Considering a BMW - A Few Questions

...unless you have an M3 which pink like mad even with premium grade gas.

If my new M5 starts to pink, I think I'll probably throw up. :-)

Eisboch

You mention sale and rebates...These cars sell themselves so I never found any discounts. Only on ones, they were ready to move off their lot.

I would like to suggest a pre-owned certified or even a non-certified with low miles from a BMW dealership. (Something still under warranty or buy an extended warranty if it has higher miles) Most BMW dealerships care about their reputation and will not sell you a piece of junk and still get it fixed up prior to putting it on their lot.

My exp was that if it came in on a trade and was not adequate they sent it to auction rather than putting it on their lot. I just bought my second BMW...1st was new, second was used. Even though the do hold their value, it is a nice feeling knowing I'm not taking the hit on the instant depreciation at drive off.

You may also want to explore leasing, especially if you like to have a new car every 3 years and don't drive many miles. I agree with everyone else...once you drive a higher end vehicle, it is hard to go back to the rest. Just my 2 cents. :-)

Because for most people the price of a new one of those (bigger BMWs, Mercs) is a luxury. Or running costs.

Hence smaller BMWs, Mercs, Audis and not particularly 'luxurious' esp in Germany.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Where do you get these ideas?

Neither FWD nor V6 engines are intrincicaly cheaper. They fill particular design needs. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but the main ones are not economic.

This is pure nonsense.

If one buys a used car from a dealer, one is likely going to take that instant depriciation hit. See the difference between "trade in," "private party sale" and "suggested retail value." The buyer probably paid the dealer close to "suggested retail value." If he/she wants to sell it the next day, the best price they'll probably get is around the "private party sale" price.

Anoop

"bfd" haute in die Tasten:

It depends. When Renault started to sell its romanian made Dacia Logan in Germany (a small 4 door sedan based on the Renault Clio) for only 7.500 Euros (which is some 30% less than the price of comparable cars and half the price of a VW Golf in standard configuration), people thought this would be a major threat for western car makers. Now the distributor of Logan in germany reports a very low demand for the car.

IMHO the low price of this 3rd world cars is caused by two things: 1. lack of technological refinement and 2. low labor cost. The result is a car which costs as much as a four year old used western car, but is not better in any aspect than this car either. So why bother with a shitty Dacia Logan, if you could have an used Golf for the same money? Some buyers may like the prestige of buying a "new car", but the prestige of a new Dacia is close to zero, because everybody knows that it is the cheapest car around. Situation may be totally different in eastern Europe. There a new Dacia probably is a Chick Collector of some kind;-)

This yera the first Chinese made car hit the German market. It is called "Landwind" and it is based on a late '80s Isuzu/Opel SUV design. German automobile club ADAC performed a crash test with this car and came to the conclusion: "the worst crash test result since the beginning of our crash test activities." I do not have any respect for chinese automobiles. If they want my respect, they need to launch better cars than this POS.

I think it will be a long way until a chinese made car will be a real competitor for a BMW. Honda and Lexus needed decades to come into this position, and it required not only superb engineering but also participation in Formula 1 racing etc. Let's wait and see.

Frank

True, V-6's aren't intrinsically inferior (Ferrari made a number of sweet ones in various configurations ... more successful than his I-6's too). Their shorter length offers packaging advantages versus the I-6. The major advantage to the I-6 is that it can achieve primary and secondary balance using the proper crankshaft design. V-6's (particularly those that represent 3/4's of a 90 degree V-8) tend to be rough as the RPM's climb. 60 or 120 degrees included angle in the V can solve that problem (or flat, just ask Porsche).

FWD is somewhat cheaper to manufacture and creates a compact drivetrain that has minimal impact on the passenger compartment. It also tends to be more difficult to work on when major service is required.

R / John

Urmmm, no, they are not.

Irrelevant.

They can be, for the reasons I have already noted.

Most these days use separate balance shafts.

Who makes them and owns them, then? Ford?

Irrelevant.

Which is a band-aid for an inferior design...

You must be a marketing man's dream...

Whilst partially agreeing, BMW also fit them to some 4 cylinder engines - and very well they work too. I prefer a straight six, but as has been said a bent one has packaging advantages.

My newest BMW has a balance shaft in it's opposed twin motor. Another inferior design, Dizzy?

Tom

Really? I guess those RWD platforms are a pure illusion of marketing. I guess the reality is that the Mini is every bit the car as the "more expensive BMW's", which only sell for higher prices due to marketing or "badge engineering".

Mini's are not BMW's. A Mini driver is in fact incorrect if he claims to be driving a BMW. Mini's are lesser cars, built to a lesser standard.

I can't believe that anyone needs this explained to them.