My conversation with a BMW salesman

[donv]

No, it means he's a good salesman. Unlike the OP's salesman.

I went to price a 550 xdrive during my shopping period. When I mentioned they were in competition with Tesla, the salesmen didn't go derogatory at all. He just politely pointed out that BMW has been a company for 100 years and is an industry leader in performance, fit, and finish. Those things are all true and I think the 550 with M package had nicer seats, leather, stitching, etc than Tesla. In a world without a Model S, I probably would've bought one. (The Tesla center touch screen has no competition however.)

Maybe he hasn't been to said training?

 

[MDinFL]

Follow-up - I left the dealership and returned about 15 minutes later. One of the issues I had was an intermittent noise, which was not evident when I arrived, showed up on my way home. I returned and that same salesman was in the service drive. He pulled me aside and told me that he should have congratulated me on the new ride but that he had just come from this training. He specifically told me he didn't want to sound like a "jerk-off", which clearly was too late. He said that he would have rather I bought a BMW and I said that I would have, if BMW built a car like this.

It's interesting that Park2670 heard the same stuff from his sales friends. It really bothers me that BMW is spreading false information. It also tells me that their senior sales folks are concerned.

 

[esk8mw]

This is hilarious. These talking points are coming directly from BMW? Sales must be getting slammed lately. Looks like we are at stage 3:

First they ignore you (2006 - 2012)
Then they laugh at you (2012-2016)
They they fight you (2016 - ?)
Then you win.

Can't believe I'm saying this as I was a lifelong BMW fan. Last 3 cars prior to 90D were 335, M3 convertible and M3 sedan. Now I just view them as 100% pathetic.

 

[bmah]

So not all BMW salespeople are like this. When we wrote up the order for my wife's 330e (long story...don't want to get into it...I'll just say it's probably the right car for her at this point in time), he asked me what I drive. His eyes lit up when I told him I drive a Tesla, and he confessed that he really admired both the company and the cars. Just my one data point.

Bruce.

 

[TrevTremaine]

My experience with a BMW salesman reminded me of all the ways that my last BMW (2008 5 series touring) went wrong - engine (injection system, computer, ignition), electronics, transmission, sunroof, telephony amongst other things . I was mulling over either an X3 or a 3 Touring. Although I ended up telling other sales people from other companies (Jaguar, Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes), the guy from BMW was the only one who was obviously angry. I'm sure their cars are still selling, just not to me.

Maybe I'll go for a spin by the BMW dealership...

 

[MDinFL]

This is hilarious. These talking points are coming directly from BMW? Sales must be getting slammed lately. Looks like we are at stage 3:

First they ignore you (2006 - 2012)
Then they laugh at you (2012-2016)
They they fight you (2016 - ?)
Then you win.

Can't believe I'm saying this as I was a lifelong BMW fan. Last 3 cars prior to 90D were 335, M3 convertible and M3 sedan. Now I just view them as 100% pathetic.

2001 525
2003 525 wagon
2004 745i
2006 530xiT
2007 335 coupe
2010 535xiT
2011 535 sedan
2013 x5 diesel
2015 x5 gas

This Tesla is the first car I have bought for me or my wife that is not a BMW since 12/01. If BMW built a serious competitor to the Tesla, I would have bought it. A hybrid doesn't count. I've only had the car a week and find the convenience of plugging it in for the next day's adventures is just so much better. While the Tesla does not have some of the tech that BMW has, I believe (without basis) that it will be added in. Specifically, I'm referring to the display of texts and emails on the screen and improved voice command suite. Add those two things and I'll be very impressed. I would like the ability to long press the voice command button to invoke Google Now (or Siri for the iOS folks).

 

[MDinFL]

My experience with a BMW salesman reminded me of all the ways that my last BMW (2008 5 series touring) went wrong - engine (injection system, computer, ignition), electronics, transmission, sunroof, telephony amongst other things . I was mulling over either an X3 or a 3 Touring. Although I ended up telling other sales people from other companies (Jaguar, Volvo, Audi, and Mercedes), the guy from BMW was the only one who was obviously angry. I'm sure their cars are still selling, just not to me.

Maybe I'll go for a spin by the BMW dealership...

BTW, the 3 Touring is a beautiful car, but it is slow.

 

[TexasEV]

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

---Upton Sinclair

 

[farzyness]

First they ignore you.
Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you. <-----------------
Then you win.

 

[PAULL]

"Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's first significant aircraft engine, and commercial product of any sort, was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, known for good fuel economy and high-altitude performance.[10] With German rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. The factory in Munich made ample use of forced labour: foreign civilians, prisoners of war and inmates of the concentration camp Dachau..."

I can think of other car companies with a less sadistic associative history from which to purchase automobiles.

 

[Justicepool]

I have always liked BMW cars and bought my daughter one when she was in high school. I almost got an X5 a couple of years ago, but went with Audi because the BMW infotainment system is horrible in my opinion. Very convoluted. The Audi wasn't too bad, but nothing compares to the Tesla touchscreen approach. It will be hard to go to any other type of infotainment system. I like Porsche and Mercedes, but like BMW their approach to infotainment is dated.

I'm the type, like many here I'm sure, that loves to change vehicles every 1-2 years, but I cannot find anything that I would prefer over my Tesla! Kind of frustrating actually.

 

[ggnykk]

I was taking my wife's x5 for service and ran into a salesman I know. I told him I bought a tesla. He proceeded to tell me that superchargers cause fires and are dangerous. That the i8 charges overnight from a wall socket and it would take the tesla 3 days. That the batteries are the same as what you buy at the battery store. That tesla requires a non disclosure when the car is serviced. That tesla is slow to respond to service issues. That tesla is slow to repair vehicles. That the battery pack is prone to fires.

Ask I can say is wow. He said that they just had training to compare the i8 to the tesla. The info he was giving me he claimed to have been told at the BMW training. To hear him tell it, I just bought a deathtrap powered by flashlight batteries that could kill me at any time.

Needless to say I am disappointed that BMW seems to be getting misinformation to its sales force. It also appears that BMW is very concerned about tesla.

The weird part is that comparing the i8 to the MS is like apples to oranges. The i8 is an occasional car the tesla is a daily driver. One seats 2 Comfortably and 2 uncomfortably. The other seats 5 comfortably.

He also talked about the hybrid system being available in almost every body style. If I wanted a BMW hybrid I would have bought one. I like charging for distance in my garage. I like knowing the superchargers are there if I need them.

He really put me on the defensive and I was very surprised by his reaction. My service writer, otoh, has never seen one and asked me to bring it by.

Frankly, his reaction almost seemed desperate.

i8 battery has a very small capacity, and Tesla battery is many times larger. Of course it take longer to charge. And no ones use 110v socket to charge Tesla for 3 days. Battery pack is prone to fire, but 100% flammable liquid gasoline is many times safer, yea right. Dumb ass BMW salesman and training.

 

[ggnykk]

I tried. Told him my P85 battery was 10X bigger. Told him that the batteries are the same size as a AA, but much different composition. He just wouldn't listen.

We can't expect much from those people. If he is smart and well educated, he doesn't have to work as a car salesman.

 

[jelloslug]

I worked for a BMW dealership for seven years. This means that I also have quite a few friends at the locations here. It was odd to chat with them after they went to the BMW training for i3/i8 and hear the very same thing. The Tesla is just a big giant off the shelf laptop battery that is not going to last, and the BMW batteries are way more advanced. I tried to tell them the battery casings are the only thing that are similar and the rest is all their own formula, etc... But they wouldn't have it. "The i3 is years more advanced than the Tesla, and there is just no reason to buy a Tesla over the BMW."

This all coming from friends that know I cannot afford a BMW again and just chatting cars... I found it weird.

Well, I have had both cars now and I can say that he is wrong...

 

[CuriousG]

The Audi wasn't too bad, but nothing compares to the Tesla touchscreen approach. It will be hard to go to any other type of infotainment system. I like Porsche and Mercedes, but like BMW their approach to infotainment is dated.

There are quite a few people that feel Tesla's infotainment is dated now. Specifically navigation and music. More so they need to spend less time on AutoPilot and fixing existing bugs. How long have they promised the API for 3rd party applications? And when that never came to fruition, Elon teased us by talking about mirroring the phone screen.

 

[Off Shore]

"Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's first significant aircraft engine, and commercial product of any sort, was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, known for good fuel economy and high-altitude performance.[10] With German rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. The factory in Munich made ample use of forced labour: foreign civilians, prisoners of war and inmates of the concentration camp Dachau..."

I can think of other car companies with a less sadistic associative history from which to purchase automobiles.

Many manufacturers have made engines for warplanes, but it's worth noting that BMW's history with ICE is much longer than their history with automobiles. It's hard for them to look away.

1952 R51/3
1975 R75/5
1991 R100GSPD

 

[Ciaopec]

It reminds me of the corporate spin I got from a Porsche sales guy who told me that the model s (who has decimated their Panamera sales) is just a "big plastic skateboard".

I, for one,was hooked on this "big plastic skateboard" from the day I test drove it and plan to continue buying them until I die!

 

[Ormond]

I have always liked BMW. I'm the type, like many here I'm sure, that loves to change vehicles every 1-2 years, but I cannot find anything that I would prefer over my Tesla! Kind of frustrating actually.

Part of the reason I ordered a Tesla is that I've never owned one. I've owned most all the premium brands, and the Tesla is the only one that rustles my jimmies.

 

[jcaspar]

What would you expect from a company who has absolutely nothing interesting to offer in their entire lineup, Just old fashioned cars that are all really quite ugly now, other than the i8 which is really a joke given its poor performance, poor electric range and sky high price. So sad...

Then again, maybe the geniuses at BMW are on to something. It is much easier to reduce charging time by reducing the battery size that working on state of the art chargers and battery chemistries!!

 

[Jeff4155]

I for one am a car person, always have been, I read up on all the stats and information and will never trust a salesman. As their name suggests they are there to sell you something, whether its the truth is a matter of opinion.