[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by Who's on first

20 years of most other auto makers doing it, finally proved to BMW that they were in a legal free zone.

BMW doesn't make decisions based off of what others do.

Nothing new here.

[///M ARMY]

Too bad they don't have these on the M models

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by mose121

You completely missed the point of my post. I'm guessing BMW is going to start seeing a slew of issues 4-6 years down the road on these cars as a result of premature wear on internal engine components. If you want to trade 5 minutes of being uncomfortable for expensive engine repairs, that's your prerogative. Hotter climates are going to have to deal with excessive condensation buildup in the motor, especially on cars that are used mostly in stop and go traffic or short trips. BMW has already had condensation issues for decades, and remote starters certainly aren't going to help the situation.


So what about the other 40-50% that aren't leased? You're going to have a hard time retaining clients if they keep having expensive engine issues. Client retention, CSI, brand reliability ratings, etc, will all decrease. That's not going to be good for sales.

Modern engines and technology will last you at least another five to eight years. After that, most people will dump the car and get a new one. People don't keep these cars for very long. A car that has come off lease with 36,000 or 45,000 miles on it will likely go to 100,000 before it is sold again at which point, the car is so old that things breaking are to be expected. Regular oil changes will get you to 100,000 miles easily. This isn't 1970. Technology has come a very long way.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by marcva

Seriously?!!!

This is an interesting confirmation from a BMW employee that these cars are thought of as three-year, throwaway devices that aren't worth anything after warranty runs out.

A measure of a cars quality used to be how well it held it's value. Now people need oled taillights and bitchin mirrors.

It's not a some kind of secret. The majority of their cars are leased and BMW knows it. Why would they over engineer something to last 20 years when the car will only have four to eight realistic useful life years?

We live in a very fast paced world these days. People want the latest and greatest, and they want it now. Other companies like Apple and Samsung have figured this out too, hence why they don't make drastic changes to their phones every single year.

Originally Posted by P1et

Absolutely spot on. Break in period, the auto on/off, and now this. Doesn't matter in the slightest if it's a lease beater.

That's one of the reasons people lease cars, right? It's not their problem after the lease matures.

[mose121]

I quite like principled companies that do what's right for their products, people, and the planet, even if that means not doing what the customer wants. After all, if you're on this forum you likely bought a BMW regardless of the lack of remote start. If you're not buying a BMW because it didn't have remote start, you probably shouldn't be driving a BMW. But that's the principled BMW of old. The new BMW only cares about one thing. Sales volume.

[Jklad]

Originally Posted by SteveSpy

Did it seriously take BMW this long to have this feature?

Bmw always mandated that the proper way to warm up the engine in cold climates to prevent premature wear is to start the car, then start driving normally until you hit operating temp. I guess they no longer care about this anymore, and remote start is now an option for those who don't mind wearing out their internals. Since most people lease these cars I can't blame them for not giving a shit about longevity anymore.

[SteveSpy]

Originally Posted by Jklad

Bmw always mandated that the proper way to warm up the engine in cold climates to prevent premature wear is to start the car, then start driving normally until you hit operating temp. I guess they no longer care about this anymore, and remote start is now an option for those who don't mind wearing out their internals. Since most people lease these cars I can't blame them for not giving a shit about longevity anymore.

Thanks. I always wondered what the hell they were waiting for...

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by Mo@BMWofFairfax

It's not a some kind of secret. The majority of their cars are leased and BMW knows it. Why would they over engineer something to last 20 years when the car will only have four to eight realistic useful life years?

We live in a very fast paced world these days. People want the latest and greatest, and they want it now. Other companies like Apple and Samsung have figured this out too, hence why they don't make drastic changes to their phones every single year.

That's one of the reasons people lease cars, right? It's not their problem after the lease matures.

People primarily lease cars so they can drive a nicer car than they can truly afford.

And like you're saying because it's still under warranty while they have it.

[MrPorter]

Funny, a local salesperson told me BMW doesn't offer it because it ruins the engine or some BS.

I almost believed it because why would I be able to lock/unlock my car and take a 3D picture from anywhere in the world but not start the car?

And yet here we are.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by eDrive

People primarily lease cars so they can drive a nicer car than they can truly afford.

And like you're saying because it's still under warranty while they have it.

I don't think so. I lease cars because 1.) I don't want to hold onto a depreciating asset. 2.) I get a new toy every three years, and 3.) I don't have to worry about it. It's not my problem after I get rid of it. I think others may share my feelings.

[ScottMZ3]

Originally Posted by Mo@BMWofFairfax

I don't think so. I lease cars because 1.) I don't want to hold onto a depreciating asset. 2.) I get a new toy every three years, and 3.) I don't have to worry about it. It's not my problem after I get rid of it. I think others may share my feelings.

That’s why we lease! It’s easy and after 3 years move on to something else and we don’t have to worry about trying to sell a 3 year old car!

Wife has just started her own business and will be driving the car for meetings, trips, etc...so in the not too distant future we can even write off part of the lease on her taxes!

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by ScottMZ3

That’s why we lease! It’s easy and after 3 years move on to something else and we don’t have to worry about trying to sell a 3 year old car!

Wife has just started her own business and will be driving the car for meetings, trips, etc...so in the not too distant future we can even write off per of the lease on her taxes!

Another benefit. Tax write off.

[Kingpin4]

[CP911]

Originally Posted by P1et

Absolutely spot on. Break in period, the auto on/off, and now this. Doesn't matter in the slightest if it's a lease beater.

Except you guys are suggesting that because half of sales are leases, it's acceptable for BMW to build all vehicles they sell to a 3-year reliability standard. What do you think would happen to the brand if the other 50% of owners started having problems with their cars after 3 very short years? It's short-sighted thinking and justifications like this that fade my optimism for the future of the human race.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by MysticBlue

Will remote start also be possible using "BMW Connected" from your phone? That's the only one I'm interested in. Just doing it from the fob is nearly useless. That just means I can start it 6 seconds before I'm going to be there anyway.

On the i3 you can use it to turn the ac and heater on with the app from anywhere. I don't see why you can't do the same with this.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by eDrive

People primarily lease cars so they can drive a nicer car than they can truly afford.

And like you're saying because it's still under warranty while they have it.

I can afford to buy an M3. I just don't want to own one past warranty. So why not take advantage of a good lease residual and avoid the hassle of trying to find a buyer? Makes no sense.

[Wild Blue]

Well, FWIW, I've owned my current Bimmer for 14 years now, since I ordered and bought it new. Still going strong, no major maintenance.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by MysticBlue

Will remote start also be possible using "BMW Connected" from your phone? That's the only one I'm interested in. Just doing it from the fob is nearly useless. That just means I can start it 6 seconds before I'm going to be there anyway.

Agreed. Had this on a RRS and it was superb! Starting from the house or the office was the real benefit.

[farns2345]

Originally Posted by Jklad

Bmw always mandated that the proper way to warm up the engine in cold climates to prevent premature wear is to start the car, then start driving normally until you hit operating temp. I guess they no longer care about this anymore, and remote start is now an option for those who don't mind wearing out their internals. Since most people lease these cars I can't blame them for not giving a shit about longevity anymore.

Originally Posted by Jklad

Bmw always mandated that the proper way to warm up the engine in cold climates to prevent premature wear is to start the car, then start driving normally until you hit operating temp. I guess they no longer care about this anymore, and remote start is now an option for those who don't mind wearing out their internals. Since most people lease these cars I can't blame them for not giving a shit about longevity anymore.

Why does remote starting a car impact it's longevity?

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by jmg

I can afford to buy an M3. I just don't want to own one past warranty. So why not take advantage of a good lease residual and avoid the hassle of trying to find a buyer? Makes no sense.

How come you wouldn’t want to own one after the warranty period ends? I thought BMWs were the gold standard of reliability?

[mcc3456]

Originally Posted by Mo@BMWofFairfax

I don't think so. I lease cars because 1.) I don't want to hold onto a depreciating asset. 2.) I get a new toy every three years, and 3.) I don't have to worry about it. It's not my problem after I get rid of it. I think others may share my feelings.

Though I agree leasing is easier if you like having a new car more often without the hassle, but your point number 1 logic is backwards.

You know the vast majority of depreciation occurs in the first couple of years and that is exactly what you are paying for with your lease, right?

[GOLFFRR]

super cool, would come in real handy on those cold mornings