Just out of curiosity-Why does BMW have such a bad rep

y5choi · #1 03-28-2009, 11:00 AM

I found this article in the TorontoStar today

TheStar.com | Crime | Three arrested in killing of man found dead in BMW

Why is it important that we know he died in his BMW? WHY? You don't see headlines like, "man found dead in his Range Rover or Audi or Mercedes-benz or Hyundai for that matter...

I see this all the time, as if all the greedy people and get rich quick scammers are supposed to be driving BMWs... what is with this bad rep?

We're (BMW drivers, especially X5 ers

) not cocks, according to Jeremy Clarkson, all the cocks are now driving Audi's.. lol

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King · #2 03-28-2009, 11:19 AM

I don't think BMW has a bad rep but rather the opposite. It's amazing when you read articles about other vehicles in Car & Driver, Road & Track, etc. you will always see the letters BMW in there somewhere because it's a benchmark. They always compare other cars to BMW's!

With regards to the media, they always stress the person was driving a 'BMW' refering to an expensive sports/luxury car. I don't think that's a bad rep.

Penguin · #3 03-28-2009, 12:06 PM

I don't see anything strange. Lot's of times they give the car make. Here's just a few:

2 shot dead in car parked in alley, suspect on the loose
AZFamily - ‎Mar 26, 2009‎
In addition to not knowing the motive for the shooting, they're not even sure who owns the car, a 1975 Ford Torino in which the victims were discovered. ..

Coral Springs man killed in crash
MiamiHerald.com - ‎Mar 26, 2009‎
Steven Mait, 58, was turning east onto Lakeview Drive about 8:53 am when a westbound black Infiniti SUV slammed into his beige two-door Mercedes, ...

2 dead in 2-vehicle crash on highway outside Vegas
San Jose Mercury News - ‎19 hours ago‎
... and male passenger were pronounced dead at the scene after their Toyota Corolla pulled from a service station into the path of a Ford F-350 pickup truck ...

Suspects lead deputies on chase
The Durango Herald - ‎1 hour ago‎
The chase ended on a dead-end road when the driver of a Ford Ranger lost control of the vehicle and high-centered it on some small boulders, according to a ...

Weekly Scoops: Heroin hiding places, Silicon Valley's poet ...
Los Angeles Times - ‎19 hours ago‎
"The clan allegedly used Ford, Honda and Pontiac vehicles. They stored the heroin in the cars -- hiding it in engine blocks, gas tanks, steering columns, ..

Man found dead inside car Downtown
Live 5 News - ‎Mar 24, 2009‎
The Ford SUV was parked in front of 11 Francis Street for two days, neighbors said. Investigators spent all morning carefully gathering evidence inside the ...

jeep · #4 03-28-2009, 02:44 PM

Yes they do mention the car in the article most of the times but not in the headlines, like BMW. There was a drunk driving case in India where a man ran over and killed a few people while driving his BMW 7 series. It is known as the BMW case, go figure.

The reason primarily is that driving a BMW is associated with success and achievement, it is the ultimate "achievement" (pun intended) to be able to afford a BMW, kinda status symbol, though we know that most of the folks on this board got their BMWs not for show but for the fact it is the Ultimate Driving Machine

Penguin · #5 03-28-2009, 04:43 PM

> it is the ultimate "achievement" (pun intended) to be able to afford a BMW

BMWs are nice, but IMHO far from being the "ultimate achievement" vehicle. I know people with $50,000 incomes that drive BMWs they bough as 3 year old used vehicles. Many people refer to the 7 series as the "mechanics car," as after the factory warranty runs out they are so expense to repair that mechanics often buy them really cheap when an owner finds-out how much it will cost to repair them and trades them in for a new car. You'd be surprised how many BMW mechanics drive 7 series BMWs.

Now, Ferrari's, Rolls, Bentley's Lambourghini's, etc, they are "ultimate achievement" vehicles. BMWs in the view of most people are lumped in with Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, and others of that ilk.

I like BMWs, owning one BMW 4-wheeler and five BMW motorcycles, but most non-automotive people probably see Mercedes as more of a "rich person's car" than BMW.

soldmystang · #6 03-28-2009, 05:42 PM

this would be the ultimate achievment vehicle. anyone lucky enough to have earned this ride i would say has achieved something special.

jeep · #7 03-29-2009, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin

> it is the ultimate "achievement" (pun intended) to be able to afford a BMW

BMWs are nice, but IMHO far from being the "ultimate achievement" vehicle. I know people with $50,000 incomes that drive BMWs they bough as 3 year old used vehicles. Many people refer to the 7 series as the "mechanics car," as after the factory warranty runs out they are so expense to repair that mechanics often buy them really cheap when an owner finds-out how much it will cost to repair them and trades them in for a new car. You'd be surprised how many BMW mechanics drive 7 series BMWs.

Now, Ferrari's, Rolls, Bentley's Lambourghini's, etc, they are "ultimate achievement" vehicles. BMWs in the view of most people are lumped in with Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, and others of that ilk.

I like BMWs, owning one BMW 4-wheeler and five BMW motorcycles, but most non-automotive people probably see Mercedes as more of a "rich person's car" than BMW.

Penguin, did u miss my "pun intended' remark

alexmish · #8 03-29-2009, 09:00 AM

quite simple - it is a fast getaway vehicle

Penguin · #9 03-29-2009, 10:10 AM

> Penguin, did u miss my "pun intended' remark

I saw the remark but, quite frankly, don't see the pun. Is it a play on "Ultimate driving" vs. "ultimate achievement?" If so, that's not a pun.

What is the pun that I'm missing? Are you using "achievement" in two different meanings?

I guess I must be dense or something.

jeep · #10 03-29-2009, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soldmystang

this would be the ultimate achievment vehicle. anyone lucky enough to have earned this ride i would say has achieved something special.

I want one

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