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[01rangerxl]

Though I have heard plenty of jokes about BMW owners over the years, they are definitely not the worst offenders in my experience. I have seen the occasional a-hole swerving around in traffic in a battered, "riced" out (if you can call it rice) 3 Series, but the people who scare me the most are minivan drivers. No offense to any minivan owners here, but as a whole, the group seems to be lacking in driving ability, courtesy, and common sense. 9 times out of 10 when I get passed in a turn lane, cut off, almost run into, etc... someone in a minivan is to blame.

 

[LouDawg]

I cast another vote for the soccer moms in SUVs bigger than they need. Just today I had one following me down a 4-lane highway driving a brand new 4-Runner, talking on her cell phone, and turning back constantly to tend to what I can only assume was an unhappy child in a car seat. She was swerving all over the road while at the same time *passing* everything on the road. And it was heavy traffic.

 

[Tornado Red]

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There's even some classic 2002 models from the 1970s on the road around here. The 2002 is prone to rust, if that is what you are basing your "they don't last" opinion on.

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I've seen at least two here in SoCal that are rust-free and look show-room new. Real beauties.

 

[windnsea00]

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There's even some classic 2002 models from the 1970s on the road around here. The 2002 is prone to rust, if that is what you are basing your "they don't last" opinion on.

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I've seen at least two here in SoCal that are rust-free and look show-room new. Real beauties.

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I can think of 3 people off the top of my head that still use theirs as daily drivers!

 

[Russell]

I hear the negative ---- ocasionally. However, I have owned/driven a BMW for 25 years. new and old models. I just like the way they drive and feel. Not to mention the positve relationship I have with my dealer and independent mechanics.

Fortunatly, here in Lexington, KY most of the BMW drivers are or act like responsible adults. That generally means the brand is well respected. Just an observation.

 

[Russell]

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When I see a BMW, I think that the owner paid great quantities of money to buy a car that does not last very long.

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This is just wrong. BMWs are well known for their longevity. How did you arrive at that conclusion?

Mine has 142,000 miles and drives as nice as most cars with 15,000 miles. It is not an exception. All you have to do is take care of a vehicle and it will last. That is most cars

 

[Tornado Red]

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All you have to do is take care of a vehicle and it will last. That is most cars

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Some cars, BMWs included, tend to encourage their owners to take care of them for the long term. If the most-expensive components don't fail, or at least don't all fail at once, and if the body isn't rusting through and the paint peeling off, and if the interior still looks reasonably good, then owners tend to fix them instead of junking them.

With some older cars, it's the emissions systems that become too much of a hassle. And of course when the cost of repairing minor collision damage exceeds the value of the car.

People tend to hang onto German-built or German-designed cars longer, I think, than Japanese cars. While Japanese cars may be more reliable when new, or during the first 50k-100k miles, IMO the German cars are more likely to still be running after 200k miles.

 

[Aldaris]

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I have an M3 4-dr manual. Best practical car I have ever owned from a driving perspective. A sheer joy to drive.

When it works. BMWs are not 300k cars. Trust me. I race and know lots of BMW owners what tuner parts, etc. to make them faster, corner better, more durable, and these ain't Hondas. They have a lot of short cuts that can't take old age. At 70k, expect to do a lot of rebuilding if you drive it anything beyond Buick like driving.

Electrical, body hardware, trim, suspension joints, oil pan are way underdesigned for cost. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The interior on the other hand is nice.

Having said that, they've got the handling down pat.

Why can't Toyota/Lexus make cars that aren't appliances and why can't BMW make one that lasts?

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When I was growing up, our family car was a 1985 318i. I loved that car with all of my heart and it made me a BMW fanatic until I ended up with Toyotas. Anyhow - that car made it to 225k before it got rear ended by an Isuzu Trooper. The darn car just wouldn't die.
We did have to do maintenance along the way, and I do remember my dad having to replace a plastic gear in the power window mechanism, but other than that it was very reliable.