[VLOCT]

@Rajushank,

Congrats on the Beemer. You did the right thing by getting the extended warranty. I wouldn't recommend owning a BMW without it. I know, I owned a 7 series for 11 years. The price you paid is excessive though. You could have a got a much better deal online, even on an original BMW extended warranty.

I hope you bought the Extended Warranty outright and didn't roll it into your monthly payment. That's the biggest con job of all.

Enjoy the car. I wish you were a little patient though since, I'm sure you could have had a much better deal. But cars have the effect of emotionally tugging you and make us lose patience.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Update: found a black 335i, 2008 model black with 44k miles on it. It has the sports package and premium package (no nav though).
Took a test drive, liked it. Carfax looked clean.

Dealer quoted 24k for the car and 11k for my Mazda as tradein. After a lot of negotiation and back-and-forth with his boss, sealed it at 22k for the 335i and 13k for the Mazda tradein.

Bumper to bumper warranty set me off by 3k (ouch!) but I went for it.

Grinning from ear to ear

Thanks, everyone!

Congrats on the buy. Definitely a great decision on the warranty. Is it the xDrive version or RWD?
Is 22k OTD price? We surely want pics man

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Update: found a black 335i, 2008 model black with 44k miles on it. It has the sports package and premium package (no nav though).
Took a test drive, liked it. Carfax looked clean.

Dealer quoted 24k for the car and 11k for my Mazda as tradein. After a lot of negotiation and back-and-forth with his boss, sealed it at 22k for the 335i and 13k for the Mazda tradein.

Bumper to bumper warranty set me off by 3k (ouch!) but I went for it.

Grinning from ear to ear

Thanks, everyone!

Good selection. 335i's are great cars.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Thanks!! It is 3 year / 36k miles from now. It is from BMW. I got it since two of my friends who own BMWs faced expensive repairs (one for fuel pump, the other for power window issues) but were saved because of the bumper to bumper warranty and didn't have to pay a cent.

It is an automatic with paddle shifters for sports mode.

I agree, a BMW or any other German car shouldn't be bought without a warranty.

Meanwhile, do find a reliable independent BMW shop to take care of regular maintenance like oil and filter changes.

$3K for 3 years/36k is a little bit on higher side. I was quoted <$2k for a 2008 335i with 49k on odo in Sept 2011. I hope the price didn't go up in a year and half.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Update: found a black 335i, 2008 model black with 44k miles on it. It has the sports package and premium package (no nav though).

Congrats on the car!! May the smiles last a long time.

[rajushank84]

Thanks all. Yes will upload pics soon.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Thanks all. Yes will upload pics soon.

Congratulations on the car man! Enjoy the twin turbo power and the steering feel!

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Update: found a black 335i, 2008 model black with 44k miles on it. It has the sports package and premium package (no nav though).

Congrats, that's almost the same car which aah78 has (His has Nav too), great car.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by K.S.

Another Phoenician!! Wow. Do we have any t-bhp meet ups in PHX?

Originally Posted by mazda4life

Guys, I am in Phoenix as well ...

Wow sorry for the delay but we should plan a meet sometime? I live in the North.

Congrats Raj. Great buy. So one check off your bucket list?

[sids911]

Hi friends!,

I will be moving to LA this mid month, and have some queries around Car ownership (what else? :-)) in California.

Just a bit of background before we go into details - I already have been to the US and stayed there for a couple of years. During that time I had owned a car (Accord V6) and had a Virginia License which expired in 2011 with my Visa.

Now I will be going back and will be going to California as I mentioned; Now the questions;

1. Can I get the Californian license based on the Virginia License that got expired in 2011? I have a Indian LMV+Motorcycle license now.
2. My estimated duration of staying in the US is going to be 3 years, however, my visa only has a validity till Nov 2013 (Company will be filing extension) - in the light of this, would it be a good deal to Lease or buy?
3. Which Credit Union I can apply loan for in LA area? (my Work location is El Segundo near LAX)
4. Is the loan duration tied with the visa validity duration?

I would be glad if anyone can respond me around these queries. Much Regards!

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by sids911

Hi friends!,

I will be moving to LA this mid month, and have some queries around Car ownership (what else? :-)) in California.

Just a bit of background before we go into details - I already have been to the US and stayed there for a couple of years. During that time I had owned a car (Accord V6) and had a Virginia License which expired in 2011 with my Visa.

Now I will be going back and will be going to California as I mentioned; Now the questions;

1. Can I get the Californian license based on the Virginia License that got expired in 2011? I have a Indian LMV+Motorcycle license now.
2. My estimated duration of staying in the US is going to be 3 years, however, my visa only has a validity till Nov 2013 (Company will be filing extension) - in the light of this, would it be a good deal to Lease or buy?
3. Which Credit Union I can apply loan for in LA area? (my Work location is El Segundo near LAX)
4. Is the loan duration tied with the visa validity duration?

I would be glad if anyone can respond me around these queries. Much Regards!

Welcome back!

1.As you know, laws differ a lot from state to state. Here in NH, you can just get your license renewed by going to the DMV that has been designated for handling non US citizens.
2.Between leasing and buying, since you will be here only temporarily, i think lease might be better for you (provided you established a good credit score when you were here last). But go through the lease agreement with a comb and be sure that you understand all the clauses.
3. I have no idea!!
4. It usually is tied to the duration on your I94. But some credit unions may not follow this rule strictly. In my case, i got a loan for 6 years when my I94 was due to expire in 6 months.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by sids911

Hi friends!,

I will be moving to LA this mid month, and have some queries around Car ownership (what else? :-)) in California.

Just a bit of background before we go into details - I already have been to the US and stayed there for a couple of years. During that time I had owned a car (Accord V6) and had a Virginia License which expired in 2011 with my Visa.

Now I will be going back and will be going to California as I mentioned; Now the questions;

1. Can I get the Californian license based on the Virginia License that got expired in 2011? I have a Indian LMV+Motorcycle license now.

Since its been more than a year since your license expired you will need to give a driving test. However, if you are lucky, you can get away with just the written test. Do mug up the DMV handbook. If you score very well in the written test often they give you a license without driving test if you have any other state or california expired drivers license.

2. My estimated duration of staying in the US is going to be 3 years, however, my visa only has a validity till Nov 2013 (Company will be filing extension) - in the light of this, would it be a good deal to Lease or buy?

California issues DL only till validity of your visa(unlike texas where its 10 years)

3. Which Credit Union I can apply loan for in LA area? (my Work location is El Segundo near LAX)

Try Tech CU. They are better than many others

4. Is the loan duration tied with the visa validity duration?

I would be glad if anyone can respond me around these queries. Much Regards!

Its more to do with your credit score and all. All in all, it will be difficult to get a loan at reasonable interest rates. Why not scout the used market and use your savings?

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by sids911

Hi friends!,

I will be moving to LA this mid month, and have some queries around Car ownership (what else? :-)) in California.

Just a bit of background before we go into details - I already have been to the US and stayed there for a couple of years. During that time I had owned a car (Accord V6) and had a Virginia License which expired in 2011 with my Visa.

Now I will be going back and will be going to California as I mentioned; Now the questions;

1. Can I get the Californian license based on the Virginia License that got expired in 2011? I have a Indian LMV+Motorcycle license now.
2. My estimated duration of staying in the US is going to be 3 years, however, my visa only has a validity till Nov 2013 (Company will be filing extension) - in the light of this, would it be a good deal to Lease or buy?
3. Which Credit Union I can apply loan for in LA area? (my Work location is El Segundo near LAX)
4. Is the loan duration tied with the visa validity duration?

I would be glad if anyone can respond me around these queries. Much Regards!

Hey Welcome to LA. I'm guessing I know where you are going to be working. Are you going to stay around Hawthorne? I live around there(in Torrance)
Answering your queries..
1) You can get your license by writing the test and paying the DMV fees. Make sure you have your VA license handy. You can drive with your Indian License, but it all depends on the cops who catch you. Since you already have a license, it must be pretty easy to get CA one.
2) We have discussed in length bout lease few pages back. Lease is good option, but there are loads of cons to leasing like limited miles per year. Unless your company is paying I would stay away from lease.
3) There are lots of CU in LA, but I found DCU(dcu.org) to be giving good rates compared to the ones here. Also jus browse a few pages back, we had a good discussion on Loans.
4) No, when I approached for loan, I wasn't asked bout duration. So I'm hoping that it wouldn't be a hassle.

[sids911]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Hey Welcome to LA. I'm guessing I know where you are going to be working. Are you going to stay around Hawthorne? I live around there(in Torrance)
Answering your queries..
1) You can get your license by writing the test and paying the DMV fees. Make sure you have your VA license handy. You can drive with your Indian License, but it all depends on the cops who catch you. Since you already have a license, it must be pretty easy to get CA one.
2) We have discussed in length bout lease few pages back. Lease is good option, but there are loads of cons to leasing like limited miles per year. Unless your company is paying I would stay away from lease.
3) There are lots of CU in LA, but I found DCU(dcu.org) to be giving good rates compared to the ones here. Also jus browse a few pages back, we had a good discussion on Loans.
4) No, when I approached for loan, I wasn't asked bout duration. So I'm hoping that it wouldn't be a hassle.

Great! Thanks Kraft.Wagen - sent you a PM since my accommodation plans sound similar to yours!

I guess I will stay away from Lease - thats what I did last time and thats what i'll probably do this time too! The only thing that attracts is the monthly rates they mention for Beemers etc.!

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by sids911

Great! Thanks Kraft.Wagen - sent you a PM since my accommodation plans sound similar to yours!

I guess I will stay away from Lease - thats what I did last time and thats what i'll probably do this time too! The only thing that attracts is the monthly rates they mention for Beemers etc.!

The monthly rates on the 3 series etc for lease are usually for 36 months and 10000 miles a year. There are penalties for breaking the lease (at which time you may have to buy and sell the car or find a buyer who can buy the car off the leasing company)because you are bound by contract to make the entire 36 monthly payments. So while it may sound attractive, it maybe not a good option overall because it can turn out to be more expensive than you think if you ever have to break the lease. PM me if you want to understand the lease breakage bit a little better, I have done it once.

I think you should come and look for a good used car, RWD if you like the dynamics of that and since you are in California, you don't have to get through a tough winter.