is250 vs. 325i

Can they? I'm on my third in about 15 years - all bought secondhand - and I've not had 'failure in other systems, and often' - even if I knew what that was. ;-) All makes need replacements from time to time. The difference is how frequently this occurs which may be where the reliability surveys come from. But they don't mean *every* car in that range will be the same.

And I'd hate to think anybody made a decision to buy a "fun" car over one that made much more sense because of something stupid somebody said on usenet.

experience with

Well, if you're talking about cars built in the 1970s and 1980s, you've got a good point.

But if you're talking about cars built in this century, it's a very different story.

Hell, even cars built from 1990 on.

Let's take a 94 M-B vs. a 94 Lexus, cars that have been on the road with average drivers, and see how they fare.

Life is too short to drive *boring* cars, even if they cost less to operate (but they probably don't, you just want to think they do)

Thanks for admitting that they probably do cost more to operate.

Life is full of choices. I'd rather choose the "boring" car that puts a smile on my face every day, knowing that the money I'm saving allows me to do other, MUCH more fun things in life than driving.

And let's face it: how much time does the average American spend in his car every day? How much of that is stop-and-go vs freeway or open road driving? There isn't much open road time in people's lives. The German car costs quite a bit of money for what it ultimately offers.

I know I shouldn't be sucked into this pissing match, but can't resist. Strikes me that each individual situation is different; it doesn't really matter what the "average American" does. What counts if what I do.

What do I do? I ride a bicycle to work each day. I have an old Jeep Cherokee for going to the store, drives up logging roads to hike to alpine lakes for flyfishing. I use my BMW for what it's built for. And no, for me at least, there aren't "MUCH" more fun things than driving. Driving is one of the most fun things I do. But that's just me. If others want other vehicles, I could care.

- Jon

Yeah, I agree. I don't get this "boring car" stuff. And the "ultimate driving machine" crappola from BMW never was anything to me but hooey and hype. Lots of cars now offer great handling and good performance, AND my BMW doesn't even handle that well.

Yep, and in the US, there are enforced things, like speed limits.... and nowadays especially, if you decide to open the beamer up on a straightaway, and hurt anybody (even if sober and straight), you're likely looking at time in prison.

What my beamer offers is great looks and speed. What it lacks is reliability (a big downside) and a comfortable interior. It's likely gonna be Lexus, or even Toyota, for me next time.

(During the first 85,000 miles, I've needed a new auto tranny; cat coverter; electric window motors; windows becoming out of alignment for no apparent reason; door lock failure, wheel shimmies whose cause cannot be found; new thermostat; new secondary air flow pump; new AC blower motor [along with failures of the motor on TWO OTHER occasions due to electronic component failures on circuitboard]; emissions control problem that can't be found without extensive effort; hood paint bubbling up due to factory flaw in seam under lip of hood; new [or refurbished] instrument cluster [and sometimes the one installed now acts up]; and several more minor electrical problems. In all, I have spend MANY thousands of dollars in repairs.

----- Kill ratio of Palestinian children to Israeli children 5.7-to-1, Israel's favor. Kill ratio of all Palestinians to Israelis: over 3-to-1.

---------

"Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." ---Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 2001

Your sig is a fabricated lie promulgated by hate groups. Are you aware of that, Cliff?

See:

Actually, I said no such thing. I said "even *if* they cost less..." followed by "they probably don't..."

So now we get down to the real "crux of the biscuit". You are not a driving enthusiast in the least. People that are driving enthusiasts

*do* enjoy driving as much as, sometimes more, than what you may consider more fun. I for one enjoy driving cars (and even more so, motorcycles) much more than I enjoy "saving money for other things".

I average a very small amount of time in my car or on my bikes each day. I do not commute. But I live in an area with a large percentage of open (rural) roads. I spend as little time as humanly possible in stop and go traffic. That is one reason that I greatly prefer driving a manual transmission, sporty handling car over a softly sprung, slush-box encumbered lux-o box.

The funnies thing is, because you can't appreciate the difference between these cars you think everyone should drive the same car that you do. That is just plain silly.

In my opinion, you should continue to drive whatever car makes you feel best and I should do likewise. In fact, everyone can follow that basic tenant and they just can't go wrong!!

Yeah and sex is highly overrated too.

I am. Quite a bit.

But for a daily driver, and for most people, the German cars come at a much higher expense than what they offer. Period.

Pardon me while I giggle uncontrollably.

Ya know if you were trying to use some hairy V12 as a daily driver I might see your point. But then there's these diesel things...

And as you said, "most" people.

Ah. You're one who sees YOUR piece of the world, and doesn't understand anyone who can see beyond his own piece of the world.

So now we know where you come from.

The claim that Israel kills so many Arab children because they use them as shields, that Isreal is just defending itself, that Israel's interests are the same as American interests are the big lies being told today.

Have you read the Mearsheimer/ Walt Report? Or do you believe the Zionist lie that they got their infomation from hate sites?

----- Kill ratio of Palestinian children to Israeli children 5.7-to-1, Israel's favor. Kill ratio of all Palestinians to Israelis: over 3-to-1.

---------

"Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." ---Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 2001

Yeah, and eighty percent of all people say they are above average drivers...

The quote in your sig is fabricated by liars, you ASSHOLE!!!!!!

The quote is attributed to a reporter who says it's a FABRICATED LIE!!!!!!!

What's your source, asshole?????!!!!!!!

Whoa, don't flip your kippah.

What are your feelings on the Mearsheimer/Walt Report? And please be brutally honest. This could be fun!

----- Kill ratio of Palestinian children to Israeli children 5.7-to-1, Israel's favor. Kill ratio of all Palestinians to Israelis: over 3-to-1.

---------

"Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." ---Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 2001

(more hate-filled lies)

Go spill your puke in some other newsgroup you Nazi bastard!!!!!!!!!!!