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Pontiac G8 vs BMW 3-Series vs Lexus IS 350

102 messages,  Last post on Apr 06, 2009 at 8:22 AM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac G8, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS 350, Car Comparisons, Sedan

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#100 of 102 Re: Thoughts from a 3-series driver [steveinvt] by roadburner Mar 14, 2009 (7:56 am)
Replying to: steveinvt (Mar 14, 2009 3:12 am) I am hesitant to buy a BMW because service costs out of warranty can be insane.   The two main groups that perpetuate the "BMWs cost a bazillion dollars to fix" myth are:   1. Shady BMW dealers who are trying to scare customers into a new or CPO car. 2. Envious fools with a "sour grapes" mentality.    Speaking of fools, on one of the Mazdaspeed boards(where opposable thumbs are a rarity) some doofus was telling me that he had a friend with a 2008 3er and how the oil service cost $175. I asked why the car wasn't covered by BMW's free maintenance; he said that it was- but the dealer put the price of the service on the invoice to show what it would cost out of warranty. Hmmmm, my dealer never does that, but then they charge less than 60 percent of that price to do the same service. In addition, where you live also affects servicing costs. My local dealer(Swope BMW, Louisville) performed an Inspection II(AKA the 60,000 mile service) and a brake fluid flush on my wife's X3 for just $374. In contrast, Santa Monica BMW charges $1105 for the same work. I know that the cost of living in California is higher than that of Kentucky, but 295% higher? There are also many good independent BMW shops that offer great service for a reasonable price. And if you are a member of the BMW Car Club you'll find that most dealers and indie shops offer Club discounts of up to 25% on parts and or labor. If it makes you feel any better, my first truly fast BMW(top speed of over 140) was a 1988 M6 that had just gone out of warranty. The original owner dropped it like a hot potato in 1992 fearing exorbitant running costs- and I gladly picked it up. The only thing that actually was pricey was the engine- a modified version of one of BMW's successful competition engines. The short block alone cost $15K back then. Well, I autocrossed it, tracked it, won countless Stoplight Grand Prix, and in general had a ball with the sled. There were no budget-busting disasters. I only sold it because my kid's car seat wouldn't fit in the rear bucket seat. I still miss it... Having said all that, the newer 7ers and the V8/V10 M cars CAN be pricey to maintain- but the E90/E92 3ers simply aren't that expensive to run. Note that I'm not saying that the G8 or Camaro would be a bad choice. I just wanted to point out that the running costs for a 3er aren't nearly as bad as some seem to think.
#101 of 102 g8 by dhanley Mar 26, 2009 (8:27 am)
I drove a g8 gt recently. General impressions:   * The sport seats are very nice. * Wish the sides didn't slope in so much. My head is practically resting on the roof rail. * The engine, at low RPM, is very very quiet. * The auto trans started out in a high gear, and i felt like i was lugging the thing. Press gas more, still lugging. Then press a little more and it drops 2 gears and i'm going like a bat out of hell. Would have liked a manual better. * car is pretty composed even over rough roads, but felt somewhat ponderous.   Seems like a good car for the price, but not sure if it's going to come out ahead of a 335i for me. Maybe the GXP would be better ( manual tranny, stiffer suspension ).
#102 of 102 CTS & G8 GT trans. Re: Thoughts from a 3-series shopper [hgerhardt] by rayainsw Apr 06, 2009 (8:22 am)
Replying to: hgerhardt (Mar 11, 2009 11:18 am) “I also drove a new CTS with the same trans as the G8, but in that application it was more like the Bimmer's auto. Therefore, the software calibration in the G8 is what makes it good.”   Actually, the trans. in the CTS is a 6L50, in the G8 GT, it is a 6L80. They are physically different as well as the software \ calibrations being a lot different.   I test drove a fully loaded CTS DI [ and drove a more mundanely equipped CTS as a rental for almost a week ] and I would agree that the CTS is calibrated much more toward the ‘luxury sedan’ end of the scale – where the G8 GT is calibrated as a ‘sport sedan’. There were several aspects of the CTS trans. [mis-]behavior that I found very annoying, when driven in a [ um ] spirited manner. Though when driven like a more traditional luxury car, with my daughter in the co-pilot’s seat, in & around San Diego for a couple of days – it was acceptable.   YMMV. - Ray Very happy 6L80 driver . . .

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