# Fussing with Toyota owners



## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Test_Engineer said:


> Thank You! I am the part of a car company that many consumers forget is there. There are people like me in place at every OEM that thinks about this stuff all day long. It is our job to develop a "Brand Character", and figure out what compromises the customers will except to achieve that character that the executive team wants to deliver to it's customers. It's not an easy job, but it's what I do for a living, and I LOVE IT!!!! :thumbup:


My curiosity is unabated...please tell me which company. PM me if you wish :beerchug:.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

thebmw said:


> My curiosity is unabated...please tell me which company. PM me if you wish :beerchug:.


The curiosity runs rampant on this forum. Only a select few really know. Mostly those that I have met in person, or have a fairly long "internet relationship" with are the ones that know. I don't want to become the spokesman for the OEM I work for. The important thing is that I get into almost every make and model you can imagine, so I do tend to know a lot about most of the cars and brands talked about on the forum. Sorry, but that is just the way I want it, please understand where I am coming from. If we ever meet up and have a beer, I'll be glad to talk about it at that time.


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

Test_Engineer said:


> The curiosity runs rampant on this forum. Only a select few really know. Mostly those that I have met in person, or have a fairly long "internet relationship" with are the ones that know. I don't want to become the spokesman for the OEM I work for. The important thing is that I get into almost every make and model you can imagine, so I do tend to know a lot about most of the cars and brands talked about on the forum. Sorry, but that is just the way I want it, please understand where I am coming from. If we ever meet up and have a beer, I'll be glad to talk about it at that time.


I totally understand. I try to maintain anonymity as well because I think if people really knew who I was, what I did for a living, what I own, etc, they would look at me and my posts with some element of bias. It's human nature.

A2 is like a second home as I grew up near there. So when I do come back, we will have to go to Good Time Charley's (they don't have that in Chicago) and I have to hear your stories. I love the behind the scenes stories. I have many relatives who were engineers for all the big 3 (and beyond) who consistently told me stories about the development process, engineering, politics, design, etc, and loved every story. What I really loved is the behind closed doors access I used to have. I saw prototypes and cars under development consistently and knew I was one of less than a 100 people in the world at that point who had seen any of that.

I will keep you updated.


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## mclaren (Jan 5, 2005)

Test Engineer - maybe you can shed some light on why BMW thinks decontenting their cars instead of raising prices is a good idea ? As I have stated in other threads the practice is beyond stupid imo because people who buy or lease luxury cars want 1st class quality and most would rather pay a little more and have things like the wood covered ash tray and lighter and cargo nets and hood padding etc.


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## thebmw (Oct 19, 2006)

mclaren said:


> Test Engineer - maybe you can shed some light on why BMW thinks decontenting their cars instead of raising prices is a good idea ? As I have stated in other threads the practice is beyond stupid imo because people who buy or lease luxury cars want 1st class quality and most would rather pay a little more and have things like the wood covered ash tray and lighter and cargo nets and hood padding etc.


I know you didn't ask me, but IMO, decontenting is a lot like what the airlines are doing. Charge the same price (or a little less), and offer a lot less and make you pay for every little detail.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

mclaren said:


> Test Engineer - maybe you can shed some light on why BMW thinks decontenting their cars instead of raising prices is a good idea ? As I have stated in other threads the practice is beyond stupid imo because people who buy or lease luxury cars want 1st class quality and most would rather pay a little more and have things like the wood covered ash tray and lighter and cargo nets and hood padding etc.


Not many of the models actually have wood trim anyway, and even fewer have wood in the ashtray area. And if you shop around, you will see that very few cars now even have ashtrays! My car has black textured plastic over the ashtray and lighter. I never open it anyway.

Hood padding? it's not really "padding". It's noise treatment for the engine room. Most likely they added or revised other parts of the car, like the padding and sealing of the firewall and found that the hood insulator has no effect on the interior noise anymore, so why put it in? It's not really decontenting, but rather the elimination of a part that no longer serves a purpose.

And cargo nets? I din't know that anyone actually uses them anyway???? Most of them are pretty useless anyway. I'd rather have the bag hooks like Volvo has any day before I would use the cargo net.


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## mclaren (Jan 5, 2005)

Au contraire, if you read these forums a lot of people are upset about the decontenting. Both my BMWs have the ashtray and lighter with a beautiful wood cover and the E93 has nets on the back of the seats. The M3 still has the ashtray. Even for people that don't smoke the power outlet is convenient and it looks a _lot better_ than the bin. There is a DIY thread on how to buy and install the seatbacks with the nets by one of the moderators.


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## CodyItaliano (Feb 19, 2009)

personally i think my last model year E38 will be a timeless beauty. i think its interesting as most people that see my car think it is fairly new and cost me an arm and a leg. but in fact its 9 years old and was quite the bargain. i've probably spent about $600-$700 maintaining and repairing it in a whole year. hasnt been anything major though. 

i would rather have a finicky luxury car than something simple. this car has the looks and comfort i have come to be accustomed to. my previous car, a Subaru Legacy GT, was anything but reliable for the most part. it was souped up, so it has way too much power for everyday street use. it also had too much power for most of the running gear, in turn it tore the tires, suspension and brakes up more quickly. but i loved it because it was just what i was looking for. lots of power, and very comfortable to drive. it was in fact a lot like owning an Italian sports car, aside from the more expensive parts and fluid needs. 

i dont think after owning a 7 series i could ever go to owning or lest driving anything much less for a daily driver. my bimmer is something i can go look at and feel joyous about owning. even if it isnt the most perfect or reliable car in the driveway. but this is probably for other reasons as well. my main reasons i like the car are for its roomyness, the amenities, and its looks. it isnt particulary unreliable though as it usually never requires a trip to a shop.


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