Kokou Noudjo, Carmax location general manager, walks past used Hondas, Feb. 2, 2022, in Miami Lakes, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
“CarDealershipGuy,” a pseudonymous auto expert with 250,600 followers on Twitter, has gone viral with his unvarnished insights on car-buying, dealer operations and the inner workings of the used-car business.
He is credited with busting through the “opaque” walls of the auto industry by tweeting humorous quips, car-buying advice, and industry news from the perspective of a car dealer. In April 2022, Auto Remarketing reported that CarDealershipGuy had 27,000 Twitter followers. Nine months later, that number has increased almost tenfold.
Nobody knows his name, but when CarDealershipGuy tweeted on Dec. 29, “BMWs are to be leased, not purchased,” his tweet got 2.6 million views.
In a Twitter exchange that followed, CarDealershipGuy advised wannabe BMW owners that BMWs are “Fun to drive. Less fun to own.” While he discouraged owning one, he suggested, “If you really want to buy one, make sure it’s either brand new or used with low miles and a remaining balance of the manufacturer’s warranty.”
On his website, CarDealershipGuy describes himself as the anonymous CEO of a car dealer group,
founder of a car buyer community, newsletter writer, angel investor and avid Tweeter on a mission to become the most trusted voice in the car industry.
BMW is short for luxury vehicle and motorcycle manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke, based in Munich. The corporation was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced during World War I and World War II.
BMW cars have lots of issues and the repairs are expensive, CarDealershipGuy tweeted. When a follower asked which luxury foreign or domestic car was reliable and had reasonable maintenance costs, he replied, “Without a doubt Lexus and Acura.”
In an anonymous interview in March 2022 with used-car news platform Auto Remarketing, CarDealershipGuy said he decided to share his knowledge after being in the industry for 15 years. It has worked out well for him building relationships and networking, he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of different types of experiences, different types of dealerships, and customers that leave happy, (as well as) customers that are not happy with their experience. One day, I was sitting there and i said, ‘I want to tell the world what I know,’” he said.
“People are thirsty for this type of knowledge … They just feel like there’s a lot that they don’t know about the industry. It’s very opaque to the average consumer.”
“And I feel like, from what i hear at least, that it’s very refreshing to hear a very authentic and genuine takes from someone who’s been an operator and a dealer for many years.”
If you do a google search on the benefits of leasing vs. owning a BMW, you can probably find advice from every BMW dealer in the U.S., such as this from Wyoming Valley BMW:
“If you intend to keep the car for less than six years, leasing makes a lot of sense – you’ll be driving a newer model BMW X3 and won’t have to worry about maintenance since it’s covered by the original BMW warranty.”
A big advantage of leasing vs. buying is that you drive the car during its most trouble-free years, according to Consumer Reports. You can drive a higher-priced vehicle than you might otherwise be able to afford without worrying about trade-in value. There could be significant tax advantages for business owners and at the end, you just drop the car off at the dealer.
On the downside, leasing usually costs more than an equivalent loan because you’re paying for the car during its period of fastest depreciation. If you lease one car after another, monthly payments never end, and with stipulated mileage limits that come with a leased car, you could face a hefty excess mileage penalty.
But it’s the BMW owners and drivers who get the last word.
Omar of Kingsport, Tennessee, is one of 2,881 people who rated BMWs on Consumer Affairs, a customer review and consumer news platform that provides information for purchasing decisions.
“I used to think BMWs were nice cars. After having maybe 8 or 9 I discovered bmw is the worst car to get,” Omar wrote on Sept. 4, 2022. “Every part you have to install they have to do it and program it to the car.. Then play games about every little thing. Pls don’t waste money on this junk cars no more. Buy a Kia or Honda or Toyota but please save yourself a headache.”
Pete of Sarasota wrote an equally uncomplimentary review on Nov. 21, 2022. “As much as I used to love BMW, I have learned to hate them even more. The engines in the BMW x3 28i from 2013-2017 are garbage. After 70k miles and routine care by BMW, my engine seized. In 2021 a class action was won, yet hundreds of these vehicles have the same problem and diagnosis. You would think BMW would take responsibility for the faulty parts that make up the engine series, yet they continue to make more money and forget about those who suffer.”
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