Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Bluewater, New Mexico

Bluewater, NM Car Consumer Discussions

A whole story with no mention of the "h" word

by larsb on Mon Jun 16 13:59:58 PDT 2008

Consumers complaining about EPA ratings - no "h" word mentioned Even if adjusted, the EPA's adjustment factors would still fail to accurately reflect the real world's range of changes in driving habits and growing diversity in automobile technology, critics charge. The actual test, they point out, seems almost quaint. Flaws, UCS says, include: • Highway speeds. The EPA highway test sets an average speed of 48 miles per hour and a top speed of 60 m.p.h. - despite the fact many states have raised their limit to 65 m.p.h. or higher. Fuel economy can fall by 17 percent for vehicles going at a more typical 70 m.p.h. • Traffic jams. In 1982, urban congestion added seven hours a year to the average person's annual travel, UCS says, compared with 26 hours a year in 2001. In its petition, Bluewater cited a study of 68 US urban areas in which delays rose from 11 hours in 1982 to 36 hours in 1999. • Quick starts. Maximum acceleration in the EPA test is 3.3 m.p.h. per second, about the same as zero-to-60 m.p.h. in 18 seconds. The typical new truck or car can accelerate almost twice as fast. The EPA's own data, UCS says, show that people accelerate about five times as fast as the test. • Air conditioning. The EPA fuel-economy tests are run with air conditioning off, even though 99 percent of all cars and trucks have it, UCS says. Changes in automotive technology - from all-wheel drive to turbocharged engines - also mean that factors like highway speed, traffic, fast starts, and air conditioning affect new cars differently from older cars, UCS says. OK - Gary - Have I proven to you that the EPA test changes were NOT only about the "h" cars? Or do I need to keep posting?

Re: Anxious to see this car in the US of A [avalon02wh]

by gagrice on Fri Apr 25 22:02:45 PDT 2008

Bluewater Network is a division of Friends of the Earth. Sounds pretty green to me. Seems they took a lot of flack over a lawsuit against Toyota acting like they were a green car company. All the while pushing Tundras and Sequoias... I personally think the oil companies will effectively curtail the sales of diesel cars in this country. They do not want to happen what has happened in the EU with massive diesel car sales. As long as they keep the price of diesel significantly higher than RUL, most people will not buy. I would, just because I like driving a diesel vehicle more than I do a gas one. I hate the constant downshifting with low torque gas engines. Even the V8 in my Sequoia is not great at low RPM. It downshifts going up Interstate 8 if I try to maintain the 70 MPH speed limit. That was not the case with that little 4 cylinder diesel in the Passat. Diesels are just better on the highway.

Re: Anxious to see this car in the US of A [ruking1]

by avalon02wh on Fri Apr 25 21:03:49 PDT 2008

"Small wonder why the greenies do not like diesel and bio diesel with the system conspiring to keep diesel 2% of the passenger vehicle fleet population." The idea that all greenies do not like biodiesel is not true. ;) http://www.biodiesel.org/aboutnbb/alliance/alliance_members_healthenviro.shtm Bluewater Network is a division of Friends of the Earth. Sounds pretty green to me. :D "A conspiracy theory usually attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually political, social or historical events), or the concealment of such causes from public knowledge, to a secret, and often deceptive plot by a group of powerful or influential people or organizations. Many conspiracy theories imply that major events in history have been dominated by conspirators who manipulate political happenings from behind the scenes." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory And yes, I am part of a secret anti-diesel group named ......oh wait, I cannot actual mention the name. If I did....well them would need to get rid of all people reading the post, and frankly, the paperwork is a pain in the neck. :shades:

Re: Crossing into Sarnia Canada on weekend [phill_69]

by hacheyimports on Tue Mar 18 11:09:17 PDT 2008

Bluewater Bridge is open 24/7, on both the US and Canadian sides. 72 hour notice is actual hours, not business hours. This applies to the US vehicle export office. This is most definitely NOT the same at all crossings. Please call ahead and protect yourself from disappointment. By the way, to make Canadian Customs happy bring evidence of the value of your car. If you have a print out of the ad, or evidence of it's selling price they have any easier time determining tax applied...and a quicker stop for you at the office. Take care

Re: I Think Toyota is Off Its' Game. [poncho167]

by kdhspyder on Thu Mar 22 11:06:47 PDT 2007

The last couple years haven't been good for Toyota but they are still selling well based on perception Huh? I can't believe that we exist in the same world. What are we perceiving differently. What has not been good for Toyota? Sales up, profits up, new investments all over the place, new products such as hybrids and trucks coming out every 6 months that are changing the vehicle industry. If you're mentioning being more in the spotlight and taking heat from every source imaginable from the Bluewater greenies to the goofball press blaming them for 100 years of pollution in Canada then yes it's been 'difficult'. But that's OK. Being in the spotlight means fending off the slings and arrows while having a thick skin and holding the course. Business is never easy.

I pulled the trigger on a 2003 530i

by 330blast on Sun May 21 00:31:31 PDT 2006

After months of searching, I finally pulled the trigger on a 2003 530i. Bluewater metalic with grey leather. Auto, Premium and sports pkg, xenon. 29K miles, CPO until 3/21/2009. I paid $28,500 + TTL. All financed with 2.9% for 60 months. The car was marked for $35,888, but when I open the newspaper to glance through the ads, it was lowed to $28,888. Since that was my dream color, I took a day off and went to the dealership immediately. The negotiation part was pretty hard since the sale price is already way below the on going market in SF bay area for the latest year of E39 530i. I merely knock down $388, but since the color was perfect, equipments are pretty good, and there is the low finance, I couldn't let this one slip. It's very hard to get all these things work to my advantage on a used car. Based on what I have read on this forum and the couple times I went to the Dealership to negotiate, I believe it was a great deal I got. On a side notes, I have negotiate another similar deal a month ago. It was a 2003 530i, auto, premium pkg, lumbar support, navigation and CD changer. 33K miles. And I was able to get it down to $28,000. That car has been on the dealer's lot for almost 3 months, and the price just dropped from $37,999 to $28,999. Similarly, once a low mile CPO 03 530i get down below $30K, it was very hard to get the price lower. I actually walked out of the dealer and they called me back to offer the deal above. I did not take it because it was a white/tan color combo and I just can't live with it. As I have mentioned, I live in SF bay area, where E39 530 are in high demand. I have closely monitored the market for several months, and those cars go fast and asking price are all ridiculously high (at least $10K mark up of dealer's cost if not more). However, with patience and persistence, it is still possible to grab some good deals, however, some luck is needed if you are picky on color and also want the low rate finance. I feel pretty lucky and am still very excited. BTW, I also purchased the ext. maintenance plan (extra $1,395, maybe I can cut down few hundred?) because it's worth of it. I have owned a 2001 330i for a couple of years and am quite familiar with the high maintenance cost of BMW.