I took delivery of a 2012 BMW X3 in January. This is our first BMW and the hype is correct "The Ultimate Driving Machine". We have owned 4 Lexus vehicles since 1993 and the X3 is a step above in terms of handling, power, versatility, creature comforts and it's just plain fun to drive. It was comparable in price to a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland which is very nice but we liked the Bimmer better. Not to mention 4 years free maintenance, free loaner, roadside assistance which was not offered on the Jeep. It is an automatic (8 speed) as we are down to 1 car for now but I am fine with that. I always wanted to own a BMW and I am glad we made the decision. Took it off the "Bucket List".

 

Reminds me of the Yogi Berra-ism "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

For whatever reason there seems to be a lot of 2011 328Xi's still around. They've been advertised heavily up here as well.
A 328 for $328 lease deal. Mind you I never could find the allowable miles part of the lease.
And of course the radio ads were rather clear about the monthly payments but then for some reason my radio reception got really poor and I couldn't hear anything but mumbles during the 8 second disclaimer.

 

I've always found that to be so interesting. The dealers always tell you that nobody buys manual transmissions anymore yet from the other side of their mouths they tell you that when they get one in it sells right out. Somebody's not telling the truth.

I've always wondered if the auto manufacturers are only producing 9% of their cars with manual transmissions because that's all they can sell, or if that's all they can sell because that's all that's being produced.

As we walked through the BMW showroom the other day we noticed that even the Ms are mostly automatic. I guess people just don't care to learn to drive manual anymore.

 

As I recall I had 2007 BMW 330i out for a test drive. I loved it. Would have bought, if the ride would have worked for +1's back. When it comes to car's, I agree with Bill. I buy what I love with the idea of keeping it for a long time. I bought an Acura and thought it sucked; would have sold it in three days but they would not take it back, so I waited a year. I replaced it with a Maxima which I drove for 18 years. I would still have it, if the rust bug had not gotten to it. I've had my Audi A6 for five years now and it still feels new to me every time I get in it. It's an automatic and I have no problem with that - I do forego mileage and drive it in the sport mode most of the time. A car like that should be an automatic IMHO. With the smaller car, like the BMW, I would prefer the stick but it would all depend on when/where I planned to drive it. For a daily driver an automatic works fine for me. If we are talking switch-backs or a race track, then it's different. But in a lot of stop and go traffic, for get it.

 

I love the BMWs but after looking for several months after my accident, I went with the Volvo C70 T5. I now have about 1k miles on it and I like it more and more every time I drive it. It can be manually shifted, but with no manual clutch, what's the point imho. I like the quick pickup I can get with the turbo power but most of all I like having two cars in one. It is nice to have a coupe that converts to a convertible. Oh, and Rob, I went with metallic silver and in some silly way, I feel I'm paying homage to my first S2k which was a very similar color. I miss the S more than I can say, but what I now have is far more practical and +1 enjoys being a passenger a lot more than he did in the S. I have 5 maintenance free years to go and I love that. I'll probably keep this car for many years, so I made the choice that was the better fit for me.

 

Rob, before you pull the 40K trigger on something from Bavaria, you might want to wait a couple months and test drive this:

Coming from Acura

One of the drive train choices will be a 2.4 liter 4 with a 6 speed manual.

It's not exactly a replacement for the Integra but...well...it actually sort of is, only more up-market. Still it should come in several thousand below the TSX and it should be a real driver in sport configuration. I know I'll be checking them out when they arrive, even if I have to drive to Mobile or New Orleans (nearest Acura dealers). I can even overlook the toned-down beak.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. My son wants me to look at it too, and I will.

I'm not crazy about the styling, I can't stand the beak, but if I find that the car is what I want I'm willing to look away. My wife has a 2009 TSX and I really don't like it. It suits her perfectly, but its a bit too heavy, too wide and too clumsy for my tastes. Perhaps if it had a manual transmission I'd feel differently, but all things considered its not my cup of tea. I'm hoping that the ILX is a very different car, more closely related to my Si than to her TSX.

One thing that does bother me and gives me second thoughts about buying the Acura is the quality control. When we bought the Acura TSX we assumed we were buy a dressed up Honda and would have a well built, reliable car. The TSX has given us some problems. Silly things like broken speakers (a TSB was issued)and a broken spring on the gas filler door, to serious things like the premature wear on the rear brakes due to them being incorrectly installed at the factory (no tsb but a class action suit, we got back about $150). We also had an issue with the front brakes.

Consider this together with what I went through with my Si's clutch and transmission at 80,000 miles and you'll understand my doubts.

With all the talk about Honda losing it's Mojo we've all overlooked the fact that they've allowed their once world class quality to slip quite a bit. For me buying a Honda (Acura) is no longer an automatic, given decision. I very well might end up buying the ILX but I'd have to do some long and hard thinking before I made the committment.

 

^The ILX hits showrooms May 25th. I'm going to take a look at the 2.4, it's the only one with a manual. The others are all CVT and I have absolutely no interest in those. That is one of the two Honda's I'm looking at this year. The other is the Accord this fall.

 

I totally agree with you.

 

Rob, I just learned that the technology package that includes nav will not be available in the 2.4 Liter ILX model which is the only one available with a manual transmission. Guess you can pretty much cross that one off your list. I'm thinking more and more about a nice low mileage pre-beak TSX.

And imho the last great Si had a B16 engine.