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I live where it snows and do not want to mount snow tires in the winter. Thanks for you Suggestions.
I live where it snows and do not want to mount snow tires in the winter. Thanks for you Suggestions.
If it snows, you really should consider snow tires. They are recommended even for AWD and 4WD vehicles.
-nobee
Can anyone give me their opinion as to the trade-offs of rag top to sedan and coupe. Also, living in the North East how will it be to drive a convertable in the winter (I know, it would be cold with the top down!)
Thanks in advance for any data, opinions.
These are the options I am considering:
leather (although wavering due to the past discussions on the 'ette. Would have to get leather if I got the gray interior)
Titanium Silver
automatic
moonroof
sports package
xenon
The invoice price for these options is 33,800.
Has anyone had any experience on how much above invoice for the 2004 models are going for? Also is there any other options that are a must have?
Also the sports package comes with the 17X8 alloy wheels with performance tires. I would prefer the 16X7 five spoke allow wheels with all season tires (last longer). Is this a difficult switch? and would I lose out by making this switch?
I live in the SF bay area and any recommendations for the best dealerships would also be appreciated.
Sorry for rambling but ready to buy my dream car and worried about making any mistakes.
Thanks for any feed back.
So getting a car that thus far does not like going to any dealer or mechanic to get itself fixed is a real treat for me. How it will stand up, only time will tell.
This board is tremendous - a fountain of information! I saw one of those great (and addictive) infomercials for the "AutoLock". This device is like "the Club" but is secured under the break pad. The security here focuses on the fact it makes it impossible to depress the brake (and thus impossible to put the car in drive). Does anyone have any experience with the "AutoLock" for their 3-series? I live in New York and car theft is always a factor with a new car. This would be for a 2003 325i with automatic transmission.
I dig my 330i. Love is a bit extreme but I may be in love with it. Yet in 3 months (excluding issues that weren't the car's fault like the rear-ending, blown tire, attempted theft), I've already got a nice list of issues for my first service appointment.
1. loose, creaking driver's seat.
2. binding, unruly, mercurial tranny.
3. hesitating engine - I dismissed this throughout july and august as a random once a week thing but now it's happening at least once every other drive.
3 months - 3 problems. Do I complain about it? Nah. I love the car, warts and all. Sure my seat may creak every time I shift and the tranny may lock me out of a gear or the engine may sputter a bit every now and then but the other 80-90% of the time the car's sublime. The only car I enjoyed driving more than my own is the 740i. Does it make me think I should buy my ZHP when my lease is up? Uh, heck no.
The key is for BMW to pay more attention to design and manufacturing. Build it right the first time. Heck, there are tons of articles in Roundel (BMW CCA) and Bimmer magazines that discuss how BMWs are NOT as reliable as these three marques. Just read the current issue of Roundel. Nice article (p. 29) that looks at JD Power 3-year reliability data (The 2003 Vehicle Dependability Index).that favors Lexus, Infiniti and Acura (ranked 1, 2, & 5). BMW comes in 13th. Better than average but not by much. BMW looks a bit better because MB and Audi both have their own issues--they are next to each other buried deep in the bottom third.
blueguy - My car is not *100%* problem free. The AM radio reception is the pits and can't seem to be fixed, and from driving through roads that would give a moon buggy a run for it's money, my front seat creaks/squeaks slightly. Also, the driver's window squeals occasionally while opening or closing and I hear an occasional squeak from the engine that is either the fan belt or the water pump. So in a year and a half plus of ownership I can't complain. Oh and today I found out how good the ABS is when coming to a panic stop from about 50mph.
"the German automakers are the last to get it, "
'it' being the notion that the results of third-party quality surveys may be embarrasing short-term and immensely helpful long-term ... [According to Power] 'Re IQS [Initial Quality Survey that Lexus typically wins], the think there has been denial. The biggest denial has been with the Germans. I think the denial can be summed up as 'We design cars the best way we know and we know what is best. The consumer can't tell us what we need. They don't understand things.'"
Howard ends his column by pointing out that the fact Lexus beats Porsche by 2 points in one year's survey is outside the margin of erro (thus they are statistically equal), "but when Lexus comes out on top every year for a decade running, maybe Power is on target."
Howard is absolutely right. BMW needs to pay attention!
Remember the latest results from MB (318) and Audi (318) are horrible. BMW (262) is just above the average (273). Only Porsche (193) shines. They came in 4th. Lexus at 163!!! Toyota's total corporate rank is a 196, as Toyota gets a 201.
Consumer Reports data also roughly in line with these results. Bet BMW wishes CR would recommend the 3 Series again?
I have 8k on my 2003 330i, I've changed the oil myself at 5k miles, about 10k earlier than what the OBC was recommending, just to be on the safe side. My questions are, its almost going to be a year since I had the car, when do I take it in for service? Is there anything scheduled within the first year? What reasons should I state when making a call to the dealer? Sorry if any of these could easily be answerd by reading the manual, but I've read mine and didnt get anywhere. Thanks-
I'm just pointing out that impeccably "pro-BMW" sources like Roundel (BMW CCA) have no problem admitting the obvious: AVERAGE reliability for Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura has been consistently and signficantly higher than BMW, MB, or Audi. And that these three European marques need to make better reliability a priority. These results come from multiple sources (CR, JD Power, Intellichoice, etc.) and have been consistent for years.
If Roundel fanatics have no problem discussing the issue honestly and openly, not sure why you attack the surveys.
BTW, my service light says 8000 miles. I only have 5800 on my odometer. I won't get anywhere near 15k. LOL
kyfdx
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kyfdx
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regards,
kyfdx
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thanks for the reply, yes I changed the oil early mainly for peace of mind. Something new owner should know however: You can't make a service appointment before the car is 1yr old or has 15k miles. Since I bought my car in Nov, I will have to wait till then, unless there is something wrong with my car.
If you pick a Ford Pinto, history says you will have a good chance of blowing up. But if you pick Brand X car that has won several quality trophies, you probably have a better than 50/50 chance of getting a good, reliable car. It is like going to the blackjack table and getting that 19, but knowing the dealer has 16 showing and he has to hit. Yeah, you could still get burned, but the odds are working in your favor.
When people come on here asking us about reliability of our cars, we are helping them build a 'history' of the models we have. Would I take the word of 1 or 2 people on here about BMW quality? NO, but I WOULD factor it in when I do the research. Unfortunately, we all haven't 100% positive experiences with our cars, regardless of brand. I loved my Honda Civic Si, but I hated the small size of the gas tank. Even the 'best' cars have flaws that somebody has problems with.
We could have this debate till the cows came home, but in the end, both sides are right - just from different points of view. Can we just agree to disagree?
-Paul
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1. We are talking about AVERAGES and long-term trends. Consistency over time and across huge production runs of different models.
2. There are no guarantees on anything.
3. There is a huge difference between a specific car that is a lemon (which, in a legal setting, has a different and specific legal definition in each state) and whether one marque or model has better AVERAGE reliability.
4. Even the "best" marque or model can have a "lemon". One specific "lemon" is not directly correlated to the long-term AVERAGE.
5. Scientific surveys, using accepted methodologies which are explained, are NOT remotely similar to tea leaf reading.
6. Smart gamblers look for games that have better odds. Different games have different odds. Ignorant gamblers don't stay in the business long.
7. BMW is a business entity, not a gamer. It wants to make money. It assesses and manages risks. It has a long-term perspective. It needs to keep customers happy. A smart business works to improve critical factor like long-term average vehicle reliability, esp. when the results are public for all the world to see. [Do you think BMW would be smiling if its results were trending like MB and Audi are now? MB and Audi aren't happy.]
If your next two friends or neighbors who buy new cars buy BMW 3 Series and both are "lemons", will you then refute your own argument and reject all BMWs?
richard
seaf - It's amusing that you believe it's a lost cause when there is a difference of opinion. I feel the same way. BTW - no problem relating to abstract data. It's the lack of consideration of common sense I'm puzzled about.
Remember, today I drive both a Lexus (IS300a) and a BMW (540i6). Am praying both are highly reliable.
In 34,000 miles of driving, I had some problems with the former '00 323ia. Issues with sliding sunroof cover, headbeam light switch, seat wear, heated seat. In 26,000 miles of driving my '98 540i6 I've also had a few minor issues (e.g., LCD needed to be replaced, faulty airbag warning sensor, broken rear cupholders, etc.). None were catastrophic in either car.
But in 78,000 miles of driving I didn't have a single, solitary problem with either of my two former Infiniti. I went from 2 times Infiniti to 2 times BMW to a Lexus. All were/are great cars. I expect the Lexus' reliability to be very good. Will I automatically buy another Lexus? No. Another BMW? No. Infiniti? No. But I might buy any one of them or something completely different (with apologies to Monty Python). Only time will tell.
I think riez's point of view is common sense. But then again, our backgrounds and life experiences determine what we consider common sense.