[godfather87]

Originally Posted by tdizzle

I didn't tell anyone when I bought mine... Until someone at work saw me getting into my car a couple weeks later, no one even knew. Just not something I felt the need to share with people for the reasons people already mentioned. I didn't want anyone to get the impression that I was bragging or whatever. It's just a personal purchase to me and I don't talk about when I buy a watch, tv, etc.

So when asked what I was doing, I would've said what I was doing and left out the car purchase. Different strokes for different folks. People like to make a big deal of things to give them something to talk about, good or bad.

I wish i had done the same...o well..too late...

thanks guys i will def keep all this in mind next time i decide to buy a car

umm..its 7am and can't wait to go pick up the car today!!! i didn't even sleep cuz i was so excited about it!!!!! u may call it childish but its my first german and one of my biggest purchases i made in life...

[Deyvy]

Yeah, it's the world we live in now. With internet trolls and what not, a lot of people just tend to voice their opinions even negative with no thought to others.

As they used to say, if you don't have anything positive to say, don't say anything at all. At the very least be polite.

All of us waiting for our cars are excited and would like to share with other people, but I guess you just don't know whether it'll be interpreted as showing off or if it's just them being a miserable ****.

Safe bet is just share it with people you'll know will be happy for you.

Even then we buy these things as a reward for ourselves not for other peoples approval. (Although it's nice to get some validation)

[MalibuZ4]

Me and my colleagues didn't know about each others car due to the fact that we work in a downtown office in Frankfurt, Germany. Everybody without a company car is coming to work by subway or commuter train. So no jealous or dumb comments about cars. In my previous job I worked in a office on the outskirts of the city with a huge parking lot. Everybody has to come by car. There was a lot of discussion or gossip about the colleagues rides. So I am very happy that almost nobody in my office knows about my cars. Beside that I just have to fill up my car every second month.

[Koer]

Same story here,

When i bought mine i actually debadged it so that only people who know about bimmers would know it was a 335. And i promised myself i would not turn into that annoying friend who brags about his Audi A1 (lol) so i just kept quiet when conversations about cars started. I would hear about the golf gti, the mazda speed, audi A1, etc. and i would congratulate them for their cars. When they asked about mine i just would just say "it's a car.. With 4 wheels and makes vroom vroom" Eventually they would squeeze the truth about it but their reaction was far more positive than when plunging in with BMW head first.

My recommendation, people usually think you are bragging the moment you say BMW. Just share the excitement with petrolhead friends, they will be as excited as you are and keep the others wondering!

[Elk]

Unfortunately, the negative stereotype of BMW owners is well deserved; many, as evidenced on this board, are obsessed with owning a BMW and maintain they are superior members of the population merely because they bought a car.

[hans007]

i hate when people make such a big deal about what cars you buy.

i have bought a few nicer cars , progressively nicer too. my 3 is on order, have an A4 now, had a TSX and a g35.

that said, most people do not even buy cars in this range. but in the end its stupid. a 3 series costs what $10k more than a fairly options accord/camry. it costs barely more than say a minivan or an SUV.

and i dont' have kids and i honestly can't say i've taken a real vacation in 7-8 years (basically my entire career since college).


i guess for me, the car is what does it for me. i get to use it everday. other people blow $5000 a year on vacations a year AND get a camry. but no one gives them crap for that. or they have 1-4 kids. i have no kids, and i live in a relatively small apartment. but nooooo the car is clearly visible so hate on it. i should start hating on people who go on vacations and have kids and have expensive minivans.

[azzurro]

Originally Posted by Deyvy

Yeah, it's the world we live in now. With internet trolls and what not, a lot of people just tend to voice their opinions even negative with no thought to others.

As they used to say, if you don't have anything positive to say, don't say anything at all. At the very least be polite.

All of us waiting for our cars are excited and would like to share with other people, but I guess you just don't know whether it'll be interpreted as showing off or if it's just them being a miserable ****.

Safe bet is just share it with people you'll know will be happy for you.

Even then we buy these things as a reward for ourselves not for other peoples approval. (Although it's nice to get some validation)

+1 share with the people who you know will be happy for you. This is tru of a lot of things. Well said..

[awhk]

Originally Posted by schnell13

I've found, through life's experiences, that there are people out there who cannot accept the achievements of others, combine it with a bit of jealousy, and thus hate due to an inferiority complex. If they wanted to be in a position to afford a BMW, well then maybe they should have made other life choices. That, my friend, is not your problem. It's theirs. Enjoy your new car and your station in life. You've obviously earned it!

Well said!

[Sprocket]

How do you deal with nosy people who ask you what the car costs?
I never "brag" or spontaneously tell people about my new things, but we do have a few neighbors who are rude enough to ask about prices. I think it's none of their business, but don't know how to respond without being rude myself....
Tips?

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

How do you deal with nosy people who ask you what the car costs?
I never "brag" or spontaneously tell people about my new things, but we do have a few neighbors who are rude enough to ask about prices. I think it's none of their business, but don't know how to respond without being rude myself....
Tips?

Give your neighbours this link and they can find out themselves:

http://www.bmw.se/se/sv/newvehicles/...figurator.html



Cheers
Robin

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by Robin_NL

Give your neighbours this link and they can find out themselves:

http://www.bmw.se/se/sv/newvehicles/...figurator.html

Yeah, it's not as if the price itself is a secret.

It's more that I don't know how to respond to the question when I would rather not discuss money at all. I was brought up told that money isn't discussed, it is rude.
Replying that the price list is on the BMW website is probably just as rude.

[elistan]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

How do you deal with nosy people who ask you what the car costs?
I never "brag" or spontaneously tell people about my new things, but we do have a few neighbors who are rude enough to ask about prices. I think it's none of their business, but don't know how to respond without being rude myself....
Tips?

Tell them it costs $120k.
And if they ask how fast you've had it, tell them 198 mph.

[MaestroAl]

Just tell them how much it costs. It's not classified, it's a sodding car. Why would anyone need to keep it secret? And it's certainly in no way prying and if you think it is then you got issues kid They're just hearing about something desirable and enquiring as to how much that sets you back. Not sure what the fuss is all about

[Sprocket]

It's not about keeping a secret. It's about the general behavior. I find it rude.

To clarify, if it's a friend or a colleague I don't mind at all. But there are certain people to whom everything seems to be about money. No matter if you buy a new car or boat, redecorate something, go on vacation, the first response is always "Oh, nice. What did it cost?". For those people it really is not about what the thing itself costs, but rather trying to figure out how much you earn or how you could afford it. I have been asked that too. "Did you pay cash or did it go into your mortgage". I mean, seriously?

And for the record, I am sad to say I'm not a kid any more. Nor do I have issues. I don't think the BMW 328 is that special. I bought it as a family car instead of a boring Volvo since I like cars.

I'm just annoyed by people who have to affix a monetary value to both possessions and people.

[MaestroAl]

It's just a turn of phrase dude - I meant no offense

[JamesMA]

The only people who have said anything negative about my ride were actually on ths forum.

Go figure!

[BavFan_08]

Originally Posted by tdizzle

I didn't tell anyone when I bought mine... Until someone at work saw me getting into my car a couple weeks later, no one even knew. Just not something I felt the need to share with people for the reasons people already mentioned. I didn't want anyone to get the impression that I was bragging or whatever. It's just a personal purchase to me and I don't talk about when I buy a watch, tv, etc.

So when asked what I was doing, I would've said what I was doing and left out the car purchase. Different strokes for different folks. People like to make a big deal of things to give them something to talk about, good or bad.

+1

[EnerJi]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

Yeah, it's not as if the price itself is a secret.

It's more that I don't know how to respond to the question when I would rather not discuss money at all. I was brought up told that money isn't discussed, it is rude.
Replying that the price list is on the BMW website is probably just as rude.

Agreed. I was brought up the same way, and I also have not discovered a smooth way to redirect someone who asks how much something costs.

I tend not to give people an opening for these sorts of questions, but I was recently caught flat-footed at my in-laws. While seated at the breakfast table, my partner mentioned that I was thinking of ordering a new BMW, and my partner's father immediately asked me what model, and then followed up by asking how much I was thinking of spending.

Talk about awkward. I felt especially uncomfortable as my partner's siblings were there, and they both drive ten-year-old cars (out of necessity, unlike me). I didn't know what to say so I told the truth, but if being asked the price of my car becomes a pattern I may need to come up with a gentle way to change the subject or otherwise redirect the question.

[arnsbrae]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

Yeah, it's not as if the price itself is a secret.

It's more that I don't know how to respond to the question when I would rather not discuss money at all. I was brought up told that money isn't discussed, it is rude.
Replying that the price list is on the BMW website is probably just as rude.

I know what you mean. I generally say something like "it didn't cost as much as you might think - I got a great deal!"

[jtuds]

Originally Posted by boltjames

Then you shouldn't have bought a BMW.

For over 30 years, people have been making the same argument, having the same complaints. "Waaaa, people treat me like I'm arrogant!" "Waaaa, people ask me if I am rich!" "Waaaa, people are all about money!" "Waaaa, my BMW is making me feel bad!"

Nothing is going to change. Ever. No matter what you do or how you act or what you say, a BMW is always going to be thought of as a yuppie status symbol for the wealthy. It's engrained in the culture. It's in movies, TV shows, commercials, it's what it is.

If you don't want the perception that comes with a status-symbol, stop buying them. No one plunks down $10,000 on a Rolex and says "Oh, it's just a watch". No one plunks down $1,500 on Manolo Blahnik shoes and says "Oh, they're just to walk around in". And no one spends $50,000 on a German luxury car and says "Oh, it's just a people mover, might as well be driving a Volvo."

The problem isn't everyone else. The problem is you.

BJ

So do you buy the BMW for the perception or you buy it because you want it and ignore the perception?

Because the analogy you made to a Rolex doesn't make sense unless you're saying a BMW is like any other nice car but includes an extra bit of status you desire.

In other words, a Tag or a Movado can do everything a Rolex can, but a Rolex is a Rolex and people pay more because it's a Rolex...not because it keeps time better or is more comfortable.

A Volvo can't do everything a BMW can do, so there is a substantive difference between them that is more than just a logo.

[Elk]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

I never "brag" or spontaneously tell people about my new things, but we do have a few neighbors who are rude enough to ask about prices.

It is interesting to me that you are in Sweden. I thought immediate questions as to what you do for a living and how much you spent was primarily an American predilection.

If someone asks me (rare) I give them a general range.

[Mark_K]

True story ... seriously.

My wife is an unwitting BMW driver because I refuse to drive it most of the time. Long story, don't ask. Let's just say I own 300 hp car in U.S. Enough said.

Now, she works in a place where high wages are well below 6 figures and has to drive the BMW to work. Don't pity her, it's her fault and she know is it well - she won't let me get another one to be my DD and drive her Jetta TDI to work. I suspect there is another reason to it, but let's just say she's not all that happy when I decide to take BMW to the airport for a week trip so I can have some fun when I can return on an early flight on Friday ...

Her coworker wanted to buy new "something" that seats 5-7 people and a must was a rear seat entertainment system and something that doesn't guzzle too much fuel. I immediately suggested X5 35d with only option rear-entertainment system. Priced it to MSRP, gave her pointers for buying off the lot and eventual ED. She presented that to coworker. They refused the idea immediately - because it is too expensive.

Fast forward a week after that ... they bought King Ranch something-or-other (forgot what it was) and at least at the list price it was a whooping $3,500 less. On a close to $55,000 vehicle. Sure, Ford might have put a 10 grand on the hood, but careful negotiation for an X5 35d would not be less that 5,000 off. And let's not even get into gas costs and vehicle dynamics ...

I'm sure these people would NOT like somebody of their pay grade pulling into a parking lot with a new X5. Talk about being uninformed (dirty) or just plain ignorant (neat over the rocks). They were just scared to own something nice and SMART because they know all too well how everybody else is going to perceive it. Sad, really.