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Old 01-15-2010, 07:55 PM   #8 (permalink)
dalparadise
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Join Date: May 2009
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Please, auto enthusiasts, it's "Bimmer" for the 335, as it has four wheels.

I love BMWs -- that is to say I have loved two of my own and admired many more. Until the 370, no car in the Japanese sphere could pull my attention away from even the lower-end BMWs. And make no mistake, a 335 is far from the low end of BMWs.

Fact is, though, the Z is simply more unique -- more of a lifestyle statement -- less of a brand name. Choose accordingly.

The BMW will garner a lot of envy and even disgust. Even though it's on par with Z pricing, for some reason, the BMW (particularly the 3ers) scream "living beyond his means" or "$30,000 millionaire" or "shallow jerk lemming following the crowd". It certainly doesn't look good to park such a brand of car at work if your employees didn't get the raises they felt they deserved.

With the Z, people will assume it is not as expensive, and that you are some kind of enthusiast. They'll gawk -- not out of envy, but more out of admiration. You will be accused of scratching a midlife itch. People will smile at your reckless abandon in getting a 2-seat car. Porsches and Bimmers will want to race you. Alot. The Z is seen as a good value, even though prices can kiss $48K in some models. Yet, it still retains a bit of everyman's sports car image. I think that's cool. My guys at work seem cool with it, too (and yes, they did get raises this year -- I made sure of that before I got the car).

For pure driving, they'll be fairly even, with a raucous nod going to the Z. For entertainment and sheer "look at me" power -- Z. For fun -- Z. For refinement and elegance -- BMW. For reliability it's a toss-up. For value retention -- BMW (my experience). For connection to the car -- Z. For usability -- BMW

Don't let the oil cooler thing deter you. These are great cars. Frankly, I don't think you could go wrong with either. The Z worked better for me, though.
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