You're obviously not in LA. You have left out Merc/BMW DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- [...] [...]
What ashtray? I don't have one. (But I confess I opted for the no-cost deletion when ordering the car.) DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
Or like Amsterdam's airport... (Schiphol) DAS For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- [...]
True. I'm in the Bay Area. The popularity of BMW and Mercedes up here has decreased greatly. Those that want a luxury car are much more likely to buy a Lexus or an Acura. My niece bought the BMW X5 because she said that her best friend had the Acura MDX and she didn't want the same vehicle. She's up to $8000 in repair costs on the BMW after four years (and all of that was in the fourth year, since the warranty covered the first three years).
Ashtray wasn't even an option on my 06 Si. It's for the best, though, since car ashtray's are typically way too small for any serious cigar smoker, and there's no point in smoking if that's all your going to smoke is that cigarette junk... ;-)
Actually, some people shouldn't own anything other than Toyotas or Hondas. After a few exceptionally reliable cars, someone goes out and buys a BMW, Mercedes, VW, GM, etc., and expects to be able to get away with the same lack of attention to the vehicle that they did in the past. They have no idea what to do is the TEMP light or OIL light comes on, or if the TEMP gauge goes into the red (if they notice any of this at all), because it never happened in their Toyota or Honda. They think that the OIL light means that it's time to change the oil, and that the TEMP light means that it's cold outside so they should watch for icy roads. Click and Clack once suggested that the idiot lights be labeled "$3000," though by now that should be up a lot higher.
Read most of these posts - including the one that said they couldn't believe they were actually responding.....anyway ... my take on the cupholder(s) issue : I drive a '98 SATURN .. should I ever buy another car I will keep my SATURN.... I drive ALOT of highway/freeway (throughways as they called up Northeast).. and coffee is my refreshment - my thermos is my co-pilot .. anyway .. I am alright with the cupholder provided; however I did need to customize the cup - finally found one "close enough" that I could grind "1/16th inch" off each side for width ... because --- "most" cups that fit the holder would be too tall and interfere with the heater/defroster slide settings. To debate the issue of " if people base their purchases on the cupholders and/or positioning" .. I DID look at the new SATURN when at the dealership having maintenance done (2003/2004) .. the different positioning of the cupholders/center armrest console immediately turned me OFF -- enough that engine/tranny/tires were never looked at by me. Starbucks - it is "OK" coffee but one would think they could obtain CUPS that don't leak. If and when my thermos goes empty and I make an emergency stop at McD's or Starbucks for coffee, I immediately transfer the coffee out of the <particularly Starbucks> cup to my custom made car cup. One thing I always thought the car "gurus" could think of is 2 <two> cigarette lighters. I do smoke and usually use my BIC lighter to light up when driving -- if my cell phone was not recharging in the cigarette lighter, maybe I could use the cigarette lighter; hence - 2 cigarette lighters would be handy; or 1 cig lighter, 1 cell phone plug-in --- I do have the SATURN retrofit ashtray and as well, when the wire from the cell phone is in the cigarette lighter, it is right over the ashtray, etc etc. My SATURN is the best car I've ever owned, but every time I look at a new one I'm glad I own an "old" one. I'd be hard pressed to buy ANY new car. Have a lovely 2007
<snip> (biting tongue ... biting tongue harder ... ) <snip> I can relate to that feeling. I think I spend less on maintenance on my '99 SL in a year than my wife spends on her Honda for most routine maintenance visits.
