You can not get a manual transmission in most of the Mercedes. Even after trying them, the MBs with an automatic was not a sufficiently satisfying driving experience. IMHO, I could never see where they were worth an extra $10K+ over a corresponding BMW or Audi. I figure a 330 BMW of any flavor is a great commute machine.
Unfortunately, it's not mine. One that got away (along with a stock looking Dinan 3.8 E28). Someday, though...... Currently driving a 91 E30. 2600lbs +/-. One of the best handling cars I've owned.
Sarc, Iused to have a car very similar to yours. I loved my 325is when I had it. I looked at the new 645 convertible today and was underwhelmed. It's nice car and all but the styling seems bland to me. IMO it's not a worthy competitor to the SL. I suppose with styling it's take it or leave it with these cars, but the SL looks much better to me. Both cars seem lacking in the build quality area. You can't seem to escape a plastic interior these days. Perhaps it will grow on me, I hated the Z4 initially, but it has grown on me quite a bit.
Love the E30's! I took my girlfriend's 03 Civic today to work and couldn't believe how big the car felt to the Bimmer, and we won't even discuss the interior comparisons I'm not a big MB fan (unless we're talking vintage), but the other morning I pulled up next to a titanium/silver E55. Very, very nice. Interms of modern vehicles, I always thought of MB as a car you would get if seeking luxury. If want sportiness with some luxury goodies, BMW was your choice, yet now it seems as if BMW is heading in the other direction. The new 5 suffers from what many new car designs suffer from: "2 dimensionalism"; that is a car that appears like it was designed one side at a time on paper, then joined together in the end. In other words, a car that only looks pleasing at certain angles, but looks clumsey hustling around a corner. Not that I would buy a 2004 if I liked it anyway.....I'd rather the funds go to this baby (something that looks good at EVERY angle )...
A few months ago, my buddy and I were at a local hangout at the bar and two black guys were chatting. They cracked a joke and laughed loudly, so I looked over and they thought I looked familiar. I said me? One of them said, weren't you in here the other night? I looked at my friend and told them, no, you got the wrong guy. You know all of us look alike... they nearly fell off their bar stools in laughter. I guess you had to be there. Sunny
I have an 82 633CSi. (As well as a 98 750iL) I almost bought and ///M6 one day, but it just didnt happen. I still regret it.
I'm currently stuck trying to decide between an E32 730iL (new body style), E38 730iL and an E39 528i as a daily driver. Some things I've been wondering about: 1. The E32 (new style) and E39 7-series look almost identical externally. What are the main differences? I believe the E32 (new style) ran from 1994 - 1996, after which the E38 took over from it until the current 7 was introduced in 2002. 2. What particular issues are the above cars I listed known for? How costly is maintenance / parts? 3. From experience, how do you think the above 5 and 7 series compare? (Handling, performance, interior, electronics, fuel consumption). Is the 7-series really all that much better / more advanced than the 5, or is it just roomier? Thanks in advance.
Admiral, having owned an E32 740i for over 2 years, I can share some of my experiences. Main differences between early and later years are: - front and rear lights - more advanced car computer in later years - more wood trim in later years - more advanced auto box in later years Maintenance: BMW likes to use a lot of electronics, so be prepared for electronics issues. Various sensors tend to go in older cars. I had to replace 4 ABS sensors. They weren't cheap! Parts can be a bit expensive. Mechanically though, the 7-series is very robust. Never had an issue with the tranny or the engine. Other than possible electronic issues, it's basically oil changes. Performance: Can't comment on the 5-series performance. But, my old 740i does like to run! It is also pretty damn fast for such a big car. Very manuerverable with very responsive steering. A joy to drive in sports mode. Man, does the baby rev in the sports mode! It really does feel and sound like a sports car. Fuel consumption is not too bad for the 740i. Had to let it go because of its age (94) and things were breaking down fairly quickly, due to aging. It would have cost me more to fix it than to get another used one, so I let it go. Here are some pics: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I love my E38 and have had it now for a number of years. If you want a car, then the 750 is the way to go. Everything BMW makes came standard on that car. It really depends on what you like, if you going to use your car 100%, I say the E38 is the way to go since you get alot more internal room (not to mention alot of internal gizmos) Here are a few pics from my garage. BTW E38s look just perfect with 19s. Not to big to be bling bling, or to small to look out of place. And you can get the 19s from the current 7 series pretty cheap (they bolt right up perfect) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks alot for the replies, guys. I've always been an MB person in the past (2 E-classes, 1 SL) and the intricacies of BMWs had been a bit of a mystery to me. The main reasons I'm considering BMW now after my long stint with MB is that the BMW's seem to offer better value for money, and a much sportier package. Also, of the BMWs and MB's made during the late 1990's, the BMWs offered more extensive electronics / gadgets. Bubba, what are those rims that you had on your 740iL?
Those were 17" rims, which I think looked a bit small, but they were very cheap to get. I think it only cost me a bit over $100 per rim brand new. I think they were replicas of some official BMW rims. I believe those came from Malaysia. Being copies, they wouldn't have lasted too long. But, hey, for a bit over $100 per rim, one can swap them quite frequently. Before those chrome rims, the car had some Bugatti wheels by BBS. They were nice, but were bent out of shape and balance after years of use. I wasn't too keen to switch to 18 or 19" and mess around with the suspension and stuff. Not to mention the much more expensive tires.
Having said that, Omar, your 750iL looks fantastic with those 19" rims. Being a more sporty-looking car, the 7-series looks great with big rims. In HK, the 7-series is so under-appreciated, it's sad. A 96 528i actually cost more than a 96 750iL.
Thanks Bubba! Sorry, I dont have any better pictures right now. When I can get better ones I will. The thoughts on the wheels: 1. The E65 wheels are heavy and I will assume that I lose .1-.2 sec in the sprint to 60. 2. Since they are heavy they also hamper some centric steering, which is more a novelty then a problem. At speed this doesnt happen as much as at lower speeds. 3. The tires that are best for it, namely 255/40-19 front and 285/35-19 or 295/35-19, (Note that OEM E65 rubber works fine, but is not ideal, but if bought in a wheel tire package its a good deal though) improve grip by an insane amount. Here is some data pulled mostly from RT and edmunds. The OEM 16s that the car has (235/60-16 all around) has lateral grip of about .78. With the optional sport wheels, which are 235/50-18s, grip goes up to .86. Now with the E65, setup, which is notebly wider then the sport setup, I can only imagine that grip exceeds .90. The seat of the pants feels confirms this, as the grip level feels at least on par with my old NSX (which has a .91) Problem: The front is much more sensitive to the road and will follow grooves in the road etc more so then with the narrower tires due to the large contact patches. You can get the rims off of the Bay often pretty cheap (1000-1500 for an OEM set WITH tires) IMO, the grip increase, look, etc far outweighs any of the negetives. link with source for sport data: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/43906/page006.html
Commander, Funny, as I have been called "stewart" on at least three occaisions at F-Club functions. Okay, guilty on the BMW thing, here's mine: 2001 540ia with M-Sport package, which includes many of the M5 cosmetic touches; grill, bumpers, trunk lip spoiler, dead pedal, etc.
