RE: E46 Fit and Finish

[Purvis Brad Civ UAVB/DOI <brad.purvis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All:
I have an M-3 97 model, Toyota Landcruiser, Toyota Avalon and an old e30.
My M-3 BMW is very well made, my Avalon is fair at best and I have had a
number of problems with the car related to poor reliability and quality. The
Landcruiser is probably the best built vehicle I have owned besides the M-3
and a 95 325IS.
What does this mean?
I think you get some well build cars and some that just don't do as well.
Build quality has a great deal to do with it but luck of the draw does too.

Some cars are just better put together then others.

I have been through the plants that assembly autos and the quality depends
upon where in the shift your car is, what shift if multiple shifts, what
supplier as most now have at least two suppliers for particular components,
etc.

It was clear to me that this contributes to some of the process of what we,
the user, receive.
I bought the Toyota Avalon because I wanted a very reliable, good solid car
to keep for 8 years or so. I have been disappointed and rate this car as no
better then the Ford Taurus it replaced.

E46's I have looked at in the dealership seem very well built. 
However hard to make a poor car better no matter how much the dealer does to
make it right. In my case I tend to loose confidence in a car that fails me
without a good cause (running out of gas, flat tires, etc don't count). 
The Avalon (for you Toyota advocates) has had rattles since day one, the
front brake calipers rattle as well in their housing (after three trips to
the dealer), automatic climate control completely failed after 5 months
requiring a replacement that took 5 weeks to get the parts on....
So my opinion is that it is the luck of the draw sometimes.
YMMV
Brad Purvis

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