Why BMW, why your BMW?

[HankDKrank]

I bought my first BMW 30 years ago - it is an E12 528i in Kaschmir Metallic. It was a beautiful and classy car that drove like a dream. I knew little about the cars before that except that I liked the looks and have always been a fan of the German engineering. Drove that car over 250k and finally parked it because I thought it was getting too tired and wasn't ever well suited to the TX heat. Should have spent the money that I spent on new car payments and kept it running. Bought a new Jetta then and just recently sold that with 275K on it. The BMW was far easier to keep running well than the VW and a comparative JOY to work on. Cost of repairs and parts was higher on the VW. Driving was not even comparable - even when the VW was new - and the VW was a good driving car. Just picked up an '08 3.0Si roadster about 4 months ago and am BACK IN THE SADDLE. Can't believe I waited so long. Porsche experience is cool but a bit too temperamental and pricey for me. I am not into the "image" but purely dig the driving experience.

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by HankDKrank

I bought my first BMW 30 years ago - it is an E12 528i in Kaschmir Metallic. It was a beautiful and classy car that drove like a dream. I knew little about the cars before that except that I liked the looks and have always been a fan of the German engineering. Drove that car over 250k and finally parked it because I thought it was getting too tired and wasn't ever well suited to the TX heat. Should have spent the money that I spent on new car payments and kept it running. Bought a new Jetta then and just recently sold that with 275K on it. The BMW was far easier to keep running well than the VW and a comparative JOY to work on. Cost of repairs and parts was higher on the VW. Driving was not even comparable - even when the VW was new - and the VW was a good driving car. Just picked up an '08 3.0Si roadster about 4 months ago and am BACK IN THE SADDLE. Can't believe I waited so long. Porsche experience is cool but a bit too temperamental and pricey for me. I am not into the "image" but purely dig the driving experience.

Well said and welcome to the forum!!

[racerbruce]

I love my 0 Z4M DD w/54.5K miles....the performance and styling is just awesome.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by HankDKrank

I bought my first BMW 30 years ago - it is an E12 528i in Kaschmir Metallic. It was a beautiful and classy car that drove like a dream. I knew little about the cars before that except that I liked the looks and have always been a fan of the German engineering. Drove that car over 250k and finally parked it because I thought it was getting too tired and wasn't ever well suited to the TX heat. Should have spent the money that I spent on new car payments and kept it running. Bought a new Jetta then and just recently sold that with 275K on it. The BMW was far easier to keep running well than the VW and a comparative JOY to work on. Cost of repairs and parts was higher on the VW. Driving was not even comparable - even when the VW was new - and the VW was a good driving car. Just picked up an '08 3.0Si roadster about 4 months ago and am BACK IN THE SADDLE. Can't believe I waited so long. Porsche experience is cool but a bit too temperamental and pricey for me. I am not into the "image" but purely dig the driving experience.

I have a feeling you're not the kind of person who fears putting miles on your car haha!

That's how it should be though, it's funny how we try other things and end up where we started. Albiet with a little more appreciation for what we had in the first place.

Same here, dad had a E36 3-series, I told him high revving Japanese cars were better, then it was anything with a turbo and now I get to pass go and collect my $200 haha.

[TennesseeZ4]

Smitten at an early age by Austin Healy 3000's, Datsun 240Z, and Triumph TR6, I have been a huge fan of the balance achieved with an inline six, a competent chassis, and a driving position of authority. While i have owned a number of BMW's, the design of the Z4 was absolutely a factor in my quest to own one. Factor in the inherent reliability of the manual transmission, the inline six and the dialed in suspension, and it was a fait de complie.

I have friends that exist in angst that their latest Infinity has silver impregnated wood, or that their Lexus is now a performance car. My simple question to them is, "Do you drive your car? Or simply ride in it?" If you answer yes to the latter, you should really look at a Lincoln. If you answer affirmative to the former, you should find your self ensconced in a German car. They just live differently on the road. And of all the German cars, I place BMW as the drivers car.

In my household, we currently have Mercedes, VW, and BMW. Oh, and I forgot the trash hauler GMC. We are drivers, and there are few cars that exist which translate the experience of driving like a German car.

Throw in the look of the Z4, and nothing else comes close for the price. Now a GT3? Or an R8? If price is not a consideration, those come in to play. Drive it. That is what they are built for.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by Sterling Roadster

I have a feeling you're not the kind of person who fears putting miles on your car haha!

That's how it should be though, it's funny how we try other things and end up where we started. Albiet with a little more appreciation for what we had in the first place.

Same here, dad had a E36 3-series, I told him high revving Japanese cars were better, then it was anything with a turbo and now I get to pass go and collect my $200 haha.

LOL, he's bought 3 cars in 30 years. I went through 5 before I graduated college and now 10 years later I'm still searching for that special car.

[HankDKrank]

LOL, he's bought 3 cars in 30 years.

Easy Twixboy - I went through six before I graduated from college and drove them all. Plus a couple of ten wheelers and a few Cat's, not to mention my wife and son's vehicles, motorcycles, boats, go carts, snowmobiles. All were/are driven. Still have my third vehicle too - 1951 Willys 4-73 - it's older than me.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by HankDKrank

Easy Twixboy - I went through six before I graduated from college and drove them all. Plus a couple of ten wheelers and a few Cat's, not to mention my wife and son's vehicles, motorcycles, boats, go carts, snowmobiles. All were/are driven. Still have my third vehicle too - 1951 Willys 4-73 - it's older than me.

No disrespect sir! I was impressed you put 250k and 275k miles on 2 cars in nearly 30 years.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

No disrespect sir! I was impressed you put 250k and 275k miles on 2 cars in nearly 30 years.

I've diagnosed myself with automotive ADD. I pretty much want to own everything at some point. The most I've put on a single car is about 30k miles. I think with the Z4 it'll be a long term relationship. I have big plans for her!

[RADRACR]

I've owned 3 German cars and I'm going to lump them together based on my experience. I've never had engine or transmission failure but it seems to me that Germans can't get electrical engineering or bodywork right.

1) 2001 VW GTI - multiple annoying issues. MAF sensor, engine temp sensor, coil pack, fuel pump relay, and then there's that time in winter when the window fell into the door.

2) 2008 BMW Z4M - Nothing of interest.

3) 2009 BMW X5 - brake light relay, NO2 sensor, cracked wire harness seal on top of the hatch that destroyed some modules in the back after it rained. Labor alone was $1000 on that to fish all that wiring through

That said, I like these cars when they work and find them the most attractive vehicles. I may move on with my next vehicle though.

[Nate4641]

Saw a Z4M Coupe for the first time in 2010 in California when I had my '94 Miata M edition. I didn't pay attention to BMW much aside from the M3 at the time so I had no idea what this thing was since it only had M badges. Got home and looked up the car and fell in love.

I then sold the Miata the next year before deploying to Afghanistan. I obsessed about the M coupe the whole deployment checking prices and availability and what not. At the end of the deployment I had my 3000gt VR4 shipped from Maryland to California after it had a full engine rebuild while I was gone. In 3kGT fashion, it broke the first day I got it back. A coolant hose split open dumping all the coolant out. I loved the VR4, but the reliability was an issue so I kept looking for M coupes in the area, but wasn't coming up with much.

Couple months later I was looking online and found an M roadster in similar colors to my Miata at a carmax near a girl I was dating. It was what I was looking for in a coupe actually, Interlagos Blue with Light Sepang leather. I went and checked out the car along with a Cayman and some other cars they had on the lot and took the M out for a test drive. I still had my heart set on the coupe so the next day I drove an hour and a half north to check out one at a BMW dealer. They were asking a few grand more than the roadster, and someone was already doing the paperwork on the car when I got there and it had black leather when I wanted the light sepang. I asked a salesman if I could at least sit in the car to check it out and he got the keys. I was disappointed to find that I wasn't happy with the rear visibility of the coupe. I just didn't like how small the windows were and didn't feel I would be comfortable with that on the highway.

So I went back to Carmax and bought the Roadster.

[Zyal8r]

Short answer: I don't know why a BMW. I am a car guy. I have some track time. I have owned a lot of various cars. And I test drove 9 different makes and 12 different models before this purchase. Nothing else worked for ME. It floats my boat. I could go on and on but the justification really won't get any better than that.
You should know it when you find it.
Enjoy.

[Vanne]

hmm.. typically my old man had Bimmers when i was a kid, (should have saved some of them, would probably be able to quit work now if he had). bought a M44 Mtech zed3 roadie while in Christchurch, and did a lot of touring in that. loved it..

got to Dubai, got a Z3 bread van, and liked that, though it had had a pretty rough life. Sold that, and replaced it with the Z4. Its pretty much the car of my dreams, i saw it first at the Sydney motorshow back in 06, and remember thinking, yeah, thats me baby.

This one is here to stay, too much sweat and cash has gone into it already.

but boy.. those long easy sweepers… this is when i am at one with the machine, when i am so focused, its like i am the only one left on the planet at this single moment, in this curve.. caught in this moment of time...

*couff* back to the real world..

the car for me is a distraction for real life, and hopefully down the line, ill do what my old man never did, and ill chuck a tarp on it, and stick it in the garage for my kid.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by TennesseeZ4

Smitten at an early age by Austin Healy 3000's, Datsun 240Z, and Triumph TR6, I have been a huge fan of the balance achieved with an inline six, a competent chassis, and a driving position of authority. While i have owned a number of BMW's, the design of the Z4 was absolutely a factor in my quest to own one. Factor in the inherent reliability of the manual transmission, the inline six and the dialed in suspension, and it was a fait de complie.

I have friends that exist in angst that their latest Infinity has silver impregnated wood, or that their Lexus is now a performance car. My simple question to them is, "Do you drive your car? Or simply ride in it?" If you answer yes to the latter, you should really look at a Lincoln. If you answer affirmative to the former, you should find your self ensconced in a German car. They just live differently on the road. And of all the German cars, I place BMW as the drivers car.

In my household, we currently have Mercedes, VW, and BMW. Oh, and I forgot the trash hauler GMC. We are drivers, and there are few cars that exist which translate the experience of driving like a German car.

Throw in the look of the Z4, and nothing else comes close for the price. Now a GT3? Or an R8? If price is not a consideration, those come in to play. Drive it. That is what they are built for.

Especially in the coupe body style, the Z4 does look like it's competing with the 911. Very different cars, but I do feel the Z4 if pretty good value for money.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by RADRACR

I've owned 3 German cars and I'm going to lump them together based on my experience. I've never had engine or transmission failure but it seems to me that Germans can't get electrical engineering or bodywork right.

1) 2001 VW GTI - multiple annoying issues. MAF sensor, engine temp sensor, coil pack, fuel pump relay, and then there's that time in winter when the window fell into the door.

2) 2008 BMW Z4M - Nothing of interest.

3) 2009 BMW X5 - brake light relay, NO2 sensor, cracked wire harness seal on top of the hatch that destroyed some modules in the back after it rained. Labor alone was $1000 on that to fish all that wiring through

That said, I like these cars when they work and find them the most attractive vehicles. I may move on with my next vehicle though.

I had a GTI too and speaking of VW, I had an '03 Jetta also. One early morning I needed to rush to school when it was pouring rain outside. Only when I got in the car I put my feet down into five inches of water. Feet soaked walking to school. Apparently one of the drainage passages gets clogged in heavy rain sometimes. Who knew? lol car smelled like an old cottage until I spent 9 hours steam cleaning and masking the smell.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by Vanne

hmm.. typically my old man had Bimmers when i was a kid, (should have saved some of them, would probably be able to quit work now if he had). bought a M44 Mtech zed3 roadie while in Christchurch, and did a lot of touring in that. loved it..

got to Dubai, got a Z3 bread van, and liked that, though it had had a pretty rough life. Sold that, and replaced it with the Z4. Its pretty much the car of my dreams, i saw it first at the Sydney motorshow back in 06, and remember thinking, yeah, thats me baby.

This one is here to stay, too much sweat and cash has gone into it already.

but boy.. those long easy sweepers… this is when i am at one with the machine, when i am so focused, its like i am the only one left on the planet at this single moment, in this curve.. caught in this moment of time...

*couff* back to the real world..

the car for me is a distraction for real life, and hopefully down the line, ill do what my old man never did, and ill chuck a tarp on it, and stick it in the garage for my kid.

Or even better put it into storage as he starts with some more basic vehicles and then he'll be truly shocked when you give him the Z4. Growing up in a European family I took build quality for granted. I really thought all cars felt that way. But I grew up also loving the earlier EVOs like the XI and IX MR. Thanks to Gran Turismo and such. Until I got to test drive one in real life and I couldn't get over all the exposed silicone, hard plastic and poor fitment. The performance was incredible but to me it felt like the car was unfinished. I'm no perfectionist but I guess I have my expectations from European vehicles.

[krusty]

While on holiday in Switzerland a few months ago, I hired a 1 series (I think a 118) to potter round the mountains /freeways etc. And while it drove OK ... in fact, it drive quite nicely in sport mode ... I can't say that I enjoyed driving it at all. Mostly, I was put off by all the electronic junk in the car, including iDrive, the so-called keyless Start/Stop (most stupid invention ever), the clumsy re-invention of the gear stick (press this knob while pushing that way just to get it into park or out of park, or in and out of reverse) and masses of wireless radiation / Bluetooth whatever that just gave me a headache (even if I tried to switch most of it off). Mostly, instead of feeling natural, it felt like having a fight ... or that design was getting in the way of common sense.

By contrast, the Z4 feels like a real car .. a car that won't date because it is just classic and elegant in its simplicity. Made we think I just want to keep my Z4 forever

[007MCoupe]

This was my first BMW, but have since owned 2 others. I've loved BMW since I first saw an E36 M3 growing up. Been in love ever since. I told myself one day I'd own one! After a few deployments and years of saving, I was searching for an E46 M3. Found a couple in the Dallas area, but unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) one guy backed out last second (still bitter!) and the other one was at an indy dealership and I just did not get a good feeling about the whole thing (car wasn't tip top and the guy seemed incredibly shady).

So having made a 5 hour drive to Dallas in a rental (planning on buying the M3 from the guy who backed out last second) my wife at the time said, "Don't worry we're not leaving Dallas without a new car!" So we started searching around town and I ended up Classic BMW. Still looking for an M3, the dealer kept showing me 335s, like I didn't know the difference. I told him straight up what I wanted and not to show me anything else. He said he didn't have an E46s but had a few E92s, but they were out of my price range. Then he thought for a second and said those famous dealer-words..."I've got just the thing," and we walked back to the building, thinking we're going inside. As we turned the corner, there they were; a blue Z4M Coupe and a red Z4M roadster. My wife even gasped and said, "Wow," and she's not a car person at all so I knew this was the one.

Next decision was hardtop or nah? Knowing what I wanted out of it I went with the Coupe. After haggling prices we ended up getting a fair deal for a previously leased CPO Z4M with 35K on it.

Got on the forums the next day and the rest they say, is history! I've had no regrets since owning her!

When I was stationed in Germany I bought a late 90-something 3 series wagon, but it wouldn't pass inspection (never ever seen rocker arms that bad before lol) so I found a 91 E30 328i. That was fun little car! If I had more time there I'm sure I would've sunk money into that thing and turned it into a track car, but military wins every time and had to move.

We're looking at getting a new ride soon and I keep trying to hint at *cough* X6M *cough* but realistically probably not a good investment haha. She wants the new Merc GLE coupe, which is really nice, but it's not BMW!

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

Couple months later I was looking online and found an M roadster in similar colors to my Miata at a carmax near a girl I was dating. It was what I was looking for in a coupe actually, Interlagos Blue with Light Sepang leather. I went and checked out the car along with a Cayman and some other cars they had on the lot and took the M out for a test drive. I still had my heart set on the coupe so the next day I drove an hour and a half north to check out one at a BMW dealer. They were asking a few grand more than the roadster, and someone was already doing the paperwork on the car when I got there and it had black leather when I wanted the light sepang. I asked a salesman if I could at least sit in the car to check it out and he got the keys. I was disappointed to find that I wasn't happy with the rear visibility of the coupe. I just didn't like how small the windows were and didn't feel I would be comfortable with that on the highway.

I've never sat in a coupe, but I heard someone else say this too. Why is visibility worse in a coupe if the rear window is so much bigger than the roadster's rear window? Also, doesn't the rear side window take away part of the driver's side blind spot? In the roadster you are 100% blind due to the ragtop. I'm comparing the coupe to a roadster with the top up of course.

[RADRACR]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

I've never sat in a coupe, but I heard someone else say this too. Why is visibility worse in a coupe if the window is so much bigger vs the roadster with the top up? Also, doesn't the rear side window take away part of the driver's side blind spot? In the roadster you are 100% blind due to the ragtop.

While the window is larger, it still only allows looking directly behind the car. The seats block the tiny rear side windows.

[David70]

With properly adjusted mirrors (the overlap from the rear view mirrors and side mirrors being minimal) I don't find there is any blind spot. You are sitting so close to the rear of the car that looking to the side, then using the mirrors makes it a non issue and I feel like I am sitting in the back seat of a standard sedan.

I also wonder if the people not liking the visibility out are comparing a convertible with the top down to the coupe.

[RADRACR]

I agree the visibility is entirely manageable.