[fe7565]

Just curious, based on my own experience..I am more of a BMW fan-boy now vs just a causal BMW owner.

If not for this forum where I can find DIY info and ways to add/modify the stock setup of my car...I probably would have not stayed this loyal to the BMW brand. Adding to this is that this forum does not have dictatorial moderators/owners...they are mostly invisible...and yet this forum self-regulates quite well.

What also makes me a bit more assured that staying with BMW is not just a passing fad...is that BMW has taken the top and near top place in reliability (in the US at least). A side note on this: I always thought that BMW is getting a bum-wrap on reliability as many owners in the US maybe considered high-end snobs who do not want to get their hands dirty or are clueless about turning a wrench. So at every tiny issue that infringes on their luxury expectations (i.e. one hears a cricket sound from the trunk) they take the car in the dealership under warranty to have it looked at. These "service calls" add up and go against the overall brand, and may dilute the numbers of "engine seized", "transmission failed", etc service calls.

Imagine the looks you get, if you take in your super-lowered Nissan Sentra or Honda Accord (with the giant rear wings and monster truck mufflers) in to your dealership and complain about a cricket sound?!

I was not planning to keep my car this long, for 11 years now. I always kept cars for 3-4 years max. and moved on. The reason I stayed is mainly due to the fact that I was able to modify/upgrade my 2012 stock-base boring 328i to the way I like it. Of course having a great running engine is a must. Without this forum and other BMW forums, I would not have stayed with this car this long for sure. May not have stayed with BMW at all.

But had so much time, challenge, problem-solving, and hobby-work invested that I do not yet have the heart to replace my 2012 328i. Having access to ISTA+ and other tools and community knowledge by others made me even more invested in BMW.

So, wondering, if BMW benefits from people like me, who become loyal to the BMW brand and may keep buying BMWs in the future? Or does it hurt their sales that I stayed/staying with my car for 11 years vs the usual 3-4 years in the past?

[oVeRdOsE.]

I'm a keeper, so support is very important ; parts or DIY.

But it's not why I moved from audi to BMW.

The main reason is : manual transmission.

Bmw is one of the last car maker that pushes the manual transmission to newer models. Almost dead now, but you can still find recent 340, supra, m3, m4, etc.

And also their L6 engine line up are most of them power capable.

where the Audi S4 B9 is dead, only autotragic.

[Burrcold]

Active forums and communities (Facebook, Instagram, in-person meets, etc.) are definitely important to me. It makes owning a vehicle more interesting and involving when there are many other like minded people out there. It's super boring when you own a car and there's little to no action on the specific forums.

[Efthreeoh]

I owned BMWs before there was an internet. I haven't bought a new BMW since 2006, because they pretty much suck since then.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I owned BMWs before there was an internet. I haven't bought a new BMW since 2006, because they pretty much suck since then.

What is that that you don’t like about new BMW’s? The four-cylinder turbo?

[soldes]

Would have bought all the BMW's that I have purchased over the last 20 years, forums or not. However, Bimmerpost have provided many tips, knowledge and lessons that have help me be, not only an educated consumer, but a better vehicle owner.

[ash_schwin]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Active forums and communities (Facebook, Instagram, in-person meets, etc.) are definitely important to me. It makes owning a vehicle more interesting and involving when there are many other like minded people out there. It's super boring when you own a car and there's little to no action on the specific forums.

Agreed reminds me of my days when I had a Lexus GSF. Loved the car and even though it was an amazingly engineered car with the 5.0 V8 engine, the forums were not as active and there was a lack of community. Still miss the sound of the N/A V8 at redline.

[Redd]

My M3 is 15 years old now, I've owned it for the last 10. Longest car I've ever owned and have no intentions to ever sell it. I wouldn't say M3post is the main reason I'm kept it so long but it is a big contributing factor. Having a healthy forum with supportive members who are also deeply technical and helpful makes the ownership experience so much more fun!

[fueledbycaffeine]

I joined because I ordered a car, and there are only so many things I can read about in an owners manual to help me keep my sanity until my car arrives (finally arrived at the port today). 😂

[BeEmVe]

To be honest I cannot remember why I joined the forum. I may have found it before we bought our buggy (our first and only BMW). I have found the BMW vehicle specific and BMW general forum to be quite helpful. At the same time, I have also found the general vehicle forum to be useful.

We will stay with BMW because of the forum? No, in fact it might help us move to another brand. Why because the forums are in general brutally honest. I am not sure where BMW is headed so until the time comes we enjoy the current ride.

However, though our buggy is now nearing 12 years old as my spouse says not through driving it so not ready for another vehicle. Also given it has less than 60k miles it has a lots of life left in it. (60k miles cause my spouse can walk to work).

[DanG]

Been driving BMWs since 1971. Obviously before there was an internet. So no the forums haven’t made me stay with BMW. The quality of the cars and fun driving them has. BMWCCA hasn’t hurt also.

[POBEP]

my answer: without this and other forums I would keep my BMW garage size at 2 (instead of 5)

and yes, I recently bought two E9X from this forum members

[Llarry]

I suspect my activity on internet forums has increased my interest in BMW. But what really hooked me was selling my 1990 Acura Legend and buying a 1994 325is with sport package. Gateway drug!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by fe7565

What is that that you don’t like about new BMW’s? The four-cylinder turbo?

The F30 lost the BMW DNA. The G20 offered no manual transmission. I've heard the driving dynamics are better than the F30, but without a manual transmission, I'm not interested. The last modern BMW I drove was a 2021 2-series loaner. It steered me out of a left turn lane I was intending to move into to make a left turn. A BMW, the ultimate driving machine, steered for me, and incorrectly. Fuck that.

[Josh-PA]

I think I get what question you're asking, and wholeheartedly agree that the knowledge base around BMW's, what breaks, how to fix it, coding, idea sharing, etc is pretty much 2nd to none in the car world.

The BMW community, both online and in person is definitely a reason for my brand loyalty - I just ordered by 18th. I really appreciate that anytime I have an issue, i can post my problem and in ~30 mins have five other owners that had the same problem and fixed it efficiently. I've been on the forums since roadfly and have learned a ton about maintenance and detailing, going back to my first e36.

As a comparison, we had an ~2010 MDX and the reverse camera went out. I went on an MDX forum and got 30 posts telling me to take it to the dealer and have the entire infotainment system replaced "that's what I do, its the only way to fix it". I opened the trunk and found the coax wire to the camera was frayed, patched it up and was back in business for the $3 worth of wire and electrical tape... Just one of the many reasons I don't own Acuras any more.

I appreciate you guys (and my indy BMW specialist mechanic that I've been using since 1999).

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by Josh-PA

I think I get what question you're asking, and wholeheartedly agree that the knowledge base around BMW's, what breaks, how to fix it, coding, idea sharing, etc is pretty much 2nd to none in the car world.

The BMW community, both online and in person is definitely a reason for my brand loyalty - I just ordered by 18th. I really appreciate that anytime I have an issue, i can post my problem and in ~30 mins have five other owners that had the same problem and fixed it efficiently. I've been on the forums since roadfly and have learned a ton about maintenance and detailing, going back to my first e36.

As a comparison, we had an ~2010 MDX and the reverse camera went out. I went on an MDX forum and got 30 posts telling me to take it to the dealer and have the entire infotainment system replaced "that's what I do, its the only way to fix it". I opened the trunk and found the coax wire to the camera was frayed, patched it up and was back in business for the $3 worth of wire and electrical tape... Just one of the many reasons I don't own Acuras any more.

I appreciate you guys (and my indy BMW specialist mechanic that I've been using since 1999).

Yes, it's more than a car for many...it's a hobby.

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

The F30 lost the BMW DNA. The G20 offered no manual transmission. I've heard the driving dynamics are better than the F30, but without a manual transmission, I'm not interested. The last modern BMW I drove was a 2021 2-series loaner. It steered me out of a left turn lane I was intending to move into to make a left turn. A BMW, the ultimate driving machine, steered for me, and incorrectly. Fuck that.

I see your point. Unfortunately, living in the city one cannot really take advantage of the manual shift fun...stop and go traffic...speed cams in the ying-yang. When I was younger I did not mind tearing the road up, but now the price to pay is too expensive. If I would live in Germany, I would enjoy taking the car out on the hilly/wavy backroads with a manual shift.

[spielnicht]

My BMW fanboyism is slowly waining, thanks to BMW's direction of late with their car designs ( > GXX ). What will keep me a fanboy (just not as strong) is my love for all things EXX. I've parted ways from BMW for my personal daily car (my wife loves her daily G01), but I will keep my E85 for life (and likely also get an E39) because of my love for those cars and to stay active on this forum Not to mention, to be able to attend CCA meetups.

Originally Posted by ash_schwin

Agreed reminds me of my days when I had a Lexus GSF. Loved the car and even though it was an amazingly engineered car with the 5.0 V8 engine, the forums were not as active and there was a lack of community. Still miss the sound of the N/A V8 at redline.

I've done the opposite, but I agree with you. While the Lexus community has been very welcoming, the knowledge and resources are sorely limited.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by fe7565

If not for this forum where I can find DIY info and ways to add/modify the stock setup of my car...I probably would have not stayed this loyal to the BMW brand.

You are kidding, right?
DIY knowledge and expertese have existed and been shared long before Internet forums came into existence, or this particular one.

It's nice to be able to look-up information online, but nothing beats the camaraderie of f2f meetings via BMWCCA and other local clubs.

If you are not a member of a local BMWCCA chapter, consider joining!

Originally Posted by fe7565

Having access to ISTA+ and other tools and community knowledge by others made me even more invested in BMW.

Agreed.
Coding and tool support for BMW ecosystem is unusually broad and enticing, compared to other OEMs.

Originally Posted by fe7565

So, wondering, if BMW benefits from people like me, who become loyal to the BMW brand and may keep buying BMWs in the future? Or does it hurt their sales that I stayed/staying with my car for 11 years vs the usual 3-4 years in the past?

To be frank - you are not "good" for BMW. Nor are most BMW "enthusiasts".

BMW USA prefers folks who lease/buy new cars every 2 years, and bring them in for service to the dealer ad infinitum.

HTH,
a

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

The main reason is : manual transmission.

Bmw is one of the last car maker that pushes the manual transmission to newer models. Almost dead now, but you can still find recent 340, supra, m3, m4, etc.

Don’t forget the Z4! 👍🏻

[fe7565]

Originally Posted by afadeev

You are kidding, right?
DIY knowledge and expertese have existed and been shared long before Internet forums came into existence, or this particular one.

a

There is a huge difference between rebuilding a Rochester Quadrajet for a 1983 Camaro in 1988 versus troubleshooting and programming ECUs for today's BMWs (or any modern cars). Most of us cannot acquire all that knowledge from books or friends and the internet has become the go-to...for me at least. I am not a globalist, but I like the idea of learning from and trying to pass on what I learned to others in a larger forum such as this. A way of "crowdsourcing" . IMHO cannot have this much diverse audience and these many DIY problems/solutions in any localized meetups. Meetups are fun/beneficial in their own way.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by fe7565

So, wondering, if BMW benefits from people like me, who become loyal to the BMW brand and may keep buying BMWs in the future? Or does it hurt their sales that I stayed/staying with my car for 11 years vs the usual 3-4 years in the past?

They benefit directly from you if and when you buy a new BMW, or buy a used or CPO BMW from a BMW dealer, or get your current BMW serviced at a BMW dealer.

They benefit indirectly from you if you persuade someone else to do business with BMW.