Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

Do you have a mechanic you could trust for it? The way I look at purchase like that is 8K down, and put another 5-8K in an account for repairs over a few years. You're still at less than a econobox.

I like the way you think!

fezo

We bought it a year before the lease on our X3 was up because I had a $3500 cash 4 clunkers credit (1900 BMW 325i).

I'd normally hate to hear about a 325i getting clunked I see this one was over 100 years old so maybe.....

rayainsw

After playing on some familiar [ back in the USofA ] roads with little traffic for a while – a few comments and observations.

Drivetrain.
The 3.0L straight 6 engine is an absolute gem. The raw numbers on paper [ this version, dubbed N54B30 by BMW, is rated at 320 HP and 332 TQ – with burst of 370 TQ. 0 to 60 = 4.6. Quarter Mile in 13.3 at 108 MPH, per C+D ] are impressive, to me, for such a very civilized and refined Grand Touring style Coupe. But the actual feel of that urge when the throttle approaches WOT is every bit as exhilarating as the 400 HP \ 400 TQ [ and lighter ] Corvette I had for about 2 years.

Although the Corvette posted somewhat quicker Quarter Mile times in automotive publications [ typically around 12.8 sec. ] than the BMW, both equipped with their automatic transmissions, the 7 seconds of ‘overboost’ that the 335iS can provide makes for truly exhilarating acceleration blasts. 14.5 psi of boost really results in very satisfying & entertaining acceleration. The ability to call upon that full 370 TQ whenever desired, for a quick pass, a freeway merge, or just an exhilarating burst – for no other reason – is worth something, to me. Seven seconds is actually quite a long acceleration – if you are already moving. Likely taking one from 30 or 40 to some slightly illegal [ in the USofA ] velocity. Or from 60 to 100 or so.

Except at absurdly low RPM, I have encountered very little evidence of ‘turbo lag’. And having all this wonderfulness fully covered by the [ BMW factory ] warrantee is my very strong preference. [ I am well aware that there are ‘tuners’ who will provide you with more HP and more TQ, after purchase. ] The elasticity of the engine is quite astonishing.

The application of HP and TQ are accompanied by the ideal exhaust tone [ for me ]. While certainly not too loud at all, it provides the perfect complement to the scoot. And each heavy throttle upshift provides an audible ‘punctuation’. Entertaining. As one other example here, seventh gear offers a range of below 40 MPH [ just off idle = less than 1200 RPM ] to the limiter at 150 MPH or so. Awesome. And it pulls with gratifying urge, even at the very lowest RPM. At high RPM it is smooth and feels very quick. And sounds marvelous.

[ Aside: The car was re-delivered on Monday night with a full tank of gas. At half tank, this morning I filled it before driving to work. When I took my exit, after 18 miles or so at 65 to 75 MPH, the display read 29.0 MPG. Not bad! ]

Kudos to the BMW engine team!

rayainsw

The DCT 7 speed auto-manual transmission is extremely well-matched to the capabilities of the engine, as well as being a terrific automatic trans. It does everything I want and does it very, very well. And it does not do much of anything I dislike. That is saying quite a lot, as I have had manumatic transmissions now in every car I have purchased since 1999 – a dozen years and this is the fifth one. I have developed an extensive list of attributes and behaviors that I really care about. Some of the attributes I seek are largely in conflict with each other, but this BMW DCT does everything I care about better than any similar device in any vehicle that I have driven [ including a couple of dozen test drives ] in that 12 year period.

For example:
The transmission generally works quite smoothly and unobtrusively in full automatic mode = “Drive”. I drove most of the 1,000+ miles in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland in this mode, with my daughter in the right hand seat. BMW’s SMG transmissions [ for one example of auto-manuals ] have typically done a very poor job in this sort of exercise – particularly at ‘stop and slow’, heavy traffic speeds.

I appreciate the fact that the paddles are active in every mode, ‘Drive’, ‘Sport’ and [ obviously ] ‘Manual’. In addition to the paddles, for manual gear selection, the gearshift lever – when in the left gate – is also capable of manually commanding up- and downshifts.

Even at WOT, the transmission responds to a paddle or lever command for an upshift - even well before the redline.

The delay between shift command [ via either paddle or lever ] and the beginning of the shift execution is so brief that I feel quite comfortable in calling the responses ‘immediate’.

The upshifts are so quick, in any mode, that it amazes me that they are absolutely never jarring. Amazingly quick, but well managed also. Stunning. And the exhaust sound – just lovely.

The RPM rise is so quick, and the gear rations are so close, that it almost sounds like a current V8 Formula 1 machine accelerating. Now, clearly the speeds and the acceleration rate and the RPM range are not nearly in that stratospheric class, but allowing for that, I think that the overall feel and sound are quite similar. Call this a stretch, if you wish – then drive one at heavy throttle, and let me know what you think?

The response to a violent stab of throttle, past the ‘kickdown’ at WOT can result in an immediate downshift of 2, 3 or even 4 gears [ without stopping at each one in between ], an immediate jump in RPM, and ‘right now’ acceleration – the kind that warms the heart of even a 60s musclecar fan like me. Wow. The transmission does upshift at redline, even in ‘Manual’ mode, at WOT. Some would object to this behavior, on grounds that this is not manual transmission behavior. I do understand that for those who track their cars [ I will not ] and are looking for the absolute best lap times, there are occasions where you would want to avoid an upshift and hang on the rev limiter – briefly. In the real world of public road driving, this arrangement suits me just fine.

Downshift rev-match is perfect every time.

Kudos to the transmission engineers.

And big, big Kudos to the drivetrain systems engineers tasked with making these components work so well together.

rayainsw

Handling.
Many people [ justifiably ] think first of extraordinary handling when they think about [ or name ] the brand’s characteristics. I certainly agree. The ‘at the limit’, 10 tenths handling is something I have no interest in exploring. It is nice to know that it will not fail me in an emergency where an extreme maneuver is required. But I would never intentionally pass 8 tenths, or so, on public roads – allowing for the odd, unexpected patch of wet leaves or slick mud at the exit of an interesting curve. My experience has been that the 335iS is a very stable, forgiving handler, at the pace I enjoy and can maintain. The steering is accurate and responsive – the feedback is useful but well damped. The turn-in is natural feeling – as is the unwinding of lock while exiting a corner with [ ahem ] enthusiasm. The M-Sport Package [ standard on the 335iS ] combined with the width [ 225/40x18 fronts and 255/35x18 rears ] and stiff sidewalls of the Michelin Pilot Sport runflat tires certainly does mean that you are aware of imperfect surfaces. Yet the ride, overall, I find to be quite supple and well controlled – better than the recent vintage Corvette Coupe I drove for over 30,000 miles. It is firm without being unduly harsh – IMHO. There is some road noise, apparent primarily on coarse \ roughened \ worn surfaces. Expansion seams and broken pavement impacts are also apparent – though often more heard than felt. But perfectly acceptable for daily driving, for me.

Interior.
I find it generally very well designed and thought through. The ergonomics, from an enthusiastic driving standpoint, work very well for me. The steering wheel placement, the seating position [ very widely adjustable ] the throttle, the brake and the transmission controls are well placed and provide the kind of control and support that adds substantially to [ um ] spirited driving. The seats merit special mention here. The Sport seats are firm and supportive, without being hard. They adjust in micrometer steps in every available direction - and they also provide extended thigh support, adjustment to lumbar support [ up\down as well as more\less ] and adjustable side bolsters. Very, very well done. I find the quality of the materials to be uniformly high – though the styling is not ‘flashy’. The fit and finish give the impression that it will wear well - and for quite a long time. Now at just over 1,200 miles there have been no rattles, squeaks or groans from any components. Seams line up and finish matches well. Buttons and other controls have a quality, substantial feel.

As a transportation appliance, there are some areas that could be improved. BMW insists on providing absurdly inadequate cup-holders. Not well placed, not nearly deep enough – and flimsy.
[ sigh ] Some of the radio and climate controls are not particularly intuitive, but since it is the only car I drive, I will adapt.

Back on the plus side: Separate flexibility in the amount of heat that comes through the center face level vents is a nice touch – allowing cooler air than what is sent to the footwells, if desired. Very nice - and appreciated. And the heater warms up quickly. And so do the seat heaters. [ 29 degrees here near Atlanta, this AM. ] The moonroof provides me with ventilation without any undue wind noise.

This experience has [ so far ] been everything I had hoped for in a BMW. And even more, in a few areas.

This is not an inexpensive automobile, but I feel that I have received value commensurate with price paid. And I am not very easy to please. [ Ask my ex-wife. ]

Kudos to BMW – and ‘Thanks’ !!

- Ray
Very, very happy BMW customer . . .

The Car – for those just joining the conversation here:
2011 BMW 335iS
Le Mans Blue Metallic [ dark blue ]
Gray Leather
7-Speed Dual Clutch Transmission [ DCT ]
Premium Package
Comfort Access
Heated Seats
Satellite Radio
Initially delivered in Munich, Germany

A couple of pictures:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v298/rayainsw/2011%20BMW%20335iS/?albumview=sl- ideshow

roadburner

Sounds like a great car; I had a 335i convertible fo 3 weeks while I was writing a story about it. It was a wonderful experience. Here's the last paragraph:

By the time I reached driving age, the first Musclecar era was over. The cars I lusted after -the Boss 302 Mustang, the AAR Cudas, and the 2nd generation Z28- were either extinct or emasculated. I never had a chance to actually drive one, but back then I just knew what it would be like: Savage acceleration, pin-sharp handling, powerful brakes. And while those cars were benchmarks for their era, there was no way that they could live up to the performance I had imagined. Until now. You see, as I was pulling into work one day the Sirius/Logic7 radio began to play the Beach Boys' Cherry, Cherry Coupe, and suddenly it all clicked into focus with laser-sharp clarity. The 335i convertible is fast, comfortable, acceptably nimble, and MUCH prettier than its sedan stablemate- BMW has built the Ultimate Mustang. And what's wrong with that?

nyccarguy

Thanks for an amazingly detailed & fantastic review on your gorgeous & simply awesome new 335is!

rayainsw

The comparison to the Mustang is interesting.

Setting aside price, they have some marked similarities.
The 2011 Mustang GT [ 5.0L V8 ] is capable of acceleration almost identical to the 335iS:
‘. . .60-mph sprint in 4.6 seconds, and the quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds at 109 mph’ - C+D.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-ford-mustang-gt-50-short-take-road-test-

I have not driven a Mustang for many years, but I have repeatedly read that they now [ despite the live rear axle ] actually handle quite well – even on imperfect surfaces.

And the exhaust certainly does sound very nice – at least from outside.

Given that one can buy that sort of performance for something like $30K [ base GT ], one could argue that I wasted a pile of $$s.

I think that [ bang for your buck-wise ] the Mustang does represent excellent value for your money.

But not what I was looking for, this time around, for several reasons.

YMMV.
- Ray
Respecting the Mustang GT . . .

isellhondas

Sandman, you are "whistling in the dark" here.

Nobody who is determined to buy a new car will pay the slightest amount of attention to your sensible post. They will have a "reason" to buy another car and they will have the sale totally justified even though they are driving a perfectly good car.

Oh well...you tried!

roadburner

Given that one can buy that sort of performance for something like $30K [ base GT ], one could argue that I wasted a pile of $$s.

I wouldn't; I like both cars but I think the Bimmer is worth the extra money.

qbrozen

Nice.

But I'm having a hard time imagining 380hp from that I6 without forced induction.

nyccarguy

Good catch my friend. It was a 1990, not a 1900 :P

rayainsw

Note that there is no mention of TQ -
neither amount nor RPM...
My guess is:
Less than 380
At 4000 RPM+.
- Ray
Willing to be proven wrong....

Sandman6472

I'm listening to myself, which is good enough for me. And I understand how hard it is...a new neighbor up the street has the exact blue RX 330 that I covet so much, and I have to pass it if I want to get out of our street. It's like G-d is testing me to see how long it'll take till I cave and run to buy the car I want at a local dealer. But I will pass the test and will stay the course. just driving the Civic to the supermarket this morning made me smile & realize that this car is all I need right now and "floats my boat" so I'm happy.

So to everyone else in a similar situation, do what y'all must do and just enjoy the ride!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

As a lover of M cars, here's a pic I took at the BMW Zentrum in Munich, probably a few cars you wouldn't mind owning...

roadburner

But I'm having a hard time imagining 380hp from that I6 without forced induction.

The stock 3.5 in my M6 made over 300 bhp at the crank and all I did was install a Dinan chip and remove the catalytic converter, so I'd think a bored and stroked S38 with cams and proper tuning could hit 380 bhp.

Sandman6472

The Mazda3 needed a new 3rd brake light and a license plate bulbs this morning...noticed they were out last night and the wife got scared about gettin' a ticket. We had 1 bulb already and my guy threw the other one in. We're good to go again. Closing in on the 100k mile mark soon, the highest we've ever gone on a car. And it feels good not having to layout a big chunk of change at the moment. Just wish the 3 wasn't such a thirsty ride, but it has served us well over these past 5 plus years. Am very pleased with the Mazda brand, right up there with the other 3 big Japanese brands.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl

The Mazda3 needed a new 3rd brake light and a license plate bulbs this morning...noticed they were out last night and the wife got scared about gettin' a ticket

When we got the Escort I went through and replaced both headlights and 2 brake lights. I failed to notice the license plate lights were missing entirely until about 2-3 weeks ago.

I've only been pulled over for a light out one time and that was in the 97 F-250, had a headlight out which is what I was pulled over for. Also had a broken tail light, no license plate lights, a broken windshield.....and so on. The cop said he could be there all night writing me tickets because the truck was a moving violation. In truth he only pulled me over looking for a drunk driver and the truck fit the profile..... :sick: Miss that old beast. He only cited me for no proof of insurance, a fix-it ticket.

The Civic is closing in on 100k very quickly.......I believe it turned 90k this week. My F-150 flipped over to 10k a week ago.

ab348

Replacing light bulbs can be very satisfying.

Years ago I bought a 20 year old Olds Delta 88 for a beater. It was in very solid shape but I noticed after driving it at night that many of the interior light bulbs seemed to be out. I had found a service manual for it and went through it one Sunday afternoon with a supply of various lamps on hand. It was remarkable! I found that both footwell lights were burned out, along with the lamp for the wiper switch, the ashtray lamp, 2 of the 3 speedometer bulbs, the radio dial lamp, and the lamp for the heater controls. Took some dash disassembly but that night when I got in and turned on the lights in the dark it was like a whole new dashboard! Very impressive.

qbrozen

The stock 3.5 in my M6 made over 300 bhp at the crank and all I did was install a Dinan chip and remove the catalytic converter, so I'd think a bored and stroked S38 with cams and proper tuning could hit 380 bhp.

Did you dyno that or just going by what the claims for those mods were?

It just seems at least a bit odd that BMW bothered producing a V8 if they already had an I6 that could trounce it. I can't get 380 out of my 4.4 even if I supercharge it.

If its true, its true. Stranger things have happened. But I'd need to see this guy's dyno sheets to believe it.

fezo

Oh thank goodness! :P right back at ya....

fezo

My F-150 flipped over to 10k a week ago.

Only you could put 10K on a truck not driving.....

tifighter

Local dealer is advertising Murano CrossCabrios for $39999. C'mon, who's first? Anony is on the clock right now, right?

ateixeira

Soon they'll be half off.

nyccarguy

That is definitely up there as being "the ugliest & most ridiculous over priced vehicle ever produced."

tifighter

And yet, as I mentioned in my SF Auto Show post on the I spotted thread, women were all over this thing, saying lots of positive things. I don't think a lot of people are aware of it, and its painfully expensive. Still, you'd think boomers would like the higher seat position they've grown accustomed to driving SUV's and CUV's over the past 20 years combined with a nice interior and four seats. I just wonder if its a slow burn product.

stever

But for $20,000. Hm....

Drove up the road today for a few hours in the Outback, and it's getting harder to scrunch in and out of it. The minivan has spoiled my joints.

akangl

Only you could put 10K on a truck not driving.....

Honestly I've only put maybe 100 miles on the truck since all this began in July. Hubby drives it when he's home since its much easier to stick 4 people in the truck than it is in his 2 dr Civic.

Let's see, between May 27 when we bought the truck with 30 miles on it and July 23 it had 5525 miles put on it. From July 23 until now its only had another 4731 miles put on it. So going from 2762 miles/month to 1182 miles/month.......kinda screams that I've been grounded, lol. :sick:

laurasdada

I present:

fezo

Soon they'll be half off.

About then I'd get interested. It's still a pretty ungainly beast.

Sandman6472

Happy Thanksgiving all...enjoy this wonderful American holiday!

I guess I've still got the record for putting the least amount of miles on my car...October 2010 I was at 32,2k and today, finally broke 32.8k, so that's less than 100 miles/month. This puppy will sure be around for awhile. Also looked at my kids Accent today and she's also at about 100 miles/month average now also. Luckily things are really close to our house unlike Alaska or New York. And the Mazda gets the brunt of our family's mileage at about 12k/year.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

No image here? What should I be seeing?

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl

Luckily things are really close to our house unlike Alaska or New York.

Most things are at least 12 miles from my house, daughter's doctor is 60 miles away, hubby's work is 250 miles away. We put less miles on my vehicle than we used to when the grocery store was 90 miles from the house but can still pack on a bunch.

I think my son has put maybe 3k miles on the Escort since March, he doesn't drive unless he has to.

roadburner

Did you dyno that or just going by what the claims for those mods were?

I know and trust Jim Conforti and Steve Dinan without reservation- and the US S38 motors were de-tuned to an almost unheard-of degree. Dinan and Conforti were both able to find a huge amount of power in those engines. Here is the data on Jim's chip. If anything, he understates the power. I ran the car at a joint BMW/Porsche Solo I event and was protested by several of the P-Car drivers because I was reaching straight line speeds that approached the numbers of several Turbo Carreras.

roadburner

Nice! Thanks for posting the picture.

roadburner

Closing in on the 100k mile mark soon, the highest we've ever gone on a car.

Wow. At 92.5K, my MS3 is the youngster in my garage; my wife's X3 just passed 125K while my son's 1975 2002 is showing 196K on the odometer.
That said, my job is now putting 1K-1.5K per month on my MS3, it will pass 100K by April I'd bet.

fezo

That's a lot of miles per month for a retired guy....

kyfdx

Early '50s is pretty young to be a retired guy... :surprise:

nyccarguy

I ran the car at a joint BMW/Porsche Solo I event and was protested by several of the P-Car drivers because I was reaching straight line speeds that approached the numbers of several Turbo Carreras.

Love it!

Sandman6472

What pic? Nothing happens when I click the image. :confuse:

Mr. Sandman :sick: :shades:

ateixeira

About then I'd get interested. It's still a pretty ungainly beast.

Funny thing is I jokingly asked for something that was half way between a minivan and a roadster, and voila, Nissan built it! LOL

I think I'd get 2 Wranglers for $44k, though. One shorty, one Unlimited.

roadburner

That's a lot of miles per month for a retired guy....

Yeah, I'm on the the Northern KY Court Administrator's speed dial. Seriously. I'm already scheduled for 17 days next year in one county alone.

fezo

Yeah, truth is once I'm through my medical issues (well, enough through to work again) I'll be back subbing for my old job - as much as I can and still collect my Social Security when that time comes.

Sandman6472

Might have to join you also...the powers that be have decided to take my disability away as their paid orthopedic surgeons think that my issues from my on the job injury have resolved and I am no longer "compensatable", though I strongly disagree! I think I'm at where I'm at now due to the accident but not sure how to fight it. But I expected no less from them as they are using "their doctors" who are paid by them and will say what they want them to say. Short of hiring an attorney, not sure what to do. But with all my pain, not sure I can work and besides, who's gonna hire a middle aged guy walking with a cane with no real skills to begin with? Right...not too many huh!

I will write my letter defending myself and go with my plan B...taking my 31 years career with Uncle Sam and retire with a pension. A bit confused still as what to do. One thing's cool though, my car's in great shape so no need for a replacement. Having to buy a car for me to now would be a huge problem. And am hoping the wife will take on some more accounting work into her practice to help cover the decrease in my income...she's only working part time now anyways. Time for her to pull the cart alone for a bit!

And what was your old job? Don't really know what most of you guys do when not on Edmunds. I'll start...I was a letter carrier for 31 years in Boca Raton, Florida. Great job and great folks which I sorely miss!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

gouldn

Care to share why your handle is "sandman"? I always guessed you drove a sand truck until recently I saw references to the USPS ... oh wait ... I guess there's a fair amount of sand in Florida! I think I get it now!

tifighter

I think the job roll call happened once on the 'sales stories' thread, but that might have been a while ago, can't remember.

As for me, I'm 36 and work for an outdoor company that makes gear for backpacking, paddling, backcountry skiing, etc. I like having work and play crossover. And tomorrow, I fly down to Patagonia for 2 weeks of travel and backpacking. Looks like 17 hours on a plane :sick:

stever

Oh boy, pro deals.

(don't worry, I already have an in that way. Not that I need any more junk around here. )

Sandman6472

Very cool...enjoy the trip!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

My name is Sandy and folks have been calling me "Sandman" for the past 35 to 40 years...it just stuck. Also, I always loved that Sandman song as a small kid...the one sung by those ladies in the '50's...think it's called "Mr. Sandman".

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

roadburner

And what was your old job? Don't really know what most of you guys do when not on Edmunds.

I'm 54 and I was a judge in District Court from 1986 to 2008. I'm now in the Senior Status Judge program. I retired with an enhanced benefit in exchange for agreeing to work 600 days anywhere in the state judicial system as needed.