[Rafichicago]

I am not hidden in anybody else’s pocket and don’t know their financial situation and honestly couldn’t care less, however I love speaking about not owning depreciation assets and making smart and responsible financial decisions than switching car every 3 that leasing allows for. You have just fall for manufacturers business model. They want returning customers. That’s their bread and butter. Just say it out loud. I CAN AFFORD ID AND I DONT GIVE A F…. Simple Good day to everyone.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by UPSROD

I have actually owned three cars that did become investments and I drove them! 1968 Camaro Z/28, 1967 Corvette and 2003 Porsche 996 Twin Turbo!

Yup, that situation is 0.0005% of the market.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

What's funny to me is this whole concept someone long ago made up that cars are "investments". They are not financial investments and never have been. Rather, cars are a transportation tool. They are an appliance. Using the cost-per-mile as the financial metric, in general owning a car for an extended time period and extended miles is less expensive than leasing every 3 years. The cost-per-mile is the only metric to use to evaluate the cost of a vehicle because it standardizes the unit of measure regardless of vehicle type or method of acquisition. My 18-year old E90 has cost me just 31 cents per mile. If I were to drop $2,000 in maintenance this year, which I may do, it will increase my cost-per-mile by just 0.47-cents per mile. Peanuts.

If we were just driving cars as transportation tools we wouldn't be posting on car forums about cars lol.

The issue with your math is "peanuts" means different things to different people. I don't want to drive an 18 year old E90...and to me the $1,850 payment on my new S580 is also "peanuts".

Originally Posted by kudos

You will forever pay an inflated price for eternity. Maintenance for cars really isn't that much per a year as long as you take care of them. This idea maintaining an owned card is somehow equivalent to someone paying a stupid monthly lease payment is laughable. Justify it however you want in the end someone who owns long term comes out far ahead financially.

None of this is even factoring the enjoyable experience of modifications which good luck on a leased car. You could do it I guess, but more money down the drain when you turn it back in.

Again, I don't even think about being ahead financially when it comes to cars. I work hard and I'm successful and I can easily afford nice cars I want, so I get them. The easiest way for me to drive new nice cars and do so in the most cost effective way is to lease, so thats what I do. I don't modify my cars outside of window tint, so thats not a factor.

Of course you come out far ahead financially if you buy and keep cars for a long time, but I don't want to do that...and I don't have to do that. You also come out far ahead financially if you never eat out, never take a vacation, it goes on and on. What good is money if you don't spend it? If you don't have the money, or its not something you get enjoyment out of then fine...but I have the money and I get enjoyment out of it...so I spend the money.

What you do works for you, but it wouldn't work for me. I want new cars, and I want a new car every 3 years. So, I lease new cars. You are happy driving an 20 year old 3 Series and thats great, I am not happy with that.

Whatever it costs is what it costs, it doesn't impact me financially at all. If it did impact me financially I wouldn't be doing it.

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

You are talking about business leasing vs. personal leasing.

When you own a business they are the same thing.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

If we were just driving cars as transportation tools we wouldn't be posting on car forums about cars lol.

The issue with your math is "peanuts" means different things to different people. I don't want to drive an 18 year old E90...and to me the $1,850 payment on my new S580 is also "peanuts".



Again, I don't even think about being ahead financially when it comes to cars. I work hard and I'm successful and I can easily afford nice cars I want, so I get them. The easiest way for me to drive new nice cars and do so in the most cost effective way is to lease, so thats what I do. I don't modify my cars outside of window tint, so thats not a factor.

Of course you come out far ahead financially if you buy and keep cars for a long time, but I don't want to do that...and I don't have to do that. You also come out far ahead financially if you never eat out, never take a vacation, it goes on and on. What good is money if you don't spend it? If you don't have the money, or its not something you get enjoyment out of then fine...but I have the money and I get enjoyment out of it...so I spend the money.

What you do works for you, but it wouldn't work for me. I want new cars, and I want a new car every 3 years. So, I lease new cars. You are happy driving an 20 year old 3 Series and thats great, I am not happy with that.

Whatever it costs is what it costs, it doesn't impact me financially at all. If it did impact me financially I wouldn't be doing it.

When you own a business they are the same thing.

Okay, okay, we get it, like everyone on the internet, you make big money. LOL. "When you own a business they are the same thing." Yes, this makes my point precisely; you can't write-off a personal automotive lease, the tax codes don't allow it. Duh.

I was driving 35,000-miles a year for my office commute, so leasing a car was not financially prudent. An 18-year-old BMW E90 is a much better drive than 95% of the new cars offered for sale since its introduction in 2005, and especially a BMW 3-series after the monstrosity that was the F30 when released on the public. I've looked to replace the E90 several times once it got above 250,000 miles, but every prevailing current model year 4-door sports sedan just sucked. I was close on buying a manual ATS back in 2014 or so, but I wasn't keen on a 4-cylinder turbo. Had GM offered the ATS with a manual bolted to their 3.6L V6, I'd have bought it. I buy cars that satisfy my need for a good driving experience and use case, rather than to try and impress people. I'd rather have 5 cars like I do now, all that offer a unique driving experience and fit an individual use case.

But seriously, half a cent is literally peanuts (roasted peanuts in the shell cost about .6-cents per nut - I checked).

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Okay, okay, we get it, like everyone on the internet, you make big money. LOL. "When you own a business they are the same thing." Yes, this makes my point precisely; you can't write-off a personal automotive lease, the tax codes don't allow it. Duh.

Don't be bitter, work harder lol

If you own a business you can write off a personal lease. You can write a vehicle off for business. My cars have always been personal leases.

I was driving 35,000-miles a year for my office commute, so leasing a car was not financially prudent. An 18-year-old BMW E90 is a much better drive than 95% of the new cars offered for sale since its introduction in 2005, and especially a BMW 3-series after the monstrosity that was the F30 was released on the public. I've looked to replace the E90 several times once it got above 250,000 miles, but every prevailing current model year 4-door sports sedan just sucked. I was close on buying a manual ATS back in 2014 or so, but I wasn't keen on a 4-cylinder turbo. Had GM offered the ATS with a manual bolted to their 3.6L V6, I'd have bought it. I buy cars that satisfy my need for a good driving experience and use case, rather than to try and impress people. I'd rather have 5 cars like I do now, all that offer a unique driving experience and fit an individual use case.

But seriously, half a cent is literally peanuts (roasted peanuts in the shell cost about .6-cents per nut - I checked).

Good for you, you do you...just stop passing judgement on others for making different choices.

[Accucon4202]

Yeah, the 'living beyond their means' argument is funny to me. Why tie up 80K of your own capital in a car? A loan or a lease are the only choices for a NEW vehicle. Additionally, as others have said, you can sell off a lease just as easy as selling off a car that you 'own' to make money in the end. People just like to 'flex' and talk down on people who don't want high payments when they think they have more money than others. Egos...

Edit for reference: I 'own' my G01 and will be trading it in for a G20 lease.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

Don't be bitter, work harder lol

If you own a business you can write off a personal lease. You can write a vehicle off for business. My cars have always been personal leases.



Good for you, you do you...just stop passing judgement on others for making different choices.

Exactly, IF you own a business. Guess how many people in the automotive market don't own a business?

Show me where I passed judgement on anyone regarding leasing a vehicle? I simply said in earlier posts that the only true metric regarding the cost of vehicle ownership is evaluating the cost-per-mile. That standardizes the value regardless of what method you choose to finance a vehicle, or even what mode of transportation you choose to move from place to place, be it public transportation, cab, Uber/Lyft, limo service, aircraft, or private ownership/lease. I further said in reply to a post that owning a vehicle and amortizing the purchase price over tens or hundreds of thousands of miles lowers the per-mile cost. It's just a statement of fact. I keep the E90 because I really like the way it drives and there is no other car that I like to replace it with that fits my use case. That's the situation with BMWs, the cars are so good and advanced that they don't become antiquated even after several decades of progress of the industry.

At what level of cost-per-mile a person chooses for transportation is their decision, I couldn't care less. The way I read it is you passed judgement on people who don't lease. You passed judgement on people who like to keep their cars a long time and drive them to high mileages. Your judgement is if a person doesn't drive a current-year expensive car it is a reflection of their work ethic, financial health, and level of success. It seems you have an inferiority complex, fighting against people who really don't care about other's "success", but you do you too.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Exactly, IF you own a business. Guess how many people in the automotive market don't own a business?

A much larger % of people who drive cars like this do. Even if you don't own a business if you're going to keep the car less than 5 years it still makes sense to lease based on all the math I have done.

Show me where I passed judgement on anyone regarding leasing a vehicle? I simply said in earlier posts that the only true metric regarding the cost of vehicle ownership is evaluating the cost-per-mile. That standardizes the value regardless of what method you choose to finance a vehicle, or even what mode of transportation you choose to move from place to place, be it public transportation, cab, Uber/Lyft, limo service, aircraft, or private ownership/lease. I further said in reply to a post that owning a vehicle and amortizing the purchase price over tens or hundreds of thousands of miles lowers the per-mile cost. It's just a statement of fact. I keep the E90 because I really like the way it drives and there is no other car that I like to replace it with that fits my use case. That's the situation with BMWs, the cars are so good and advanced that they don't become antiquated even after several decades of progress of the industry.

I don't agree. IMO BMW's age quite poorly, once they are 3-4 years old they look old.

You keep talking about cost per mile, again we are car enthusiasts. Cars to us are not appliances and if we cared about truly nothing but cost per mile we would all be driving old Toyota Corollas.

You passed judgement on people who like to keep their cars a long time and drive them to high mileages. Your judgement is if a person doesn't drive a current-year expensive car it is a reflection of their work ethic, financial health, and level of success. It seems you have an inferiority complex, fighting against people who really don't care about other's "success", but you do you too.

Absolutely none of that is true, I didn't say any of that. These arguments happen all over forums and its always people like you trying to justify their own choices by saying people like me "live beyond our means" because we don't drive old fully depreciated cars. Its never people like me wondering why people like you do what you do. I don't think I'm the one with the inferiority complex lol

Find me a post where people who lease new cars wonder why people drive old cars...you won't find one. I can find you MANY threads where people with old cars pass judgement on people who lease new cars.

[mjj]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

A much larger % of people who drive cars like this do. Even if you don't own a business if you're going to keep the car less than 5 years it still makes sense to lease based on all the math I have done.



I don't agree. IMO BMW's age quite poorly, once they are 3-4 years old they look old.

You keep talking about cost per mile, again we are car enthusiasts. Cars to us are not appliances and if we cared about truly nothing but cost per mile we would all be driving old Toyota Corollas.



Absolutely none of that is true, I didn't say any of that. These arguments happen all over forums and its always people like you trying to justify their own choices by saying people like me "live beyond our means" because we don't drive old fully depreciated cars. Its never people like me wondering why people like you do what you do. I don't think I'm the one with the inferiority complex lol

Find me a post where people who lease new cars wonder why people drive old cars...you won't find one. I can find you MANY threads where people with old cars pass judgement on people who lease new cars.

Many who lease thinks those that purchase are fools with their money.

Those that purchase think those that lease are doing it for a lower payment because they can’t afford purchasing.

I think the interesting part of this thread is why there is such a difference between brands when it comes to the % that lease.

Are Porsche & Benz owners are not as financially savvy as those that lease BMW’s?

What makes BMW owners so different in that regard. That was the point of the thread

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by mjj

Many who lease thinks those that purchase are fools with their money.

Those that purchase think those that lease are doing it for a lower payment because they can’t afford purchasing.

You don't see people who lease outwardly attacking people who purchase though the way you do the other way around.

I think buying a car in cash is not a smart move, but I'm not going to bring that up unless someone tries to tell me the choices I have made are wrong.

I think the interesting part of this thread is why there is such a difference between brands when it comes to the % that lease.

Are Porsche & Benz owners are not as financially savvy as those that lease BMW’s?

What makes BMW owners so different in that regard. That was the point of the thread

I think it has to do with how attractive their lease products are. BMW has great lease products, they aren't as great as they were before COVID but they are still industry leading. Case in point, a BMW 7 or my S580, same MSRP, same negotiated deal as in rebates and discounts the S580 is $400 a month more. Porsche also doesn't have great leases.

But thats why such a big % of BMWs are leased IMO.

What makes BMW owners so different in that regard. That was the point of the thread[/QUOTE]

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

A much larger % of people who drive cars like this do. Even if you don't own a business if you're going to keep the car less than 5 years it still makes sense to lease based on all the math I have done.



I don't agree. IMO BMW's age quite poorly, once they are 3-4 years old they look old.

You keep talking about cost per mile, again we are car enthusiasts. Cars to us are not appliances and if we cared about truly nothing but cost per mile we would all be driving old Toyota Corollas.



Absolutely none of that is true, I didn't say any of that. These arguments happen all over forums and its always people like you trying to justify their own choices by saying people like me "live beyond our means" because we don't drive old fully depreciated cars. Its never people like me wondering why people like you do what you do. I don't think I'm the one with the inferiority complex lol

Find me a post where people who lease new cars wonder why people drive old cars...you won't find one. I can find you MANY threads where people with old cars pass judgement on people who lease new cars.

The discussion on lease vs. buy is always about cost. So judging the cost-per-mile is the relevant metric whether or not one is an enthusiast. Driving an old Corolla is not material to the discussion. Comparing the lease cost between, say a M550i and a CT-5V, is best done broken down to cost-per-mile. It's just a financial tool rather than a socio-economic indicator.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

The discussion on lease vs. buy is always about cost. So judging the cost-per-mile is the relevant metric whether or not one is an enthusiast. Driving an old Corolla is not material to the discussion. Comparing the lease cost between, say a M550i and a CT-5V, is best done broken down to cost-per-mile. It's just a financial tool rather than a socio-economic indicator.

Cost per mile isn't a necessary metric. All you have to do is look at the cost outlay over the term you intend to have the car and make a decision from there. For me in general cost doesn't come into which car I'm going to choose, I choose the car I want and then figure out how to acquire it as cost efficiently as possible. Hence why I'm paying way more for an S Class over a 7 Series, because thats what I decided I wanted.

Where the old Corolla comes into play is if all you are worried about is the lowest possible cost per mile and you're saying that a car is just a transportation tool. If you're posting on forums for your tool its not just a tool. How many refrigerator forums do you post on?

[DrVenture]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

The discussion on lease vs. buy is always about cost. So judging the cost-per-mile is the relevant metric whether or not one is an enthusiast. Driving an old Corolla is not material to the discussion. Comparing the lease cost between, say a M550i and a CT-5V, is best done broken down to cost-per-mile. It's just a financial tool rather than a socio-economic indicator.

I agree with this. One should look at the total cost of the same exact ride in terms of leasing vs. buying. Of course there are other factors, like the ease of returning a lease vs. trading/selling a 3 year old car. There is some value to simply handing back the keys at lease end for those who only keep cars a short while. But, there is also a cost for that too. As with trading-in.

The total picture defines what is best for any one individual. But looking at a lease for a new 540i, for instance, once you calculate what is due at lease signing, plus all payments and what is due at lease end, you can then compare it to buying the same exact car, w/ down payment, plus 36 payments and subtract what it is worth at trade-in. Total cost. Probably comes out pretty close, either way. Selling private party would likely tip the scales in favor of buying.

I am sure the dealers love a lease, because they may get it back, still under warranty and sell it again at retail.

However if one keeps the car for a long time, the balance shifts toward buying. I paid $45K for a 2008 GT500 16 years ago. With 44K miles on it, it is worth $35K today. My total repair cost (beyond regular oil changes and fluid/filters) is rear brakes ($150) and a tail light bulb ($5). I've done some mods, but you cannot really count that. They were entirely optional. Might be the most cost-efficient vehicle that I ever owned ($635 a year?). And my heart races every time I start it up.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

Cost per mile isn't a necessary metric. All you have to do is look at the cost outlay over the term you intend to have the car and make a decision from there. For me in general cost doesn't come into which car I'm going to choose, I choose the car I want and then figure out how to acquire it as cost efficiently as possible. Hence why I'm paying way more for an S Class over a 7 Series, because thats what I decided I wanted.

Where the old Corolla comes into play is if all you are worried about is the lowest possible cost per mile and you're saying that a car is just a transportation tool. If you're posting on forums for your tool its not just a tool. How many refrigerator forums do you post on?

Cars are just transportation tools, it doesn't mean you can't be enthusiastic about driving them. You find some prestigious aspect to driving an S-Class. Why not a Bentley? Or a Rolls? Or a Maybach? All better than an S-Class in most people's view of prestige.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Cars are just transportation tools, it doesn't mean you can't be enthusiastic about driving them. You find some prestigious aspect to driving an S-Class. Why not a Bentley? Or a Rolls? Or a Maybach? All better than an S-Class in most people's view of prestige.

I don't care about the prestige of driving a car, I choose cars that I like and want, what other people think doesn't matter to me. Bentleys and Rolls Royces etc are too expensive and ostentatious for me, no interest in one.

Cars are not just transportation tools to all of us.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by DrVenture

The total picture defines what is best for any one individual. But looking at a lease for a new 540i, for instance, once you calculate what is due at lease signing, plus all payments and what is due at lease end, you can then compare it to buying the same exact car, w/ down payment, plus 36 payments and subtract what it is worth at trade-in. Total cost. Probably comes out pretty close, either way. Selling private party would likely tip the scales in favor of buying.

Depends on how long you own it. If you're going to trade it after 3 years anyways all the math I have ever done shows me that its cheaper to lease, especially a BMW with a significantly subvented lease. 5 years is about the magic number, if you keep a bought car 5 years its about 50/50 buying vs leasing, longer than 5 it goes towards buying. If you can write a lease off your taxes then its leasing all the way.

I am sure the dealers love a lease, because they may get it back, still under warranty and sell it again at retail.

Doesn't work that way. Lease returns go back to the manufacturer and are then auctioned off to dealers, so a dealer doesn't get the lease return back necessarily even if they take it in.

Using my previous car as a case study, MSRP was $123,000, Negotiated cost was $100,000. $10k of that was lease rebate I wouldn't have gotten if I had purchased. I traded it in for $48,000 after 44 months. Difference between $110k and $48k is $62,000. Assuming I would have gotten a 60 month loan at 4% interest I would have paid ~ $10,000 in interest. So total cost to own is about $72,000.

My lease payment was $1,494 a month, so for 44 months I paid $65,736. So $6,500 or so less, plus I had $500 a month in additional cashflow in the lower payment I could invest.

When you factor in that $65,736 was tax deductible, it really only cost me ~$33,000 to have the car for 44 months, or $750 a month. I could have written the interest off had I purchased the car, which would have reduced the cost of that to ~ $5,000, and I could have depreciated the car, but I would have had to recapture some of that depreciation because I didn't own it for 5 years.

You could say "you could have paid cash and not paid any interest" but that $110,000 made me more than $10,000 in return over those 44 months.

[mjj]

Originally Posted by SW17LS

Depends on how long you own it. If you're going to trade it after 3 years anyways all the math I have ever done shows me that its cheaper to lease, especially a BMW with a significantly subvented lease. 5 years is about the magic number, if you keep a bought car 5 years its about 50/50 buying vs leasing, longer than 5 it goes towards buying. If you can write a lease off your taxes then its leasing all the way.



Doesn't work that way. Lease returns go back to the manufacturer and are then auctioned off to dealers, so a dealer doesn't get the lease return back necessarily even if they take it in.

Using my previous car as a case study, MSRP was $123,000, Negotiated cost was $100,000. $10k of that was lease rebate I wouldn't have gotten if I had purchased. I traded it in for $48,000 after 44 months. Difference between $110k and $48k is $62,000. Assuming I would have gotten a 60 month loan at 4% interest I would have paid ~ $10,000 in interest. So total cost to own is about $72,000.

My lease payment was $1,494 a month, so for 44 months I paid $65,736. So $6,500 or so less, plus I had $500 a month in additional cashflow in the lower payment I could invest.

When you factor in that $65,736 was tax deductible, it really only cost me ~$33,000 to have the car for 44 months, or $750 a month. I could have written the interest off had I purchased the car, which would have reduced the cost of that to ~ $5,000, and I could have depreciated the car, but I would have had to recapture some of that depreciation because I didn't own it for 5 years.

You could say "you could have paid cash and not paid any interest" but that $110,000 made me more than $10,000 in return over those 44 months.

.

[AiredaleDad]

I, for one do not see a car as a tool. I find what I want, figure out what I can afford to put around 50% down on, finance the rest, and keep the car as long as I like. Whether it's 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years or more. All depends on if I still enjoy the drive. Case in point. I have a 2103 Range Rover Sport. I keep it, even though I can afford to replace it because I enjoy driving it. It was the last year of the naturally aspirated 5.0 L V-8. It feels good, has no issues, and suits my needs. I ordered a new 2025 540i because I like it, and will keep it as long as I want it. Now I buy because I want. If you want to lease, that's up to you. I don't look down on you. You have your reasons to lease, and I have mine to buy. I am not in your pocket, wallet, or bank account. I don't care your reasons. Just enjoy the ride. Let me enjoy mine and don't judge anyone. I won't see you at a gas station or charger and ask if your car is leased or not. It's not my business. I have known people that will buy a car they can't afford. Just because they know someone else who did and they feel they should be able to as well. And then not be able to buy food or pay their mortgage. Not my business. I have seen millionaires lease a Nissan pickup when I know they can afford to buy it. Again not my business. Everyone has their own reasons. Respect those reasons and move on.

[DrVenture]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

... I have a 2103 Range Rover Sport...

Very forward thinking!

A car is, as a matter of fact, a transportation appliance - a tool.

How we view it and any emotional attachment is still valid. I get it. I still think back fondly on the 1966 Mustang that I bought in 1974 for $65 with no transmission. Yet, its true purpose remains a form of transport, not unlike a bus. And this is coming from a guy who spent about 30 hours over the past week detailing my cars. Then taking pictures of them.

We are all car guys or we wouldn't be here. No offense intended.

[SW17LS]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

I, for one do not see a car as a tool. I find what I want, figure out what I can afford to put around 50% down on, finance the rest, and keep the car as long as I like. Whether it's 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years or more. All depends on if I still enjoy the drive. Case in point. I have a 2103 Range Rover Sport. I keep it, even though I can afford to replace it because I enjoy driving it. It was the last year of the naturally aspirated 5.0 L V-8. It feels good, has no issues, and suits my needs. I ordered a new 2025 540i because I like it, and will keep it as long as I want it. Now I buy because I want. If you want to lease, that's up to you. I don't look down on you. You have your reasons to lease, and I have mine to buy. I am not in your pocket, wallet, or bank account. I don't care your reasons. Just enjoy the ride. Let me enjoy mine and don't judge anyone. I won't see you at a gas station or charger and ask if your car is leased or not. It's not my business. I have known people that will buy a car they can't afford. Just because they know someone else who did and they feel they should be able to as well. And then not be able to buy food or pay their mortgage. Not my business. I have seen millionaires lease a Nissan pickup when I know they can afford to buy it. Again not my business. Everyone has their own reasons. Respect those reasons and move on.

There is no right or wrong. Everybody decides what they want to do and how they want to go about doing it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by DrVenture

Very forward thinking!

A car is, as a matter of fact, a transportation appliance - a tool.

How we view it and any emotional attachment is still valid. I get it. I still think back fondly on the 1966 Mustang that I bought in 1974 for $65 with no transmission. Yet, its true purpose remains a form of transport, not unlike a bus. And this is coming from a guy who spent about 30 hours over the past week detailing my cars. Then taking pictures of them.

We are all car guys or we wouldn't be here. No offense intended.

I'm not sure why some find it offensive to their car-guy ego that automobiles, in essence, are transportation tools. I'm as big a car enthusiast as anyone; if my wife wouldn't divorce me over it, I'd stay in my shop all day most every weekend. But cars are simply just tools for personal transportation.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'm not sure why some find it offensive to their car-guy ego that automobiles, in essence, are transportation tools. I'm as big a car enthusiast as anyone; if my wife wouldn't divorce me over it, I'd stay in my shop all day most every weekend. But cars are simply just tools for personal transportation.

To me, a Toyota Corolla is a transportation tool. A Volkswagen Jetta is a transportation tool. A Honda Accord or Toyota Camry are transportation tools. A Minivan is also a transportation tool.

A BMW of Any Model is not a Transportation tool in the same sense. If all we wanted were transportation tools, Go to Russia during the cold war and enjoy your Lada or Trabant.

If Anything, a BMW represents a really high level of transportation tool. It states we are not willing to settle for Humdrum. We want to get where we are going in comfort and Style. We want to enjoy the ride because we want exciting. Not bland zombies. We want the answer to "Are we there yet" to be "It will be a while longer.