(Attached); Stigma

Elessar

I am a young guy who drives a BMW. I'm curteous on the road, I don't care about brand names, I don't feel superior, I'm not competitive, I'm not a sheep and I don't care what people think about my car. It's not an "I've made it" statement, and I rarely talk about it.

I love driving the car because it has superb handling, is a joy to drive, has a great interior and it looks pretty good to boot. And it's not a basic 316 either, it's an etremely high spec 6 cylinder coupe (and no I'm not bragging).

Actually I'm glad there are more and more on the road as it's less likely mine will be a target for thieves.

So, you know, not every BMW driver is a stereotype.

Tabnabs

If you think that there are any air and graces about the bmw or the merc, take a spin around west Dublin some day. It's where all the old cars seem to end up (usually pimped out too). The sheen wares off the badge very quickly... :eek:

Victor_M

kaiser sauze wrote: »

BMW: "Not Quite Able to Afford a Mercedes".

Seriously, there are more BMWs sold than Ford Mondeos in the UK. I expect similar here. Why pay a premium for a badge that no longer has exclusivity?

Jasus lads get over yourselves.

Have you not noticed the onslaught of ignorance from Commercial jeep drivers (troopers, land cruisers driving like lunatics etc) as well as the "I've a rocket" of a 1.9 T(red)D, (Red) I, VAG drivers (golfs, A4's, passats) not to mention the Glanza's and Jap racers tearing around the place, with their fogs on.
I have never once been visually (hand signal) abused in my car, I get let out, and likewise let others in and out no differently than any brand of car.

This 80's steroetype b0ll0x is hilarious. It used to be begrudery, and I suspect is some cases it still is.

Sandwich, you have spent wayyyy too much time thinking about this, which to me suggests you have some sort of an issue with BMW drivers (for whatever reason!)

As for the popularity of 3 series, despite the cynics on here, they are a very good car, just as the A4 and the (new) C class are, to mention but a few.

And there are plenty of cars out there that are absolutely rubbish, alot of people don't realise they are rubbish because they haven't driven anything better!

Just because some of you think that anything above and beyond what you drive is ostentatious or flashy doesn't make it so!

kaiser sauze

Victor_M wrote: »

Jasus lads get over yourselves.

Have you not noticed the onslaught of ignorance from Commercial jeep drivers (troopers, land cruisers driving like lunatics etc) as well as the "I've a rocket" of a 1.9 T(red)D, (Red) I, VAG drivers (golfs, A4's, passats) not to mention the Glanza's and Jap racers tearing around the place, with their fogs on.
I have never once been visually (hand signal) abused in my car, I get let out, and likewise let others in and out no differently than any brand of car.

This 80's steroetype b0ll0x is hilarious. It used to be begrudery, and I suspect is some cases it still is.

Sandwich, you have spent wayyyy too much time thinking about this, which to me suggests you have some sort of an issue with BMW drivers (for whatever reason!)

As for the popularity of 3 series, despite the cynics on here, they are a very good car, just as the A4 and the (new) C class are, to mention but a few.

And there are plenty of cars out there that are absolutely rubbish, alot of people don't realise they are rubbish because they haven't driven anything better!

Just because some of you think that anything above and beyond what you drive is ostentatious or flashy doesn't make it so!

Oh, I don't dispute that its a good car (the three series). I said that people are paying a premium for a tarnished badge. You can get a better, larger, more comfortable car, for the same money.

And you are quite right, there are other ignorant drivers on the road than BMW drivers.

Captain Slow IRL

Sandwich wrote: »

Concluding it must be jealousy must make you one of them land9 - an "already has one" or a "wanna get one".

Look on ebay for a sense of humour and then read it again:rolleyes:

rebel.ranter

My pet hate are Fiesta drivers, they are frequently ignorant of the rules of the road & almost 100% of them drive with their fog lights permanently on! They are always the ones in the wrong lane.#
Pet hate #2 is those cheap Xenon conversion kits.

The BMW stereotype is well knocked on the head these days due to the volume of them sold. I would hardly call them exclusive or item affluence now.

Lexus to me is the best marketing exercise yet, a rebadged Toyota so they can squeeze a few more quid out of the image conscious punters. Toyotas are very good cars but lack the "right" image hence the advent of Lexus (I think Nissan have done the same in the US with the Inifnity brand, Honda with Acura). Case in point, I have a Land Cruiser commercial for work & my sis in-law (to be) has a Lexus 400h, it is shocking the amount of carry over in to the Lexus for the premium she paid over the price of the Land Cruiser!

I have driven many different luxury cars in my time & BMW is well up there in terms of refinement & driver satisfaction, some of their older models put some "new releases" from other manufacturers to shame. So to say that people buy them purely for image would be completely wrong, in fact most people I know who that own a BMW are enthusiasts, in fact there is a sizeable proportion of BMW owners on this very forum!

I feel it has been going the other way for quite a while now with the BMW brand, the prestige & exclusivity is gone. The 1 series is around a while now. It's only a matter of time before we see a MPV to compete with the likes of the Ford Galaxy (probably a bit more expensive price wise mind).

smcgiff

kaiser sauze wrote: »

BMW: "Not Quite Able to Afford a Mercedes".

I nearly ordered a 325d for Jan '08, but ended up going with an Alfa 159 TI. But there is no way a Mercedes would have been entertained. From what I could see if you could afford a BMW, you could afford a Merc - if your taste was so inclined.


Although it was the particular BMW salesman that put me off, I think Sandwhich listed enough reasons not to buy one.

lassykk

smcgiff wrote: »

I nearly ordered a 325d for Jan '08, but ended up going with an Alfa 159 TI. But there is no way a Mercedes would have been entertained. From what I could see if you could afford a BMW, you could afford a Merc - if your taste was so inclined.


Although it was the particular BMW salesman that put me off, I think Sandwhich listed enough reasons not to buy one.

you cant buy taste like that... congrats on makin a great decision on your new car.

i must admit i enjoyed readin dis thread esp the list moving from the polo through to the 7 series... hit de nail on de head

lightening

LuckyStar wrote: »

the non-disabled people that would take the disabled spaces (even though there were normal spaces about 8 feet behind them) would always be BMW....

I have come across this a lot. It seems to always be a BMW!

Matt Simis

JHMEG wrote: »

In this case I actually don't think it is.

I dunno, about 3wks ago I was driving somewhere with my parents in the back. We saw a new model 7 Series in Gun Metal grey, UK Reg which said "CEO" xxx. My brother and I thought it looked pretty sweet, but my mother immediately said "sure you know he probably embezzled money from his company for that". Obviously meant in half jest, but its a typical off the cuff remark that still exists in Ireland.

While it wouldnt apply to a 3 series, anything biggers gets on the radar.

jayok

Yawn - I drive a 325Ci after 10 years of Honda's. (There's a CRV in the immediately family too). I really, really, couldn't give a sh1te if somone thinks:

1. I embezzled the money for it
2. That I am a twat
3. That I borrowed to the hilt for it
4. That I bought it for the badge
5. That I can't indicate

Or whatever - I am who I am and people who have such pre-conceptions on the basis of what I drive I have no interest in anyway.

For me, I wanted a refined rear wheel drive, six-pot engine. The Lexus IS200 was just too much an over-priced Toyota and Mercedes was just too old feeling for me. Not a whole lot of options from there, now was there.

Next for me, there'll be a 730d - not that I've made it or anything. Its just that driving in Ireland is such a bore I may as well be comfortable.

Sandwich

jayok wrote: »

For me, I wanted a refined rear wheel drive, six-pot engine. The Lexus IS200 was just too much an over-priced Toyota and Mercedes was just too old feeling for me. Not a whole lot of options from there, now was there.

Next for me, there'll be a 730d - not that I've made it or anything. Its just that driving in Ireland is such a bore I may as well be comfortable.

Crikey:D Is this for real? Or are you just trying to reinforce the stereotype?

I love the idea of turning away from a car, not because of what it is, but of what it is too closely related to.
And, I know, driving is just so boring - even in a 325Ci - not to mention uncomfortable. It takes a 7 series to make it barely tolerable at all. How do people in Fiestas tolerate their existance at all?

Sandwich

Elessar wrote: »

I am a young guy who drives a BMW. I'm curteous on the road, I don't care about brand names, I don't feel superior, I'm not competitive, I'm not a sheep and I don't care what people think about my car. It's not an "I've made it" statement, and I rarely talk about it.

I love driving the car because it has superb handling, is a joy to drive, has a great interior and it looks pretty good to boot. And it's not a basic 316 either, it's an etremely high spec 6 cylinder coupe (and no I'm not bragging).

Actually I'm glad there are more and more on the road as it's less likely mine will be a target for thieves.

So, you know, not every BMW driver is a stereotype.

Quite likely not. In fact some BMW drivers are quite nice. The stereotype just applies to a significant majority.

You are just collateral damage being tarred with the same brush - a reason some people would shy away from owning one even though they are fine cars.

Sandwich

kaiser sauze wrote: »

BMW: "Not Quite Able to Afford a Mercedes".

Seriously, there are more BMWs sold than Ford Mondeos in the UK. I expect similar here. Why pay a premium for a badge that no longer has exclusivity?

Its more than the exclusivity. Its the cost, and the image that has built up over 30 or 40 years when most Irish people couldnt even dream of owning one. Now they can so they are living out the pent up desire.

Victor_M

Sandwich wrote: »

Quite likely not. In fact some BMW drivers are quite nice. The stereotype just applies to a significant majority.

You are just collateral damage being tarred with the same brush - a reason some people would shy away from owning one even though they are fine cars.

Jasus sandwich, your cracking me up here, this is brilliant, observation and statistics all according to the sandwich!

Alot of people shy away from them because they can't afford them too! That wouldn't be your reason though of course, you'd have one if it wasn't for the fella you saw parking in the wheelchair spot with his fog lights on!

Bitter little man, I've met a few of your type in the past, get over it and stop paying so much attention to BMW's if you can't stand them or their drivers so much.

Victor_M

Sandwich wrote: »

Its more than the exclusivity. Its the cost, and the image that has built up over 30 or 40 years when most Irish people couldnt even dream of owning one. Now they can so they are living out the pent up desire.

........or maybe they are a much better car than a mondeo?

Marcus.Aurelius

Interesting thread.

Really nice to see the BMW (Broke Me Wallet) drivers getting a bit of stick. Also nice to hear some well-thought out banter, among the sea of insane posts.

I think BMWs have become ten a penny, and are a symbol of blinkered thinking, keeping up with the Jones', or just not thinking at all. BMW = He's made it, (and just spent it on a badge)

Better than Mercedes, yes, I'll agree to that. But still nowhere near the Japanese for quality engineering.

legs11

BMW's are superior in the comfort department to their jap counterparts man,

the high performance 6 potters are perfectly beautiful driving cars, and if looked after they would last as long as jap cars

im not anti jap, have owned both jap and bm's

but anyhoooo

back to the topic

JHMEG

legs11 wrote: »

BMW's are superior in the comfort department to their jap counterparts man,

I spent most of last weekend driving a '00 318. Which is a 1.9 according to the tax disc. It could best be described as bland. Really bland. The Avensis is probably a better car in every department. And despite having only 70k miles on the clock there was some serious rattling going on in the back.

EDIT: Pedals suspiciously close together, like a girl's car (eg Corsa, 206), and is that lump beside the clutch that my left foot was scraping off supposed to be a foot rest? Seriouly bad ergonomics going on there with the driving position.

JohnCleary

Boll1x to that. I bought a diesel 3series for a few reasons:

Good economy
Comfortable driving
It was what I could afford
(Would have bought a 330d if i had some more money for tax/insurance)

I couldn't give a ****e what others think - I get stick off my mates the odd time 'Aah look here comes the beemer driver' - WTF is that even supposed to mean? I use my indicators, I don't drive like a looney etc...

BTW best purchase ever, being able to drive 100 miles for around a tenner, comfortably is sweet

Captain Slow IRL

JHMEG wrote: »

The Avensis is probably a better car in every department.

What are you smoking?!

The pedals are close together - nearly ended up in a rear-ender once because of them

Biro

legs11 wrote: »

BMW's are superior in the comfort department to their jap counterparts man,

I disagree with this. Because beemers are more geared towards nice handling and (I hesitate before using the word) "sporty" oriented set up, they tend to be more stiffly sprung. Hence why I was talking to a company director who couldn't give a crap about any car or badge telling me that he didn't like the 5 series cause after long trips in one his back was sore because of the stiff suspension. He found the Volvo S80 far more comfortable.

JHMEG

land9 wrote: »

What are you smoking?!

The pedals are close together - nearly ended up in a rear-ender once because of them

What.. gobsmacked that someone could find a BMW kinda underwhelming? My father-in-law is only interested in A-to-B and he's adamant his '05 Avensis is better in every way that's important to him (an average joe) than the 520 it replaced (which he drove from new). Having driven them all I can safely say the Avensis is better than the 318 too. Both are A-to-B cars, and don't think the BMW is anything else.

Captain Slow IRL

I'll have to disagree there with you - I just don't like driving toyota's at all, they're lovely cars to work on but that's about it! If I was going for a jap, it'd have to be an accord - just feels better on the road.

I have an e36 318is with the mtech susp. and I find it a very comfortable car despite the sporty suspension - there's weight in it and I'm not thrown around like a rag doll on these fine mayo back roads. The avensis, for such a large car, feels like something much smaller.

TheBigLebowski

Anyone who drives a BMW is entitled to drive any way they like, park any way they like and generally feel far superior to all the other peasants on the road. When all the poor souls here who can't afford a BMW finally get a BM, you'll understand...

Oilrig

I've driven BMW's for the last 20 years, all bought secondhand *much better value*

I don't have any hang ups over this, I'm a motorist/commuter etc like the rest.

I like the engineering aspect of them, well sorted chassis - roadholding, handling etc. Solid build - current model is leggy yet no rattles. Impeccable ergonomics and reliable to boot.

Reasonably priced spares - I'm serious... they're so cheap on some stuff it would make you wonder.

Of course, there will always be the insecure up & coming TiT that spoils it for the rest of us...:eek:

Captain Slow IRL

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

Anyone who drives a BMW is entitled to drive any way they like, park any way they like and generally feel far superior to all the other peasants on the road. When all the poor souls here who can't afford a BMW finally get a BM, you'll understand...

I like the way you think - I'm selling my car if you'd be interested joining the elite:rolleyes:

JohnCleary

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

Anyone who drives a BMW is entitled to drive any way they like, park any way they like and generally feel far superior to all the other peasants on the road. When all the poor souls here who can't afford a BMW finally get a BM, you'll understand...

FFS why hasnt anyone told me this until now? And to think that for the past 9 months ive been parking in designated spaces

JHMEG

land9 wrote: »

I'll have to disagree there with you - I just don't like driving toyota's at all, they're lovely cars to work on but that's about it! If I was going for a jap, it'd have to be an accord - just feels better on the road.

I have an e36 318is with the mtech susp. and I find it a very comfortable car despite the sporty suspension - there's weight in it and I'm not thrown around like a rag doll on these fine mayo back roads. The avensis, for such a large car, feels like something much smaller.

Yup have driven the Accord too. Very nice too. Avensis does not feel small. There is a lot more usable space in it in comparison to the 520... better headroom, more rear legroom, deeper boot...

Interestingly I read somewhere that the E36is (which I had to google.. I drive an EK4, recently had E-DA6, CG3 and EJ6 tho:D) is a 2-door saloon, as opposed to a coupe. Didn't know that, but it makes sense.

Captain Slow IRL

I'm not on about interior space - the car just feels lighter than it should

With a name like that, you'd know you were into your honda's!