Keeping down appearances

[Duckw]

Early on, there was a lot of concern on this site that those not in the know might see the 1er as a poor man’s BMW and regard its owner as a seeker of cachet on the cheap. In the post-crash world, maybe that’s a stereotype to encourage. Sometimes it’s not good to be seen as a cat that’s too fat.

[lib]

Why even care what they think?

[BimmerKid87]

I think BMW was wise to keep the base msrp north of $30k. That gives it a bit more cred. There's a lot of cars that are more "i want a badge on the cheap" than the 1er is....think Volvo C30/S40, Lincoln MKZ, Audi A3, etc...all sub-$30k vehicles that really offer nothing, aside from a prestige badge for the price of a Honda.

[Call]

Seems a lot of assumptions for the general public...the most disturbing of which is that the ONE would only be purchased as someone's first BMW...some maybe but I really doubt many. I can't believe it would even enter a significant number of minds to make a difference.

I would venture to think the ONE is neither the first nor the only BMW in the garage for most.

Call

[BimmerKid87]

Originally Posted by Call

Seems a lot of assumptions for the general public...the most disturbing of which is that the ONE would only be purchased as someone's first BMW...some maybe but I really doubt many. I can't believe it would even enter a significant number of minds to make a difference.

I would venture to think the ONE is neither the first nor the only BMW in the garage for most.

Call

Really? I've noticed the 1 appeals to lots of high school/college-aged kids like myself. Also, it'll be my first BMW unless you consider a Cooper S a BMW, which in some ways I suppose I do.

[jeremyc74]

Anyone who buys a car based on the badge is a fool in my book.

Anyone who judges someone based on the badge of the car they drive is an even bigger fool. With the way credit has been for the past 10 years, just about anyone with a job could drive an expensive car.

[ptack]

Originally Posted by Duckw

Early on, there was a lot of concern on this site that those not in the know might see the 1er as a poor man’s BMW and regard its owner as a seeker of cachet on the cheap. In the post-crash world, maybe that’s a stereotype to encourage. Sometimes it’s not good to be seen as a cat that’s too fat.

Only if you couldn't afford it in the first place.

[Notion-Za]

Im with bimmerKid. Guys which only get their license next year have already gotten cars. So far 3 1'ers. a 125 and 2 135's! and a 3rd 135 on the way.. the 135 is a killer where i live! altitude loss 4tw

[x97Melbourne]

mine was $46,000 + taxes

anyone who calls that cheap is ricker than me.....and to them I probably am poor.

[oneaabe]

$ 42000 (+ ~10% in taxes) is not exactly cheap in my book.... there are very few people who would consider that amount as pocket change

[Robert]

I keep my car dirty so it doesn't attract as much attention. Usually only car enthusiast know what it is. I just had a tuned b4 s4 zoomed by me.

[hansenc]

Well the 1 was my first brand new car, first bmw, first vehicle over 39k.

I'm 22 and mommy and daddy didn't buy this car.

[MatthewDFW]

Originally Posted by Call

I would venture to think the ONE is neither the first nor the only BMW in the garage for most.

True. But it might very well be the best BMW in the garage!

Personally, I despise the term "entry level", as applied to automobiles. Like many of you, I would not stoop to consider any model in the BMW 1-series as falling into that category.

If young or first-time buyers are looking to purchase a 128 or 135, I say full credit to them for making an admirable choice and joining the fold of BMW owners who share an uncompromising appreciation of performance and engineering.

At 49, I am by no means young, but I don't see the 1's appeal to a younger crowd as a negative. Heck, it's a plus. Whether a 1 is your first car, or just your first BMW, you now own a thoroughbred. And - more importantly - you belong to a great bunch of drivers; all we ask in return is that you represent us well - and spread the word about what a terrific car it is.

[kcobra]

Why care about what other people think? Pointless. I don't give a damn about what people think. What I do know is that I've got a damn sexy and powerful car, and I'm 100% satisfied with it.

You know, there are too many haters out there. It's a waste of time to analyze their thought processes.

[Darth One]

An old man, a boy, and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked beside him. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people who remarked, "Whate a shame! He makes that little boy walk." They then decided that they would both walk.

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So they both rode the donkey.

Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal, and he fell into the river and drown.

The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye.

[mywifestolemy1]

....The 1 out-handles the 3, outguns the three, and possesses a better cockpit than the 3. It's faster than the last M3 and almost as fast as the new one. It drifts, it zooms.....

I wanted a 1 as soon as I heard it was coming out. I could have bought any Beemer in the line.....Poor man's bmw???? No, it's a beemer for those who know.

Originally Posted by Call

Seems a lot of assumptions for the general public...the most disturbing of which is that the ONE would only be purchased as someone's first BMW...some maybe but I really doubt many. I can't believe it would even enter a significant number of minds to make a difference.

I would venture to think the ONE is neither the first nor the only BMW in the garage for most.

Call

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by mywifestolemy1

faster than the last M3 and almost as fast as the new one.

The 135i is not almost as fast as the new one. No way, no how. I must respectfully disagree.

[uofmtiger]

My third BMW (have owned two 3 series). I just thought the 1 series would be a fun change of pace. This is the only 1 series I have seen anywhere around here, so I doubt that most people even know what it is.

[MatthewDFW]

Originally Posted by uofmtiger

This is the only 1 series I have seen anywhere around here, so I doubt that most people even know what it is.

I'm in the same boat. In Dallas, there's no shortage of BMWs (tons of 3-series)... but I have spotted a total of ONE 1-series since I got mine last month.

What I have seen are curious onlookers who seem to gather wherever I go, who really like the car but are completely stumped trying to figure out what the heck it is. The fact that there's no model number on mine just makes it tougher for them, but you'd think they'd have heard about the 1-series by now - and would recognize one when they saw it.

Still, they are a rarity here. I really thought I'd be seeing more of the 1s around town.

And speaking more to the point of our posts here, the 135's performance versus the M3 seems irrelevant (off the record, BMW did not want the 135 to be too close for fear of denting M3 sales; exact same predicament Porsche faced coming out with the Cayman vs. the established 911).

Even so, the 1-series in general, and the 135i in particular, owes no apologies to any other make, brand, or model. I think it stands beautifully on its own as a top-notch road car. And, lest we forget, no less an authority than Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's Top Gear, claims "The 135 coupé is the best car BMW makes".

See his full review, posted on 1Addicts...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3248

[lacrosse]

Originally Posted by MatthewDFW

I'm in the same boat. In Dallas, there's no shortage of BMWs (tons of 3-series)... but I have spotted a total of ONE 1-series since I got mine last month.

What I have seen are curious onlookers who seem to gather wherever I go, who really like the car but are completely stumped trying to figure out what the heck it is. The fact that there's no model number on mine just makes it tougher for them, but you'd think they'd have heard about the 1-series by now - and would recognize one when they saw it.

Still, they are a rarity here. I really thought I'd be seeing more of the 1s around town.

And speaking more to the point of our posts here, the 135's performance versus the M3 seems irrelevant (off the record, BMW did not want the 135 to be too close for fear of denting M3 sales; exact same predicament Porsche faced coming out with the Cayman vs. the established 911).

Even so, the 1-series in general, and the 135i in particular, owes no apologies to any other make, brand, or model. I think it stands beautifully on its own as a top-notch road car. And, lest we forget, no less an authority than Jeremy Clarkson of BBC's Top Gear, claims "The 135 coupé is the best car BMW makes".

See his full review, posted on 1Addicts...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3248

Well said!

[buckwheat986]

SOS

[Duckw]

+1 buckwheat986. This was not meant to be a thread about what BMW is better than another. Early in the model year, quite a few posters (I wasn’t one of them) worried that the 1 series would be perceived as down market. By way of a feeble joke, I was merely suggesting that in the current climate of opinion, when many have it in for fat cats, those owners might rather embrace the misguided cheap-o stereotype and be glad to be seen as just plain folks.