Off Topic-BMW
 

Maybe ya'll will have some input. Karen thinks she wants a BMW Z4 M coupe. I have a Formula customer in CA that has a dealership so getting a good price is no problem,but I'm a truck guy,know nothing about cars. I would never drive it,but would Karen enjoy it? Seems like nothing more than a small,expensive hot rod,with no room for my labs. Am I getting too old?What are your thoughts,pro or con?Don't worry about hurting my feelings,I need input:drink:

Robert,

I have a BMW X5. Cannot beat the safety features, engineering, and handling of a BMW. Definately a high quality vehicle.

They are a bit more expensive to maintain after the warranty/service agreement expires. Dealer brake job on my X5 was quoted over $1000, but that replaces pads and rotors as BMW rotors are tapered and cannot be shaved.

What about a convertible 3 series with sport package?

Magicfloat, You Asked.....

1- It's Small, Certainly No Room For Labs, Nor Groceries.

2- It's Low. Think Doing Deep Knee Bends Or Genuflecting To Get In. No Problem Initially, But After A While It Gets To Be B.s.
Also Low Compared To Other Vehicles, I'm Talkin' Much Below The Eye Sight Line Of Sedans Not Trucks. Hence, Some Concern For Safety.

3- Far Be It From Me As A Totle Stranger To Make A Suggestion But..., If She's Hell Bent On Bmw, Consider The New 3 Coupe Or The 2 Door 4 Passenger Convertible. Both Very Cool. The 3 Coupe Is Brand Spanking New To The Market. Both It And The Convertible Have Head Turning Sex Appeal, And Also Space.

Last year I purchased a Z-3 for my wife, and I cannot believe how much we drive it. What a great car! i have 5 licensed vehicles and last summer we put 18,000 miles on the Z while the others sat. You say you would not most likely drive it but wait until you do . You will change your mind I will bet.

I owned a M3 years ago and swore I would never own another BMW. Too many costly issues all of the time!!!

Lexus for us:)

Is it true I can't even get the oil changed at the local Jiffy Lube?

Why would you want to??? All new BMW's come with free scheduled maintenance program. free oil changes for life, brake pads, wiper blades air filters,top everything off... etc..etc.. are all covered under the umbrella...

Robert that is the basic car that my wife had out in Cali and she is so sad that she had to get rid of it on the move back to MA. It was a LOT of fun to drive. I thought I would hate it but then drove the thing. I wish we still had it from time to time.

Do yourself a favor and go and drive it, you will want one 2 :D

Jon

We have a 2004 BMW M3.... No problems so far, 39,xxx miles. Never been in the Z4 but its a rocket with the 330hp M engine. Please dont get it changed at Jiffy Lube, I wouldnt trust them. Also, BMW says to get the oil changed every 15,000 miles. I wouldnt go more than 7,500 at the most. Most people do between 3,000-5000 . Im not aware of any z4 forums, but go to m3forum.com most people there are using castrol TWS 10w60 oil.

I guess my concern is the closest dealer is an hour and a half away,plus I will be buying from a Formula customer out of state and they might not like that. Mostly it is just the convenience of local normal maintenance has always been so easy with my Chevy trucks and Toyota Sequoias. But probrably moot points anyway,cause if Karen wants this car,guess what will happen?:rolleyes: :drink:

I just sold a 98 740i, but i've owned other 325's and 528's. They are great cars. The Z's are a little small, but a blast to drive.

My Son has a M3 ...great driving car and Comfortable ...m

Ive got a 99 z3 with 57k at my dealership its black we've got 13942 in it you can have it 500 over ;)

too small for me

yep I rather buy a mustang GT vert than that and pocket the left over money

Hi Robert,
Dave here from Trenton. Before coming here to work for Jerry I was at a BMW dealership for 5 years. It is a wonderful piece of machinery. Yes it is small, but if you are comparing similar size and style vehicles (Miata, Pontiac Solstice, etc.) it will be far and away safer in an impact. It has incredible power, handling and brakes to avoid an accident in the first place. If you don't need the over-the top M power, the regular six cylinder should give you plenty. The local dealer may give you a little hassle about the fact you didn't buy it from him at service time, but he gets paid for the service by BMW for the first 36000 miles (could be 50k on the M) so if so just call BMW. You will likely only need to go there once a year anyway, depending on your mileage. I always paid to have my oil done halfway through the computer generated "Service Interval Indicator" when I had my M3- it worked out to be about 7k or so. BMW uses synthetic oil and the computer adjusts so much that your oil will be cleaner much longer than you are used to. In my opinion, unless it is old equipment the 3000 mile oil change is only a good thing for OPEC. Hope this helps- see you in Sanibel......again.
Dave

Got the car, pretty neat. Performance is crazy fast,should be illegal:drink: Only frustrating thing at this point is I can't set the darn clock:rolleyes: There are about 10 owners manuals and I followed the instructions as printed but cannot get the clock to move.I may use the Alabama method and put a piece of black electrical tape over the clock display:cool: It should not take a computer technician to set a darn clock.Guess my age is showing.:p

The most silly thing on a BMW.

My g/f's 325 has two pegs sticking out of the gauge cluster. The one on the left resets the trip meter, the one on the right sets the clock. You turn the right hand peg clockwise or counter and it increments in minutes, one way goes fast, the other way slow.
Always takes a minute or two to remember how when adjusting ours.... feels like your going to break it the first time you do it.

It's been a great car. We get the oil changed once a year and do it when the NYS inspection is due.

A few surprises when the warranty ran out... that's when they start nickle and dime-ing you. Your brake fluid needs to changed, radiator flushed etc,etc... $350 for this and that.
But a top notch car requires top notch service I guess.

Mine has 2 buttons below the gauges,manual says hold in button #2 for several seconds till time flashes,then press button #1 for hours,then press again for minutes. Only problem is I cannot get the time to call up no matter how long I hold in button #2.:( I'll get over it,it's a nice car,wish I had something like this years ago,and Karen loves it.:drink:

I told you so!! I told you so!!

I knew if you had a chance to drive one for awhile you would like it.