Do people actually purchase new BMW's?

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by edyvw
For "experts" here, BMW X1 does not have ZF8 transmission, unfortunately.
It is FWD platform with transverse engine, and has Aisin 8 speed transmission like every other pinnacle of automotive engineering, Toyota. Now, in this universe Aisin 8 speed is nowhere reliable as ZF8, but for purpose of this discussion, yes, BMW X1 comes with uber "reliable," dream come true, transmission made by Aisin.
Also, I would like to ask these "experts" on BMW how much more expensive parts for BMW are compared to Mazda, Toyota, VW, Honda etc? I own Toyota, BMW and VW and maintain them by myself, so I am aware of prices, and difficulty of work on each. But, would like to hear obviously something new from experts here.


Pretty much the experts here are anything but. I found Mercedes parts are typically 2-3x more than American parts, but then again, some American parts are dirt cheap like $20 for brake pads. For me, the labor has been the same because I use the same indy mechanic that also works on American cars and the only difference is how long a particular job takes. Many of them are the same and some are shorter, some longer so overall total costs aren't that much more. And some things actually end up cheaper. I've been able to get away with just a pad slap a couple times on brakes so that actually works out cheaper than an American car where I wouldn't even dare to reuse rotors because part of the reason why I'm doing a brake job is due to vibrations from bad rotors. Don't have that problem on a Benz.

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.



um..

wow...

I'm curious why you think status or ego has anything to do with the decision?







Why didn't the person consider other makes? Toyota, Honda, Nissan. None of these were mentioned.



Did you miss OP's first post? The CX-30 is/was also being considered.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.



um..

wow...

I'm curious why you think status or ego has anything to do with the decision?







Why didn't the person consider other makes? Toyota, Honda, Nissan. None of these were mentioned.


Bcs. there is huge difference between BMW and those makes. It is simple.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.


For me as well as many other BMW owners, "status and ego" have nothing to do with my choice of cars. My interest in BMWs has its source back in 1971 when at the age of 14 I saw an ad in Car and Driver for the Bavaria- a six cylinder sedan designed to cruise at 120 mph. I finally bought a 1973 Bavaria in 1983; I restored it over the next 5 years. It was everything I expected, although 100 mph was the fastest cruising speed it ever saw. I even took it to Watkins Glen for my first HPDE. In my experience, the more performance oriented BMWs meet my automotive requirements better than most any other brand.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.


For me as well as many other BMW owners, "status and ego" have nothing to do with my choice of cars. My interest in BMWs has its source back in 1971 when at the age of 14 I saw an ad in Car and Driver for the Bavaria- a six cylinder sedan designed to cruise at 120 mph. I finally bought a 1973 Bavaria in 1983; I restored it over the next 5 years. It was everything I expected, although 100 mph was the fastest cruising speed it ever saw. I even took it to Watkins Glen for my first HPDE. In my experience, the more performance oriented BMWs meet my automotive requirements better than most any other brand.


I can relate to this. However, it is completely a world apart from someone who leases a BMW and then returns it at the end of a lease.

 

[splinter]

They're mostly disposable DB vehicles 'round here.

Pay the depreciation then send it down the river in a few years.

Upside is leases are legitimate deductible business expenses for many of us.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by jstert
my son recently leased a slightly used, fully loaded, ex dealer demo, x3 at a great price (so he says, i was against it). in his defense he is an army officer transferring overseas this summer so he can break the lease early without penalty. he wanted to get a luxury bmw out of his system. and fwiw, he fully funds his ira, tsp (401k) and private annuity religiously.


Both my sons had the ‘itch' for a for a BMW / Benz but I convinced them at this stage they need to focus on building their net worth and much more important things like paying off their mortgage , retirement and their kids.

Eventually they will have a BMW in the future....





Or they could learn how to DIY. It saves a HUGE amount of money over taking the car to a dealer or shop. This applies to any car though. Doing your research, budgeting wisely, and learning how to fix it yourself makes the difference. According to someone in this thread, I own a 2009 BMW, and even bought it with a few known issues, so I must be a fool.

Now I drive it 90 miles a day for work, have taken several 1000+ mile road trips in it, and have never leased or had a car payment at 29 years old.

Fact of the matter is knowledge is power. Many other car manufacturers are catching up to the complexity of German luxury cars. Sadly I have coworkers who make way more money than me who are in debt due to car repairs on vehicles they owe money on, and these cars/trucks are not luxury brands. They simply didn't know what to look for when buying or don't have the knowledge to repair themselves. The two most expensive things most people will own in life are houses and cars, so learning about them is essential for financial success.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.



um..

wow...

I'm curious why you think status or ego has anything to do with the decision?







Why didn't the person consider other makes? Toyota, Honda, Nissan. None of these were mentioned.



It's pretty clear that your own bias against either the brand, and/or those who own them, is pretty strong.... But since you're asking/judging, the person looking at the car already landed on the X1 after trying the following:

Rav4
CRV
CX-5 and CX-30
Mercedes GLA/Infinity QX30
X1
Tiguan
Golf
Ford Escape
Kia Sorrento


My question was really based on the delta between purchase price new vs. 2 year old off-lease, which seems crazy.

They want to spend about 25K. Not because that's stretching the budget (they could easily by a new Macan, which would be my suggestion...), that's just what they want to spend.

I could go down the various reasons as to why the X1 ended up being the choice, but frankly there isn't too much between all of the above--they're all solid cars. Ultimately, where X1 won was the following:

-visibility (poor in several of the above, due to the high belt line thing)
-seat position and comfort (highly individual)
-handling (against, a bit subjective)
-cargo usefulness
-interior fit and finish
-feature set

I must be living under a rock or hang with different folks, but I really don't know anyone who considers BMW a "high status brand".

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted by splinter
They're mostly disposable DB vehicles 'round here.

Pay the depreciation then send it down the river in a few years.

Upside is leases are legitimate deductible business expenses for many of us.


Exactly, simpler accounting, too.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Originally Posted by 02SE
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

So, when you see a new BMW "owner"with his new wheels, there is a very good chance he lives in his mom's basement.



Work hard, and maybe you too can have jealous people hoping you live in mom's basement...


Basement?

If would be amusing to gauge the reactions to some learning of the fact that there are many high school parking lots filled with luxury makes. Not the staff lots, the student lots. Where a lower-line like a 3-series or C-class is practically a starter car. And for those who want something different, perhaps an SUV or tricked-out pickup (F-150 ASP = ~$47k; same ballpark, different kind of snob appeal).

And while a lot of those kids may not achieve at the same level their parents did, a lot of them will also end up as the professionals you seek to hire, or start the companies you apply to.

There will always be someone more […] than you. That's life.

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
From Car Intelligence. Most new BMW's are leased and it's the brand that Is most highly leased in the USA.

For BMW.

Leased 77%
Payments 10%
Cash 13%

So, when you see a new BMW "owner"with his new wheels, there is a very good chance he lives in his mom's basement.


Yup these are lease vehicle primarily when new

I think Maserati is a bit higher%
Audi and benz are similar.

UD

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.



um..

wow...

I'm curious why you think status or ego has anything to do with the decision?







Why didn't the person consider other makes? Toyota, Honda, Nissan. None of these were mentioned.



It's pretty clear that your own bias against either the brand, and/or those who own them, is pretty strong.... But since you're asking/judging, the person looking at the car already landed on the X1 after trying the following:

Rav4
CRV
CX-5 and CX-30
Mercedes GLA/Infinity QX30
X1
Tiguan
Golf
Ford Escape
Kia Sorrento


My question was really based on the delta between purchase price new vs. 2 year old off-lease, which seems crazy.

They want to spend about 25K. Not because that's stretching the budget (they could easily by a new Macan, which would be my suggestion...), that's just what they want to spend.

I could go down the various reasons as to why the X1 ended up being the choice, but frankly there isn't too much between all of the above--they're all solid cars. Ultimately, where X1 won was the following:

-visibility (poor in several of the above, due to the high belt line thing)
-seat position and comfort (highly individual)
-handling (against, a bit subjective)
-cargo usefulness
-interior fit and finish
-feature set

I must be living under a rock or hang with different folks, but I really don't know anyone who considers BMW a "high status brand".





You mentioned only the CX30 in the original post. Now we get a bigger list.

I'm not biased against the brand but the buyer should also include higher insurance premiums and higher maintenance costs as part of their research.

A lot of posters taking criticism personally this evening.

 

[Wolf359]

Oh to answer your original question, very few people actually sell their cars when it's just one or two years old. And because the majority leases, you just get lease returns. It's much harder selling a high priced car used than a cheaper car. The dealers offer financing and make it easier. You also have most people financing and you have title issues with paying for a car and then waiting to get the title from a bank. Less risky at the dealer. Plus when you trade in a car at the dealer, most states give you a credit on the sales tax so you only pay the sales taxes on the difference between the trade in and the new car. Of course with leasing you might not get tied up that badly with the sales tax.

And yes, Benz and BMW are considered high end brands. Here you mostly don't get a second look usually but then again sometimes I get people staring at me when driving the Benz which never happened when I drove a Ford. That's the part I can skip. I just like them for the fancy options they have vs regular cars. Sometimes the look on their face when you use the power trunk closer on a sedan is worth it alone.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I've read that the X1 had a plethora of recalls so do your homework on used vehicles.

I'd probably avoid them personally.


Good luck


Oh and yes, BMW sales strategy is to sell as lease initially and then re-sell as certified used. BMW sells driving experience and technology. It's why they're losing customers to Tesla.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JOD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Instead of focusing on status and ego it would be wiser to purchase a vehicle that is cheaper to maintain and has higher reliability.



um..

wow...

I'm curious why you think status or ego has anything to do with the decision?







Why didn't the person consider other makes? Toyota, Honda, Nissan. None of these were mentioned.



It's pretty clear that your own bias against either the brand, and/or those who own them, is pretty strong.... But since you're asking/judging, the person looking at the car already landed on the X1 after trying the following:

Rav4
CRV
CX-5 and CX-30
Mercedes GLA/Infinity QX30
X1
Tiguan
Golf
Ford Escape
Kia Sorrento


My question was really based on the delta between purchase price new vs. 2 year old off-lease, which seems crazy.

They want to spend about 25K. Not because that's stretching the budget (they could easily by a new Macan, which would be my suggestion...), that's just what they want to spend.

I could go down the various reasons as to why the X1 ended up being the choice, but frankly there isn't too much between all of the above--they're all solid cars. Ultimately, where X1 won was the following:

-visibility (poor in several of the above, due to the high belt line thing)
-seat position and comfort (highly individual)
-handling (against, a bit subjective)
-cargo usefulness
-interior fit and finish
-feature set

I must be living under a rock or hang with different folks, but I really don't know anyone who considers BMW a "high status brand".

Have him check out the cx5 turbo also, in GTR or signature trim. If he can snag a slightly used one it should be around 27 to 30k. That is, unless he didnt like the visibility or some physical characteristics of the cx5 in general. The turbo models are just totally different experiences from the base engine equipped models. I would not have bought a cx5 if not for the GTR and SG trims.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by PimTac


You mentioned only the CX30 in the original post. Now we get a bigger list.

I'm not biased against the brand but the buyer should also include higher insurance premiums and higher maintenance costs as part of their research.

A lot of posters taking criticism personally this evening.

Insurance on my Toyota Sienna is exactly $14.36 cheaper for 6 months than it was for BMW X5. Insurance for 328i is of course cheaper with same coverage than for Sienna.
But, I am really interested to hear about those maintenance costs. Can someone here gives us numbers about maintenance costs between X1 and vehicle of their choice?

 

[edyvw]

So, the lesson of this topic is: people who drive Honda, Toyota etc. live in nice house, and people who drive BMW live in mom's basement.
It reminds me of my neighborhood bbq when there is always appliance vehicle owner who knows everything and pontificates all day about life choices, justifying his choices.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted by PimTac


I'm not biased against the brand but the buyer should also include higher insurance premiums and higher maintenance costs as part of their research.

A lot of posters taking criticism personally this evening.


you seem very biased against the brand...

Insurance on a 2016 X1 is less for this person than a 2016 CRV.

Of course, you also have to factor in the higher fuel costs on the CX-5, and that fact that the warranty is shorter.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by edyvw
So, the lesson of this topic is: people who drive Honda, Toyota etc. live in nice house, and people who drive BMW live in mom's basement.
It reminds me of my neighborhood bbq when there is always appliance vehicle owner who knows everything and pontificates all day about life choices, justifying his choices.

Meh. I know people who run the gamut. Honestly no correlation that I can point to. I will say the more money I make, the cheaper my vehicle, as a whole.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by PimTac


You mentioned only the CX30 in the original post. Now we get a bigger list.

I'm not biased against the brand but the buyer should also include higher insurance premiums and higher maintenance costs as part of their research.

A lot of posters taking criticism personally this evening.

Insurance on my Toyota Sienna is exactly $14.36 cheaper for 6 months than it was for BMW X5. Insurance for 328i is of course cheaper with same coverage than for Sienna.
But, I am really interested to hear about those maintenance costs. Can someone here gives us numbers about maintenance costs between X1 and vehicle of their choice?


Sure. I had to use the cx9, as Edmunds has not gotten the cx5 turbo models loaded up in the system yet. The cx9 is mechanically near identical to the cx5 Gtr and Sg models, so it's pretty analogous. Same engine, transmission, etc.