BMW v. Mercedes Benz

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"my husband and i are 34 and we have a BMW 3 series. Do we need to sell before either of us turns 35? My birthday is october, so that would be pretty soon. Just wanted to check with you, PP, on the rules of owning a 3 series. thanks, in advance. "

Certainly you are free to drive whatever you wish. But, a 3 series BMW is the car of a college kid with a rich daddy or someone with their first real job. When you're in your mid thirties and have kids and are buying one, it just says "I care more about pretending to be rich than I do about common sense."

A BMW 3 screams: "I just made my first $100,000 and I ran out and bought this baby (my shiny new BMW) and I got a great rate on a 5 year loan! Aren't I great?"

New poster here who would like a BMW when I make my first hard earned $100K (late 30s). What kind of car do you suggest I get, another toyota?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"my husband and i are 34 and we have a BMW 3 series. Do we need to sell before either of us turns 35? My birthday is october, so that would be pretty soon. Just wanted to check with you, PP, on the rules of owning a 3 series. thanks, in advance. "

Certainly you are free to drive whatever you wish. But, a 3 series BMW is the car of a college kid with a rich daddy or someone with their first real job. When you're in your mid thirties and have kids and are buying one, it just says "I care more about pretending to be rich than I do about common sense."

A BMW 3 screams: "I just made my first $100,000 and I ran out and bought this baby (my shiny new BMW) and I got a great rate on a 5 year loan! Aren't I great?"

New poster here who would like a BMW when I make my first hard earned $100K (late 30s). What kind of car do you suggest I get, another toyota?

yes, and put the extra $15K in the bank.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"my husband and i are 34 and we have a BMW 3 series. Do we need to sell before either of us turns 35? My birthday is october, so that would be pretty soon. Just wanted to check with you, PP, on the rules of owning a 3 series. thanks, in advance. "

Certainly you are free to drive whatever you wish. But, a 3 series BMW is the car of a college kid with a rich daddy or someone with their first real job. When you're in your mid thirties and have kids and are buying one, it just says "I care more about pretending to be rich than I do about common sense."

I agree with previous post. THat's the image I get too. I've just known too many guys in high school who drove the 3 series BMW and guys in their late 20's who bought the 3 series (very basic models) as soon as they had (or thought they had) enough money. I just prefer a loaded Accord (all options) than a no option 3 series... they're close enough in price. Also for some reason, I think 3 series BMWs are feminine. I think it looks cute when a girl drives one, but not a guy. Disclaimer: I don't know anything about car mechanics, so when I think of cars, it's just all image...

[Anonymous]

Yes, a third in agreement. Don't be a wannabe, be a real millionaire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

no, its not that at all. Its a question of priorities. the equity partners at my law firm drive minivans and chevrolets. They make probably $1.1M/year. I admire that attitude a lot more than the South Beach attitude where everyone has to have a flashy car. My personal opinion is its silly.

I don't know any equity partners anywhere that drive minivans or chevrolets, let alone in Washington. Moreover, your personal opinion is irrelevant to the question and suggests that you either don't know how to read (which one would presume is a prerequisite for working at a law firm) or like to shove your ignorant opinions down the throats of others that couldn't care less.

To answer the OP's question - BMW 3 series over Mercedes C series. I'd also opt for BMW 5/7 series over Mercedes E/S.

at my last law firm (BigLaw), the three most grounded and well respected equity partners drove (i) beat up old minivan; (ii) Honda Civic hybrid; and (iii) Camry. Sure, plenty of others had 7 series and 5 series, etc.

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who drive BMW's are assholes. Seems like a generalization? I know. But when someone's being a jackass on the road, look at what they're driving. It's often a BMW.

This is so true. And yet, I rarely see a MB being driven in an ass-tastic way. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"my husband and i are 34 and we have a BMW 3 series. Do we need to sell before either of us turns 35? My birthday is october, so that would be pretty soon. Just wanted to check with you, PP, on the rules of owning a 3 series. thanks, in advance. "

Certainly you are free to drive whatever you wish. But, a 3 series BMW is the car of a college kid with a rich daddy or someone with their first real job. When you're in your mid thirties and have kids and are buying one, it just says "I care more about pretending to be rich than I do about common sense."

A BMW 3 screams: "I just made my first $100,000 and I ran out and bought this baby (my shiny new BMW) and I got a great rate on a 5 year loan! Aren't I great?"

New poster here who would like a BMW when I make my first hard earned $100K (late 30s). What kind of car do you suggest I get, another toyota?

yes, and put the extra $15K in the bank.

Buy a car that you can pay for without a loan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

we are talking about 3 series and C class cars. Look at the market studies. Average HHI for the buyer of those cars is not high, and not that high of a percentage of them are even college graduates.

[Anonymous]

This is the poster that commented on the image of cars and people .... If I had to choose, I'd pick the Mercedes. Does it have to be a Mercedes or a BMW? If not, how about the 2011 Hyundai Sonata? It's comparable in price, and it got great reviews in performance and safety. It also looks similar to the Mercedes CLS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

I'm laughing all the way to the bank. I'm no crunchy Subaru driver, but I made my first million by age 38 with no family money. Who cares that I don't have a luxury car? Warren Buffett's lived in the same house for 40 or 50 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

I am a millionaire. I drive a Ford. A Nissan before that. A Toyota before that. Newsflash: I know a whole lot of wealthy people who drive "average" cars. They are the ones who don't feel the need to tell everyone that they have money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the poster that commented on the image of cars and people .... If I had to choose, I'd pick the Mercedes. Does it have to be a Mercedes or a BMW? If not, how about the 2011 Hyundai Sonata? It's comparable in price, and it got great reviews in performance and safety. It also looks similar to the Mercedes CLS.

Um, no one in their right mind is going to compare a Hyndai Sonata and a BMW or Mercedes.

Also, seriously, this thread is straight out of bizarro world. There is a high demand for luxury cars for a reason. Wealthy people tend to buy nice cars. They don't drive around in Subarus. Yes, there are exceptions, but the rule of thumb holds true. Note that wealthy people also tend to live in nice houses. Yes, there are the Warren Buffets of the world, but most people that live in $300,000 homes in DC aren't making big money; and most people that live in $2 million homes are. Similarly, most people that buy 3-series make pretty good money. Most people that buy 5-series make even more. Most people that buy 7-series make more than that, and so on. This isn't rocket science. If you can afford to buy a luxury car (and "afford" means pay in cash, not take loans; and not take from other needed resources), why wouldn't you? They call them "luxury" for a reason - they are well-made, go from 0-60 very quickly, and are pretty awesome to drive. Those of you that make of them likely can't afford them, even those of you pretending that you'd just "prefer" to put your money elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My FIL is an equity partner in a big law firm and drives a second hand Volvo. He is majorly preppy.

Obviously not. Only on this cheapo website would people be advocating driving Toyotas and Hyundais over BMWs. It's hilarious. Newsflash: wealthy people typically drive nice cars (take a drive through any nice suburban neighborhood in Maryland or Virginia), and don't really care that crunchy Subaru drivers think that money could be better spent elsewhere.

I am a millionaire. I drive a Ford. A Nissan before that. A Toyota before that. Newsflash: I know a whole lot of wealthy people who drive "average" cars. They are the ones who don't feel the need to tell everyone that they have money.

And yet here you are, telling an anonymous website how much money you have.