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I can't address the San Jose/San Fran area, but if you want to come down to soCal, you can try one of several good ones, with probably Cutter Motors in Santa Barbara leading the way. I bought from BMW of Bakersfield (in the San Jaoquin Valley) and had a GREAT experience with them and their service has been exemplary, even to the point of giving me a loaner car while I brought my JEEP in for regular service at another location.
-Paul
If you want we can take this offline,
You can e-mail me your e-mail address at: mesambeam@yahoo.com
Thanks!
1. Find a good BMW mechanic and/or dealership and establish a relationship.
2. Get any prospect cars checked out.
3. Plan on closely following the BMW maintenance schedule. These cars are designed and build to last a long time WITH proper maintenance. If you don't maintain them, they aren't fun to own.
4. If you drive 12-15k per year, maintenance runs in ~ 3 year cycles with spending of $500, $1000, and ~1500 per year.
5. There are some problems that you will continually deal with like:
a. ground on lights will fail or will work and indicate they are failing (learn to fix yourself and self test on a regular basis).
b. brakes are terrific, but will accumulate brake dusk quickly and you will need pad replacement frequently (resist the temptation to use non-factory parts).
c. in general, stay with factory parts and recommended tires.
Older BMWs are great cars if maintained properly by competant people. Just plan on maintenance and smile.
Good luck,
Jack
Hope someone out there responds to my journalist friend on the following mission:
Anyone out there shopping for a BMW? I'm a journalist with a national
publication looking for people who have owned or are seeking to buy a
BMW. I'm also looking for long-time BMW owners with thoughts about the
styling of the new 7-series. If you don't mind being quoted, please send
an email with your telephone number to carguy147@hotmail.com and I will
call and interview you. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks from both of us,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
It wasn't the center console plug-in at cup-holders.com. It was a single stainless steel insert that ran behind where the floorboard carpet meets the console - so that the holder is suspended just above the floorboard right in front of the seat.
I'm sorry to dredge this up again, but I've skimmed ~1000 messages unsuccesfully trying to find the link again. Any help would be appreciated.
Grasshoppers swarming all over rural Iowa and Nebraska. Went on a business trip today. Took back county roads. Great ride and beautiful day. But front of car covered in grasshoppers. Tried to clean off. Amazing how many places dead and dying grasshoppers can get into in 5 Series. I had handfuls in every nook and cranny. To my chagrin, opening the hood didn't help access. Nor did using a high pressure hose really help. The plastic shrouds and aerodynamic aids up front act like a shelf. And there are about 4-6 plastic vents covering the radiator. Bugs get behind those and clog up. And there isn't a lot of space to get the hose or hand into. Spent almost two hours using long thin rod and bare hands to get individual hoppers. Neighbor kids thought it cool that I built a pile of dead hoppers in my driveway.
There is a new forum just for BMW Euro Delivery. Yesterday, Karen created "BMW 3-Series Owners: European Delivery". It is located in the BMW 3-Series Owners Club:
/direct/view/.eec944a
For those of you who have posted about your ED experiences, from delivery, to touring, to driving on the Autobahn, let's have it!
-Paul
I have the Thule rack for my 325i which is probably the same as your friends. In my opinion, it's better than "ok". I can take it on and off in a few minutes, nothing touches the paint on the roof and I can hold 3 bikes on the roof easily.
My only concern is the wind noise when the sun roof is open, but that is easily solved by closing the sunroof :-)
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Thule rack.
-murray
he was moving to NH and probably is caught up in the move. Miss his insight.
Hope to read posts from him soon, thanks to Snagiel, Riez, CMR, John, Pap, NYCA,
and all of you for your input, making this the best message board on the net
bar none. Keep it up.
out every day. Knock on wood, but I haven't had a thing go wrong or anything
needing replacement like bulbs or such. Even so, that would be a small price to
pay. My daughter-in-law has an X5 and has had driver side inside door handles
break twice and had to replace the battery on her 2001. Mine is also a 2001.Her
car doors are "tinny" and not as solid on closing as mine. My doors close with a
very solid and satisfying "thunk". Anyway, thanks for asking.
What would be a good deal over invoice? $1,000?
Any insight on lease money factors with the 2003's coming in soon?
Thanks
I have been reading your group for a awhile but this is a first time post.
I just purchased a 45,000 mile 1998 528i auto with SP. Its a great car. I have owned a few BMW's in the past but nothing in the past 10 years.
I just paid 20,000 for the car and was wondering if I did well or not. the car is perfect. maintained by the dealer and I bought it from the original owner that took great care of the car and it was always garaged.
If you guys know of any problems i should address that would help too.
If you have any american made 60-70 car questions I own a high end resto shop that deals with them and would be glad to help out just email me.
hoping to be part of your group.
Neal
Enjoy your car it will give you miles of smiles. Not much can happen to a
car that recent. What color did you get?
Thanks for your time.
I will be doing ED for late October. Got a reasonable price over ED invoice from a dealer in the area. I intend to keep the car for a long time (I figure 10 years at least; I've had my current car over 15), and I've been planning to finance the bulk of the purchase through my home equity line of credit, which gives me some nice tax advantages. However, I've also heard that leases can be very favorable for ED purchases, since there is a relatively large differential between MSRP and actual purchase price. Just to make sure I'm covering all the bases, I asked my dealer to give me his lease terms. Here's what he came back with:
36 month lease 12,000 miles a year
residual value 62% of MSRP $31291.40
drive off $3159.82
$586.8/mo +tax = $635.21/mo incl tax.
Oh, I should add this is for a 2003 530/5sp, PP, SP, Nav, Comfort seats, rear shades, xenons.
Does this sound like a good deal? Does it make sense to lease when one is sure to keep the car for many years beyond the lease? (I've never leased before, so I'm pretty ignorant in this area.)
Any input appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve
I studied leases carefully 4-5 years ago and it became apparent fairly quickly that, given that I wanted to keep the car, buying it was the way to go, especially given that I drive quite a few miles every year.
Exceptions: Often leases are heavily subsidized by the manufacturer. When that's the case, AND there's an ironclad "right to purchase" piece in the lease, it could make sense. You lease the thing relatively cheaply, then buy it for a song. This is rarely the case with a BMW.
Short answer -- if you're going to keep the car a long time and it's not a known dog -- don't lease.
Also, we have 2 children, ages 2 and 5, and it's nice not to worry about them eating, etc. in the car and it's easy to carry around what they need. The trunk on the 86 5 is superior to the new ones. From some of the complaints I see on the boards, we have more PM, but fewer unscheduled repairs than most newer 5s.
Now, we'll probably replace this car with a new 5. But only when this one ceases to be reliable.
Of course, YMMV.
Jack
This vehicle has been a blast to drive with gobs of power, great handling, and a very smooth ride. I was debating an auto tranny when purchasing, but went with the 6-speed and am very glad I did. The manual and the sport suspension make this car. I am also impressed with the solid, quite ride.
I have never owned a vehicle that has a manual transmission mated to a V-8. This will not be my last!
All said, I would highly recommend the 5-series to one and all regardless if it is 528,530, or 540.
That said, I did find the quality and layout of the 320 interior to be superior to the E39, hopefully the E60 will be better. It does irk me to have to buy a new E39 and have to immediately replace the center amrest in it, and live with poor cupholders.
I will say that based on what is happening with the E65, I think the new E will likely be more reliable as a first year model then the E60. What can you do, there are tradeoffs everywhere.
http://www.taxplanet.com/quickreference/luxurycartax/luxurycartax.html
right now, its 3% on the amount over $40K.
my question is do i need to send my car for an oil change using this coupon?
my concern is it is so long to wait for 1 year to have free oil change (my dealer said no matter how many mileage on first year, you have a free oil change). usually my anther car (Acura) has a oil change on 3000 miles.
Dose anyone can give me a advice whether or not my car have a oil change this time. BMW will still give me a free oil change again on 1 year?
i am really appreciated your help.
So, if for you it's a peace of mind issue, feel free to spend the $49. But I wouldn't bother.
You'll be entitled to a free oil change either a year from when you get the oil changed, or when the dash indicates it's time for an oil service.
thanks
DL