Opinions on Beemers and similar (cars)?

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akm3 said:
Ouch, I've obviously come across on the wrong foot.

Sorry if I offended anyone, I'm certainly not trolling. I get similarly passionate talking about Martin Logan's to people who have never heard of Electrostats before.

-Allen
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Don't worry, we all do it occasionally. I come across a lot harsher than I mean to sometimes and end up stepping on toes. It is easy to make an offhand comment that gets taken the wrong way. And we are passionate about our hobbies, which is why we are on this forum to begin with.
 
Rich said:
I have owned a couple of Subarus before and I was never impressed with their build quality. Granted that was a long time ago and I'm sure they build much better cars now, but I imagine that is where some of my prejudice toward them comes from.
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The builds/costs back then pre-Paul Hogan pimping the Outbacks was VERY ingrained in the "inexpensive and built to stay that way" slogan kind of defined Subaru in America.

Despite Subaru extensive and hard-won World Rally heritage where they are considered a performance monster everywhere in the world, America never saw past "that weird Australian car".

The WRX changed that, a bit, but instead of people looking at Subaru as a whole for performance cars, they just thought it was that weird granola/lesbian company with one good car from a videogame.

Their marketing is the source of continual pain from Subaru enthusiasts (it gets worse and worse... "Everyday is a winding road!!" blargh! "Riickkyyyyyy!!" BLARGH!!!)

I'm afraid that Subaru of America's ineptitude ruined their chances of capitalizing on (and moving upscale in America) the WRX's success.
 
Good call Rich...

Now back to the original point of the thread... I wonder what Steve is going to get... seems like a can't miss list.
 
jk319 said:
Good call Rich...

Now back to the original point of the thread... I wonder what Steve is going to get... seems like a can't miss list.
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Well, the decision is in. I decided to go with a well-known European marque with lots of history, and highly discussed performance:
 

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akm3 said:
The builds/costs back then pre-Paul Hogan pimping the Outbacks was VERY ingrained in the "inexpensive and built to stay that way" slogan kind of defined Subaru in America.

Despite Subaru extensive and hard-won World Rally heritage where they are considered a performance monster everywhere in the world, America never saw past "that weird Australian car".

The WRX changed that, a bit, but instead of people looking at Subaru as a whole for performance cars, they just thought it was that weird granola/lesbian company with one good car from a videogame.

Their marketing is the source of continual pain from Subaru enthusiasts (it gets worse and worse... "Everyday is a winding road!!" blargh! "Riickkyyyyyy!!" BLARGH!!!)

I'm afraid that Subaru of America's ineptitude ruined their chances of capitalizing on (and moving upscale in America) the WRX's success.
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Well, speaking of the granola/lesbian thing...

Here in the pacific northwest where I live, we have a lot of both and oddly enough, in the past five years I've lived here I've noticed that a disproportionate amount of lesbians drive outbacks, yet the more granola-e heterosexuals drive foresters.

It's very strange, and I don't know if this is the case in other areas...

Just doing that amateur anthropologist thing again!
 
Pcar928fan said:
Only if the driver of that 150k car SUCKS and the STi driver is a real hot shoe! Put the same driver in each car and I suspece the STi will loose every time. But yea, take a crappy driver who also des not want to scratch his $150k ride and put him up against a guy that does not really care what happens to his $35k STi and who also has a lot of track or race time under his belt and yea, the STi will WHIP him!

I see it all the time at track events. There will be some guy in the green (beginner) group and let that dude in his Viper or Ferrari or Porsche Turbo run against an instructor in his Miata...the miata is going to win EVERY TIME!
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Sorry dude. My buddy Sam is an accomplished SCCA guy and he said when he and Jerry just recently took his Carrera GT (and a few of Jerry's other cars on the track at the Vegas raceway, which they had reservered for themselves for a week) he was able to get within a second of his times in the Carrera GT with his STi.

No loyalty to Subaru here either, Im a diehard BMW/Porsche fan!

That STi is really an amazing car!
 
The local motor magazine (Wheels) had their annual handling test recently. Handling biased track with scoring divided into lap times, speed at corners, 0-100 km, velocity on straights, slalom, driver impression - same experienced driver.

Ranking from top Porsche 911 Carrera S, Lotus Exige S, Lancer Evo IX, BMW 335i coupe, Caterham 7SV 1.8 VVC, Subaru STi, Audi TT V6 Quattro, BMW Z4 M Coupe, Nissan 350 Z Track, Porsche Cayman ....total of 17 cars with some of the local cars beginning to appear.

Take out driver weighting and order is 911, Exige, Evo, STi, Z4 M, 335i, Caterham, 350z, TT, Cayman.....

The Subaru will frighten most performance cars to about 120 km/h and then the bigger engines will pull away. Throw in some corners and the story changes.

Performance wise the Subaru is in the same ball park. The bigger BMWs are a better overall car and so they should be at the price.

Kevin
 
kwr said:
The local motor magazine (Wheels) had their annual handling test recently.
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It's obvious the Z-06 Corvette was not present for it would have been with the leaders if not the one doing the lead !!
 
BMW's R very reliable

A beemers parts cost a bit more than the competition, yes its true, and the mechanics cost about the same as any other dealer... but BMWs are very reliable so they rarely need repair. Do the scheduled maintenance and you should be good to go! Of all the German cars, Beemers are the most reliable. I drive a 96 Z3 and I have never had any problems with it other than an interior door handle that broke off (long story)... lets just say that Z3s do not have the same level of interior quality as other Beemers... any of the 3 series cars is a marvelous machine. I have owned a skyline GTR, a subaru, and a mitsubishi GTS, and nothing gave me the satisfaction and pure driving pleasure of the Z3. Yes some of the others were faster.. make that all the others actually... but the Beemer is comfortable, beautiful, and is more responsive than the others. So my vote is for the Beemer... but all the cars are your list are decent... I would love to drive an audi... I like the new designs...
 
Diamonds said:
I went through tires on my M3 every 10k miles tops. Oh yeah the wheels were staggered so I could not rotate them. Oh the tires were only like $850 a piece.
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Jez, what tires are you using? My Toyo RA1's on the back of my Boxter are like $460 and the S03s I used on my Ruf were like $260.
 
tonepub said:
My good freind that manages Jerry Seinfeld's fleet of about 125 Porsches (on any given day) who has 8 Porsches of his own has an STi and loves it. In the hands of an experienced driver, it can embarrass a lot of 150 thousand dollar cars on a twisty road.
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It can embarrass the driver, I seriously doubt it could embarrass any with a competent driver. What I've found is often the value of the car effects how their driven. On the track, in my 113hp Spec-Miata, I can smoke many a more expensive/hp cars. Does that mean my Miata is better? All it means is that if I wad mine up I walk away with a max loss of $15K. Everything must be kept in perspective.
 
Video of BMW 335i following an Audi R8 at top speed

A set of Bridgestone Potenzas usually lasts about 12k on my Lexus IS300. They are quite sticky in the dry and excellent in rain. They would last at least twice as long if driven by someone without a lead foot.

The IS is the most reliable car I have owned (had Audis, a 320i, and VW GTIs before it) but my vote is for the 335i. Check out this video about a guy in a 335i following an Audi R8 at 250km/h on a German Autobahn. Ignore the guy's childish chatter. He is obvously high on Adrenaline, and it's in German anyway. The R8 accelerates away, the Bimmer hits the electronic speed limiter, the R8 has to brake for slower traffic, then they accelerate again. The R8 does not pull away as fast as I would expect. Perhaps the R8 driver does not want to lose the BMW ;).

It also looks like the youngster in the Bimmer drives with one hand using the other to operate the camera. Sheer idiocy, but if true, proof that the 335i is silent and composed at that speed. What a car.

http://www.myvideo.de/watch/1747884
 
More vehicle two cents

My wife and I have a new Range Rover, Mazda3 and a 4-runner,, love them all! Each has a purpose in our home. The wife's Mazda3 is a year old with 1,200 miles.
At work I drive fully-armored Merc G-Wagons, Audis, and Suburbans. I truly love the look of the larger Audi sedans when I park near armored MB sedans and Beemers. The large Audis are very smooth and impressive.
As for now not really into the actual Beemer cars.
If I had the opportunity and lots of mad money I would love to try owning a Viper.

Thanks, just me running my mouth!
 
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