the price.

Good luck!

kominsky

The nearest traffic light is about 5 miles away and that one's only a flashing yellow. The nearest 3 color, functional traffic light is about 7 miles away. As for constabulary, we don't have any. We had one up until about 2 years ago when the township decided to not get his car repaired (mid 70's Ford something or other... honest!). He was using his daughters Subaru wagon for a short while until the township pulled the plug on the whole "program". We now rely on the Staties for emergencies... well, that plus most of the people in the area are pretty well armed. I'll have to check out State and Main, although it sounds like one of them there high-falutin' movies, what with them folks having a traffic light and all. :-)

luftig1

These are incredible machines, yesterday I was in bad traffic, when finally passed an fender bender on the highway opened up. I could not help it - I launched forward and went from frustrated to happy in under 2 seconds.

Today a 80's 3 series pulled up next to me and I could tell he was having a blast. These cars do inspire being driven hard and reward you with positive feedback, percision, and fun.

Congrats on your car ! See you on the road.
Jeff

derprofi

Unless the broker you're dealing with is named Steve Diamond (a well-respected BMW broker who runs the www.eurobuyers.com site) I would run away from him. If $600 off invoice is the best deal he can "broker" then he's either ripping you off or he has extremely poor negotiating skills.

shipo

Yeah! What Derprofi said.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

kominsky: Getting around isn't all that bad in a car, but I reccommend the subway to anybody (except downtown where the streets aren't numbered, I still get lost down there on foot). The Avenues run either North/South while the Streets run East/west.

hpman: $600 off sticker sounds like your getting the short enjd of the stick to say the least. I'd contact Steve Diamond of Eurobuyers.com (like derprofi says) and see what he can do for you. I believe he charges a modest broker fee ($250-$500) for most cars unless you want an M car or something. Another option is to do European Delivery or you can do EC deliver (East Coast:) as it seems we get the best prices here in the NY/NJ Metro Area.

nyccarguy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!!!

tenet1

Though I hate finding parking there, I usually leave my car there for good once I do find a space and take cabs.

I love driving on the Avenues when traffic is light and the lights sync up. Trying to outsmart the cabbies in my bimmer sure makes for some very spirited driving in the city. I'm off to NYC this weekend for another 500 mile round trip from DC. Last time I averaged 67mph (with the low and high varying greatly) and 32mpg. Not bad!! he he he.

hpman

Thank you all for your responses. A huge help! After I posted, my internet went down, so it has been great to finally read all the info this morning.

bing330i - It's meant to be Horse Power (HP). I don't think I would be too popular these days if it had anything to do with fiorina:) Thanks for all the specific examples.

Judging from all of your advice, I think my best bets are going out of state or through Steve Diamond. I would prefer ED, but my fear is that if I order it now, by the time it finally gets back here to the states the 2003 models will be on the verge of being released, no? Only important from a resale angle.

bmw323is - So far I have only been dealing with Ralph Schomp. They are a one price dealer and very laid back making it easy to test drive different cars there with very little pressure over the past month. It is frustrating only having 5 dealers within a days drive because my limited experience with them so far indicates that they are fully aware of this and are not afraid to let you know about it. I agree, a break-in period through the Rockies on the drive home from CA wouldn't be too shabby! Something I am definitely going to consider.

Thanks again for all your help!
hpman

shipo

I teach a class in Carnegie Hall a couple of times a week, and I park at the garage across the street in the building that houses the Soros Foundation. It's kind of cool there, if they get to know you (I have been parking there since 1994), and if you have a cool car (like ours), AND if you tip the guy taking your car a couple of bucks, they will keep your car on the main floor for the duration. The benefit is that you will not have to wait for someone to go and fetch it when you come back to claim your baby. The down side, it costs $25 for three hours! :-(

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

Happy Birthday Dude!

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

When I'm forced to park in a garage, I always give the attendent a finsky and tell him "please don't bury me." My car is usually sitting right in the front for me when I get back. Usually the lots have a rate Up to 1 hour, Up to 3 hours, and then Upt to 24 hours, so 3.5 hours costs the same as overnight parking.

brave1heart

I've had my 325i for almost a year now and I still shake my head every time when I get out of the car. Every time I come back from jogging, I'd go by the street where I am parked to take another look at it and stop by to admire it.

brave1heart

Happy Birthday, man!! 26 sounds great!!!

derprofi

oops, meant to say "$600 off sticker"

brave1heart, I still feel sad every morning when I park my 330i at work, lock it up and have to walk away for 10 hours. Then I'm giddy all over again when I leave the building in the evening, see it sitting there at the back of the lot, and we're finally reunited. For sure, the only thing more fun than looking at this beautiful car is driving it.

hpman

Thanks for the clarification derprofi.

This brings up another question, which invoice prices are real? The invoice prices I printed off Steve Diamond's site a while back are lower than the standard invoice prices I see everywhere else (edmunds included).

Obviously I would like to go with the lower prices on eurobuyers.com, but don't know if dealers will recognize those as 'the real' numbers.

When you all are refering to deals at $1,500 or so over invoice, which invoice prices are you using?

Thanks again!
hpman

nyccarguy

One of the benefits of a 10 hour work day...you'll enjoy the drive home that much more!

butmywife

You're correct! I compared the pp from January to now and there has been an upgrade. As I am interested in lumbar too (I'm assuming that's the added function) I've emailed BMW from the owner's circle to ask them. I ordered mine in late Feb. and it was probably built in March so I'm hopeful I get the 8 way too. When I hear back from them I'll let you know. Interestingly, when I was arranging my ED, my dealer said he heard one could get lumbar on the 3-series now but he couldn't find any information. D'oh!

Millero- If my car just missed the deadline for the 8 way power seats is there anything I can do before I pick up on April 19th? I mean, is it a simple switch out of seats or is it a big production line thing? It sounds like I would need a contact at the factory (yeah, right).

Shipo- Two weeks, man!

Thanks, ButMyWife

nyccarguy

Rob

can let me know your email address, I may have something that may be useful to you.

vkwheels

OT: What's a finsky? & while I'm at it, is there a webster-type definition of bling-bling?
On TOPIC! am driving a 325 Sat. afternoon to 'just see' once again. Irvine BMW is closest, but am open to suggestion (on good words of Bingxx). I've interrogated everyone at work who has one how they like it, yadayada. They all do. BTW all 4 them are girls and those who opted for the sport pkg say they wish they hadn't.

shipo

HPMan,

BMW instituted a price increase on 1-Jan-2002 where the Invoice prices were bumped, however, they left the MSRP alone, effectively cutting the dealerships' margin. If you printed the price list from www.eurobuyers.com from roughly the first week of January or before, you have the wrong list.

ButMyWife,


I hear you my friend, "I got da itch sompin' fierce." ;-) Do youse got da itch too?


We have left the tickets sitting on the counter in our kitchen, and almost exactly two weeks (or 336 hours, or 20,160 minutes, or 1,209,600 seconds) from this very moment, I should be driving my way out of Munich in my new 530i. I can almost taste it. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

hpman

Ship,

Thanks for the info. That must be the difference I can't explain. I printed the invoice list from eurobuyers.com on 3/23/02. He must have simply not updated the prices.

Thanks,
HPMan

roc50mg

Street parking in NYC is not all that bad. Usually after 7PM, some cases 10PM, street parking is free and in most areas you should be able to find parking fairly easily.

As for safety in street parking I think in terms of dents and scratches it's the same as garage parking. Also, street parking avoids those attendant guys messing with your seats and clutch, and greasing up the steering wheel.

Finally, as for the car being stolen or broken into on the streets, you just have to cross your fingers and be lucky. Now I wouldn't leave my car parked overnight in Newark, NJ, but I've left my '01 330xi parked overnight in Manhattan a bunch of times w/o a problem.

Bimmers sure are comfortable to sleep in I tell you. j/k

hpman

Btw, congrats Shipo on your ED 530i. I'm insanely jealous but extremely excited for you! I can only dream. I am kicking myself now for not ordering a ED 330i earlier in the year so I could be picking it up now and also be able to enjoy a full summer of mountain carving back here in the states (Colorado). Unfortunately, if I order it now, I'm looking at a July delivery in Munich and the possibility of not getting it back here until early September. Decision, decisions.

Anyway, congratulations again. I'm sure you will have the time of your life and I'm looking forward to reading all about upon your return!

Best,
HPMan

nyccarguy

Thanks for the birthday message from all.

A finsky is a $5 bill. Something stupid my friends and I use as part of our own language.

brave1heart

I thought finsky was the local currency unit in kominsky's township. It's worth a bushel of wheat, a small chicken, a dozen eggs, or a quarter pounder (no cheese).

nyccarguy

very good!

twoof1

From everyone I have talked to as well as my own experiences, Irvine BMW is the weakest player in so. Cal. If they are close for test driving then you should take advantage of it. When it comes time to deal, check Crevier (they are in the top 5 volume BMW dealers in the country). I bought my '01 325 & '00 Z3 from Savage in Ontario. They are close to where I live, worked a super ($1,200 over invoice) deal and are a great bunch of guys. If you contact them, ask for Chris Johnson. He is a straight up honest, nice guy.
PS: I highly recommend you consider the SP.
Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

roc50mg

Street parking in NYC is not all that bad. Usually after 7PM, some cases 10PM, street parking is free and in most areas you should be able to find parking fairly easily.

As for safety in street parking I think in terms of dents and scratches it's the same as garage parking. Also, street parking avoids those attendant guys messing with your seats and clutch, and greasing up the steering wheel.

Finally, as for the car being stolen or broken into on the streets, you just have to cross your fingers and be lucky. Now I wouldn't leave my car parked overnight in Newark, NJ, but I've left my '01 330xi parked overnight in Manhattan a bunch of times w/o a problem.

Bimmers sure are comfortable to sleep in I tell you. j/k

genie1

Happy Birthday!

Back to the tax form grindstone

shipo

Hmmm, here is an option for you:

Call my dealer here in New Jersey, Mike Weber at Park Avenue BMW 201-843-7900 and ask him for the same ED deal he gave me ($1,500 plus $200 Advert) for a late May or early June delivery in Munich. In my case, I ordered my car with a lead-time of only like 6 or 7 weeks. What he did was to "Give" a car from his allocation to the ED program, the ED program then "Gave" one of their later cars back to his allocation. This way, I was assured of having my car waiting for me when I showed up. Meaning, if you order TODAY, you have a good shot of getting a late May delivery in Munich.

But wait, that's not all! If you order from an East Coast dealership, the time spent "On Water" is significantly reduced, so much so, that it is entirely reasonable to have your car show up at the ordering dealership within 3-5 weeks from drop off at E.H. Harms (which you could shorten by dropping the car off at Bremerhaven (which is 500 miles from Munich) yourself). That would mean that you could fly here to NJ in late June or early July, and then drive the 1,700 miles or so back to Denver, and still have the better part of summer with your new toy.

Best Regards,
Shipo

P.S.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before, however, I might also consider dropping my car off in Bremerhaven and taking a train or bus back to Munich, thus reducing my transit time as well.

hpman

Thanks, a great option to talk over with my wife! That truly would be the answer to most of my problems, getting the best of both worlds.

In your deal, you are referring to $1500 over ED invoice pricing, correct?

I travel to the NY/NJ area a few times a year on business, so I might even be able to expense the trip!

Thanks again for the valuable info!
HPMan

shipo

That is correct, Mike gave me a $1,500 over ED invoice deal (plus $200 Advertising). He told me that the offer would be available for ANYBODY who asked for it.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

Even if you don't do ED, you can get a much better deal in the NY area than any other major metro area in the country.

erickpl

vkwheels: If you are in soCal and want a good deal, you may be interested in driving to Bakersfield and dealing with Dennis. He is very good with the cars, knows his stuff, and will take care of you. He worked one heck of a deal for us. So good, in fact, that I got my car below invoice, not msrp.

As for the Universal Transmitter, I got it to work. Thanks to those who responded. I had to kinda mix and match to make it work. Here's how it went:

With the Genie remotes, I configured the UT as the manual / videotape says (hold it like 2" away from the UT). This set the UT to the frequency or range that Genie uses.

THEN I set activated the "learn" feature on the Genie receiver to the little red light would blink. I then pressed the desired button once to lock the code, again to turn off the learn mode, and a third time to test. So BMW only has half the configuration detailed. Genie's website has a good faq (www.geniecompany.com). If you have more than 7 remotes, the receiver will drop one to maintain the number 7. Wierd. Oh well.

asinger12

I self installed my BMW (from Pacific BMW) alarm system, which as you all know is a no brainer to install. My bmw service folks at Braman West Palm Beach, FL (not the place I bought the car, 2002 325i), charged me $100 to activate the alarm and to program my keys. To my chagrin, my seat don't always set up according to which key is used, and FURTHERMORE, also the Rudolph Nose does light and the car winks and beeps when the car is locked and unlocked, I can't get the alrm to go off!

Needless to say, I'm unbelievably pissed. How could they let me drive out without testing the to see if the seats responded properly and if the alarm actually does go off?

I'm going back to Braman service tomorrow and would like whatever advise I can get from you guys so that I can do battle with them.

Thanks,

Adam

odd1

In my rushing around at Easter I failed put my gas cap on properly. Can anyone tell me how to reset the check engine light on an E36 318? Thanks.

erickpl

You may want to check back a ways. The memory for the seats is tied to the last position that was used by that key, not necessarily to the memory settings on the buttons on the side of the seat. At least that is how I think it works.

As or the alarm, I can't help on that one. Sorry.

erickpl

When I was looking for my 325xi, I was concerned about the price. Yes, BMW's are more expensive and on paper, it is hard to sometimes wonder why it is so pricy and why BMW's options are all individually available.

But when you drive one, particularly in the back-to-back drives, you understand that the price is not just for the equipment, but for the overall level of refinement, quality, that special something that you can't quite put a price on.

Before anybody discounts the BMW as a vehicle choice, they should really drive one, and see for themselves if the vehicle and all that it is is worth the price being asked.

On paper, a BMW shouldn't win out over something like the Acura or Infiniti's. But there's just that .... that pushes you (including me) over the edge to by that car. Just my .02.

Paul

summitt1

How vast a difference in performance is there between the 318 and 325? Looking at a used convertible for a second car...beach trips etc.

wacka

Hey gang, how much would you miss out without the use of any of the packages (ie cold, sport or premium)...

I personally have no need for 17" tires, dim mirrors, on board computer, or perhaps power seats, but would I be missing the steering wheel controls as well??

What do you end up with If you choose no packages really>?

nyccarguy

Are you talking about an E30 or E36 Convertible? It doesn't really matter, given the added weight of the convertible over its coupe or sedan siblings, I'd say go with the 325 (especially if you get an automatic).

shipo

Let me put it this way, in 1996, I was working for Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and because I was not an employee of MBUSA (I am a consultant), I was not able to drive any of the company cars that MBUSA keeps over there. As such, they had to rent a car for me, and one trip, they rented me a 318i (Sedan). Early one morning driving flat out, up a long grade on the Autobahn (south of Ulm) in the 318i, I noticed a vehicle behind me; catching me fast. Accordingly, I moved over (just as he “Flashed” me), and well before he passed me. Much to my surprise, it was a Dark Green Chrysler Caravan, and it was doing at least 25mph more than the BMW, to the tune of 130+! As it turns out, my wife owns the fastest Caravan made (contradiction in terms?) which is a 1998 vintage machine with a 3.8 liter motor in it. There is no doubt in my mind, the Caravan will easily take a 318i in straight line acceleration and top speed, that said, a 325i should easily destroy the Caravan.

So, you have to ask yourself, "Do I want a good handling BMW that can be dusted by a MiniVan at a stoplight, or do I want some power to go along with my handling?"

Best Regards,
Shipo