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Comments
My guess is that it's a coin holder.
Maybe their financial situation has changed or they believe other things such as travel are more important....or putting kids through university, whatever.
But, you won't save money thinking you will get an equivalent car for less money.
I would consider a softer riding car if the day comes when I like that highway cruiser feel, soft plush seats, light steering.................but I don't see that happening.
I do understand though why some people prefer that. Also, American cars are usually larger, and some people might like that fact. It is just a personal preference but I don't like larger cars. I really do understand people might change what they think is important to them......but you won't get the characteristics of a bMW in another car at a lower price....as long as they realize that.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I think coin holders usually have slots for different size coins. That was the greatest invention the Japanese car makers contributed to the advancement of the automobile. (don't write back...I am only joking).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My old 80 Accord had a little coin box on top of the dash to the driver's left. It was perfectly located for its purpose.
Nowadays with EZ Pass the coin box sits empty.
Or maybe they looked at each other and said "wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?"...... (gee, lemko would LOVE this!)
Yep in most of their situations their financial situation has changed for the better. Nor have their lifestyles changed much, and college for their kids was no problem (one had scholorships) the rest have kids out of college.
But, you won't save money thinking you will get an equivalent car for less money.
Actually you can, but thats not the issue. What is the issue is paying 20% more for a car thats only 5% better.
......but you won't get the characteristics of a bMW in another car at a lower price
Ok you go right ahead believeing that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I know people who wouldn't dare set foot into a BMW store, but love Infiniti (Nissan) vehicles....to the point they'll never shop for anything else.
Nothing wrong with being brand loyal.
I've always been of the mind that not every manufacturer, makes a great vehicle, across all the categories of vehicles they manufacture, all the time.
We even saw the much vaunted Toyota stumble badly over the past year. If ever there was a manufacturer who had a strangle hold on the quality vehicle market, it was Toyota. I never saw a car company stumble so badly, and so quickly, as Toyota.
I guess I lean towards Honda/Acura vehicles. I like the way they drive, their longevity, their quality, the way they're engineered, the way they're built, etc. I also like the fact they follow no one, no trend....they forge their own way.
But, I also admire Ford products right now, too. If ever there was a car manufacturer who is on a big time roll, with good vehicles that people want (while burying those that they don't want), it's Ford. Admittedly, I haven't been in all of their vehicles. But, I've rented two Fusions. In the market they compete in (Accord/Camry/Malibu), they are impressive. I've test driven a couple of SHOs. If ever there was a car that you would consider over-engineered; overbuilt (meant as a compliment), it's the SHO.
My son's girlfriend just bought a Fiesta. That's a very impressive entry level car.
They've got some momentum going, seemingly across the board.
Regarding maintenance, if I've learned one thing, you can abuse a Honda vehicle, for a long time, and they shrug it off and keep right on running.
One time we drove a 5 series a bit more than 350 miles from Chicago to the middle of Iowa all but 5 or 10 miles on the Interstate system. Switched to a Town Car and drove back almost immediately. The drive back was much, much easier and better.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Modern Hondas are equipped with a Maintenance Minder. These monitor how the car is being driven and take into consideration short trips, excessive idleing, time and miles. When it figures you are down to your last 15% of oil life, a light go's on every time you start the car.
I never waited for the light. I would ususlly change the oil around the 30% number.
Modern oils are so much better than they used to be. I only used Castrol 5-20 and Honda filters.
The new 2011 CRV calls for 0-20 oil! That must be like water!
But now I'm almost 10 years older than I was when I bought the car. I'm over 60 & I recently underwent major surgery. My BMW is low, & I'm finding it harder to get into & out of the car. Moreover, the sport suspension, which makes the car handle so well, also makes the ride rougher - particularly over bad pavement, of which there is no shortage here.
So when I think about my next car, I find myself drawn to an upscale SUV, like the Acura MDX, which would still be fun to drive but which would also have a more comfortable ride while being easier to get into & out of.
I'm in no rush - my BMW still gives me enormous pleasure, so I'll probably keep it for another year or 2 - but my next car almost certainly won't be a low-to-the-ground sport sedan.
My Explorer came with an ashtray that fit one of the cupholders.
I wonder where that thing is?
My main beef is when a BMW owner goes on as if the car is the ultimate car, that you can't get a comparable car for the money, that people prefer a softer ride simply because they were told cars are supposed to be like that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
On all my time, I sold ***one*** of these.
1997 was the last year Accords came with an ashtray and lighter.
My Buick has one of those oil change reminders. I've never paid it much attention, except to note that the oil usually looks dirty long before the light comes on to change it. Of course my car is nearly 12 years old, seems the older my car gets the easier it becomes for the oil to get dirty. I usually change my oil at 4ks miles or 5 months, whichever comes first.
When I was in Big O Tires a few weeks ago, they had an information poster on the wall recommending when to change your oil. Said the oil change maintence reminders aren't totally accurate as they can't account for certain conditions. i.e dust. But, they do sell oil changes as well, so who knows.
One thing I never did find in the loaner Accord was the aux jack. There wasn't a manual in the glovebox so i couldn't look it up.
I'm the world's worst for checking my oil and I need to do better. I probably check it once between changes and it's always at or near the full line.
Our rarely used 1993 Ford Explorer get's an oil change once a year. Last time, I think it had been driven 800 miles.
If you drive it every day, it'll go through a quart every 2000-2500 miles which isn't bad for 163,000 miles.
I doubt it!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I know what you mean, actually getting out of the 328 Cabriolet is my basic exercise for the day. For some reason it is even more difficult to get in on the passenger side, I think our bodies are different on each side.
Hopefully, BMW will make taller cars like Ford did with the Focus and Toyota with the Corolla. They know that as people age they prefer taller cars.
I think the day would come when I will have to get a car with easier access, but maybe it also keeps me in shape.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
A few decades ago I owned a Corsica, I changed the oil every 5K miles give or take. One day with it well over 100K miles it blew a gasket. The mechanic who took the engine apart to replace the gasket mentioned that the cylinders looked very good and wondered if they had been reworked at anytime.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
As someone mentioned, BMWs don't have dipsticks. The light comes on when it is time to get an oil change. So, it would be useless to try to guess when you need one, unless you want to do it every 5000 miles instead of 15000. But, I think you would be wasting your money.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I agree. That kind of mindless boosterism would turn me off to any car.
Not sure at how you arrived at those statistics.
I don't think too many people would spend 20% more for a car if they could buy a similar car for a lot less.
I have driven a lot of different cars and I don't find too much similar....maybe a Mercedes or Audi. Mercedes is more luxurious while BMW is more performance oriented, and Audi is somewhere in the middle. I like the performance of a BMW but I also like the higher roofline and room in an Audi. I like the looks of a Mercedes and the interior design. I can't own one of each so I choose the one that has the features I like the most. But, if you can tell me a car that has the features and performs as well as a BMW and I can save 20% let me know what it is.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I agree. That kind of mindless boosterism would turn me off to any car
Yeh, I really hate that too. Also, when people try to use every trick in the book to put down a particular make of car or say they can buy a car that is just as good for 20% less!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Snake--
I just read James Healey's review of the Chrysler 200 in the Friday USA Today. The 200 is the replacement for the Sebring and, according to Healey, is a vastly superior car in every way. In the review he basically blames the Sebring for sullying the entire Chrysler brand over the last decade and opines that there wasn't one redeemable aspect to the car other than the optional heated/cooled cup holders. I think the nicest adjective he used describing the car was "disagreeable".
I'm guessing that you, Richard and Fezo do not concur with Mr. Healey's assessment.
Gogiboy
Mine was a 98 some time ago so I couldn't tell you there. Back then it was considered an OK car. It's reputation has fallen but I know snake and Richard love theirs.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Glad I didn't mention this.
Them's sounds like fighting words.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
lol Since I know you are just having fun.
It is funny how everyone likes to pounce on the BMW guy, and the BMW guy is always respectful of other peoples cars. Hmmmmmmmm
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
How about the Infiniti G37? While it's not as refined as the BMW 3, it's just about as fast & as much fun to drive, & it costs a helluva lot less.
Let's face it: for the buyer who has to pay US dollars, the BMW isn't a terrific value proposition. When I bought my car in 2001, a loaded 330i stickered for $40K. Today, a comparably equipped 335i costs at least $53K, thanks in large part to the dollar's value loss relative to the euro. Yes, the new car is more powerful, but some of that power is lost coping with the 335i's increased weight. Overall, you're paying a lot more money for a car that's not significantly more entertaining to drive than my nearly 10-year-old 330i.
Yes, the 3-series BMW is still a blast to drive, but it's now a very expensive pleasure, & you'd have to be brain-dead not to consider alternatives. If I had to replace my 330i today with something similar, I'd look long & hard at the Infiniti G. I'd also check out the Cadillac CTS, which might be the best Caddy of the last 50 years. I'd even look at the Acura TL, although I find its appearance to be, well, odd. And if I simply had to buy another BMW, I'd look at CPO cars.
Here is question though - what is the best way to clean up the rest? The carpet is back by a stiff pressboard material so I don't think I can really hit it with the pressure washer - An suggestions?
Gotta have a clean trunk for trade in some day...:)
I think the hard board will survive just fine. What you want to avoid, is time-soaking it.
With the pressure washer (I'd even use just a garden hose with fine spray setting if you have warm water to blend in...likely better than the pressure washer as it won't drive the water into the hard board as much) it is spraying the soap off and out. The carpet back is likely a plastic mould of sorts and that may be a great barrier from the hard board.
Also, I would have pulled them out and hung it right away, so as little as possible soaks into the hardbd. Hopefully the carpet back hasn't allowed that.
And worse case...hard board is replaceable and affordable even if yours does smell like a FWH now..
Just checked and a rwd stick 328i can be bought for about 32500. You'd have to order one because you would never find one on a lot. Lots less stuff to go wrong and it will always be worth 12-15k if you keep it in great shape.
anyway here is what I tried to edit..
...even if it does smell like a .....errr.....a liitle aromatic now..
I wouldn't say "always". There are times when you are less than "politically correct" in describing non-bimmer vehicles. But, you do seem to try.
In reguards to BMW's not having dipsticks, I've always thought that odd. You've got an expensive to buy, maintain and repair vehicle, and you'd never know if you had an oil leak, or burning oil, until the engine seized... as you have no way of checking oil level without a dipstick.
They say burning a quart every 2,000 miles is within acceptable range for most cars. You'd be bone dry if your bimmer were burning oil and only changing your oil every 15k miles. :sick:
I'd be in tears if I had to drive around for 15K miles between changes. It's all I can do to wait 5000 miles before I change the Mobil 1 in my car. The wife's Chrysler gets a dino oil change every 3000. The old van gets it once a year regardless of milage.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Good point. That's what I'd buy if I decided to get another 3-series: a 328i sedan with sport package & practically nothing else. Not as quick as the 335i but plenty fast enough - 0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds.
As you pointed out, the car would have to be ordered, but I've done that before & don't mind. Even back in '01, my sales rep couldn't locate a 3 sedan anywhere in the Northeast with stick, so he placed a factory order. Took about 2 1/2 months.
I thought it was just a name change (the current Sebring is already called the 200 in Mexico)?
I vaguely remember reading that Chrysler's new CEO decided on the name change because the Sebring was so reviled in the auto world.
Personally, I thought the Sebring was OK having owned an earlier sedan version. No doubt the platform was showing it's age but not to the point of being reviled. I do think that the post 2006 model was pretty ugly compared to earlier models.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That's a 2.8 litre inline 6 right?
but alas I don't think i could bring myself to buy a car without a dipstick. That seems just wrong on too many levels.
There are safeguards, and one could not miss the warning lights on the dash the minute the oil got a little low. Much sooner than relying on a dipstick you may or may not use often enough.
Funny, I had the same thing happen with the Cirrus only for us it was a gallon of laundry detergent. It went all over the trunk and down into the spare well. Most of what was in the trunk covered the pressboard tire well cover.
I just took the cover out on a hot sunny day and blasted the carpeted side with the hose until it stopped foaming. I left it in the sun until it was almost dry and then put it between two boards overnight with a weight on it to prevent warping. Worked out OK.
Just don't put it back in your trunk until it's completely dry.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
3.0 liters, actually.
So the 335 isn't a 3.5 litre either? I remember a time when BMW had acronyms that made perfect sense and really told you something about under the hood at glance.
Back in 86 I think there was a 325. It was a 3 series with a 2.5 six. 535 was the five series, with a 3.5 litre i think.
MBenz started screwing around with their numbering also. Not as much tho i don't think.
I like numeric nomenclature for a car, but only if it doesn't confuse what the car actually is.
When mfrs start messing with names it can really screw you around, especially if a model is dropped for a yr or two then comes back as something else but riding on the prev version's coattails.
It is a lot more sophisticated than an oil pressure light. It is a light that is measuring the quality of oil, how much is being used, if the oil isn't chemically right, and of course the proper level.
If you were leaking oil you would get a big warning sign that would tell you to stop. If you need a service checkup the warning light will be accompanied by an exclamation mark (!). That means it should be looked at, but not urgent.
Not to be a sexist pig, but how many women know how to check their oil with a dipstick? What percentage of men know how to do it and will make the effort to do it? Not many, idiot lights were named that for a good reason, but a good warning system is much better for todays drivers.
T.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
All excellent cars, and those are probably ones I would look at too, if I wanted to check out the market place. Of course I would include Audi too. I might even try a VW CC and a Mustang might be worth a try, and Saab if they update their cars.
That reminds me, our Saab - Saturn dealer is now a Kia dealership, and I haven't seen an ad for Saabs in a long time, so are they still available?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Great idea, and I woulld probably do that instead of buying a Buick or a fully dressed Camry or Accord. In fact I think a BMW stripper with manual would be a blast. But, technically, that doesn't answer the question about what car costs 20% less than a BMW but is just as good. Maybe a VW CC, but I don't think so. A standard 4 cylinder Audi comes close and is superior in some ways, but still not quite. Maybe an Infinity - I haven't tried one - but I did try a Maxima when trying out BMWs and that was supposed to be superior, but for me it at the gee wiz factor of speed and gizzmos, but not the same road handling and steering ability and control.
But, that is why they sell Maximas and BMWs, different strokes for different folks. Not right or wrong, good or bad, just different preferences.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250