My wife has given me a nice surprise this evening.
Her gas Cooper is about to end leasing time. I have kept asking my wife what she would like for a change — fearing that she would choose some French compact or similar. (Have I said before she's half French? Yes, I did.) She has been very reluctant to speak about her plot.
So, this afternoon she came back from the BMW dealer with a nice proposal on a 116d: USA$ 6,000 discount below MSRP; no registration tax (no 17% added to MSRP) because 116d emits only 118 gr/kg of CO2 and therefore falls in the ecology cars category eligible for tax discount.
When I asked her why she choose another bimmer for us she replied: "Well, you know I extremely liked that 118d we rented a year ago, but I was afraid you would insist me to have the 123d instead. You are a fool when hp and torque are at stake, but I will content myself driving yours for fun". :P
122 hp, 260 lb/foot, in-line 4 cyl, combined 53,5 USA mpg, Efficient Dynamics, Brake Regeneration, etc., as in the brochure that can be downloaded from here and from curiosity. download a brochure
Here is a link to bmw.uk for more information on diesel Series 1 (I am aware you frequent it, but just in case other member wants to visit it as well): bmw.co.uk
I brought this up on the 335d forum over at BMW when this car first debuted. There is no cost saving in the US due the the weird diesel fuel pricing way over premium fuel.
I do not see brisk sales of this model here in the states.
BMW is going to remain very selective of the models that they sell here in the states. If they bring in lower 1 series cars it may erode their premium brand that they've spent years and countless dollars to build.
This is why we dont get lower 5 and 7 series cars that are widely available in other markets.
Again, GMish logic. The market is changing rapidly. Mark my words, this is a HUGE error in judgement because it smacks of greed and inside the box thinking.
That's OK...give Hyundai some time. They will no doubt take advantage of them somehow!
I agree with you that this market is changing rapidly, BMW has already suffered major sales decreases because of their reliance on subsidized leases to move volume. Even now as their flagship new 7 is launched, there is no wait at the dealers, they are actually working hard to generate sales interest.
I don't know if Hyundai will take real advantage of BMW but others will.
Even now as their flagship new 7 is launched, there is no wait at the dealers
The only thing I can add is a 116d hatched which is ordered today will be delivered by BMW over here in June. They are selling these cars quite well, even in current crisis time.
Mark my words, this is a HUGE error in judgement because it smacks of greed and inside the box thinking.
That's OK...give Hyundai some time.
Bingo.
Surprisingly, the Germans don't fuly grasp this. The Koreans do, and I think the Japanese are starting to get the picture. Too many SUVs from Toyota, for example... and Honda really should introduce a hybrid CR-X. And, meanwhile General Motors was full speed ahead on a Camaro. :sick:
So, out of touch.
The diesel revolution will die because the Germans decided to only hit a single or double, and not hit the homerun that they could have. Shame... and stupid.
It's all so shortsighted, as usual.
Oh... I must continue to give Ford huge credit for its Fusion. It's the right car at the right time... a big step in the right direction.
Following a Father/Son Cake Bake for the Cub Scouts. Our decision was to bake/build the tallest cake, naming it (as all cakes are required to be named), "The Empire Cake Building." Everything on the cake must be edible, so Twizzlers would be the "girders" to connect and hold up the stories. This should work...
All did not go quite as planned (and I know none here are surprised by this) as just a couple of hours before the meeting/judging our "Empire Cake Building" was more, "The Leaning Tower of Flour..." And only leaning as I continually tried to shore up the tower with Twizzlers. So, long story short the "Empire Cake Building" became (as described on the card attached as required by the rules:
CHA(K)OS!
A Father and Son's three day odyssey of brainstorming, design, purchasing, baking and building in an ultimately furtile attempt to create the tallest cake!
BEHOLD! CHA(K)OS
Yes, Chakos was just a pile of chocolate and vanilla cake rubble mixed with multi-hued Twizzlers and chocolate and vanilla icing. Mmmm, good.
Our award: Best Name! And, ironically, had we just not been so aggressive in our quest for the heavens and gone a bit more vertically challenged, we would still have been the tallest! But, dream big!
Oh, the Typical Father and Son Day... which will include luxury...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Today was Championship Swim Meet day for the five town league in which both my kids participate. I took the 7:30am-12:30 shift with The boy. He did well (one first, one second, two thirds and a fourth in the highly competitive 9 & 10 year old bracket). The Evil Wife arrived with the Teenage Girl for the afternoon meet in time to see The Boy place second in the IM.
As promised, I took him to Red Robin (all the fries you can eat. I do not feel so well as I type this...) for post-swim meet lunch. (I "motivated" him to do well by threatening McDonald's instead of RR if he didn't perform as expected... ). We feasted and recounted the glory of the morning. As we got into the TL to leave (now we're beginning the "Luxury" segment of our trip...!), he seemed anxious to get home. Not so fast, oh future Mark Spitz (ooops, just exposed my ancient-ness again). We have two errands to run.
Stop 1: The Salvation Army where I donated a bunch of clothes, winter boots and toys. And explained to Flipper what we were doing, Mr. Altruism that I am. Young Mr. Phelps rather astutely (and quite surprisingly) noted that I would enjoy the tax benefits of my largess. Kids!
Stop 2: And now the luxury (yes, even more so than the TL). I surprised Aquaman with a visit to the Dodge Dealer! Well, make that the former Dodge dealer, now Ferrari and Maserati! The place was crawling with more exotic Italians than an episode of The Sopranos! Now, I had little Johnny Weismeuller's attention!
Initially, my plan was to wander the outside lot (a typical New England March day, 65 degrees, snow slowly dying... ) hoping not to be approached by a sales rep who would politely ask us to look, but don't touch. And that plan worked. The two dark skinned Porsche 911 Converts looked positively dowdy amongst the bright red, yellow, and orange (Lambo convert) F430, 575, 355, 599, 360, Quattroporte, Gran Turismo and the like that littered the lot. (And an M6 with that beyond wretched eyesore of a Bangle-bustle butt trunk) Several with "Sold" signs. Maybe this whole recession thing is just a Soap Opera-like dream and will be revealed as such in a future episode...
Time to leave, but Buster Crabbe announces that he is going into the showroom! This is good news/bad news as I knew it would be much harder to avoid the well-dressed sharks that lurked within the glass walls, trolling amongst the high priced Italian steel and leather reefs within. The good news was that Red Robin excesses had caught up to me and I needed a little "alone" time...
In we went and were ignored by the pony-tailed gentleman behind what appeared to be the reception desk. Ignored as he stared at us. Sponge Bob made no note of this. And then my worst fears realized, a well-dressed young man with a head of hair that I haven't possessed since my salad (well, more pizza and burgers than salad) days greeted us. Oh, no...
But, he was quite pleasant. I noted we were just looking (yeah, he was surprised), but that I was fairly willing to trade young Gilligan here for a Gran Turismo. Mike the sales rep quickly told me he could get me into a new black on black GT for only $97k! I asked young Poseidon would he rather me have the GT or save the money for a couple of years of his college education! Bless his chlorine-soaked little heart, without hesitation he said, "Maserati!" However, young Captain Nemo did go glassy eyed as Mike explained the de-tuned Ferrari engine in the QP...
We spent about half an hour in the showroom, the folks there seemed to have no problem letting the tadpole jump in and out of Gran Turismos and Quattroportes. Nice. Mike and I exchanged stories of cars and fiscal irresponsibility (not selling tech stocks for zillions during the tech bubble, riding 'em right back to the penny stocks that they always were... :sick: ) and him,without naming names, telling me of his client list. Alas, unless there's another tech bubble PDQ, may name shan't be added to that list.
So, it appears that little Squidward is now a Maserati guy. For whatever reason, the Ferrari's didn't stir his soul other than announcing that he doesn't like "Spyders." (And Snakes?). He thought I would look good in a GT, Evil Mom in a QP, prices and mpg be of no concern.
We arrived to an empty showroom, but as we left there was actually quite a buzz of activity as (mostly young-ish) folks showed up in a MB ML, Honda S2000, Jeep Wrangler and a Range Rover. One father and son just as us, enjoying a somewhat anomalous March New England day among the glitterati of the car world.
Nice day. But, curse you Red Robin and your unlimited fries! :sick:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Agreed..Ford has at least ried but will no doubt be changed by the market in short order. If the CEO of Hyundai was also directing BMW strategy, the 116 woul already be selling here in the US. What a nice way introducing the diesel at affordable prices.
At 50 mpg, it's a no brainer to offer an upscale entry level premium car that is also a halo car in the efficient diesel arena in the mid-$20K range. The 335d would be the next step up which would then be more exclusive but still a model of efficiency. The target for the entry level cad no longer is a $50K vehicle in this market but rather an affordable variant to flood the market to gain acceptance.
Get ready to fail at diesel in the States, BMW....ala GM. Doomed for repeat of history.
Please, Mr. Shocka! The story was about a 10 year old Scout, I'm not sure that "WTF" is an appropriate phrasing of your query...
Red Robin, fancy-ish burger joint. A la Fuddruckers, Chili's, Fridays... A few steps up from Mickey D's...
Real food Sunday Night, as I'm making the restaurant rounds of free birthday food offers...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
"Audi steers managers towards optimism By Daniel Schäfer in Geneva
Published: March 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: March 5 2009 02:00
The head of Audi took a contrarian view to the pervasive gloom clouding the car industry yesterday, saying he expected a slow recovery by the end of the year and called on managers to stop "moaning" about the crisis.
Rupert Stadler, chief executive of Audi, the German premium carmaker, said the last three months of the year could see the first signs of a reversal in the downward trend.
"I do not give up my glimmer of hope, which is that we will see the light at the end of the tunnel by the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010," he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
His words came as car executives around the world were bracing themselves for what could be the worst first quarter in decades.
Analysts expectalmost all large carmakers to incur losses after global sales dropped by about a quarter in the first two months of the year.
Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker and owner of Audi, has not ruled out a loss in the first three months of the year, though it is expected to report a profit when it announces its 2008 full-year earnings next week. Audi is also expected to be profitable.
Mr Stadler said it was time for managers to be more optimistic. "There is always light and shadow. We have two ways. We can all join in the moaning, or we say we can make a virtue out of the plight," he said.
"I am rather doing the latter, looking forward and taking care for some optimism," he said, adding that "moaning is not a management task".
Premium carmakers have been hit particularly hard by the sharp downturn.
Audi became the world's largest premium carmaker in February by volume, leapfrogging BMW even after its sales dropped 11 per cent in February to 63,000 units.
The carmaker aims to gain market share. Mr Stadler said global car sales could drop by 15-20 per cent in 2009. "If our sales fall by 10 per cent to 900,000 units, this would be a great achievement," he said.
Audi did not see the need for extensive cost-cutting plans because it had controlled its costs over the past 10 years, Mr Stadler said.
"It is obvious that in times of a crisis you look into every corner to find further cost-cutting potential. But if we found another €3bn [in superfluous costs], we would not have done our homework in the past," Mr Stadler said.
Daimler and BMW, Audi's main rivals, have pledged to spend less this year to compensate for the much lower level of capacity being used at their plants. Daimler recently announced a plan to reduce costs by several billion euros this year.
Mr Stadler said Audi would launch its small car model, the A1, early next year, aiming for sales of 100,000 units in the following year. He said there was a good demand for small premium cars.
"It is an illusion to think that customers only want to buy a Dacia [Renault's Romanian subsidiary] in the future," he stated."
The head of Audi took a contrarian view to the pervasive gloom clouding the car industry yesterday, saying he expected a slow recovery by the end of the year and called on managers to stop "moaning" about the crisis.
It's not surprising to see a bit of optimism from Audi. They (and their parent company) aren't days away from running out of cash, and their German sales were flat last month while BMW and Mercedes both dropped by 25 percent.
The shame of it WTF....He writes well doesn`t he? and it sort of takes me to another world, then abruptly ends and the next person then shatteres the illusion...Hope the new car is treating you well, and after an exilerating ride down to Miami, where I turned the steering wheel all of two inches in either direction for ninty percent of the time, going well of eighty most of the way, I came to understand what Howard meant about how well the car rolled over the highway.:) Tony
No worries, mate! Kinda as Tony wrote, it was just an abrupt turn from the Father/Son thing to "WTF!" My comment was really tongue-in-cheek, as per the No offense taken.
Although I am offended that you are driving my S5!!! Please ship it to me. And continue to make the payments. It is, after all, my birthday...
Back from the ongoing free food Birthday tour '09. Yesterday, free burger at Red Robin, tonight a nice free steak dinner including desert at a nicer restaurant. Still to come: Fridays, 99 and Bugaboo Creek. Not to mention the free lift ticket I plan to get on Friday in New Hampster!
If only they gave out new ski boots free for birthdays, I'd be really good to go... Although I hate to part with the current black Nordica's (circa 1991) with the day glo green and purple accents. A cute lift op from Argentina commented on how much she liked my skis/boots almost every time I rode her lift during our ski vacation last month. Hey, maybe I shoulda worn the boots to the Auto Show, Infiniti display!!!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
No one was offended, as the smiley face indicated...I just think Dada is a good artist with words, and your question and his response just additionally funny..
As for my departure, life just seems to throw a curve just when you make a plan, so I am now thrilled to be back on schedule two months late...One thing about down here at this time, it doesn`t get cold at night, therefore whey I get up it is already warm, and for the last two months my feet have been cold all the time, not now...I`l be back up there in a few weeks to enjoy the season with you....Tony ps the depreciating asset is a good description....and I enjoy your humor---sly as it is
Actually, TagMeister, (like Clembo) I'm a Massh*le by way of being from ConeHeadicut after being born in Nueva York. Skiing Vermont, summering in Maine and, until I moved to The Hub of the Universe, somewhat ignoring New Hampster. In fact, I always thought my second/future home would be in Vermont as it is truly a bit of Heaven on Earth. But not so much during mud season, er, Spring... I love Vermont (take your 135 up Route 100 someday. Or even Route 7 through northwestern CT into Mass and up through Vermont. You'll understand...)
Luckily, I got married. Getting married has allowed me to learn so much (well, maybe not learn but be told) about myself, my likes and dislikes. Now that I'm married, I have been told that, yes Vermont is nice (in fact, that is where I met the EW) but I truly love New Hampster and want a second/future home there. Who knew! Had I not gotten married, I never would have come to realize that Vermont was just a mistress whereas New Hampster would be my wife.
No sales (or income ) tax in NH, I'm guessing that is one of the reasons that the EW has informed me of my misguided views of/plans for Vermont...
And, as for Wal-Mart? Not my store yet. But, hopefully if I can keep my job and maybe get a promotion in the next couple of years, I shall be able to become a patron of Sam's place! Until then, Building 19 and Ocean State Job Lot shall continue to fulfill all my needs... :sick:
(No WTF, store-wise. Phil. Try Google instead... )
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
As I said, I'm done with the 'letters I shall not type', but am CURIOUS how one can summer in Maine. I spent a few years growing up in Castine, & summer was about 3 weeks! That was a while ago, but I would summer elsewhere.
I do miss pucks, but not much else. I would be interested how my car would do there. Probably a tyre change in order...
LD, I've spent many, many vacations in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, especially in my youth... as my parents had an addiciton for summer vacations all over the USA. One of their favorites was New England, so I understand it's charm.
As nice and beautiful as it is... you end up having to make excuses for the lousy weather... so, no thanks... just not my cup of tea... at least not right now.
But... you still didn't answer my question. I wasn't asking your opinion of Wally World... I was wondering how long ago New Hamsterites finally let 'em build any stores in your state. I could be wrong, but IIRC, NH residents had a bug up their butts about the world's largest retailer setting up shop in their state... or is that not the case?
LOL!! I may have asked you before, but have you yet written a book? If not, you should. You remind me a lot of Garrison Keillor ("Prairie Home Companion") who has a dry sense of Humor.
I watched a lot of that game yesterday on NESN. The present and future look great for the Red Sox. Did you see that young kid, Daniel Bard pitch? "Holy Cow", as Harry Carey would shout. He can reach 100 mph and it looks as if the Red Sox are grooming him nicely.
Isn't it great to talk about sports instead of the stinking economy? Oh yes we are suppose to talk about luxury cars here, but a diversion once in a while makes it more interesting. Right Pat ?
So let me see... the 335d is slower, more expensive and doesn't really save you money on gas over the 335i...
What's the point of this car again (In USA at least)?
Agreed. You'd literally have to drive the spindles off both cars to see any return on the cost increase, if at all. Remember diesel costs more than premium now, so there's likely not to be any cost savings ever. And whether or not pee is injected into the exhaust, the reduction in the environmental impact apropos of the 335i is not that profound.
Now I'm off to read the other posts to see if I've only restated someone else. (Now you guys have dragged me into this talk! ) :P
Wal-Mart came late to the Northeast not so much because of state & local political opposition - although towns & cities can using zoning laws to keep out what they don't want, states can't do much along these lines - but because Wal-Mart's business model works best where land is cheap & property taxes are low. It's no accident that WM was born in Arkansas & grew up in the South.
Wal-Mart's own top brass spent years trying to figure out if they could make enough money in the NE to justify the much higher cost of building stores here. In the end, they decided that they could.
Phil: Summer camp for a month in Waterville. Family friends had an island house on Sebago for a few weekends, all in my long lost, somewhat lamented youth.
Tag, it appears your query has been answered by others here. There are WalMarts in NH, but I'm not sure of the history of said store. As noted, Vermont is a much tougher sell. McDonald's had a heck of a time trying to build in Stowe, when finally allowed, the architecture had to be of the anti-McDonald's type! You really have to be on the watch to find the MickeyD's on the access road as of my last visit there years ago.
Or maybe it's NH slogan, "Live Free or Die." Stuff in WalMart ain't free...!
And, lousy weather? As I tell my LA brother/father and Florida relatives, I'll take a bit of (expected and, for some, enjoyed!) snow over earthquakes (yeah, we have 'em once in a while. Usually unnoticed), wildfires, mud slides and hurricanes. Well, for now, at least...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Thanks, Chas. No book, to short of an attention span. Not sure I have that much to say, either...!
Jim, lucky you enjoying Spring Training! Ah, yes, spring approaches and a man's fancy turns to trying to forget the ills of the past Patriots season, watching a too long NBA season hopefully culminate in a repeatin' o' the Green and (although not a hockey fan) hoping that the Bruins recent collapse isn't just that... As well as hoping for UConn to bring home both NCAA championships in the same season. Again!
I have brought my Sox apparel out of hibernation and look forward to triumphant returns to form of Papi and Lowell. Tek to show 'em they were all wrong, last year was due to "personal issues." Youngsters, known (Ellsbury, Lowrie) and as of yet unknown (pitchers!), to flourish. Pedroia to continue to amaze and get dirty each and every game. The intensity (the anti-Manny) of Youk. And the potential of the pitching staff! And, most importantly, ensure that the Yankees spend the season looking up at the Olde Towne Team!
And, of course, to use the sunroof in my TL. Which is a car of some luxury. Maybe find that barely used '08 Jag XKR in a barn somewhere that is being sold for a song...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I'll take a bit of (expected and, for some, enjoyed!) snow over earthquakes (yeah, we have 'em once in a while. Usually unnoticed), wildfires, mud slides and hurricanes.
a "bit of"?
Reality check translation...
You'd rather be saddled with a LOT of rain, snow, cold weather, short summers, Nor-easters and generally tempermental weather, as well as those nasty biting bugs, mosquitos, ticks, and lime disease as an ongoing lifestyle... instead of taking that slim chance that a natural disaster could actually show up on your own doorstep, and otherwise enjoying an amazing climate and lifestyle. :P
Oh... BTW... biggest earthquake in this country's history was on the New Madrid fault... an Eastern quake. And scientists now say the risk of serious Eastern quakes is very real. Sorry. LD.
But... at least you still have that wonderful fall foliage... and the Pats.
I stopped by my local dealership on Sunday and sat in the new 7. I think it looks great, imposing yet very modern. The new car is loaded with tech toys. I think the car has more lenses than Ritz Camera.
The MSRP on the first 750 il (launch??) was $101,000 with HUD, Night Vision, Blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and cameras for the rear and front two sides. It did not have a sport package or distronic cruise.
Has anyone driven one ? Is it politically incorrect to want a $100K car?
"You'd rather be saddled with a LOT of rain, snow, cold weather, short summers, Nor-easters and generally tempermental weather, as well as those nasty biting bugs, mosquitos, ticks, and lime disease as an ongoing lifestyle... instead of taking that slim chance that a natural disaster could actually show up on your own doorstep, and otherwise enjoying an amazing climate and lifestyle."
As ignorance is bliss, why yes. Yes I would. :P
Ignorance disclaimer: Never been to CenCal or NorCal. SoCal doesn't float my boat so much....
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
At first I thought you were joking, but I don't think you are. Skip passed away last summer due to liver disease I believe. I think that Chip still broadcasts Braves games.
It is OK to want one, but there are a few other options in that range that deserve thought as well. I would have two cars ahead of the new 7 if I was buying today, although in fairness I have not driven one yet but may this weekend.
I went to summer camp up in Vermont, school in Mass, and although the winters went on forever, I was young and it didn`t bother me...Maybe sub mentally as I much prefer the warmth to the cold......The purpose of this message is to question how you think of the summer weather, June July and most of August...I don`t remember it being anything but sunny and regular rain...Cool at night, warm in the day.....Mass was very similar....Further after seeing the aftermath of WalMart and the other big stores taking over the N C mountains, and all the smaller hardware stores and others being forced out of business, I hope New England can protect their wonderfully quaint towns...and I would imagine New Hamshire to possibly be the last bastion of normalicy....Tony
Yes! Absoultely yes! Completely politically incorrect. Today whether you are in New York, California or where I live in Toronto it is politically incorrect.
No matter where you live we are all Iowans as of today:
In Iowa, this is a niche market. “I have friends who will not drive one of my cars because their neighbors will look down on them for being too flashy,” Gary says. “It’s assessed that if you’re driving a German car you paid too much for it. You have too much money and you’re rubbing people’s noses in it.”
This attitude reflects what my husband and I have come to describe as the “farm-based frugality” of many people here. It’s an unspoken belief that one shouldn’t pay an unreasonable sum of money for anything that could conceivably be made, grown or fixed at home.
Gregory Graham, a Pennsylvania car dealer recently died of a heart attack while torching cars at his own ailing dealership.
Graham, 61, was found amidst a row of a dozen fire-damaged vehicles on the lot of Graham Colonial Motors early in the morning on Feb. 17, and now police are confirming that the fire was due to arson – rolled up newspapers and a gasoline can were found on the scene.
A his and her BMW family! That is the same arrangement I have with my wife and despite my BMW 335i it has not affected our matrimony at least not yet. Wish your wife the best with the 116d. It sounds very impressive indeed and it is truly a pity that they do not sell it here in Canada.
Your wife got a great deal.
A $6K discount on a car with a multi month waiting list due to shortages? BMW business acumen sounds quite shaky in this case.
No matter where you live we are all Iowans as of today
I have to respond to this Dewey since your post found me in what I now call home. As some of you may have guessed by some of my remarks about the weather or when you hear me talking about driving east for nearly 600 miles on I-80 to see our daughter and granddaughter in the Detroit area, my wife and I live in good old Iowa. In fact, we live in the middle of the State in Des Moines. I was transplanted many years ago from MA (thus my love for the Red Sox and Patriots) when I attended graduate school at Iowa State University. Here I met my lovely wife who is from St. Louis. I had never intended to make a living here but I am still here enjoying life after all these years. When I visit my brother and sister in eastern MA, it helps to support the decision I made years ago to make a living here. I now get uneasy and nervous with all the rush, rush, rush, people trying to cheat each other (there are obviously many exceptions like laurasdada, etc. ), and the horrible traffic jams on my visits.
There is a lot of truth to the story you linked about Iowans. They are generally hard working, honest people who don't live in luxury. But Des Moines is a pretty large city (about a half million in metro area) and therefore you don't get that little town atmosphere. With this disastrous economic downturn, real estate has held up its value a lot better here than in other parts of the country. However, a lot of businesses are reducing their work force here in the city.
I obviously don't drive a German car, but I do feel a little uneasy driving a Lexus in these very difficult times. You do see plenty of BMW's and MB's around here as well.
Hello, Tony: As I age, I appreciate the warmth ever more. I enjoy living in shorts in the summer. Summer's here are lovely, it seems that the summer and winter seasons actually are getting longer with compressed spring and fall. But, the truism remains no matter the season: If you don't like the current weather in New England, just wait a minute! And, yes, warm (hot/humid!) summer days, cool summer eve's...
I have always enjoyed the changing seasons as there is always something to look forward to! And, for some people, to complain about... Spring is probably my least favorite as it is the death of snow and the creation of mud! Fall brings All Hallows Eve ("I got a rock") and the feel, smell and taste of the coming of snow. Not to mention trees that signal the passage of time in a most spectacular way.
Without snow, I am no fan of winter. Without snow, winter is simply cold and gray. With snow, winter is Currier and Ives, Charlie Brown Christmas, my kids on sleds and, most important of all, SKIING! The only thing I really don't like about snow is paying Mr. Plow Guy. Yes, snow can occasionally gum up the works, but true New Englander's simply play it as it lay... Although, I don't think most play it as well as when I was younger. Man, when I was growing up, they NEVER canceled school.
I don't think much about the Walmartization of New England. The town in which I grew up, I saw the "Malling" happening in the (IIRC) late '70s, early '80s. I guess I became de-sensitized: The Mobil Gas Station on Main St. became, "The Limited" with ridiculously priced, small condos above. The small hardware store (loved the smell of the wooden floor) disappeared as did almost all the Mom and Pops, replaced by chains of flotsam and jetsam stores. Yes, a bit depressing, but I imagine that man has bemoaned change since the dawn of our curious little species.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I need not Starbucks. McCarthy's will do just fine, Stowe-wise. As well as the Front Four!
I lived in Burlington for one warm, snowless winter. :sick: :lemon:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Comments
Her gas Cooper is about to end leasing time. I have kept asking my wife what she would like for a change — fearing that she would choose some French compact or similar. (Have I said before she's half French? Yes, I did.) She has been very reluctant to speak about her plot.
So, this afternoon she came back from the BMW dealer with a nice proposal on a 116d: USA$ 6,000 discount below MSRP; no registration tax (no 17% added to MSRP) because 116d emits only 118 gr/kg of CO2 and therefore falls in the ecology cars category eligible for tax discount.
When I asked her why she choose another bimmer for us she replied: "Well, you know I extremely liked that 118d we rented a year ago, but I was afraid you would insist me to have the 123d instead. You are a fool when hp and torque are at stake, but I will content myself driving yours for fun". :P
122 hp, 260 lb/foot, in-line 4 cyl, combined 53,5 USA mpg, Efficient Dynamics, Brake Regeneration, etc., as in the brochure that can be downloaded from here and from curiosity.
download a brochure
Here is a link to bmw.uk for more information on diesel Series 1 (I am aware you frequent it, but just in case other member wants to visit it as well):
bmw.co.uk
Regards,
Jose
TM
That is nice that she took all the action on her own, and surprised you
I do not see brisk sales of this model here in the states.
Regards,
OW
Regards,
OW
This is why we dont get lower 5 and 7 series cars that are widely available in other markets.
It's not just BMW, all of the luxury brands do that here. There's no Infiniti G25, for example.
That's OK...give Hyundai some time. They will no doubt take advantage of them somehow!
Regards,
OW
I don't know if Hyundai will take real advantage of BMW but others will.
The only thing I can add is a 116d hatched which is ordered today will be delivered by BMW over here in June. They are selling these cars quite well, even in current crisis time.
Regards,
Jose
That's OK...give Hyundai some time.
Bingo.
Surprisingly, the Germans don't fuly grasp this. The Koreans do, and I think the Japanese are starting to get the picture. Too many SUVs from Toyota, for example... and Honda really should introduce a hybrid CR-X. And, meanwhile General Motors was full speed ahead on a Camaro. :sick:
So, out of touch.
The diesel revolution will die because the Germans decided to only hit a single or double, and not hit the homerun that they could have. Shame... and stupid.
It's all so shortsighted, as usual.
Oh... I must continue to give Ford huge credit for its Fusion. It's the right car at the right time... a big step in the right direction.
TM
All did not go quite as planned (and I know none here are surprised by this) as just a couple of hours before the meeting/judging our "Empire Cake Building" was more, "The Leaning Tower of Flour..." And only leaning as I continually tried to shore up the tower with Twizzlers. So, long story short the "Empire Cake Building" became (as described on the card attached as required by the rules:
CHA(K)OS!
A Father and Son's three day odyssey of brainstorming, design, purchasing, baking and building in an ultimately furtile attempt to create the tallest cake!
BEHOLD! CHA(K)OS
Yes, Chakos was just a pile of chocolate and vanilla cake rubble mixed with multi-hued Twizzlers and chocolate and vanilla icing. Mmmm, good.
Our award: Best Name! And, ironically, had we just not been so aggressive in our quest for the heavens and gone a bit more vertically challenged, we would still have been the tallest! But, dream big!
Oh, the Typical Father and Son Day... which will include luxury...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
As promised, I took him to Red Robin (all the fries you can eat. I do not feel so well as I type this...) for post-swim meet lunch. (I "motivated" him to do well by threatening McDonald's instead of RR if he didn't perform as expected...
Stop 1: The Salvation Army where I donated a bunch of clothes, winter boots and toys. And explained to Flipper what we were doing, Mr. Altruism that I am. Young Mr. Phelps rather astutely (and quite surprisingly) noted that I would enjoy the tax benefits of my largess. Kids!
Stop 2: And now the luxury (yes, even more so than the TL). I surprised Aquaman with a visit to the Dodge Dealer! Well, make that the former Dodge dealer, now Ferrari and Maserati! The place was crawling with more exotic Italians than an episode of The Sopranos! Now, I had little Johnny Weismeuller's attention!
Initially, my plan was to wander the outside lot (a typical New England March day, 65 degrees, snow slowly dying...
Time to leave, but Buster Crabbe announces that he is going into the showroom! This is good news/bad news as I knew it would be much harder to avoid the well-dressed sharks that lurked within the glass walls, trolling amongst the high priced Italian steel and leather reefs within. The good news was that Red Robin excesses had caught up to me and I needed a little "alone" time...
In we went and were ignored by the pony-tailed gentleman behind what appeared to be the reception desk. Ignored as he stared at us. Sponge Bob made no note of this. And then my worst fears realized, a well-dressed young man with a head of hair that I haven't possessed since my salad (well, more pizza and burgers than salad) days greeted us. Oh, no...
But, he was quite pleasant. I noted we were just looking (yeah, he was surprised), but that I was fairly willing to trade young Gilligan here for a Gran Turismo. Mike the sales rep quickly told me he could get me into a new black on black GT for only $97k! I asked young Poseidon would he rather me have the GT or save the money for a couple of years of his college education! Bless his chlorine-soaked little heart, without hesitation he said, "Maserati!" However, young Captain Nemo did go glassy eyed as Mike explained the de-tuned Ferrari engine in the QP...
We spent about half an hour in the showroom, the folks there seemed to have no problem letting the tadpole jump in and out of Gran Turismos and Quattroportes. Nice. Mike and I exchanged stories of cars and fiscal irresponsibility (not selling tech stocks for zillions during the tech bubble, riding 'em right back to the penny stocks that they always were... :sick: ) and him,without naming names, telling me of his client list. Alas, unless there's another tech bubble PDQ, may name shan't be added to that list.
So, it appears that little Squidward is now a Maserati guy. For whatever reason, the Ferrari's didn't stir his soul other than announcing that he doesn't like "Spyders." (And Snakes?). He thought I would look good in a GT, Evil Mom in a QP, prices and mpg be of no concern.
We arrived to an empty showroom, but as we left there was actually quite a buzz of activity as (mostly young-ish) folks showed up in a MB ML, Honda S2000, Jeep Wrangler and a Range Rover. One father and son just as us, enjoying a somewhat anomalous March New England day among the glitterati of the car world.
Nice day. But, curse you Red Robin and your unlimited fries! :sick:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
At 50 mpg, it's a no brainer to offer an upscale entry level premium car that is also a halo car in the efficient diesel arena in the mid-$20K range. The 335d would be the next step up which would then be more exclusive but still a model of efficiency. The target for the entry level cad no longer is a $50K vehicle in this market but rather an affordable variant to flood the market to gain acceptance.
Get ready to fail at diesel in the States, BMW....ala GM. Doomed for repeat of history.
Regards,
OW
Red Robin, fancy-ish burger joint. A la Fuddruckers, Chili's, Fridays... A few steps up from Mickey D's...
Real food Sunday Night, as I'm making the restaurant rounds of free birthday food offers...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
"Audi steers managers towards optimism
By Daniel Schäfer in Geneva
Published: March 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: March 5 2009 02:00
The head of Audi took a contrarian view to the pervasive gloom clouding the car industry yesterday, saying he expected a slow recovery by the end of the year and called on managers to stop "moaning" about the crisis.
Rupert Stadler, chief executive of Audi, the German premium carmaker, said the last three months of the year could see the first signs of a reversal in the downward trend.
"I do not give up my glimmer of hope, which is that we will see the light at the end of the tunnel by the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010," he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
His words came as car executives around the world were bracing themselves for what could be the worst first quarter in decades.
Analysts expectalmost all large carmakers to incur losses after global sales dropped by about a quarter in the first two months of the year.
Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker and owner of Audi, has not ruled out a loss in the first three months of the year, though it is expected to report a profit when it announces its 2008 full-year earnings next week. Audi is also expected to be profitable.
Mr Stadler said it was time for managers to be more optimistic. "There is always light and shadow. We have two ways. We can all join in the moaning, or we say we can make a virtue out of the plight," he said.
"I am rather doing the latter, looking forward and taking care for some optimism," he said, adding that "moaning is not a management task".
Premium carmakers have been hit particularly hard by the sharp downturn.
Audi became the world's largest premium carmaker in February by volume, leapfrogging BMW even after its sales dropped 11 per cent in February to 63,000 units.
The carmaker aims to gain market share. Mr Stadler said global car sales could drop by 15-20 per cent in 2009. "If our sales fall by 10 per cent to 900,000 units, this would be a great achievement," he said.
Audi did not see the need for extensive cost-cutting plans because it had controlled its costs over the past 10 years, Mr Stadler said.
"It is obvious that in times of a crisis you look into every corner to find further cost-cutting potential. But if we found another €3bn [in superfluous costs], we would not have done our homework in the past," Mr Stadler said.
Daimler and BMW, Audi's main rivals, have pledged to spend less this year to compensate for the much lower level of capacity being used at their plants. Daimler recently announced a plan to reduce costs by several billion euros this year.
Mr Stadler said Audi would launch its small car model, the A1, early next year, aiming for sales of 100,000 units in the following year. He said there was a good demand for small premium cars.
"It is an illusion to think that customers only want to buy a Dacia [Renault's Romanian subsidiary] in the future," he stated."
It's not surprising to see a bit of optimism from Audi. They (and their parent company) aren't days away from running out of cash, and their German sales were flat last month while BMW and Mercedes both dropped by 25 percent.
The shame of it
FWIW, I spell out those letters in conversation to avoid cussing. Yes, I'm a recovering cussoholic.
Tony, you head to Miami right when it turns 80 degrees here? What The Heck? ;-)
Although I am offended that you are driving my S5!!! Please ship it to me. And continue to make the payments. It is, after all, my birthday...
Back from the ongoing free food Birthday tour '09. Yesterday, free burger at Red Robin, tonight a nice free steak dinner including desert at a nicer restaurant. Still to come: Fridays, 99 and Bugaboo Creek. Not to mention the free lift ticket I plan to get on Friday in New Hampster!
If only they gave out new ski boots free for birthdays, I'd be really good to go... Although I hate to part with the current black Nordica's (circa 1991) with the day glo green and purple accents. A cute lift op from Argentina commented on how much she liked my skis/boots almost every time I rode her lift during our ski vacation last month. Hey, maybe I shoulda worn the boots to the Auto Show, Infiniti display!!!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
You probably wouldn't want my S5, unless you are okay w/auto. It's really a nice GT in this guise.
Right, wrong or indifferent, she's officially a full-fledged depreciating asset. I can't stand having a note over my head. ;-)
TM
No one was offended, as the smiley face indicated...I just think Dada is a good artist with words, and your question and his response just additionally funny..
As for my departure, life just seems to throw a curve just when you make a plan, so I am now thrilled to be back on schedule two months late...One thing about down here at this time, it doesn`t get cold at night, therefore whey I get up it is already warm, and for the last two months my feet have been cold all the time, not now...I`l be back up there in a few weeks to enjoy the season with you....Tony ps the depreciating asset is a good description....and I enjoy your humor---sly as it is
Luckily, I got married. Getting married has allowed me to learn so much (well, maybe not learn but be told) about myself, my likes and dislikes. Now that I'm married, I have been told that, yes Vermont is nice (in fact, that is where I met the EW) but I truly love New Hampster and want a second/future home there. Who knew! Had I not gotten married, I never would have come to realize that Vermont was just a mistress whereas New Hampster would be my wife.
No sales (or income ) tax in NH, I'm guessing that is one of the reasons that the EW has informed me of my misguided views of/plans for Vermont...
And, as for Wal-Mart? Not my store yet. But, hopefully if I can keep my job and maybe get a promotion in the next couple of years, I shall be able to become a patron of Sam's place! Until then, Building 19 and Ocean State Job Lot shall continue to fulfill all my needs... :sick:
(No WTF, store-wise. Phil. Try Google instead...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I do miss pucks, but not much else. I would be interested how my car would do there. Probably a tyre change in order...
As nice and beautiful as it is... you end up having to make excuses for the lousy weather... so, no thanks... just not my cup of tea... at least not right now.
But... you still didn't answer my question. I wasn't asking your opinion of Wally World... I was wondering how long ago New Hamsterites finally let 'em build any stores in your state. I could be wrong, but IIRC, NH residents had a bug up their butts about the world's largest retailer setting up shop in their state... or is that not the case?
TM
(As for the boots, may be it is time to get a pair of Lange's!
Regards,
Jose
I am actually down in FL with my wife this weekend, they have huge WM superstores here, I think you can buy everything short of cars at them.
Also Dada, I went to the Sox game yesterday, mostly young kids played but they looked good, get ready to pay scalper prices soon at Fenway.
Happy Birthday my friend!
Isn't it great to talk about sports instead of the stinking economy? Oh yes we are suppose to talk about luxury cars here, but a diversion once in a while makes it more interesting. Right Pat
What's the point of this car again (In USA at least)?
Agreed. You'd literally have to drive the spindles off both cars to see any return on the cost increase, if at all. Remember diesel costs more than premium now, so there's likely not to be any cost savings ever. And whether or not pee is injected into the exhaust, the reduction in the environmental impact apropos of the 335i is not that profound.
Now I'm off to read the other posts to see if I've only restated someone else. (Now you guys have dragged me into this talk!
Wal-Mart's own top brass spent years trying to figure out if they could make enough money in the NE to justify the much higher cost of building stores here. In the end, they decided that they could.
Tag, it appears your query has been answered by others here. There are WalMarts in NH, but I'm not sure of the history of said store. As noted, Vermont is a much tougher sell. McDonald's had a heck of a time trying to build in Stowe, when finally allowed, the architecture had to be of the anti-McDonald's type! You really have to be on the watch to find the MickeyD's on the access road as of my last visit there years ago.
Or maybe it's NH slogan, "Live Free or Die." Stuff in WalMart ain't free...!
And, lousy weather? As I tell my LA brother/father and Florida relatives, I'll take a bit of (expected and, for some, enjoyed!) snow over earthquakes (yeah, we have 'em once in a while. Usually unnoticed), wildfires, mud slides and hurricanes. Well, for now, at least...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Jim, lucky you enjoying Spring Training! Ah, yes, spring approaches and a man's fancy turns to trying to forget the ills of the past Patriots season, watching a too long NBA season hopefully culminate in a repeatin' o' the Green and (although not a hockey fan) hoping that the Bruins recent collapse isn't just that... As well as hoping for UConn to bring home both NCAA championships in the same season. Again!
I have brought my Sox apparel out of hibernation and look forward to triumphant returns to form of Papi and Lowell. Tek to show 'em they were all wrong, last year was due to "personal issues." Youngsters, known (Ellsbury, Lowrie) and as of yet unknown (pitchers!), to flourish. Pedroia to continue to amaze and get dirty each and every game. The intensity (the anti-Manny) of Youk. And the potential of the pitching staff! And, most importantly, ensure that the Yankees spend the season looking up at the Olde Towne Team!
And, of course, to use the sunroof in my TL. Which is a car of some luxury. Maybe find that barely used '08 Jag XKR in a barn somewhere that is being sold for a song...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
a "bit of"?
Reality check translation...
You'd rather be saddled with a LOT of rain, snow, cold weather, short summers, Nor-easters and generally tempermental weather, as well as those nasty biting bugs, mosquitos, ticks, and lime disease as an ongoing lifestyle... instead of taking that slim chance that a natural disaster could actually show up on your own doorstep, and otherwise enjoying an amazing climate and lifestyle. :P
Oh... BTW... biggest earthquake in this country's history was on the New Madrid fault... an Eastern quake. And scientists now say the risk of serious Eastern quakes is very real. Sorry. LD.
But... at least you still have that wonderful fall foliage... and the Pats.
TM
Does Skip still do the Braves games? How about Chip, is he broadcasting anywhere these days?
The MSRP on the first 750 il (launch??) was $101,000 with HUD, Night Vision, Blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and cameras for the rear and front two sides. It did not have a sport package or distronic cruise.
Has anyone driven one ?
As ignorance is bliss, why yes. Yes I would. :P
Ignorance disclaimer: Never been to CenCal or NorCal. SoCal doesn't float my boat so much....
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I went to summer camp up in Vermont, school in Mass, and although the winters went on forever, I was young and it didn`t bother me...Maybe sub mentally as I much prefer the warmth to the cold......The purpose of this message is to question how you think of the summer weather, June July and most of August...I don`t remember it being anything but sunny and regular rain...Cool at night, warm in the day.....Mass was very similar....Further after seeing the aftermath of WalMart and the other big stores taking over the N C mountains, and all the smaller hardware stores and others being forced out of business, I hope New England can protect their wonderfully quaint towns...and I would imagine New Hamshire to possibly be the last bastion of normalicy....Tony
Yes! Absoultely yes! Completely politically incorrect. Today whether you are in New York, California or where I live in Toronto it is politically incorrect.
No matter where you live we are all Iowans as of today:
In Iowa, this is a niche market. “I have friends who will not drive one of my cars because their neighbors will look down on them for being too flashy,” Gary says. “It’s assessed that if you’re driving a German car you paid too much for it. You have too much money and you’re rubbing people’s noses in it.”
This attitude reflects what my husband and I have come to describe as the “farm-based frugality” of many people here. It’s an unspoken belief that one shouldn’t pay an unreasonable sum of money for anything that could conceivably be made, grown or fixed at home.
link title
Graham, 61, was found amidst a row of a dozen fire-damaged vehicles on the lot of Graham Colonial Motors early in the morning on Feb. 17, and now police are confirming that the fire was due to arson – rolled up newspapers and a gasoline can were found on the scene.
link title
yes I remember that place. I had to drive 60 to 90 minutes to Burlington in order to find the nearest Starbucks. :sick:
Regards,
OW
Enhorabuena!!!!!
A his and her BMW family! That is the same arrangement I have with my wife and despite my BMW 335i it has not affected our matrimony at least not yet. Wish your wife the best with the 116d. It sounds very impressive indeed and it is truly a pity that they do not sell it here in Canada.
Your wife got a great deal.
A $6K discount on a car with a multi month waiting list due to shortages?
BMW business acumen sounds quite shaky in this case.
I have to respond to this Dewey since your post found me in what I now call home. As some of you may have guessed by some of my remarks about the weather or when you hear me talking about driving east for nearly 600 miles on I-80 to see our daughter and granddaughter in the Detroit area, my wife and I live in good old Iowa. In fact, we live in the middle of the State in Des Moines. I was transplanted many years ago from MA (thus my love for the Red Sox and Patriots) when I attended graduate school at Iowa State University. Here I met my lovely wife who is from St. Louis. I had never intended to make a living here but I am still here enjoying life after all these years. When I visit my brother and sister in eastern MA, it helps to support the decision I made years ago to make a living here. I now get uneasy and nervous with all the rush, rush, rush, people trying to cheat each other (there are obviously many exceptions like laurasdada, etc.
There is a lot of truth to the story you linked about Iowans. They are generally hard working, honest people who don't live in luxury. But Des Moines is a pretty large city (about a half million in metro area) and therefore you don't get that little town atmosphere. With this disastrous economic downturn, real estate has held up its value a lot better here than in other parts of the country. However, a lot of businesses are reducing their work force here in the city.
I obviously don't drive a German car, but I do feel a little uneasy driving a Lexus in these very difficult times. You do see plenty of BMW's and MB's around here as well.
I have always enjoyed the changing seasons as there is always something to look forward to! And, for some people, to complain about... Spring is probably my least favorite as it is the death of snow and the creation of mud! Fall brings All Hallows Eve ("I got a rock") and the feel, smell and taste of the coming of snow. Not to mention trees that signal the passage of time in a most spectacular way.
Without snow, I am no fan of winter. Without snow, winter is simply cold and gray. With snow, winter is Currier and Ives, Charlie Brown Christmas, my kids on sleds and, most important of all, SKIING! The only thing I really don't like about snow is paying Mr. Plow Guy. Yes, snow can occasionally gum up the works, but true New Englander's simply play it as it lay... Although, I don't think most play it as well as when I was younger. Man, when I was growing up, they NEVER canceled school.
I don't think much about the Walmartization of New England. The town in which I grew up, I saw the "Malling" happening in the (IIRC) late '70s, early '80s. I guess I became de-sensitized: The Mobil Gas Station on Main St. became, "The Limited" with ridiculously priced, small condos above. The small hardware store (loved the smell of the wooden floor) disappeared as did almost all the Mom and Pops, replaced by chains of flotsam and jetsam stores. Yes, a bit depressing, but I imagine that man has bemoaned change since the dawn of our curious little species.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I lived in Burlington for one warm, snowless winter.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)