Is driving BMW worth it?

[AndyAndyAndy]

Currently I'm driving Toyota Hilux. And I'm playing with the idea when I finish reconstruction of house etc. that I would go from driving pickup truck to driving BMW sedan, like a 5 series. I admit it is mostly because it looks cool. Looking at a prices it costs about 2.5 - 3 x more than Toyota Hilux. No matter if new or second hand. Which will also manifest itself in yearly tax, insurance etc. So my question is if it really is worth it burning 3 back to back Hilux purchases for a single BMW?

[OneMoreFarang]

40 minutes ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

So my question is if it really is worth it burning 3 back to back Hilux purchases for a single BMW?

If you can afford it, yes.

When I was young, I had a couple of BMWs. They were fun and all that.

Recently I rented in Europe a brand-new BMW 320. Wow, nice! They are fantastic cars.

But in Thailand they cost a lot of money. And if you have a nice car then you don't want that Somchai from the garage work on them. So you go to the BMW dealer and get all the BMW parts and all the BMW prices. That can add up, a lot.

Personally, I don't own a car in Thailand because for me in the middle of the city is just doesn't make any sense. And if I would buy a car here in Thailand, I wouldn't buy a BMW because what you said above: It cost probably 3 times as much than a Japanese car - and not just the purchasing price. 

[still kicking]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If you can afford it, yes.

When I was young, I had a couple of BMWs. They were fun and all that.

Recently I rented in Europe a brand-new BMW 320. Wow, nice! They are fantastic cars.

But in Thailand they cost a lot of money. And if you have a nice car then you don't want that Somchai from the garage work on them. So you go to the BMW dealer and get all the BMW parts and all the BMW prices. That can add up, a lot.

Personally, I don't own a car in Thailand because for me in the middle of the city is just doesn't make any sense. And if I would buy a car here in Thailand, I wouldn't buy a BMW because what you said above: It cost probably 3 times as much than a Japanese car - and not just the purchasing price. 

Plus the cost of spare parts 

[d4dang]

ask Immigration they bought quite a few

[pedro01]

I think some models are downright bargains - mostly because there's no comparable cars here. Like those with the M40i badge - 3 liter 6 valve little monsters they are.

 

The 5 series is a great car, I had 1 and almost got a second - with theh 5 year warranty on them, the 530e, you have 184hp from the engine and another 109 from the electric motor - which sounds like fun to me.

 

You won't regret it IMO.

[patman30]

depends on your location and lifestyle

do you plan to keep the hilux?
if not, how long will it be before you miss having a pickup or need to rent a pickup for something?

[Henryford]

Can you really drive fast enough in Thailand to enjoy a car like this? The roads are crowded and not in a very good condition plus i would be nervous driving a 4 million baht car amongst the crazy somchais and motorbikers. But if money is no object go for it. I had a friend here in Pattaya who lived in a small condo, not a nice block, but spent 4 M on a Mercedes to look "cool". Twisted sense of priorities in my view.

[pedro01]

5 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Can you really drive fast enough in Thailand to enjoy a car like this? The roads are crowded and not in a very good condition plus i would be nervous driving a 4 million baht car amongst the crazy somchais and motorbikers. But if money is no object go for it. I had a friend here in Pattaya who lived in a small condo, not a nice block, but spent 4 M on a Mercedes to look "cool". Twisted sense of priorities in my view.

Some people are just car people.

 

To be very honest, I didn't get a 5 series 2nd time around because the AMG C43 was so cool to look at, so I got that - but not to look cool in it - but because it looks cool.

Edited April 11, 2023 by pedro01

[UWEB]

I wouldn't buy anything from this German Auto Mafia, they had to pay billions of Dollars fines for cheating people.

[scubascuba3]

Depends if you're looking for status, many people yearn for it

[Adumbration]

No.

[2baht]

On 4/9/2023 at 10:58 PM, AndyAndyAndy said:

So my question is if it really is worth it burning 3 back to back Hilux purchases for a single BMW?

What do you think?

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Depends if you're looking for status, many people yearn for it

With some people it will give you status. But even if you ignore that completely it is just fun.

 

[spidermike007]

Of course this is a personal decision, but I would feel like a fool, for buying a car that is 100-150% higher than the cost in the US. The luxury taxes here are downright stupid. 

[scubascuba3]

16 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

With some people it will give you status. But even if you ignore that completely it is just fun.

 

yeah that's what they tell themselves 

[dingdongrb]

It depends on your home? How much did it cost and how much is it worth?

 

I always laugh at those folks who drive expensive vehicles but live in a run down shack.

 

In the USA I lived in a city which is nestled against the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The closer the home was to the mountains the more expensive it was. My house was right before the most expensive neighborhood near the foothills. Before my home was another neighborhood that had houses which were nice but slightly smaller than mine and on smaller lots. Just before that neighborhood was a trailer park.

 

Driving home, which was due west, you would have to go past all those neighborhoods I just mentioned before you got to your own. It was hilarious to see all those BMWs, Mercedes, convertible sports cars, etc. turn into the trailer park.

[Jackbenimble]

It depends on your reason for buying one - if you're buying to impress others then NO it isn't worth it coz the novelty wears off very quickly. If you're buying it cause you like BMW's then why not......if you have the finances. 

BMW's lose value rapidly once they are pre-owned so beware. I've owned 3 over the years and I can assure you that initial buzz from owning one doesn't last long.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Jackbenimble

[Dart12]

Favorite cars I ever drove and owned.

Here in thailand? Getting in a car for daily living is like throwing away my day vs taking a bike.

So, depends how much you drive really?

Maybe just rent one for kicks when you want might be better?

[Hummin]

Its only worth it if you can afford it.

 

 

[still kicking]

5 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Some people are just car people.

 

To be very honest, I didn't get a 5 series 2nd time around because the AMG C43 was so cool to look at, so I got that - but not to look cool in it - but because it looks cool.

I guess mine looks cooler than the BMW

[thaibeachlovers]

No.

[n00dle]

BMW are great if you can lease them and trade up every few years to avoid their notoriously poor reliability. If you have no intention of taking the car above 100k km and can trade up or out before the warranty lapses go for it,

if you want a reilable car that will last you for over 5 years and retain a decent resale, don't do it.

[n00dle]

 

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

Can you really drive fast enough in Thailand to enjoy a car like this? The roads are crowded and not in a very good condition 

no idea where you live but where i live there are endless kilometres of road in every direction.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

yeah that's what they tell themselves 

Did you ever drive a BMW? Try it, it's fun. I had a couple of them and tried some more. It's fun - at least if you have good roads.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I guess mine looks cooler than the BMW

Almost like a BMW...

 

[n00dle]

12 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you ever drive a BMW? Try it, it's fun. I had a couple of them and tried some more. It's fun - at least if you have good roads.

 

a more pertinent question is have you ever had to repair a bmw out of warranty? If you had, you would not be buying another and holding on to it for any amount of time. 

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, n00dle said:

a more pertinent question is have you ever had to repair a bmw out of warranty? If you had, you would not be buying another and holding on to it for any amount of time. 

Oh yes, more than one. And it wasn't really expensive. I lived in Munich. ???? 

 

[Hummin]

14 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you ever drive a BMW? Try it, it's fun. I had a couple of them and tried some more. It's fun - at least if you have good roads.

 

Any car with same specs is fun to drive, or Im missing something? 

 

What surprised me with BMW is the thight feeling and limited space, unless you where only two  or one of the bigger series which I believe cost around 8-12 million In Thailand

[wprime]

Avoid the 5 series. The 5 and 7 series are fleet-buyer cars so they're very common on the secondary market (in 5 years you'll have a car that's no more special than a new Camry). The 7 series at least differentiates on price being the cheapest full-sized saloon available in Thailand. The 5 series is pointless for individuals.

 

Generally you get the 2/3/4/6 here for personal use although the 3 is very common too. The 2/4/6 look more aggressive and the extra premium you pay will probably be made up for with less depreciation.

[OneMoreFarang]

29 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Any car with same specs is fun to drive, or Im missing something? 

 

What surprised me with BMW is the thight feeling and limited space, unless you where only two  or one of the bigger series which I believe cost around 8-12 million In Thailand

Same specs is relative.

Same specs like the same amount of power? Or engine size?

How about weight, suspension, and many more details?

When I bought my first new BMW, I also tried a Toyota Supra. IMHO the Supra gave me the impression of less quality and not so good control.

I am sure different people have different opinions. I tried different cars, but I was never the expert.

If I would buy now a car to have fun, independent of the price (within reason), I would buy a BMW. And if I would want to buy a comfortable car, I would also buy a BMW - another model.

I drove a Mercedes 500 some time ago for maybe 3 months. Nice. But different from a BMW. I like the BMW more.

I guess it all depends on our personal experience. And if we like something and have good experience, then we want more of the same - if we can afford it.