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BMW Driving Experience

84 messages,  Last post on Jan 18, 2013 at 3:29 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW X5, BMW Z4, Car Comparisons, Performance Mods, Scheduled Maintenance, Motorsports, Coupe, Convertible, Sedan

Messages Page 6 of 10

#43 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [dieselone] by roadburner

Sep 20, 2011 (7:48 pm)

Replying to: dieselone (Sep 20, 2011 6:49 pm)
RB, very nice car. The first BMW I ever got behind the wheel of was a 1990 318i which a older friend of mine bought new a year or so out of college. Wow, that car blew me a away. Having mainly driven domestics I'd never experienced a car that performed so effortlessly. It's something that's hard to describe, but the feel of the car was like nothing that I was accustom to. I think the only word that came out of my mouth after driving it was "wow".
 
Thanks for the kind words. The 318i you drove is a bit of a cult car among hard-core BMW enthusiasts. The M42 four cylinder is a very durable unit that will often go 250,000 miles before a rebuild.

#44 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [dieselone] by uplanderguy

Sep 21, 2011 (2:15 am)

Replying to: dieselone (Sep 20, 2011 5:49 pm)
Again, gotta say, the one BMW I was familiar with (5-series) needed a new engine at 86K miles. Now when someone says their (fill in the blank domestic) needed an engine at 86K miles, there are ten posts of derision afterwards. This earlier post resulted in no comments whatsoever about the engine. Why the disparity? Is it all about driving enjoyment on a European car? There's the lack of applies-to-apples here.

#45 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [uplanderguy] by dieselone

Sep 21, 2011 (5:02 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 21, 2011 2:15 am)
Again, gotta say, the one BMW I was familiar with (5-series) needed a new engine at 86K miles. Now when someone says their (fill in the blank domestic) needed an engine at 86K miles, there are ten posts of derision afterwards.
 
Yeah, most domestics with 86k aren't worth the expense of replacing an engine.
 
If your going to compare a bmw or MB with domestics, it really needs to be limited to Lincoln and Cadillac. Comparing cheap Chevys and Fords to expensive BMWs and MBs is ridiculous. I don't think many of us would compare a Malibu or Cruze to a CTS.
 
I don't know how good or bad BMW's are regarding reliability. The few people I know that have them like them. I've always really liked driving them, but have never bought one. Maybe someday.

#46 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [uplanderguy] by steve_ HOST

Sep 21, 2011 (5:04 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 21, 2011 2:15 am)
Hot topic and not sure if there's a great place for you guys to post, unless y'all are used to posting over in Luxury Sedans.
 
Maybe we need a BMW Driving Experience discussion (or maybe Bimmer vs the World?).

#47 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [steve_] by gagrice

Sep 21, 2011 (6:08 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Sep 21, 2011 5:04 am)
I think it is kind of relative to talk about BMW or any other vehicle that is built in the USA. I got to debating some of Rocky's friends on Facebook. They are anti anything but UAW built. They would rather have US buy a car with 40% US content assembled by UAW factory, than a Toyota, Honda or BMW with much higher US content. It is that mentality that makes me want to steer clear of anything UAW built. They have in their minds that UAW members are more deserving of a job, than say a VW worker in TN. They have the misguided thinking that in this global society, all the money GM makes stays within our borders. After several days of beating my head against the wall I opted out. It was 4-5 totally Rah Rah UAW supporters against superior logic. Of course when I pointed out the Secretary of Labor had just bought an Equinox built in Canada they all went into overload.
 
Obama Labor Boss Buys Canadian-Built Car
 
http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/08/31/obama-labor-b- oss-buys-canadian-built-car
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qek5O9TaDhM
 
I personally feel my 85% US content Sequoia built in Princeton Indiana is helping more US workers than buying an Equinox built in Canada.

#48 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [gagrice] by dieselone

Sep 21, 2011 (6:14 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Sep 21, 2011 6:08 am)
They have in their minds that UAW members are more deserving of a job, than say a VW worker in TN.
 
yeah, I have issues with that line of thought too.

#49 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [gagrice] by uplanderguy

Sep 21, 2011 (8:38 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Sep 21, 2011 6:08 am)
In 2009, a Sequoia was 80% N.A. content. You say 85%. Did it go up since then, or is that 'whoops'?
 
I prefer when most all American cars were built here, but competition has changed that, sadly (IMO). Your Sequoia IMO is definitely better than having been built in Japan, but Toyota is still clearly a Japanese company, as evidenced by Toyota of America's president's 'deer in the headlights' look when asked about recall policies...he completely deferred to Mr. Toyoda and said decisions came from the motherland.
 
This board is so full of absolutes. Not all Toyotas are made here, and not all Detroit brands are made in Mexico or Canada. My preference is an American company which builds in America using a high NA parts content. It is possible to find such a product.

#50 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [uplanderguy] by roadburner

Sep 21, 2011 (8:43 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 21, 2011 2:15 am)
Again, gotta say, the one BMW I was familiar with (5-series) needed a new engine at 86K miles.
 
OK, that's one data point. One BMW, one engine. I've owned nine and never had an engine failure.
 
Now when someone says their (fill in the blank domestic) needed an engine at 86K miles, there are ten posts of derision afterwards.
 
Not from me. That said, if you are talking about a number of failures -all with the same engine and failure mode- that's a different issue entirely.
 
Is it all about driving enjoyment on a European car?
 
That's why I've driven BMWs almost exclusively since 1983- but if they were unreliable or expensive to run I would look elsewhere. Life is too short to drive boring cars.
 
There's the lack of applies-to-apples here.
 
You mean like when a FWD mass-market economy car is compared to a BMW? With a straight face?

#51 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [roadburner] by uplanderguy

Sep 21, 2011 (8:46 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Sep 21, 2011 8:43 am)
That's one out of one I knew about...100%--same as guys here say their one (fill-in-the-blank) was crappy.

#52 of 84 Re: GM UAW Contract [uplanderguy] by gagrice

Sep 21, 2011 (9:06 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 21, 2011 8:38 am)
In 2009, a Sequoia was 80% N.A. content.
 
Mine is a 2007 which it was my understanding contained 85%. Which can be deceptive as they include Canada, because it is also America, along with Mexico. So your guess is as good as mine as to the actual US content.

Messages Page 6 of 10

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