1er and Seattle

[harrytruman]

I'll be moving to Seattle within the next couple months and I'm trying to get a handle on what's what around the PNW. I don't know where I'll be living yet, but it looks like it will probably be somewhere near-ish downtown. How's parking around Seattle? Are there any reliable dealers or private shops? I'm new to both BMWs and Seattle, so any/all advice is welcome!

[Revelate]

How's parking around Seattle?

Crap, like any big city. Most remaining surface lots are being ripped up for buildings. I suggest buying a used Civic and ignore the inevitable curb rash and bumper/door damage.

Are there any reliable dealers or private shops?

Yes, BMW Seattle is better than average for most people, and there are a lot of independent BMW and/or German repair shops that do good work which are typically about 25% less than the hourly dealer rates ($130 vs. $100).

[harrytruman]

Depending on my job, I'll hopefully be keeping my car at home for the most part. I hope so for my car's sake, at least.

[dorkdog]

Did you end up moving here? I've been here a month and have yet to see another 1er - lots of Z3s and 3 and 5 series. Did you find a decent shop?

[harrytruman]

Originally Posted by dorkdog

Did you end up moving here? I've been here a month and have yet to see another 1er - lots of Z3s and 3 and 5 series. Did you find a decent shop?

Yep, I've been out here for a bit over a year. And 1ers are definitely around the area. They're obviously not as prevalent as other models but they're here. And there were five 1Ms at the CCA M car meet in Tacoma earlier this month and I've seen three driving around on their own throughout the past year.

As for shops, my friend gets his e30 serviced at Precision Motorworks in Queen Anne. They do great work at very reasonable prices. My 1er still has the CPO warranty until the end of next year so any warranty work I go to BMW Seattle.