Jazzbass

Em, do you really think we'd post that if you were ???

I was usually first in my class at school until I discovered girls, guitars and surfing. After that, school just didn't seem to have the same appeal....

Girls have sports???

We've ALL got reset tools, mate! They're called paper clips.

I have no doubt at all that one can do it all themselves and save money etc. I prefer BMW to do it for me to continue the BMW service history that my car's had since new. Yes, it costs more, but well, its only money after all.... compared to peace of mind - no contest.

Yes, the 530 does sound like a better bet now I look closer. BTW Allan, if you give us the last 7 figures of the car's ID#, we'll tell you everything!!

Of course, you meant 100 kph, right??

I've heard so many BMW people running the 850 down. Why is that? Are they really that unreliable?

2002 540i Montreal Blue??

LOL - of course I have - that's how I found out about the need for that programme. Glad it worked for you, mate! Rog

Yes, good point. I'd go further and say that the 323/5 are a better balanced car than the 318/320 overall. (personal opinion)

bmw_beau - great idea, mate!! That allows for a good way to gauge if its for you! Anyway, why black? Are you a goth or a bogan? What about red, or yellow, or purple???

You could always use them on April Fools and Halloween, otherwise ... ridicule would follow!

I was working with NZQA during the introduction of unit standards and I quit in disgust at the PC attitude regarding fails. Oh, we can't use the word 'fail', think how it might scar the poor wee darlings... Bollox!

When we're assessing a student's school record for entry into our programmes, we get a little confused with the NCEA results and after many bad experiences, we now tend to err on the side of caution, in that we give little or no credence to them. Thus where in the past a student might have been exempted level 1 Calculus on the basis of 7th form results, we are now very reluctant indeed to to that. This is largely because we've seen too many students fall over in their first year at university, after allowing them credits.

I agree with 3pedals on this. Please don't post such inflammatory comments! Lighten up, dude! BTW, Allan - any movement on your new car?

Exactly!

I agree - 325i ftw. 318 - too slow on acceleration and need foot down all the time 320 - ditto 325 - better overall performer and imo better balanced car

Everyone else has helped with the virus, so I'll try to help with the file that you can't delete. Google and get a copy of MoveOnBoot. Its free and allows you to move, copy, delete files before Win can lock them. I had a similar experience with an .avi file and this little app sorted it all for me.

I absolutely agree, it is really the only opinion I can have, as I don't have the research to formulate any other, which is why I objected in the first instance. It seemed to me that your statement was claiming an absolute, when it was clearly a personal take. I'm sorry about that, but that's just the way us old farts get - grumpy at times.. well, OK, then most of the time!! LOLBTW, 3Pedals (sorry I don't know your name), thank you very much for keeping this discussion civil. It could so easily have slipped a cog. While I was doing some informal research on this topic, I came across a few articles claiming that both manuals and autos will eventually fall victim to CVTs. Its not a position I adhere to, but the writers (In Europe and USA) seem convinced. My daughter has a CVT Primera wagon and its miles better than the DAF/Volvo CVT I drove 20+ years ago, but I'm not sure everyone will adopt/accept it. According to other articles, its all a moot point anyway, because they claim the internal combustion engine is a lumbering dinosaur and will be removed from new car construction within the next couple of decades. I don't subscribe to that theory either. At the very least, I fully expect to be able to drive a dinosaur until I die. After that - not my problem!!

WOW!! Thanks guys - great responses and good info for me to get my head around!! Cheers, Rog

Good points, mate. I do think that consumer demand has an effect on supply. Like it or not, people are living and driving longer and today we live in an ageing society, demographically. As we age, it is natural that we prefer different things to the young. Included in these preferences is a desire towards ease in many areas. Auto are clearly easier to drive, particularly in cities. Many studies suggest that driving an auto in town is less stressful and many of us prefer that state in our daily lives. Not to be ignored is that females are also driving far more these days and the distaff market is one which car makers ignore at their peril. In a generalistic sweep, I'd venture the opinion that the majority of females over the age of 30 would prefer autos (this is simply an opinion, I have no studies on which to base this, other than personal observation). I do understand the car enthusiasts viewpoint about manuals and it was one I also held in my youth. However, things change as we age. For instance, when I was young I'd always do all my car repairs, including engine and gearbox rebuilds, by myself at home. From about age 35 on, I just couldn't be bothered with all that, I had other priorities (such as family) and since I was making good money by then - paid other people to do it. Today, although I still attend to the little things, my preference is for someone else to get their hands dirty for me. Similarly, I prefer to let modern technology do a myriad of other tasks for me, including altering the gear ratios for me. I don't see this as a lowering of standards, I see it as a personal preference.

One thing about modern Subarus is their distinctive sound - their distinctive exhaust note. From an engineering standpoint, why is this? If you are wondering what the hell I mean, I'm referring to that 'tractor' sound they make under throttle. Harleys are similar and their distinctive 'tractor' sound is due to the 45 degree angle of the V Twin and the firing cycle. American V8s, of course, are famous for their distinctive sound which, as I understand it, is also caused by a difference in firing angle of the cylinders. Its all subjective, of course, but I loathe the sounds of all of these equally - boxers, HDs and US-V8s are vomit-inducers to my taste. (ymmv) - btw - why don't BMW and other Euro V8s sound as bad as their US counterparts? As I understand it, Subarus and Volkswagen Beetles, whcih also sound similar are just horizontally-opposed engines. This means to me that its just like a normal 4 cyl motor, which has been sort of divided and flattened out so that all the pistons move on a horizontal plane. However, I would have thought that the firing cycle would have been the same as a normal 4-cyl engine, so I can't see why they make that horrid noise. Any thoughts on this?

I don't know about condoms as I've never worn one , however, I respect your opinion to prefer manual transmissions, that is entirely your right. What I cannot ignore is that you express your opinion as an undisputed fact, which it clearly is not. Apparently many car makers also have different opinions from that standpoint, hence the decline of manual boxes worldwide. I have for the past 30 years held a strong preference for automatics, caused in some part by having a munted left ankle from a surfing injury. Without an auto box, I would be unable to drive for long. I still enjoy my car just as much as anyone else does. To me it does not feel like sitting in a bus. So, in that regard, I am conforming to your statement that: Demonstrably, I do indeed buy what I need. 95% of my total driving is in town and at all times I attempt to drive according to our road laws, therefore I have no need for any further perceived control that could be attributed to having a manual gearbox. Were I racing, I have no doubt that I too would prefer a manual, but I'm not - I'm just a Joe Average driver who loves his cars.BTW - sorry if I seemed a bit offish, I just have always had a problem with fanatics (defined in this sense as those who posses single-minded opinions). Cheers, Rog

If that statement is truly what you think, then I'm very sorry for you. What an incredibly stupid attitude to have.