By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
And actually, I'm finding your tale of woe somewhat hard to believe. If true, your car has experienced more problems than all the BMWs I've owned(six in all-since 1983) put together. Could you be-as some on another web site are suggesting-a 14 year old CTS or Civic fan?
And you proudly profess: "I love my freedom of speech!"
Well, it's nice to know that your knowledge of Constitutional Law is just as exhaustive as your knowledge of BMWs. Yes, it is a free country(your grasp of the painfully obvious is breathtaking), and you have in fact changed my mind. Just keep on posting. Your bitter rants based on perceived injustice are starting to become mildly entertaining. It's even possible that you will someday be revered as "The Great and Wise fjm"-a visionary prophet who appeared from out of the broadband ether to lead the ignorant masses away from BMW's evil corporate servitude.
Or perhaps we'll simply find out what REALLY happened...
For example, I wanted the stainless steel look, so that prevented me from ordering the luxury package and had to order the leather seats and sunroof individually, etc.. AT the end, I saved some money by not ordering stuff I didn't want or need.
At this price range, a lot of people (including myself, like to tailor our cars, and our tastes most of the time does not match the dealers showroom stock (which by the way, is dominated by automatics) So we end up custom ordering it from Germany.
I propose BMW to do a 5 options special for the price of 4 :-D
On the other hand, I have always admired Honda and Acura simple model asignement and no options. Keeps the buying experience simple, gives you ALL YOU NEED, and price comparison/shopping/negotiations are simpler. It is also simpler to cherry pick from the showroom stock.
Perhaps BMW should do something as simple as asking US, what we want! and create the packages with the minimum common denominators.
The extreme is Porsche, there are like 200 options to chose from, that is crazy!
As I said in another thread. Good luck with getting your car fixed, I'll take it at face value that the car wasn't abused.
LOL
Happy holidays, div.
-Colin
The former is appreciated by all of us. The latter is troll-like behavior. Not only is it not necessary, it is totally counter productive if in fact your goal is to relate your experience in a helpful way, because few will take you seriously.
Also there has been some unnecessary goading and berating here by some die-hard enthusiasts. That isn't helping the situation. People are entitled to post negative experiences as long as they do so respectfully. No one should be attacked because they have related an experience that isn't positive.
It is time we all moved on. Any outside reader of these discussions will take everything he or she reads into account -- there is no need for any of us to repeat ourselves over and over, nor to bait other posters in any way.
As I have said, that kind of behavior is totally counter productive. And just as importantly, it is not in keeping with the spirit of our community.
Thanks.
Now I have to admit, we probably pay the lowest prices in the World for a BMW. Trust me, I am not fussing. But let's say that you want a 330Ci, with manual or SMG, brushed aluminum trim, Gran Turismo upholstry, Toumaline Violet paint, Bi-Xenon, Sport seats, M steering wheel, lumbar support, heated seats and non-smokers packet. It will not happen. You could probably pull off the paint and the non-smoker package. but you will have to buy the M wheel separate and special order the brushed aluminum trim. It is already bad because of our gov't and willingness to sue on the drop of a dime, that we miss out on some unique cars (i.e. Alfas and Peugeots) I like cars like the next man, especially some of the funky cars that are released in Japan. I feel that we should get to buy what we want as long as we can afford them. I enjoy how a BMW drives. Though I don't have the manual tranny, I like the road feel coming thru the steering wheel.
Bailey
Thanks
Germany 23%
U.S. A. 20%
What it has to do with is creating new market demand at the "mature" point of the E46 product cycle in the face of competition from good cars like the G35. That's why they're bundling a bunch of stuff together that you can't get as separate options and creating something that will be viewed almost as a different model and probably produced in fairly limited numbers (meaning full MSRP for dealers). Something like the VW GTI 337 or Lexus Platinum Edition cars, or any other semi-limited-edition car. They're also filling a gaping hole left by the demise of the M3 sedan.
The name of the game today is speciality marketing. Convincing the potential buyer that the car is different that the rest and worthy of paying full price RIGHT NOW.
There is a lot of buzz surrounding this car so I think it is working. It certainly is working for me, because this is the mix of stuff that I want on my next car, particularly the cloth interior. The only question I have is whether they won't bump the price up to reap some money out of the exclusitivity factor and load in other stuff like sunroofs, nav, and fancy steroes as required options and make it a $45K car. At some level, the upcoming six-speed G35 sedan and Mazda 6 hatch start looking very attractive and a hell of a lot better value. And these are typically produced in large enough numbers that the market gets saturated and you can drive "over invoice" type of deals.
- Mark
Thinking I've seen something else within past year or so that broke BMW sales down by its primary markets: Germany, USA, England, etc. I'll keep looking.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17610
Making a limited production car does absolutely nothing for BMW, these will sell like hotcakes as it will eat all of the competition for lunch, with it's puny 3 liter engine. That is until the competition starts to turbo-charge and super-charge their engines.
I'm guessing BMW will charge the MSRP of a fairly decently loaded 330i, which comes to about 40-42K, but then again we don't have long to wait to find out.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18004
The coolant warning light was on (then off in a minute) when I turned on my car this morning. Is it too soon to have low coolant level after only 11500 mi? If the light is not on again, can I drive it for a few days throughout the holiday without much concern? Anyhow, can anyone recommend a service advisor in any of the Orange county dealers, Crevier, NB, and Irvine? I'd like to have all accumulated small issues with my car fixed at once. Many TIA.
Happy Holidays!
-Colin
My coolant light came on at around 12k miles. I took it to the dealer (they topped if off) and had no issues since.
First, the coupe is very sharp looking - maybe even nicer looking than the Bimmer, IMHO, and I love the BMW's looks. It looks very muscular, especially the rear fenders. Inside, the front seats are very nicely bolstered and more sporty then BMW sport seats. The rear seats are not for average size adults. When you move the front seatback forward, the power seat moves forward to allow entry. I could have taken a nap while I waited. Moving the front seatback to its normal position moves the power seat back automatically thereby crunching the legs of the person in rear. Like most coupes, the rear seat is not for adults. Wish I could have driven the coupe with a six speed - I bet it would be fun with 280 HP. Beautiful car! Bravo Infiniti!
The sedan is definately not as sporty. Still looks a bit like a Maxima from certain side angles. The back seat is roomier than my 323i, but still a bit tight for my 6'2" frame. Infiniti's leather is far better than BMW's. (I'm disappointed in BMW's leather, especially for $1,500 - my advice, keep your money and save a cow). I couldn't get as comfortable in the front seats of the G sedan as I can in my BMW. BMW's sport seats have more adjustments and just feel beter. The G's steering wheel doesn't telescope either. Much has been written (negatively) about the G's interior, but overall, I found it to be very nice. I still like BMW's layout better, however. I love the center console angling towrd the driver in BMW's. That too, may unfortunately disappear in the future. The G I drove did not have a sport suspension and couldn't compete with my Bimmer with the sport package. Handling was good but up to BMW standards. Maybe a sport suspension and performance tires would have brought the two cars closer. The engine was powerful, but I just can't get used to automatic transmissions, even with Tiptronic. You begin to exit a corner carrying nice speed and step on the accelerator for some rear bite, and the car starts trying to figure out what gear it should be in. By the time it decides, you're out of the corner - ack! Anyway, in a straight line the car was much faster than mine, and much louder too. I'm still not sure if I would find the louder exhaust to be pleasant or bothersome, over time. Not as smooth as the BMW straight six, but still a very nice engine.
All in all, they are wonderful cars and the G35 is priced about $6,000 under the 330. They are even less expensive than similarly equipped 325's. Without the price difference, BMW wins IMO. But with the price difference, and Infiniti's liklihood to be more reliable, they are very very close. I'm glad BMW finally gets quality competition.
Thanks for listening, and a very Merry Christmas to all.
Dave
Thanks. Happy Holidays.
PS - Froehliche Weihnachten! Especially to you, Herr Kurpfuscher.
... and please don't feed the trolls ...
:-)
Based on this, I pay extra for premium, though I've scaled back to mid grade (89 octane) for the winter since the engine should be less likely to knock (and retard timing) in cold temperatures. A friend was told VW recommended mid grade for the winter months. We'll see how it goes.
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/features/2001/ november/200111_feature_gasoline.xml?keywords=octane
(or go to http://www.caranddriver.com & search for "octane")
-murray
If you want optimum performance and efficiency, follow BMW's recommendations.
I can't imagine owning a BMW and then wanting to save a few pennies at the pump. When you look at how much you spent to buy it, insure it, register it, all the taxes, etc. buying premium is but a pittance. A bit like buying el cheapo tires or using the cheapest motor oil one could buy.
I had the optional car alarm installed.
Couple things- it does NOT have the sports package and I kinda regret not having the sports seats and the thicker tires. BUT, overall I am still very glad that it does not have the stiffer sports suspension. I truly feel for everyday driving it is stiff enough. It is stiff enough to the point that I am nervous with my morning coffee if its sitting in the cup holder and also, if I hit a couple rough spots in the road it makes for a fairly harsh ride for a couple seconds.
Lastly, I test drove both a 325 and 330 and feel the extra dough for the extra hp is well worth the money. The 325 felt pretty quick when pressed but the 330 feels really nice with its low end pickup/torque.
Overall, I LOVE my new BMW and can see driving this thing for a long time!! I, like many on here, have been on the G35/Coupe/ BMW fence and feel that BMW is just classy, timeless, ages well, great resale value, and is well worth the extra money for the car! Maybe if Infiniti can hang in there for another 10 years or so with the G series, then it too can have its place next to BMW 3 series!
Brian
re: octane - several salespeople at Erhards BMW in northern suburbs of Detroit (Bloomfield Hills) say they use midgrade (89 octane) in their BMWs. I've been using premium (93 octane) in my 2001 325xi. Probably could get by with 89.
Enjoy!!!!
Is this correct? Someone care to shed some light for me!
Oh, yeah, the alarm was extra- didnt come with it. =(
Place/floor mats were thrown in-free.
Thanks! I intend to enjoy it for a long time!!
Brian
i now own a '93 325is, no sport package though. what is the difference between let's say a '93 325is w/ sport package and a '93 325is w/o sport package.(both 2 door coupe)
the only difference i am aware of are the seats which indeed look nicer and are probably better on the sport.
remember i am talking about the coupe version only.
Any help or ideas would be great.