Automobiles
Call it a Guy thing. Blame it on being a native Californian. Whatever it is, it's a love affair for this Guy.
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Coupes have always been the thing for Da Guy, but as time has passed, perhaps he's recognized they are not always the most practical for his situation -- or maybe it's just his old(er) age making him that way. In any case, for a number of years now, he's been a 2-car kinda guy. What is it about big boys needing their big boy toys? |
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2006 Lexus RX400h SUV Da Guy went green. AWD, bamboo pearl with light gray interior, Mark Levinson Sound, and all the rest. A great luxury SUV -- quiet, improved performance, and less global oil-reserve dependency. It's not just another monster Mommy Mobile!
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2009 BMW 335i Convertible Mid-July 2008 marked a time when Da Guy did what many thought would never happen. He placed an order for a custom 2009 BMW E93 335i Convertible, which was delivered late in October 2008.
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It's a real challenge to pin down what Da Guy's exact priorities are when looking for a new ride. Certainly practicality (or lack there of) in terms of what his ride will be used for goes to the top of the list every time. Sure there's some amount of excitement thrown in to have a new ride when the time comes around, but Da Guy is a research and analysis hound before going too far with any major acquisition such as this. Additionally, he does not like to be hassled with rides that he's worried may break down when least expected, or may end up in the shop too much. He's not a do-it-yourself repair guy. Da Guy isn't one that "mods" his ride to any dramatic degree, but appreciates one that has good looks, gets the occasional thumbs up from passer-by's and isn't quite the same as everyone else. He isn't a street racer, but a gut-less ride won't hack it either. He does like his on-ramps and corners. Da Guy does care a lot about how his ride handles and appeases his geekie side with the latest gizmos and technologies, but it all has to be balanced with a luxury ride. Feeling every bump in the road or hearing the drone of traffic around him isn't his game. He expects to be treated right from a pre and post-sales service point of view. The key is some sort of balance across all these things, which is hard to do. These days, the manufacturer of Da Guy's ultimate ride would probably line up their product and customer focus like this:
While Da Guy thought he was close to finding perfection until 2008, his experience in more than 35 years of choosing rides indicates he hasn't yet found a match aligning with any single auto manufacturer. There are significant differences in brand priorities and trade-offs making it impossible for Da Guy to say "who's best" for him. He's owned American and Japanese cars for years, and late in 2008 obtained his first German ride. Controversial as it may be, since you are after all at "Bert's Place", his view of how two major manufacturers line up based on his experience goes something like this:
Lexus: Rated #1 in reliability for years and as continually observed by Da Guy since 1995. No question this brand has some of the best luxury appointments both inside and out. Paint jobs with perfection to die for. Attention to detail and minute refinement is apparent. Quality is hard to question. Sales to Service, representing "total customer support" are well integrated in each of the 4 dealerships Da Guy has been associated with over the years, although every sales experience in recent years have just not been what they once were while Lexus was establishing it's brand in the US. While the warranty is now pretty ordinary, post-sales service on your vehicle is always superior and you're treated like royalty after the purchase. The ride is crystal clear quiet -- almost as if you're in your own world headed down the road. There are limited options and most vehicles on the lot come packed unless you can find a dealer that will special order, and you're willing to wait for months. Models at introduction utilize current technology for their day, but don't see many mid-life model tweaks of any substance beyond minimal "tail light styling" as observed with his late SC430, RX300, and present RX400h.
BMW: It's all about "the ultimate driving machine". Performance and handling first. Almost too many options with a focus on the new owner having a custom ride built the way they want it, delivered in just weeks to the local dealership. Sales fees that appear as a nickel-and-dime approach to pay for training and advertising as individual mandatory line items on your order. Inadequate BMW HQ communications and structured processes during the ordering and manufacturing cycle that can be a drawback for the enthusiast. OK paint jobs, especially if you like the traditional Bavarian black, white, or shades of gray. Limited invigorating alternate colors. Be prepared for varying degrees of the orange peel look. A constant influx of leading-edge technologies both inside and out. A strategy to make continued and not always insignificant mid-life tweaks over the life of a model to keep it fresh. Improving brand reliability in recent years over all other German brands and some major Japanese ones. Great brakes that do their job well, but way too much brake dust for anyone that cares about maintaining a clean set of wheels. You'll likely want to add additional preventive service at your own expense on top of the "free 4-year scheduled maintenance" included with your warranty if you plan to keep your ride for an extended period of time. Car technology integrated with service that's really slick, but a post-sales service experience that is not quite as refined -- communication and interaction between sales and service is not connected as well as one would expect in a premium brand. When you schedule or go in for service, Da Guy feels like he's in a squeezed-in-the-corner auto shop environment the whole time, but the actual service to his vehicle is always first rate. Customer service is definitely not a strength compared with other premium brands, but oh, what a ride you'll have behind that wheel.
What a difficult set of trade-offs. Why, oh why, do Lexus and BMW almost appear as the flip of one another in terms of Da Guy's perceived view of their priorities? It must be called "competition".
DA GUY'S RIDES -- PRESENT thru YESTERYEAR |
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1999 Lexus RX300 |
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1997 Toyota RAV4 |
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1995 Lexus SC300 |
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1991 Acura Legend Coupe |
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1985 Honda Prelude Si |
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1980 Toyota Celica GT Liftback |
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1975 Ford Pinto - Factory ordered |
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1970 Ford Pinto - His first, with oh so fat tires! |
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...a Honda 50, several Schwinn bicycles, a mini bike, wagons, a tricycle or two, and apparently a wheelbarrow!
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Here are some of the most popular up-to-the-minute stories and videos identified by people well beyond this place. Sometimes the subjects are esoteric, perhaps off-the-wall, or not what you may expect to be associated with Da Guy or at Bert's Place (that's what can happen with social networking). Many times they are topics or commentary most of us would not have found otherwise. If you don't know what Digg is all about, go here to find out.
-- Day Guy is known as WDW1Fanatic on the boards of BMWCCA
on BimmerPost is a Series 3-specific place where Da Guy can also be found as WDW1Fanatic. It's another of this favorite BMW board hang outs.
- Da Guy is known as BertL around Club Lexus
The primary sources where Da Guy obtains his auto accessories, detailing stuff, parts, and the like
-- lot's of speciality branded products. When you want the best, you'll probably find it here. Great service
and a lifetime 100% money back guarantee.  |
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