[z1ppo325i]

WTF is right..... thats just confusing.......

[NaTuReB0Y]

oprah needs dr. phil's advice......

[Ghunger]

Boy, that's a tough problem. If you're in NYC would you really want a car? paying for parking etc. You'd lose a lot selling it, but if you kept it, it would just sit around while you paid for it.

Myself, I had my truck all through college and it sat around a whole lot but I had bought it used and paid outright. I only drove it on weekends really, going skiing, hiking, etc. I also lived 3 hrs from home so I could drive home sometimes, which wouldn't really be practical for you. But for those reasons alone I'm glad I had it.

I guess I'd just take GKVe90's advice and work it all out step by step. Price out how much it would cost for all your options and pick the one that fits best. In my situation, it was worth it. Yours? guess you'll have to figure it out. I don't think I'd tow a Uhaul with an E90 across the country though.

[BellasBmw]

Yeah its a tough choice, I guess i have to wait and see where i get accepted to. If i get accepted to a school within nyc, then having a car would be unpractical unless i was living with a family or an apartment that had on street parking, like somewhere outside of manhatten. But then again, i would hate to make payments on a car that is sitting in san diego. Or, id lose $5k selling it. Such a shitty decision.. either way i gotta figure it out. I rather personally ship my car out there to avoid the mileage, road conditions..etc. but my gfs want to take a road trip cross country.. Could be fun..

[ase2dais]

I understand the trouble and expense of X-country, but I feel its something you can always look back to in life, and can say Ive done it. I had an opportunity in life to do it while I was your age, stationed in CA, and had an assignment to Germany. I did it on my own too, it was difficult, but in todays age, you have the comforts of home; Ipods, cell phone, video cams to take some memories home or send thru IMs, wow! the possibilities are endless. Remember, this opporturnity may only come ones, Are you going to stop a pause a smell the roses, go the usual fast track? You have alot of the later once you reach NYC.
Im from NYC/NJ once too. Maybe, you can try the hidden treasures of DC-NoVA and try colleges here too, Georgetown, or George Washington University and host of others. This area is as trendy as you can make it, plus your not far from home. Good luck on the car, but dont let it live you!

[StewtheBassman]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

Yea, if the place is furnished, i just need my clothes and small things anyway. So.. its prob cool without it.

All your shirts are child sizes, they should fit in the area where the spare tire used to be!

[StewtheBassman]

My big worry if I was moving to NYC is where I would PARK the E90. NYC isn't terribly car-friendly last time I checked...and parking is very expensive, eh?

However, I would want to keep the car no matter what.

Maybe I missed something Bella, but what school in NYC has it over anything you could find on the West Coast, besides new life experiences?

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by StewtheBassman

My big worry if I was moving to NYC is where I would PARK the E90. NYC isn't terribly car-friendly last time I checked...and parking is very expensive, eh?

However, I would want to keep the car no matter what.

Maybe I missed something Bella, but what school in NYC has it over anything you could find on the West Coast, besides new life experiences?

Its not so much the school, its just moving and doing something new. I rather just go to school while im out there so im not wasting any more time. But we'll see what the future holds, im pretty set on trying it out though.. I rather regret doing it, than regret not doing it at all.

[z1ppo325i]

why NYC?
hehe, besides being the most lively city in the world, it has very good schools within it. you wont regret your stay there. but i really doubt you need your car. although i hate to say this, if you want NYC experience with your car, you should just look for schools in NJ. its much cheaper to find a place in Jersey and it still has close proximity. Or you can opt to goto Philly!

[txusa03]

Sell car to your dad and tell him the reason is because you are going back to school.

[Dante]

I say sell the car, Scott certainly is willing to get you everywhere you want in his e90

haha, just kiddin. Tough decision. But I think living in or near NYC is a very rewarding experience. I would do the x-country ride, but only can hardly imagine what a trip that might be. Crossing my country is 600 miles at the most!

Good luck, Antonella

[StewtheBassman]

The cross country drive would be a bona fide BLAST. I've always dreamed of doing that one!

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by StewtheBassman

The cross country drive would be a bona fide BLAST. I've always dreamed of doing that one!

Yeah ive always thought about doing X country, i told myself i have to do it once while im still young.. i just never thought id do it in a brand new bmw though haha.
Im thinking once i get out there and see how it is, ill decide on what to do with my car. If i love it and i can see myself living in nyc for a while, ill lose more money making payments than just selling it off. I guess the only thing i can do is just wait and see what schools i get accepted to.

[longtran]

look at this picture. you can tow?

[Bananenboom]

Originally Posted by longtran

look at this picture. you can tow?

That is the origional BMW hitch. It is controlled by a button in the trunk. And you can swing it away, so you don't see a thing of it. In Europe the 325i is allowed to tow 1600kg (max 12% slope). 330i 1700kg, 325xi 1700kg, 330xi 1800kg.

[KMA]

Hmmm... back when I was in grad b-school at NYU (finished in 2001), I kept my 2000 328Ci garaged--and it sat a lot of the time. I would not recommend it unless you are rife with cash. Overhead for keeping your car around adds up fast...

You have to figure something like $350 - $450 (and some areas of the city even more) for indoor parking (not to mention tips so the attendants be a little more careful when cramming your car in).

My auto insurance also tripled in Manhattan to a little over $4,000/year.

So, if you do the math, even if you lose $5,000 by selling your car, you'd spend far more than that over a year or two just to have it available to you in the city.

Last note, even with a good garage and tips for the fellas, your car will still get some damage. So that's potentially additional overhead as well. No matter how nice your car, it will get bumper dings or otherwise in a Manhattan garage.

On the flipside, it was fantastic to have a car around to get out of the city whenever I felt like it. People will tell you to just rent a car if you get that urge, but rentals are actually hard to find around holidays and the summer. Also, I would sometimes just want to take it out and would drive from where I was (midtown East) down to, say, Tribeca. Late night on the FDR presented some nice views heading into the financial district. Priceless

I'm losing my own case here... Anyway, so if NYC ends up being the destination, do it if you can--but just go into it knowing the costs.

[BellasBmw]

Thanks for the response. I doubt ill live within manhatten. Im thinking outside in Queens, Brookyln, or Long Island. Manhatten is way $$

[Oz]

Bellas..Just come to NJ and bring the BMW

[UncleWede]

Whether you keep the car or not, DRIVE to your new destination. And plan for at least a week. Have you seen much outside of SD? I used to love going on the long trips with the family. Had granparents in Iowa and Oregon. Each year we'd take a 2-week vacation, spending about 3-4 days each way to whichever we went to see. Grand Canyon, Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Indian reservations, giant Dinosaurs, greasy spoons and truck stops, . . . . There is SO much that is SO different than SD to see along the way. See all teh wonderful national parks BEFORE they are drilled for the tiny bits of oil that are under them. Your grandparents' grandparnets saved those beautiful lands so you could see them.

[KMA]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

Thanks for the response. I doubt ill live within manhatten. Im thinking outside in Queens, Brookyln, or Long Island. Manhatten is way $$

Reading through your responses, sounds like you've got the right thinking in just keeping flexible and playing it somewhat by ear based on where you get into school and where you end up living. If you can get keeping it to work, sounds like you'll find a way. Maybe you can find some tri-state benefactor with a 4-car garage and an extra (heated) stall to just let you keep it in there for free--then you can have it stored safely, cheaply, and get access to it when you need it without having to sell it

BTW, I grew up in LA, undergrad in Santa Barbara, worked in SF Bay Area--then headed east to CT, NY, and now NJ. Headed eastward with a lot of reservations--but it's been a wild ride that has been fantastic. Wherever you head, you'll never regret stepping out of wherever your current comfort zone may be to someplace totally new....

[UncleWede]

Scottz has a 4 car garage???!!!

[timlang]

If you do decide to keep the car, you could drive the car there and simply ship your items with a bonded carrier. This would probably be cheaper than the cost to get a hitch installed on the car and renting a trailer, assuming that would even work with the cars load limit.