What do you consider a BMW?
 

I remember back in 2000 i was dating a gal in NY. She had a very nice E36 328i which i had always wanted. She one day told me that she wanted to trade it in for an X5. I couldn't get my head around a BMW SUV at the time. It wasn't a BMW to me.

Anyone else feel this in the past or even now?

Yea.....Its really a Toyota in disguise.........:rolleyes:

try taking a X5 4.6is for a spin, and You will feel and see that it is a BMW all the way................

When I see the Roundel on the hood of a car or on the gas tank of a bike.

Since BMW is a manufacturer of vehicles with a history of excellent suspensions with impeccable handling and drive-ability along with engines tuned specifically for the chassis it's installed in...along with interior ergonomics designed to enhance the driver's experience behind the wheel or handlebars. These are the qualities I expect anytime I see or experience a product that has the BMW acronym or Roundel attached to it.

This would include motorcycles, cars, SAVs, trucks, scooters, and even the occasional skateboard (yes, BMW once designed a skateboard...the BMW StreetCarver Skate Board mfg'd from approx 2000-2005)...and true-to-form...its claim to fame was it's excellent handling due to its unusual suspension...along with it's approx $500 MSRP. :)

drive a 4.8is and take those highway off ramps at double the posted limit and then tell me it aint a bmw, and at the same time spank 70% of the cars on the road

Yea a Truck that out-handles many sports cars. Could be a lot of things, but it is definitely BMW in character.

Just think of an X5 as a 5-series Touring that sits a little higher, and is maybe a little shorter. If you've ever spent any time wrenching on any other BMW, then worked on an X5, you'll know it's less "truck" than it is "BMW motorcar". The parts that comprise an X5 are all BMW. Just browse through the parts listing at RealOEM to see what I mean.

Problem child comes to mind since they're always broken...lol!

Anything with an original roundel.

That said, I consider some BMW vehicles to be closer to the original spirit of a BMW, and so more pure. Ones with 4 or 6 cylinder engines. Ones with manual transmissions. Ones with fewer electronic aids. Ones without complex entertainment systems. Nothing that has a TV in it. Vehicles that celebrate the engine over the rest of the vehicle. Vehicles that maximize the driving experience at the expense of other qualities, ie reliability, durability, economy.

One of the tests I apply in my mind is whether it is more Mercedes-like. Nothing wrong with a Mercedes, I like them. But some BMWs appear to me to be more like a Mercedes than a BMW.