[MineralM]

Originally Posted by SneekySanchez

I'm 44. Picked up my G20 320i M-Sport last week. Traded in my 2012 F30 320d. Love the car knocks spots off the old one. Just cant get my head around the steptronic shift. Last car was manual. On this Forward = Back & Back = Forward?!?!?! What were they thinking? The amount of times i've tried to take of at lights and put it in reverse is ridiculous.

Back for drive makes sense to me. I think some Japanese manufacturers are the other way around, but more are switched to bmw style.

[jbarba]

Originally Posted by SneekySanchez

I'm 44. Picked up my G20 320i M-Sport last week. Traded in my 2012 F30 320d. Love the car knocks spots off the old one. Just cant get my head around the steptronic shift. Last car was manual. On this Forward = Back & Back = Forward?!?!?! What were they thinking? The amount of times i've tried to take of at lights and put it in reverse is ridiculous.

yep, strange for me too.
its like when you're 'driving' a plane.. back is up, forward is down.
really dont know whats the rationale behind this design decision

[TiMSport]

Have you guys driven a Volvo? Talk about stupid but they require you to nudge the gear shifter TWICE in order to Drive or Reverse. Basically you are clicking one time to put it into Neutral before getting to the gear you want. Stupidest idea ever.

This may not be all Volvos but I was looking at an XC60 Polestar.

[Glashutte]

24, 25 in a few months. Had the car for about a year, leasing it so technically not an owned car.

I don't think age matters too much. There are plenty of others in the same age as me that can do the same, but they choose do things with their money that are more meaningful to them. I live pretty frugally, don't eat out, etc, and I'm not particularly wealthy.

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Just turned 35 a couple months ago..... moved me up a bracket on your poll

I have a little over a year left before I move up to the bracket you just joined I'm 33 at the moment

[BlueLeaderXI]

Originally Posted by Glashutte

24, 25 in a few months. Had the car for about a year, leasing it so technically not an owned car.

I don't think age matters too much. There are plenty of others in the same age as me that can do the same, but they choose do things with their money that are more meaningful to them. I live pretty frugally, don't eat out, etc, and I'm not particularly wealthy.

True statement . Ignoring the few (but not insignificant) number of millenials who developed some fad iOS app or get cars bought for them by wealthy parents, for many ppl I agree it really comes down to priorities / what you value.

I'm 32, have owned 3 mini coopers (2 JCW), did my frugal times in a CHebby Cruze and used VW jetta TDI for a while, enjoyed a used eight-yr old alpine white e46 330i, and more recently my beloved 335xi which I bought used CPO (partially with leftover loan$ from professional school). Now, finally that I'm out of professional school, I'm buying this M340xi as well as I want to keep it for many years.

I have seen corvettes/lexus/nice cars parked outside trailers (still a little odd IMHO but good for them) and cheap apartment complexes. For some of them there's likely a component of mismanaged money and keeping up appearances; for many others maybe it's just what they want to spend their money on. My dad lived very humbly despite being a physician, he wears the same pants and socks until they have holes in them, doesn't spend money, except always has an M car in the garage...

[BlueLeaderXI]

Originally Posted by v_ckash623

30, going on 31. First BMW was a '18 340i, lease. The last 2 cars prior to the 340i were leases as well. My current M340i is my first actual car purchase (where I'm listed on the title as the owner), and I bought it CPO with 7900 miles.

yeah that's the other thing. Leases (longer term car renting) are ways to afford smaller payments to those who otherwise don't want or wouldn't afford buying. Age and salaries and/or how often you switch cars probably all contribute to this. I got sales-pressured into leasing a mazda 6 once, only lease I ever did, regretted it as soon as I drove it off the lot. I hated my decision so much I paid the difference to get out of the lease. (never do that again lol). Maybe when I'm more well-established in profession/career I could upgrade cars more frequently and lease/rent, but just for me personally, can't shake the idea of renting a car I'll have to turn back in like "this isn't really mine". To each their own!! enjoy man and congrats!!

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

I have a little over a year left before I move up to the bracket you just joined I'm 33 at the moment

Ah yes... I remember when I was a spry, wide eyed 33 year old

[themnmd]

57 M340i X, second BMW

[Ikester19]

46, M340ix, 8th BMW, love these cars

[seelark]

Being in the second most senior bracket of this poll 👴🏻, and seeing the number of 20 somethings that are already BMW drivers, makes me recall my vehicles from back in the day, when, here in the UK, low insurance prices enabled a young lad earning a reasonable salary to drive some decent cars of the era. We (or I personally) lived in a 'hot hatch' world for the first 6/7 years of car ownership (at least 5 different vehicles during that time), before BMW became part of my DNA.
An E30 325i Sport was my first, and the current ride is a G20 330e M Sport Plus.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by SneekySanchez

I'm 44. Picked up my G20 320i M-Sport last week. Traded in my 2012 F30 320d. Love the car knocks spots off the old one. Just cant get my head around the steptronic shift. Last car was manual. On this Forward = Back & Back = Forward?!?!?! What were they thinking? The amount of times i've tried to take of at lights and put it in reverse is ridiculous.

"They" equals the regulation of the automotive industry. 'PRNDL' as it's know, has been the accepted AT selector 'standard' since something like 1966.

We've simply got an electronic 'drive by wire' version of it.

[ovesund]

The really weird thing is that the gear shifter is reversed in the BMW i3, twist it away from you for drive, towards you for reverse. Switching between the i3 and my 330e can at times be kind of confusing

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by ovesund

The really weird thing is that the gear shifter is reversed in the BMW i3, twist it away from you for drive, towards you for reverse. Switching between the i3 and my 330e can at times be kind of confusing

What do you expect from a car that looks like a Lego block?

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

What do you expect from a car that looks like a Lego block?

Did someone say legos??

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Did someone say legos??

Haha, sure did.

Like I said in a different post, one of the stupidest setups ever is Volvo's interpretation of a gear selector in their XC60 Polestar model. Forcing you to click twice to put it into Drive or Reverse. A bit different but instead of a push button engine start they make you twist a knob to start it. I don't mind that as much as it's certainly unique.

Gear selector? Stupid. I mean it's just not natural to have to click the selector forward twice in order to put her in Reverse!

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Haha, sure did.

Like I said in a different post, one of the stupidest setups ever is Volvo's interpretation of a gear selector in their XC60 Polestar model. Forcing you to click twice to put it into Drive or Reverse. A bit different but instead of a push button engine start they make you twist a knob to start it. I don't mind that as much as it's certainly unique.

Gear selector? Stupid. I mean it's just not natural to have to click the selector forward twice in order to put her in Reverse!

Ah yes volvo... I do remember now. I was in the market for an XC90 at one point before deciding on the X5 and that had the same setup and I do remember thinking it was odd.

[Jmpascual]

22 y/o here. 2019 330i was my first BMW (lease). I helped my sister get an X5 lease and since I'm the primary I guess that makes me a two time owner.

[vTuga]

29 yo, and this is my first BMW (330e). Hopefully it will last me a long time.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by vTuga

29 yo, and this is my first BMW (330e). Hopefully it will last me a long time.

A little off topic but what are the prices like in Portugal for a BMW? I have a feeling we Americans are lucky and can acquire German luxury cars for reasonable prices in comparison, but I often see people mention how expensive it is in their respective countries. Often times massive taxes are at play.

[inire]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

A little off topic but what are the prices like in Portugal for a BMW? I have a feeling we Americans are lucky and can acquire German luxury cars for reasonable prices in comparison, but I often see people mention how expensive it is in their respective countries. Often times massive taxes are at play.

Not Portugal but also Europe: a reasonably (but not even close to fully) equipped 318i’s MSRP is about €43k (+- 5%). And this is without M Sport line.
A 320i is plus €4-5k.

It is really painful to see the NA prices... not to mention the extras: usually a full package (e.g. executive, etc...) there costs as much as a single option (e.g. HUD) here.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by inire

Not Portugal but also Europe: a reasonably (but not even close to fully) equipped 318i’s MSRP is about €43k (+- 5%). And this is without M Sport line.
A 320i is plus €4-5k.

It is really painful to see the NA prices... not to mention the extras: usually a full package (e.g. executive, etc...) there costs as much as a single option (e.g. HUD) here.

Ouch! That's roughly about $52,000 USD for a 318i I'm sorry about that

Yeah we're a bit spoiled here in the US with cars and gasoline as well, but we still like to complain about stuff anyway. LOL.

As for cheap prices in NA, our Canadian friends might have something to say about that. While they may not be as expensive as European countries, still a bit more than the US I think.