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But as other posters have said, "reliability" is relative. Yes, certain makes of cars are less likely to have problems than others but no car is perfect. And like the experiences on this board, some have had no issues with their BMWs while I had a few at the beginning. Maybe I won't have anymore after this. To me, it is about what you are willing to live with. I love my car and the way it handles and while I wish I did not have the initial problems, that's life. I could have purchased a Toyota but that would not have guaranteed anything. So for me, the "trade-off" of less overall reliability (as perceived by me) vs. great styling and handling was worth it. I owned 3 Hondas and Nissans in the past and had great experiences with all of them so I was a bit disappointed but I sort of expected this and was mentally prepared. Like any other car, get the best deal you can and enjoy it, even if there are ups or downs.
I find most of the postings very educational and I like the way you write--very balanced.
Thanks for sharing.
Most likely, nothing will have happen to your car but in case it does, having great dealer support makes the problem that much easier to cope with.
sleepdoc
Thanks again
rj
I want to use it for zipping around town. (my van is too big)
Please tell me what you know about: maintenance cost, common problems, reliability.
Is there anything I should be careful to look for when test driving?
You might also look up back issues of Roundel magazine (BMW CCA) and their web site. Roundel has been around for decades. Bentley Publishing sells an 8 CD-ROM set of Roundel covering 1969-1998.
You might also look in back issues of Bimmer magazine (which came out in 1998).
Roadfly.org has information and a dedicated portions of their web site to specific platforms (e.g., E30, E36, and E46 3 Series).
325i w/Sport Package = pleasant
330i w/Sport Package = pleasant, but perhaps slightly more "active/rough" ride than 325i/Sport.
330Ci w/Sport Package = a little on the jittery side. Even on regular roads, I noticed extra movement... could feel it in my neck, actually. I do feel this was a stiffer ride than the 330i/Sport. Come to think of it, I noticed that my kids' (ages 2 and 4) were bouncing around a bit more in the 330Ci/Sport.
Bottom line, is that the tires make a difference, but I think the lowered suspension of the coupe (versus the sedan) emphasis the firm ride even further. I consider this to be a chocolate versus vanilla thing, not a good versus bad thing.
Just my observation/experience.
I don't car shop often, so please fill me in if you are tuned in to BMW's marketing/sales tactics.
Is it likely that BMW will offer any cash-back incentives on the 3-series in August? Tha factors I see are:
- '04 models arriving in September
- Strike in Germany? (I heard something about the production line being shut down???)
- Is there a surplus of 3-series out there?
- 5-series just has a nice incentive program that worked.
Thanks in advance!
ksso
here in NY i have seen a white 04 coupe and a silver 04 coupe
My wife and I are looking into a replacement for her 1999 Accord EX Sedan. At first we were considering an A4 3.0 but have settled on a 325i with Silver Gray Metallic, Black Leather, Premium Package, Sport Package, Xenons, and the STEPTRONIC transmission. We will go to the dealer soon to look at the lot but what price should we expect? MSRP for the vehicle is $36,495. Which price is more reasonable? $1500 off or $2000 off?
In general my 330i SP with 17" tires isn't rough at all. It is firm. When it was brand new, it seemed a little more firm; maybe the shocks and tires break in after a while, or maybe I got used to it. But it definitely isn't harsh by any stretch.
If you're at all concerned about this, verify the car doesn't have 18 inch tires, and check the tire pressure. Then test drive it again.
One last possibility is if you're used to driving a Toyota Camry or Ford Crown Victoria, etc (very soft suspensions), the BMW might have felt very firm by comparison.
My car, a ZHP, has the 18 inch tires cited previously and people always comment on how silky smooth the ride is. It's uncanny what BMW can do with a suspension. The car smoothly takes bumps and road irregularities (though I dislike the tramlining from the wide wheels) and tightens up the instant I toss it into a corner.
For an individual used to a Camry or a Buick, A 3 series with SP might feel like G0-Kart
Perhaps you are the type of individual who appreciates a plush ride-Lexus like more than the sportier-feedback rich ride of a BMW.
Just because other people drive BMW and say they are cool does not mean that you will be happy driving one. Perhaps you might want to look at other alternatives.
If you indeed appreciate a sporty ride, then consider what others have said about the possibility of 18inch wheels, etc. Also go to another dealer and drive a different car to assess the differences.
My in-laws believe the BMW has a harsh ride
If you are looking for a Lexus style ride, you would be a fool if you respond to some sort of peer pressure and car magazine commentaries and buy a BMW based on just that. (
By the way, BMW, don't you dare to touch the 3 series driving dynamics, we like it harsh
If wanted to bounce all over the place, I would have purchased a water bed long time ago!
The difference really varies in the wheel size considering the circumference does not change. 18" wheel will be be harsher than a 16" wheel. The handling also changes.
The only advice that I can offer to anyone is what are you willing to compromise? Road handling versus ride quality. I have driven my 325i non-SP more than 30000 miles in 17 months. I like the ride quality. I don't like the floating sensation of a Cadillac Deville. When test driving, drive as many cars as possible and maybe different variations.
Please help my understanding of how this works. I plan to negotiate a lease within a day.
Also, is it too late to place an order to the factory for a 2003 330i?
Thanks so much!
However, based on what I've seen, your car would NOT automatically become a CPO unit. Only way to get CPO status is to buy the car CPO from an authorized BMW dealer. If you leased new car and then buy out the lease, you have NOT bought a CPO unit thru a dealer. All you are doing is buying out BMW FS' lease. If someone else originally leased the car and it ended back back up at a BMW dealership, that BMW dealer could CPO the unit and then resell the car as CPO. Guess the original leasee could see their old car and decide to buy it CPO.
Believe you can lease CPO thru BMW FS.
kyfdx
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I am in the middle of a lease negotiation on a 330i. I am being told that as of July 7th, BMW increased it's lease acquisition fee from $500 to $1,000. Ouch! Is this valid? For what it's worth, I am in New York State.
If anyone here knows the answer, I would greatly appreciate your help.
Best regards!
323is - does that indicate that your car... err... knocked some sense into your wife regarding sporty car handling?
blueguy - love the ride on the ZHP, I think it's very smooth, but I'm comparing it to the ride of an M3 and a 911 C4S. I consider the stock 330 ride to be painfully soft and floaty, but my wife loves it, and our American-car friends think it's "very bumpy". (!!!!)
It's all in the expectations. Try a Lexus or a Buick. Those are "smooth" rides. They also cure you of any desire for a "smooth" ride ever again.
P.S. My wife complained that the sports clutch in the M3 was too stiff. Then she tried the C4S. Her reaction: "that's just ludicrous".
kyfdx, as for the cpo on the lease, nothing was put in writing and nobody mentioned a charge. if that's so, well I'll handle that when it comes up. By 2006 I may not even want my zhp any longer. too hard to say. I'm not gonna sweat it with 34 months to go.
scipio1 - yeah I guess it's what you're used to. I road in an suv the other day and all I could think was, "man this car is loud and floaty."
blueguydotcom... You wrote, "they'll simply convert it to a CPO if I buy it at the end." The dealer can do this if they own the vehicle at the end (e.g., BMW FS could sell the dealer the car after the lease). They can CPO it and they can sell it to you or anyone else CPO.
However, based on what I've seen about BMW NA's CPO program and BMW FS' lease program, there is nothing automatic about a leasee getting a CPO unit if s/he buys out the lease contract at the end of the term.
You might ask your dealer what the price will be if they CPO versus not CPO. And I would get everything in writing!!!
First of all, thank you.
Here's what my dealer said. CPO is not automatic, and costs them roughly $2k to do it.
New questions I have are:
- Is buyout = MSRP x Residual% (versus Selling Price x Residual%)
- What is the significance of Cap Cost?
- Is CPO transferable (if I were to buy a CPO, then sell to someone else)
Thank & regards!
Cap cost is your selling price plus or minus any fees or downpayment... It determines the starting point for the lease calculations.. since residual is always the same, then lower cap cost = lower payment.
CPO is always transferable upon payment of a fee by the buyer.
regards,
kyfdx
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I can almost believe an extra grand or so, but two thousand smackers.
ksso
note: Even though I'm typing this from Toronto, since I'm from AZ/CT, i'm using strictly US$...
CPO is NOT an extension, at least not in the tradional sense. It is a new and different warranty on the same vehicle. One can't extend the original bumper-to-bumper warranty. CPO only happens when the original car goes back into the possession of a BMW dealer and that BMW dealer resells the car to a 2nd buyer. The 2nd buyer theoretically could be the original buyer. But this person couldn't retain unbroken ownership or ownership interest in the vehicle.
CPO provides different coverage. It is more limited than the original b-to-b warranty. Plus there is a $50 co-pay for each visit.
Last year both Roundel (BMW CCA) and Bimmer magazines had extensive articles on the BMW NA CPO program.
For MY02s and earlier, one could pay to extend the maintenance agreement. For MY03 it is now 4/50 rather than former 3/36.
Irrespective of how the contract or contracts are structured, it is still a calcuated risk insurance on part of the company to offer the warranty. And risk means cost, not to add that the whole risk placement business (aka insurance) is going through some extensive loss recollection binge whereby all types of risk coverages are becoming very expensive. I could write pages here on how exactly the "treaties" of warranty risk are structured in the risk placement world, but that's for another day.
thanks
ksso
I was passing a semi on the right today and he cut my way off sending me in the breakdown lane. The car felt predictable and did not even give me a scare.
I vote for orient blue though, just so there are fewer silver grays on the road.
Orient Blue - rarer
Personally, I like the orient blue. The world is full of titanium silver and black BMWs. Silver grey will get common very fast. If you're worried about resale though, silver is always easier.