BMW=Happiness

[luigi49]

for retirees.  WOW

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-unhappy-retirees-driving-bmws-143200093.html

[TreeTired]

good grief.   Are his results statistically significant?   Does he adjust for year of car?    I see a big difference between a guy who retires and buys a new BMW and a guy who retires while still owning his 10 yr old BMW.   Does the car make the owner unhappy or do unhappy people tend to buy a particular brand of car.   So many unanswered questions!

[mwulff]

I wonder. Cars are my hobby and I enjoy working on them. My wife and I drive an ancient (2001) BMW 320d that gets about 40 mpg.

But does it make us unhappy? I'm not sure... Of course we didn't take out a loan to get it and it has been perfectly reliable for the last 70k miles or so.

But it drives really well and it very comfortable for a big sedan (I'm in Europe, it's a big sedan here ;) ).

If I had to pay it off I'm pretty sure I would hate it.

[luigi49]

I had a BMW for one month and got rid of it.  Nothing special.

[AssetGrinder]

I use to have a 100k Mercedes but now I drive a 15k Honda and I am much happier. Pricey possessions often just weigh you down with maintenance and worry. I don't give a crap about my Honda if it gets a scratch or if its dirty unlike my Mercedes I would freak over a scratch and had it washed once a week.

[SnackDog]

It makes sense that Lexus owners are more satisfied with their cars. Lexus does a fabulous job of providing their market what it wants: luxury, comfort, serenity, and reliability.  Reliability is the ultimate luxury!!  BMW has grown 1000x beyond the enthusiast market and is now selling cars to idiots who don't know a camber setting from a radio station setting.  These people buy the BMW in hopes of looking good to the neighbors but don't realize they are buying a rough-riding, minimalist-interiored, harsh, unreliable mess of dodgy German electronics.

I had a geeky boss who wanted to look important so he picked up a black 750i.  It drove him berserk!  He couldn't operate the iDrive system to save his life.  It was always in the shop.  Guzzled gas.  The only good thing he had to say about it was "the kids like the back seat".

[sekritdino]

I definitely believe this.

I have a family member who owns a [American car mentioned in the article] dealership. Until very recently he also owned a [Korean car not mentioned in the article] dealership as well, which he sold. I recently saw him and he explained how the Korean car buyers always knew invoice price, they negotiated on the total price of the car, and then the cars never broke down, so the dealership never made any money off them (though they did carry them through the recession with those car sales). On the other hand, the buyers of the American cars were payment buyers and didn't negotiate on the price of the cars, plus they break down a lot so the repairs center makes a lot of money off of them.

I told him sorry not sorry, I'm buying Korean.

[soccerluvof4]

I owned a BMW convertible, Mercedes and a Cadiallac CTS when it first came out. Of the 3 the BMW was the only one I can say i liked and it was when i was younger other than the Cadillac. I cant remember having any of them for more than a year. Was satisfying some kind of  itch and like many people say after the first or second week the fun was done.  Now i seemingly only buy Toyotas.  I hate cars , there a waste and I preach to my kids and everyone else about it.

[MoneyCat]

I definitely believe this.

I have a family member who owns a [American car mentioned in the article] dealership. Until very recently he also owned a [Korean car not mentioned in the article] dealership as well, which he sold. I recently saw him and he explained how the Korean car buyers always knew invoice price, they negotiated on the total price of the car, and then the cars never broke down, so the dealership never made any money off them (though they did carry them through the recession with those car sales). On the other hand, the buyers of the American cars were payment buyers and didn't negotiate on the price of the cars, plus they break down a lot so the repairs center makes a lot of money off of them.

I told him sorry not sorry, I'm buying Korean.

That must have been a long time ago.  Recent model American cars are just as reliable as Japanese cars and Korean cars are pretty unreliable these days.  The best thing about Korean cars is that most of them have a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty so when they inevitably breakdown, the repairs are covered.  I've never had to do anything but routine maintenance on my American car, but then again it's a 2010 model.

[tyler1215]

I guess I have to be the voice of the car guys.

My dad bought my stepmom a 1998 BMW 3.23i convertible when they got married in 2003. She still has that car and it has had its fair share of problems but never anything hugely mechanical. I always loved driving that car when I got the chance. You could drive the piss out of it and still get 30+ mpg. With a five speed!!!

Earlier this month, I test drove a new BMW 4.35i with a six-speed. Still a great car to drive but for me it had too much electronic crap that kept getting in the way. The old saying us to be "if you wanna show that you have money, buy a Mercedes. If you wanna show that you know cars, buy a BMW."

Modern cars are too jam packed with sensors and electronic doohickeys and safety components that you can't concentrate on the drive. I can't look at a modern car cause they'll never make one that is completely void of conveniences (that includes cup holders). A car can be viewed as a medium between point A and point B, if you view life as the destination. I choose to view life as a journey and prefer to travel in the ultimate driving machine.

[soccerluvof4]

I guess I have to be the voice of the car guys.

My dad bought my stepmom a 1998 BMW 3.23i convertible when they got married in 2003. She still has that car and it has had its fair share of problems but never anything hugely mechanical. I always loved driving that car when I got the chance. You could drive the piss out of it and still get 30+ mpg. With a five speed!!!

Earlier this month, I test drove a new BMW 4.35i with a six-speed. Still a great car to drive but for me it had too much electronic crap that kept getting in the way. The old saying us to be "if you wanna show that you have money, buy a Mercedes. If you wanna show that you know cars, buy a BMW."

Modern cars are too jam packed with sensors and electronic doohickeys and safety components that you can't concentrate on the drive. I can't look at a modern car cause they'll never make one that is completely void of conveniences (that includes cup holders). A car can be viewed as a medium between point A and point B, if you view life as the destination. I choose to view life as a journey and prefer to travel in the ultimate driving machine.

Great line!!!

[m0nk3y]

It makes sense that Lexus owners are more satisfied with their cars. Lexus does a fabulous job of providing their market what it wants: luxury, comfort, serenity, and reliability.  Reliability is the ultimate luxury!!  BMW has grown 1000x beyond the enthusiast market and is now selling cars to idiots who don't know a camber setting from a radio station setting.  These people buy the BMW in hopes of looking good to the neighbors but don't realize they are buying a rough-riding, minimalist-interiored, harsh, unreliable mess of dodgy German electronics.

I had a geeky boss who wanted to look important so he picked up a black 750i.  It drove him berserk!  He couldn't operate the iDrive system to save his life.  It was always in the shop.  Guzzled gas.  The only good thing he had to say about it was "the kids like the back seat".

Couldn't agree more. For the past 15 years, I've been a "car guy" and always seeking to build/improve.

For the time being, I've honestly wanted a new Mustang... but it just doesnt make sense. My Lexus IS 300 is reliable, inexpensive, fun and (relatively) cheap to modify if I so choose. The savings from keeping this vehicle vs a new one has been immense... Paid off, reliable, 25 mpg avg and fun to drive. I only drive 2-3k miles per year anymore, so it looks like it'll be in the family for a while with only 108k on the clock as of now. Sure, it's not a new 5.0... but it doesn't have all of the associated detracting factors.