Moving to Sugar Land

[CiprianS]

Hello, I will be moving to Sugar Land with no wife, no kids, absolutely no one with me. How is life over there? All my life I wanted to move to the US and now I finally got the chance and I managed to get a job in Sugar Land and now my big dream is about to become reality. I will have to run a lot at first for the SSN number, Texas driving licence, lease a BMW M3, find a rent and so on... and also socialize because I don't want to live all by myself there.

Are there any nice areas around where I can spend my time, any BMW M3 clubs in Houston that you recommend, meetings or something? Also, a good BMW dealership where I can get a good deal on a new BMW M3 E92 that is currently on stock because I don't think I will wait for one to be manufactured even if I get a free slot for a BMW M3 E92.

Thank you.

[TexasSpartan]

Let me be the first to welcome you to Texas! We've been here for about 4 years now and we're loving it. You'll enjoy Sugar Land, nice area. I'm in Katy, just a short drive north of SL. There's a number of BMW dealerships in the Houston area, I don't have any that I would recommend over the other, they're all about the same I guess. I just bought a 2011 E92 from Advantage BMW in Midtown (Houston) and was treated well and got a good deal. There is a Houston M Club that you can get info on in this same Southwest section. Houston Coffee & Cars meets the first Saturday of each month just north of the city averaging around 1500 cars every month. Do a Google search for info on that. Again, welcome to Texas!

[quiksi]

honestly if you're single without kids, I suggest moving to "Houston proper" - inside the 610 loop. Sugar Land is a great area, but very family oriented, and you won't find many places where young single people hang out.

[CiprianS]

Thank you for the kind welcome in Texas. I will be working in Sugar Land and that is why I will also stay there because I don't want a long comute to and from work. At first I will be staying at a hotel there for about 2 weeks and in this time I have to find myself an appartment to rent. Anyway, I am still waiting some feedbacks about the BMW dealers in Houston, which one do you recommend to get a good deal from. Thank you.

[///M Ryder]

Welcome to the area.....you'll enjoy living in Sugaland. As a single guy you'll need to drive into Houston for the majority of your entertainment initially. As stated above Sugarland is a family oriented area. Now to the stuff you really want to know.......there's a M Club in the area...... www.houstonmclub.com be sure to sign up on the home page. If you are willing to drive 50 miles for your car, BMW of the Woodlands has been excellent to deal with for me. I've gotten 5 cars from there in the past 6 years and there service has been great. PM me for details. Again, welcome to the area..........Phil

[CiprianS]

Thank you. Any other dealerships around where I can get a good deal? Can a dealer take a car from another dealer and sell it to me at a good price?

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

Thank you for the kind welcome in Texas. I will be working in Sugar Land and that is why I will also stay there because I don't want a long comute to and from work. At first I will be staying at a hotel there for about 2 weeks and in this time I have to find myself an appartment to rent. Anyway, I am still waiting some feedbacks about the BMW dealers in Houston, which one do you recommend to get a good deal from. Thank you.

Welcome! If you don't love the Houston area, then you're not making the right connections and doing the right things. Ask for help.

The Houston ///M Club is great (I see you've already been contacted about us). Come out to visit our next Track Day and meet people.

And, as mentioned previously, also, Sugar Land is great, but single-guy, don't live there. Come up to downtown, EaDo (East Downtown), or Galleria area, or The Heights, or Midtown. You can commute down Hwy 59 South, it won't be too bad. But if you reside in Sugar Land, you'll end up going to the above areas to find anything to do.

Again, welcome to Texas!

- V a u g h n

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[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

Thank you. Any other dealerships around where I can get a good deal? Can a dealer take a car from another dealer and sell it to me at a good price?

You might also consider either a European Delivery and/or a Performance Centre Delivery, too....just in case you weren't aware of those options.

I've had my service from Advantage BMW (Midtown [downtown] Houston) and they've been spectacular. Bought mine through a dealer in Atlanta for the Euro Deliv/PCD.

- V

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[CiprianS]

Originally Posted by VMcV3y

Welcome! If you don't love the Houston area, then you're not making the right connections and doing the right things. Ask for help.

The Houston ///M Club is great (I see you've already been contacted about us). Come out to visit our next Track Day and meet people.

And, as mentioned previously, also, Sugar Land is great, but single-guy, don't live there. Come up to downtown, EaDo (East Downtown), or Galleria area, or The Heights, or Midtown. You can commute down Hwy 59 South, it won't be too bad. But if you reside in Sugar Land, you'll end up going to the above areas to find anything to do.

Again, welcome to Texas!

- V a u g h n

.

I was just thinking to have a short comute to work, that is why I was thinking to live in Sugar Land, but if you all say that Sugar Land is not for living single, then I should start looking for a rental in Houston after I get there. Thank you for the welcome.

Originally Posted by VMcV3y

You might also consider either a European Delivery and/or a Performance Centre Delivery, too....just in case you weren't aware of those options.

I've had my service from Advantage BMW (Midtown [downtown] Houston) and they've been spectacular. Bought mine through a dealer in Atlanta for the Euro Deliv/PCD.

- V

.

Right now I live in Europe so... I will say no to the European Delivery I guess, the European Delivery will make me wait more until I get the dreamed M3. I am wondering, though, if there are still any left allocations for BMW's M3 E92... Unfortunately I am still not there, on the 30th of March I will be on the plane to Houston and on the 1st of April the earliest I will get to BMW dealerships to see if I can get an allocation.

I see that you are driving a Cabrio, how do you deal with it considering the high temperatures and high humidity you have there in Houston?

Thank you.

[BlueMonde]

Welcome to Houston!!
I moved to Houston in 2006 and no regrets
I know it can be a hassle moving in
If you need any assistance let me know

Lenny

[Kong Sheng Han]

Congratulations. As long as you have fun, you can live anywhere in Houston.

[Kong Sheng Han]

Originally Posted by TexasSpartan

Let me be the first to welcome you to Texas! We've been here for about 4 years now and we're loving it. You'll enjoy Sugar Land, nice area. I'm in Katy, just a short drive north of SL. There's a number of BMW dealerships in the Houston area, I don't have any that I would recommend over the other, they're all about the same I guess. I just bought a 2011 E92 from Advantage BMW in Midtown (Houston) and was treated well and got a good deal. There is a Houston M Club that you can get info on in this same Southwest section. Houston Coffee & Cars meets the first Saturday of each month just north of the city averaging around 1500 cars every month. Do a Google search for info on that. Again, welcome to Texas!

May I ask what part of Katy you're in? Just wondering. I'm in Cinco Ranch.

[Bx Tpr]

I'm from NYC, I don't know ya but I'm extremely envious because your first taste of America is going to be the greatest state of America. I can't wait to retire and get out of this wretched state/city and hopefully be your neighbor one day. I look forward to reading about your progress. Good luck.

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

<snipped>

I see that you are driving a Cabrio, how do you deal with it considering the high temperatures and high humidity you have there in Houston?

Thank you.

I had the top-down almost every single day of the year after March 2012. Usually, even in the worst heat of the summer, I could at least drop the roof in the morning, and until 10:00 am; then again after 7:00 pm. The sort of "limit" for me is 86 degrees F with the top-down, but I'm thoroughly acclimated to the southern climate. Of course, you can drive with the top down and use the air conditioner to help, also (but not using the "Auto" setting, no way!) I put almost 25,000 miles on the car since Jan 2012...and, seriously, most of that top-down. I wouldn't trade it for any other style of M3. [well, I love the coupe. and the sedan. ...but... LOL )


From what part of the EU are you departing?

- V

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[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by Kong Sheng Han

Congratulations. As long as you have fun, you can live anywhere in Houston.

+1



- V

.

[CiprianS]

Originally Posted by BlueMonde

Welcome to Houston!!
I moved to Houston in 2006 and no regrets
I know it can be a hassle moving in
If you need any assistance let me know

Lenny

Thank you for the kind welcome. I will be comming with two checked in baggages and 1 hand baggage and that's all. The hassle for me will be in finding a dealership with decent prices and also M3 E92 allocations left. And last but not least, to find a rental where to stay, I was almost convinced to move at Woodbridge appartaments in Sugar Land but if you say that for a single guy leaving in Sugar Land it's not worth it, I will search in Houston.

Ciprian.

Originally Posted by Bx Tpr

I'm from NYC, I don't know ya but I'm extremely envious because your first taste of America is going to be the greatest state of America. I can't wait to retire and get out of this wretched state/city and hopefully be your neighbor one day. I look forward to reading about your progress. Good luck.

Why do you consider Texas the greatest state of America? Please give me some details about that. After years and years your dream will become reality, no worries. I have always dreamed to live and work in the US and I finally got the chance to do that and did not think twice about that. I will be alone there, with no relatives, no friends, nothing... I have been in Europe detached on different projects but at least then I was kind of closer to home and I had a weekend at home once a month, this time the move will be final, I will only go home to my folks for Christmas. And guess what, I was looking to find something to work in Sugar Land because that area would fit very well my background, and that is exactly where I have found a job. So as long as you fight for your dreams, they can become reality.

Originally Posted by VMcV3y

I had the top-down almost every single day of the year after March 2012. Usually, even in the worst heat of the summer, I could at least drop the roof in the morning, and until 10:00 am; then again after 7:00 pm. The sort of "limit" for me is 86 degrees F with the top-down, but I'm thoroughly acclimated to the southern climate. Of course, you can drive with the top down and use the air conditioner to help, also (but not using the "Auto" setting, no way!) I put almost 25,000 miles on the car since Jan 2012...and, seriously, most of that top-down. I wouldn't trade it for any other style of M3. [well, I love the coupe. and the sedan. ...but... LOL )


From what part of the EU are you departing?

- V

.

It looks like we love the same adrenaline things... I also had a motorcycle, a 2008 Yamaha R6 which I have sold this year due to the fact that I was in the moving process. I am in a big dilema about the car, coupe or convertible, DCT or manual.

I am departing from Eastern Europe, from a country that it is an ally of the US but does not have access to the visa waiver program unfortunately. You also have one military base here and another one that will be completely operational in two years if I remember well. Let's see if you can figure out from where I am moving.

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

<snipped>

It looks like we love the same adrenaline things... I also had a motorcycle, a 2008 Yamaha R6 which I have sold this year due to the fact that I was in the moving process. I am in a big dilema about the car, coupe or convertible, DCT or manual.

I am departing from Eastern Europe, from a country that it is an ally of the US but does not have access to the visa waiver program unfortunately. You also have one military base here and another one that will be completely operational in two years if I remember well. Let's see if you can figure out from where I am moving.

Did a poll a few months ago on how many convertible drivers were also motorcyclists. The results were not scientific, but it seemed about more than half of the total respondents were current or former motorcyclists. And slightly less than half respondents of convertibles were bikers. I'm a long-time motorcyclist, but frankly haven't ridden either two-wheeler much since getting the convertible...it's almost as much fun and has an air conditioner and windshield wipers when needed.

Okay, from where in Eastern Europe? Turkey? CZ? Slovakia?

If you rent an apartment anywhere in the Houston area, it'll be fine. Get one in Sugar Land, and then you can spend the next 8 months figuring out where you might want to live for a more permanent option. You'll need about a year to get the hang of the metropolis anyhow.

Travel safe.

- V


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[CiprianS]

None of the countries mentioned, I am from Romania.
I am still thinking if I should get a bike again or not in the US... time will tell if I will miss the 2 wheels adrenaline or not.
I have two weeks in which I will stay at a hotel in Sugar Land, in this time I hope I will make an idea about the comute to work, how much time I will loose on the daily comute to work or if there is any window in the traffic at some hours that I won't get any traffic jams.

And my question : DCT or 6MT, coupe or convertible? These are hard choices.

Originally Posted by VMcV3y

Travel safe.

- V

.

Thank you.

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

None of the countries mentioned, I am from Romania.
I am still thinking if I should get a bike again or not in the US... time will tell if I will miss the 2 wheels adrenaline or not.
I have two weeks in which I will stay at a hotel in Sugar Land, in this time I hope I will make an idea about the comute to work, how much time I will loose on the daily comute to work or if there is any window in the traffic at some hours that I won't get any traffic jams.

And my question : DCT or 6MT, coupe or convertible? These are hard choices.



Thank you.

There's much debate on forums about DCT and 6MT, and among coupe and convertible and sedan. The nice thing is that we have options to suit everyone's preference.

I grew up driving manual transmissions, so my choice for a DCT had noting to do with capability. But I liked the smoothness of DCT and the quasi-ability to do manual-style shifting if desired. I've found that, at least on Track Day, the manual-style shifting is faster and better; but for the other 99% of driving time, the DCT is perfection. I prefer DCT. If I had purchased a track-only vehicle, it would probably be a 6MT.

The M3 convertible was the first convertible I've ever driven...not until I got it in München did I even drive an M3. I knew within the first .00005 seconds the convertible was the proper choice. As mentioned earlier, I've had lots of motorcycles and I love the wind and being "out" with the car. Some people get sort of an unprotected feel with stopping at a traffic light and that "open" that there's not a roof or glass to protect them. I'm used to that on motorcycles, so... I'd suggest that when you get to Houston, you either take a couple of test drives, or maybe attend a M club event and ask to do a few parking-lot circles in the different cars.

Motorcycles: Every American in every city swears that that particular city is the worst in the world for motorcycle riding. It's all the same -- slightly dangerous because vehicle drivers are lousy, in general. The general North American driver is unskilled & distracted. They have no sense of flow, and couldn't tell you what's going in a radius more than one meter around their vehicle. So... if you get a motorcycle here, be prepared to drive extremely defensively (observant). Frankly, since I got the convertible, I don't ride bikes hardly at all...just not that thrilling. But you can find good motorcycle dealers here, and accessories (not as good as Western Europe stores) are okay. Probably more prudent to get the M3 first, then decide whether you really care about a motorcycle as much. One nice benefit to motorcycles in Houston, though, is that you can take advantage of the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes that allow fast motorway access during heavy traffic periods.

- V

[CiprianS]

Thank you for the input. I have been driving manuals since I got the driving licence and that's over 11 years ago. I don't remember riding anything else with steptronic besides a friend's X6 and a test drive with a E90 330xd, but no DCT driven before. So the problem is not of changing the gears because I have changed them manually all my life, it is about what to get, if I should try something new or not. Regarding the bike, the traffic is horible here, too for bikers so nothing new. I will just have to think about the bike better.

Now I get back with my question: are there any allocations left in Houston for a BMW M3 E92?

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by CiprianS

<snipped>

Now I get back with my question: are there any allocations left in Houston for a BMW M3 E92?

I can't answer that one.

There's a thread somewhere on the main M3 board about allocations running low all over the country.

This is the most recently success order that I can find where there's a thread about the OP's attempt to get an order-in:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...ght=allocation

- V

[CiprianS]

Hmm... I am curious, can someone call Advantage BMW, BMW Houston North and Midtown BMW in Houston to see if they still have any allocations for a BMW M3 E92? For all of you it would be a local call, for me it would be an international call. Anyway, if they run out of allocations for E92 then... E93 is for me, it's settled.