Z4si guy, need advice

tipoytm · 11-10-2009, 06:22 PM

Good points above... and well considered. We actually went to a VW dealership last night to check out the Passat, etc. Haha funny thing is, there was a minivan there (Routan), premium trim w/ Leather, Nav, DVD dual screen entertainment, etc... that also had a big discounted sticker. She took a look at it, then it lead to a test drive. ZOMG, she loved it. So now, I'm coercing her to trade in the Endeavor for that LOL. Having both an SUV and a Minivan at the same time doesn't make much sense after all!

chickdr · 11-10-2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoytm

Good points above... and well considered. We actually went to a VW dealership last night to check out the Passat, etc. Haha funny thing is, there was a minivan there (Routan), premium trim w/ Leather, Nav, DVD dual screen entertainment, etc... that also had a big discounted sticker. She took a look at it, then it lead to a test drive. ZOMG, she loved it. So now, I'm coercing her to trade in the Endeavor for that LOL. Having both an SUV and a Minivan at the same time doesn't make much sense after all!

You do know the Routan is a rebadged Dodge Caravan right? Just making sure. I would suggest you try the Odyssey and Sienna if you are going the minivan route. The minivan IMO is the single best all around vehicle in existence.

WhoU4 · 11-10-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickdr

You do know the Routan is a rebadged Dodge Caravan right? Just making sure. The minivan IMO is the single best all around vehicle in existence.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh...

He might have her sold on this idea and able to keep the Z4.

Xyloft · 11-10-2009, 09:51 PM

I dont understand why couples think they need 2 boring family cars. isn't one boring car enough?

of she wants a nicer sedan, sell the SUV?

tipoytm · 11-10-2009, 11:13 PM

OT.. but the Routan actually (at least the premium trim) has a better interior, handles better, & more powerful than the Odyssey. List price is comparable (Routan is slightly cheaper) on the same trim level and equipment. BUT, the incentives are just so tempting... close to $11k discount on the premium loaded Routan from MSRP. Best the local Honda can do with the Odyssey is just $1.2K below sticker price. Wife liked the Routan a lot more than Odyssey, aside from the superior power/handling... they are also not a common sight on the road.

Did a lot of research on this, and turns out the Routan's powertrain, drivetrain, and frame are from the Town&Country, while the rest are from VW, notably the suspension and interior... production quality control is strictly VW too. To back that up, VW has free service/maintenance for a full 3 years similar to BMW's.

chickdr · 11-11-2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoytm

OT.. but the Routan actually (at least the premium trim) has a better interior, handles better, & more powerful than the Odyssey. List price is comparable (Routan is slightly cheaper) on the same trim level and equipment. BUT, the incentives are just so tempting... close to $11k discount on the premium loaded Routan from MSRP. Best the local Honda can do with the Odyssey is just $1.2K below sticker price. Wife liked the Routan a lot more than Odyssey, aside from the superior power/handling... they are also not a common sight on the road.

Did a lot of research on this, and turns out the Routan's powertrain, drivetrain, and frame are from the Town&Country, while the rest are from VW, notably the suspension and interior... production quality control is strictly VW too. To back that up, VW has free service/maintenance for a full 3 years similar to BMW's.

If you like the Routan and it's being given away, go for it. I personally wouldn't buy one, but that is just me. I don't care for badge engineering. The Caravan/Town & Country get lots of accolades on their own and did invent the category.

tipoytm · 11-11-2009, 12:42 PM

^ Yeah, my wife likes Hondas (she had two before), and she definitely liked the Odyssey when she test drove it (we both did), right after we went to the VW dealer she could testdrive the Routan too, she was far impressed with the Routan. Although I didn't drive it myself, the plush interior & leather already won me over.

chickdr · 11-11-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoytm

^ Yeah, my wife likes Hondas (she had two before), and she definitely liked the Odyssey when she test drove it (we both did), right after we went to the VW dealer she could testdrive the Routan too, she was far impressed with the Routan. Although I didn't drive it myself, the plush interior & leather already won me over.

If you have not looked at it yet, I would also suggest the Toyota Sienna. It gets some fantastic reviews as well. I just HATE dealing with Toyota dealers

tipoytm · 11-12-2009, 12:39 PM

Here are some pics of our Z4si, would be really sad to see her go =X

blue-coupe · 11-12-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rc'Z

Keep the Z and replace the cross over. My wife didn't like my Zsi and I traded it for a 335 convertible, a really nice car by the way. Althought the 335 is more lux and still high performance enough, I miss the Z and don't like the wife anymore.
Think about it.............

I always appreciate being able to learn from others mistakes. thanks for sharing!

tipoytm · 11-12-2009, 01:24 PM

^ LOL I know it's probably going to be a mistake in letting the Z4 go, but wife is the boss =X

Huz-Z · 11-13-2009, 08:30 AM

Hmmm.

Looks like desperate action is needed!!!

Time to break out the ultimate weapon - shoulder massages and foot rubs. Women are POWERLESS against them!!!

Do that every evening while explaining how much you love her AND the car. Explain that in California, it makes sense to have a family car and a fun ride for Mom and Dad, or Mom and child, or Dad and Child. Report back in a week to let us know how things went!!

Huzz

chickdr · 11-13-2009, 06:45 PM

I was just reading a Forbes article on 2009 cars to avoid and noted 2 in the top 10 list included the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. You may want to rethink the Routan. BTW, no BMW's were listed, but the VW Touareg and M-B GL450 made the list of shame.

tipoytm · 11-16-2009, 10:26 AM

Too late, we already traded-in our Endeavor for a Routan SEL lol

I think so far, this is our bestbuy! Negotiated $11.5K off the price, and a pre-installed OEM DVD Rear-seat Entertainment System, our toddler loves it! Holy cow, what a deal... what a ride! It was their last Routan SEL, so they let it go... coincidentally, it's the color we wanted too. Has full napa leather, 258hp, 252torque, power sliding doors, power rear-hatch, power everything! :-) The 2nd row seats are full captain's chairs, it's like riding in a private jet... I would have gladly traded in the Z4 for it if they offered the right amount... but the Endeavor needed new tires & 30Kmile service. It would have cost us $1,500 for that. Most important thing is my wife couldn't be happier.

I'll just rely on VW's 5-year warranty and 3-year free maintenance. This I gotta say, minivans are the ultimate family mobil, plus it drives like a dream :-)

rc'Z · 11-16-2009, 11:43 AM

You do know that Routan SEL mini-van is made for VW by Chrysler, don't you?

tipoytm · 11-16-2009, 11:57 AM

I do, and researched a TON of info before purchasing it. In the end, the crazy deal, the decent trade offer for our 3yr old SUV, test drive against the Odyssey, the price difference between a similarly equipped Odyssey ($12K+), free 3-year maintenance, and the rarity of Routans against other minivans WON us over. I small reliability risk factor of having Chrysler's powertrain/drivetrain is now trivial with the deal we got for it. After everything was finalized, we only had to finance $17K for a LOADED high-trim minivan with only our trade-in (that needed new tires and 30k service) as downpayment. If we went for the Odyssey, it would have been close to $30K OTD (after taxes, trade-in, etc.). No thanks, I'd rather keep the $13K in my wallet.

Not too shabby at all.

rc'Z · 11-16-2009, 12:41 PM

It really is a nice vehicle. People are prone to make little of the mini-van in general, but it is one of the must functional vehicles ever built. It Swiss Army made a vehicle it would be a mini-van because of all it does. Hauls stuff, hauls losts of folks, is comfortable, get's respectable gas miliage, is confortable, drives good now, handles good now...Good move on your part. Keep the Z..

tipoytm · 11-16-2009, 01:05 PM

If any of you are looking into a minivan, I would highly recommend the Routan. Don't judge a book by its cover (ie. Chrysler in VW's clothing). Trust me, it has a real VW interior, the suspension/handling is way different, etc. Sure, the Odyssey might be the superior minivan if you are comparing both at MSRP (similarly equipped). But with massive VW incentives and dealer discounts (they are trying to clear them off the lot), the Routan is worth a serious look.

WhoU4 · 11-16-2009, 01:24 PM

So... You got to keep the Z4?!

tipoytm · 11-16-2009, 01:36 PM

^ She's very happy with the Routan, so for now... I get to keep the Z4. The goal is to change it to a more practical car but, she's no more in a hurry to get rid of it. I guess it'll still be up for sale, but at a price I think is fair for it. I don't want to just give it away, given its condition/low miles.

chickdr · 11-16-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoytm

^ She's very happy with the Routan, so for now... I get to keep the Z4. The goal is to change it to a more practical car but, she's no more in a hurry to get rid of it. I guess it'll still be up for sale, but at a price I think is fair for it. I don't want to just give it away, given its condition/low miles.

This is the best part of the deal. I think you were smart to trade the Endeavor as it is only going to get worse as far as resale. Your BMW is still under its included maintenance so has very little cost for you and now the VW is covered too. Hopefully you will get lucky and the VW will be reliable. At least they have loaners too.

WhoU4 · 11-16-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoytm

^ The goal is to change it to a more practical car

Well if you need practical, here you go...

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test

11-10-2009, 06:22 PM	#23
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Good points above... and well considered. We actually went to a VW dealership last night to check out the Passat, etc. Haha funny thing is, there was a minivan there (Routan), premium trim w/ Leather, Nav, DVD dual screen entertainment, etc... that also had a big discounted sticker. She took a look at it, then it lead to a test drive. ZOMG, she loved it. So now, I'm coercing her to trade in the Endeavor for that LOL. Having both an SUV and a Minivan at the same time doesn't make much sense after all!
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11-10-2009, 09:51 PM	#26
Xyloft Lieutenant 34 Rep 504 Posts Drives: 2008 AW 128i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio iTrader: (0)	I dont understand why couples think they need 2 boring family cars. isn't one boring car enough? of she wants a nicer sedan, sell the SUV?
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11-10-2009, 11:13 PM	#27
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	OT.. but the Routan actually (at least the premium trim) has a better interior, handles better, & more powerful than the Odyssey. List price is comparable (Routan is slightly cheaper) on the same trim level and equipment. BUT, the incentives are just so tempting... close to $11k discount on the premium loaded Routan from MSRP. Best the local Honda can do with the Odyssey is just $1.2K below sticker price. Wife liked the Routan a lot more than Odyssey, aside from the superior power/handling... they are also not a common sight on the road. Did a lot of research on this, and turns out the Routan's powertrain, drivetrain, and frame are from the Town&Country, while the rest are from VW, notably the suspension and interior... production quality control is strictly VW too. To back that up, VW has free service/maintenance for a full 3 years similar to BMW's. Last edited by tipoytm; 11-11-2009 at 12:22 AM..
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11-11-2009, 12:42 PM	#29
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	^ Yeah, my wife likes Hondas (she had two before), and she definitely liked the Odyssey when she test drove it (we both did), right after we went to the VW dealer she could testdrive the Routan too, she was far impressed with the Routan. Although I didn't drive it myself, the plush interior & leather already won me over.
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11-12-2009, 12:39 PM	#31
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Here are some pics of our Z4si, would be really sad to see her go =X Attached Images
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11-12-2009, 01:24 PM	#33
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	^ LOL I know it's probably going to be a mistake in letting the Z4 go, but wife is the boss =X
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11-13-2009, 08:30 AM	#34
Huz-Z Brigadier General 846 Rep 4,057 Posts Drives: Z4 3.0si, 328 XDrive, X5 35i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	Hmmm. Looks like desperate action is needed!!! Time to break out the ultimate weapon - shoulder massages and foot rubs. Women are POWERLESS against them!!! Do that every evening while explaining how much you love her AND the car. Explain that in California, it makes sense to have a family car and a fun ride for Mom and Dad, or Mom and child, or Dad and Child. Report back in a week to let us know how things went!! Huzz
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11-13-2009, 06:45 PM	#35
chickdr Lieutenant Colonel 140 Rep 1,989 Posts Drives: 2006 M Roadster Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buford, GA iTrader: (0)	I was just reading a Forbes article on 2009 cars to avoid and noted 2 in the top 10 list included the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. You may want to rethink the Routan. BTW, no BMW's were listed, but the VW Touareg and M-B GL450 made the list of shame.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-16-2009, 10:26 AM	#36
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Too late, we already traded-in our Endeavor for a Routan SEL lol I think so far, this is our bestbuy! Negotiated $11.5K off the price, and a pre-installed OEM DVD Rear-seat Entertainment System, our toddler loves it! Holy cow, what a deal... what a ride! It was their last Routan SEL, so they let it go... coincidentally, it's the color we wanted too. Has full napa leather, 258hp, 252torque, power sliding doors, power rear-hatch, power everything! :-) The 2nd row seats are full captain's chairs, it's like riding in a private jet... I would have gladly traded in the Z4 for it if they offered the right amount... but the Endeavor needed new tires & 30Kmile service. It would have cost us $1,500 for that. Most important thing is my wife couldn't be happier. I'll just rely on VW's 5-year warranty and 3-year free maintenance. This I gotta say, minivans are the ultimate family mobil, plus it drives like a dream :-) Last edited by tipoytm; 11-16-2009 at 02:13 PM..
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11-16-2009, 11:43 AM	#37
rc'Z Captain 13 Rep 821 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Convertible Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	You do know that Routan SEL mini-van is made for VW by Chrysler, don't you?
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11-16-2009, 11:57 AM	#38
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	I do, and researched a TON of info before purchasing it. In the end, the crazy deal, the decent trade offer for our 3yr old SUV, test drive against the Odyssey, the price difference between a similarly equipped Odyssey ($12K+), free 3-year maintenance, and the rarity of Routans against other minivans WON us over. I small reliability risk factor of having Chrysler's powertrain/drivetrain is now trivial with the deal we got for it. After everything was finalized, we only had to finance $17K for a LOADED high-trim minivan with only our trade-in (that needed new tires and 30k service) as downpayment. If we went for the Odyssey, it would have been close to $30K OTD (after taxes, trade-in, etc.). No thanks, I'd rather keep the $13K in my wallet. Not too shabby at all.
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11-16-2009, 12:41 PM	#39
rc'Z Captain 13 Rep 821 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Convertible Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	It really is a nice vehicle. People are prone to make little of the mini-van in general, but it is one of the must functional vehicles ever built. It Swiss Army made a vehicle it would be a mini-van because of all it does. Hauls stuff, hauls losts of folks, is comfortable, get's respectable gas miliage, is confortable, drives good now, handles good now...Good move on your part. Keep the Z..
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11-16-2009, 01:05 PM	#40
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	If any of you are looking into a minivan, I would highly recommend the Routan. Don't judge a book by its cover (ie. Chrysler in VW's clothing). Trust me, it has a real VW interior, the suspension/handling is way different, etc. Sure, the Odyssey might be the superior minivan if you are comparing both at MSRP (similarly equipped). But with massive VW incentives and dealer discounts (they are trying to clear them off the lot), the Routan is worth a serious look.
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11-16-2009, 01:24 PM	#41
WhoU4 First Lieutenant 21 Rep 352 Posts Drives: '05 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Madison, WI iTrader: (0)	So... You got to keep the Z4?! __________________ OEM Strut Brace / UUC SSK / Zeck CDV / Clutch Stop / ZHP Shift Knob / Stubby Ant / Top Covers / Dinan K&N / M Seats / SP / PP
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11-16-2009, 01:36 PM	#42
tipoytm New Member 1 Rep 23 Posts Drives: 06 Z4si Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	^ She's very happy with the Routan, so for now... I get to keep the Z4. The goal is to change it to a more practical car but, she's no more in a hurry to get rid of it. I guess it'll still be up for sale, but at a price I think is fair for it. I don't want to just give it away, given its condition/low miles.
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