I was asked by a friend why I thought BMW s were so great. The ever so popular m3 was slower then an evo. And it got me thinking. Why did you choose BMW?
e36 m3s just feel better in the drivers seat than any other car i have ever driven. yes there are faster cars, there are cars that handle better, but nothing feels as good. I had coilovers on my 95 m3 and i could feel everything it was like you where part of the car. plus bang for youre buck in a daily driver you cant beat. thats why i chose bmw. now with that said e46s dont have that feel and they dont have the bang for youre buck and the e30s dont make great dailys. so for me it was just a love for the e36.
Great combination of handling, power, convenience, luxury, comfort and amenities. Sure other cars are better in one or more of these categories, but there are very few, if any, that combine them so well. And I love their high revving engines.
Last edited by mryakan; 09-15-2010 at 05:26 PM.
Current Car (delivered 20/10/21): 2021 G80 M3; 6MT; DravitGrau/Kyalami Orange/Black Extended Merino; Permium Pkg (ZPP); 826M bicolor wheels; Black M Compound brakes; Sunroof (yes no CF roof)
(more pictures here)
Previous Cars: 2018 F30 340ix 6MT Msport(Dec 2017 - Sep 2021); 2013 F30 335ix 6MT Msport (Nov 2013-17); 2011 e90 328i 6MT ZSP (Aug 10-Nov 13); 07 e90-323i ZSP (May 07 - Aug 10); 97-318ti ZSP (Feb 97 - May 07)
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens", Friedrich von Schiller -- "Life is simple, people make it complicated", Me (About me)
Ǽthetics.
I buy what I like, I don't care what you like or what your friend likes. If you don't like a bmw, I don't think you should buy one regardless of how it compares to another car.
Not so much a signature as a cry for help.
Hold on, saw this in a cartoon once...think I can pull it off.
To expiereince the greatness of the Roundel, one needs to drive one. Most people who like to compare BMWs by how they look on paper often have never driven one.
They're drivers cars.
For the record I own a BMW. My dream car was a z3 since I saw my first one when I was 8 and when I went to the dealer I test drove it and I fell in love. That's why I drive one.
Mojo, baby.
My friends dad has a chauffeur business. Got into a late model 7 series when i was about 14 or so (i'm 21 now), and it was just an amazing car. The best thing i had ever sat in.
I can't remember anything about it other than being amazed by how gorgeous it was, how comfortable i felt, and how smooth the ride was. Ever since then i've just looked toward BMW as the benchmark for what cars should be like.
I'm sure there are faster cars, and i'm even more sure there are cars with greater reliability... But BMW is a mixture of status symbol, power, speed, comfort, luxury, and the feeling of being connected to your car.
Having had 3 bimmers, I realize that it is more than just a car, it is a way of life. These aren't the fastest, most powerful, or even the best handling cars out there but they have it where it counts and that's what matters most.
I've owned my share of cars, from tuned VTEC Honda's to an SR20 swapped S14 Nissan Silvia. After the rush of a turbo powered car, I was always reminded of my first BMW I had, a 93 325is and how well that thing handled. I ended up selling my Nissan to buy an E46 M3 and I'm getting a M3/4/5 next week for daily duties. I don't think I will ever switch back to another brand like I did before because I was just following a trend that didn't feel right. Sure that thing was fast but it was not a BMW. When people ask "why a BMW' it's because they have never driven one.
It's just the overall package of the car.
I took a buddy of mine out for a ride today and it was pretty neat seeing his reaction. He's a truck guy, and never understood what my friend was saying when he talked up BMWs so much.
I took off and did a slow second gear pull and he said something about how 'fast' it was. . . . . This caught me off guard because I wouldn't say my car is fast at all, and especially not for the cars that I drive with and or have ridden in/driven. We did some spirited driving with some hard braking and hard corners. Even with my crappy front tires that induces a ton of under steer he was still impressed with the handling.
I can see how he had fun though. I do give some entertaining rides.
All the things you can experience from the passengers seat you won't experience from the drivers seat. Even if you do get a chance to drive one for a bit, you won't really get the driving experience. It's the way the steering wheel feels when you take a hard turn, or are correcting power induced oversteer. It's the way the pedals sit together that sets it up perfectly for crisp heel-toes. The slick feeling gearbox and crisp clutch. (My M3 clutch feels WAAAY different than series clutches at least with a e46 and Z3. It's quite a bit heavier, and add in a clutch stop and it just feels so precise)
the overall balance of the car. And something just feels right about sliding into the driver's seat of one. if you've never driven/owned one, you can never understand. you might idolize from afar, but nothing compares with the first hand experience
In a word: BALANCE.
From the crisp dynamics of the handling to the quality to the power to the adequate luxury to the balanced smoothness of the engines themselves, the cars are just a great, complete package for those of us who love to drive.
As a car guy from way back I'm embarrassed I hadn't owned one until last year, when I bought my old 635. I think I'll be a BMW driver for life now.
-Matt
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
Why did my family choose a BMW? Because there is no Jaguar dealership in my town or anywhere close. We would be driving in a Jag XJ instead of an e38 if there were a Jag dealer.
BMW's are great for more reasons than I can list but the main one is the fact that they are amazing drivers cars. I know my e38 is not meant for the track but it is the king of the highway. BMW designed the ultimate highway cruiser with the e38, it is in my opinion the best in it's class.
Current fleet:
1999 BMW e36 M3
1999 BMW e36 328is with rotary valve engine head
1999 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight
1990 Jeep Comanche Eliminator
1962 Austin Healey Sprite
The suspension that is compliant during normal driving and sporty during lively maneuvers. Other makers have tried to reverse-engineer it, but none have come close.
Jeder lobt was Nürburgring-erprobt
Compensating
I like the idea of a sports car chassis with a sedan body.
Imitators make good 3 series clones too, but I liked BMW's interior and feel a little better. If I were in the market for a 5 series sized car, I'd probably do an Infiniti M instead.
330ci ZHP + ZPP + ZCW - SilberGrau on Black Heated Leather - 6MT - Adaptive+Dynamic Xenons
328is ZPP - Black on Sand Leather - BBS RX - ZKWs
Subaru BG Outback 5MT - Blue/Gray - WRX Wheels + Altimax Arctics
They are an all around package, power, timeless designs, luxury, sportiness, great drivers cars.
Rule the Bends, Bend the Rules
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