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Service was ok. I had a Volvo before this, and felt the service there was actually better. I have a feeling it has to do with BMW being a premium brand vs. Volvo being a "near-premium" brand, and maybe Volvo appreciating their customers a little more. Of course, I'm only comparing one Volvo dealership to one BMW dealership.
The car is beautiful. Power is immediately on tap and the engine revs effortlessly. One minor gripe: the engine is barely audible until about 5000 rpm, and most of the sound is from induction noise rather than exhaust. I had test-driven an IS300, and the only quality that I felt it was superior to the 330ci was the sweet sound of its engine at all speeds. In all other areas, though, it's not in the same class as the 330ci. Also test-drove the S4 (impressive performer at a comparable price, but in its last model year and questionable resale value) and the C320 (expensive, less sporty, and no stick).
Before getting the car, I thought the auto-dimming mirror and rain-sensing wipers were overkill (which is why I didn't originally want the prem pkg). It turns out, though, that these features work exactly as advertised and I really like them, especially since we get a lot of intermittent rain showers here.
It's been really difficult keeping the jet black finish scratch-free. I've always used One Grand cleaner, polish, and Blitz wax, but the BMW's been higher-maintenance than my Volvo, which was also black. Black on black hasn't been too hot, even in our regular 80+ degree weather. IMHO, there's just no other color that looks as good, so I've got no business complaining about the maintenance (I knew what I was getting into).
I've started to swap out my myrtle wood trim with factory aluminum (just waiting on armrests). Within the next few months, plan to do clears and upgrade sound system (maybe Eclipse separates and 8" subs, punch amps), and that's it. I might invest in upgraded exhaust to try to get a throatier tone, but haven't put much though into it yet. Any suggestions?
I probably do 80% of my driving in the city (Honolulu traffic is a mess), and still register 22.5 mpg. I haven't been real shy with my right foot, either.
Anyway, I LOVE THIS CAR! No complaints after 3 months. I read this board pretty regularly and have a hard time believing people can find faults with this awesome machine.
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