BMW Owners thread

[OutThere]

Nice! I usually figure if you have an automatic you are poser, especially in the smaller vehicles like the 3's and Z4's or you debadge a 325/328.

My friend re-badged his heavily customized E36 M3 as a 328. It has been dyno tested at 430 hp. Supercharger, intercooler, dry sump, race suspension, ultralight flywheel and plenty more mean there are precious few cars that can keep up. The 328 badge just lulls people into a false sense of security. Rawest, most visceral car I've driven.

 

[senseless]

Z4 automatic just doesn't seem right at all. A sports car should be totally linked to the driver.

 

[MacHamster68]

Nice! I usually figure if you have an automatic you are poser, especially in the smaller vehicles like the 3's and Z4's or you debadge a 325/328.

thats something i have to agree too and extend it to every car not only BMW's , but i understand that people with disabilities might need a automatic car

but i plan to get a BMW again , just not a new one ,and not a powerful one by todays standards either and hopefully i have more luck this time
NO not a Isetta , despite i 'd love to get a Isetta too ,but the BMW i have in mind is the BMW 700 coupe as thats the car i remember from my childhood as my father had one

in one respect the 700 was what the iMac G3 was for Apple , a lifesaver as its the car that rescued BMW from bankruptcy
a unusual car in BMW history as it had like the Volkswagen Beetle and the Porsche 911 a rear mounted boxer engine (but only 2 cylinder )

 

[tigres]

The way I look at it, if you own, it's cool, but if you lease, you are a poser.

This is an interesting view.

I have always looked at the cost of transportation as nothing more than a liability on the books, not an asset.

It costs me x to have a car for a 12 month period, and it's up to me to decide what vehicle fits that budget and gives me the cheapest cost of entry, with the maintenance built in (insurance is a factor as well).

My first BMW was a leased used CPO 1995 525i, leased it over the phone sight unseen for 274/month 36 months, nothing down.

I never paid a dime in repairs or upkeep with that car. Then, I turned it in for a 1997 528i 5 speed, at the tune of 380/month- again CPO nothing down for 30 months through BMW financial.

The key to leases (back in the day of course) was low miles and high residual. Coupled in with a low rate factor, BMW used to push their CPO vehicles with such deals you could drive one cheaper than a new Grand Prix, that is how they ended up hooking me as a client for life. Great service, always get a free BMW loaner while they fixed mine for free, along with a nice cup of coffee and bagel.

My 540 was leased out of JMK in NJ, again sight unseen. Drove my 528 on a nice long road trip, turned it in and drove the exact same coler car (with the nice big engine home ) home again. That lease was 474 /month 36 months, CPO again- loved that car.

Enter 2005 M3.
A local import dealer calls me up on Xmas week in 05. I had been shopping his showroom for about 3 months considering a Mercedes c class (passed due to the poor warranty and too cushy less aggressive drive experience) or another BMW.

Lease deals at this time were weak, and I had to turn in my 540 in March of the upcoming year, or extend it a couple of months. I get a call the week of X mas from Greg the salesman telling me to come in and look at this M3. It had 3800 miles on it.

Leased that through 5/3 for 580/ month w/ first and last due. He sold me that lease @ 46k, the sticker that year was 64k 8 months prior to my purchase. The guy who traded it needed cash fast.

At any rate, I ended up again driving this CPO M3 ever since. Then in 08' I bought it from 5/3 @ 29k 2.99% interest. This is only the 4th car in my life I have ever owned, and one I will probably keep forever.

So leasing actually can be very prudent if you have the time and energy to shop and price the right car. Remember, back in the day nobody really offered this sort of warrantys BMW was offering, and that was a very cost effective determination when the overall cost of ownership is calculated. Hell, oil changes were even covered- the only thing that was not were tires.

I drive about 7k mile a year. Today my M3 has 43k mile on it. Maybe I could drive something more prudent now that I am older, but...nah, nothing drives like a BMW. Every time I start the engine, I smile- to this day I have never grown tired of that car; not many can say the same IMO.

 

[Jay42]

My dad bought a 2008 335xi coupe because the Audi S5's were sold out and Audi is truly terrible with their availability. Its amazing how little they can do for you even when you have $50k plus to drop on a car.

In any event, he likes it, but not as much as the Audis. I have to say, I tend to agree with him. The engine (and its noises) are superb and the grip and acceleration are excellent, but something about the driving position/steering/transmission make it a little less enjoyable. I'm sure he would benefit from shorter shift linkage, and chirping the tires going from 1st to 2nd certainly never gets old .

Perhaps its a more precise machine than the Audi, but I find the smoother shifting and lighter steering more fun.

He's now looking to replace it with the likes of a TT-RS.

 

[d0ster]

^ The body lines on our E46 M3's is timeless.

Not sure where you are located but once year there is an event in Vegas called MFest, usually around April. Hundreds of M's caravan and converge in Sin City. I've been twice already and it's an amazing event. People caravan from all over, Canada, Florida, Chicago, etc. Definitely check it out!

 

[GeekLawyer]

You guys need a history lesson.

Here's mine (pictures lifted straight from my post in the 'Post your Car' thread)

That is a sweet little car! Reminds me of my '76 2002 that I toyed around with while in law school.

My daily driver is an '07 328i and my previous car was a '00 528i. I've been feeling the itch to make a change. The pics in this thread aren't helping.

 

[OutThere]

I drive about 7k mile a year. Today my M3 has 43k mile on it. Maybe I could drive something more prudent now that I am older, but...nah, nothing drives like a BMW. Every time I start the engine, I smile- to this day I have never grown tired of that car; not many can say the same IMO.

Leasing certainly can make great sense if you only drive 7k miles a year. Year to date I've put 21,000 miles on my car. I'd likely lease something if I had less driving to do.

 

[Vudoo]

Nice! I usually figure if you have an automatic you are poser, especially in the smaller vehicles like the 3's and Z4's or you debadge a 325/328.

As for the poser question, what are people pretending to be when they drive a BMW? I've been called a snob, uppity and other things when I tell people I drive a BMW. Why would anyone want to pretend to be like that? I have a friend who owns an E60 M5, but he doesn't want anyone to know.

Here's a photo of mine. A 325i and an automatic with Dinan suspension, I guess I must be a poser then.

Z4 automatic just doesn't seem right at all. A sports car should be totally linked to the driver.

Is this because of nostalgia or real performance gains? Lamborghini is getting rid of manual transmission. Ferrari produces plenty without manual transmission. Both companies produce fine sport cars. Even BMWs SMG with DCT seems to be performing well.

I haven't driven a real manual since college, but I'm okay with that considering how many times I've been stuck in traffic barely moving.

 

[likemyorbs]

As for the poser question, what are people pretending to be when they drive a BMW? I've been called a snob, uppity and other things when I tell people I drive a BMW. Why would anyone want to pretend to be like that? I have a friend who owns an E60 M5, but he doesn't want anyone to know.

That's just ridiculous. Calling you a snob and uppity is just a sign of jealously in my opinion. It's crazy your friend doesn't want anyone to know about his bmw, that's a bit over the top.

 

[MacHamster68]

This is an interesting view.

I have always looked at the cost of transportation as nothing more than a liability on the books, not an asset.

It costs me x to have a car for a 12 month period, and it's up to me to decide what vehicle fits that budget and gives me the cheapest cost of entry, with the maintenance built in (insurance is a factor as well).

My first BMW was a leased used CPO 1995 525i, leased it over the phone sight unseen for 274/month 36 months, nothing down.

I never paid a dime in repairs or upkeep with that car. Then, I turned it in for a 1997 528i 5 speed, at the tune of 380/month- again CPO nothing down for 30 months through BMW financial.

The key to leases (back in the day of course) was low miles and high residual. Coupled in with a low rate factor, BMW used to push their CPO vehicles with such deals you could drive one cheaper than a new Grand Prix, that is how they ended up hooking me as a client for life. Great service, always get a free BMW loaner while they fixed mine for free, along with a nice cup of coffee and bagel.

My 540 was leased out of JMK in NJ, again sight unseen. Drove my 528 on a nice long road trip, turned it in and drove the exact same coler car (with the nice big engine home ) home again. That lease was 474 /month 36 months, CPO again- loved that car.

Enter 2005 M3.
A local import dealer calls me up on Xmas week in 05. I had been shopping his showroom for about 3 months considering a Mercedes c class (passed due to the poor warranty and too cushy less aggressive drive experience) or another BMW.

Lease deals at this time were weak, and I had to turn in my 540 in March of the upcoming year, or extend it a couple of months. I get a call the week of X mas from Greg the salesman telling me to come in and look at this M3. It had 3800 miles on it.

Leased that through 5/3 for 580/ month w/ first and last due. He sold me that lease @ 46k, the sticker that year was 64k 8 months prior to my purchase. The guy who traded it needed cash fast.

At any rate, I ended up again driving this CPO M3 ever since. Then in 08' I bought it from 5/3 @ 29k 2.99% interest. This is only the 4th car in my life I have ever owned, and one I will probably keep forever.

So leasing actually can be very prudent if you have the time and energy to shop and price the right car. Remember, back in the day nobody really offered this sort of warrantys BMW was offering, and that was a very cost effective determination when the overall cost of ownership is calculated. Hell, oil changes were even covered- the only thing that was not were tires.

I drive about 7k mile a year. Today my M3 has 43k mile on it. Maybe I could drive something more prudent now that I am older, but...nah, nothing drives like a BMW. Every time I start the engine, I smile- to this day I have never grown tired of that car; not many can say the same IMO.

ok if you only drive 7k a year then leasing is a option , i never get under 40k+ miles a year and thats only with my private car , not to metion the 100k miles in my business van per annum (1000miles a trip are no rarity ,somtimes i even need to hire a driver with van as i cant be everywhere at the same time) , a reason why i would not drive a BMW for every day use , the upkeep would be ridiculous high not to mention the cost of petrol, my everyday car does happy 55mpg, if i am ambitious i get 65mpg
On the other hand i life in the UK so any vehicle thats a lot faster then the speed limit on Motorways (70mph)seems to me like wasted money

 

[tigres]

ok if you only drive 7k a year then leasing is a option , i never get under 40k+ miles a year and thats only with my private car , not to metion the 100k miles in my business van per annum (1000miles a trip are no rarity ,somtimes i even need to hire a driver with van as i cant be everywhere at the same time) , a reason why i would not drive a BMW for every day use , the upkeep would be ridiculous high not to mention the cost of petrol, my everyday car does happy 55mpg, if i am ambitious i get 65mpg
On the other hand i life in the UK so any vehicle thats a lot faster then the speed limit on Motorways seems to me like wasted money

7k/year has not always been the case. Used to drive 12-18k depending.

 

[senseless]

Modern cars can be driven well past the lease return point, with minimal maintenance costs. Turning in a car at 36K miles is leaving a lot on the table. Why absorb half of the depreciation and then give it away?

 

[MacHamster68]

Modern cars can be driven well past the lease return point, with minimal maintenance costs. Turning in a car at 36K miles is leaving a lot on the table. Why absorb half of the depreciation and then give it away?

past the lease is good ,i dont lease as i drive to many miles and i drive the car until it gets to expensive to get it fixed , my last car used for both private and business i had 3 years
I have driven a bit over 300k miles in those 3 years
(regular service is important ) and whats your understanding of minimal maintenance cost , Brakes , Cambelt multiple times , al liquids .... Tyres at 300k all that comes quiet often and adds up and in my case everything nearly every year and some things multiple times , so its important to me to have a car thats really cheap to maintain, no need really for comfort , it needs to bring me from A to B at minimal cost.
So for me a BMW can only be a 2nd car for weekends as a hobby ,thats why i look for oltimers where i still can do most things by myself

 

[OutThere]

Is this because of nostalgia or real performance gains? Lamborghini is getting rid of manual transmission. Ferrari produces plenty without manual transmission. Both companies produce fine sport cars. Even BMWs SMG with DCT seems to be performing well.

I haven't driven a real manual since college, but I'm okay with that considering how many times I've been stuck in traffic barely moving.

Plain old torque-converter automatics are entirely different than the automated-manual gearboxes in Lamborghinis and Ferraris, which allow the driver complete control over nearly instantaneous shifts. Similar auto-manual boxes are available on various models from more mainstream manufacturers as well, and they are miles ahead of a conventional automatic.

The ability to have direct control over what gear you are in, and to have the engine directly locked to the wheels with a clutch, are the most important things. The auto-manuals shift faster than anyone can with a stick shift, and therefore are faster off the line, but I think there's still an appeal to the sense of oneness with the machine that you get by working the wheel, gas, clutch, brake and shifter. In that regard I also prefer a direct throttle linkage to the e-throttles that have become popular today—I hate putting my foot down and feeling the split second pause as the computer decides if it is going to let me have the power I'm requesting. Worse yet than that is trying to take a spirited drive on a twisty road in an automatic, and having it upshift as you let off the gas coming into a turn, leaving you with no power as you come out of the turn. That's why sports cars should be manuals (or at least auto-manuals).

 

[Shrink]

Z4 automatic just doesn't seem right at all. A sports car should be totally linked to the driver.

Agree^^

I know it's an extreme position, but I think sport cars and roadsters should only come with a stick. Learn how to drive a stick, or drive a coupe.

Yes, yes, I know that's ridiculous! No car company would give up a bazilion dollars in sales just for the sake of purity.

But, what the hell, just saying...


Edit: since few people know how to drive a stick anymore, no surprise Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and other exoticars provide automatics. Don't want to lose sales.

 

[tigres]

Plain old torque-converter automatics are entirely different than the automated-manual gearboxes in Lamborghinis and Ferraris, which allow the driver complete control over nearly instantaneous shifts. Similar auto-manual boxes are available on various models from more mainstream manufacturers as well, and they are miles ahead of a conventional automatic.

The ability to have direct control over what gear you are in, and to have the engine directly locked to the wheels with a clutch, are the most important things. The auto-manuals shift faster than anyone can with a stick shift, and therefore are faster off the line, but I think there's still an appeal to the sense of oneness with the machine that you get by working the wheel, gas, clutch, brake and shifter. In that regard I also prefer a direct throttle linkage to the e-throttles that have become popular today—I hate putting my foot down and feeling the split second pause as the computer decides if it is going to let me have the power I'm requesting. Worse yet than that is trying to take a spirited drive on a twisty road in an automatic, and having it upshift as you let off the gas coming into a turn, leaving you with no power as you come out of the turn. That's why sports cars should be manuals (or at least auto-manuals).

Nothing like down shifting w/sport mode on from 5th to 3rd to get away from the jackass who can't drive

Power=Now, not in 1/10 of a second either.

 

[MacHamster68]

how many still learn how to shift a unsyncronised gearbox in driving school or how to heel and toe double declutch i mean proper without wrecking the gearbox and clutch

 

[XieoBebe]

Owned a 1994 535i and decided to try a 2003 325i so I leased it. I end up loving it more than the 5-series and bought a 2007 328i. It's definitely BMW for life for me. Btw, I also don't go telling people what I drive. If they ask me what kind of car I drive, I just tell them I drive a 4-door sedan.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Worse yet than that is trying to take a spirited drive on a twisty road in an automatic, and having it up-shift as you let off the gas coming into a turn, leaving you with no power as you come out of the turn.

KIA, with a 5-speed auto, has select shift for this.

Push the shifter to the right, then down for each gear lower you want.

I've used it many times, to out-corner some ******* that comes roaring off the highway behind me. And I just smile as they fade in the mirror.

Chicken-*****.

 

[tigres]

Oh my. 2012 M5 twin turbo vid...

I like

 

[joec1101]

Happy owner here

2009 E93 335i Cabriolet

Funnest car I've ever owned...I *love* this car!

 

[rockyroad55]

328i here. Sorry I almost forgot about my favorite thread haha.

 

[iJohnHenry]

This thread got sent into the PRSI quick..

Nope.

Still in Community Discussion, so that all interested in posting about BMWs may do so.

It might require some 'pruning' to keep it here, but it would be worth-while for those not entitled to PRSI posting.

 

[FRRYY]

I actually just recently purchased an Alpine White e92. Love it.
Slowly making some upgrades here and there.