[Revision2]

So we all know that a lot of people aspire to owning a BMW. However, I've been curious to see what other first time BMW owners think about their cars as well as the brand / company now that you own one. This is mainly targeted to those that have owned their car for at least a year or two as opposed to those that are probably still in their honeymoon phase. Are you finding it lives up to the hype / reputation? Regret your decision? Are you now a fan for life and intend to keep at least one BMW in your life at all times? I have no intention of starting a flaming / fanboy thread, just looking for some decent, somewhat objective opinions.

Personally, I think I get why some people love BMW but not sure I'm really a fan for life yet. BMW has built a strong brand name and fan base which has also resulted in a bit of snob factor associated with it as well (let's be honest, that is why some people aspire to getting one). The e90 does seem to be a good all around car where it can handle driving fun better than most and still be civilized when you just want to go from point A to B. It is definitely a sports luxury sedan though as opposed to a luxury sports sedan, especially when compared to its competitors. I come from a Jap luxury car environment and I find that their interiors just seem more appropriate for the price tags as opposed to the one in my e90. Just find it kind of bland / sterile even when compared to ones in Benz and Audi. Yes, my e90 is a joy to drive (even though it is only a 328) but makes me wonder if BMW is relying too much on their reputation for "sporty cars" and brand snob factor to sell cars and improve profits while dismissing further improvements they can make in the interior / reliability departments at the cost of said profits.

Thoughts?

[Osobear]

Although I am not really a first time owner per se (I've had an E39 before), I have recently gone back to an E90 and am now wondering what I was thinking when I opted for another brand.

Feeling the BMW steering and power as well as the refined driving experience has made me become a fan all over again as I am waiting a couple of years for BMW to iron out the bugs in the F30 before I go for it.

Oh, and I am keeping the E90 even after then.

[crashoverride]

OP it all depends on what your criteria is for a car. It's easy to say x brand has a nicer interior y brand has cooler headlights etc.... And obviously automakers have to pick and choose where to spend the money in building a car I.e. save money on the engine but then spiff up the interior.


What I've found is BMW sets the bar for the best all around vehicle. No other car can say they've been on the top ten car and driver list for 22 years straight. My e90 is very fast safe reliable and comfortable. It's a car I can be proud to drop off with Valet and still have fun the next day at the track. It's a car that makes others jealous and yet still makes the wife feel safe.

In addition my experience both buying and having my car serviced at the dealership has to be one of the best experiences. I'm treated better than I've ever been treated with any other brand.

I bought my car used it was a two year old CPO.... It was between the BMW or a new Mazda same exact dollar amount. I can honestly say I wouldn't be having the same conversation had I gotten the Mazda. Finally I got way more value for the money and the BMW continues to hold its value.

[imz lci]

recently bought my first bmw e90 and i now understand what all the fuss is about, loving the drive! compared to all the other cars i have owned in the past

[StevenY.]

I've been in love with BMW ever since the first time I sat in an e36 m3 when I was a kid. Even though I've wanted to own one since I was a kid, my feelings of owning one was confirmed when I drove an e46 m3 for the first time and an e92 335i. Currently searching for my first!

[wahooooman]

This is my first BMW and i cant say i will ever buy another Make, im sold in the way the car handles. The car before this was 05 audi a-6 and i thought that it drove great and had a swanky interior but my e90 could drive circles around it, no comparison. . But i definitely understand when you say the interior is bland, but the more i drive it i realize im glad the interior is simple, seats are firm and ridged bc i bought my car to drive it hard, not to have plush seats to relax in, thats why i bought a tempurpedic bed at home lol .
On a side not though my boss had a Lexus Ls460L and its interior stuns me , Quality, Comfort, Not such a good price tag.
I have yet to drive a M3 or a 1er for comparison with my 335 but one day

[The X Men]

I dont think I would ever commit to a brand for life. I will always compare brand and see what each brand's latest has to offer.

[gunsekun]

I have owned the BMW prob for 3-4 years but once you get into porsche... oh fuck.. fuck bmw... I also test drove aston martin.. and that's what i want next...

[rdub315]

Originally Posted by The X Men

I dont think I would ever commit to a brand for life. I will always compare brand and see what each brand's latest has to offer.

+1

[rbocc13]

Will probably go back to Audi because personally i think the quattro is the best awd around and the interior visually and technologically speaking seem more advanced. I will miss the feel of the bmw but with the newer models i'm told it isnt the same as the older models. I felt my 2.0T a4 quattro with 212 hp was a heck of a lot faster than the natural 6 cylinder 235 hp 328xi i have. Just not in a position to get into a new car, might be selling the bmw and not even have one for the time being.

[bmiller085]

Originally Posted by rbocc13

Will probably go back to Audi because personally i think the quattro is the best awd around and the interior visually and technologically speaking seem more advanced. I will miss the feel of the bmw but with the newer models i'm told it isnt the same as the older models. I felt my 2.0T a4 quattro with 212 hp was a heck of a lot faster than the natural 6 cylinder 235 hp 328xi i have. Just not in a position to get into a new car, might be selling the bmw and not even have one for the time being.

I, too, came from a 2.0T A4 (B8). I have absolutely fallen in love my E90 and BMW in general and feel that it is more superior in terms of quality and engineering than my Audi ever was (I went through both a B7 and a B8). The only design I did enjoy better with Audi was interior styling features. Other than that, everything is so much better with BMW and I am a fan for life

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by Revision2

So we all know that a lot of people aspire to owning a BMW. However, I've been curious to see what other first time BMW owners think about their cars as well as the brand / company now that you own one. This is mainly targeted to those that have owned their car for at least a year or two as opposed to those that are probably still in their honeymoon phase. Are you finding it lives up to the hype / reputation? Regret your decision? Are you now a fan for life and intend to keep at least one BMW in your life at all times? I have no intention of starting a flaming / fanboy thread, just looking for some decent, somewhat objective opinions.

Personally, I think I get why some people love BMW but not sure I'm really a fan for life yet. BMW has built a strong brand name and fan base which has also resulted in a bit of snob factor associated with it as well (let's be honest, that is why some people aspire to getting one). The e90 does seem to be a good all around car where it can handle driving fun better than most and still be civilized when you just want to go from point A to B. It is definitely a sports luxury sedan though as opposed to a luxury sports sedan, especially when compared to its competitors. I come from a Jap luxury car environment and I find that their interiors just seem more appropriate for the price tags as opposed to the one in my e90. Just find it kind of bland / sterile even when compared to ones in Benz and Audi. Yes, my e90 is a joy to drive (even though it is only a 328) but makes me wonder if BMW is relying too much on their reputation for "sporty cars" and brand snob factor to sell cars and improve profits while dismissing further improvements they can make in the interior / reliability departments at the cost of said profits.

Thoughts?

I absolutely hate that. I don't get it really but it exists. No more BMWs for me.

[Mardio]

I guess everyone has an opinion on why they went with BMW and continue to stick with them. My hobby is to drive... so before BMW I had a G35 that handled the canyons nicely. I next upgraded to a 06 325, that car handled with such incredible balance I was blown away. My next purchase was an "IS"... the perfect blend for canyons and a night on the town. Sure Porsche is superior, but no back seats was a deal breaker for me.
I can never understand the complaints on the BMW interiors, simple and classy in my opinion. Its supposed to be a drivers car, right?

[wins76]

try defferent car brand in your lifetime and own it at least 3 years, like:

Audi
MB
Lexus
Ford
GM
Dodge
Saab
Volvo
Subaru
Mitsubishi
VW
Toyota
Honda
Fiat
Mini
Nissan
Infiniti
Acura
Tesla
Alfa Romeo
Porsche
ferrari
Lambo

Don't love a brand too much, you can only live once! try different thing...just saying; so when someone ask you if you have driven this kind of brand you can say "I driven them all & I like this brand ...... the most"

[thenewrick]

I gotta say as a new BMW owner I'm not in love with the car. It's a little too electronic, too heavy, driveability is just pretty good. I'm anxiously awaiting the next generation Subaru STi. If that's crap I'll look at other options. I'm hoping to go plug in electric at some point. I'm coveting a Tesla X pretty bad.

[feenin4rich]

I went from a Lexus to a BMW 1.5 years ago and I think to myself "what took so long to switch!"

[ChipB]

Been a fan since '79 when I bought my first bimmer, and have owned one ever since. Back in those days BMW had virtually no competition for "the ultimate driving machine." In fact in '79 there were fewer BMWs sold in the US than Corvettes. Alas, this is no longer true, and BMW has branched out to building cars that are less for the niche crowd wanting superior handling in a small car and more for the soccer Mom crowd wanting transportation for the kids and dog. We currently have an E93 335i and an Audi S5 (also a Cayman S, but I won't lump that one in here), and I must say that my favorite for most around town driving is the Audi. We bought the bimmer because my wife wanted a convertible, and it's a great car, but the amenities are not up to Audi's, the tranny bogs down, and the ergonomics of the iDrive is nuts. Now maybe my opinion is biased by the fact that the Audi is a manual tranny while the BMW has a slush box (the wife's requirement), and I've also upgraded the suspension on the Audi with coil-overs. But still it remains - BMW is no longer a niche player focused on producing the ultimate driiving machine. And yet ... yes, I'm still a fan.

[AllBlackBimmer]

You have to take every car maker with a grain of salt.

Sure you don't want to move from a BMW to... like a Nissan Sentra, but if its a Nissan GTR, well, thats a huge difference.

Every car maker has good things about them, and bad things. Its always a tradeoff for power vs looks vs reliability etc.

you cannot say you are going to commit to a car maker based solely on ONE car. Have you ever drove an M5 or M6? what if they were total crap? Would you still be loyal to BMW even if every one BMW was awful and the 3 series is great? (I know the M5 and M6 are awesome! no worries there, and think other BMW models are good as well)

Its all about the particular car. Sure the "brand" is great, but the actual model of car means more.

Would you choose a bmw or nissan? it is easy to say BMW, but what if the actual car choices were a 1980 3 series, or a 2013 GTR? Still be brand loyal then?

With all that said, I love BMW, and do consider their cars higher quality and more suited toward my need for a car than other brands, but this is just a GENERAL statement.

I will always evaluate each car model vs. another and not solely on the brand. I do think BMW makes a superb car and will always consider a BMW in the future, but will not just blindy by a BMW because of the Roudel on the front.

[Slow_335i]

No not a bmw guy for life. There are way too many other companies that are making fantastic cars. There's no point in sticking to on brand unless they offer a really crazy incentive to make me stay.

My first car was a Toyota fj cruiser and honestly I'd probably take that over my bmw...

But two different vehicles I guess.

[Potty_Pants]

Bmw is not the sweet spot of the car industry... wont miss my 335i

ppp

[E9TOU]

This is my first BMW and I've got to say, the first time I got into one I fell in love with the driving dynamics. I've had my car for almost a year now and it still amazes me every time I get behind the wheel. I drove nothing but Honda's and Toyota's before this and the E92 easily tops them all -- even though I loved all the previous cars I drove (esp Honda's since their older cars are driver centric like BMW).

I've always been a BMW die-hard and this is the first one I could afford. I'm a little skeptical about saying I'm hooked on BMW going forward since I'm not a fan of any of their new cars and their supposed softer rides. I must admit I haven't test-driven any any of their new cars but the new 4 series looks promising. I also don't like how BMW is pricing their cars higher and higher every year, thus making them harder to afford. Also don't like that their affordable cars like the 1-series are so polarizing and look like econo cars. I may have to look into an older e46 or e30 as my next BMW purchase.

[cmyk]

Not my first BMW but...

When I was shopping for my current car I purposefully tried very hard to find something other than a BMW (was coming out of a rocky relationship with an E39). My criteria was pretty specific, and I am picky when it comes to getting as close to my ideal "sweet spot" as possible. I wanted a luxury car that handled like a performance car. I have owned VW in the past, so I tried Audi. I extensively test drove the A4, S4, and A5. They had most of the luxury fit and finish I was looking for, and the S4 delivered on the performance, but the handling and driver engagement in all models was a deal-breaker. I tried Lexus and Mercedes as well. The Lexus (IS250 and IS350) were slow and I didn't like the interior. The Mercedes that fit most of what I was looking for was the C63, but it was out of my budget at the time. I (actually reluctantly) test drove a 335 that was on the Audi lot and was immediately sold. I realized that what I had been looking for all along was the driving experience that is unique to BMW. At this point BMW is the only make that I would consider owning in its class/price range. When it's time to move up, I will consider BMW first on my short list (M2 or M4), followed by the C63, GT-R and Maserati coupe, unless another brand releases something amazing in the next few years.

Regardless, I'll probably always keep a BMW in the stable, even if it's a project/track car.