In the market for an SUV

You pay for a fine design and brand name not for quality, performance and reliability. 

    The SUV Q7 has an amazing exterior design that catches your eyes. This Audi is a 2007 Model that has 77k Miles on board. One owner, and maintenance was done at an Audi Dealer from LA. My first impression about this model was not the one expected. For me the interior seam to be too big as it has the 3rd row of seats in the back. The car has a 3.6 engine that is not enough for such a big truck. On the freeway it run well but when you start to go you can feel the pressure on the engine.

   It has a clean title, so no accidents registered on this car. It does have visible scratches on the rear and front bumper, a small light from the front bumper is cracked and the bottoms to adjust the side mirrors don't work. Generally, the car is in good shape but I didn't trust its technical condition. The engine didn't sound "healthy" to me. The rims have big scratches on them. I found the car's problems and when I had a question about a particular part of the car, the owner would tell me he didn't know that it doesn't work. That didn't inspire confidence to me. 

The interior is nice, but I still prefer BMW's design. The quality of the leather is not as high as the price is :) . The leather around the cup disposal was ripping off and this is just a 5 year old car.

This model is not fully loaded, it doesn't have garage opened, parking sensors and other little thing that makes your ride more comfortable.

Audi is not as reliable as a BMW is, but the design asks for money. The price includes the brand name, luxury and design and not performance, reliability and quality. This is why I was a little disappointed. You know how it is, sometimes you cannot combine everything in just one thing. It certainly depends what you are looking for. 

There's a list of things regarding what to expect from a brand new Q7:

- Lock of quality materials

- In a year you may have to replace the tires

- The electrical system is very sensitive, make sure you won't spill anything around the bottoms

- The brakes may squeal and drive you crazy

I will definitely try to ride that big "panda" but not for a long time, for fun only, unless I win the lottery :)

Thank you!

Let's go back to BMW's !

Classic BMW 530i - post coming up next!

Dear friends,

I've been out for a few months, not because I stopped doing what  used to, but because I have many things going on and I couldn't keep it up. 
Let's go back and talk about the 5 series that are the most common cars I have had.
This BMW 530i is a 2005 Model with 95 000 Miles. 3.0l Engine. It is fully loaded. I got it from the first owner who maintained it very well. 

The car has brand new tires, new battery, new brake pads and rottors. No scratches. The car holds a clear title, no accidents.

Black interior, all leather.

This BMW is a classic model having the sport option too. The great thing about it is that it was 100% ready to drive 100 000 more Miles.

It is equipped with parking sensor.

I had a lot of fun driving that BMW!

The Story of an Old Best Family Friend- SUV

I wanted to be sorry for being so late on placing this post, I was swamped lately, but here we meet again and let’s talk  about SUV’s this time. 

From start I can tell you one simple thing that I  LOVE SUV’s. Why? Because they have Big MIRRORS :) 

The huge mirrors of the SUV's give me a clear rear view this way I feel very comfortable and confident when I drive. I look into the mirrors very often, maybe more often than necessary. And this is not the only reason why I like SUV’s, I feel safe while driving, and I find it perfect for families as it has a lot more space than a Sedan. 

This is a 2004 Volvo XC90, 2.5 l engine- gas- not diesel :) . It had 125 000 Mills when we bought it. All we had to do for this cutie pie was changing the tires, the brake pads and do the regular maintenance. In only one year, we rode it so often than a regular person would do in 4/5 years. We putted anywhere around 

    50 000 Mills in One Year! We sold it with 175 000 Mills on board. The car was in a great and mint cosmetic and technical condition.

This car was one of our most reliable friends as it didn’t give us problems and it always was there when we needed it!

Thank you!

I will be back soon ;)

Car auction deals.

Having a chance to be a part of an Auto Auction last weekend, gave me a lot of information about the car’s condition, models, fees and rules of an auction. Those vary between auction companies. Some of them charge you a registration fee for bidding, others charge you an additional percentage of the bidding price on the vehicle.

The car is sold “AS IS”, so there’s no Warranty provided and No returns accepted.

You can NOT test drive the car! But you can start the engine, see the Millage and at least hear the sound of the engine. 

Most cars have a bad cosmetic condition. Having visible scratches and sure most of them are Not clean. 

You don’t know if the car is been in an accident or not, but you can find out by getting the VIN # and you can access the information on your own about the car Online on Carfax.com.

2005 Lexus RX-330- 88 000 Mills was sold for $16 300

You can Preview the cars a day before the Auction, Make sure you preview them before you go as they won’t provide a lot of information about it when it is presented. You can find out the year, the model and the person who presents will talk faster than a train that passes you by. 

Also I would advise after you preview the car and you know which car you want, to make some researches and find out what's the market price on those.. You can access the Blue Book @  HYPERLINK "http://www.kbb.com" or the local websites, so you know that the price you offer is accurate. Make sure you leave space for the FEES!

2006 Lexus GS-300, 104 000 Mills Not sold. 

Asking deal was anywhere around $14 000. BBk Value for this Model is $14-15k

NOTE* They started  by asking a deal close to the market price, and then they dropped it depending on offers they got. If  the offer was too low they didn't sell the vehicle.

Scratches and broken light. Wasn't impressed of the interior's style.

For the car you will have to pay the bidding price of the vehicle, an additional 12% buyer's fee, a $50.00 smog fee and a $55.00 documentation fee plus the DMW fees. You must pay on sale day by 5:00PM. They also do finances and in case if you can't pay in full on sale day you have to communicate them the problem and they may work something  out for you. Before the auction starts you have to register in order to bid.

2000 Chevrolet Corvette. Not Sold, asking price $16 000

There are different Auto Auctions, some of them may have better deals or charging  fees. I didn't find it very excited as the deals were not too far from the market price.

The most expensive cars weren't sold. But they have had some good deals on cheap cars.

The newest cars had a High Millage on Board

2008 BMW 550i, 88 000 Mills, Not sold

Playing around the $20 000 deal.

NOTE * They started  by asking a deal close to the market price, and then they dropped it depending on offers they got. If  the offer was too low they didn't sell the vehicle.

2001 Audi A6 sold for $4000

2009 Cadillac Escalade Not Sold, Asking deal $30 000

2004 Volvo XC-90, 135 000 Mills, sold for $6500

2008 BMW 535i, 135 000 Mills, Not Sold

Asking Deal $18 000

2004 BMW X3

They sold those cars at a very good price for the Auction Company. It was a Volkswagen, 2 doors, 2004 Model sold for $6000.

Remember that you have to add all the fees on the top of the bidding price. Vehicles may be started -but not drivven! All cars are sold " As is, where is no implied warrantee".

Why do I prefer BMW's over Mercedes.

We all know that Mercedes and BMW are the two biggest competitors. Why do I choose BMW over a Mercedes?

One of my friends said : "Comparing  Mercedes to BMW is like comparing fine wine to really, really good beer!” I think it is a matter of taste and it depends what you are looking for. If your looking for performance over luxury then go for the BMW. If your looking for luxury over performance then go for the Mercedes. They are both very well engineered cars.

Being on my 4th BMW, I can easily say I prefer BMWs! It is sporty, it is fun to drive and it keeps my interest in it! I find Mercedes too relaxing and too constant - it is just a Merc :) Anyway, let’s try to find some cons and pros for those brands:

-The Pros for BMW are:  More Stylish; More Power; High Performance.

Cons: Less Comfort vs Benz 

-The Pros for Mercedes-Benz: More models; Generally more comfortable; Some have more advanced features and options.

Cons: Most models have less power vs BMW; Body styles have remained pretty constant.

That's a fun comparison too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsofZq2pxVA

To prove that I respect both Brands I will share with you my story about one of the Mercedes that I have at the moment: S 430

This Mercedes is a 2000 S Class Model. It has a Clean Title and 60 000 Mills on board. It is fully loaded, having a Navigation System, Cold Weather package, Premium Package. It has an Integrated Phone, Garage Opener, Memory Seats, Adaptive Cruise Control. It has a beige interior and black exterior.  It drives very smoothly and sure being S Class it is very comfortable. 

Honestly, I didn’t know much about those Models since recently, when I had the chance to experience both of them myself. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926. Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. BMW also is as old as Mercedes, being a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917.

If we look around us, there are lots of BMW’s 3 series and lot’s of SUV’s X3 and X5. I’d say that BMW is more common and practical than a Mercedes. I find a BMW more interesting and fun. I won’t compare them technically because I don’t even know how to “refill the tank”- joking :)

So, to summarize, I would say, if you want a fun driver's car go with the BMW. If you are looking for something more relaxation oriented go for a Mercedes, unless of course you are sitting on a decent amount of cash then the AMG Mercedes really get pretty aggressive.

THANK YOU!