Car Shopping

So about 3-4 months ago, I decided that it was time to buy a new car. I’ve got a full-time career now and I figured it would be nice to have some of the comforts available on newer cars. The first make I looked at was Infiniti. On paper, their G35 Sedan and G37 Coupe look awesome. The styling is right on target and the specs are great. After doing some research, I went to the dealership to give the two cars a try. Disappointment is an understatement. I test drove both cars and just was not impressed. The coupe was cramped and didn’t have enough headroom, and the sedan had a bulbous dash that took up way too much of the cockpit. Beyond that, both of the cars just didn’t really feel powerful. Considering that the G37 has a 330HP V6 and the sedan, a 306HP V6, this was a big let down.

Next, I tried out Volvo on a recommendation from Alex. I test drove a pre-owned S60 T5 that the previous owner had souped up with better exhaust and a turbo. I actually liked the car, but it wasn’t much of a step up from what I have now. In fact, that was my decision that day: I don’t actually need a new car anyway. I love what I’ve got.

Fast forward to this week. My co-worker, Tom, was telling me about his new car: a BMW 335i Coupe. He did the European Delivery Program which lets you buy the car in the US and then go to Germany to pick it up and drive it around for a couple of weeks. Once you’re done with it there, you give it back to BMW and they ship it to the US. The cool part is that you actually get a discount for doing that since BMW is able to ship it into the US as a used car at that point which saves them the tariffs they’d usually pay to import the car. Anyway, Tom convinced me to look into that car and I must say that I am impressed. It looks gorgeous and has a nice inline six cylinder engine with 300HP. I went out today to give it a test drive. Sadly, there are apparently no 335 Coupes within 50 miles of here: The nearest one is in Fife near Tacoma. However, I figured I’d try out the 335i Sedan while I was at the dealership since it has the same engine and handling as the Coupe. Once again, I’m just not impressed. Sure, it is a nice car. It has leather, keyless ignition, iPod integration, and a sexy exterior, but I just didn’t feel a connection to the road like I do in my Altima. I’m reserving judgement until I have a chance to try the Coupe. If Tom will let me, I’ll probably try to take a spin in his. Otherwise, I’m told that there are more in California and I’ll be down there in a few weeks.

For now, the moral of the story is that I love my car. For those who don’t know, I own a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5SE V6. It’s fast (250HP), has “umph” (249 ft. lbs. torque), and looks sexy. I took it out for a car wash after coming back from the dealership. Sure, she has a few scratches and dings, but she’s mine and I’m glad I have her.