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Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by RobH, Aug 23, 2007.

  1. flareak

    flareak Fleet Captain

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    seriously. this has got to be the biggest waste of time ever. i vote that this thread just be closed for good. it's old, nothing good is coming out of it, and there's really no point trying debate two drastically different cars.

    frankly i'm disappointed that both parties turned a 2 page thread into an 8 page thread in a matter of hours. and kos, while i can understand that you love your car, you coming here to flame members here and our cars that we also love doesn't really help your cause at all.

    moderators: please close this thread.
     
  2. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    If they're negative, please cite reputable sources.

    Back to your earlier point, you claim "The C02/milege the materials travel from all that is epic, so much for a low carbon foot print...", ok, every US gallon of gasoline weighs 6.3 pounds. Let's compare the fuel consumption of a 2011 BMW 128i or 328i (smallest displacement BMW branded cars here) which BTW are rated subcompact and compact respectively at Side-by-Side Comparison and rated at 22 mpg (miles per US gallons) combined vs. a 50 mpg combined midsized 2011 Prius.

    At 15K miles/year, after 10 years, the Prius would've consumed 3000 gallons vs. 6818 for the above BMWs. The BMW consumed 24053 pounds more fuel.

    How about the energy and CO2 emissions to explore for oil, move and setup drilling equipment, drill it, transport it to a refinery, refine it, transport the gasoline to a gas station and then have that less efficient vehicle carry around that extra fuel which is dead weight, until consumed? The US imports 50-60% of its oil.

    The Prius' HV battery pack is only ~100 lbs. and contains 32 pounds of nickel.
     
  3. Blackmamba

    Blackmamba New Member

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    kos and friends, you come here wanting to start a war on our home field and we will rightfully destroy you! Have you not studied any history? I've witnessed it first hand: PriusChat has more braniacs, young folks, old folks, left sided, right sided, and even car enthusiasts than your narrow-minded BMW network will ever see. And we're growing...
     
  4. RobH

    RobH Senior Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    LOL! I'm the OP, and I must say I stirred up a hornet’s nest here! As a matter of fact, we still own both the BMW and the Prius. And I just finished the same task as I originally described. The original piece was not designed as a "trash the BMW" piece, it was just a report of what it felt like to drive the BMW after getting used to the Prius. The difference of 4 years hasn't changed much. The price for filling up the BMW was $35 4 years ago; today it was $42. The price for the Prius for about the same usage was $22. I doubt that the Prius will save the world, but it sure saves me about 1/2 the money that I'd otherwise be spending on gas.

    You don't have to tell me how great a BMW is. I own one. And if BMW thinks they're selling me another one with their current offerings, they're just not up to speed on current technology. The BMW 3-series used to be the local "ethnic vehicle" of Silicon Valley technical workers. Well, actually, BMW for the workers, Mercedes for management. The choices have changed, and they're now Prius for the workers, and Lexus for management. If you've really got it made, then you'd have a Prius for daily use, and a Tesla for fun.

    Our BMW now has 208,000 miles on it, and outside of being clunky and expensive to operate, I don't see any real reason to get rid of it. There have been a few repairs that I never heard of any other car getting though. Our independent mechanic recommended replacing the bolts that hold the camshaft in place. I guess he had seen a few blown engines due to those bolts breaking. And then there was the driveshaft. I had no idea that a driveshaft was a wear item. Well, they bend enough to cause vibration, and the "permanent lubrication" of the universal joints isn't. And then there's the brake dust on the wheels, particularly the front wheels.

    In 58,000 miles on the Prius, service has consisted of oil/filter changes, wiper blades, and HID headlight bulbs. The car has never seen the inside of a dealership since it was delivered. My neighbor's new BMW 528 has spent numerous weeks sorting out computer problems. It's a nice car when it works, but really.
     
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  5. seatown7

    seatown7 Northwest Prius Dork

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    Hey KOS...I have a Prius and 3 BMW motorcycles...(K1200RS, R75/5 and an R80/7)...and a Harley.

    I'm able to appreciate the engineering wonders that all of these different machines contain...just like I can enjoy a fine Sig Sauer, a Glock and a Kimber .45.

    The Prius is an amazing vehicle...not like a "regular" car. I came to own one after driving a Lexus GX 470...which was a wonderful car as well if you like 17 mpg. I wanted to spend less money on gas...and with Egypt boiling over...it seemed like a good time to jump. I'm glad I did. (My gas card bill arrived today...last Lexus bill $290 per month...current Prius bill is $42)

    I bought a used 2008 Prius with 20k miles...so I'm totally green, you fool...I recycled that entire car! Many of us Yanks buy the Prius used...

    Oh...and mine has a Hymotion battery in it so I go 30-40 miles on electricity alone. I'm averaging 75mpg in winter with Seattle's hills. Which Beemer in the US can do that, jackass?

    I did look at several 5 and 7 series BMWs BTW...5 to be exact...not a single one with more than 30k miles on it. Every single one of them had electronic issues...burnt out pixels on the I-Drive screen, lights out in the dash, burnt out portions of the numerals in the speedo...gawd...it was embarrassing. 3 of these were "dealer certified." Much like the VWs I looked at. What a joke!

    I'm a 6'3" 250 pound cop who doesn't give a single shit what anyone thinks about me. I'm probably taking more ribbing behind my back for owning a Prius but I could care less. The fact that you think I'd buy one to make some kind of smug statement is retarded...I might have actually lost "cool guy" points...but I don't care.

    Unlike you, I don't buy shit I don't need to impress people I don't care about. If I needed a car for an identity, like you do...I'd have kept the Lexus. It really impressed the shallow and vapid losers who worship anyone who drives an expensive label. How pathetic and sad.

    I'm happy for you and your fabulous BMW...terribly sorry about your penis...:eek:
     
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  6. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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  7. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    Dave I'm not sure if your are also from the UK as is your mate kos. It's hard to know since you only list your location as "Not near a Prius, thank God!". But seriously 40 MPG UK is not even close.

    Now if that's 40 MPG US then you're getting near the lower limit for a Prius. Mine is six years old and second hand and I get better than 65 MPG UK (55 MPG US) every tank.
     
  8. dintedeaur

    dintedeaur New Member

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    ...I'm a 6'3" 250 pound cop who doesn't give a single shit what anyone thinks about me...
    friend...i hate to tell you, but there are guys that don't give a shit that you're a cop, 6'3" and 250 pound, this is a car forum, not a k1 stage, so relax
    ...If I needed a car for an identity, like you do...I'd have kept the Lexus...
    so, that was the reason you bought it, at first?
    ...I'm happy for you and your fabulous BMW...terribly sorry about your penis...
    10yo kid talking dirty regarding the other 10yo kid's toy...come on mate, relax
     
  9. kos

    kos New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    what bmw do you own.....

    the problem is you are comparing 2 cars that are not really comparable much like the OP



    are you sure about that ?

    typical "yank" attitude

    do you think i buy cars to impress people ? no, i buy them becuase i like them and for the way they drive and look. my current car collections is e39 530i sport, e30 M3, e24 635csi and a bmw compact with 2.8 engine installed which is for track days.

    nothing i have driven car the same driving experience and feel.

    so you're a cop, a 250lb cop. you need to cut back on the doughnuts. your fellow colleagues must really give you a ribbing now for driving a prius. your nightmare make you sleepless in seattle. the identity of a lexus , what identity? it was created for the US market, its a marketing machine and an attempt to create a luxury car to rival BMW/MB/AUDI. they managed to out sell bmw by 9000 units in the US market in 2010, so its all evenly matched but lets be honest, its not a major white wash let alone give BMW and MB anything to worry about

    see, you actually worry about what image a car give you, where as i dont. dont worry, you may get some cool points back later on in life .......jackass.

    BTW, 70mpg in winter, not a problem. a 116i will do that. winter time mean cooler air, denser air and an engine will make more power and at operating temp will be more efficient than in the summer months

    now go back to dunking your doughnuts in you coffee

    with out electrical assistance, whats your MPG?
     
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  10. kos

    kos New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    you seriously think those two are me ?

    you're the one with a vivid imagination. i'm sure some of the geeky guys here can run a quick IP check if you want to back up your point, or not as the case will be
     
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  11. kos

    kos New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    what bmw is it, please tell me


    the centre drive shaft (or prop shaft as we call it ) or the rear drive shafts ? i've never had a shaft let go on a bmw and i've racked up a lot of mileage in them over the years.

    brake dust, is a bmw the only car to have brake dust ? is it that much of a problem and is a prius exempt from it ?
     
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  12. DaveM-sport

    DaveM-sport New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.


    As an engineer and like lots of cool little gadgets, it would appeal to me too..

    But to be honest, I want driving a car to actually be fun and involving as I love cars and driving them. I don't want it to just be a mode of transport alone!

    So if I want lots of cool little displays, I'd much rather have the functions of a GT-Rs display than just how fuel efficient I am.

    mpg displays and the cool little display on a prius is great and all but I wouldn't buy a car for it if it was going to be less fun to actually drive.


    low end torque? If your talking about a Tesla, then indeed as its amazing but two batteries and a small engine? might have low-end torque but its still fookall :D


    I actually forgot about the difference between the US and Imperial unit so I suppose you got me there with a 20 year old car which is pretty quick and great fun to drive and standing me only 5-6K is "only" able to achieve the low-end of the scale in fuel efficiency of a prius :)

    Plus you can't come off a roundabout sideways in a Prius or have fun on at a trackday :D



    I couldn't care less of what I drive or what people think of me when driving it.
    As long as I enjoy driving it, they can say what they want.

    Just so happens that I enjoy driving an E30 alot more than any other cars... I'm not even that fond of driving the newer BMWs to be honest apart from the engines being great.




    Sorry for trolling but maybe I just wanted to have a dig as I was bored and sick with a cold at the moment on some silly forum :p
     
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  13. DaveM-sport

    DaveM-sport New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    As for us wanting BMWs rather than Fords?

    I live in Cork, Ireland...

    Fords were probably the most popular cars in the country for years for obvious reasons!



    And if anybody should have prop and half-shafts let go its some of us when we are sticking engines with far more power than was originally intended for the chassis :)

    It was probably just a center-prop bearing and mechanic just told them he needed a whole prop :rolleyes:
    Or CVs in a half-shaft started to wear as a boot might have got ripped or something and CV joints do tend to wear out on any car anyway especially FWD cars.
     
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  14. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    That's it, about 65MPG (UK) or better (usually a bit better) averaged over a full tank of petrol, week in week out for about the last 18 months since we got it.

    It's my wifes car and she has a long commute. Does 700 km per week and she gets 960 to 1000 km per tank, with fills typically between 41 and 43 liters. That's about 600 to 620 miles on about 9.2 UK gallons.

    Are you surprised? I was. I watch "Top Gear" too and believed the bull. I didn't even want her to buy the Prius in the first place but she wore me down. Once she got it however it only took about two weeks before the car won me over, especially when it halved the fuel bill. So far it's been very reliable too, saved her about $3000 in fuel over the 18 months (compared to the similar sized similar age Camry she was otherwise going to get).
     
  15. Pooka

    Pooka TIFOSO

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    i am a prius fanboi AND a bmw fanboi. OP is a troll.
     
  16. bmw4life

    bmw4life New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    Hi everyone. I am not here to start a fight or anything. I just wanted to share my experiences with toyota and bmw.
    My first few cars were toyota, I bought a 1.3 starlet and it was burning loads of oil(I bought a leamon, We all have). After 5,000 miles the engine decided to start knocking then went down to 3 cyl and just died.
    I then got a second hand engine and it was fine.
    My mother uprgraded a 97 nissan almera she had to a 2002 toyota corolla. After a few months of onwership I was giving it a service and it was very low on oil. After the service I told my mother to keep a eye on the oil level and it was drinking it. My parents got onto toyota but as the car was bought in a private sale and had missed the recall by a few months we were stuck with it. The car was a bucket of shite so my parents sold it on.
    Now at the time my parents had the corolla it was only a few years old.
    I drive a 21 year old e30 and it dosent use a drop of oil, engine is running very well. Now I had had a few wear and tear bits aswell but all just standard stuff you have to replace like pads and discs and clutch etc.

    Now I was a massive fan of the bmw e30 when I was younger. I use to talk about the when I was ten and to own one now is great. I will have it till I die, It is not just a car it will be in my familly and some day I hope my kid will have it. Even if it is just locked in a shed. Now the prius will just fade out and end up in scrape yards, where as the e30 has a huge classic car following

    I have no intrest in doors that unlock when I walk up to the car. I atually like turning the key in the ingnition and hearing that 21 year old engine start up and sound so much better than alot of new cars. Have we got so lazy that we cant take or keys out of our pockets.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you're happy, we're happy. thanks for sharing. that's why we are prius owners and members of prius chat. anxiously awaiting bmw owners to tell us how much they like their cars.
     
  18. kos

    kos New Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    MPH.... MPG you mean ? if i asume your wife is getting 65mpg, that does not impress me. a friend with a 118d is getting 55mpg.

    £78 in the 118d to do 730 mile (thats a full tanks worth) so if i assume the prius has a similar sized tank it will cost £66 to do that mileage, so that works out to be a fuel cost saving of £247 per year with the mileage your wife does, so over 4 years you save a £1000. in 4 years time the bmw will have depreciate far less than the prius. the saving is then non existent


    also, i might add that top gear is not a factual program , its never meant to be factual. its entertainment and for that it works very well.
     
  19. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

    Yes that was a typo, I just fixed it. :)

    When we bought the second hand Prius it was really the most economical mid sized car that was in our price range. I guess we took advantage of the depreciation. So far it's performed better than I expected.
     
  20. oliveoil

    oliveoil New Member

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    Time for your med's ??