Yumcha

You should, Genghis. At least you'd belong in this forum again.

srika

I should what?

ps. u lose

Yumcha

You n00b...Genghis = zeroday...



You = Roti-Breath or whatever Indian dish I fee like at the moment.

srika

guess i should read more of your 39k posts....


nahhhh..........

zeroday

you mean like you?

that's ok

zeroday

pwnd

Yumcha

Well, sure...or you could be like cTLgo and Jesal instead. Pick your poison.

srika

kinda like this?

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1788140

Yeah they aren't the most common of cars.

Some more about my involvement with SF: I started out on the mkiv mailing list in '97 - that was a pretty crazy list and we had a lot of fun on it. Mr. Akimoto was an active member on there so we had a lot of fun. Also some of the best trash-talking and flaming I have ever seen, possibly the best ever. The various AZ vs. TX wars were instant classics. Somewhere in '99 a few of us started Supraforums - I was helping with the admin side of it and also maintained the portal page which linked to it along with mk4chicago, local Chicago group's website I ran. I should dig up that first portal page, I still have it saved somewhere.

We had SF running for a while and it changed management pretty quickly - went to someone in Texas. And from there I think it changed hands a few more times. It hasn't been the "same" for a long while now. /jack

Will Y.

OK, so I posted initial impressions of a drive of a base 335i manual sedan earlier this week in the 335i thread.

I tested both a 335i manual and a 335i auto today.
The clutch also seemed to engage a bit high in the manual sedan I drove today, and the shift action was still somewhat rubbery and slightly clunky- nowhere near as fluid or precise as the manual trans from the 1G TSX, Integra, Mazda RX-8 or MX-5.
The auto 335i has first gear set up for very gradual throttle response- the car feels slower and less responsive than the TL until floored above 20 mph. The steering had less play (faster ratio?) than the TL, but a heavy feel at street speeds. The sports suspensions' ride is acceptable pretty livable and rattle-free, even over some broken pavement. The base sedan I drove a few days ago had a slight rattle from the back.

Like OP, I wasn't enthused and probably need to be on a racetrack to be more impressed with the 335. On to the other TL replacement candidates... ...or I could be the anti-Jesal and keep the TL past the warranty period.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

What's on your list of replacement candidates?

I checked out the A4 and CTS today, I did not test drive as it was saturday, and i'm not all that serious right now, but I was not really impressed with what I found. Both cars interiors left something to be desired, especially the A4. The A4 was WAAYYYYY to jetta to me, the cup holders were not very deep and looked like they would not be very secure, and the radio looked very cheap, also things like the sunvisor felt uber plasticy. I really don't like their center armrest thing either, I want it there FULL time, not the option to flip it up and lose all that storage space. The seats I also found rather flat and lacking some support. and Finally the backseat theres NO headroom! I'm just 6' tall and my head was right into the linear, it felt like I was riding in a coupe! Thats a deal breaker for me, most of the people in my car are the same height, and I'm not going to subject them to that.

With all this being said, the 09 hits showroom floors in sept and apparently many of this issues are addressed, supposedly it gets another 2 inchs rear headroom and a much nicer interior. Also the 2.0T will get 211hp and 260tq and the quattro is being tweaked to offer 40/60 F/R bias.

The CTS I was excited for and it has come along way but I don't think I'm convinced either. It had the same rear headroom problem as the A4, and I felt that the interior materials especially buttons felt cheaper than hyundai parts. Also the trunk of the CTS is oddly shaped, it's a deep rectangle, I did not measure but I should have. By eyeballing it, I don't think my bag of golf clubs would fit inside. You can't put them sideways and the length is very questionable. If the length is actually there the it will easily handle 4 bags but it looked very questionable. Also the one I was looking at had moisture all up in the headlight. Seating position was good, one thing I noticed is that the footwells are rather oddly shaped and are clearly obstructed by the drive train. The armrest was also a joke, not much room at all in the lower compartment, and the upper had someones left over mcdonalds bag in it (factory option?)

Looks like back to shopping.

FiveLiterCheater

I test drove a 335 the other day. I was checking out a used E46 M3 at the dealership and the salesman told me to check out the 335 (he obviously makes more money off new cars ) So I figured I might as well give it a shot. I didn't like several things...It *feels* extremely small. I'm 6'1" and I felt a little cramped inside. The seats were also pretty uncomfortable, but he said there is an option to get sport seats which are much better. The interior was also not the greatest, however its a decent upgrade from the E46. The door panel, however, looks like it was designed by a retard.

You forget about everything when you drive it though. It is a REALLY fun car to drive....lots of power, great handling, great steering. Still, after driving the E46 M3 you can't even compare the two.

Crazy Bimmer

^ Really? I thought the design of the door panels were almost like art on the E92. The stitching, leather and the shape of the door handle were quality. IMO

The leatherette version looks gross though.

FiveLiterCheater

Seriously? It looks abstract I guess, but most of those abstract paintings could be done by a retard so who knows Deff the worst part of the interior...Loved the thick steering wheel though. Still, E46 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> E92

Crazy Bimmer

I liked the E46 interior layout was better but I think the E92 has better quality materials used. At least to the touch it does.

Sarlacc

Salesmen have the potential to make more money off of used cars since there is more of a mark up.

And E46 interior > E90/92

FiveLiterCheater

Thats probably true, but when I worked at Infiniti we would make more money in our pockets selling a new car vs. used. And I do like the driver focused E46 interior better than the E92. Fuckin' M3's need to hit 25k already The one I drove was a 2006 with 21k miles for 39,000.....no thanks

FastAcura

I drove the 335i the other day and have also driven my co-workers 325i with the sports package (both E90) before. They felt a lot more luxurious than my 330Ci.

On the other hand, I really like the feel of the E46 MUCH better as well as the sound of the Inline 6. The driving experience is just not the same. I felt a little too detached from the road, especially in the 325 which for me ruins the purpose of getting a BMW.

I personally would choose a E46 M3 over a 335i.

Will Y.

The CTS, Saturn Aura, Audi A3, A4, G35, Volvo C30 and god-knows-what-else that's a relatively refined 200+hp sedan/hatchback, smaller than a large car, is on my list at this point.

I also looked at the CTS yesterday since it was literally next door to the BMW dealer.
The CTS interior is better than the previous gen, but now looks a little gaudy-cheap (perhaps too many chrome accents) and the inside door pulls have some sort of hard, cheap-feeling plastic inset in them that is invisible, but apparent every time one grabs an interior door handle. My daughter liked the CTS interior better than the 335i's interior, but I preferred the look and feel of the 335i. The interior is more important to me than the exterior. I may test drive the CTS DI V6 later regardless.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

The interior is very important to me too after all that's all you really get to see and experience via touch smell and sight. I think my order of priorities are Engine/Drivetrain/handling then Interior quality/size/gadgets then it's the exterior styling. The DI CTS is the only way to go IMO. Also I would not buy anything until the new A4 gets here, it's one hell of a looker and the changes to the interior look promising.

Mike00

Are you set on a brand new car? I had planned on a new Maxima/TL myself but seeing what they are I've gone a different direction and am looking to get into an M45.

A slightly uses m45 would be in same price range actually less with more features, power and room.

Would probably fit your needs nicely.

majin ssj eric

I personally liked the CTS interior (though not quite as much as the G37 or IS350) and would rate it way higher than the 335i. Exterior-wise the CTS is mind blowing. It just looks fresh and new but with some old-school american flare. Still, I would probably go 335i if that was the choice. It is such a great all around car that I can forgive the crappy interior and stupid iDrive. Problem is they are about $10k overpriced....

zeroday

if it were me, i'd never buy a new car again. used cars are too good a deal right now.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

^zeroday, I just noticed your avatar...

btw, I've driven both E46 M3 and 335i manual for a week each, and for some reason, M3 was much more entertaining to me in terms of driving experience..

FiveLiterCheater

^^ I wouldn't consider the M45 with current gas prices. I worked at Infiniti and it was almost impossible to sell one...Its a great car but not very practical. I could barely manage 10.8MPG in the city with it....

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

^ Holy... 10.8 is very disappointing..

zeroday

my 335i says it's averaging 24 mpg...so I'm just going to go ahead and believe that. math is overrated.

zeroday

lol well yeah its an m3

Mike00

If your buying a 40k car the last thing you should be worried about is gas mileage. As for the gas mileage on m45 they seem to average around 17mpg so yes it's not great. I'll probably spend 300-350 bucks a month on gas once we hit 5 bucks a gallon but honestly if that was going to hurt me in any kind of way then I shouldn't be purchasing a 35-40k car.

a 3 series seems to average about 23mpg so what I'd save 75 bucks a month?

Your right about the m45's being tougher to sell though which is why they make some amazinly cheap cars to pick up 1 year old. With a top notch interior, more features then a 5 series, and great engine.

But that's just me. For the rice range I can pick up an 07 or 06 m45 I can't fathom purchasing a brand new maxima, g35, or tl. So much more car for same price.

Sarlacc

I made more money on used cars. Only time new cars made me more was new models that I was able to move a lot of units on in a month.

zeroday

This comment doesn't make much sense to me. For most people that own 40k$ cars money is still very much an issue. That's really not that expensive anymore.

Mike00

So 3-4k a year in gas is a lot of money but purchasing a 40k car isn't? Realitically the comparison was made to get into a 335i instead. Your talking about saving maybe on the high side 1k a year in gas. It's pennies when considring the fact your purchasing a 40k car.

And yes I stand by the fact that if your purchasing a 40k car the price of gas should not be a big worry. Is it annoying? Yes. But at the end of the day if I'm buying a 40k luxury item I fail to see why I should worry about the fact that I'm going to spend 1-2k year more in gas then somebody else. And if I am worried maybe that 40k luxury item is out of my price range.....

zeroday

When you can buy a 40k$ luxury car that also gets good mileage why not save money? I use coupons at the grocery store but i own a 335i...whats wrong with saving some money while also having something nice that you enjoy?

BraveDemon

^

I agree with Zeroday. Just because you can afford a $40k car doesn't mean that you can forget about gas/mileage... anymore.

It was different maybe 4 years ago? When gas was still around $2 dollars a gallon for premium. Back then filling up a 15 gallon tank with premium was under $40. Fast foward to present day and all of a sudden the national price of gas is $4.50 a gallon.

And its not like gas prices will cap anytime soon - it'll just keep on going up and up. Just cause someone can afford a M45 for $40k, doesn't mean that they dont care about paying $4.50 for every 10 miles.

I bitch everytime I have to fill up my 2nd Gen TL-S with premium, esp with some So. Cal gas stations charging $4.80 and up. Infact, I bitch about it so much that I rarely drive it anymore and take my girlfriends Civic whenever I can.

And btw, alot of people can afford a $40k car. Its not like you need to make 6 figures to buy a $40k car. Hell, here in Orange County, I see plenty of guys who work at Nordstroms selling shoes to fat women who walk into the parking lot and get into their E92 335i's. Probably driving home to their 400 square ft studio.

iTimmy

Personally, I drive little compared to most people(less then 6k miles a year) and financially speaking am probably in the top 1% here, and I still am concerned with fuel efficiency. For a number of reasons, first of all I feel it is my obligation as a human being to the generations to come that I not waste for the sake of wasting. Secondly, making a vehicle fuel efficient is a measure of fine engineering, by making a vehicle powerful and economical it is a triumph that I feel is worth paying for.

This is also coming from someone who is heavily invested in energy and makes money every time gas prices rise, so continue to drive anything you choose it only makes me more money. I'll continue to save, others will continue to spend and we'll see how the cards fall in another 20 years.

Mike00

There's huge difference between caring about fuel efficency and worrying about it for money reasons.

I see people everyday who complain about gas prices and it's truly a hurt for them financially paying an extra 150-200 bucks a month in gas... meanwhile they are driving a 30-40k car. That to me is stupid.

On the flip side to my earlier comment I just think when your talking about 40-50k cars the extra 1k-1500 a year in fuel efficency would be a dumb reason to not get a car you liked... thats all.

I'll flat out admit I bitch about filling up at the gas pump every now and then and thats on a celica. At same time though it's no hurt to me financially and when I think about the 100 bucks I can spend on going out to dinner or on occasion to bar well it's really not that big of a deal when looking at it form that view point.

Anyway it's just an opinion of mine.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

You guys do know a BMW M3 get's better mileage than a Prius right?

zeroday

^^ huh?

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yes

saw the vid.

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

check the top gear season 11 thread, I think theres a video in there of it.

majin ssj eric

I really don't care what mileage a car gets. If I want it, I'm buying it regardless. Gas mileage doesn't even come into the equation for me....