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http://www.vettenet.org/torquehp.html
Hope this helps.
Congratulations on the new addition to the family. That's just the icing on the cake now, man! I hope the baby is a healthy and happy one, one who'll enjoy those special trips with Dad in Stroumph Muscle (or however it's spelt)...you're one of the ones sometime ago who inspired me to get the 325i, man, so I wish you the best...now, I just wait as patiently as I can for the ship to depart on a safe journey here...
Aaron,
Congratulations on your 330i! It sounds like everything went smooth at the dealership...glad to here it. I'm still waiting for the ship to depart....hopefully, by the end of July like my dealer told me....we'll see...
1) model, color, and specs
2) geographic area (if they are not too uncomfortable)
3) length of ownership
4) 3 reasons for choosing the forementioned apart from the
many in today's broadening market segment
5) any regrets or problems uncovered
Congratulations to all the new owners....hope everyone is enjoying a nice Sunday drive...
We had some horrible storms here today in Cincinnati, and when I was passing over the "Big Mac" bridge, I noticed that the high winds had knocked a traffic sign over into the highway, blocking the only lane of traffic at that point. I slowed and then was about to maneuver around it on the shoulder. Apparently, the driver behind me wasn't paying attention, because she rear-ended me. Still drivable, but the rear bumper is somewhat torn up, as is the exhaust.
Now, here's my question. Normally, I take my cars to a particular body shop for repairs, because they do good work. However, I'm thinking that perhaps I'm better off taking it back to my BMW Center (in Dayton) or one of the two local Centers (in Cincinnati), because they would be better able to ensure that anything else that might be damaged is repaired.
I sure would love to hear everyone's thoughts.
This is the second time I'm asking this, so sorry for those who have already read it (I'm just looking for more opinions). Anyway, I'm thinking about buying the 325xi in white, but I don't like the black trim around the car (on the doors and bumper). The dealer told me that they could paint it to match the car if I want. I'm not sure if thats such a good idea. A friend told me that the paint would probabily chip off it if its rubber. Is it rubber? Anyway.. what do you guys think?
Thanks,
Adrienne
jnscheong
Congrats to all the new BMW owners on the board!! It's inspiring to see so many of you take delivery of your long-awaited babies and enjoy them so much. Also, I'd like to say a warm welcome to all the new faces on the board - this truly is a very civil, intelligent, and fun board and it's great to see new people who stay with us.
Jason - good idea to introduce ourselves on the Owner's board - I just did that. It may be helpful with the increasing number of posters we have on the board.
Here are a few notes that I took while scanning the messages from the past two weeks:
New 2002 model - The overall design looks a little cleaner, a little fresher maybe. I'm surprised they are keeping the side moldings on the sedans but I got to like them better over time and I agree with Platypus that it adds personality to the car. The side blinker/reflector's shape reminds me of Swedish cars somehow and it looks less original. The rear lights are very Passat-ish with the reverse light in the middle and it is very unappealing IMO. The front bumper looks very clean, maybe a little too clean. Are the fog lights too tiny or is it just me? They seem like out of place there. Overall, though, it's very much like the '01 model, just a little fresher maybe.
Side mirror tilting (325 without the PP and power seats) - don't have it and I have tried all switch positions. Somehow, I was under the impression that it is part of the PP only - kinda like the rain-sensing wipers and armrest.
BTW, auto tranny is typically slower than manual regardless of whether you need to shift - torque converter eats ponies that never reach the wheel at any speed.
Fan recall - would you do it if your car has not had any aux fan problems? Is any mileage safe to say OK, I don't have the bad fan?
Alp - the latest C&D has a 'Vette comparo, which comes out ahead of the M roadster, the SLK320 AMG, and even the Boxster S. I've always liked the 'Vette a lot - it looks good and offers stunning performance for the money. Not just acceleration but also braking and handling but I'd still take the 325 for an everyday car.
Wagons and babies - although we'd definitely be getting a wagon (probably a 540 or A6) if we are lucky enough to have two children in the future, I think the 325i and A4 are sufficient for a toddler or two. We've been planning accordingly since the beginning of the year and I don't see the need for a bigger car for a few years at least. BTW, whoever said that you can't just turn on the Pregaroni switch was right - it does take a few months of "hard work".
Name of the month - BoneCrusher Belle (kudos to kominsky). Very creative!
Today, I decided to take a spin to Marble Falls, TX, with a friend along a particularly fun, and curvy, road (for those in TX, it's Hwy 1431). It was a total blast on the 30 miles of curves, and I had absolutly no traffic in front of me until I got to within 5 miles of Marble Falls.
I know I came nowhere near the limits of the cars cornering ability, but my pulse was racing and my adrenaline rushing.
I've been doing good at keeping the RPMs below 4500, but 2nd gear gives me problems as the car just seems to want to leap immediately to 4500 when I shift from 1st. I have to watch that more.
Aaron's parking rule #1, Don't park near grass. Went into a resturant for dessert and a beer, and when I came out, my car had been sprinkled on from the lawn sprinkler system. I had to drive back looking at water spots all over my car and windshield.
Later, after the car had cooled off in my garage, I gave it it's first bath, after only a day. But the spots just bothered me. I used Zaino Car Shampoo and it did the trick.
I now know what my arch-enemy is going to be...break dust! I couldn't believe how filthy my wheels were after only two days! How do you guys keep them clean (other than using Kleen Wheels)?
Your car looks great. I guess the clears look much better (cleaner, neater) when they are closer to transparent like yours rather than whites. I suspect they would look better on a darker car, though - there's a lack of contrast with light colors.
You are doing a CAI on a car that you intend to keep for 11-months?? Wondering if you recoup that expense at the end. I assume you'd have to take the CAI out and maybe sell it in the after-market?
Rented a small helicopter from San Luis Obispo in CA with friend who has rotorcraft rating. Flew at 90-110 mph through the canyons, around the sand dunes of Pismo Beach, up the coasts shore line at 2 pm this after noon. Beautiful beach day. Flew about 50 feet off the waves and so on. If you ever have the chance (for those who haven't!) I highly recommend it.
daswolf - yup, it's produced not shipped, you'll have it in about a month.
brave - I'll ask my guy about price on K40 (Advanced Audio in Santa Barbara) etc.
I'm sure I'm going to kick myself, but what's CAI mean?
I usually recoup 70-80% of what ever I buy the air pipe for (retail, new) on eBay. Check out my eBay rating, no prizes for guessing my user i.d.
P.s My daughter likes to sit behind the wheel of our BMW's every time after she crawls out from her car seat.
Dan
http://www.k40.com
Also, anyone know how long the boat takes to get from Germany to Newark? And how long it stays at the VPC before being sent to the dealer?
Thanks for the info.
brave1heart,
congratulations! I am father of two girls, 2 years & 11 months old. I am sure you will spend more time later with your baby then BMW. I spend all my time with my babies when I am at home. Just do not slow down on this board. There is no speed limits here :^)
One word of advice -- enjoy your lazy mornings now.
Roc50mg, I wonder if our cars are on the same ship? Mine is on the MWA Maersk Wave.
As far as financing goes, I just wanted to tell everyone on this board about the deal that I found. I am taking out a home equity line of credit from DeepGreenBank.com. I am closing on the loan tonight. The loan has an adjustable rate (which is the source of some concern) but the formula for determining the rate is Prime - .9% -- a pretty solid deal under the worst circumstances. Right now, the rate is 5.85%, there are no points or closing costs, and the interest is tax deductible! I think this is simply incredible!
I encourage all homeowners looking at financing a car purchase to consider this option. It sure beats the heck out of the 7.5% rate my dealership tried to foist on me.
I ordered a 330xi on June 16 with a "promise" of a first week July production date. Latest update as of 7/6/01 from my Conneticut BMW dealer is that BMW has cancelled all 2001 orders including mine with the All Wheel Drive feature. The earliest production date looks like October for a 2002 AWD model. The demand was apparently more than BMW could handle. I would suggest to those ordering the AWD to check with their dealer.
Since I had a hint from my dealer several weeks ago that there was some difficulty in getting the AWD feature, I requested that he order a 330i immediately since I need a car soon. He did, and indicated today that I can expect delivery in August. That would be nice!
One other thing, this is my first BMW and I am pretty excited about owning this car after reading all the great reviews from Edmonds and on this Board. I have bought many cars over the past three decades and this is only one that ever made me smile when I stepped on the accelerator. I knew I had to have one. Right now I'm driving a 1995 Volvo 850 with a 5 cylinder 168 HP engine. When I step on the gas it barely can get out of its own way; the Bimmer will be quite an awakening.
Radar detectors: Guru - I did some research on the K40 and it seems like the top of the cream. I called the manufacturer - they are quoting MSRP starting at $629 and going up to 1,700 depending on the type of installation. It may actually be a little cheaper b/c all the selling is done through local shops that can discount off that price. I have not used radar detectors for many years b/c I think the ones that a cop can see in your car can be more trouble than help and ultimately, it's best to rely on your senses. The V1 seems to stand out from the crowd - at least based on the last C&D comparo that I read a couple of years ago. The technology hasn't changed that much. However, the K40 seems to be VERY high-end and it wasn't part of the comparo. Judging by their web site, though, it would be by far the best radar detector you can get at any price, esp. b/c it's built in. They also sell laser defusers for $299 MSRP. Will research further.
The trip, like the car, was absolutely perfect. The personnel in Spartanburg was classy and knowledgeable, all on-site expenses were paid, the track session was nothing short of phenomenal (they allow you to take the session in a car similar to the one you bought, so M3 buyers drive an M3, 325ic's drive a convertible, etc.).
Plus, ohmygosh, was this car ever clean and detailed. It was waiting in the Performance Center delivery showroom. Nothing was missing.
And our drive home was absolutely fantastic, helped as we were by the new navigation system.
I will never take delivery at the dealer's again. I heartily recommend this to all list members, even those from the West Coast.
I'm trying to get 6.19 % financing for 48 months from my credit union.
I hope to get the car on or before July 21, but it will probably be the following week. I also have to learn how to drive a manual. I hope I can get the car out of the dealers lot okay. I'm gonna try to bring someone that know how to drive stick, but if they're not available I'm gonna have to wing it. I've driven stick a couple of times before, but never made it up hill yet. Anybody got any advice on how to drive stick?
you can search by ship name as of a specific date...
jnscheong is right. all you can really see is when the ship is scheduled to arrive in its various ports...
You can't really check on the ship's progress however.
jnscheong
Those of you deciding on a 01 vs 02 model may not have a choice but to wait until the 2002 comes out in October. Any similar findings?
Seriously, look at deepgreenbank.com and see what you think of their home equity line of credit. I found it to be a fantastic deal, because even if prime rate goes up, I still get about 30% of my interest back in the form of tax benefits. So even if the HELOC rate goes up from 5.85% to 9% (a BIG if,as it would require the prime rate to approach 10%) my real post-tax rate would be about 6%! At 5.85%, my real rate is about 4%! That's barely above inflation!
I am crossing my fingers for July 21!!!
Time to head home soon. It's been a long, weird Monday -- had some comments for the board but can't think of them at the moment. They'll come back tomorrow...
My family and I stopped by Cutter's last Monday, July 2nd and I think I saw you (not sure), but I definitely saw your nice white 3er parked in the front! (You may remember me...I was with my wife, mother-in-law, little "big" brother, and our white Westie terrier Tommy.) Anyway, both you and Jon looked busy so I didn't personally say Hi. I had the pleasure of talking to your colleague, Paul Ward. He was friendly and was kind enough to let me test drive the blue '01 325i manual that was on the lot. There were some nice windy roads we took around the block!
But one thing that concerned me quite a bit is when I asked Paul about the 2001/2002 E46 body style differences, he very emphatically said that there are NO facelifts nor ANY body changes to the new 2002 model! The only thing that's changing, he said, is that in-dash CD will be standard instead of cassette. Now I've been reading over and over again on this board that there will be some facelift changes for 2002 (e.g. http://www.bmwnation.com/home.html)....so what's the deal??? Paul even said that the dealers haven't received any official notices on these changes and if there were, this would change BMW's original plan on keeping the E46 style for 7 years! Have all the posters here been misinformed or is it that Paul doesn't have his facts straight? I think it's the latter, otherwise all of us would've seen this matter addressed here a long time ago. Paul also said that it's too late to order a 2001 model today and that I would have to be on the 2002 waiting list. True???
P.S. By the way, for those of you who live in the California Bay Area/Northern California, I just found a GREAT strip of road to drive your BMW and have a great time enjoying the California coast: The southbound lane of Highway 128 from Mendocino all the way to the Hwy 101 junction, that's some 20-30 miles I think, has newly paved asphalt! Although we were driving our Lexus LS400 with 4 passengers (which is a big boat compared to the 3er), even this car was "sticking" to the road! When I get my 325i next year, I can't wait to take another trip up there just to drive that road!
jnscheong
I've started thinking about retiring my 1992 e30 convertible to Weekend Car status and buying a new 3er (325 ix Touring, perhaps). In reading your posts, it seems like everybody's waiting a few months for their car to be delivered. Has anybody considered European delivery? Does it take much longer? It seems like it should be worth $400 or so in air fare to save 10% and get exactly the car you want. (Even if you don't combine it with a vacation and just fly over for the weekend, it seems to make good economic sense.) Where are the flaws in my logic? Euro delivery sounds like a great way to go. Is it?
Thanks!
The deal I got is $35175, before tax and license, for the car equipped as I mentioned plus floor mat and BMW alarm.
Both Crevier and Sterling at Newport Beach gave me similar, but higher bids initially. Cunningham at El Cajon (San Diego County) gave me this $35175 bid. Crevier matched this bid so I went with them to save on an 80+ miles drive.
jnscheong
Sorry to hear about the accident. I have a lot of family in Cincinnati -- know the bridge very well. Sounds like a Miami (FL) driver hit you!
Brave,
Congrats on the pregnancy! Don't worry about a bigger car, even after the second kid. I've got two car seats in the backseat of my 325i and I can still fit back there, too.
Thanks!
Only one problem though. I have just passed approx 1800 miles of fun and noticed a slight change in performance. It seems not to have the same pep as it did just 2 days ago. Not bad, no obvious misses at idle or at speed, in fact hardly noticeable, but I can tell. This wasn't a new tank of gas or right after any change of anything. I filled up again anyway (with premium of course) but no change. The quick response that I felt as soon as the accelerator was touched now seems uninspired. Up 'til now, this car coaxed me to drive fast. Now it feels like "it" needs to be coaxed. I have contacted the dealer who said to bring it by for a test drive with a maintenance tech. I have a feeling that he will say that it seems normal to him. Does anyone have a clue? Help, I miss my baby!
Thanks,
Chip