BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

tsolimine

Errickson1.........thanks for your 2 cents. I'm gonna call the service department tomorrow anonymously and pose the loaner car question. If they say the same as the sales dept, I'll call BMW USA and see what they have to say. Basically, the problem with Austin is that we have WAY too many techies making WAY too much money and are more than happy to pay full retail. I can't say that I blame the dealership or the salesmen.

You're right about the 320 MB being pricey. It may in the long run be the cheapest to own as NOBODY is discounting them and the wait is generally several months to get one. The Volvo S60 is the best "deal", giving 247 horses and loads of comfort features but what about reliablilty and resale? The Lexus IS300 is, well, just too funky looking on the inside. The Bimmer is the most fun, hands down. I just wish they weren't as common as Honda Accords here in Austin.

emilyk

Errickson 1:

So how did the 330i fair against the Lexus, MB and Volvo (April's Road&Track)? I'm curious to find out.

Thanks.

wmh

emilyk,

I looked at my sales contract:

5.9% interest, no DAG fee and free mats.

wmh

errickson1

Emilyk: 330ivsLexus IS300vs MBC320vs Volvo S60
If I remember correctly, the results were divided into 3 parts:
1) Performance(0-60mph time, braking 60-0mph, fuel economy, etc)
2) Subjective(handling, int/ext styling, excitement(not gonna touch that one), luggage space, ride, etc)
3) Price

The 330i scored highest in both the performance and subjective parts, but since the Lexus was $6000 cheaper (as tested), the Lexus actually won.

I did not pay attention to how each was equipped, but several people mentioned the 330i tested had many more options than the Lexus. If comparably equipped, the Lexus would have been pricier, and the 330i would have won in a clean sweep! (not surprising)

w9design

I'm currently debating between the 325 wagon & sedan, and also unsure about AWD (I'm in MI).

My biggest question is, how does cargo room compare between the sedan & wagon when the rear seats are folded down? I know it's an option in the sedan, but will I miss the cargo room of the wagon?

What about AWD? My local dealer has a loaded '00 323 for $31,200. A comparable 325xi wagon would be $38,5 and a sedan would be about 1.5K less.
I'm in Michigan, so we do indeed have winters.

Any insight is appreciated.

texasdoc

To tsolomine and errickson1,

I'll be extremely interested to see what the John Roberts service department tells you. I agree that trying to threaten us with second class service on our upscale car is pretty despicable. More than one salesman at John Roberts has used that tactic, so who knows.... This dealer's attitude can be explained very easily--they have no local competition. But don't let them browbeat you into paying them $1000 more for an identical item.

I checked the fares, and flying to Lafayette one way is about $200 full fare. Drive would of course be cheaper.

urgentguy

NEWS: Toyota's Vvt-i technology to replace BMW's vanos, Toyota to supply 200,000 units in 2001, 800,000 units by 2003

BMW ditches its inefficient vanos technology for Toyota's superior VVt-i technology for better fuel economy, smoothness and emissions...

read on kids..

http://auto.ascii24.com/auto24/e/2001/0406/e32nco_si0406_01.html

so wake up kids... your vanos system that merely adjusts the timing and not valve actuation will now get the real thing... valve actuation and timing adjustment..

and maybe the rpm's that always seem a 1000 rpm's too high(according to a leading publication) will get a little smoothed out..

unboringuy

div2:

the dealer in Cincinnati that seems to want my service business even though they didn't get the sale is Jake Sweeney.

tsolimine

Austin Dealers.
The BMW dealership is not the only dealer using this service threat here in Austin. I've heard the same crap from both the Mercedes and Volvo dealerships. It must be what is taught in Carsales 101.

I'll let you know what the BMW service dept has to say today. For me, being a single dad, no loaner is a big deal. I'd hate to have to scrounge for transportation for 2 or 3 days should my car need major service.

alpine325i

urgentguy- Toyota might make a good engine for BMW, BUT, Why can't Toyota make a WHOLE CAR that is worth anything? BTW, I like it when negative jerks that come out of nowhere drop a lame post to show how immature they are. "read on kids"? "wake up kids"?, sounds like a kid. I once owned a Celica GT and the first engine went at 23,000 miles. 2nd engine went at 65,000 miles. Two engines later I bought a chevy. Toyota was THE worst car I ever owned. Who won Car and driver's 10 best 10 years in a row? BMW. Toyota? [very quiet with cricket sounds]

motorcity3

Hello everyone,

Has anyone in this board purchased a BMW from a dealer in the Detroit area? I am looking to buy a 325i wiht the Sport Package and the CD player. Everything else standard options. One dealership would not go more than $600 off MSRP ($1700 above List) and the other I called for a quote yesterday morning and have not heard from them yet. What is up? Are they looking to sell or what?

div2

alpine325i. The easiest way to deal with trolls is to refuse to feed them. Well, you could slip this guy a bowl of rice maybe...;)

carguy5000

Alpine325...what are you talking about? Did you bother taking care of the Toyota? You need to do that you know. From experience...3 Toyotas, over 250,000 miles on the three of them combined, oil changes every 3k. Absolutely NOTHING wrong with the three the entire time they were under my care.
As far as being worth anything...they were worth plenty at resale time..ever see what a Chevy that is over on the miles is worth at resale time?

Also, I cannot believe some clown on this board would fly 300 miles to save $300 on his new BMW purchase. You have got to be kidding me. Why don't you deliver a few extra papers on your route and buy the car at the local dealership. How petty.

brave1heart

Motorcity3 - I'm glad to hear that you chose the Sport Package. What did your research on Winter driving with the Sport Package show? Did you price a set of 17" Winter tires? Do the 16" rims fit in? Thanks.
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brave1heart

Flash News:

BMW owners are abandoning their treasured BMWs in droves and rushing into Toyota dealersup to purchase new Camries...The stunning 2002 Camry design has received rave reviews for its ability to look exactly like 26 other models out there. The Camry also scored very high on its ability to keep drivers absolutely emotionless and uninterested in driving at any speed. Not to mention that its conveience features like 17 standard cup holders will put BMW to shame.

Seriosuly, though, the 3-series outperforms the IS300 by a long shot even with all that wonderful VVT-i technology. The IS300's fuel economy (or fuel expense if you will) is dismal for its size and esp. compared to other cars in this class. There is a lot more than optimizing air flow for fuel efficiency that goes into a car's engine performance and BMW got that formula better than any other car manufacturer in this class.
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carguy5000

Sports Package...I don't really know if you can quantify the "sports" in this package but I do know trying to put winter tires on the 17" rims would have little or no (positive)effect on the performnace of the car in poor weather conditions. Remember the wheel size (dia.) is not as important as the wheel width. Dropping down to a 15"x6" wheel with an agressive winter tread would be optimal for driving conditions around metro Detroit during winter storms but less than satisfying on dry pavement.

brave1heart

carguy5000 - I agree that diameter is not as important as wheel width. Car & Driver has had two articles on winter tires recently - one of them was the editorial by Csaba Csere and the second one was on the wagons comparo. I really respect Csaba Csere and when he says that winter tires are more important than AWD, I believe him. The second article proved this notion with test numbers - the A4 Quattro performed dramatically better on snow with snow tires than the high performance tires. However, they kept the rims size the same for both runs. What I got out of these two articles is that the tread is what matters the most, because the tires need to be able to bite into the snow for grip. That means wider grooves, different rubber compound and pattern. Tire height (not diameter) would obviously matter too and you probably don't want your rims hitting ice blocks too often anyhow. The magazine also claims that on dry pavement, the BMW 3-series handles about 95% as well with winter tires as it did with regular tires. I'm guessing that staying with the same 17" rims from the Sport Package is OK (in spite of the rim width), as long as you put on a set of Blizzaks or other quality snow tires.
+++

emilyk

So how much did they charge you over invoice? I did end up getting my dealership to agree to the 5.9% financing, thanks to your information. I called Allison BMW and they said that the DAG was standard and is incorporated into the "over invoice" amount. Who can keep track of this stuff?

hicaira

Alpine: I would add that the worst way to respond to immature trolls is with immaturity.

The Toy VVTI is actually a wonderful design that first showed up in flagship Lexus's. It is a PART, not a whole engine and I am comfortable with BMW's decision to look the world over for the best possible components with which to build its cars.

If only Lexus would buy suspension and steering components from BMW....

HiC

emilyk

I think you both should go back to your Toyota and Ford bulletin boards rather than insult those of us who can appreciate a fine, German automobile. Oh but wait, I forgot that there aren't any good Toyota and Ford bulletin boards out there since people tend not to get excited over a new Camry or Focus. I apologize for the oversight. Carry on.

munkofunk

I'm probably buying a 325i (sedan) in the next month or so, and I'm curious as to the difference the sports package brings to the driving experience. Also, will it have any effect on my insurance rate?

carguy5000

There is nothing better than the feeling of just about getting ready to buy a 3-series conv. for your wife and she says "I really don't want to be considered one of THEM"
Now I know what she means.
3-Series, truly a great car, especially without a top, the average owner on the other hand......
All of this talk of the "driving experience.." give me a break...if you have to ask...don't bother.
Insurance? Buddy, you are signing up for a $35k car, what is the difference if it is an extra hundred bucks a semester?

motorcity3

To brave1heart:

I agree with you that wheel width is important. I read an older Car And Driver article titled "WINTER-TRACTION TEST:What Price Traction?" (May 1999), which you could get from their web site, and in its closing statements it also states that unless you are going up hills most of the time, winter tires are better than AWD. Now.... when it comes down to rim size I am not 100 percent sure. I went on tirerack.com and tried to price 17'' winter tires. I could not find any. The web site has a section specific to winter tires which you choose your car and the package (e.g. BMW 325i Sports Package) and they give you the winter tires available. When I did that I got 16'' tires to come up only. Now I am not completely sure if there are no 17'' winter tires or if tirerack.com just does not recommend them. I think there might not be 17'' winter tires. The tires that came up for a BMW 325i Sports Package were 205/55 16'' tires. Now, that clearly means that sports package owners would have to get new rims also. I priced a set of new rims and tires as described above mounted and balanced including shipping $872. I know... who wants to pay that money. But think, these tires should last three winters and all you have to worry about is putting them on because they come balanced. That also means that your high performance tires would last longer because you are using then half the time. I figure here in Detroit Metro area Nov-April winter tires, May-Oct high performance. So, what do you guys think about all this??

ds2k1

For anyone who just recently purchased a 3-Series -

I was just contacted by someone in BMW's national customer relations asking if I was interested in the steering fix that BMW has created to combat the complaints it received from many buyers that the new 3-Series' steering feels overly-assisted. I've never driven a '99 or '00 3-Series, so I have nothing to compare it to, but the steering on my '01 feels great. Supposedly, the fix will reduce the assist at lower speeds and deliver better road feel. Without actually feeling it, I'm not really sure what this means. Has anyone out there driven a '99 or '00 328 and an '01 330 and have a meaningful comparison to make? Is the older steering really better? By the way, the fix is free and shouldn't take longer than 1 day. Man, BMW is great, aren't they?

Thanks.

carguy5000

While I agree with your posting and the reasons that you state for switching rims. Common sense says that to achieve traction, especially in snow, you need to "dig" into the snow, not drive over it.
Obviuously, the narrower the tire, the easier it is to "dig". When you mount a snow tire to a 17"x8" rim, regardless of the AR of the tire, it still needs to fit the rim, thus filling the 8" width of the rim, maximizing the contact patch making it more difficult to penetrate the snowy surface.
For the guy outside Detroit worried about traction, for what it is worth, my family owns a very large body shop downtown with the latest in paint matching technology in case all of this snow tire advice doesn't pay off!

hippo168

I remember reading a post saying that the 4WD Sports Pkg comes with high-perfomance "all-season" tires, and it is not necessary to get winter tires if one gets the xi s.p. Is that true? Does anyone have experience with the 4WD s.p. tires?

I'm deciding whether to get the 325i or the 325xi, with sports pkg. From what I see, the regular s.p. comes with tires that definitely need to be changed in winter. I understand it is better to use winter tires, but I just don't have any space to store 4 tires at home...

dantlo

Anyone out there with 01 325i with sticky gas pedal. Mine seems sticky when the weather is hot, I am in Southern California. The dealer I bought it from said with steptronic is like that when I took it in last month. Now it seems more sticky especially when the interior is HOT. Any one experience that on steptronic?? Thanks

carguy5000

In what region do you work/live? What do you curently drive? How experienced are you at driving in poor weather?
Why you would need winter tires in an xi is beyond me no matter where you live. I am not really sold on the xi, the rear drive with traction is really all you need if you are an alert driver.

motorcity3

To brave1heart:

I agree with you that wheel width is important. I read an older Car And Driver article titled "WINTER-TRACTION TEST:What Price Traction?" (May 1999), which you could get from their web site, and in its closing statements it also states that unless you are going up hills most of the time, winter tires are better than AWD. Now.... when it comes down to rim size I am not 100 percent sure. I went on tirerack.com and tried to price 17'' winter tires. I could not find any. The web site has a section specific to winter tires which you choose your car and the package (e.g. BMW 325i Sports Package) and they give you the winter tires available. When I did that I got 16'' tires to come up only. Now I am not completely sure if there are no 17'' winter tires or if tirerack.com just does not recommend them. I think there might not be 17'' winter tires. The tires that came up for a BMW 325i Sports Package were 205/55 16'' tires. Now, that clearly means that sports package owners would have to get new rims also. I priced a set of new rims and tires as described above mounted and balanced including shipping $872. I know... who wants to pay that money. But think, these tires should last three winters and all you have to worry about is putting them on because they come balanced. That also means that your high performance tires would last longer because you are using then half the time. I figure here in Detroit Metro area Nov-April winter tires, May-Oct high performance. So, what do you guys think about all this??

alpine325i

The Celica GT that I owned was a 1983 GT. These cars were recalled that year because of ALUMINUM yes, ALUMINUM crankshaft bearings that turn into potato chips in a short time. The dealership lied at first and tried to screw me. Then when I threatened to sue, they finally admitted that they had a major manufacturing defect and offered me a new engine with an extended warranty. The 2nd engine went because of the same defect. DUH, like they never learn! I know that a chevy doesn't hold it's value compared to most cars but the 350 LT1 motor in my 93 Z28 never had any major problems, the same with my 89 corvette's L98, no major problems. Before I graduated from Lincoln Tech I used to rebuild motors of every type, so I know a little bit about cars and how to take care of them. Who's the guy with the paper route? not me, I sure wouldn't give up my $45 an hour job to sling newspapers. It sounds like you had 3 great toyotas. Unfortunately I had a very bad experience with the 83 GT.

hippo168

I live in the New England area. Most of the time the highways are plowed nicely, in moderate snow... but I do significant backroad travelling in winter.

My point is, If I get the 325i with sports pkg, the high-perfomance tires will do badly on snow, so I might need another set for the winter.

If I get the xi with sports pkg, and if the "all-season" tires are ok on snow, then I don't need to worry about getting the winter tires at all.

and my question is, are these "all-season" tires that come with the xi sports pkg ok on snow?

carguy5000

Alpine, no, I was not refering to you as the one with the paper route, rather the clown who wanted to save $300 by travelling 300 miles to an out of town dealer.

hippo, I too am from New England, Connecticut to be exact, and would not bother with xi. We chose a different German make for my wifes car and were faced with the same option. Still we did not choose the awd offering and were quite pleased with the performance of the vehicle this winter. We used that car more than my 4x4 suv when the roads were bad!
don't get too hung up "winter tires" or performance in poor weather. With all season tires, traction control a little caution and common sense, the rwd will get you through the winter just fine.

brave1heart

carguy5000 - Keep in mind that the motorsport enthusiasts are the group that brought prestige to the BMW marquee before people started buying it for the luxury aspect as well. Yes, there are a few people that are buying a 3-series because of the prestige/luxury aspect purely and less so because of its traditional sporting virtues. For me it's 80% sport/20% prestige & luxury. Although sport comes first and luxury/prestige second, luxury, prestige and build quality matter to me. If I didn't care about prestige at all, I'd be driving an American muscle car, probably a Z28. I'm honest about it, as you can see. Keep in mind that this board does not necessarily represent the average BMW 3-series owner. On average, it's probably a much younger crowd. A lot of young inexperienced kids wanna have a Bimmer too and they'll ask naive questions every once in awhile. It's OK, you don't have to attack them - we all learn over time. I have to admit that I liked your cynical responses but you should also try to differentiate between owners and first-time inquirers. And most important, don't let your wife drive a lesser car because of an ill-perceived image. It's how you drive it, not how you show off with it. Short of a Porsche, nothing comes close to a Bimmer driving-wise. Good luck!
+++

brave1heart

motorcity3 - Thanks for sharing your research and thoughts. I don't know, $872 sounds pretty reasonable to me. I agree with you - buying winter tires saves your ultra high performance summer tires, so I would not consider it a significant expense. The added cost is really the 16" rims. For $872 I'd still be willing to go with the Sport Package so I can get better traction for the rest of the year. I'm sure you can find 17" winter tires but someone on this board had mentioned that they are almost twice the price of 16" tires. Did you find out if 16" rims do fit on the 3-series? I plan on trying to get through next winter on summer tires but if it doesn't go well, I'll be ready to purchase winter tires immediately. I may be able to get away with summer tires in Boston (I do mostly highway driving), I'm not so sure about Detroit, though - you guys seem to get a lot more snow there from the lake effect. By the way, for those of you that think storage is a problem (hippo?), check with your dealer - most of them will allow you to store the rims and tires in the garage at NO cost.
+++

brave1heart

ds2k1 - This is AMAZING!!!!! I've been itching to pop the light steering question on the board and you hit it right on the head. I am truly impressed that BMW would offer to change it at no cost. I've driven the older 328 models and their steering felt great, almost Porsche-sque in terms of road feel. It takes more physical strength for that type of steering; it's definitely not a lazy finger type thing. Steering in the '01 models is lighter, which takes away from road feel but makes parking much easier. Both types of steering have advantages but I'd love to get the older tighter steering back and I even meant to call the dealer and ask them if they could change it before I take delivery of my 325i in a couple of weeks. Thanks again for the tip, I'll let you know what I find out.
+++

nasturtium

i ordered mine from bmw of sf, really great service but not too much room for negotiation. i got a 325ci at 6.9%, she said it's the promotion rate offered by bmw finance.... and i wonder if it is from bmw finance (ie, not from dealer) wouldn't the lowest rate be the same at every dealership??

why did they charge you for DAG? I didn't get charged for that!!

carguy5000

Excellent response and I totally agree...I tried that logic with her, infact we have a friend who is activly involved in the local BMW club, and he tried as well. But, because we live in southern Connecticut, and unfortunately perception is reality here, it won over and I will have to wait until the next go around to "peddle" the BMW again.

emilyk

BMW Financial Services is offering 5.9%. In fact, I submitted my credit app on-line and received the approval, but the approval did not specify my approved rate. I had to call the dealership to verify the rate. They told me 6.9%. However, after a little digging, I found that the dealership is allowed to tack on an extra 1% to the approved rate. You can negotiate the rate down the 5.9% with some dealerships.

As for DAG, I did end up paying for it. Some dealers work the DAG fee into their markup so that you don't see the DAG itemized. Either way, I'm pretty sure than any Californian at least, will end up paying a MACO or DAG fee regardless.

emilyk

Car insurance? I don't recall mentioning anything about car insurance.

As for the "driving experience", I admit that I am a first time buyer of a 330i at the age of 25 (and darn proud of it). I don't recall there being disclaimer on the BMW website stating that a person has to be over 35 to purchase one. I may be a little naive about what I'm getting myself into, but that's not to say that I can't appreciate it. What I cannot appreciate are the assumptions that are being made about the "younger crowd" on this board. We young owners have a right to ask questions and show our enthusiasm about our vehicles just as much as you "seasoned" owners. Give me another 15 years and I'll be seasoned too. Can't we all just get along???

platypus

As a follower of the bimmer.org message boards, there has been much confusion and heated discussion on the subject. Here's the story as I currently understand it:

- Steering retrofits are being offered on MY2001 330 models (330i and 330ci) that were produced before 01/01/01. 325 models do not qualify as they supposedly do not have the "light" steering. AWD models (ix) do not qualify as they supposedly do not have the "light" steering.

- The retrofit entails replacing the existing steering rack with that from the 99-00 323/328 cars. 99-00 cars supposedly had "heavier" steering that provided more feedback to the driver.

- BMW has announced that the steering for 330 cars built after 01/01/01 has been changed to provide more driver feedback. However, owners of cars built after 1/1/01 still say the steering is significantly over-boosted.

In essence, for the e46 generation, it appears that the following steering scenarios exist:

- 99/00 cars: original heavy steering
- 01 cars built from 6/00 through 12/00: new light steering
- 01 cars built starting in 1/01: new-new steering (feel is somewhere between original heavy steering and new light steering)

Now, with this retrofit program, it looks like those with cars built from 6/00-12/00 will be able to have the original heavy steering, while those with cars built after 1/1/01 are out of luck. That's my case as I'm scheduled to pick up my April production 330i next week in Munch. Hopefully, the steering won't bother me. (It didn't during my test drive.)

BMW originally went to a lighter steering for the '01 models, promoting that it would facilitate turning the wheel at low speeds - parking lot maneuvers, for example. Ever since then, BMW has been hammered by the trade press and enthusiasts alike for compromising the sporting feel of the car in favor of increased market share (more people interested in buying for luxury, not sport). NEWS FLASH: BMW wins award for best vehicle as rated by Car and Parker magazine!!! ;-)

It's a long drawn out saga that has yet to reach its conclusion...

ds2k1

Actually, my car was built in mid-February, 2001 and I was offered the fix if I wanted it. They may have decided to offer it to everyone to avoid the perception that some are being treated better than others. Now, of course, I don't know whether to take advantage of the offer or not. If anyone's driven an '00 323 or 328 and a post-01/01/01 330, do they have an opinion as to which steering is preferable? I'd love to hear the feedback.

Thanks.

edeath

This afternoon I was about to lay the money down on a 330i with premium package, steptronic, xenon, etc. I could have driven away at $39K. The 2001 5 series is well out of my price range, but at the last minute my salesman mentioned that he had a 2000 528i on the lot brand new (600 miles). Premium package, sport package, loaded. I could get it for $40,500. The 5 is mighty sweet (roomier, smoother ride), but I hate to lose the 330i's 225hp and gain an additional 600 lbs. Is it worth the extra grand and a half to step back a year and take a cut is horses just for the bigger ride?
Warranty, etc. on the 528 is same as 2001 330i.
Advice appreciated.

dantlo

Go for the 528 2000 sports and premium pkgs. You are getting a lot more cars and a higher series. I have a 98 528i and 2001 325i. The 5 is still a much more luxary and comfortable. As far as the hp, the 528 is fine and enough(never underpower) dont let that hp stop you from getting the 528i,unless you like to race with other cars out there. By the way, our lease is up on the 528i soon. We are thinking of buying it because it is such a good car! Hope this helps

platypus

You're the first owner I know of who has a car built after 01/01/01 and has been offered the steering retrofit. That's great news!!

One question for you: the owners who have been contacted about the retrofit asked to have their names put on the list about 2 months ago. Did you do this, or did BMW just contact you out of the blue?

If you like the steering now, I wouldn't worry about changing it. If you at all feel that the steering is overboosted and causes the car to wander at high speeds, then go for it!!

jwleung

Hi,

I just got a deal from East Bay BMW. I talked to 8 different dealers, and they offered the best price by far, without much hassle and run-around. Very pleasant to deal with so far, and very honest. They DO charge a DAG/MACO, which is $305 for the 330i (they lumped it in with the base price, making it $31,055 instead of the $30,750 listed for post-March production).

You have to ask for the 5.9% financing; I am in a bit of a spot because my car is a week 20 production, which means I will most likely not get it by the end of June. This is a small problem because the 5.9% offer lasts until the end of April, and the rate can only be locked in for 60 days. If BMW doesn't extend the offer past April 30th, then I may have to pay the down-payment for the car before I actually get it, or go with whatever the normal non-discount rate is. Chances are, however, that BMW will extend the offer, since we are going through an economic slowdown and sales are not growing as a result of it.

emilyk, did you get a hard copy or email of the itemized terms of your deal? Everything so far for me has been conducted over email and telephone, so I really don't have any way yet of knowing for sure that what I expect (5.9%, the price, options, PIOs) is what I eventually get.

jk26

I need some advice on what to offer. Here is what I am getting, let me know if this offer sounds like the deals you have been getting:
325i=24450
PP=2300
Auto=1210
Heated Seats=425
Met paint=405
Destination charge=645
Total of $29,435 and offering $1500 over invoice would be $30,935. Is that a good deal? And did
you ask to have floor mats and the processing fee included in that? Thanks for the help. I am getting ready to put down some money and make an offer.

Jason

ds2k1

Actually, about a month ago, I read in the Town Hall about a fix that BMW was working on for the steering problem that I'd read about in the magazines but hadn't yet experienced first-hand. I sent BMWNA an email requesting more information and someone called me the next day to ask if I'd like my name put on the list of people to contact when the fix became available. Since I hadn't yet picked up my car, I figured why not be on the list and maybe take advantage of the fix if I find I don't care for the steering on my car when I pick it up. Since I've had my car, I haven't thought too much about it because it hasn't occurred to me that anything's wrong with it. The car feels like it was sculpted from one single piece of granite - simply amazing! Now that someone's called me and offered the fix, I'm thinking about it again. I plan on really focusing on the steering on the way home from work tonight and I'll see if I notice any "wander" or lightness. I guess I was just generally curious as to whether the consensus among BMW owners is that the old steering was simply superior in every way, or if there is more of a divergence of opinion. Since I haven't noticed any problems with the steering yet, I probably won't get the fix. I'd hate to have it installed only to dislike the affect. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

micga

Carguy - You need to relax a little. If your wife is concerned about being considered "One of them", then you have bigger problems then not being able to convince her to buy the BMW. I hope I don't have to explain. Actually, was it even relevent that the car was for your wife in your original post??

Everyone else - Just my opinion. One should never admit that they are buying a BMW, or any car for that matter,for prestige at whatever level. Even if it is true. It just sounds bad. Keep quiet and enjoy the car.

Take Care All

emilyk

I'm glad to hear that you had a pleasant experience with East Bay BMW. They were the most up-front dealership that I dealt with, without any of the "come on in and we'll make you a great deal" shenanigans. They sent an email to me entitled "Order Confirmation" within a week of my decision to purchase from them. This email details all of the options selected (invoice prices) and clearly includes the dealer markup. The DAG fee was incorporated into the base invoice price of the vehicle, as you mentioned. The total that is provided does not include TT&L.
I did make a brief trip into the dealership a week ago, where they printed out a worksheet with the TT&L breakdown for me and gave me my production number. You can ask for this via email instead of dropping in if you prefer. Lastly, I did receive an email from a sales manager stating that they would honor the 5.9% rate. I consider the email to be a binding agreement. You should check back with them on April 29th and ask if BMW decides to extend the 5.9% rate. They should know by then one way or another. If all else fails, I suggest that you apply for a loan through BMW FS anyway on 4/30 as your car may arrive sooner than expected (no harm in preparing for the best).

Out of curiosity, what color and options did you get?

Congrats,
emilyk

tsolimine

OK Texasdoc...........I called the service department of our favorite local dealer and they confirmed that there are no loaner cars for those who did not purchase from this dealership. They said that the level of service, in regards to timeliness and quality, are not affected by where the car is purchased. You're NOT put at the end of the line.

I then called BMW of NA and they were appalled at the threat of poor service made by the sales staff should a car not be bought from that dealer. They did say that each dealership is individually owned and that they can do what they wish for loaner cars on routine maintenance. They must, however, offer a loaner or rental should the car need to stay overnight. They apologized to me on behalf of the dealership.

Incidentally, Moss Motors was called by the sales manager of John Roberts yesterday asking why they're seling their cars so cheap. Too funny.