Buying a car as a status symbol....

[Patton250]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

An X1 or an X3 is still more expensive than a similarly priced Kia or Hyundai or Honda or whatever.

An X3M is $73K++++ - not exactly a cheap car. So why don't you tell me the argument?

I don’t understand your question. I apologize. What argument?

[erickonphoenix]

Originally Posted by 10"

These days a Toyota RAV4 starts at around $30k and an X1 around $38k. Honda CRV around $32k

The difference in prices is long gone..

Man, I'll wager the X1 I drove was arguably the grossest experience in a modern vehicle I've ever had. If that thing cost 38k then brand blindness is terminal or I was just in a very base of the basic model.

[Forzanerazzurri]

If people stopped buying BMWs as status symbols, BMW wouldn't exist.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by Patton250

I don’t understand your question. I apologize. What argument?

Sorry - I didn’t mean to reply to your post. Meant to reply to the one above yours

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by 10"

These days a Toyota RAV4 starts at around $30k and an X1 around $38k. Honda CRV around $32k

The difference in prices is long gone..

That’s with 0 options however. Toyotas / Hondas also don’t have options.

Have you driven the new X3? I had one for like 4 hours when my car was being serviced. Amazing vehicle

[Patton250]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

If people stopped buying BMWs as status symbols, BMW wouldn't exist.

It’s so funny to me that any human being could think that anyone else on the planet could give two craps what kind of car they drive or watch they wear our house they live in. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there’s a handful of shallow friends and family members in everyone’s circle that might think that way, but I certainly don’t know who they are in my life.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by Patton250

It’s so funny to me that any human being could think that anyone else on the planet could give two craps what kind of car they drive or watch they wear our house they live in. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there’s a handful of shallow friends and family members in everyone’s circle that might think that way, but I certainly don’t know who they are in my life.

Come to Arizona - no one out here cares about crap like that. Probably the most down to earth state in the country!

[DavesZupra4]

Originally Posted by TheMaxXHD

Not to be stupid, but even if I agree that buying something for the status symbol is a bad idea….who cares?

It isn’t anyone’s business what people do with whatever money they have. They bear the consequences of that, not others.

Also who is to say that most people are buying something for simply the status symbol, you aren’t a mind reader, maybe they really like how it drives, or the features it has.

There will always be people that buy things for the status symbol only. That’s life. It occurs with many things, not just cars. But it doesn’t matter. Just worry about yourself. Worrying about what other people do is just a dead end.

I have this distant family member we visited their apartment in the greater Los Angeles area. Anyway I know for a fact their apartment is low income or was low income housing for sure at the start. The apartments are cheaper than anywhere else and people there aren't loaded. Yet in the parking garage you'll see brand new S class, tesla model s, 7 series, even M3/M4's and yet they are CLEARLY (at least most of them) struggling to pay bills and or maybe pay 50-70% of their income just on the car.

Thays what I mean also although I was referring mostly to the fact that they can't drive at all. Living in low income apartments and driving brand name cars is so hilarious. The car looks nice until they return back to the awful cheap apartment that smells awful every time, and it's an Immeadiate anti aphrodisiac let's just say

Originally Posted by Patton250

The only thing that makes sense is the OP must think that owning a BMW means you have status.

Ok Mr Lamborghini or Porsche. I know what you're insinuating. But bmw and Mercedes and audi are also status or top brand cars. I know you secretly want to tell everyone you have a $150k plus car without saying it. Ok cool so you have one, if you think only you do on this forum do I have a surprise for you. The others are secure enough not to need to mention it to others for likes or attention. Seems like you know it's frowned upon also thays why you wrote it in a cryptic way

[TheMaxXHD]

Originally Posted by DavesZupra4

I have this distant family member we visited their apartment in the greater Los Angeles area. Anyway I know for a fact their apartment is low income or was low income housing for sure at the start. The apartments are cheaper than anywhere else and people there aren't loaded. Yet in the parking garage you'll see brand new S class, tesla model s, 7 series, even M3/M4's and yet they are CLEARLY (at least most of them) struggling to pay bills and or maybe pay 50-70% of their income just on the car.

Thays what I mean also although I was referring mostly to the fact that they can't drive at all. Living in low income apartments and driving brand name cars is so hilarious. The car looks nice until they return back to the awful cheap apartment that smells awful every time, and it's an Immeadiate anti aphrodisiac let's just say



Ok Mr Lamborghini or Porsche. I know what you're insinuating. But bmw and Mercedes and audi are also status or top brand cars. I know you secretly want to tell everyone you have a $150k plus car without saying it. Ok cool so you have one, if you think only you do on this forum do I have a surprise for you. The others are secure enough not to need to mention it to others for likes or attention. Seems like you know it's frowned upon also thays why you wrote it in a cryptic way

Sir, this is a car forum…we are here to talk about cars, more specifically, BMWs. Not about financial responsibility or the nature and science behind capitalism. That is a topic for another forum.

[Conissah]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

If people stopped buying BMWs as status symbols, BMW wouldn't exist.

I bought a BMW because it's one of 2 front engine, RWD, manual sedans on the market... M3 and the CT4/CT5V are literally the only cars that fit those requirements. I couldn't care less about the logo on the steering wheel.

[Patton250]

Originally Posted by DavesZupra4

I have this distant family member we visited their apartment in the greater Los Angeles area. Anyway I know for a fact their apartment is low income or was low income housing for sure at the start. The apartments are cheaper than anywhere else and people there aren't loaded. Yet in the parking garage you'll see brand new S class, tesla model s, 7 series, even M3/M4's and yet they are CLEARLY (at least most of them) struggling to pay bills and or maybe pay 50-70% of their income just on the car.

Thays what I mean also although I was referring mostly to the fact that they can't drive at all. Living in low income apartments and driving brand name cars is so hilarious. The car looks nice until they return back to the awful cheap apartment that smells awful every time, and it's an Immeadiate anti aphrodisiac let's just say



Ok Mr Lamborghini or Porsche. I know what you're insinuating. But bmw and Mercedes and audi are also status or top brand cars. I know you secretly want to tell everyone you have a $150k plus car without saying it. Ok cool so you have one, if you think only you do on this forum do I have a surprise for you. The others are secure enough not to need to mention it to others for likes or attention. Seems like you know it's frowned upon also thays why you wrote it in a cryptic way

Paranoid much? You’re wrong. I should’ve said any vehicle not just BMW.

[yousefnjr]

OP’s bizarre manifesto before he sets the CarMax on fire

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by 10"

These days a Toyota RAV4 starts at around $30k and an X1 around $38k. Honda CRV around $32k

The difference in prices is long gone..

The difference between $30k and $38k is a whopping 27%. $8k is HUGE for people who're budget shopping a $30k vehicle. And this, keep in mind, is regarding an X1 which was BMWs attempt to target downstream shoppers on the fence between luxury vs. non-luxury brands. So to use the base MSRP for the cheapest model in the entire lineup is a misrepresentation to begin with.

This discussion comes up time and time again - you only need to look at numbers to understand that BMWs are still priced out of reach (or at least priced out of reasonable value placed on a vehicle) for most people. If they weren't, BMWs would be selling like Toyotas.... and yet they're not...

So yes... BMWs for people living outside of our Bimmerpost bubble are still status symbols for the majority of the population, and there's a good reason for that.

[DavesZupra4]

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

OP’s bizarre manifesto before he sets the CarMax on fire

I feel like the majority of people should have to legit be experts on thr track doing amazing lap times behind other cars before they earn the right to drive on the roads which is easier. But people can't even drive in a fuking straight line before their micro brains have a micro stroke and they cause accidents and then lie that it wasn't their fault.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by DavesZupra4

I feel like the majority of people should have to legit be experts on thr track doing amazing lap times behind other cars before they earn the right to drive on the roads which is easier. But people can't even drive in a fuking straight line before their micro brains have a micro stroke and they cause accidents and then lie that it wasn't their fault.

There's only one person here having a micro stroke...

[Patton250]

Originally Posted by DavesZupra4

I feel like the majority of people should have to legit be experts on thr track doing amazing lap times behind other cars before they earn the right to drive on the roads which is easier. But people can't even drive in a fuking straight line before their micro brains have a micro stroke and they cause accidents and then lie that it wasn't their fault.

Nah. The vast majority of accidents are from people not paying attention, and the smart phone age has made that 100 times worse. Watch this accident, I caught on my rear dash cam. There’s no doubt the guy was looking at his phone and then looked up and realize that traffic on the interstate was at a complete halt probably due to some other moron a mile up ahead, having done the same thing an hour before. When he looked up, it was too late.

Just friendly advice, but when your whole mantra is most of the rest of the world are idiots and you’re a smart one it just doesn’t come off well to the rest of us. Hence the reason for the mostly sarcastic responses to your original post. Just in case you were wondering. Probably not though right?

[Alonso085]

I don’t really think anyone actually cares what car you drive when it comes down to it. If someone cares about a “status” car it’s not really the car, it’s only the perception of wealth that is attractive to them

[Piper1]

Originally Posted by Alonso085

I don’t really think anyone actually cares what car you drive when it comes down to it. If someone cares about a “status” car it’s not really the car, it’s only the perception of wealth that is attractive to them

When I worked retail I had gotten my 03 e85 in 2011, had traded my 98 avenger for it having my 87 Supra as the track toy at the time. The store managers wife just got him a brand new Camaro. When he saw my z4 his comment to me…”Guess we’re paying you too much”. Not even knowing my z4 cost me half the cost of his Camaro. Later in 2012 when I left for a much better job after 13 years of being there he was panicking asking why I was leaving, where did they go wrong. I simply told him you’ve got to treat your people better and pay better. He was fired a few years later for sexual harassment which the entire store witnessed it even when I was there on several occasions.

[SteezeforMyBimmerMon]

If you wanted something that only racecar drivers would drive you should not have picked one of the world's most popular brands.

[DavesZupra4]

Originally Posted by Patton250

Nah. The vast majority of accidents are from people not paying attention, and the smart phone age has made that 100 times worse. Watch this accident, I caught on my rear dash cam. There’s no doubt the guy was looking at his phone and then looked up and realize that traffic on the interstate was at a complete halt probably due to some other moron a mile up ahead, having done the same thing an hour before. When he looked up, it was too late.

Just friendly advice, but when your whole mantra is most of the rest of the world are idiots and you’re a smart one it just doesn’t come off well to the rest of us. Hence the reason for the mostly sarcastic responses to your original post. Just in case you were wondering. Probably not though right?

EL OH EL

[DavesZupra4]

Originally Posted by Piper1

When I worked retail I had gotten my 03 e85 in 2011, had traded my 98 avenger for it having my 87 Supra as the track toy at the time. The store managers wife just got him a brand new Camaro. When he saw my z4 his comment to me…”Guess we’re paying you too much”. Not even knowing my z4 cost me half the cost of his Camaro. Later in 2012 when I left for a much better job after 13 years of being there he was panicking asking why I was leaving, where did they go wrong. I simply told him you’ve got to treat your people better and pay better. He was fired a few years later for sexual harassment which the entire store witnessed it even when I was there on several occasions.

Store managers sound like typical "tough guys" aka. Insecure

[KevinC]