BMW or NOT

[Steve135i]

Why do I keep coming across so many people who tell me to stay clear of BMW's ??? This has bothered me along time. Not just a few people mind you, I am so nervous about buying one. It makes me really wonder why I hear so much less about American made cars. I have had MANY American and Japanese cars and really haven't ever had bad problems. Nothing like the things I have heard and read about BMW's for some time???

[yourfriend]

it's because people who can't afford them are jealous... that's my theory at least.

[emm3tt]

Originally Posted by yourfriend

it's because people who can't afford them are jealous... that's my theory at least.

Yep. This will be my 4th BMW (2 E36 M3s and an E30 325is) and I couldn't have been any happier with any of them.

[1ToBeOn2Wheels]

There are certain quirks and issues that we accept to drive an overall superior brand. Besides, nothing drives quite like the vehicles of Deutschland, other issues aside.

[jbenington86]

because A) they bought a used one B) they assume it is just like any other car and fill the fuilds with generic crap!

Gotta ask them up front....have you ever owned a brand new BMW? if not, anything they said bad about BMW is void!

[S54dan]

BMW is a driver's car made by genius engineers. The car is made to drive, not to be the most reliable, economically friendly, gas saver.

You sacrifice those by buying a BMW instead of a Honda

[Qube]

You don't need to say anything, just give them a copy of the "Anticipation" video they give on pre-delivery

[1speedbike]

I've noticed FIERCE loyalty among american and japanese car buyers. Not even at the level of "____ IS THE ONLY CAR I'LL EVER BUY" but above and beyond; it's more like "JAPANESE/AMERICAN CARS ARE THE BEST ALL OTHER CARS ARE CRAP IF YOU BUY A CAR FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY I WILL MURDER YOUR FAMILY" type loyalty.

A friend of mine told me to get the Caddy CTS over the 1-series. I explained to him, I love the CTS, it's around the same price, the interior is actually nicer, it's big comfy and upscale, BUT I want a smaller sporty car that's fun as hell to drive, and nothing's more fun than a BMW. He freakin blew up! I never heard the end of it! He touted the "sportiness" of the CTS (yeah sporty compared to the rest of Caddy's lineup) and even praised "Cadillac's rock solid reliability" over "BMW's break after a month quality"..

Same thing with japanese car buyers, especially rice rocket fans (not that there's anything wrong with the cars, it's some of the people that piss me off). There's plenty of people on this forum who made a switch from an evo or sti i've noticed, but there's many more people who I think would take their evo or sti to their graves. Don't try to tell them that even though an sti's a bona fide rally car made for consumers that might beat a 135i in terms of some numbers and specs, it can't match the driving fun and handling; you'll wake up with one of those fugly spoilers through your brain the next morning...

[lamini]

it's not for everybody, if it was....you wouldn't want one.

[Slappy32@gmail.com]

My 135 vert will be my fourth BMW in a row. (2000 M Roadster, 2002 X5, 2005 325i) and I will continue in the future until I can afford an Aston Martin DB9. Their warranty is superior, but with that said, even with the small number of issues I've had, I would never own one out of warranty. I have watched repair bills kill a friend of mine who bought a used out of warranty 325.

[1ToBeOn2Wheels]

Originally Posted by 1speedbike

I've noticed FIERCE loyalty among american and japanese car buyers. Not even at the level of "____ IS THE ONLY CAR I'LL EVER BUY" but above and beyond; it's more like "JAPANESE/AMERICAN CARS ARE THE BEST ALL OTHER CARS ARE CRAP IF YOU BUY A CAR FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY I WILL MURDER YOUR FAMILY" type loyalty.

A friend of mine told me to get the Caddy CTS over the 1-series. I explained to him, I love the CTS, it's around the same price, the interior is actually nicer, it's big comfy and upscale, BUT I want a smaller sporty car that's fun as hell to drive, and nothing's more fun than a BMW. He freakin blew up! I never heard the end of it! He touted the "sportiness" of the CTS (yeah sporty compared to the rest of Caddy's lineup) and even praised "Cadillac's rock solid reliability" over "BMW's break after a month quality"..

Same thing with japanese car buyers, especially rice rocket fans (not that there's anything wrong with the cars, it's some of the people that piss me off). There's plenty of people on this forum who made a switch from an evo or sti i've noticed, but there's many more people who I think would take their evo or sti to their graves. Don't try to tell them that even though an sti's a bona fide rally car made for consumers that might beat a 135i in terms of some numbers and specs, it can't match the driving fun and handling; you'll wake up with one of those fugly spoilers through your brain the next morning...

+1.

This is soo true. Although, to my discredit, I think I'm starting to become this way about German cars.

[emm3tt]

Originally Posted by Slappy32@gmail.com

My 135 vert will be my fourth BMW in a row. (2000 M Roadster, 2002 X5, 2005 325i) and I will continue in the future until I can afford an Aston Martin DB9. Their warranty is superior, but with that said, even with the small number of issues I've had, I would never own one out of warranty. I have watched repair bills kill a friend of mine who bought a used out of warranty 325.

...ymmv....I've owned an M3 to 129k miles, 115k miles, and an E30 to 130k miles. My roommate has an M3 with 200k miles, his dad had an E30 with almost 300k miles, and currently has an E39 with 250k miles.

If you keep up with the normal stuff, you can run these cars forever. Not saying that it's gonna be CHEAP, but it's definitely doable.

[Brandon26pdx]

Most people don't take very great care of their cars, which can be costly when you're driving a sporty Euro like a BMW. The general public tends to buy cars for practical reasons compared to enthusiasts, so they're probably speaking from that standpoint when they stamp a negative conotation on a brand.

If you buy it brand new and treat it nicely I would be suprised if it really cost you so much more money to own one compared to say, a Toyota. The warranty and maintenence plans help too. My local dealer replaced all the brake pads and rotors on my car and it didn't cost me squat.

[yourfriend]

Originally Posted by 1ToBeOn2Wheels

+1.

This is soo true. Although, to my discredit, I think I'm starting to become this way about German cars.

i've always loved german cars and thought of them as superior engineering marvels to all other types of cars too, actually. my dad drove his 1990 bmw 535i for 14 years and now owns a porsche, my mom owns a mercedes, my sister owns an audi, and i just picked up my bmw today... it runs in the family.

and, future job permitting when i get out of college, i will try to stay loyal to german cars... even if it means getting a volkswagen.

so it happens to everyone. my grandpa is a die hard mustang guy. i hate them.

it all comes down to this: different strokes for different folks.

[swiftss13]

As long as you do the preventive maintenence on BMWs they will last practically forever. I know people who still autocross their E30s with 125,000 to 150,000 miles. it is all about who takes care of the car.

[sunking420]

My stupid redneck brother-in-law(who always knows more, owns better, on and on)has my five year old nephew telling me when he grows up, he's gonna have a Chevy Camaro, and he's gonna smoke me. All I say is "Sure, kid." The stupid redneck brother-in-law has gone through a new Ford truck a year for about the last six years, as every one of them break down.(He's murder on the trannys, driving like an idiot all the time) I guess he's loyal to Chevys now. I buy what I want, and if someone doesn't like it, let's just say I'm not losing any sleep over it.......I love Bimmers, but if I had the bread to buy a Ferrari California,well you know......I'm loyal to myself....

[BMW Dreamer]

Originally Posted by Slappy32@gmail.com

My 135 vert will be my fourth BMW in a row. (2000 M Roadster, 2002 X5, 2005 325i) and I will continue in the future until I can afford an Aston Martin DB9. Their warranty is superior, but with that said, even with the small number of issues I've had, I would never own one out of warranty. I have watched repair bills kill a friend of mine who bought a used out of warranty 325.

I also have heard to get an extended warranty or sell before the factory warranty is up. Kind of sad.

[JB135i]

Originally Posted by Dan@UnitedBMW

BMW is a driver's car made by genius engineers. The car is made to drive, not to be the most reliable, economically friendly, gas saver.

You sacrifice those by buying a BMW instead of a Honda

Cept the S2000 of course:headbang:

I once got 26 mpg on a tank (boring few hundred miles though). One of the most reliable cars on the market. Raw, fast and fun to drive.

Kinda wish I hadn't traded mine actually....

[buckwheat986]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

I also have heard to get an extended warranty or sell before the factory warranty is up. Kind of sad.

This is just BS. (as is the whole thread)


You guys base your opinions on what happened to one owner or from what you heard.


There is a reason BMW's are among the leaders in holding resale value in the industry.

And its not because they fall apart once the warranty is over.

[BMW Dreamer]

Originally Posted by JB135i

Cept the S2000 of course:headbang:

I once got 26 mpg on a tank (boring few hundred miles though). One of the most reliable cars on the market. Raw, fast and fun to drive.

Kinda wish I hadn't traded mine actually....

What are you saying? Was your S2000 more fun than your 135i ?

I love beating the $hit out of my 07 Si and never having problems. NADA 0. I wish it had 50 more HP and torque, I might just keep it. Many friends keep telling me to just turbo charge my Si and probably do about 5 seconds to 60. I have a friend that put $10k into his 07 Si and its a ROCKET.

[BJDrew]

Maintaining a BMW is costly. No one will argue that - and there have been issues with some of the electrical do-dads with any car.

The build quality of a BMW is typically among the best. You will not - like in many American cars - find buttons and knobs falling off, rattles and shakes, serious design flaws requiring recalls, etc.

Japanese parts tend to be less expensive.

I think looking at the residual value, initial quality, and other objective data - you will see that BMWs are excellent cars, well-built and quite costly to repair and maintain in the event there is a problem.

I loved all of mine - and one was a 'problem child' (2003 Z4)

[warmtoes]

Steve135, with all the posts I've seen from you I would have to say you should stick to a Honda. Go get a new Accord Coupe and you'll be happy. Sorry if this sounds condescending but with all the apprehension you've shown in your posts you probably will never really enjoy having a 1 if you're always worried about it breaking down.