a) Money.
b) Imgage. Okay,this is no real argument, but I don't want to be compared with those young Turkish arseholes here with their tuned BMWs.
Honestly, I could'nt give a "monkeys bottom"

about the image of the average BMW driver, for me, its all in the car and its quality. I don't buy a car to crawl city centres with the CD loud and front foglights on ::) I buy it to be reliable, not depreciate to the point of no value at an insane rate, and be enjoyable to drive... My BM's fitted the bill.
From what I've read,which is considerable, the e39 5 Series with which I'm replacing my 3 series, is
still one of the best cars in its class despite being 12 months out of production (The e60 being the current weird looking 5...)
I think the above is called "off topic", oh well, I started it....

Right then, back to the O/T bit, for me its this, ok so the average image of your BMW driver stinks, for me I care not a jot! I'm a truck driver! ;D I'd love to think what people
honestly thought about me and my mates in our 44tonners :P but as I'm used to driving a vehicle with little street cred, I care not. ;D
Its not the image ultimately, its the engineering. I've owned some of the more mundane european manufacturers cars, Fords, GM, VW etc none has lasted like my little 3, none has been as reliable, not one has flown the past 2 MOT tests (

) and none has been as much fun to drive, yet I own a basic reps special 318i !
I've subsequently got really into the cars, driven some of the M powered variants 8) I've become converted.
Believe me, when I had my 160BHP Escort RS Turbo back in the mid 90's you could'nt have wished for a more ardent BMW hater than I.
Now, the reason for replying in the first place! Back on topic! ::)
I've arranged a drive of an e90 when my local dealer gets one for a weekend event, I'll reoprt back! ;D

Ramble on....

Posting drivel here since Jan 31st, 2002. - That long!
"He who laughs last, thinks slowest."