What do you hate most about your BMW?

[upallnight]

I hate it when people come on a BMW forum bitching about the cost to own a BMW. If you want a cheap car, buy a Kia. You don't need to have a BMW to get around, but you want to have a BMW so pay up.

[jopecasa]

I hate my BMW's!

They attract too much attention.....either in the car park and on the streets and motorways!....

[StephenVA]

I really do love my herd. No issues really with ownership. I am the go to guy at the office for car knowledge (for good and bad) and no one cares as there are 20 some on the lowest level parking garage that are 10X my total vehicle costs. Hell there are two new Maseratis and a new 911 drop top along with the normal Lexus, Mercedes, BMWs, etc. on the "safe parking" level. Everyone parks with a space or ten apart.
Parts costs are part of the package, over priced and over engineered in most cases. I used to think BMW parts were overly expensive until I looked in buying one of those 360/460 V8 Italian cars. Motor mounts are replaced at 20k, $5,000 along with everything else that goes on or around the engine as you pull the entire drive train to replace the belts and plugs. Total costs run up to $15,000.
Sorry no whining here.....

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by kvc

The assumption by one and all that because I own a BMW, I have a never ending disposable income, that all and sundry are encouraged to gouge at every opportunity. This extends to retailers, mechanics, dealers, customers and those choosing to park too close in shopping malls...
It's a different story when I drive my beaten-up old pick-up (ute for us Aussies). I'm then offered discounts, deals and all manner of sympathy because I must be on the bones of my arse...or so they assume.

Just the opposite with me. When we were in the market for a house I would drive my pickup to the various sites to view the model homes. Most of the sale staff didn't even bother to greet us at the sale office. However, when we showed up in the PORSCHE it was a completely different story.

[tmv]

Nothing. If I hate anything, I either have it replaced or a different vehicle.

[Helihover]

Originally Posted by tmv

Nothing. If I hate anything, I either have it replaced or a different vehicle.

Oh cmon. Life isn't this easy.

[kvc]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Just the opposite with me. When we were in the market for a house I would drive my pickup to the various sites to view the model homes. Most of the sale staff didn't even bother to greet us at the sale office. However, when we showed up in the PORSCHE it was a completely different story.

My point exactly - people will make an assumption about your income level or affluence, depending on the vehicle you drive...
As you pointed out - when arriving in your pickup, sales staff didn't want to know you, but the opposite happened when you rocked up in the Porsche. Some people are so damn predictable, it's sickening...

[Kristophe]

I can't say there is anything I hate about my BMW. I've found many of the repairs very DIF'able. Granted dealer OE parts are horribly expensive however with a little research one can often find the OEM equivalent at 1/3 less the price. I do agree that there is a "BMW price multiplier" that many mechanics utilize when it comes to repairs. Example: once when I was having my BMW checked for a possible bad fuel pump the tech suggested the spark plugs needed to be changed and he quoted a little over $300. I was shocked. Are you serious? $300 BUCKS? Its a Straight Six and they're all on top! But he didn't flinch. He'd likely only pay what, $5 or $6 piece for (6) NGKs, and maybe 45 mins in labor, if he took his time. I suspect a lot of BMW owners gladly pay such prices so the repair curve is lower on those who would otherwise pull up in a Ford.

[weiln12]

@Kristophe - I agree, I've found BMW's to be very easy to work on. Parts aren't that bad, except for those odd pieces like water cooled alternators or piezo injectors, but if you follow directions I've found they're very easy to work on. Just my experience.

[johnlacson]

So far, I can't really say I hate any of my Bimmers, otherwise I probably would've switched brands by now.

I dunno ... fuel efficiency could be better... but for an 05 2 ton SUV, it's at par with most current American/Japanese SUVs of equivalent size/weight. So not really a complaint in any way (specially since the newer X5s have incredible efficiency for the power they put out)

Most non-car people think my 89 E34 is only 6 years old.

Most non-car people think my 05 X5 is last year's model.

Dealer labor prices are a bit over-the-top, but I guess given the 'luxury' classification of the brand, it's expected. Although I wish dealers would tier rates based on the model/generation of the car, would also be nice to feel like the mechanics actually knew the vehicle, and not assume it works like the latest model ones. Each generation has its own quirks and indy mechanics know these quirks... dealer mechanics and SAs feel like they're reciting spiels without knowing the car at all.

Simple example is duplicate keys... older cars do not need 'coding'... but right off the bat, some dealers will justify $300 spare keys for E30/E34 keys because "They're computer coded".

I honestly wouldn't mind dealer labor prices, if they were the absolute best service that I could get for my Bimmer. I feel that dealers SHOULD be the best (not the cheapest) option for servicing any year/model Bimmer. An indy should be the more practical option. As it stands, indy's are the better and cheaper option for regular maintenance of any Bimmer beyond the initial warranty.