Re: New jetta opinion poll... GLX or Wolfsburg?

["Bill Hussey" <list_squid@hotmail.com>]

>From: Khan Klatt <khan@mediaaccess.com>
>Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 19:06:09 -0700
>
>At 8:12 PM -0400 4/17/01, Bill Hussey wrote:
>>I have a '01 325Ci (that's the coupe) on order with a 5 speed, the
>>sport package, and a moonroof.  I've test driven the 3 series 4
>>times now, the 5 series twice, and the 3 series once.
>
>I assume you meant the 7 series once (at the end of the sentence)...

Yep .. typo, 7 series was what it was supposed to be.

>>When I say the 3 series is lightyears ahead of the Golf/Jetta
>>platform, it's an understatement.  I don't know how else to describe
>>it, the only thing you can do is go out and drive it.  Do NOT drive
>>any model without the sport package.
>
>I'm not going to argue that the Jetta/Golf is equivalent to the 3
>series. However, a base level 325i configured to the same trim as a
>Jetta Wolfsberg 1.8T is roughly $10,000 more to buy, and roughly $140
>more per month to lease. If you don't have the extra $10K, or the
>$140/month, then the "light years" the 3 series is ahead of the Golf
>Jetta doesn't really matter.
>
>Is the 3 series light years ahead in performance? In gas mileage? In
>safety? In the quality of the audio system? Road noise? While the 3
>series may be substantially better in a lot of these areas, it's not
>"light years" ahead. I'm sorry, I have a hard time beleiving its
>anything but an overstatement. If it's light years ahead, please
>point out in what areas it so easily surpasses the Jetta, by a factor
>of 150%. (after all, it costs 150% as much as a Jetta, so I'd expect
>those areas to be substantially better than 150% as good as the Jetta
>for it to be even moderatly close to light years). I'm not picking a
>nit, as much as to point out how subjective your remarks are.
>
>I generally believe that you get what you pay for (assuming you're a
>pretty smart consumer) and that if the Jetta costs $20K, and the 325i
>$30K, then my guess is that the 325i is probably closer to 150% as
>much "car" as the Jetta is. If this "150%" is "light years" to you,
>then we obviously calibrate our gauges differently. ;)

Ok, fit/finish and quality of interior materials and look ... EASILY 150% 
better.  Audio .. I don't really know, I've never cranked the stereo in 
either a BMW or my Jetta, I love music, I'm just now into cranking it.  
Sound levels?  I don't know if the new Jetta's have addressed this, but with 
my current '98, road noises coming through the cabin is one of my BIGGEST 
complaints!  There are rattles everywhere, a lot of wind noise above 70mph, 
tire noise is abundant (I originally thought it was the Goodyears.  Put 
Potenzas on and it helped, but not as much as I would've liked).  Safety ... 
4 airbags standard and you need to go watch the video that comes standard 
with every BMW .. they're phenomenal.  30mpg is not too hard to achieve with 
the 2.5 litre inline-6 that earns the 3 series LEV status while putting out 
184 HP (advertised, in actuality, it's a marketing move to make the 330 look 
better, 323/325s typically make 165-170HP at the rear wheels and still 
maintaining a beefier bottom-end and midrange than the under-powered VR6).

Now .. I put those points out there simply because you asked, but that's not 
where things are important.  BMW's are misinterpreted here in the states as 
luxury automobiles, when in fact they are engineered specifically to be the 
"ultimate driving machine"s.  Every model, from the old 318Ti, to the 750iL 
has near perfect 50/50 weight distribution .. the only model thats a little 
farther off is the X5, but it's got the best weight distribution of any 
non-car on the market ... it's faster around Road Altanta than a Maxima.  
>From the spare tire pushed as far back in the trunk as possible, to the 
battery in every BMW being located in the trunk on the right side (to offset 
the weight of the driver) ... they're built for speed.  Without trying to 
sound too much like a BMW spokesman ... they are ultimately rewarding to 
drive hard.  Where else do you find salespeople and service technicians who 
can't encourage you enough to drive your car as hard as possible.

Walk into a BMW dealer and take a new 3 series out for a spin ... just do 
it.

Bill
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