Your First BMW Experience?

[StradaRedlands]

The first time BMW popped up on my radar was in 1990, riding to an off-campus class with my buddy in his 1973 Inka Orange 2002. Wow, I was hooked at that moment!
I ended up with a 1973 Malaga Red 2002 that I kept for a few years. What a fantastic car. Sold it to get an E30 with air conditioning and a five speed! Then another E30, then an another E30, then a E46, then an E34, finally settling on an E90!
LOVED that '02 though. The rest as they say, is history!

[DubaiRich]

My first experience was seeing a E36 M3 fly by at a traffic light in Hawaii. Once left Hawaii, got to NorCal, I purchased a 97 540i 6Sp!!

[tomislav177]

Hey! My first real BMW experience was with my own X1 18i from 2020, and honestly, I’m absolutely loving it. Before this, I had a Toyota Yaris, so this feels like a total revolution for me — way more fun, way more premium. The X1 really opened my eyes to what BMW driving is all about.

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by tomislav177

Hey! My first real BMW experience was with my own X1 18i from 2020, and honestly, I’m absolutely loving it. Before this, I had a Toyota Yaris, so this feels like a total revolution for me — way more fun, way more premium. The X1 really opened my eyes to what BMW driving is all about.

I hear you, 2 weeks ago my son bought a BMW. The wife and I liked it that much this weekend we are picking up another to replace her Toyota PriusC.

Happy motoring

[DanG]

My first experience was buying a new 1971 BMW 2002. Was a great car that I had for 8 years and sold it for more than I initially paid for it. Had about 100,000 miles on it.

[M-technik-3]

So this thread has reappeared in a new name.

Was a Ford kid, father had Pontiac Trans Am's in the late 60's to early 80's. Had a Ferrari 246 Dino when he got the mail contract but went back to Pontiac for grunt.

Me had a dodge 340 AAR rust bucket!!! for a first car in 83 learned a lot about how to fix cars on a shoe string budget. The came a string of 73 Capri's first two were 2.6L Colgne engines with manuals one becoming an 289 V8 powered rat that a drunk killed. I was fine but with procedes I bought a former Ford Capri 3.1 RS that was a former ETCC . Not a Date mobile!! HS friend's dad was a Lawyer and he had a grey market E28 M5 and a E30 M-Tech 1 car. I drove that occasionally and a 325eS and that's when I got the bug.

Miss the RS3100 big time and anytime a gen 1 pops up on BAT I bid. but doubt it will fit in my current line up unless it's a GAA powered and box flared but those are now a 6 figure car.

[Pool Shark]

My friend's dad had a late 80s/early 90s 318i

[ydkcioc]

Confusing enough to say, my 1st experience is beyond my recollection as I would have been an infant when my parents acquired their 197X 2002 back in the day…. as years went by my parents also owned different BMW’s at different times: E21 (320), E26 (320i), E34 (520i), and E36 (325i).

My first personal BMW was a used 2004 E46 (325ci) which I later retrofitted ZHP body kit and rims.

[ash_schwin]

First experience was in high school when I rode in my buddy's E39 540i. Got a major sense of appreciation for the brand the engineering that went into the car.

[Pentium]

Originally Posted by ydkcioc

Confusing enough to say, my 1st experience is beyond my recollection as I would have been an infant when my parents acquired their 197X 2002 back in the day…. as years went by my parents also owned different BMW’s at different times: E21 (320), E26 (320i), E34 (520i), and E36 (325i).

My first personal BMW was a used 2004 E46 (325ci) which I later retrofitted ZHP body kit and rims.

Do not Back in LOL

[ydkcioc]

Originally Posted by Pentium

Do not Back in LOL

Good eye there haha!
Pic was taken on the day of selling the car so I decided to embarrass the buyer

[Pentium]

Originally Posted by ydkcioc

Good eye there haha!
Pic was taken on the day of selling the car so I decided to embarrass the buyer

Joking aside, I love the E46 and your car looked great. I almost pulled the trigger on a well kept E46 M3 a couple of weeks back.

[ydkcioc]

Originally Posted by Pentium

Joking aside, I love the E46 and your car looked great. I almost pulled the trigger on a well kept E46 M3 a couple of weeks back.

All good!
My old 325ci does not remotely compare to the E46 M3, however I’d admit I had enjoyed the ownership and especially since it was my first bimmer it was great pride and joy.
The ///M3 version tho, they are such gem and aren’t they going up in value almost like a 911 (not exactly but you know what I mean).

[Pentium]

Originally Posted by ydkcioc

All good!
My old 325ci does not remotely compare to the E46 M3, however I’d admit I had enjoyed the ownership and especially since it was my first bimmer it was great pride and joy.
The ///M3 version tho, they are such gem and aren’t they going up in value almost like a 911 (not exactly but you know what I mean).

Unfortunately you are right. They are sitting at the 45k US range if maintained well and manual.

[QUiKSR20]

Ive been into Euro & JDM cars since the mid 90s, My first BMW was an 89 E30 in 2005, since them ive owned like 10 and still own my E36.



Up until last year I was driving nothing but BMW but the latest ones have been a huge letdown for me and sadly I had to change it up, Still love the older ones E90 and earlier.

[ckimchi]

For me it was a manual 2001 330i my buddy in high school just got. Come to think of it, it may have been my first time in a BMW period. I still remember sitting shotgun, waiting in line at In-n-Out, and rowing the gears while my friend held the clutch in. Man, I should reach out to him and remind him of that moment (he probably won't even remember).

[Dagstar]

A guy that did my mom's taxes back in the day had an E38 7 series. I didn't know much about cars then but I got to ride in it a few times and it made every other car I'd been in up to that point feel like a toy. Years later my mom bought a brand new 2002 330i which I drove sometimes. An overall great car.

[dfc888]

My dad was a Mercedes fan for the longest time and not sure what exactly happened but he decided to visit our local BMW dealer one day to check out the new X5 (that was my first experience sitting in a BMW). Our family generally stayed away from BMW for all I can remember before this because they thought they were “less polite/professional” and more associated with the image of “youngsters.”

For some reason he didn’t like the dealer’s salesman so we went over to our local Land Rover dealer instead and ended up picking up a Range Rover.

Lo and behold, unbeknownst to me at the time, I eventually found there were “secret” BMW logos on various parts everywhere within the RR. Took me a few years to realize BMW had a heavy hand in building and owning LR/RR.

And 90s-2000s were pure gold for BMW in my head. The short BMW Film series, Bourne, Mission Impossible, Ronin, The Italian Job (MINIs)… what else…

[Marti9t9]

1997 Red (Hell rot) E36 318is coupe. Had it 7 years. Had to sell when second child came along
Replaced it with an F30 8 years ago. I'd have the red one back in a heartbeat.

[Elderado82]

My first BMW experience was buying a 2013 M135i the day after a big winter storm rolled through — eight inches of fresh snow still on the ground. It was my very first BMW, so even though I only had to get it two miles home that night, it felt like a rite of passage. I crept along, white‑knuckled, just trying to keep it straight and get it tucked safely into the garage.

That first winter, I learned quickly that Michelin PS4 summer tires and snow are a terrible mix — and on ice, they’re downright terrifying. Every stop sign was a gamble, every corner a slow‑motion slide. But that car taught me something important: how to truly respect a machine. The way it communicated through the steering, the chassis, even the way it broke traction — it was always telling me what was happening, no matter the conditions or time of year.

When I finally swapped to a set of Blizzaks, it was like unlocking a whole new side of the M135i. Suddenly, winter driving wasn’t survival — it was pure fun. The balance, the grip, the way it danced through snow‑covered streets turned cold, grey days into something I actually looked forward to. That sweet little BMW didn’t just get me through my first winter with it — it made me fall in love with driving.

[rextex]

E46. Doing the clutch on it now. Yet to drive it. Excited either way tho!

[pbonsalb]

In the mid 80s a friend had a gray market E21 323i. It was not until 2005 that I bought my first BMW, a 99 M3. I met my future wife in 2003 and she had a modded 79 635 csi, a modded 73 Bavaria and a modded 75 2002. We still have the 2002 and it may get a restoration and go back on the road. Also still have the 99 M3. Sold the 635 about 15 years ago and parted the Bavaria due to underbody rust. Progressed through a 99 E39 528i, 2008 E70 X5 4.8i, 2008 E61 535xi, 2008 E90 M3, and still have a 2018 F90 M5.