1er demographic

Deutsch · 07-01-2007, 10:18 PM

I think this has been discussed vaguely. If you had to sum it up as perhaps BMW would put it, who would you say is part of the demographic for the 1er coupe?

BForbes · 07-01-2007, 10:23 PM

It wouldnt be easy to say. From what I see, 19-40. I dont think this car will clearly have a set demographic group. Look at Toyota's plan for Scion as being for the younger group of people. That went to hell. The age demographic is all over the map. I see SOO many elderly in Scions.

ibeam81 · 07-01-2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onehots2k

It wouldnt be easy to say. From what I see, 19-40. I dont think this car will clearly have a set demographic group. Look at Toyota's plan for Scion as being for the younger group of people. That went to hell. The age demographic is all over the map. I see SOO many elderly in Scions.

I agree that the demographics will be all over the map. I think that the primary goal is to increase sales and if it's a quality product (which it surely appears to be) and has the right price point (TBD), I expect that this could be a home run.

The 128i and 135i are testing the waters for what BMW can profitably sell in NA and if they are successful then I expect BMW to increase the model range. The 128i as the entry level (and lowest priced) BMW will probably get additional traffic into the dealers and the 135i will probably appeal to enthusiasts. This should cover multiple bases in BMW's marketing plan.

Deutsch · 07-01-2007, 10:42 PM

I actually see this as a multi-demographic car as well, spanning all different ages at all different life stages. I'm sure you'll see a 128i or 135i with a baby seat in the back. This car will have no limit as to whom it will sell.

larry lawless · 07-01-2007, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deutsch

I actually see this as a multi-demographic car as well, spanning all different ages at all different life stages. I'm sure you'll see a 128i or 135i with a baby seat in the back. This car will have no limit as to whom it will sell.

I agree as well this car is a balance that will appeal to many

krassanova · 07-02-2007, 01:49 AM

I too believe that this car will appeal to many, so I think that BMW has created a price demographic. I know what I find appealing about the car isn't exactly what the next guy thinks, but here's how I see it:

Personally, I used to drive an '01 E46 330Ci. I loved the car, it had nice power, was beautiful to look at and drive, but it was impractical for the amount of miles I drove per year, which was over 30K/year. Consequently I was putting lots of money into the tank...2-3 fill ups per week.

I sold the 330 and bought a MINI...much more practical, a whole lot of fun, great power to weight (especially with mods) but it's not as nice as my old 330.

FAST FORWARD TO THE NEW 335...

The E92 has reduced fuel consumption and even more power with the N54 engine, updated the design of the car, so now it's perfect, right? Well, I didn't mention the price...it's still too expensive for a guy like me who is going to rack up the miles.

What does a guy like me look at? The best nice compact car that I can find...Subaru Imprezza WRX Sti?? Too boy racer (maybe the update will cure this). The Audi A3 3.2 Quattro not a bad choice...but isn't there something better out there?

I keep looking at the 335 coupe to see if I can make it work...I can't. I wish I can get that sweet-assed twin-turbo N54 and get 30MPG and spend btw 35-40K to get it...

Enter the 135 :headbang: . Anyway, that's the story I'm gonna tell my wife.

Brookside · 07-02-2007, 05:59 AM

I would say at first glance the 1-er will cover a wide swath in it's demographics...but if you narrow it, cut off two sections the car will surely appeal to:

1) Those primarily interested in performance and racing the car.
2) Those who are buying the car because it's an entry level BMW with prestige cache.

I wonder what you have then?

Tijuana · 07-02-2007, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deutsch

I actually see this as a multi-demographic car as well, spanning all different ages at all different life stages. I'm sure you'll see a 128i or 135i with a baby seat in the back. This car will have no limit as to whom it will sell.

I figure I will have a carseat in the back of mine before it moves on to its next life. I am a fairly recent college grad who has dreamed of owning an M3 since they came out. This car seems like the perfect compromise of price (fingers crossed), perfomance, luxury, and utility.

spudw · 07-02-2007, 07:51 AM

Ok, I'll take a stab at defining the core demographic:
- 25-45 years old
- iPod, X-Box and smart phone users
- Predominantly male
- young professionals
- interest in performance and premium products
- Urban and sub-urban based

Of course, the interest in this car will be broader than that narrowly defined group. But I'd guess that the concept was shaped around a profile that looked something like that.

I'm guessing that this may be the first BMW where the target market truly embraces iDrive. When they first launched the system, they unwisely did it in the 7-series, with a 50+ demographic that was less flexible to adapt to new tech. May be different in the case of the 1er.

Brookside · 07-02-2007, 08:15 AM

Go deeper Spud...

Interested in...
politics
culture (pop culture/high culture)
Jock
education
gets news from...
just for starters

My neighbor is in marketing...and there's lots of Houdini logic that gets transposed as well as plain objective data, & many programs to asess taste.

The biggest most accurate indicator....where you live....here in the US they can read your zip-code + the four digit number that follows and tell within a very close margin...
how much you make
what political party you are likely to support
if you vote/don't vote
what kind of car you have
your average credit score

It's like Orwell meets "The Price is Right".. all geared to find out what will this person buy and how much are they likely to spend.

Spooky interesting stuff.

hector · 07-02-2007, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudwest

- Predominantly male
.

just had my chromosomes analyzed-came back 51% male.

spudw · 07-02-2007, 08:38 AM

"...spends inordinate amounts of time writing semi-thoughtful entries in a niche product forum for an as-of-yet unavailable premium automotive product..." :biggrin:

They've got us by the apples...

Brookside · 07-02-2007, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudwest

"...spends inordinate amounts of time writing semi-thoughtful entries in a niche product forum for an as-of-yet unavailable premium automotive product..." :biggrin:

They've got us by the apples...

Ah, we must be the cutting-edge lab-rats.
Belated Happy Canada Day! :biggrin:

strtfghtr · 07-02-2007, 02:08 PM

Well if it makes any difference I am interested in this car very much so...

Age: 24 (will be 25-26 when I will get one)
Gender: Male
Location: Southern CT
Occupation: Engineer
Price range for next car: $25-40K
Other: A BMW lover at heart

Deuces Wild · 07-02-2007, 02:49 PM

For the 135i (coupe at least not the cabrio), I say it's going to be predominately male 25-40. 128i would probably be more mixed or lean towards the female side of things.

Oh and I'm 27/M and never thought iDrive was as bad as the old guys in the magazines made it out to be. I'm also someone who aside from this new 135i never really had much interest in buying a BMW. If there intent with this 1 series/135i was to get people into BMW's that would have never considered it before they've succeeded. Though I don't think I'd ever want to move up to the much larger 3 series.

Maximus Decimus · 07-02-2007, 02:57 PM

Not sure, but the microsite on bmw.de suggests a younger adrenaline rush seeking target segment. Red everywhere throughout the site. Not sure if its been posted already, but check it out below. They even pay homage to the venerable 2002 on the site. The 135i looks stunning to me now and is going to be a great performer.

http://www.bmw.de/de/de/index_highend.html

mikeo · 07-02-2007, 03:58 PM

Of course, I've been a gearhead all my life and I'm 64 and retired. The 135i will be about the 12th BMW (not counting two Minis) I've owned and enjoyed.

amdmaxx · 07-02-2007, 05:48 PM

Late 20s, early 30s, professional 85k salary type...
single or with a wife on subaru tribecca or odissey or SUV or wagon..

jaybert · 07-09-2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strtfghtr

Well if it makes any difference I am interested in this car very much so...

Age: 24 (will be 25-26 when I will get one)
Gender: Male
Location: Southern CT
Occupation: Engineer
Price range for next car: $25-40K
Other: A BMW lover at heart

Im similar..

Age: 24, so either 24 or 25 when it comes to purchasing
Gender: Male
Location: currently TX, but moving to CT for a different job
Occupation: Software developer
Price range: $30-40k? also considering evo x and sti
Currently have a 2004 WRX

Spoonie · 07-09-2007, 10:39 AM

I'm 41 and I'm intersted. As long as the demographic isn't the Honda-Civic crowd then I wont feel out of place driving a 1-series.

Flugtechnik · 07-09-2007, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoonie

I'm 41 and I'm intersted. As long as the demographic isn't the Honda-Civic crowd then I wont feel out of place driving a 1-series.

I take offense to that! :wink: I'm looking at trading my Civic for a 135 and giving our 325 to my wife. I bought the Civic when that's all I could afford.

Now, if you mean those cool ricers, then I would agree with you.:biggrin:

Nixon · 07-09-2007, 12:00 PM

How about bringing back the crowd that bought BMW's in the 70's-80's? Folks who left BMW because BMW prices and sizes went up in the 90's, while at the same time Japanese and other European companies started catching up?

I started out with a 320 (no 'i' at the end, carb not injectors) because it had better than average acceleration when compared to anything besides dedicated sports cars like a porche, etc. It had better than average gas mileage, handling, features, comfort, and quality, at only a slightly higher price than other sedans.

My 318i did everything better. My 325e blew the 318i away, and my 325is topped them all with the best gas mileage, features, comfort, power, and handling. All at a reasonable price. I swore I would never own anything besides a BMW ever again. I was a fanatic.

Then through the 90's I felt BMW had started to leave me. The 3 series got bigger, heavier, worse gas mileage than before, I didn't think they handled like the 80's BMW's anymore, or felt as peppy, and questions started coming up about reliability. Crunching the numbers and comparing the drive quality, I found that for the size and performance, the 91 535i (manual) was a better compromise than a mid 90's 3 series! So I gave up on the 3-series and bought the 5-series. But I still felt BMW had left me behind, and it was the last BMW I have owned.

But now I'm back as a potential returning BMW customer. I can relate to their marketing comparison to the old 2002. But I really feel like it would be a better comparison to say they are bringing back and updating the late 80's 325is.

A 135i might just totally fit the bill of providing all of the good qualities I mentioned before that initially drew me to BMW's. But the 123d is the one that really has me intrigued. 145 lbs lighter, much better gas mileage, lower price, still plenty of power, and all of the same luxury features available as the 135i. It sounds like it really nails the 80's 325is profile even better than the 135i. It could be the one to really win me back, even if the 135i is the 'better' vehicle.

BMW has my attention. I am ready to be re-fanatic'ed.

07-01-2007, 10:18 PM	#1
Deutsch Second Lieutenant 50 Rep 249 Posts Drives: Join Date: Nov 2006 iTrader: (0)	1er demographic I think this has been discussed vaguely. If you had to sum it up as perhaps BMW would put it, who would you say is part of the demographic for the 1er coupe?
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07-01-2007, 10:23 PM	#2
BForbes Moderator 557 Rep 4,240 Posts Drives: BSM 135i/AW E90 M3 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Orlando, FL iTrader: (0)	It wouldnt be easy to say. From what I see, 19-40. I dont think this car will clearly have a set demographic group. Look at Toyota's plan for Scion as being for the younger group of people. That went to hell. The age demographic is all over the map. I see SOO many elderly in Scions. __________________ - 04 Honda S2000(gone)
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07-01-2007, 10:42 PM	#4
Deutsch Second Lieutenant 50 Rep 249 Posts Drives: Join Date: Nov 2006 iTrader: (0)	I actually see this as a multi-demographic car as well, spanning all different ages at all different life stages. I'm sure you'll see a 128i or 135i with a baby seat in the back. This car will have no limit as to whom it will sell.
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07-02-2007, 01:49 AM	#6
krassanova Private First Class 2 Rep 156 Posts Drives: Join Date: Jun 2007 iTrader: (0)	I too believe that this car will appeal to many, so I think that BMW has created a price demographic. I know what I find appealing about the car isn't exactly what the next guy thinks, but here's how I see it: Personally, I used to drive an '01 E46 330Ci. I loved the car, it had nice power, was beautiful to look at and drive, but it was impractical for the amount of miles I drove per year, which was over 30K/year. Consequently I was putting lots of money into the tank...2-3 fill ups per week. I sold the 330 and bought a MINI...much more practical, a whole lot of fun, great power to weight (especially with mods) but it's not as nice as my old 330. FAST FORWARD TO THE NEW 335... The E92 has reduced fuel consumption and even more power with the N54 engine, updated the design of the car, so now it's perfect, right? Well, I didn't mention the price...it's still too expensive for a guy like me who is going to rack up the miles. What does a guy like me look at? The best nice compact car that I can find...Subaru Imprezza WRX Sti?? Too boy racer (maybe the update will cure this). The Audi A3 3.2 Quattro not a bad choice...but isn't there something better out there? I keep looking at the 335 coupe to see if I can make it work...I can't. I wish I can get that sweet-assed twin-turbo N54 and get 30MPG and spend btw 35-40K to get it... Enter the 135 :headbang: . Anyway, that's the story I'm gonna tell my wife.
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07-02-2007, 05:59 AM	#7
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	I would say at first glance the 1-er will cover a wide swath in it's demographics...but if you narrow it, cut off two sections the car will surely appeal to: 1) Those primarily interested in performance and racing the car. 2) Those who are buying the car because it's an entry level BMW with prestige cache. I wonder what you have then?
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07-02-2007, 07:51 AM	#9
spudw Major 70 Rep 1,305 Posts Drives: 2009 128i Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	Ok, I'll take a stab at defining the core demographic: - 25-45 years old - iPod, X-Box and smart phone users - Predominantly male - young professionals - interest in performance and premium products - Urban and sub-urban based Of course, the interest in this car will be broader than that narrowly defined group. But I'd guess that the concept was shaped around a profile that looked something like that. I'm guessing that this may be the first BMW where the target market truly embraces iDrive. When they first launched the system, they unwisely did it in the 7-series, with a 50+ demographic that was less flexible to adapt to new tech. May be different in the case of the 1er.
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07-02-2007, 08:15 AM	#10
Brookside Major 244 Rep 1,136 Posts Drives: 2016 228i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: KCMO iTrader: (0)	Go deeper Spud... Interested in... politics culture (pop culture/high culture) Jock education gets news from... just for starters My neighbor is in marketing...and there's lots of Houdini logic that gets transposed as well as plain objective data, & many programs to asess taste. The biggest most accurate indicator....where you live....here in the US they can read your zip-code + the four digit number that follows and tell within a very close margin... how much you make what political party you are likely to support if you vote/don't vote what kind of car you have your average credit score It's like Orwell meets "The Price is Right".. all geared to find out what will this person buy and how much are they likely to spend. Spooky interesting stuff.
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07-02-2007, 08:38 AM	#12
spudw Major 70 Rep 1,305 Posts Drives: 2009 128i Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ottawa iTrader: (0)	"...spends inordinate amounts of time writing semi-thoughtful entries in a niche product forum for an as-of-yet unavailable premium automotive product..." :biggrin: They've got us by the apples...
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07-02-2007, 02:08 PM	#14
strtfghtr New Member 0 Rep 19 Posts Drives: Join Date: Jul 2007 iTrader: (0)	Well if it makes any difference I am interested in this car very much so... Age: 24 (will be 25-26 when I will get one) Gender: Male Location: Southern CT Occupation: Engineer Price range for next car: $25-40K Other: A BMW lover at heart __________________ 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 - Liquid Platinum 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport - 4 Door 5-speed Red
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07-02-2007, 02:49 PM	#15
Deuces Wild New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: Join Date: Jul 2007 iTrader: (0)	For the 135i (coupe at least not the cabrio), I say it's going to be predominately male 25-40. 128i would probably be more mixed or lean towards the female side of things. Oh and I'm 27/M and never thought iDrive was as bad as the old guys in the magazines made it out to be. I'm also someone who aside from this new 135i never really had much interest in buying a BMW. If there intent with this 1 series/135i was to get people into BMW's that would have never considered it before they've succeeded. Though I don't think I'd ever want to move up to the much larger 3 series.
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07-02-2007, 02:57 PM	#16
Maximus Decimus Second Lieutenant 29 Rep 236 Posts Drives: people crazy Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Jamaica => US => Germany => South Africa iTrader: (0)	Not sure, but the microsite on bmw.de suggests a younger adrenaline rush seeking target segment. Red everywhere throughout the site. Not sure if its been posted already, but check it out below. They even pay homage to the venerable 2002 on the site. The 135i looks stunning to me now and is going to be a great performer. http://www.bmw.de/de/de/index_highend.html
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07-02-2007, 03:58 PM	#17
mikeo Santa Fe Concorso 103 Rep 2,984 Posts Drives: '11 M-sport 328i, '13 X1 28i Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM iTrader: (3)	Of course, I've been a gearhead all my life and I'm 64 and retired. The 135i will be about the 12th BMW (not counting two Minis) I've owned and enjoyed. __________________ Santa Fe Concorso - The Southwest's Premier Automotive Gathering.
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07-02-2007, 05:48 PM	#18
amdmaxx My gift Registry: M2 119 Rep 1,432 Posts Drives: Future Mowner of Monster Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Late 20s, early 30s, professional 85k salary type... single or with a wife on subaru tribecca or odissey or SUV or wagon..
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07-09-2007, 10:39 AM	#20
Spoonie Private 7 Rep 68 Posts Drives: '08 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X MR Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rockland County, New Yorl iTrader: (0)	I'm 41 and I'm intersted. As long as the demographic isn't the Honda-Civic crowd then I wont feel out of place driving a 1-series.
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07-09-2007, 12:00 PM	#22
Nixon Banned 57 Rep 1,396 Posts Drives: : Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: : iTrader: (0)	How about bringing back the crowd that bought BMW's in the 70's-80's? Folks who left BMW because BMW prices and sizes went up in the 90's, while at the same time Japanese and other European companies started catching up? I started out with a 320 (no 'i' at the end, carb not injectors) because it had better than average acceleration when compared to anything besides dedicated sports cars like a porche, etc. It had better than average gas mileage, handling, features, comfort, and quality, at only a slightly higher price than other sedans. My 318i did everything better. My 325e blew the 318i away, and my 325is topped them all with the best gas mileage, features, comfort, power, and handling. All at a reasonable price. I swore I would never own anything besides a BMW ever again. I was a fanatic. Then through the 90's I felt BMW had started to leave me. The 3 series got bigger, heavier, worse gas mileage than before, I didn't think they handled like the 80's BMW's anymore, or felt as peppy, and questions started coming up about reliability. Crunching the numbers and comparing the drive quality, I found that for the size and performance, the 91 535i (manual) was a better compromise than a mid 90's 3 series! So I gave up on the 3-series and bought the 5-series. But I still felt BMW had left me behind, and it was the last BMW I have owned. But now I'm back as a potential returning BMW customer. I can relate to their marketing comparison to the old 2002. But I really feel like it would be a better comparison to say they are bringing back and updating the late 80's 325is. A 135i might just totally fit the bill of providing all of the good qualities I mentioned before that initially drew me to BMW's. But the 123d is the one that really has me intrigued. 145 lbs lighter, much better gas mileage, lower price, still plenty of power, and all of the same luxury features available as the 135i. It sounds like it really nails the 80's 325is profile even better than the 135i. It could be the one to really win me back, even if the 135i is the 'better' vehicle. BMW has my attention. I am ready to be re-fanatic'ed.
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