New daily driver, here are my options, what are your opinons?

[///M3]

Originally Posted by okenobi

I'm sure the M3 is reliable, but personally, a "performance" car like that just ain't a daily. Fuel consumption will be ridiculous, parts are more expensive and FWD is more "sensible" for everyday use.

Over the last 110,xxx miles, my car has averaged 24 mpg. I don't feel that is 'ridiculous' by any means. That includes everything from track days (8-9 mpg) to road trips (28-29mpg.)

This 'BMW parts are expensive' myth seems to be continually perpetuated. All the common failure parts pretty much cost the same regardless of marque, in my experience. There are always going to be certain 'gotchas' with any brand, but for the most part I don't think any one car out there will cost significantly more than another on a per-breakdown basis.

Front wheel drive is probably the more sensible route for a DD, if you aren't planning on buying snow tires. If you have snows, there's no reason you can't drive any car in Colorado in the winter. I've driven my car through every snowstorm we've had for the last 4 winters and never had a problem getting around. The fact that the M3 comes with an LSD is a big plus for this.

It needs to be clarified what is required from a daily. For me, it would cheapness, ease and comfort. It doesn't need to be the most engaging drive, that would be my weekend toy.

Of course, I've compromised myself, because I can only afford one car. So I've gone for a middle ground, but we're not talking about me!

I agree, comfort and convenience are very high on the list of important factors in buying a DD. The other factor I would consider is reliability and how maintenance intensive a vehicle is.

OP: I've owned and/or worked on all the cars on the list at various times. Any of them could make a great daily driver, or a nightmare. It really comes down to what you really want the car to do, and which one you like driving the best. You're more than welcome to drive my M3 if you'd like to have another point of reference. Mine represents a lightly-modded, moderately abused, mostly-maintained, high miles car. It has seen relentless abuse since I bought it... And never had a serious mechanical problem. And never left me stranded.

[DoTheDew]

get a s4.....

[Roland H.]

Originally Posted by DoTheDew

get a s4.....

Definitely going to oppose that notion. Not for a DD.

[BMWchubbs]

Originally Posted by DoTheDew

get a s4.....

Just not a B5... No offense but I know several people who have had to dump literally thousands into the car to keep it running. For a DD that NEEDS to be reliable I do not think a B5 would be the smartest choice. I could be completely wrong as I have no first hand experience but I have heard the phrase "B5 S4's are like strippers... They only work when you throw money at them." more than once.

[okenobi]

Originally Posted by ///M3

Over the last 110,xxx miles, my car has averaged 24 mpg. I don't feel that is 'ridiculous' by any means. That includes everything from track days (8-9 mpg) to road trips (28-29mpg.)

This 'BMW parts are expensive' myth seems to be continually perpetuated. All the common failure parts pretty much cost the same regardless of marque, in my experience. There are always going to be certain 'gotchas' with any brand, but for the most part I don't think any one car out there will cost significantly more than another on a per-breakdown basis.

Front wheel drive is probably the more sensible route for a DD, if you aren't planning on buying snow tires. If you have snows, there's no reason you can't drive any car in Colorado in the winter. I've driven my car through every snowstorm we've had for the last 4 winters and never had a problem getting around. The fact that the M3 comes with an LSD is a big plus for this.

I agree, comfort and convenience are very high on the list of important factors in buying a DD. The other factor I would consider is reliability and how maintenance intensive a vehicle is.

Ok, first of all I pay over $8 a gallon for Shell V-Power and even regular is way into $7. So for me 24mpg is ridiculous. I get 30mpg from my Skoda with average daily driving, and up to 40mpg at 60mph on cruise controlled runs. But I appreciate that it's all relative and over there maybe 24 is ok. A regular 150bhp MK4 should perform even more economically than my car.

Secondly, I take your point about parts. Maybe that's the case over there. Here, genuine parts would be significantly more expensive for any BMW than for my Skoda, a Seat or even a VW. Only Audi approach similar costs. However, I'm certain that your car is better built than a MK4 and perhaps that would shine through in the long term.

For reference, but vRS turned 140,000 this week and the things I've changed in the past 2yrs are uprated clutch and single-mass flywheel, cambelt, and tyres. Everything else was just regular servicing. I have an ongoing boost issue that really annoys me when it happens, but it's intermittent and difficult to trace so I mostly ignore it. Aside from that she's sweet as a nut.

I'd love to have a car that just worked and for me that's the holy grail of car ownership, but I think that's incredibly rare and you have to pay a premium for it in the first place.

[tommy_zito]

Originally Posted by bluefox280

Tommy if you get the mk4 GLI special there is no white.
Also all the GLI's are 6-speed manuals both in the 2003 vr6 and the 2004.5-2005.5 1.8T special.

- Erik

thanks for the input Erik. im still just looking at what i can find. i hope i can find a clean prospect by the end of summer..

[///M3]

Originally Posted by okenobi

Ok, first of all I pay over $8 a gallon for Shell V-Power and even regular is way into $7. So for me 24mpg is ridiculous. I get 30mpg from my Skoda with average daily driving, and up to 40mpg at 60mph on cruise controlled runs. But I appreciate that it's all relative and over there maybe 24 is ok. A regular 150bhp MK4 should perform even more economically than my car.

Fair enough - I completely forgot your location. I can see you point there - We're pretty spoiled here only paying $2.50 to $3.00/gallon. It is easy to see why diesel power is so popular with your fuel prices.

Secondly, I take your point about parts. Maybe that's the case over there. Here, genuine parts would be significantly more expensive for any BMW than for my Skoda, a Seat or even a VW. Only Audi approach similar costs. However, I'm certain that your car is better built than a MK4 and perhaps that would shine through in the long term.

I suppose in the case of genuine parts, there is a premium. I was commenting more towards the usual parts that can come from some aftermarket source (radiator, clutch, struts/shocks, etc.) for which there are generally several sources and the competition keeps pricing pretty reasonable and consistent between marques.

I'm not sure I'd say my car is better-built than a MK4, but I do seem to have very few mechanical problems or issues with it - Especially compared to most of the turbocharged VW/Audi cars I work on every day. It's just a different perspective I guess, since I get to work on all these makes and see the good and bad that goes with all of them. The biggest difference that I notice is that the E36/E46 seems to have been designed with the thought that it might at some point have to be serviced... And that's actually a possibility for someone with a set of hand tools and a reasonable amount of mechanical aptitude. I can't say the same for many of the jobs I've done on other vehicles. VW/Audi stuff has its own set of challenges, but they're nothing compared to some other brands out there... newer Volvos and Saabs are some of the most challenging cars I've ever had to work on.

For reference, but vRS turned 140,000 this week and the things I've changed in the past 2yrs are uprated clutch and single-mass flywheel, cambelt, and tyres. Everything else was just regular servicing. I have an ongoing boost issue that really annoys me when it happens, but it's intermittent and difficult to trace so I mostly ignore it. Aside from that she's sweet as a nut.

That sounds pretty similar to my experience with my car. As long as you maintain it and don't let a small problem develop into a big one, most cars out there will be pretty solid. I've replaced the starter, alternator, radiator, and a cam sensor in my car. Everything else I've replaced in the 110k I've had it has been a standard wear item (brakes, tires, suspension bushings, etc.)

I'd love to have a car that just worked and for me that's the holy grail of car ownership, but I think that's incredibly rare and you have to pay a premium for it in the first place.

I agree 100%. There's a cost associated with a hassle-free vehicle, and many times that is the cost of buying a new vehicle (and knowing it will depreciate significantly immediately) and getting the warranty and factory service that comes along with them. It all depends on where your priorities lie (your wallet vs. your time.)