Well, BMW's broad strategy seems to have worked, at least with Chris. We must have been hangin' around the dealership too often. We always stopped by Long Beach MINI when we were up in LA, and picked up some motoring gear for fun, and damned if we didn't get too familiar with those OTHER cars on the lot, by a noted German manufacturer. We drove a coupla 3-series, and Chris fell in love with the 325iT Sportwagon. Yeah, I know, not a MINI Countryman, but now that the word is no 4-door for a few years, we made long range plans to pop for the 3-Wagen later this year.

Whoops, suddenly Chris has new job and now altho we both commute 50 miles round trip, we go in opposite directions! No car-pooling. Chris had the more difficult drive, so she got Brooksie for while, & I toughed it out in the Vanagon Westy. But soon, rather than flog the the Multivan, we bit the bullet and now we are proud owners of a loaded Bimmerwagen. It really is an awesome car, and I even get to drive it once in great while. Seems that getting us in the door at Long Beach BMW was the secret plan all along. Let's see... that's my Cooper, Brooksie; Sean's S, Cassandra; and now Chris has Becky! We know the LB finance guy Mark REAL WELL, now. He's a good guy, luckily. Thanks to Matt, Tony, Ali, BMW Bob, and all the staff at Long Beach for great experience this last helluva year!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

The 325i wagon is a very nice vehicle and I have also consider one for future purchase if MINI further delays or abandons the introduction of a 5-door MINI Traveller sportwagon.

For a station wagon, the 325i is short in rear legroom and shoulder room, but this is the way most German cars today are made, If you need more space then you need to look into the bigger 525i wagon (more $$$). I totally dislike the BMW X5. Is a big car for nothing. It has about the same room as the 325i wagon for $10K more...non-sense.

I will definetely consider a BMW product if I ever decide to move on from MINI, but for now I plan to stick with MINIs for a long time to come.

 

Let us know how you do with the wagon and it it lasts or doesn't last for you. I think we all tend to go looking next door whenever at the MINI dealership and vice versa with some BMW owners. Some never look since the MINI is not their style but some will look and be surprised. Many MINI owners are former or current BMW owners and MINIs are often third cars. Some used as daily drivers like yours and some only for weekends/racing.

I think that BMW and MINI dealerships complement one another and that is their plan all along. The cars are quite different. In my town (Honolulu) BMWs are a dime a dozen, nothing special although the cars are fine. The MINIs are rare and each one very unique. The owners of MINIs are more interested in the fun of driving their cars and the look and feel of the car which is different than your average car.

BMW is traditional german import in flavor. Some people like that.
Have fun with your wagon and let us know if there are any problems.

 

No, no, no! BMW has nothing to do with MINI. Baaaaahhhhhhh!

Where was this discussion earlier in the week when everyone was dissing BMWs and the BMW-MINI relationship? Of course this is what the folks in Munich planned all along. Nothing wrong with that.

 

I'm not sure if that is indeed their strategy, or if it would work for me.

I bought the MINI because I love it's handling, size, mileage, etc...

I would not have bought a BMW. Plus, while I truly love my MINI, I am getting more and more disenchanted with the quality control issues they have. I have had a new speedo cluster because the temp gauge failed (under warranty of course, but listed at $536 plus labor, hope this does not happen after warranty expires!), and I don't like the electrical system, it seems to have too many gremlins: 2 instances of AC control panel going dead, door sensor malfunction on alarm, can't remember how many times I have had to reset the window dipping function after car washes, and now my driver side window is not working anymore. The interior trim paint is peeling, the tranny is making very loud throwout bearing noises although dealers say that is normal (but it's much louder than any other MCS I have ever heard), and with the AC on I get the howling sound and intense vibrations at 3-4k rpm. The silly windshield has too many chips and dings to count, although I have not had a crack yet. The car has so many creaks, groans and rattles that I haven't gotten up the guts to try and tackle tracking them down. If I would ever switch away from MINI, I would go back to a japanese car with proper quality / control, not a BMW, based on my experience with MINI so far.
Hhmmmm.
Still, I love my MINI because of the way it handles, and I love driving a small, fun car with reasonable mileage. I sure wish they would sort out some of these issues though!

 

>>I'm not sure if that is indeed their strategy, or if it would work for me.
>>
>>I bought the MINI because I love it's handling, size, mileage, etc...
>>
>>I would not have bought a BMW. Plus, while I truly love my MINI, I am getting more and more disenchanted with the quality control issues they have. I have had a new speedo cluster because the temp gauge failed (under warranty of course, but listed at $536 plus labor, hope this does not happen after warranty expires!), and I don't like the electrical system, it seems to have too many gremlins: 2 instances of AC control panel going dead, door sensor malfunction on alarm, can't remember how many times I have had to reset the window dipping function after car washes, and now my driver side window is not working anymore. The interior trim paint is peeling, the tranny is making very loud throwout bearing noises although dealers say that is normal (but it's much louder than any other MCS I have ever heard), and with the AC on I get the howling sound and intense vibrations at 3-4k rpm. The silly windshield has too many chips and dings to count, although I have not had a crack yet. The car has so many creaks, groans and rattles that I haven't gotten up the guts to try and tackle tracking them down. If I would ever switch away from MINI, I would go back to a japanese car with proper quality / control, not a BMW, based on my experience with MINI so far.
>>Hhmmmm.
>>Still, I love my MINI because of the way it handles, and I love driving a small, fun car with reasonable mileage. I sure wish they would sort out some of these issues though!
>>


I have had none of the problems you have experienced with the car or electrical system. 11 months, 10K miles, ZERO issues.

 

I have a 03 MCS with 5000 miles on it and none of these problems except a tiny rock chip 1/2mm on my windshield.
I wonder about so many things with your car- whether they were having a party elsewhere in the factory or sleepy and not watching what was going on when they made your car. It is a quality issue if there is this much variation. At first I thought maybe you have a 2002 model but you have a 2003 so there is no excuse.

Personally I would not buy BMW although I like the cars. I'll keep my MINI.
Get all these things worked on while the car is under warranty. Once all the kinks are worked out it should be OK.
I can't hear any rattles, I can't even hear my aftermarket exhaust- the custom stereo covers everything up on demand. But I do drive with the windows down to enjoy the exhaust note and I do check for rattles and such. I find that the noises are worse on certain roads and usually entirely absent on smooth roads. One option is to switch to non runflats. Take a stock cooper with normal 15" tires out for a test drive and you can feel the smoothness and check for rattles. I had a loaner CVT- completely stock and drove it 100 miles. It was great, no complaints, none of the problems you mentioned. Good luck.

 

>>The 325i wagon is a very nice vehicle and I have also consider one for future purchase if MINI further delays or abandons the introduction of a 5-door MINI Traveller sportwagon.
>>
>>For a station wagon, the 325i is short in rear legroom and shoulder room, but this is the way most German cars today are made, If you need more space then you need to look into the bigger 525i wagon (more $$$). I totally dislike the BMW X5. Is a big car for nothing. It has about the same room as the 325i wagon for $10K more...non-sense.
>>
>>I will definetely consider a BMW product if I ever decide to move on from MINI, but for now I plan to stick with MINIs for a long time to come.

Completely agree - the X5 is a waste. The new X3 will actually has about the same interior room as the X5 but I still don't like the idea of being in a tall car. Anyway my wife wants one a 325iT in the worst way to replace our aging 3 series. As long as it's got the sport package and a manual tranny I'd be happy.

My goal however is to hold out for either a 1series wagon or the 5 door MINI.

 

I saw the pics of the 1 series (photoshopped) in Automobile. They look pretty good!

 

i am a big fan of station wagons
congrats on ur new one :smile:

i would like to get the current 540i station wagon with the 6 speed..hehe..and put some m5 wheels on it

 

BMW = Blocking My Way. If you want to haul stuff and haul a$$ get the Volvo V70R. At 300 hp, it will eat that 184hp BMW for lunch while hauling twice the gear. Even my V70 Turbo will outperform and out haul the BWM, and it looks better and won't break the bank on repairs.

 

I told my service advisor that I think letting MINI owners use BMW demo/loaner cars is a great way to introduce MINI owners to BMWs. I was given a 325i with an auto Steptronic transmission, and it's been a very nice experience for me. The car accelerates extremely well (a nice change for those of us with the stumble issue), its ride is nice (but of course doesn't give anywhere near the level of feedback or go-cart handing as the MINI), and the air conditioner sure is a notch or two above the MINI. My MINI AC is adequate and I've not had any complaints, as others have, but after using the BMW for a couple of days, it really is much colder and quicker to cool the car.

I was surprised by how many similarities the BMW shares with the MINI. It only took me a couple of minutes to become completely familiar with the car. But, of course, the MINI and BMW's are different cars. I think they compliment each other well. We'll likely get a BMW 3-series for my wife's next car

See ya,
JS

 

>>BMW = Blocking My Way. If you want to haul stuff and haul a$$ get the Volvo V70R. At 300 hp, it will eat that 184hp BMW for lunch while hauling twice the gear. Even my V70 Turbo will outperform and out haul the BWM, and it looks better and won't break the bank on repairs.


Volvo's reliability is questionnable at best. I like thier wagons, but I still prefer the vault like build quality and resale value that the BMW wagon offers. 300HP in a family station wagon? For what? For racing? If you have driven the 184HP 325i Wagon, you'll find that it has more than enough punch for everyday driving...oh and that buttery smooth In line 6 cylinder engine has no equal in the Volvo lineup.

 

>>BMW = Blocking My Way. If you want to haul stuff and haul a$$ get the Volvo V70R. At 300 hp, it will eat that 184hp BMW for lunch while hauling twice the gear. Even my V70 Turbo will outperform and out haul the BWM, and it looks better and won't break the bank on repairs.


some people like the inline 6 or the v8 (540) for me over the inline 5 turbo volvos

 

I wish BMW would offer the 330 in the wagon. That would be a heckuva hauler!

 

>>Volvo's reliability is questionnable at best. I like thier wagons, but I still prefer the vault like build quality and resale value that the BMW wagon offers. 300HP in a family station wagon? For what? For racing? If you have driven the 184HP 325i Wagon, you'll find that it has more than enough punch for everyday driving...oh and that buttery smooth In line 6 cylinder engine has no equal in the Volvo lineup.


To each his own. I'm on my 6th Volvo for the main family car and never had any major problems. The BMW 325is I owned was a POS.

 

My wife drives the Volvo XC70 wagon - really nice interior. Very comfortable and quick, she loves Volvos, but is curious about the BMW 5 series wagon.

 

>>BMW = Blocking My Way. If you want to haul stuff and haul a$$ get the Volvo V70R. At 300 hp, it will eat that 184hp BMW for lunch while hauling twice the gear. Even my V70 Turbo will outperform and out haul the BWM, and it looks better and won't break the bank on repairs.

Well I've driven the V70 and had a 13 year old Volvo and I'm going to have to disagree on all points. First off the V70R would compare more to the 330iT which doesn't exist in the states. The 325iT isn't meant for drag racing. It's meant to be an incredibly competent sports wagon in about every aspect starting just over 30k. Of course the standard V70 is a great car (and a little cheaper) don't get me wrong - but not of same ilk as a perfectly balanced rear wheel drive BMW. But of course Volvo didn't meant it to be.

Now in terms of Volvos not costing much money to keep up I could tell you some wallet lightening stories about our '89 760. Since then I've come to be quite friendly with the local (just down the street thank God) independent Volvo only repair shop. Because of this I got to understand common failures on Volvos and typical costs associated with them. Repair costs were typically about same on the Volvo as they were to any number of older BMWs I've owned. The difference being I could find many more small BMW shops willing to deal and get prices lower. Finding more than one local Volvo certified shop that's not a dealer is difficult to say the least. What's more interesting, according to the owner of the shop, was that newer high mileage Volvos weren't holding up as well as the older models (of course this may well be the case with newer BMWs as well).

Anyway don't get my wrong - I'll always have soft spot in my heart for Volvos - but they simply are a different beast than a BMW in terms of driving dynamics.

My 2cents.

_________________

 

>> but is curious about the BMW 5 series wagon.


best station wagon out there. get the 540i, with the 6 speed

case closed

 

It seems to me that Volvos are luck of the draw. You really get a good one or a POS. BMW's while no perfect seem to have more consistent quality and reliability accross the board.

There is a reason why BMW's have better residual values than comparably equipped Volvos in the used car market.

 

red03miniS - the 540i would be the way to go, but she doesn't drive a stick...oh well. one of buddies test drove a used 540i the other day - nice power. And thanks for the compliment on my wife...but her taste for nice stuff is frightening

The Volvo's are nice cruising cars, but I would imagine the BMW's smoke them in handling. Also, BMW and MINI give you that 3 YR/ 36K maintainence deal with oil changes and stuff, not so for the Volvo. It can be pricey to maintain, but my wife is on her 3rd now. Likes them, feels safe in them and that is her main concern.

 

I have to agree with Gabe about Volvos. I've had several Volvos (including a 1968 144) and can say the modern ones have no where near the quality or "bulletproofness" associated with the old ones. My most recent was a 1998 V70AWD...and that was a total POS. It had most of the same quality problems some folks are complaining about their MINIs having. Before I got out of that car, I'd had the transmission replaced, lots of engine work, and the interior was adrift with various bits of trim that had fallen off. Maybe they've sorted out the build problems by now, but I have to say it put me off of Volvos probably for life.

I love the BMW wagons. I would definitely consider trading up from the MINI for one...or better yet, find the funds to buy one for my wife so that she could use it as a daily driver (which I could steal from time to time ).

 

>>red03miniS - the 540i would be the way to go, but she doesn't drive a stick...oh well. one of buddies test drove a used 540i the other day - nice power. And thanks for the compliment on my wife...but her taste for nice stuff is frightening
btw i aint hating on the 540i auto either, its got mad torque

 

>>I love the BMW wagons. I would definitely consider trading up from the MINI for one...

my sentiments exactly :smile:

 

No car is designed for all uses. That said, the MC/MCS makes a shame of the other BMWs in auto-x. But a MINI is no Q-ship either. An 8 Series, 7 Series, or one of the 5 series V-8s will make long trips much easier on the occupants than a MINI. An M-5 might just be the perfect car for all-around usage. An M-3 for killer commutes and personal errands. And to date, there is no MINI roadster, so the Z series is all that we have for open top motoring, unless we look outside the corporate fold (MG was sold off along with Rover and Land Rover a couple of years back).
I don't really know what I'd go with for the perfect wagon/suv, the 540, X series or Audi's Allroad. All can be had with manual transmissions, so that is a big plus.

Think I'll stick with my MCS for tooling around town, but I'll still wish for an M-5, or Z-8 for those occasions when a MINI just won't do.