MEGADETH Bassist DAVID ELLEFSON Talks Cars - "I Get Why They Call The BMW The 'Ultimate Driving Machine'"
January 3, 2020, 5 years ago
Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson believes in leasing. It goes back to his dad's then-new Chevy Silverado that he learned to drive on.
"My dad always bought brand-new cars, which is why I like to lease new and drive new cars myself," Ellefson tells MotorTrend. "When you're driving an import car, when you lease it, after three years when things are about to break, you can expense it. You turn it in and go get another one."
His current lease is a 2019 BMW X3 with the M Sport package, which he rates a 7. "I'm in it right now. The engine's a little small for my liking. I just drive around town. Once in a while I'll drive from Phoenix over to Los Angeles, but I like to fly for anything over six hours," he says with a laugh. "I'd rather fly and rent a car. I'm the king of the rental car now. But I like to have a good reliable car at home."
Driving around all day in a torrential rainstorm was no problem for the BMW. "I was in my car most of the day driving, and this car motored through those storms, 2 feet of water, and major drainage backup, and I drove through those with the greatest of ease," he says. "That was an awesome driving experience. I get why they call the BMW the 'ultimate driving machine.' It hugs the road. I like the smoothness of the Mercedes, but the Beemer's a bit more of a kick-ass rock-and-roll car."
He also loves that the controls are more intuitive than in a Mercedes. "I love the whole Apple CarPlay, because I'm an Apple guy, so when you get in, the phone interfaces perfect into the system," he says. "Usually when I'm driving, I listen to comedy channels on Sirius because too much of my life is serious, so it's good to laugh when I'm in my car."
Ellefson has a few cars in his garage that are all paid for, that family members drive, including a Toyota Highlander, a Honda Pilot that he handed down to his son, and a Scion that his daughter drives. "It's perfect for her lifestyle as a college student. I say buy Japanese, rent German," he says with a laugh.
For the last 15 years, he has always owned SUVs. "Even though I have roadies and techs to move my gear, I'm a bass player. Just before this phone call, I was leaving Fender in Scottsdale and I have three basses in the back," Ellefson says. "If you're in a regular sedan, you can't fit three basses. I contemplated getting a BMW sedan and I quickly moved off of it because I thought, first and foremost, I'm a bass player and bass players have long instruments and occasionally your amp in the car. For me, hauling and moving gear around is part of a musician's lifestyle."
Read more at MotorTrend.