Will probably switch back to BMW. (No, not a troll!)

dB Stang said:

Anyone have thoughts on this. (Other than to suggest that I'm a troll, which I'm not, or to say something derogatory about San Francisco?)

Click to expand...

If you could ignore the badges/logos/brand names for a moment, would you choose refinement over a somewhat more raw experience? What makes you want to drive a car (any car)? Do either of these cars fit the way you like to drive better than the other one? Take your time and answer those questions to yourself, for yourself, and without caring about what you might think any of the rest of us want to hear, because once the deal is done it won't matter what anybody else would have done given the same situation.


Norm

Thought 40+ mpg with 300 ft lbs of torque (tuned) would be a nice combo.
It wasn't worth it.

I wouldn't buy another VW.

I'd buy another Mustang though.

IMO, the only BMW worth owning is a M2.

If you are just going to get a 240, then the Mustang will be a better car. BMW's suspension (as good as it is), can not compete with MagneRide. The Mustang has everything the BMW has in features. Actually more...

Buy American.

Mustangs are for whatever reason to most people just " cooler " cars. You really can't go wrong with one

w3rkn said:

IMO, the only BMW worth owning is a M2.

If you are just going to get a 240, then the Mustang will be a better car. BMW's suspension (as good as it is), can not compete with MagneRide. The Mustang has everything the BMW has in features. Actually more...

Buy American.

Click to expand...

There is about a $8k price difference in base price between the M2 and M240, which is not trivial.

I was considering the same. Still do some days. When I test drove one it was nice, but felt antiseptic. Maybe it was the limited drive, but it just didn't feel very interesting.

I've had a couple older BMWs (E46). Still have one, and drove the other to almost $200K. They held up just fine, and repairs were not expensive, but the E46 was produced in huge numbers and parts are easy to find, not necessarily true on later models. Plus, I never take it to the dealer. Either I fix it myself or go to an independent. The way BMW locks everything down requiring dealer coding to change windshield wipers is pretty annoying (that's a joke, or is it?).

A loaded up mustang is still about 20k less than a m3/m4, so nothing has really changed. 240i seems like apples to oranges imo.

Does it have to be a vert? For that kind of $$, there's plenty of light used GT350s!!

I have a 2016 BMW 340i with the M-Performance pkg., and it puts a nice smile on my face every time I drive it. It's sporty, not M3 / M4 sporty but in Sport mode it's more sporty than just refined. Now, when I drive my 2016 GT with the PP I get a big ol' friggin' smile. It's not as refined but it sure makes me just as happy just in a different way. I have a Corsa Extreme cutback so that helps even more. As for me I love both of my cars and I do look back at both of them after I park them...every time. Just my 2 cents

dB Stang said:

So we drove BMWs from 2005 to 2011, first a 330is with their Performance Package and then a 2008 M3. When the Coyote came out, we test drove, and were so impressed we switched to Mustangs. At that time a similarly optioned and powered Mustang was $20k less than an M3. We've been Mustang enthusiasts ever since, and have custom ordered three. (And we've owned four, the first was not a custom.)

Presently own a 2015 Fastback GT PP and a 2016 Convertible GT PP. Love them, but...

Price out a loaded 2018 Convertible GT PP and then price out a loaded 2018 M240i Convertible. The BMW is only about $2k more.

The BMW is less powerful ... but is lighter, smaller, better built, has greater resale, and ... is a BMW. The Mustang is a Ford. (A Mustang, yes, but still a Ford.)

Anyone have thoughts on this. (Other than to suggest that I'm a troll, which I'm not, or to say something derogatory about San Francisco?)

Click to expand...

If you spend a lot of time driving distracted >> (dangerous), a BMW will suit you well. Today's BMW's are not the great cars they were before 2005... neither are Fords, but at least there are not Ford commercials bragging about the most awards in the last two years like Chevy/GM, to cover their sky high recalls. Oh, and Chevy did not win any awards, they paid big $, to use them in the commercials, according to an insider. I would personally wait till next fall, on a new GT. Never buy in the first year of new, 70% new V8 engine, and other components. Also, the prices will come down to a reasonable level. And, with such a minor power increase, I'm in a 91 octane state which means 446-448 hp, 405 tq, (because Ford is the ONLY Manu that rates their power on 93/94 octane), plus the 45-65 lbs of added weight for 2018, there won't be any acceleration increase. The car maybe little quicker and faster in the 1/4, but not 0-60, and handling will at least finally be upto par with a base Camaro SS, but one must order the performance package to get the magnetic ride on mustang, so the price will now be nearly equal to a base Camaro V8 1SS.

DrGrabster said:

And you still went ahead and bought a diesel Volkwagen. :doh:

Click to expand...

You couldn't have been replying to me. I've never even briefly considered owning a diesel-powered vehicle.


Norm

JC'sGT5.0 said:

I have a 2016 BMW 340i with the M-Performance pkg., and it puts a nice smile on my face every time I drive it. It's sporty, not M3 / M4 sporty but in Sport mode it's more sporty than just refined. Now, when I drive my 2016 GT with the PP I get a big ol' friggin' smile. It's not as refined but it sure makes me just as happy just in a different way. I have a Corsa Extreme cutback so that helps even more. As for me I love both of my cars and I do look back at both of them after I park them...every time. Just my 2 cents

Click to expand...

I suspect that what you're calling 'refined' comes off as 'antiseptic' to TomcatDriver.

FWIW, refinement to me implies a concerted effort to be inoffensive to anybody, aka bland.


Norm

Norm Peterson said:

I suspect that what you're calling 'refined' comes off as 'antiseptic' to TomcatDriver.

FWIW, refinement to me implies a concerted effort to be inoffensive to anybody, aka bland.


Norm

Click to expand...

Can't completely agree on the definition, although in execution in many cars this is accurate. I look at refined as also being well tuned and engineered. You can have refined suspension tuning and component choices that is very sporting but still rides well. You can have power steering that's very refined, that doesn't pass through every last vibration in the road, yet gives you all the steering feel you'd want. Unrefined powertrain calibration usually makes for annoying engine behavior. Refinement is supposed to be getting all the little details right, spending time on tuning
/massaging them, not just the big chunks that can be on a feature list on paper.

Getting the bugs out is one thing. What "refined" means to me is going beyond that point in the name of further isolating the driver from the business and sensations of driving. Maybe "over-refined" would be a better term; or giving the car a 'softer' or 'gentler' character, if that makes sense.


Norm

As far as resale if you look at $ drop vs. percentage Mustangs usually higher.

.

DrGrabster said:

And you still went ahead and bought a diesel Volkwagen. :doh:

Click to expand...

Easy there fella. Just because he made a stupid decision and bought a new TDI, doesn't mean the old TDIs were crap. I had an 03 Jetta TDI with the famous ALH engine and that thing ran like new when I sold it with over 250k miles on it. I'm fairly certain that it could outlast a new Coyote motor. It was tuned for around 200hp/300tq at the wheels. Before tuning, consistently got 50mpg average. After tuning and adding 17s with sticky tread, still got an average of 43mpg. Best vehicle I've ever owned. Compared to a Mustang, yes the maintenance was higher. But overall cost of ownership is/will probably be lower. Timing was very sensitive on those TDIs. They needed a timing kit every 100k miles. It was a nice chunk of change for parts and labor. But hey, it's an interference engine, what do you expect. /tangent end