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Well, Toyota ain't no 1 anymore and Lexus is a disappointing no 10.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/05/22/study-bmw-is-the-most-valuable-global-car-brand/

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Never expected that #1 based on who posted

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

Seems reasonable.................we have owned a total of 10 BMWs over the years, some good, some sh*t and some we would rather forget. I'm bored already................

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

Enjoy our two BMWs but most valuable car brand? Wonder what the methodology is there?

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Well, in this day and age I guess it has to be based on profitability and margins per unit...........they don't share platforms with other car makers nor do they discount as much as, say Ford or GM. Also still seen as a premium brand whilst shifting lots of cars. They also have a good range of vehicles from the small 1 series through to the X6, many of which seem to be class leading especially those in the middle of the range like the new 3 and 5 series models as well as the X3. What we need is a Breitling for BMW ...............................

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

I am just curious do you own your Bmw's for 3 years and then dump them? Because everyone I know who has one says they are junk ,and a nightmare to own after the warranty is up. I know you are a big Bmw fan so I figured I would ask you.

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One Watch At A Time.

Hi there, may as well chip in! We we have owned a total of 10 BMWs over the years, some good, some sh*t and some we would rather forget. All reliable even after warranty expires, worst were the 116i petrol models which were thirsty and gutless. Diesels are great, quiet and strong performers. We currently have an F25 X3 and a 2.5 Z4, we reckon this is our dream team. My old 530d had done 175,000 miles and still went like a train, only sold it because I reckon it must have been on borrowed time....

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

EVERYONE? I know that some members here have had their share of problems but I do no think that includes everyone. But you know what they say, bad publicity travels faster and stays like forever. Proof is, when I did a poll on the B01 movement sometime ago on the forum satisfied customers averaged over 70% if I remember correctly but we usually had mostly negative posts about the B01 rather than positive ones on the forum. Surely Roff will corect me if I'm wrong on this. Anyway, back on topic:

Among the BMWs I've had up to now, I never EVER had the slightest problem. All they asked for was normal service and tires. I did not even have to add any oil between services. And I've had 16 up to now.

1) E8 2000 for 6 years
2) E12 520 for 4 years
3) E3 2500 for 38 years and counting
4) E21 320/6 for 13 years
5) E30 320i-6 for 7 years
6) E30 318i for a year
7) E30 320i Touring for 9 years
'8) E36 320i for 7 years
9) E36 325iA Convertible for 8 years
10) E34 535iA for 6 years
11) E39 535iA for 7 years
12) E39 523i Touring for 13 years
13) E39 540iA Touring for 11 years and counting
14) E81 320i for 5 years
15) E91 325i Touring for 5 years and counting
16) E82 135i for 3 years and counting
Plus a Mini Cooper S for 5 years

I did 230'000 km with no 4, 240'000 km with no 11 and no 12 has 180'000 and counting. I did an average of 100'000 km with most of the others, except maybe with no 6 which was sold early mainly because it had a 4-cylinder engine and when you're used to the BMW 6, well no other engine compares with that. One thing that I do not like (to stay polite) is diesel engines though, in spite of their economy or their torque. For me, a BMW 6-cylinder is music to my ears and a V8 is even better.

As you can see, I tend to keep my BMWs longer than usual which means that I could have had many more than I actually did. At least here in Switzerland, cars are generally changed every 4 or 5 years. That is why the after sale car market in Switzerland is relatively cheap.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

I don't know about the most valuable brand thing, but I have owned two and never a moments problem. Love(d) them both. Zero problems well after warranty was over. Also think they are pretty safe. I had a head on collision in my Z3 against a much bigger Saturn Vue. In the other car one death, one helicoptered to hospital with life threatening neck injury and the driver very banged up. I walked away with a scratch on my nose where the air bag pushed my sun glasses into me. Tragic for the other family that crossed into my lane, but I feel lucky as all hell to have been driving my "wife's" BMW that day. I only took the two seater that day because she needed my bigger vehicle to take her parents around town.

I have seen both sides of it.

A former boss bought, about two years old, a 1988 750i. It was for the time, a fantastic car, and a thrill to drive. It was also a repair nightmare. I think he paid $34K used for it, and spent that much fixing it. He finally gave up, financially broken by it, and drove a Honda Accord for several years. In the early 90s, another friend had his V8 engine replaced and was quietly told that all the American-issue V8s would ultimately need to be replaced, something allegedly with the mix and content of American fuel eating them up inside. Trouble was, at least in his impression, BMW wasn't going out there and offering replacements unless the car showed up running improperly. These two incidents probably kept me from owning a BMW as long as I did.

I haven't had my BMWs for that long, but they have been faultless. They have also been non-specialty, non-bleeding-edge models, an X3 and a 135i. The consensus some of my friends and I reached back many years ago was that BMW was extending their technological reach beyond their grasp. My impression over the years is that there has been a significant change. One sign of that, at least in the U.S., is putting their money where their mouth is with with lengthy warranty and maintenence programs. I know a few present-day BMW owners, none of whom have any significant complaints. Mind you, if something does need repair , it will likely be expensive. They all love their cars, however, and I am very happy with mine. I still have CPO warranty, and we'll see if I'm willing to own beyond that warranty, but I have enjoyed the cars as much as any I have owned. My Mercedes was more solid, my Jag was the best cross-country car I have ever owned, but the BMWs are sheer fun, even the X3.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

I'm on E36 M3 number 2. Drove my first one to 258,000miles (it was a '95) and came across a deal on the one I have now (a '99) 8 years ago so I traded up. My current one has 253,000 miles and I'm loving every minute of it. I refuse to sell it because I can't come up with a comprable replacement. I think the E46 M3 is too stiff and I'm not a huge fan of all of the DSC (I like knowing that I'm in total control of the acr and don't have nanny helping me along). And I don't really care for the E90 M3. Not that I don't like the car, and the V8 sounds like heaven, I just think an M3 should weigh less than 3,500lbs and have a straight 6. So I'll keep mine until it dies, which I don't see happening anytime soon, and see what is available then. Only items I've had to replace in the last 200,000 miles (other than reg wear and tear shocks, tires, brakes) are the starter, alternator, I put a clutch in it at about 150k, rear suspension bushings, and I replace the radiator every 4 years/75k. The interior is mint, heated seats even still work. I doubt I'll ever buy anything other than a BMW. But will never buy a 7 series, they are money pits just like an S class Benz. Maybe my next one will be an M5.... One of these days I'll have to but an old man car with four doors.

I agree with you of course, Scott.

I have driven several dozen of various models of cars over the years and every time I go back to driving a BMW I just feel that sheer fun of driving. Literally, the Ultimate Driving Machine. I am not trying to convince anyone for or against, this is just the way I feel. Whenever you drive a BMW, it's, well, different. And it's not only the driving. It is how the overall car is finished, the perfection of the detail, the driver-turned cockpit, the sound when you close the door..., the whole atmosphere is different when you enter a BMWs cockpit. It is like an aircraft atmosphere, especially at night. And once you've tried it, there is no going back. I do not deny that I am biased, not only an amateur of BMW. I often wonder how can people drive something else. But, of course, you need variety to make a world, otherwise it would be a dull world.

BMW is a pioneer in its field. After having narrowly escaped a take-over from Mercedes in 1959, it is now the leading premium carmaker. Several of their models (if not the majority) are class-leading, if they are not simply leading. They are currently selling more cars than Mercedes. The fact that they retain their premium status in spite of having augmented production capacity so much is remarkable. All this is proven by comparison tests made all over the world or by all the awards that BMW has gained over the years for best engine, best design, best interior, best.... in tough markets like Germany, the USA or Japan.

But, if being a pioneer has its priviledges, it also has its disadvantages. I think that many of the problems that BMW customers experience are due to the extensive use of electronics and several technological achievements. Several features that were once expensive options, are now standard equipement. Many were decried by competitors, before being copied and adopted by them quite a few years after BMW had introduced them. One example is the (in)-famous i-Drive. One of the newest is the Head-up Display. Some are visible, others less so and concern engine-management, for example.

Even though all these electronic components, features or equipment have been tested for years in labs or in real-life conditions before model introduction, several still encounter problems. And that is not surprising if you use so much new technology. Same thing happens in other industries, like aviation for example. That is why we have seen huge delays in new model introduction. And delay is something that constructors can ill afford. So, sometimes, they risk earlier introduction rather than later. But if you're a carmaker, you can afford to take a little more risk than an aircraft maker.

The only thing that I condemn BMW about is their very poor client service (but something that I have never experienced personnally), especially since they know what parts or components are subject to failure. Their problem is sucess though. It has driven them arrogant and not customer friendly. As long as sale numbers are high, I don't think that their attitude will change. They should give it a second thought though because Mercedes did the same mistake at the beginning of the century and they now find themselves as no 3 in the premium market behind BMW and Audi. As they say, it is not becoming no 1 that is difficult but maintaining the top spot.

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

There are lemons in all brands, My friends mus of just been the lucky lemon buyers. My buddy has a 07 750 that he has sitting in his garage , hes had window problems, power steering pump problems , cracked wood dash, not too mention none of the replacement parts are cheap.....

I have owned nothing but Acura's Lexus , and never had any problem with any of them.. I am sold on Japanese cars, sure they aren't as sporty as Bmw's , But I will take the resale value of a Japanese car over a Bmw anyday, The only Bmw I like is the 00 to 03 M5. That car is Gorgeous, hell the 01 to 03 540m package is gorgeous.

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One Watch At A Time.

I may as well chime in on this as well, given I've exclusively owned BMWs for something like 13 years now.

I'll keep it short - the cars are generally great with no major issues at all, but 99.9% of the dealers absolutely suck when it comes to customer service.

In terms of reliability I don't know where the bad rep in some quarters comes from. My 550i M-Sport had a blocked injector within 2 weeks of ownership and the engine management system shut down one of the cylinders, and my 740i M-Sport developed electrical gremlins just before I sold it. (I'd just signed on the dotted line for a new Beemer and on the way home the dash lit up like a Christmas tree! It obviously knew something!), but that's just about it.

My current 320d M-Sport is frankly crap, but not because of reliability. It's just boring beyond words, 39.2mpg is a joke from a diesel, and it's gutless. Next one will be a big petrol again. I'll be the chancellors best friend again on fuel duty, but at least I'll have some fun in the car!

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Driver8

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