BimmerFest BMW Forum banner

People's Reactions To You Driving A BMW?

142K views 1K replies 201 participants last post by  beden1 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
reaction to you driving a BMW

So far from my experience, they have been neutral to negative (regarding random people on the street). Majority of the time I just see people staring. However, some times they are just rude.

For example, when driving, they will not let you into a lane, tailgate, beep their horns for the most random reason, etc. Park your car in a nearly empty parking lot away from everybody else...you come back, and somebody parks right next to you, making it difficult to open your door.

It might stem from jealousy or previous experiences with BMW owners. For example, some idiot kids that drive used bmws leaning back in their cars blasting music, showing off, thinking they've made it in life lol :rofl:. I can see why it might rub people the wrong way.

For the most part I don't mention at all the car I drive and where I live but when some old(or new) friends want to meet up and they see me pulling up in the BMW, or even see my house for the first time, they normally ask all kinds of questions and are genuinely interested, and have no negative feelings. It seems to be a whole different story for strangers. :dunno:

You guys?
 
See less See more
#37 ·
I live in the Motor City and every other vehicle has a Buy American - Save A Job or I work for Ford and Drive a Ford bumper stickers. I think most just ignore my BMW. Most of my neighbors work for one of the auto companies and the only comment about my car in the neighborhood is from one who drives a VW TDI Stick. At work I get a couple of guys who say you must make too much. Funny thing though, they drive their fully loaded full sized Ford F150 AWD's that MSRP around $50K. :dunno: Why do I drive an import in a union town? That story is for another day...
 
#51 ·
I live in the Motor City and every other vehicle has a Buy American - Save A Job...
Half of those "American carts" are probably made in Canada or Mexico :)

Funny thing though, they drive their fully loaded full sized Ford F150 AWD's that MSRP around $50K. :dunno: .
I just priced one, the second highest trim, to which I merely added the bigger engine and AWD, and I skipped a gazillion accessories. The price came out to $55K. The gas mileage is 13 city/18 hwy!
 
#39 ·
I get a lot of positive reactions.

However, in some of the rural areas in PA, people are sort of rude on the road to people with brand new shiny BMWs. There is no doubt. For example, if you're in the left lane, and are trying to get in the right lane, they won't let you. However, if you pull in to a restaurant or business, there are a lot of gawkers.

In the area I live, it's much better. Lots of folks have BMWs and Mercedes. I notice that a lot of people with older BMWs really take note and check out the car.

Today, I parked next to a guy with an old E46 325. It was really nice. In great condition. You could tell he really takes care of it. He was looking at my car, and had a lot of positive things to say about it. He really liked it a lot. It was really cool seeing the 2 cars next to each other.
 
#47 ·
I get a lot of positive reactions.

However, in some of the rural areas in PA, people are sort of rude on the road to people with brand new shiny BMWs. There is no doubt. For example, if you're in the left lane, and are trying to get in the right lane, they won't let you. However, if you pull in to a restaurant or business, there are a lot of gawkers.
I agree as I grew up in rural PA. Remember most folks there cannot spell BMW.:rofl:
 
#40 ·
I get lots of negative reaction in my BMW, just as intended.

My beach house makes people hate me at dinner parties. My Rolex makes people hate me on the train. My title makes people hate me in the boardroom. My wife makes people hate me at the country club. My BMW makes people hate me on the roadways.

Don't fight it. It's too much work. Embrace the stereotype.

BJ
 
#44 ·
I get lots of negative reaction in my BMW, just as intended.

My beach house makes people hate me at dinner parties. My Rolex makes people hate me on the train. My title makes people hate me in the boardroom. My wife makes people hate me at the country club. My BMW makes people hate me on the roadways.

Don't fight it. It's too much work. Embrace the stereotype.

BJ
So that partially explains it.

Why does everyone else hate you? :dunno:

Do you feel this way often?

OMG

I'm starting to sound like BJ's psychiatrist.

:p

CA
 
#57 ·
I have never had negative attention with my car. People get out of my way when they see me coming. There are some fools who think I have money, but I tell them to step out of the 80's and get a clue lol. Most people tell me I have a nice car and then we move on to other subjects.

There might be some people who think those driving a BMW are pretending to be rich, but I think that's dumb. I like my car because it's a sweet ride and it looks great too. Don't let others get you down.
 
#58 · (Edited)
I'll come clean out on this one.. Before my 328i, I had a Kia Forte SX (Yes, I know nothing great, but it got the job done)... Long story short was involved with a couple local clubs, and When I traded in for the BMW (Huge upgrade BTW), Suddenly I've been faced with hatred. Its honestly pretty stupid, but in the month I've had this car, I've been called Retarded, Gay, Kool-Aid Drinker, Dumbass, and Sheep by those people in the club who called themselves my "Friends" right before I traded in. Frankly it pissed me at first, but I learned not to care anymore. At the end of the day, Its my money and I pay for it, since I only drive 8-9K per year, a lease worked for me and it was literally $100 more than my current payment per month with 2500 down.

BTW, if there's any clubs in Socal, lmk. Looking forward to hanging out with BMW guys too now :)
 
#63 ·
I've been faced with hatred. Its honestly pretty stupid, but in the month I've had this car, I've been called Retarded, Gay, Kool-Aid Drinker, Dumbass, and Sheep by those people in the club who called themselves my "Friends" right before I traded in. Frankly it pissed me at first, but I learned not to care anymore. :)
Lots of angry,envious people out there.
 
#59 ·
It's very stupid, but no matter what car you drive, there's always a certain "image" that goes with it, which may be far more than you bargained for. Even if you drive a Corolla there's an "image". (boring guy who will snap one day and gun down all his coworkers).

BMW's are basically coded by color:
White - middle eastern guy with gold chains.
Red - street racing D.B.
Black - arrogant managerial type
Grey/Silver - grouchy older managerial type
 
#88 ·
it's very stupid, but no matter what car you drive, there's always a certain "image" that goes with it, which may be far more than you bargained for. Even if you drive a corolla there's an "image". (boring guy who will snap one day and gun down all his coworkers).

Bmw's are basically coded by color:
White - middle eastern guy with gold chains.
Red - street racing d.b.
Black - arrogant managerial type
grey/silver - grouchy older managerial type
ebii?
 
#61 ·
This is my second leased car. My first was a G37x which I got a good deal on. I was looking at many cars before deciding on the BMW (Has not arrived yet) I looked at the Ford Fusion AWD and Hybrid, Honda Accord Plug in, Audi, and several other cars that were much less then the BMW. One of my deciding factors was the residual values. The 328xi payments were not that much more then a car costing nearly 10k less. 63% vs 54% or less in some cases. Went for the test drive and was sold right away.

There is one guy at work who makes considerably more money who thinks everything is a "status" He drives a 328 and when he found out I was getting a 328xi quickly made some comments about him looking at the 5 series and saying "that is what really represents the BMW name" He's already made comments that he hates the screen on the dashboard not being covered and they should have made it come up and down. (When your in the car it will be up so whats the big deal)

I don't smoke, go to bars, travel, etc. This is what I like to spend my money on. I don't care what people think of me. If your truly my friend you will not care what I drive.

I personally believe that some cheaper cars are more of head turners these days. Some of the Kia's, Mazda's, etc have some really nice looking cars. I'm ok with that. Less attention to me!
 
#62 ·
German cars and especially BMW are very popular here and you see them everywhere. You see more BMWs than American cars in total on the roads in Sweden. Even many taxis here are BMW, Audi or Mercedes.

For that reason nobody cares, maybe some people with car knowledge raise their eyebrows if they see a M3 or a M5 but otherwise you need to drive something more exotic if you want attention.
 
#67 ·
German cars and especially BMW are very popular here and you see them everywhere. You see more BMWs than American cars in total on the roads in Sweden. Even many taxis here are BMW, Audi or Mercedes.

For that reason nobody cares, maybe some people with car knowledge raise their eyebrows if they see a M3 or a M5 but otherwise you need to drive something more exotic if you want attention.
Lots of 316s over there without all the amenities, right? 134 HP. They couldn't sell those things over here.

Most people in US don't realize that BMW has a much broader market segment in the rest of the world.
 
#69 ·
I just love it how people on the 'Fest think that the roads are paved in gold, everyone has a 6 figure salary, there is no such thing as poverty, the Easter bunny is real, and BMWs are nothing special.

:rofl:
 
#72 ·
I just love it how people on the 'Fest think that the roads are paved in gold, everyone has a 6 figure salary, there is no such thing as poverty, the Easter bunny is real, and BMWs are nothing special.
+1

It's just another hysterical paradox. In trying so hard to prove that they are not arrogant and condescending, they are arrogant and condescending.

LOL!

Dude, this is Bimmerfest, not a college philosophy class. The only things we "venerate" around here are luxury performance sedans.
I couldn't even make it four sentences in. It gave me a headache.

BJ
 
#75 ·
90% of Americans will see the 3 as a status symbol, whether you bought it for that reason or not. :D And most people who don't know much about BMW's will not realize it's one of the less expensive models, so they'll assume you're FILTHY rich. Then if you get in front of them on the freeway they'll feel like you're rubbing their face in it. Pretty good recipe for road rage. But hey, if someone resents another person's success (or imagined success) that much, then they deserve to feel miserable. :bawling:
 
#86 · (Edited)
There are several BMW's in my area, but when I travel outside the area to more rural areas- there IS an attitude that has persisted since the (yuppie BMW pricks in the '80's). . Most of the good old boy new top of the line pickup trucks cost more then my pre-owned '08 535i did, but they just don't know that. Drive what you want, and can pay for. You only live once. I will not let others dictate my life...
 
#91 ·
BMWs are very common here, yet people still 'Oooooohh' when I say I just bought one. It still has a premium, expensive reputation.

Whats more interesting is how people react when I tell them it has red leather interior. They kind of step back and say 'oh really?' as if I just told them I'm into kinky leather and whips. Very strange.
 
#92 ·
BMWs are very common here, yet people still 'Oooooohh' when I say I just bought one. It still has a premium, expensive reputation.

Whats more interesting is how people react when I tell them it has red leather interior. They kind of step back and say 'oh really?' as if I just told them I'm into kinky leather and whips. Very strange.
I prefer to venerate the ideal of the human potential to chart our own course.
 
#93 ·
I can't argue with a lot of you guys do to my age, and you guys have much more life experience then me;but as a younger BMW driver I can tell you guys no matter what people see us differently either in a positive or negative way. They feel as if we are trying too hard. My friends have much more money then me, but still they drive Hondas. It's their choice, I like spending my money and enjoying it on premium things. It's just how I am. But to some people, they just can't even walk into a dealership because they are intimated by the status of it. My cousin didnt even want to sit in my car. But at the end of the day this car makes me happy, and that's all that matters.
 
#94 ·
Funny these comments about negative reactions from owning a BWM. In my town, I think I will be the last person to have one! (I'm only exaggerating a little. They are literally all over. You can't drive around without seeing one about every other minute.)

Way too much money in NJ. :p
 
#96 ·
This debate needs some perspective. Where I live in Northern VA, people wipe their asses with 3 series. It's REALLY nothing special. I suspect it's that way along the coasts in the urban areas, where many of us are from. If you look at the top 10 earning counties in the US I bet 8-9 of then are along the coasts in major metro areas (NY/NJ/VA/LA/SF etc). Of course if you average it across the entire nation the numbers tell a different story. But many are comparing with our neighbors, friends, and coworkers; not the average family of 4 from Nebraska making 50k a year. So yes, BMW is a status symbol in most parts of the country but chances are if you are even frequenting a forum such as this, you're likely in an area where a BMW is nothing special.
 
#98 ·
There are in Madison NJ. Tons of Audis too
 
#102 ·
New Jersey has some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country and some of the richest neighborhoods in the country. In most part of the state it is not unusual to see a BMW.

CA
 
#114 ·
In the New York City area BMWs are a common sight and attract little or no attention. That includes Costco parking lots and most places that I go in the Northeast corridor including Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and the outer boroughs of NYC.

If I stand in front of my home in Manhattan and watch the cars stop at the traffic light in front of the building there is literally at least one BMW stopped at every change of the light and I assume that they are not all being driven by people from the neighborhood as I am on a major uptown street (actually in NYC all uptown streets are major uptown streets :). BMWs are also a common sight in the parking lot of several Costco stores that we go to and in most mall parking lots in the area, I am not by any means saying that they represent the majority of cars around but they are common enough to not attract much attention as are competitive brands like Mercedes, Lexus and Audi.

I will say that most Manhattanites are indifferent to almost all cars. I have seen Aston Martins and Maseratis and Porsches parked on the street and be completely ignored by passers by.

I can also honestly say that I have never felt that anyone has treated me differently or exhibited road rage because I was driving a BMW. Most of the (rare) attention that I have received has been from the drivers of other nice cars and interestingly the E93 has attracted more attention than the 750.
 
#115 ·
I take my younger 2 kids to and from school. Many of the cars in the carpool lanes are Mercedes, BMW (all the series), and Volvo. People out here call volvo the nerd or soccer mom ride, Mercedes is seen as Grandma's car, and BMW is the pimp ride lol. There are tons of European autos out in my area, so it's not a big deal.
 
#123 ·
Our school district is sort of like that. Several kids got new 328s for their 16th birthday. My kids are always asking why I didn't buy them one. I told them to go to college, get good grades and buy one for yourself.

Some of the neighboring school districts are like that too. But if you go east about 5 to 10 miles, it's like falling off a cliff.

No BMWs. A brand new Chevy Malibu in the driveway is a status symbol.
 
#124 ·
I feel like Seattle is just completely opposite of where you guys live. We have very well educated demographic because of all the tech companies here, but it's not like you see bmw everywhere. I still admire the led lights when it passes by me. I feel kind of glad living in Seattle now. I feel like places like New York and New Jersey are way to competitive, and people are way too materialistic.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top