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BMW Owners Club - Meet the Members

PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
edited March 2019 in BMW
Hello BMW owners! Welcome to the Edmunds forums.
Whether you're a first time BMW owner or having been driving them for years, take a moment to introduce yourself and share some details about your vehicle.

Comments

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    I’ve owned BMWs since 1983 and currently have three in the garage. I enjoyed HPDEs, rallies, concours, and the occasional Stop Light Grand Prix.
     I have restored a couple of older BMWs and still do a bit of wrenching on my current cars. 

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Since you've restored some, is there a particular year/model that's a favorite?? These always sorta caught my eye, despite the "shopping cart handle" :)


  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    I miss my 1988 M6. I always planned to pick up an E30 M3 like the one pictured but prices seemingly spiked overnight. Other vintage BMWs I like are the 3.0 CS, 2002tii, and the E34 M5. 

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372

    I miss my 1988 M6. I always planned to pick up an E30 M3 like the one pictured but prices seemingly spiked overnight. Other vintage BMWs I like are the 3.0 CS, 2002tii, and the E34 M5. 

    A sudden outbreak of nostalgia!
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    The only BMW I do miss is my 2004 3cabrio with its sweet sweet 6bangers that I bought in '03. It was around the time the 3's had just started getting bloated and fat and unwieldy and stupid. But because this was at that cusp, the car still handled reasonably great for mediocre money (compared to the M). You could still buy a mainline BMW and push it as hard as any amateur could dare. But the car was an ownership nightmare. This year, finally, I'm free of the BMW family.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Yea, that was a slick ride. What color was yours?


  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    We had an '05.

    Silver-Gray over black interior. Uninspiring color

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  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Don't know why, but I flashed onto this BMW from the movie The In-Laws :)



    I have flames on my car. I HAVE FLAMES ON MY CAR!
    - Dr. Sheldon Kornpett
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    Roundabout this:

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I like that blue/blue look. Sharp!
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    It was one of the sweetest drives (for an average person) prior to the '16 Miata and '19 Giulia.

    BUT, in 3.5 years and 50K miles...
    1. Full dash electronic death @ 27,000 miles
    2. Convertible top getting stuck halfway up or down (7-8 times starting @7,000 miles)
    3. Driver side rear quarter window stuck halfway up or down (too many times to count)
    4. Creaking noise from the rear right passenger side of soft top - fixed and returned 5 times
    5. Right LED taillight cluster failure (@14,000 miles & @31,000 miles)
    6. Left LED taillight cluster failure (@19,000 miles)
    7. Bi-Xenon auto-leveling going haywire temporarily (few times)
    8. Bi-Xenon turn-angle getting stuck temporarily (few times)
    9. CD getting stuck (a couple of times)
    10. Sport package rims cracking (0 in AZ, 7 in NJ - okay it's my fault I moved there)
    11. Tires lost due to potholes - 5 - my fault
    12. Oil pan crack - @ 18,000 miles
    13. LED Brake light bar at back of convertible top - dead @36,000 miles

    Let's stop @ luck 13 to complain. I went out and got more BMWs after this. Shame on me.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited May 2019
    Well, you can run into a less than perfect car in any brand!

    #10 - NJ WILL do that to wheels!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    Funny.. we leased our '05 for three years and 45K miles. I can't remember a single issue with it.

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  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    kyfdx said:

    Funny.. we leased our '05 for three years and 45K miles. I can't remember a single issue with it.

    I've never had any of those issues on any of my newer BMWs. The most common issue has been oil filter housing and valve cover gaskets.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200

    kyfdx said:

    Funny.. we leased our '05 for three years and 45K miles. I can't remember a single issue with it.

    I've never had any of those issues on any of my newer BMWs. The most common issue has been oil filter housing and valve cover gaskets.
    I have an '06 (coupe, not convertible). I've done dozens of repairs and preventive maintenance items, but it has 122K miles. But, almost all have been post 70K miles

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  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    edited May 2019
    Must be me. I've owned or leased 18 vehicles in the last 25 years. Only the BMWs had troubled souls.

    That '04 ticked all the boxes. Soft Top - check. Super super super sweet straight six with the sound of heaven - check. Amazing chassis setup for a cabrio - check. Head turner in whatever shade of blue we had - check. Fun on straights, fun on twists - check. Put a smile on the face the moment the car started rolling - check.

    Subsequent cabrios only checked the first two boxes. And now they don't even make any tinpots without turbos. Yuck. If you want to make a turbo, at least make it sound like the Italians do.

    None checked the pleasure of ownership box. But it gave me the thrill of feeling like I'm playing the lottery every time I went to the car. Haha. I think I'm done complaining for today.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited May 2019
    Heh... well, it's like family members I guess. Some of those are higher maintenance as well ;)

    Any pics from the family album of those old, cranky ones?
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    I would not dare post.....hahahahahaha
    PF_Flyer said:

    Heh... well, it's like family members I guess. Some of those are higher maintenance as well ;)

    Any pics from the family album of those old, cranky ones?

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Awww... how bad could it be?? Somewhere around the forums I posted a pic of my 1973 Chevy Vega... and lived to tell about it ;)
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    Oh wait... I thought you meant to post pictures of the old cranky family members!
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Heh...I got some of those too!
  • chipstcchipstc Member Posts: 6
    New member and new owner of a 2015 328i GT. This is my first BMW and I am really happy with it so far!
    2015 BMW 328i x-Drive GT // 2013 Chevy Silverado 3500HD SRW // 1967 Chevy Camaro SS Clone
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Welcome to the forums and the BMW Owners chipstc! Always great to see the new faces. How many miles on your 328i? Got any pics of it to share? :)
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,370
    edited July 2019
    I just bought my fourth BMW, an E93 335i convertible. It has the same color scheme as the E46 2001 330ci we keep at our AZ home and drive in winter>



    The red leather is a real attention getter but I bought it because I like the way it drives.
    I've also owned two E39 5ers ('99 528, '03 530) which were as nice to drive as anything with four doors and not an M).

    i pick up my 335 Friday, pictures soon.


    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    Awesome! Can't wait to see it.

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  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    andys120 said:

    I just bought my fourth BMW, an E93 335i convertible. It has the same color scheme as the E46 2001 330ci we keep at our AZ home and drive in winter>



    The red leather is a real attention getter but I bought it because I like the way it drives.
    I've also owned two E39 5ers ('99 528, '03 530) which were as nice to drive as anything with four doors and not an M).

    i pick up my 335 Friday, pictures soon.


    Beautiful!

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    andys120 said:

    I just bought my fourth BMW, an E93 335i convertible. It has the same color scheme as the E46 2001 330ci we keep at our AZ home and drive in winter>



    The red leather is a real attention getter but I bought it because I like the way it drives.
    I've also owned two E39 5ers ('99 528, '03 530) which were as nice to drive as anything with four doors and not an M).

    i pick up my 335 Friday, pictures soon.


    Slick!
  • zoombie99zoombie99 Member Posts: 320
    edited July 2019
    Here is my long drawn out tale. Excuse any typos.

    I was a Lexus driver for over 20 years I did not want another german car after having a bad experience with Audi over 12 years ago on a A8 for my wife.

    My wife wanted a BMW and I finally broke down and leased my wife a 328 about nine years ago. (Yes she went from an A8 just a few years before but she wanted a small car). She loved her 328.

    The 428s were coming out around the end of her lease about six years ago The dealer called me and told me that he just got his first 428 and it would be in the showroom at 12 noon. We arrived at 12:15 and my wife fell in love with the car. I knew that I couldn’t get a large discount on the purchase price (that the lease was based on) so the salesman told us that he could take $1,000 off MSRP. I spoke to my wife and decided to go ahead and walked back to my salesman’s desk. Just as we were walking by the car in the showroom another salesman put a sold sign on it. Another customer paid MSRP.

    After that experience I decided to build the same car with dynamic handling package because the 328 was horrible on bumpy roads and pot holes. I was able to shop the build and got a good discount from a dealer about 100 miles away. Approximately four weeks later, we had the car.

    Now, each car from the 428 on, I made sure that I had all the safety options, driver’s assistance and driver’s assistance plus some of which are now standard from 2019.

    Two years later my lease was up on my Lexus GS and I was tired to paying the maintenance costs vs. only paying for tires (at that time) on the 428. I decided to get an F10 in 2015 and I had my heart set on getting european delivery I planned my trip and read up on the Welt experience. I planned our itinerary and just when I was going to pull the plug, a sales-manger called me with an offer on a 2015 F10 that was inbound. Unbeknownst to me, he had built his last allocation on my intended build. It was a crazy offer I couldn’t refuse and my lease payments were just above $500 with MSDs. I took delivery a few weeks later. Aside from the GY LS, I had no problems with the car.

    Three years ago my wife’s lease on her 428 was up and she wanted a SUV. We decided to lease her a 2017 X3 which we built again because we could find many with the safety features we wanted. The sales manager on my F10 had moved to another dealership and I followed him over since he gave me a great deal on the build.

    Last year my F10 lease was up and I decided to get a G30. Now I ran into a problem. Since 2015 dealers had less of the five series in stock due to the popularity of SUVs. Finding a G30 with features I wanted (including 360 cameras) was near impossible in late July of 2018. The same sales manager came through at the last minute finding a 2019 540x about to arrive at the port and gave it too me at the same price as the 2018. Unfortunately the money factor went up since 2015, the MSRP was much higher, the MSD program was watered down and I believe the residual was lower. My payments went up about $150.00 but the 540 was loaded. I love my G30 but there are a few things I can’t stand. I don’t like gesture control. My wife talks with her hands and I can’t tell you how many times the volume goes up on the radio. I also don’t like the soft close doors. Somehow it impacts opening the car when it is locked. I may have to pull the handle three times to open it.

    My wife’s lease on her X3 is up at the end of August. Because of all trunk money on the 2019s, I decided to pull the trigger now. I am dealing with the same sales manager and he gave me a price before incentives in far in excess of of 10% and said I could build one of his last allocations. I ordered it last week. Besides the discount, I got a $2,000 lease credit, $1,500 loyalty and $500 on an OL code (the dealer won’t match the other $500). I walked out with a build code and it should be here by the end of the month. I rolled everything into the lease with MSDs and I will only have to pay the first month at delivery and a small difference in MSDs. The payment is within $10 a month of what I am paying for the 2017 X3! I will eat the last month’s lease payment since my pre-inspection showed that minimum tread on my tires and it is cheaper to eat one lease payment than changing all four tires.


    Yes, I learned after the 328 to join BMWCCA and I got $500 for the 428, the X3 and $1,000 back for each of my five series. That’s $3,000 soon to be $3,500 with the new X3.
    BMW 2019 540x Bluestone
    BMW 2019 Glacier Silver X3 30i being built to replace a 2017 X3 (wife's)
  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,118
    PF_Flyer said:
    Kinda looks like a Mazda 3.

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  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Now that you mention it...
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I would like to join now. 2014 428i convertible now in the garage.


    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200

    I would like to join now. 2014 428i convertible now in the garage.


    Pictures, or it didn't happen. ;)

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  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Edmunds wasn't letting me post pictures yesterday, but is now so here you go.


    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    Nice! Black interior?

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  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    kyfdx said:

    Nice! Black interior?

    Black interior, only 33.3k miles on it and looks new.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    Very cool!

    Okay, you’re in! ;)

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  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372

    Edmunds wasn't letting me post pictures yesterday, but is now so here you go.


    Sweet. Your membership card and decoder ring are on the way...LOL
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,370
    edited February 2020
    Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
    <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5021145/uploads/134/G3DOE7F2ZQYX.jpg" alt=""


    Sadly, I was forced to put my sweet black/red '01 E46 convertible to sleep, possibly the best car I've owned in almost 50 years of ownership. We encountered a pile of trash on the six-lane 101 Loop in Scottsdale and tore up the front and undercarriage so badly my insurer totaled it. It's replacement is a 2016 Mustang 'vert (2.3 Turbo).

    I'm still a BMW owner, with my 2008 335i 'vert which is also black/red.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    andys120 said:

    Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

    Sorry to hear about your E46. Recently sold mine, after 10 years of ownership.

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  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,370
    I've been asked by Edmunds to update my post about my 2001 330Ci. As you may have read
    there is no update since it was wrecked after colliding with road debris in Scottsdale AZ :@

    So here's an update on my current BMW convertible a 2008 335i.

    Since July '19 we've put around 15,000 miles on and are now just shy of 90K. First thing I did was have a transmission service done because I don't buy BMW's malarkey about Lifetime Fluids. . If you've got to drive an automatic (I do for physical reasons) it doesn't get any better than this. The paddle shifters come in especially handy when you live in a hilly place.

    The flexible transition and twin-turbo six make for a car that is a real blast to drive. Dynamically the 335I lacks nothing and the looks are compelling even if it isn't quite as pretty as the 330Ci that I used to own.

    I should point out that my relationship to this car didn't start out well. About a week after I got it I was driving to a class when I was greeted by an alarm sound and a dash icon telling me of an overheating condition. I pulled off the road and opened the hood to see the obvious, the cooling system was boiling over so I called AAA for a tow.

    It turns out that Monday mornings in summer are the worst times for that because of all the folks having car problems over the weekend. After a couple of hours my relief arrived and I got a tow to the shop.

    The shop informed me that the electric coolant pump that circulated water through the radiator had failed. I don't know why BMW chose to replace the simple mechanical pump
    with an electric unit but I'd guess that the twin turbo design needs more
    coolant to circulate faster.

    I hardly had swallowed this misfortune when about a week later a pothole on an approach to the Mass Pike caused a tire to blow out. Fortunately it was a Saturday so many tire/service shops were open. We limped about 40 miles to a tire shop and luckily managed to get a replacement RFT (Run Flat Tire) and resume our trip to NYC after 3 hours.

    Total out of pocket for both incidents were $1400.

    10K miles later the only additional issue has been a battery failure in Sept 2019 and a malfunctioning trunk latch so perhaps this car isn't going to be a complete money drain.

    The folding hardtop setup has pros and cons. It offers fantastic visibility when raised but
    consumes trunk space bigly when lowered. As for weather protection, the issue is moot.
    My 330Ci's fabric top would keep the inside dry even in a car wash--there were no leaks
    and the fabric was very durable, lasting 20years and probably more. I'll note that the latest BMW convertibles, the new Z4, the new 4Series and the 8 series all will have fabric tops

    I'm not crazy about the lack of a spare tire, nor do I understand why, having eliminated that
    BMW chose to shrink the gas tank to a mere 16 gallons!


    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    Good to hear from you! BMW agrees with you and I that the electric coolant pump was a bridge too far; the B58 that replaced the N55 returned to a belt driven pump.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Our 428i convertible does lose a lot of trunk space with the top down but it's enough for a weekend or so getaway. The gas tank size isn't really an issue for me as it's enough not to keep forcing me into a gas station. In normal driving its big enough to get me almost two weeks of driving.

    As for BMW going to soft tops, I'm not all to happy with that, I really like having a hard top over a soft top (had both).

    We've had ours now a bit over a year and a half and barely put 11K on it. My wife really loves it as she drives it the most. No real complaints as of now.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

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