I'm sure that I am not the only one dreading the day that they collect their new car just incase an option that was chosen is missing. I had it on a BMW about 12 years ago when the factory fit satnav was missing! Thankfully BMW let me keep the car whilst they ordered an identical replacement with the satnav included. Credit where credit is due both of my Freelander 2's came with all options in tact and my current BMW (and we all know BMW's only come with four wheels and a seat everything else is an option!) also came with everything that I had chosen.

My next X3 arrived in the country a couple of weeks ago and will be with me for the second week of March and I received a call from the dealer to say that one of the options was missing - LED Headlamps. Admitably it was an option that I ticked at the eleventh hour so wasn't too disheartened plus it still comes with adaptive xenons which i have on my current X3 which are brilliant however as compensation the dealer has agreed to swop all of the interior lights to LED (a £200 option believe it or not), the service pack which is worth £525, a full tank of fuel and trailered delivery to my home address. I also save £600 for the LED Headlamp option so cannot complain.

Another issue that has thankfully been resolved is that the dealer in question offered it to the leasing company at a discounted rate forbidden by BMW UK. When I originally got quotes all of the leasing companies were coming out the same except one that was about £100 cheaper per month - now I know why! BMW UK put a block on the vehicle being released and as of last week I was going to be without a replacement vehicle (was even configuring a DS ) but thankfully on Thursday BMW UK have allowed the deal to proceed at the agreed rate, apparently the dealer had half a dozen discounted cars involved!

Hopefully all goes to plan second week of March.... Gee's life with a LR was so much simpler and stress free....... Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
Gone - 2014 BMW X3 M Sport Space Grey, faultless!
Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
Gone - 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Rimini Red with bodykit

This could have cost you dear had the date changed with the new excise rates?

Im an (ex) fan of BMW their commitment to on going quality should (and does) make the rest of the industry atleast try and keep up. except the contracted out models from Austria and USA
Ive been to the Munich factory as a guest of a respected employee (long story my Dad met him and his family in Munich beer hall). Lovely people. took us all round Bavaria and to a W.Germany vs USSR ice hockey match wow . happy days. ( yes West it was a long time ago)


So your problem is not with BMW but with idiotic lease firms offering you the moon on a spoon, luckily you survived this escapade on the upside.

At the time my dad was chairman of N.Yorks farmers union and all the Bavarians called him 'fuhrer'

But I later owned a BMW 3 series, what a bag of spanners, and I so wanted it to be good. great to drive , clicky gearshift, rear wheel drive wrap round dash. but so many problems, seriously so bad I still shudder.
And it attracted a real money grabbing bitch of a girlfriend I had to but an Astra to get rid of that one.
.
So Shilen good luck if a girl called Samantha start sniffing round you , run for the hills.

and always feel a touch of guilt when you climb aboard your austro-american thingy

Click image to enlarge

I remember years ago one of our old neighbours odered a new Astra GLS from the local small family run dealer, which was in the village of Port William.

At that time Frank was 86 and had decided on an automatic transmission in a top of the range spec. This was the early 80's and auto was not as popular and a costly extra.

When the car arrived it was indeed an auto, but the basic L spec.

Frank was too much of an easy going old gentlemen to complain and accepted the car, against my advice of course.

Iain

ps Frank reached 98 and his wife 101 and were millionaires.

A few years ago a colleague of mine ordered a Vauxhall Omega as his company car through the company scheme where you just ticked off the options you wanted. He opted for a middle of the road spec. When he went to the dealers to collect it the manager came out and said "what exactly did you order sir, because we have never seen one like this?" It appears that the car had every possible option fitted and it wasn't even something that you could specify as some of the extras were things that you couldn't even order in the UK.
Anyway he drove it off and a couple of days later he had a call from the dealer to say that they had made some enquiries and it was one of the last Omegas to be built and it looks as if they had used up all of the left over bits and pieces on the last few cars being made. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Im thinking of buying a BMW 235i as we dont need two big cars and the Mrs loves her LR2. My concern however is based on 6 years experience of 330D ownership; whilst it was great to drive it had a lot of niggles (manly poor design) which made me go back to VAG cars.
For example
- the fuse box could only be reached after removing the glove box and using long nosed pliers.
- 90% of the estates boot trim had to be removed to access the rear shock top mount nuts
- recurrent failure of the adaptive headlights - would randomly jam pointing to the right - problem was never solved despite 3 light units under warranty and multiple visits to dealership
- paint coming off the gloss black external trim - all replaced under warranty but reoccurred once outside warranty
- no temperature gauge
- awful run flat tyres - they were the first thing I changed
- very awkward manual seats - how it is possible to redesign so badly , something that other car makers have been doing well for years - beats me.

Anyone got a 2 series coupe ? Had any problems ?

I cant find a very active UK forum for 2 series. Jules

taztastic wrote:

This could have cost you dear had the date changed with the new excise rates?

Fortunately, the closest I've ever come to owning a BMW was when a new employer offered me a new BMW 320d touring. Fortunately I was able to exchange that for the statutory business mileage allowance so that I could add some of my own cash run a used Freelander 2 instead. Phew!

Personally, from the high prices, to the need to spend a fortune on extras, to the extreme lack of space, to the limitations of RWD in a car with insufficient power to exploit any advantages it might have and still get stuck when it snows, I've never understood the attraction of buying a BMW It certainly cant be down to exclusivity or even reliability. Please could someone explain the benefits to me?

One positive is the straight six-one of the best engines ever made!! I agree with the numerous BMW flaws argument though. Never really understood the lack of temperature gauge and dipstick or the addition of wretched run-flat tyres. They do drive nicely though as long as you stay on dry tarmac. Anything slippy and they can be lethal if you are heavy with your right foot.