My last car was a BMW 735i. Lovely, lovely car. It was about 15 years old (with 90k on the dial) when I bought it sight unseen. I sent the AA to inspect it and (after their report showed it was in perfect condition) I then turned up with the cash and drove it away. The showroom selling it said in 20 years they'd never have someone behave like me. It cost less than 10% of its cost when new, and I know nothing about cars anyway.
After driving it for a couple of years, it got a dent on the driver's side of the bonnet. When I took it to be repaired, the guy asked me to open the bonnet. He was appalled when I told him I didn't know how to do that :-) I just shrugged.
I drove that car for 7 years, and it was still in great condition when it was written-off in a minor accident (as a technicality - it was just too expensive to repair the body work). Even after years of neglect from me, opening the bonnet was a dream - the engine was so _clean_.
Before owning that car I'd never realised that someone could actually _like_ the car they drove. And until then I'd never realised that driving could be fun. For the first few years of my serious back problem, the seat of my BMW was the only place I could sit and not be in pain...
Apart from the fact it guzzled petrol (13 mpg in London), I wouldn't hesistate to own another BMW. But I don't think I'd ever buy one new.
My last car was a BMW 735i. Lovely, lovely car. It was about 15 years old (with 90k on the dial) when I bought it sight unseen. I sent the AA to inspect it and (after their report showed it was in perfect condition) I then turned up with the cash and drove it away. The showroom selling it said in 20 years they'd never have someone behave like me. It cost less than 10% of its cost when new, and I know nothing about cars anyway.
After driving it for a couple of years, it got a dent on the driver's side of the bonnet. When I took it to be repaired, the guy asked me to open the bonnet. He was appalled when I told him I didn't know how to do that :-) I just shrugged.
I drove that car for 7 years, and it was still in great condition when it was written-off in a minor accident (as a technicality - it was just too expensive to repair the body work). Even after years of neglect from me, opening the bonnet was a dream - the engine was so _clean_.
Before owning that car I'd never realised that someone could actually _like_ the car they drove. And until then I'd never realised that driving could be fun. For the first few years of my serious back problem, the seat of my BMW was the only place I could sit and not be in pain...
Apart from the fact it guzzled petrol (13 mpg in London), I wouldn't hesistate to own another BMW. But I don't think I'd ever buy one new.