Anything else then BMW ???

[onewhippedpuppy]

I got rid of my '87 944 Turbo for my 540/6, traded straight across. I made the hard decision that I needed a more family friendly car when I got tired of only driving my 951 alone, a car seat in the back is hell for the person in front of it. Anyway, I expected to miss it, but I don't. I love my E34, it's almost as fun, and far more comfortable. Plus, the V8's torque is nice compared to my 951's turbo lag. It was damn fast after 3k though, what a rocket.

Though I want another Porsche, it will be as a third car as long as I have a family, and right now I can't afford a third car. Probably that only thing that will compete with a BMW for my next car would be an Audi. I had a '99 A4 and loved it's incredible fit and finish, the 1.8T was ok but the car was FWD. Other past cars include:

'70 911T- Lots of character, almost as much rust. I will own another.
'93 240SX- Nice handling, totally gutless.
'87 200SX- Ok handling, totally gutless. I totalled it twice in High School.

[ArtemLepilov]

I had a 92 Toyota corolla that i got for free, got rid of that thing for a very very cheap E30 that I never even registered ($250), then I went with a 95 Jetta that was a shitbox: leaked oil everywhere, etc... And then I ended up with my E34. I love every moment of driving it. It is an amazing car and I would not go back to anything but a BMW.

I just read the 951 Post. Now is there a way I can somehow proove that an E34 is a better car than a 944/951/S2??? My roommates are completely into these cars and it just ticks me off every time they mention that a 944 is a better car. Anyone had any experiences, etc???

Thanks, Artem

[wengenstein]

I have a similar story.. My first car was an '87 SAAB 900 I got for $1. It was a great car but eventually I had to junk it. I was pretty SAAB loyal from then on and I still have my '01 9-5.. I got my E34 about a year ago though and I think I've been converted. (especially since I don't like the direction SAAB has been heading in as of late )

[SharkmanBMW]

I'm a Nissan/Datsun head myself. I love the old S30 Datsun 240-Z with a turbo.
But I daily drive a Mazda RX-7 convertible, a GMC Turbo AWD Syclone.
In the current stable of shop projects is a 68' Datsun roadster w/v-6 turbo,91'BMW 525I turbo,73' 240-Z turbo,74' 260-Z blowthrough 44mm Mikuni turbo,Widebody 240-Z AWD RB26DETT and a handful of others to bore you with.
Now where did I put that LIFE I was looking for ??
Vinny
Oh......my fav. past car was a AMG Mercedes 560SEC w/all cams,gears,wheels etc !TOO much attention in THAT black ride for anyone !

Is there a place we can see pics of these?? sounds incredible! I love the old Z's.

[SharkmanBMW]

BTW--to the best of my knowledge, new VWs are ****, and old ones need a ton of mods to stack up with the likes of BMW. Would one of the wise care to prove me wrong?

My friend has a VW Jetta, 2000 model... Bilstein and Neuspeed suspension, Nice, light 17" BBS wheels & toyo proxes tires - and it has started to feel more like my 330, but a huge cost...
Realistically, all the $$$ in the world won't make a VW handle like a BMW, but from stock, you need to spend at least $1500 on suspension goodies to bring it remotely close, not to mention upgrade the shitty OEM VW tires!

[SharkmanBMW]

I have had a few vehicles I am not proud of, but they did the job!
starting with my first car in 1989

1984 Hyundai Pony, FREE
1.4L 4cyl rear wheel drive auto, learned how to drive with this shitter, got me ready for BMW! Scrapped it after tranny let go at about 70 k miles. I used to do a little off roading and snow bank crashing, drifting 101 in the snow!

1985 Chrysler Daytona Turbo, $600usd
2.2L turbo, pretty scrappy but fast when the turbo kicked in! Floor was rotted out, water pump let go, cracked head, - got it all fixed and scrapped the car on a curb in the snow (the sub frame was rotten so it just let go!)

1992 Geo Storm GSI, leased new (Isuzu Impulse)
1.8L, 150 hp, handles like a little go cart, but what was I thinking??!?!?!? Mistake! Traded in for...

1994 Nissan Pathfinder SE V6, leased new (subsidized by my company)
Fully loaded version, took it off roading every weekend, it stood up extremely well to what I put it through. Almost rolled it once in a sand pit, but it all in all was a BLAST! Mud bogging with the big Blazers and Jeeps, getting stuck and pulled out! However, it was a total pig on gas... I did over 40k miles in 11 months, so it hurt! Sold!

1995 VW Jetta VR6, leased new
Fully loaded - heated leather, 5spd, BBS wheels, I modded the suspension, (bilstein, neuspeed), upper strut bar, upgraded engine mounts, oversized throttle body, chip, P-Flo with heat shield, Brembo x-drilled rotors & Hawk Pads, modified exhaust, tracked the car often, went through about 8 sets of tires, some Toyo R1 for the track, Dunlops, pirellis, toyos for the street (not including the 3 sets of winters). The set up was so stiff, it chewed tires endlessly! The headrests were embroidered VR6, it had white "Oettinger" guages... it was a real sweet car, NOT riced out at all, it looked stock but low, white on black, with the side marker and tail lights smoked, OH YA! MOMO steering wheel and matching ALU/Leather knob... That was as close to a BMW as a VW will EVER get!
STOLEN!!!!!!!!! march/99....

1986 BMW 325e, $1200
had the M skirts and wheels... looked like the top model of that year, but a 325"e". Loved it, I was comfy and it felt right! Brakes seized, traded it for

1985 535im, traded +$500
Had the M package look, skirts and wheels, 5spd, TONS of power, a blast to drive, car was rusty and exhaust was falling out, I had no cash at the time
so I put it in storage for sale

1990 Honda Civic Lx, FREE from MOM
great shape, low miles, auto, just keeps on running. It has been my winter car since 2001, was my daily driver for awhile, still have it, bumpers are dinged, but car keeps running!

1994 BMW 540i, $9k (bought in summer 2003)
E34, what more do I have to say? I was blown away with the speed, smoothness..... still have it, for sale...

2003 BMW 330Xi, leased
E46, great handling, great power (but not enough after driving the 540!) It has the BMW feel for sure, but the 4wd removes some of the rear wheel drive pleasure. It will make up for it in the snow The 540 is older, but smoother, classier and faster... I felt as if I had downgraded when i first drove away in the 330, slower, more noise and road feel - not all bad... now I appreciate the car fully, especially it's safety, which is why I bought it.

I looked at subaru, VW, Audi..... VW is not what it was, and is $$$, Subaru is nice, but I really don't like the frameless windows... (windnoise??, safety?), Audi seems to be underpowered unless you modify a lot, and it is $$$.
Saab... my friend bought the new top model, 4cyl. Turbo... it sounds like a little shitbox at idle, a luxury car should not be a 4cyl - my 3 cents!
BMW is still my choice, I am on my 4th, I love the feel, I feel like I am part of the equasion as a BMW driver, you feel the road, you are in control, you can swerve, brake and swerve, you are always in control of the car... ..... do that with an american car and you may be in for a surprise! The japs are not bad, great reliability for some, but they are miissing the "FEEL" that BMW provides.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I had a 92 Toyota corolla that i got for free, got rid of that thing for a very very cheap E30 that I never even registered ($250), then I went with a 95 Jetta that was a shitbox: leaked oil everywhere, etc... And then I ended up with my E34. I love every moment of driving it. It is an amazing car and I would not go back to anything but a BMW.

I just read the 951 Post. Now is there a way I can somehow proove that an E34 is a better car than a 944/951/S2??? My roommates are completely into these cars and it just ticks me off every time they mention that a 944 is a better car. Anyone had any experiences, etc???

Thanks, Artem

It's pretty apples to oranges, my 951 was very firm riding, dead before 3000 RPM, then took off like a rocket from that point on. Easily the fastest car I have ever been in over 3k, I was told that when new it had the fastest 50-100 time of any car on earth. Spectacular highway car, with great A/C, cruise, etc. Amazing brakes, amazing handling but not rough riding.

The 540 on the other hand is just smooth. Linear acceleration from idle, firm but comfortable ride, well balanced steering, easy but communicative. It's still fun, but much better for a family.

Your friends are right that the 944 series is a great car, I can't say anything bad about it. It's a great sports car, the 944 Turbo is a bargain, it's hard to get a car that's faster and handles better for the money. E34, again I feel is a bargain, it's tough to get a better sports sedan for the money. Both great cars, but very different.

[BMWDriver]

My wish is to own a BMW, always. We shall see what the future holds.

My E34 is my second car, recently bought. The previous was a Toyota Starlet, 1981, that I owned from 89 to 91. It's a model that did'nt last here in North America, but is very similar - almost identical - to the Toyota Tercel of those days. Had fun with it, took it apart some, repainted, did a cheap body job myself to deal with the hevy rust, put in a basic sound system to replace the radio tapeless one... beat it like , blew the alternator because of high revs...

Nothing I would dare do to my E34, except for going up to 5000 rpms on occasion to test her a bit. And I find she's awesomely powerful, though it's obviously not a 540, what with the slow pick up on the first gear (low torque at low rev I gather). And I so love the sound of the engine; music to my ears.

So, I suffered public transportation for 14 years. What a change.

It does not mean I will not have other brands, of course. I actually considered buying a two doored Honda Prelude, but found my lust for BMW had waited too long, and life being so short I succumbed.

Preferably, any other make will come in as a second car for as long as I have a say in it. But it doesn't matter what you own, something always breaks and needs fixing.

I'd probably love to take a Porsche or a Ferrari for a spin, but I find owning either might bore me compared to a BMW. I much prefer subtelty to red hot flashyness. The ultimate for me would probably be a 6 series. And, oh am I ever glad to see they took it out of the closet ! Perhaps ten years from now I will have one. (The older 6 series are just too old to own for an every day ride).

For me, it's simply a dream dear to my heart come true, one that I hope will last.

[gj1968]

My first car was a Toyota Camry SE. Nice sporty car but only lasted me 3 years since it was totalled when my brother and I went for a camping trip in VA.

I bought an Acura Integra brand new in 95, a 3 door coupe. Luv this car.. fast, high reving and nimble but doesnt have much torque. Had difficulty going uphill. But boy nothing beats it when it comes to hauling things. Once I was able to fit two 27inch TV , still inside the box plus other stuff on this car. Had very little problem on this car.

I got my first Bimmer this summer, a 2002 530i with SP. Damn best car I have driven. I thought the Acura's door were heavy. The 530i is just rock solid... shouting quality all around. The feel of the clutch and the way the transmission moves from gear to gear is so wonderful. The wife has a 99 honda accord with manual transmission. The clutch of the honda is clumsy and the transmission not as smooth . Overall the Accord feels so light compared to the 530i.

Unfortunately my Acura got into a bad accident and was declared total by the insurance co. I have been looking for a second car with winter fast approaching since I will use this for my daily driving. For 2 mos. now I have been looking for another car. I have test driven several used cars and the 530i just spoiled me that I want to go back owning another bimmer.

Finally decided to narrow my search on another BMW. Tested a couple here and there. The older BMWs just drive differently compared to newer non Bimmer cars. They are so smooth, nice handling compared to cars that are 7 to 10 years newer. Finally found a 1991 525. It just needs a new home and some TLC and I think it will be with our family for a while.

[Incantation]

well "better" is subjective.. and really who cares what they think

having said that an e34 m5 will eat a 944 alive.. the turbo as well, but maybe not as alive
heh