OT: Last Leg of I-15 Finally Opens!!!

[paramount]

[quote=walterwhite]Ah well. Kia honored their 10 y warranty on my Sedona problem after hemming and hawing a bit so I guess I won’t get a BMW.[/quote]

Kia’s, Toyota’s, Honda, Ford etc…are great cars. But they are appliance cars.

A Kia, like Honda and Toyota, Ford, etc…are like a mule. Whereas a BMW is more like Secretariat, and with the headaches that go along with a thoroughbred.

[The-Shoveler]

I don’t get it, you guys pay 40 to 60K for weekend hobby cars, Then you complain/worry about people over paying 50 to 100K for a house?
Just kidding LOL !!!

Me I am sticking with Ford, I have at least 300K miles on the current one.

[svelte]

[quote=paramount]
A Kia, like Honda and Toyota, Ford, etc…are like a mule. Whereas a BMW is more like Secretariat, and with the headaches that go along with a thoroughbred.[/quote]

Well it’s not as black and white as that, but I get your drift.

You’re discounting cars like the Ford GT (not the Mustang GT) and to some degree the S2000 which truly are thoroughbreds.

[an]

tg, you should get this: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/24/2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-first-drive-review/#continued

forget the Porsche. This is what I would call a Secretariat.. This car makes all BMWs seem like mules. It plays with the big boys in the Nurburgring. Also, Ferrari license this suspension from GM. Not to mention, it’s American 🙂

[paramount]

[quote=AN]tg, you should get this: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/24/2012-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-first-drive-review/#continued

forget the Porsche. This is what I would call a Secretariat.. This car makes all BMWs seem like mules. It plays with the big boys in the Nurburgring. Also, Ferrari license this suspension from GM. Not to mention, it’s American :-)[/quote]

AN, AN, AN…a recent commentary from Edmunds:

“The BMW 3 Series is the company’s top seller in the United States and a favorite in the marketplace for good reason: It’s a well-built, premium compact vehicle endowed with world-class fit and finish, ample power, and a comfortable ride and handling trade-off that is unmatched by most cars at any price. No matter what model you choose, our editors generally agree that you’ll be able to go about your weekday routine without feeling that you’ve sacrificed ride comfort for the sake of weekend thrills.”

And…

What Edmunds Says
Even entering its fifth year of production, the BMW 3 Series remains the best entry-level luxury sedan you can buy.

Pros
Unmatched ride/handling balance, smooth and powerful engines, upscale cabin, four body styles, 335d’s amazing torque and fuel economy.

Wow…

TG and Company: For just over 30k, consider a late model 7 Series. An overbuilt, over-engineered supreme vehicle, just check Carmax.

Think about it: a late model, low mileage BMW 7 Series for around (and sometimes less) than 30k. These are 100k cars new!

A fricken Accord or Camry can run 30k.

Edmunds on the 7 Series:

Since its introduction for the 1978 model year, the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan has remained true to its original character. It’s the BMW flagship, and this full-size, rear-wheel-drive sedan has always represented the pinnacle of technology and luxury accoutrements in the German automaker’s lineup. As such, it’s an obvious choice for wealthy car buyers seeking a spacious and elegant sedan with a high level of curbside prestige.

There’s a fair amount of competition even in this elite vehicle class, but the 7 Series sedan’s athletic handling dynamics have long set it apart, starting with the early 733s and carrying through to the five present-day 7 Series models. While other manufacturers have been content to build high-end sedans with soft, serene rides, BMW engineers its 7s to engage their drivers on an emotional level. There are a few recent contenders that have gone after this emotional engagement, but the BMW 7 Series remains a prime luxury sedan for people who like to drive.

[an]

Sorry paramount, but all of those quotes does not describe a Secretariat. IIRC, Secretariat is a RACE horse. I.E. its sole purpose was to win races. Tell me one BMW that gets time faster than 7 minutes 41 seconds at the Nurburgring, then we can talk.

No one ever said, hey, Secretariat rides pretty smoothly. Secretariat earns its name because of its performance on the race track.

BMW have a well balanced machine. I don’t deny that, never did. But you need more than a well balance machine to dial up the fun factor and to be compared to Secretariat. BTW, just because BMW win accolades from magazines doesn’t mean it’s the best car for everyone. Not everyone want a car that’s just good every categories. Maybe they want exceptional or excellent in some categories in exchange for average/below average in others. I.E. I’d trade gas mileage for HP, braking and handling (G37 vs 328i). So, while the 328i might be the more “balanced” car, it’s not the best car on that list for me and those who want more fun at the cost of MPG.

Most BMW are moderately fun driving machine. But for a weekend car, sometimes, you need to dial back the practical and dial up the fun. In another word, more HP, better brakes, and better handling. A 328i is not what I’d call a fun car to drive. Sure, it’s more fun than a Camry/Accord, but it’s far down on the fun totem pole for me. So, while you’d suggest a used 7 series, I’d suggest a used M5. See where we differ in the definition of fun? I would never consider a 7 series to be a fun car to drive. Sure, it’s more fun than a S-class and A8, but it’s not nearly as fun as a M5, RS6, E63 AMG. To dial up the fun even more and dial back the practical, I’d rather have GT-R/ZR1/911 Turbo. This is not TG’s daily driver. It’s his weekend car.

[paramount]

[quote=AN] A 328i is not what I’d call a fun car to drive. Sure, it’s more fun than a Camry/Accord, but it’s far down on the fun totem pole for me. So, while you’d suggest a used 7 series, I’d suggest a used M5. See where we differ in the definition of fun? I would never consider a 7 series to be a fun car to drive. Sure, it’s more fun than a S-class and A8, but it’s not nearly as fun as a M5, RS6, E63 AMG. To dial up the fun even more and dial back the practical, I’d rather have GT-R/ZR1/911 Turbo. This is not TG’s daily driver. It’s his weekend car.[/quote]

AN: Naturally this is a subjective matter as to what is fun to drive, but your argument regarding a 328 or BMW in general is the same as saying the New England Patriots, while better than the Chargers, are just an OK football team.

A person is free to say that, but no one agrees with you.

I do like that Camaro, but if I were going GM I’d lean towards the CTS-V.

[an]

[quote=paramount]AN: Naturally this is a subjective matter as to what is fun to drive, but your argument regarding a 328 or BMW in general is the same as saying the New England Patriots, while better than the Chargers, are just an OK football team.

A person is free to say that, but no one agrees with you.

I do like that Camaro, but if I were going GM I’d lean towards the CTS-V.[/quote]
Sorry, your 328 vs G37 to Patriots vs Chargers analogies doesn’t make sense. In order for that analogies to work, the Chargers have to better in every categories except for low fan turn outs. The numbers doesn’t lie. You can either look at the numbers and drive it yourself or listen to some mag writer. FYI, most mags pit the G37 vs the 335, not the 328. Some put the G37 on top of the 335 while others put the 335 on top. So, how can the G37 be on top of the 335 and below the 328? Simple answer, it’s that writer’s personal preference. The only thing you can look at objectively is the performance numbers, the features, and the price. The rest are very subjective.

So, to wrap up your bad conclusion from a faulty analogy with a question. Which team have less turn over, more driving yards, more touch downs, and better in most other measurable stats?

CTS-V is more expensive, slower and heavier. Again, your definition of fun is quite different than mine.

[sdrealtor]

A7 series is not fun. It’s a great car but it’s big enough to warrant its own zip code. To me fun is big enough for two people upfront and two golf bags in the trunk. Any bigger than that and we are inviting room for things less fun.

[an]

[quote=sdrealtor]A7 series is not fun. It’s a great car but it’s big enough to warrant its own zip code. To me fun is big enough for two people upfront and two golf bags in the trunk. Any bigger than that and we are inviting room for things less fun.[/quote]
You and I are thinking in absolute fun while paramount is thinking in relative fun. The 7 series is more fun an A8 or S-class. So, we all can be right, but our definition of fun are quite different. Where we stand depends on where we sit. I’m currently driving a 8 years old car that’s more powerful, brake shorter, and can handle better than a brand new 328i. Since I’ve grown accustom to this level of performance (I don’t consider it as “that fun” anymore), 328i is definitely lacking in all areas that’s important to make it fun. The 328i does get better MPG than my car though :-D.

[paramount]

AN:

The only person that believes your 8 year old car is better than a new 328i is you.

At any rate, I’m not a realtor and thus not part of the 1%, so my idea of fun more or less applies to the 99%ers.

A 328i is realistic for many, a M3/5 and a lot of other car you mention is not.

A BMW M Series borders on the exotic.

BTW AN, I tore up a G37 today in the carpool lanes. Once the powerband kicks in on my 328i the only thing you’ll be seeing is my dorsal fin (that little fin thingy on my roof).

[an]

[quote=paramount]AN:

The only person that believes your 8 year old car is better than a new 328i is you.[/quote]
Yeah, sure. Numbers don’t lie man. You can talk about mag racing all you want. Tell me when your 328i can do 14 sec flat on the quarter mile or when you start taking your 328 to a real race track. Until then, you’re just imagining things and making things up.

[quote=paramount]At any rate, I’m not a realtor and thus not part of the 1%, so my idea of fun more or less applies to the 99%ers.

A 328i is realistic for many, a M3/5 and a lot of other car you mention is not.

A BMW M Series borders on the exotic.

BTW AN, I tore up a G37 today in the carpool lanes. Once the powerband kicks in on my 328i the only thing you’ll be seeing is my dorsal fin (that little fin thingy on my roof).[/quote]WTF does being in the 1% or 99% have ANYTHING to do with having fun cars? FYI, a used 2006 M5 is going for around low $30k. It’s CHEAPER than a brand new 328i. A used M3 is even cheaper. So, if anything, you got your facts backward. FYI, a used 2006 M5 will be MUCH MUCH more fun to drive than the newest 328i.

M3/M5/M6 ARE NOT borders on exotic. That just show how much you know about cars. They’re just supped up 3/5/6 series. They’re much your fun to drive than their mundane base that it came from. But to say they’re near exotic is LUDICROUS. Their performance numbers can’t even touch a $50k Camaro, how can you even claim they’re borders on the exotic?

A 328i tearing up a G37? Was he stuck in non-carpool traffic or was he braking? Either that or he didn’t even noticed you tried to race him. You sound like those supped up Civic who tried to race everyone and say they tear $hit up when the other person didn’t even know you’re racing them. I DO NOT condone street racing. If you wanna prove that your 328i can tear $hit up, show me your time slip at the quarter mile. Until I see 1/4 time slip that’s faster than 14 seconds, you got nothing on my lowly 8 years old car or the new G37.

Just for reference, here’s the 328 dyno chart:

So, please do tell, where in the power band did you start noticing the “powerband kicks in”? The only time I hear anyone talking about power band kicking in are either from turbo folks who have turbo lags or Honda and Celica GT-S folks who are referring to when their VTEC/VVTL kicks in.

Just for additional reference, here’s the G37 dyno:

Here’s the dyno of a car like mine, but stock:
A couple of points to keep in mind. Mine’s not stock and at no time in the power band does a 328i make more power than either of these cars. Another laughable fact is that, the peak torque for the 328i is only 185 ft-lb. The only time either of these two car make that little torque is <2k rpm (i.e. near idle) and in my car case, when I'm about to shift. Even at red line (when the G37 runs out of breath), it makes more torque than the 328i can make at peak.

Also, FYI, that "dorsal fin" is your XM antenna. 😀

[sdrealtor]

Speaking of antennas…BMW’s have got to have the absolute worst radio reception of any car I have ever driven.

[temeculaguy]

Looks like I’m going to dissapoint everyone, I ended up not going with either the 3 or the G. Like my house, I’m seduced by the deal more than the feel sometimes. An unusual opportunity came up, actually coutesy of anothr pigg. I have strange needs so it won’t make sense to everyone what I did, but it worked for me. Went with a 2010 528i, with ridiculously high miles (over 90k) for 19k incl tax and lic (didn’t buy from a dealer, fairly unconventional method but not a salvage, clean title, no collisions either). It’s freaking gorgeous. It’s the exact car I set out to buy two years go as a personal reward for a promotion that I talked myself out of, black on black, tinted, angel eyes, I envy me now. If it craps out the trade in value is near what I paid so it was low risk, especially for a 2k miles per year guy like myself. I’m a fix it guy, I’m sure I can squeeze 5 years out of it. I know, it has the same engine as the 3, with much more weight, but the relative fun was enough for me, like paramount said, there’s something about it being a BMW, 44 years of self deprivation, I splurged a little. I guess I’m “that guy” now. I guess I like my cars like I like my women, built for comfort, higher milege, higher maintainence, upscale and a little bigger and a little more ass than the next guy prefers. It’s the Christina Hendricks of automobiles. Slower, softer, more plush, curvier, but still gets the blood boiling, even more so, but for different reasons.

So I figure by summer I’ll have that idrive thing figured out, good lord, still haven’t set the date and time. Paramount, sd and An will blow my doors in on the freeway, but it won’t wipe the smile off my face and my wallet will smile back at me.

[an]

Congrats TG. Only you know what’s fun enough for you. A good deal is definitely icing on the cake.

Don’t worry about me blowing your doors off on the freeway. I stop doing that nonsense years ago. I still have fun getting up to 80MPH ASAP but I tend to back off once I get there. I rather having fun with my car on a real track.

[Author]

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