[ty5353]

Originally Posted by tjmsquared

I just ordered my 330i from Jim at passport. Very easy transaction, Jim is by far the best dealer I've ever purchased from. He was even advising us not to get options that we don't need!! Fantastic expierence, we'll be buying from him again next time we're int he market.

I also ordered from Passport last week and my car is in production. My salesguy is Yves. Very smooth transaction as well. What options did you get?

[tjmsquared]

I ordered a jet black 330i with gray interior, the sports package, preium package, iDrive, heated seats, comfort access, and sat prep. Now, all I have to do is wait for it to get here....

[ty5353]

question for you VA guys who bought from passport: did they do the VA inspection for you or did you have to do it yourself and if so, where at?

[DrPowers]

Originally Posted by Dani

I bought my E90 at VOB and I would highly recommend them. Got a good price, no games, and an overall smooth process. I had gone to Tischer to look at BMWs months ago and was so turned off by the way I was treated - sitting there for an hour while they get me a price which I new was totally screwing me, that I didn't end up getting a car and didn't even look again for months.
Anyone have any opinions or experience with the dealers in MD for service? Thought it would be good to get a headstart on where I'm going to take my car when I need maintenance.

My exact experience. Not to mention Tischer didnt have nearly the selection that VOB had. The only negative thing I had to say was the VOB detailers didnt do a good job at detailing the car... which I could have had them redo... but I was in a hurry to get out and drive the car. Also, I had to come back to get the floor mats... but they upgraded my floor mats for free and gave me a shirt/hat for my troubles.

[kabhatti]

Do you folks in Maryland have annual state vehicle inspection? What about emissions testing?

[sawcat]

Originally Posted by hknite

question for you VA guys who bought from passport: did they do the VA inspection for you or did you have to do it yourself and if so, where at?

Had to get my own inspection in VA. Just go to any certified VA inspection station. Took about 10 minutes - I think it cost $ 15. Hot tip - don't go at the end of the month.

[DrPowers]

2yrs on both I believe ... along with registration.

Not sure tho.. I havnt owned a car of my own for more than a year and a half so I havnt had to worry about it.

[SteveMD]

Originally Posted by kabhatti

Do you folks in Maryland have annual state vehicle inspection? What about emissions testing?

In MD, inspection is required only when you buy (and therefore register) a used car. Usually, you will try and get the seller to do the inspection and fix whatever needs fixing.

Emmissions are due every two years. Unless your car is really old, they simply plug the emmissions computer into the OBDC port and take a reading since any modern car monitors its own emmission equipment. If your car is older, some spotty 'yout' gets to drive it up to 55 mph on the rollers.

[mike20022]

Russel BMW www.russelautomotive.com
Please tell Rob that BIG MIKE sent you.

Rob Stevens
rstevens@russelbmw.com
Office: 410-818-3315
Toll Free: 800-828-6529

[FrankoQ]

Passport is the best.
I sent them an email friday night.
by saturday afternoon, we had worked out a very good price. all thru emails.
faxed the forms that same day and the car is being ordered.
The only bad thing... it will take 8 to 10 weeks to arrive

freebies include mats, valve stems, and key rings.
They offered to pick me up at my house when the car arrives.

[BMWBMW]

I also used Passport (William Taliaferro). The whole experience was painless. I previously dealt with Sterling and I thought that was the best, until I dealt with Passport. My 330 is on Jungu Mungu to arrive in NY on April 25th......

[SteveMD]

FYI, I found out that Bel Air (MD) BMW ( a sister dealership to Towson) cannot sell new cars for some reason. Maybe that's why I got the brush off when researching my 330. They have a lot of new looking CPOs but nothing with a real window sticker.

I bumped into these guys recently at a home show here in Harford Co. and found them to be totally aloof. Maybe they were pissed off having to work outside in the rain but the three guys working the booth certainly did nothing to make me want me to buy my next Bimmer at their dealership, which is located less than a mile from my business and about three from my home.

My father-in-law got the same impression when he went up there last week looking at used Z4s. I think that place needs a personality transplant!

[KL2DC]

FYI ... Jim Redden is not with Passport BMW anymore (he's moved on to real estate or something). The person to follow up with is Peter Brizan also at Internet Sales. He promised to continue same pricing and service as Jim Redden...

Also for VA buyers, YES you have to do your own inspections ($15) which is no biggie and City/County decal ($25) as well. I did get a $25 refund check in the mail, not sure for what....

[ase2dais]

Originally Posted by KL2DC

FYI ... and City/County decal ($25) ...

FYI, sometime very soon, the Va Property tax sticker required on cars will soon be free. A $25 savings. Richmond just voted on it!

[ty5353]

Originally Posted by ase2dais

FYI, sometime very soon, the Va Property tax sticker required on cars will soon be free. A $25 savings. Richmond just voted on it!

that's good news. where'd you get this info from?

[ase2dais]

Local papers, the Va General Assembly at Richmond pass it, and also reduced the property tax assessment to .80 something cents for every 1000. and then they gave themselves a pay raise

[Miltzu]

Got my car from BMW of Towson. Found the car from their web pages and it was exactly what I had been looking for and for an OK price.

So, drove there with a girl friend on my way to DC, checked the car out and liked it. Asked it for a test drive and gave them my Finnish drivers license (official European Union card). They did not accept it, and thus did not let me drive the car! I was amazed, because I could have bought the car right away with cash and I told them that. They were very unpolite and didn't even try to explain it to me (other than "sorry but it is our insurance policy") or try to find a way around it. For example, they didn't suggest that one of their sales guys could drive it while I sit next to him. Not the same thing, but they didn't even suggest it. I felt like I was not respected as a customer, almost like they threw me out!

Even though I decided I will never step foot in that place again, the car bothered me because it basically was what I had been looking for (the color, the price, the accessories, transmission, everything matched) so I swallowed my pride and called them again next Monday. Ian Brown answered the call and later that day I signed the papers with him. I don't have anything bad to say about the service I got from him and still do - I've given him a few calls after I got the car to ask some questions about the car and paperwork.

So in the end - overall rating for Towson is definitely on the positive side!

[bimmernupe]

For Va residents buying from Passport, take your car to one of their stores ( Infinti, Nissan) in Va and they will do the Commonwealth inspection for you for free. This what I was told to do by Joern.

[Mero]

Can anyone recommend a CA at Towson?

[SteveMD]

Jim Redden is back at Passport. I will be calling him in the next few months to replace the wife's 330.

[anonymouse20910]

Jim Redden..seemed reasonable. He is the manager there now so communication level with him is pretty bad. John Dugan, one of his salesman, on the otherhand...ummm...don't get on his bad side.

Passport screwed me pretty bad. Ended up buying from Tischer.

Ari Feinstein and Andy Alexis are my sales contacts at Tischer. You won't be disappointed.

[cssnms]

Recently purchased my '11 BMW 335d from VOB BMW in Rockville. Nice new dealership. I dealt with a long time salesperson by the name of Nan.

Originally I had an appt with Nan to look at an M5 they had for sale and she e-mailed me before I even came in to let me know it had sold. The courtesy of notifying me was admirable, rather than just let me show up and try to talk me into something else.

In response I told her I was coming in anyway as I had interst in test driving the 335d. As soon as I arrived, there was no bs'ing, she had a car already pulled around for me and gave me and the family the keys to drive it around. Nan was very easy to deal with from start to finish, no messing around. She let the kids play with her model cars while my wife and talked with her. Walked away with a very good deal on a GREAT car.

Holding my breath over my first service experience though...