Does the color matter? Yes, it does. Mine is a sexy gray.
BMWs come in white, black, and any shade of gray. The shade of gray makes all the difference.
For the record, I had a sea foam green X-5, I named her Madison (Darryl Hannah in Splash) it was total garbage, they had to replace the windshield, the top driver seat and they never were able to fix the auto adjusting seats/mirrors issue.
Maybe I got a lemon (or a lime, since it was green)
I have a 1998 Saab that I keep tuned and clean. I'm an underwear agent and a webmaster now but I bought the Saab with the intention of driving it on insurance appointments.
The Saab body style doesn't change very quickly. If you keep it clean, you can drive an old one and look like you spent more on your car.
If your money is short (like mine was when I bought my first one) it is a good car because you can impress for less.
I use to drive Volvo's, loved them except when it came to getting them repaired. I usually kept a car for 4 or 5 years and toward the end the maintenance was just too expensive. 95% of my clients never see my car. Drive what you want, I don't think it really matters, clients and prospects are more interested in how much you care and if you can help them. When I was younger I use to think it was real important to drive a high end car, one mellows as they age. I just inherited a 2006 Buick LaSabre with 18k miles, nice free ride.
If you show up in an old car, the client is probably still going to let you in the house. If you are knowledgeable and professional, he or she will forget about your car. The same is true if you are not.
A nice car may have some impact, but there are a lot of other factors involved.
At one time I had an old beat up pick up truck (something that Fred Sanford would be too embarrassed to drive) that i was forced to drive on appointments after my car was in a fire. This was back in the 80s. I would park around the corner from my clients' houses and claim that I couldn't read the street numbers from my car so I parked and started walking.
Last week I made the decision to buy a new car. My trusty Subaru has over 190,000 miles on it, no air conditioning, oil leak, and lots of rock chips all over the paint so...it was time.
Like Al, I can afford any car I want. I chose a new Mazda3 hatchback. It's in the same class a Honda Civic but I like it a little better.
Now here is a real world example of how much you lose as soon as you drive off the lot...
I test drove a red one and liked it. Worked out a deal on the exact same car in silver. They got it in. I paid for it and drove it home. After a couple of days, I started figuring out some of the standard features I was supposed to get weren't on my car (Electric power seat being the main one.) I went back to the dealer and they said I'm wrong none of them have that feature (they sold the red one by then and didn't have any in stock but I KNEW the red one had power seats.)
I research on the internet forums and sure enough Mazda had 2008.5 models that had come out in January with many upgraded features including power seats and new Bose Sound Systems for no additional cost over the older 2008s. I was PISSED. I was baited and switched.
Now I had the car for 4-days and 350 miles before I figured this out. But to trade it for the 2008.5 model (that I was supposed to get in the first place) they said my car has already lost $7,500 in value. And this is only a $22,000 car to begin with.
I'm very mad at myself for not doing MORE research before I allowed myself to be screwed by these dirtballs. I tend to think people will do the right thing but I occasionally get disappointed. Buyer beware!
I like the Mazda 3. I think it gives you a good image. New enough to indicate understated status but also environmentally friend because of the good gas mileage. It is kind of the right image for the current environment besides it gives you easy access to all of your insurance files but I am suprised that an ex-cycle salesman got baited and switched.
When I was with American Income my manager was a 26 year old punk who drove a new red Corvette. He pulled up to trailers and 4 room houses in that Vette and sold accident, cancer, and FE policies to people on the lower end of the scale. Never seemed to bother him or them.
I like the Mazda 3. I think it gives you a good image. New enough to indicate understated status but also environmentally friend because of the good gas mileage. It is kind of the right image for the current environment besides it gives you easy access to all of your insurance files but I am suprised that an ex-cycle salesman got baited and switched.
I think I have such a confidence that I'm too smart to be scammed that I make it easy for the scammers...if that makes any sense will somebody please explain it to me.
Some suggest they sometimes go "commando". I believe Dean Cipriano first brought this to light. It helps to change-it-up a little to break the monotony...
Not my cup of tea though.
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[COLOR=blue]Don't steal - the government hates competition.[/COLOR]
Last week I finally decided to get rid of my avalanche, found a BMW that was avaliable and priced right, I get home and notice this thread, didnt notice it all before I bought my BMW, it is a smooth ride.
This brings back memories. When I started in the business in 1907, my parents bought me a car as a graduation gift. Mazda 626.
One problem. In Dayton (Oh), there were a ton of GM plants (thus...GM employees) and as I would walk up to their door, invariably they would look at the type of car you were driving.
I truly believe that my closing ratio was far less with GM employees if they could identify the type of car I was driving. Of course, eventually, I tried the "park around the corner" trick which helped...a little bit.
Did I say 1907? Seems that long ago. Sorry. I meant 1980.
This brings back memories. When I started in the business in 1907, my parents bought me a car as a graduation gift. Mazda 626.
One problem. In Dayton (Oh), there were a ton of GM plants (thus...GM employees) and as I would walk up to their door, invariably they would look at the type of car you were driving.
I truly believe that my closing ratio was far less with GM employees if they could identify the type of car I was driving. Of course, eventually, I tried the "park around the corner" trick which helped...a little bit.
Did I say 1907? Seems that long ago. Sorry. I meant 1980.
my next question was going to be"How old are you again"... with me heading towards the senior market, hopefully the bmw will help.
One problem. In Dayton (Oh), there were a ton of GM plants (thus...GM employees) and as I would walk up to their door, invariably they would look at the type of car you were driving.
I was there... Had to trade my 1978 Diesel VW Rabbit for an '81 Malibu. One guy would not let me in the door when he saw the VW... True story!
I was there... Had to trade my 1978 Diesel VW Rabbit for an '81 Malibu. One guy would not let me in the door when he saw the VW... True story!
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law retired from Delco Remy. When we bought a new Toyota Avalon they never said one word about our nice new car to us, not that it looked great or had a great ride or was a very nice car. They just ignored it completely however, last year they were raving about the GMC Envoy we had just bought. Go figure!
My brother-in-law and sister-in-law retired from Delco Remy. When we bought a new Toyota Avalon they never said one word about our nice new car to us. Not that it looked great or had a great ride or was a very nice car. They just ignored it completely however, last year they were raving about the GMC Envoy we had just bought. Go figure!
I have a retired neighbor who has lived in multiple countries. He always drove what that company produced. As an American, I believe I should drive what is (mostly)made here. I live next to Boca Raton (most BMWs per capita).
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"People who think they know it all really annoy those of us who do"
Re: BMW = Success?
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