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Point Pleasant, WV Car Consumer Discussions

new S4 >?335i>?M3Re: S4 vs. M3 [rlee6462]

by jmaroun on Mon Nov 17 11:27:27 PST 2008

Something tells me you're on to something enlightening. I would've bought an S4 had it performed equally with 6 cylnders instead of its thirsty 8, was lighter by 200lbs and had improved mpg. I chose the next best thing, an 08 335i sedan with manual. The new M3 styling was as numb as it's steering feel. I considered an 06 M3 with competition package but its body style is dated and I figured the 335i might hold its value long enough if a superior car came along while offering a near equivalent experience. I'm delighted with the 335i but am dissapointed with its clunky and quite rattley clutch / manual transmission. (google bmw clutch rattle. this was observed by bmw mechanics and claimed to be normal) First and second gear in the 335i are rarely pleasant experiences unless you go all out full throttle. :) Furthermore, symptoms of HPFP (fuel pump) failure are loomming (lately, my ignition times are intermittently taking upward of 5 to 7 seconds!). I figured that after more than two years, BMW would fix this well known and wide spread issue..but it seems that even my late production 08 model (june 08)..one of the last produced before the 09 LCI, may become part of the statistics as well. That said, it isn't surprising that I've got my heart's hopes set on the new S4 comming out early to mid 2009. A 6cyl superchaged awd S4. It boasts better hp and torque than the 335i while weighing nearly the same (that is about 200lbs lighter than the current V8 S4)! Judging by early release pictures, the S4 will easilly out style any BMW. I hope to trade or sell my 08 335i for the new S4 After reading the reviews..I eagerly await Edmund's review which is usually unbiased, informative and fair. :shades: Joseph San Diego

Re: MY BMW [dewey]

by tagman on Thu Nov 13 08:52:11 PST 2008

The service was pleasant. I requested a shuttle to my office, and by the time I found the coffee and donuts the driver was ready to go. The service was done perfectly and so far I have no complaints. It was all very professional and organized. It's a beautiful facility. I drool over the inventory over there... the detail guy has to mop up after me... LOL. I'm driving the 911 today, and I already miss the 135i. Yes, it really is that good. TM

Re: I looked at www.fitzmall.com [pam4water]

by kiawah on Tue Nov 11 05:17:48 PST 2008

Out of all of their dealerships, there are two in that area that are Toyota, Chambersburg PA and Gaithersburg, MD. You only pay sales tax in PA, since you're from Pgh. To my knowledge, their no-haggle prices are no-haggle, I've never heard of anyone getting a better deal from them than their web detailed prices. Give them a call, I've always found them very pleasant to deal with, and extremely helpful for any and all questions. I've shopped them for Toyota's, a Nissan, a Suzuki, and a Chevy, but they have other brands as well. For Toyota's, I've been to the Gaithersburg site, but have only driven by (and called) the Chambersburg one which would be one closest to you.

Re: What the oil co giveth NYC taketh away [fintail]

by andre1969 on Mon Nov 10 10:36:01 PST 2008

Honestly I don't know what my threshold would be for a commute. Back in 1994, I looked at a few houses on Kent Island, Maryland, across the Chesapeake Bay. Found an old farmhouse that I fell in love with. It was 38 miles from work. It was a pleasant drive on a nice Saturday afternoon, with the real estate agent doing the driving, but I realized that I'd get tired of that commute really quickly. It would probably be 50 minutes on a good day. Then there's the summer beach traffic, which can gridlock around the Chesapeake Bay bridge. And I'm sure that bridge could be a real nailbiter in an ice storm! The condo I ultimately bought was about 12.5 miles from work if I took the most direct route, which had more traffic lights. The way I took was more like 14. Usually took 20-25 mins to go in, 25-30 to come home. It didn't seem too bad at the time, but nowadays it takes me about 7-8 to get to work and maybe 10 to get home, so I've gotten a bit spoiled. Back in 2002, I thought about moving down to southern MD. At the time, it seemed like you could get the same house for about half the money in the places I was looking. I was thinking something like a modest 1200 square foot or so split foyer, etc, which would've been around $250K in my neighborhood, I could get for around $125K down there. Sounds like a nice savings at first, but the killer was that it would've probably made my weekly commuting time jump from about 4 hours to 14-15! And my daily round trip would've gone from 28 miles to about 120. The wasted time, extra fuel, and wear-and-tear on the car would have offset that mortgage payment very quickly. I think my threshold is still around 1/2 hour. And as long as the traffic is moving, that time can go by fairly quickly and stress-free. Unfortunately, at rush hour it usually isn't! If I was in a position where I could cut back my hours to, say, 2-3 days per week, I'd consider a longer commute.

Re: Compare Honda CRV vs Vue Hybrid [chmsomm]

by kipk on Sat Nov 08 17:23:33 PST 2008

>"I get crammed into his CRV like a sardine. I sit comfortably in my Vue. I am 6'2" and weigh 225" Here are the inside dimensions of the 08 GL VUE and the 08 CR-V Vue Front Head Room: 40.2 in. Front Hip Room: 52.6 in. Front Shoulder Room: 56 in. Rear Head Room: 39.3 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 55.9 in. Rear Hip Room: 52.9 in. Front Leg Room: 40.7 in. Rear Leg Room: 36.9 in. Luggage Capacity: 29.2 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 56 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5 CR-V Front Head Room: 38.9 in. Front Hip Room: 55.9 in. Front Shoulder Room: 56.9 in. Rear Head Room: 38.5 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 56 in. Rear Hip Room: 54.6 in. Front Leg Room: 41.3 in. Rear Leg Room: 38.5 in. Luggage Capacity: 35.7 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 73 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5 The CR-V is larger in every dimension except head room. Possibly the reason you don't feel cramped in your Vue is because you are driving.. My next door neighbor is 6'3" and brags about the room in his wife's CR-V. Of course when he is in it, he is in the drivers seat. >"Please note I have a good opinion of the CRV as a smaller SUV." And you obviously have a good opinion of the even smaller VUE. ;) The Vue is a pleasant looking car and will likely give you good service. To me the exterior has more eye appeal than the CR-V does. The question at hand is how long and how many miles is the "break even point", and how will todays Hybrids fare in the future. Whether it be a Vue or any other hybrid. >His Honda CRV can only crawl up a moderately steep hill on the way to work. My Vue GreenLine holds its speed". Maybe your co-workers CR-V is an older, smaller model with a smaller engine. . I have yet to experience a hill, on the street, that our 03 4WD CR-V doesn't go up with enthusiasm. My wife averages around 21mpg and I get about 24mpg real world, local driving. Trips usually less than 7 miles one way. Fuel mileage has got a lot to do with the driver's foot. :) Kip

This isn't something I should admit to...

by andre1969 on Thu Nov 06 13:12:24 PST 2008

in a chronic car buyer's forum, but today marks my 9th anniversary with the Intrepid. I still remember November 6, 1999 like it was yesterday. It was a Saturday, and a warm, pleasant day. Amazing, how fast the time passes!