So my dad had a late model Corvette. It was awesome and almost paid for. His girlriend didn't like how low to the ground it was. So he traded it in on a leased BMW 3-series.
So you understand: he traded in a convertible Vette with low mileage that was a year from being his outright, to making the same payments to lease a BMW with a hardtop convertible and the 3.0 twin turbo engine. The new car has ridiculous torque down low just like the other car, but has so many ridiculous features and gadgetry inside, mostly useless tech stuff.
So he has it for a day...and starts to regret it. He put regular octane in the Vette, and now doesn't want to put premium but will probably will have to as the turbo motor is going to knock like crazy on 87 regular. He also can only drive 10k miles a month, instead of the unlimited possibilities of driving through wine country or wherever the heck he wanted on the weekends.
On the positive side, he has to study a huge manual to learn how to use the i-Drive system (ahem, the stereo system) but likes the voice recognition system. The Bimmer doesn't scrape every time he goes up a driveway. It's got decent back seats for luggage, not for tall people. And the quality of the parts seems better than the Chevy.
He thinks a well used Vette might be a possibility in the future, but for now I won't be inheriting a super car. Which is cool since I've got a super truck.
we are a BMW and porsche family. my mom always has a BMW, usually a 5 series v8 or a v8 X5, and my dad always has a porsche. been through 4 in the last 4 years. both extremely performance and comfort oriented. i would feel cheated in a vette personally. he will learn to love that BMW i bet.
I-Drive is crap. I've had or driven just about every type of vehicle. I drove a 530xi a few weeks ago and was completely unimpressed. The girl who owns it wouldn't shut up about the thing. I kept thinking how much I loved my FJ, or Ducati, or my old Crossfire more. The Germans have this idea of clean interfaces and dashboards, but in the process they've made the system almost completely unusable due to its complexity. I have noticed this about their motorcycle as well. Granted, an M series has a different target audience, but there was just something different about the vehicle that twisted me the wrong way. It was almost like the fun of driving had been taken out of the vehicle. This also may have been because it was an automatic. I know I will drive a BMW again to give them another chance, but for now my view has been skewed. Personally I would have stuck with the Vette and put up with a pissed off girlfriend. It would take a lot to get me to trade in a vehicle I love for a girlfriend.
*Editor's note: I'm single, and this may be a reason for that. At least I'm happy when I'm behind the wheel or handlebars.
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"The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else."
John W. Gardner
The BMW 3.0 twin turbo engine is a monster. For the first half of a second upon putting your foot down on the pedal in first gear, the car starts out slow like you'd want it to from a dead stop. The second half of the second sees the turbos kick in and the vehicle just snaps your neck back as it lunges forward. I drove it for about twenty minutes with two other people in the car, and couldn't drive it conservatively or gracefully enough while trying to go slow. The ride was a bit more pleasant when you anticipate the crazy turbo lag-then-go first gear action, give it enough gas to get up to about 20mph in first, then let the automatic shift into whatever gear it wanted to to cruise to 25.
Also, the paddle shifters, which I've never had a chance to try in a car and was a real hoot when the car was going in a straight line, was nearly impossible to use when the car was in a turn. You just can't shift in a turn or when the steering wheel is moving. So I kept it in auto mode.
The ride is probably the most responsive I've felt. You really feel the bumps in the road, but it never translates into pain in your butt. Not even a firm ride really, it's just good road feedback. That was the part that stuck with me the most, the ease of driving it.
The I-Drive system is ridiculous. But you can push a button on the steering wheel and it will dial a phone number for you and engage the call, or easily select an AM/FM station, or help you scratch your back. Ok it won't scratch your back but if you can afford this expensive thing you can hire a masseuse to do that for you.
The worst thing about the whole night was that he wouldn't trade FJ for BMW for the night even though I have a secure garage Oh well it's his baby!
Wow, sad story . So many questions as to why you lose a decent vehicle to a BMW? Dad lonely? Mid life Crisis? Young babe? Don't get me wrong Your life is Your life! To cut your sibblings out of the picture! You must be insecure and desperate to trade what you luv away for a piece of @$$ Oh well ,
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What can I say, men do crazy things for their women
He misses the "wow" factor that people have when he pulls into a parking lot with the Vette. It was a C5 (oh man, "it was" sounds so sad!!) convertible. Bone stock. He offered to sell it to me at the dealer's offer price but I can't afford it and wouldn't sell the FJ for it.
The BMW 3.0 twin turbo engine is a monster. For the first half of a second upon putting your foot down on the pedal in first gear, the car starts out slow like you'd want it to from a dead stop. The second half of the second sees the turbos kick in and the vehicle just snaps your neck back as it lunges forward.
My (old school 2.7T twin turbo) AUDI S4 is like that.
Making the left turn into traffic, it's a case of:
"it's not gonna----HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Thank heaven for seat bolsters. Oh ye of little faith.
You need that AWD thang on these beasties.
But Corvettes. Raw, straight up power that comes on NOW, only
on the back wheels. His and Hers seating. His is on the left. Hers is
on the right. Write if you get work. Do it in a Corvette...if you can.
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What can I say, men do crazy things for their women
He misses the "wow" factor that people have when he pulls into a parking lot with the Vette. It was a C5 (oh man, "it was" sounds so sad!!) convertible. Bone stock. He offered to sell it to me at the dealer's offer price but I can't afford it and wouldn't sell the FJ for it.
See, now, I was going to click out of this thread up to the very last post I read: this one. Yes, men will do crazy things for women. Yay! That part of you guys I love, love, love.
But I'm not alone in saying that I know I have the 'wow' factor when I hop out of my truck in heels and a dress and smile at the little valet parking guy.
It never gets old pulling up to my daughter's high school to drop something off for her then watching the boys all follow her with their eyes as they glance between the truck and her...the truck and her.
You can almost hear them saying, "That could be mine one day." and for a change, they're not talking about her arse.
M
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"Three things that are important:
No red lights---good.
Pull back on the yoke, houses get smaller.
Push forward on the yoke, houses get bigger."
But I'm not alone in saying that I know I have the 'wow' factor when I hop out of my truck in heels and a dress and smile at the little valet parking guy.
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"The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursing his own education. This will not be a widely shared pursuit until we get over our odd conviction that education is what goes on in school buildings and nowhere else."
John W. Gardner
I can't imagine you comparing Chevy Vette to a BMW... Two completely different animals. You mentioned "ridiculous torque down low" then said something about turbo lag... You also mentioned room for luggage, but not for tall people. It's got much more room then the vette. You can't event put anything back there in the corvett. He wants to drive more then 10k a month, but doesn't want to put premium fuel in it? The iDrive is cumbersome, but you said "On the positive side, he has to study a huge manual to learn how to use the i-Drive system". i r confused.
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Oh well it's his baby!
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