How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?

Could you please tell me in what ways BMW is better than other makes? Japanese cars can have powerful engines, too. Then why is BMW much more expensive than Honda? Is it just the brand name? Or you really get what you pay for? Thanks very much to everyone who answers.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?BMW is engineered in Germany, and some of the US model cars are still built there even. Because of this, they are built to very strict standards for German driving, specifically that their highways have stretches with no speed limit and are NOT straight lines like America. Because of that, they have to be fairly firm to hold the road, especially if you're going around a curved highway in excess of 100mph. Part of being able to attain these speeds is having the power to get there, which is why they have 400, 500+hp engines available in some of their cars. Also, every BMW is either rear wheel drive or all wheel drive, the latter of which is either an optional trim from a base rear wheel drive model, or an SUV. Why? Because rear wheel drive is the best possible performance layout, and the most stable. Also, because of those high speeds, they are more safe than the japanese cars. The cars built in Germany must have a stronger body structure, because a rollover on a highway with no speed limit can have a lot of impact on the body structure of the car, which most American and Japanese cars would probably kill their drivers with, yet the Mercedes-Benz's and BMW's hold up quite well, all things considered. Don't believe me? You can look up car crash videos on the Autobahn on youtube and see plenty of examples. Also, many people think that BMW's are "luxury cars", but the reality is they aren't. They are just made to a higher standard and with better materials than Japan or America. In 1996, Ford didn't redesign their cobra to go after Toyota Supra's or Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4's, instead they targeted the then-new 1995 BMW M3, because that was the benchmark for 2+2 performance coupes. The Japanese, because of the limited land area of their country, design their cars for small footprints and high fuel economy because of the price of gas. America sees things purely on a size and feature scale. The Japanese see a car as an appliance, and as such, give them very few features in many models (though that's changed over the last couple decades), and since a front wheel drive is cheapest to produce, that's what they mainly make. In Germany, the car is an extension of the person, which is why they didn't understand why Americans complained that their cars didn't have cupholders as recently as just 2 decades ago, because driving a car was supposed to be a fully involved experience, requiring your full attention. American's are in between, they want an appliance to get from point A to point B like the Japanese, but they want the comforts that go along with it. This is why in America, automatic transmissions outsell manuals, while in Germany it's FAR reversed, with manuals widely outselling automatics. BMW's have gained the reputation of being an expensive luxury brand, so the price reflects that because there is more substance to the car than a Honda. However, that's not all of the price, some of it has to do with costs associated with importing the cars to the US when they first started selling cars here. Since they were able to sell cars here that were already drastically marked up, the prices stayed high. As for reliability, they are both reliable, and they both have problems. I know someone who had a 335i lemon-lawed and traded up to an M3, and he's as happy as can be with it, no problems. I've also had my fair share of problems with a honda, but it still runs ok.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?
Have you driven a BMW before? Specifically the M3? It is in a class of its own. I have yet to find a japanese car that gives me the same feeling in the and connection to the road and it's curves. I love the engineering in it, especially the small things. 10 Years ago I wouldn't have thought about having variable timing on the wipers depending on how fast your traveling, but they did. I wouldn't have thought to tilt the radio and other features 5 degrees toward the driver to emphasize who they were building the car for. There are so many things I love about the way BMW handles and drives, I can deal with the occasional repairs. Until I find another car that I will just drive around in just for fun (no destination, just a 20 minute drive or so around the back roads), I will stick with BMW.



If your talking about engines specifically, the GT-R and IS-F are the only ones that are really comparable. For instance let's look at some Nürburgring track times. The only japanese make that the M3 lost to was the GT-R, which has a 30,000 price difference. The M3 beat out Lamborghinis and Ferraris and all other types of cars.



EDIT: Sean's answer is exactly what I was trying to say, but he said it better.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?you pay more and you get more., lets take a bmw 1, a mazda 3 and a chevy malibu, and as you go up the price tag the better the car gets. the bmw 1 is about as expensive as you can get for a car of that size. same for the 3,5,6,7,



are they more reliable as other cars, no there are bad ones and good ones, some cars break down alot more, others alot less. british cars are terrible and i love jags there very special i almost brought a jag.



back to the ultimate driving machine, yeah there better to drive then there counterparts from america/asia, if your looking for basic transportation there are better choices, if you want have fun on your commute then the choices get much smaller.



everyone has different needs, every car company tailors to a different market.
Drive one in the mountains and you'll see the response of the acceleration, the feel of the steering, the handling, the brakes, and the comfort in all. It's not the fastest thing around, it's more smooth than roar of the power. The Japanese cars has caught up with the TL and M45, but the cost is the same as the BMW. And the feel of a fwd car is not the same. Drive a manual 335i hard and you'll see.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?My father bought a 740il special order...week 1 the light fixtures were falling apart...week 2 stuttering engine. Yeah...you'd expect quality control in a 70k car...don't.



BMW is just marketing to yuppies that know no better than to buy a generic car that has moderate performance (it's not high performance)...the suspension is somewhat stiffer than in a similar honda or toyota. It's just marketing. They're all vanilla cars in my opinion. If you can't feel the road and hear the engine roaring it's not driving.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?
Once you go BMW you don't go back, is my saying.



They sound, handle, look ... everything is just amazing!



I've grown up in them my whole life. If you take care of them, they will take care of you. If you don't though, you will have expensive repairs because they're such a high performance machine, they need extra love.



They're a beast to drive.
My sister and I both own BMW's and I have had my car for about 5 years and she has had hers for about 4 and they both have major problems with them. Everything seems like its falling apart. My next car will most definitely NOT be a BMW.How exactly is BMW the ultimate driving machine?
You obviously have never driven a BMW. Your Honda would literally feel like a tin can on wheels afterwards had you done so.