some photos from a warmer time

[yianniem]

It's 14 degrees outside, my car is wearing snow tires and is caked with salt and sand from a road trip to VT. I felt like posting some pics from the summer to make me smile.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=35934080&a lbumID=2777522&imageID=53177924
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=35934080&a lbumID=2777522&imageID=53177967
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=35934080&a lbumID=2777522&imageID=53178107

[yianniem]

[Stinger9]

Got a manual transmission?

[Alex]

It's 16 degrees over here. Post more pictures, maybe it will get warmer sooner :)

Alex
www.fairbmwlease.com/guide.html

[yianniem]

[img=http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8343/wagon003bc1.th.jpg]

[yianniem]

325xi with all the options. unfortunately including the auto tranny. well it is a station wagon so i guess its ok. FYI best option is the adaptive cruise control!

[Stinger9]

steering is to be avoided, so I'd like to know what the adaptive cc does, and why you like it?

Try a six speed manual tranny hooked up to a BMW sometime. Exhilarating!

[yianniem]

First you neeed to agree that long commutes/drives are boring and especially tiring when traffic is moderate to heavy. I find that under those situations my stress level really skyrockets and nothing sets me off more than constantly jabbing the brake because someone in front of me can't drive smoothly or because someone else is weaving through traffic without going anywhere.
With that said the adaptive cruise alleviates the tedious excercise of constant speed modulation. All you need to focus on is steering. I set a max speed and a following distance and sit back and enjoy the ride. When traffic opens up the car accelerates to speed and when traffic inevitebly slows down it throws out the anchor and maintains a safe following distance. The thing that takes some getting used to is that the car can really get on the brakes, for example, it will get you from 80 to 30 safely in less distance than you normally find yourself using, ie. no coasting in to slow traffic. The only thing it doesn't do is stop-and-go traffic or a really slow crawl as it stops working at 20 mph.
I'm a big fan of the adaptive cruise control but I offer this disclaimer, I bought the car preowned, it was an executive demo so it was fully optioned, I don't think I would order a car and add this as an option as it is pricey. I also fear the day the car is out of warranty and something goes wrong with this thing, it takes six hours fot the dealer to properly callibrate the sensor, I know because it had to be done after the body kit was installed.

Finally I've never had the priveledge to drive a BMW six-speed, but my 99 MCoupe has a fiver and on a few occasions I've wished I had another gear to row into.

[Stinger9]

Cruise Control. Now I get it.
When I said six-speed, a five passes muster too! Just love feeling the engine winding out in gears that I hold until I want to change. And sixth is really only an overdrive to be used for cruising. Great to get the revs down for quiet and mileage.

[yianniem]

[BG]

The touring BMWs are the ultimate practical cars. As good handling as a sedan or coupe, as much cargo capacity as many bulbous SUVs, more headroom for the rear seat passenger than the sedan, minimal rollover danger compared to SUVs. Odd that they are not popular in the USA.