Beamers
If anyone has read my first novel, Catching the Wind, they would know something about the main character's perception of a BMW.
As it turned out, after I wrote the book, I managed to find myself caught between buying a Honda Accord coupe, with a $4,500 mark up just for the pleasure of purchasing at my local dealer, or for $100 more, a low end BMW, which had a price exactly the same (down to the dollar) as the BMW internet site built me with the options I wanted. As part of purchasing, the salesguy didn't even attempt to sell me a car on the lot, but simply took my order and produced the exact car with a delivery date of a week later, having it shipped in from another state.
It was nice shopping for a car without a guy running to the back room to pretend you are breaking the bank with your offer. Didn't have to sit with a guy trying to squeeze the payment plan or request unnecessary information, hassle my wife, or any of the things that makes car buying slightly less wonderful than getting a root canal. Anyway, the aura was too much to pass up, so I'm the owner of a Bavarian Motor Works 325xi, the 3 being the series, the 25 being a 2.5 liter engine, the x being all wheel drive, and the i being something.
Now, two years later and I'm about to go over 50,000 miles this weekend. So far, my $100 extra purchase for the BMW has cost me nothing more than gas, insurance, and two trips to the dealer for scheduled maintenance (included in the price). Oh, I do have to wash it myself, although a wash is included in the scheduled maintenance, or any time I feel like dropping in for a visit. I wonder if a Honda dealer would have done the same offer.
The car isn't without problems:
It is hard to tell when on ice as the car's all wheel drive and traction control disguises the situation by not doing anything. Watching cars around me sliding and slipping while my car is going straight down the road is a really disconcerting.
The highest control on the seat warmer is too hot.
The Xenon headlights provide too much light and bother oncoming drivers.
The car stops too fast in a panic stop on slick roads and makes it susceptable to get rear ended.
And so on.
The moral of this post. Buy my book and find out what the BMW thing is all about.
Yeah, right.
As it turned out, after I wrote the book, I managed to find myself caught between buying a Honda Accord coupe, with a $4,500 mark up just for the pleasure of purchasing at my local dealer, or for $100 more, a low end BMW, which had a price exactly the same (down to the dollar) as the BMW internet site built me with the options I wanted. As part of purchasing, the salesguy didn't even attempt to sell me a car on the lot, but simply took my order and produced the exact car with a delivery date of a week later, having it shipped in from another state.
It was nice shopping for a car without a guy running to the back room to pretend you are breaking the bank with your offer. Didn't have to sit with a guy trying to squeeze the payment plan or request unnecessary information, hassle my wife, or any of the things that makes car buying slightly less wonderful than getting a root canal. Anyway, the aura was too much to pass up, so I'm the owner of a Bavarian Motor Works 325xi, the 3 being the series, the 25 being a 2.5 liter engine, the x being all wheel drive, and the i being something.
Now, two years later and I'm about to go over 50,000 miles this weekend. So far, my $100 extra purchase for the BMW has cost me nothing more than gas, insurance, and two trips to the dealer for scheduled maintenance (included in the price). Oh, I do have to wash it myself, although a wash is included in the scheduled maintenance, or any time I feel like dropping in for a visit. I wonder if a Honda dealer would have done the same offer.
The car isn't without problems:
It is hard to tell when on ice as the car's all wheel drive and traction control disguises the situation by not doing anything. Watching cars around me sliding and slipping while my car is going straight down the road is a really disconcerting.
The highest control on the seat warmer is too hot.
The Xenon headlights provide too much light and bother oncoming drivers.
The car stops too fast in a panic stop on slick roads and makes it susceptable to get rear ended.
And so on.
The moral of this post. Buy my book and find out what the BMW thing is all about.
Yeah, right.
posted by John | 7:03 PM
1 Comments:
Which is why they make more than one car. The Honda Accord was a fine car; the dealer sucked big time.
Have you ever pushed a cow? I grew up on a farm (sort of farm) and have pushed bunches of cows. So, when you say that, I have a very good picture of what you mean.
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