[minn19]

Originally Posted by KenMDTO

I don't see BMW as a status symbol, maybe someone in your economic situation does. You said you are "rich and successful", not compared to me.

You are comparing BMW to Rolex, but that only get's you so far. I wear a Patek Philippe, which cost more than your car, and one of my cars is a Ferrari, which I bought new, and who's options list cost more than your car.

Why do YOU choose Mediocrity? 5 BMW 3 series in the last 15 years?

But that is the point...everything is relative. The majority of American consumers cannot afford BMW, Audi, MB, Lexus etc. So they are status symbols to a large portion of the population regardless of why any of us bought our cars. As others have said, most people are not car enthusiasts and do not know the difference between a stripped or loaded luxury car. They just see the badge and form their thoughts from that point.

For example, my co-workers, family and friends give me shit for owning my BMW even though they have pick up trucks, SUV's and mini van's that cost just as much if not more. But, I get shit for it because mine says BMW on it and their vehicles do not. FYI, I did not buy my car for this type of unwanted attention. I got it for reasons others here have, because of the performance etc.

Yes the 3 series is very mediocre. That's why it has been on ten best lists for over two decades and has been benchmark sport sedan almost every manufacturer has been trying to emulate for just as long.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by zambarossa

Maybe, but they are usually the minority. People don't go out of their way to hate you for who you are when they do not know who you are. But then, I live in Canada and I notice things are, shall I say, a bit different when I go down south (and when I lived there back when).

My point though, if you have a high attitude and pretend you are better than people just because you make more money or you have a better job or car, then the hate is pretty much guaranteed.

Having visited your country many times, you are correct, things are very different between the two. But, you guys still have your haters as well.

[Bluelondon]

Originally Posted by Halsifer

I don't think you are looking at this the right way.
Base model 320i: $32,750;
Base model 328i: $37,300
"Loaded" No-Line 320i: $44,700;
"Loaded" No-Line 328i with same features: $47,225

So loaded with the SAME exact features in both cars, you are paying approximately $2500 for a better motor? I'm pretty sure that's a more than reasonable price. People see differences in the money of what they invest in their car. Would you call someone an idiot if they chose to purchase a Navigation system be built in the vehicle?

People decide to add comfort and convenience to their vehicle, as "crazy" as it seems. I could have decided to purchase my vehicle with absolutely nothing in it except for a powerful motor. But I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much because all the features build the car to my enjoyment and comfort. Doesn't make me an idiot. People aren't following this dimwitted view of "hollow truism", they are paying for the technology that the company offers. I wanted a vehicle that had plenty of technology. I was blown away with the top-view/side-view cameras that assists me every single day. I enjoy not looking down at any screen since there is one directly on my windshield. It doesn't make anyone an idiot because they choose to get more (or less) features provided and purchased in their vehicle.

Great post.

[zambarossa]

Originally Posted by minn19

Having visited your country many times, you are correct, things are very different between the two. But, you guys still have your haters as well.

You must have visited Quebec .

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by pflau

Yup one of the tough things about wearing a Rolex and driving a BMW is to convince people they are not status symbols. They are just utilitarian tools for people who can afford to spend a little more.

They are decent investments. This is a true statement, especially if you know which watch to buy.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by zambarossa

You must have visited Quebec .

Hell no, I'm afraid to go there . I'll stick to your numerous fishing holes and small towns.

[KenMDTO]

Originally Posted by minn19

But that is the point...everything is relative. The majority of American consumers cannot afford BMW, Audi, MB, Lexus etc. So they are status symbols to a large portion of the population regardless of why any of us bought our cars. As others have said, most people are not car enthusiasts and do not know the difference between a stripped or loaded luxury car. They just see the badge and form their thoughts from that point.

For example, my co-workers, family and friends give me shit for owning my BMW even though they have pick up trucks, SUV's and mini van's that cost just as much if not more. But, I get shit for it because mine says BMW on it their vehicles do not. FYI, I did not buy my car for this type of unwanted attention. I got as others here have, because of the performance etc.

Yes the 3 series is very mediocre. That's why it has been on ten best lists for over two decades and has been benchmark sport sedan almost every manufacturer has been trying to emulate for just as long.

To clarify my post was directed as one specific individual, and was a bit tongue in cheek.

[335BOY]

Car or a Rolex means nothing. Both could be used. Both could be leased. Maybe thats all the guy has?

[simongym]

Originally Posted by KenMDTO

To clarify my post was directed as one specific individual, and was a bit tongue in cheek.

Too bad he won't respond, I think you scared him off with too much truth.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by simongym

Too bad he won't respond, I think you scared him off with too much truth.

He's a troll. He'll respond.

[exclusivo]

There is truth to what everyone is saying but you can't be so nieve to think that you are not being judged. I have a loaded 428 on the way but currently drive a 2006 325i which I bought at an auction in 2008 for 16k. Couldnt pass that up, car came with premium package, back then that meant powerfolding mirrors and heated seats. No sport seats, no sports wheel, no navi, no xenons, no comfort access, pretty much nothing. To this day, I cannot mention to coworkers that I drive a BMW without them looking at me like I'm as asshole. We're talking about a car that was built in 2005! I drive around using my cellphone for google maps directions! The BMW name alone just invokes judgment from everyone. I think the situation is worse because I am a pretty lowkey guy around the office, and I guess they don't think I would be drving such a "flashy" car.

The guy next to me rolls his eyes when he sees me checking my build and browsing the forums. He always asks, how's the community doing today? lol

[rjpeaks]

wow three pages since my last snide remark.

i guess my view (again opinions are like A$$holes), if you can afford a nice car (and thats nice to you), then go. don't make the people that cannot feel bad. and on the other side, trying justifying that you are smarter cuz you bought a 320, but in reality, you couldn't afford the 600/700 car payment, then wassup. there's two side of the point, and i guess that makes the 328 in the middle.

i can afford more - i chose not buy a 60/80/100K car, this time.

we have had the same discussion on my audi forum. but not about audi.

ok i'll check back in another few pages.

back to work.

[yemenmocha]

I'm late to thread, but yes I've experienced this ESPECIALLY FROM TRUCKS.

It's as if pickup truck drivers, significantly more than cars, have "a thing" for BMW's.

[openwheelracing]

Why do people feel the need to say they can afford more car than what they actually drive?

[xG35c]

I think it really comes down to jealousy!
For example, my bro (not into cars) seemed to go out of his way to not like my 335 and considered it a pointless status symbol. We even swapped cars for a couple of days and I suffered in his POS Ford Freestyle. When he returned it he had no positive comments whatsoever. Years later, he's shopping for a sedan and considering a 320! (ended up with a Mazda 6)
My theory is some people really can't tell a great car from a POS so they shouldn't be driving BMWs, but please don't be jealous of those who do!

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by grimlock

A 320i at $30k is actually the most intelligent buy - you get everything good that is offered by BMW at the lowest price. Slap on 250 dollar springs and it will handle to 90% of your "M-sport" 328s or 335s.

The idiot buys the $50k 328i since it is essential the SAME car as the $30k 320i with minimal differences. I never understood the fascination with the term "loaded" - I guess it's used by people who have no idea what they are paying and must follow the hollow truism "you get what you pay for"..

Technology Package
Cold Weather Package
Premium Package
Sport/Luxury/M-Sport Line
Lighting Package
Driver Assistance Package
Metallic Paint
28i or 35i Engine

If your car doesn't have these, it's not the Ultimate Driving Machine. "Slap springs on a stripper"? That's not the attitude of a BMW owner. Head Up Display, Navigation, Voice Command, Heated Seats, Rear Camera, Park Distance Control, Leather Seats, Adjustable Power Seats.....that's the way BMW intended the car to be sold. These aren't options; they are necessities that BMW allowed you to strip off to save a few bucks and transform their brilliant luxury car into the Ultimate Poseur Machine.

Your car looks like mine, but it isn't mine. You want to show off to your friends, that's cool, "look at me I can afford a BMW", but we BMW owners know what's what.

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by minn19

No scorn or hell fury, but why is anybody an idiot? Unless you can't afford it, get what you want and what will make you happy.

My 335 stickered at 54,500 and with incentives it was discounted to just over 49k. I got a few gizmos that I want and I love the motor. I don't look down on the 320 owners (or anybody's car for that matter), but it is not my cup of tea. Get what you want and eff everybody else.

+1

You bought a status symbol, don't blame other BMW's because you bought the wrong car.

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

JoeWalton cares......................sorry, couldnt help myself..........out again.

I only care about other BMW owners and get upset when they act like those of us enjoying our wealth and our status symbols are somehow immoral when its they who have the insecurities and fake humility that are actually the problem.

I like my BMW because its a loaded and tech-heavy luxury car, the fact that it's a status-symbol is a bonus, and a bonus that we all knew about before we signed our purchase agreements.

You seem to think that a BMW is some pedestrian car, like a Ford or an Audi, and that anyone who thinks otherwise "is bad for the brand and makes me ashamed to be associated with them".

Take your elitist attitude and shove it. Ironic. You accuse me for being a wealthy elitist snob but its okay for you to be a poor elitist do-gooder? Makes no sense. At least I'm being honest, at least I bought the right car for the right reasons.

"I am so ashamed of BMW owners that I went and got an Audi." You know how stupid that sounds? You know how offensive that is to a common man making $48,000 a year that can't afford a tub of butter? If you don't want money, if it makes you so ashamed, stop whining about it to other rich people; give it away instead. I can think of a dozen charities that would truly appreciate you putting your big money where your big mouth is.

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by Halsifer

So loaded with the SAME exact features in both cars, you are paying approximately $2500 for a better motor? I'm pretty sure that's a more than reasonable price. People see differences in the money of what they invest in their car. Would you call someone an idiot if they chose to purchase a Navigation system be built in the vehicle?

People decide to add comfort and convenience to their vehicle, as "crazy" as it seems. I could have decided to purchase my vehicle with absolutely nothing in it except for a powerful motor. But I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much because all the features build the car to my enjoyment and comfort. Doesn't make me an idiot. People aren't following this dimwitted view of "hollow truism", they are paying for the technology that the company offers. I wanted a vehicle that had plenty of technology. I was blown away with the top-view/side-view cameras that assists me every single day. I enjoy not looking down at any screen since there is one directly on my windshield. It doesn't make anyone an idiot because they choose to get more (or less) features provided and purchased in their vehicle.

Hear-hear.

They're looking at this backwards because it suits their imagination that a BMW is an awesome car without the comfort and tech features that have been standard in damn Acura's since 2006, think that they're some 'purist enthusiast' because they don't have heated seats or a navigation system.

The right way to look at this is this: BMW makes luxury cars. A properly configured BMW 3 Series is $50,000. BMW allows the less-fortunate to strip out features to hit a pricepoint as low as $29,500. These aren't options to add to the car; they are necessary features being stripped out of a car. What these people are doing is wrong. They are ruining their Ultimate Driving Machines, they are left with nothing but the badges and some envious friends. Yet they shout at us for 'overpaying'? Ha ha ha.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by minn19

But that is the point...everything is relative. The majority of American consumers cannot afford BMW, Audi, MB, Lexus etc. So they are status symbols to a large portion of the population regardless of why any of us bought our cars. As others have said, most people are not car enthusiasts and do not know the difference between a stripped or loaded luxury car. They just see the badge and form their thoughts from that point.

For example, my co-workers, family and friends give me shit for owning my BMW even though they have pick up trucks, SUV's and mini van's that cost just as much if not more. But, I get shit for it because mine says BMW on it and their vehicles do not. FYI, I did not buy my car for this type of unwanted attention. I got it for reasons others here have, because of the performance etc.

Yes the 3 series is very mediocre. That's why it has been on ten best lists for over two decades and has been benchmark sport sedan almost every manufacturer has been trying to emulate for just as long.

This is an excellent post. The bolded part has been my experience. My car costs as much as a well optioned Honda Accord and I have gotten a lot of shit since getting my car because no one knows the difference and they think I have some epic car payment. This is part of what makes the troll's comments so funny.. He is quick to point out his supposed place on the food chain of BMW's models, quick to point out that he is NOT the trashy low class folk who drive a 320 because he drives a 328 when in reality, as your post points out, 99% of people just see that badge and that's all they know. They don't think "oh thats just a ZSP 320i with an MSRP of $36k vs. a loaded 335i for $60k." People who don't know just think "expensive car" either way. So if this guy hopes to impress people with his 4th time of buying the same car in 15 years (you are doing that well and you can't upgrade??), as I said in my post, NO ONE cares or notices beyond that it's a BMW. It could be a CPO 335i that cost ten grand less and they wouldn't know the difference either.

There is a lot of insecurity on this forum in general. I don't understand why perfect strangers on an internet forum want other strangers to know or think they make a lot of money. It baffles me. A lot of people who make a lot of money lease a new BMW every 3 years and some of them buy them cash. Some people who don't have 2 nickels to rub together find a way to roll in a BMW and some people who don't have 2 nickels to rub together ride the bus. Some of the people on that bus would kill a man to drive a 320i. Some of them wouldn't. Some people who could by and sell many of the people on this forum drive 10 year old cars. I know plenty of people who are truly wealthy in so far as net worth, property, residual income etc. who do not spend money on nice cars. Everyone's priorities are different. I don't look at a guy driving a Honda Accord and assume I have more money than him.. Because I'm not an idiot.

So the moral of the story is that all of these generalizations are retarded and there is a lot of dick waving going on.

The ultimate scapegoat for trolls everywhere is that if you say anything good about your car, you are "trying to feel better about or defend your purchase." Guess that goes for anyone. This means all the guys who spent $70000 on an M3 don't actually like their cars right? They are just trying to justify their purchase..

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by newoldbeemer

The guy who spends $50k on an F30 is not an idiot. The guy who spent $50k and thinks he got a "completely different car" than the guy who spent $35k is an idiot.

Oh and BMW is not the Rolex of cars. It is more like.. the Fossil, or Rayban of cars. Just go down to the parking lot to see that .

It's Tuesday and it's off to work. I open my trunk with my foot. I open my locked doors without a keyfob in sight. I sit in leather seats that are fully adjustable, memorized to my body position. The aluminum and rich wood surround me in refinement, the metallic paint glistening in the sun. I hit a button and my garage door goes down. Tap another button, the car starts, no key necessary.

The infotainment system boots up and commercial-free satellite music begins to play. I go in reverse, the rear camera engages, I don't have to turn my head at all. Driving along on 18" wheels I look and feel great. It's chilly, so I hit a button and seat warmers quickly alight. I press two keys on my iDrive wheel and an address that I sent to my car with my smartphone is conveyed to the navigation system which takes me to my destination. I don't like the song playing through my upgraded audio system, so I flick the scroll wheel on the steering wheel and the head-up display shows me the list of songs on my playlist, must be 100 I can navigate to.

My iPhone chirps, Bluetooth allows me to read my texts and emails effortlessly. There's an alert on my HUD, traffic up ahead, the car has re-routed me automatically. I see my reflection in the bumper before me and I can see my gorgeous xenon halo's staring back at me. Still a few minutes left, I slide the shade and the moonroof lets me see the open sky. Pulling into the parking lot, the warning tones indicate I'm getting too close to an object in front of me. There's a message on my screen from BMW Assist, seems they were able to make my dinner reservation for me.

That's how a rich man rolls. Completely different experience, completely different car. That's what BMW intended as the Ultimate Driving Machine.

[joewalton]

Originally Posted by Bluelondon

I don't think you're being a realist about the world we live in. To think there doesn't exist people who hate on others simply for the auto-mobile they drive or the clothes they wear is a little naive. You can be the total opposite of a jerk, be courteous to people, drive considerately, and there will still be a few jealous haters who will see you drive a BMW and think "look at that stuck up SOB driving his BMW". If your theory was correct, how do you explain vandalism to cars from strangers? Obviously that particular car evoked some emotions in the vandal, be it jealousy, hate, anger, envy, whatever. Point being that you don't HAVE to be a jerk to receive hate for the car you drive.

Bingo.

Just look at what's happening in this thread. I'm a nice guy, I have four kids, I am a respected executive, I don't go to bars, I don't drink, I don't smoke, never been in a fight, never committed a crime, say my prayers once a month, don't cheat on my wife. I drive like a normal person, I come into this forum to help other BMW owners.

I put my fingers on a keyboard and type "BMW's are status symbols for rich people" and I get shit on by a bunch of BMW owners. I'm being judged because.....wait for it.....I drive a BMW.

Precisely what this thread is about.