Add a Daily Driver?

[DarksideM4]

I added a daily driver about 1.5 years into owning my M4. I test drove a ton of cars and landed on a 2013 Focus ST fully loaded from an older lady off Craigslist for $15k 2 years ago. What was driving me to get 3rd car was I calculated I would burn into my 4yr/50k mi warranty before year 3 with my commute and weekend driving excursions. I was also modding the M4 with 3-way coilovers and full E85 tune so it was becoming less of a practical daily and having it at the shop for a couple days was inconvenient to deal with alt transportation.

My criteria was the car had to be fun to drive and fairly cheap to maintain so the Focus ST met both of those. Heck, my first dealership service was replacing the rear brakes pads and rotors which totaled about $400 part and labor which I know is expensive for Ford but that's 1 rear 305/30 PS4S tire on the M4

30k miles into the ST and I still enjoy it as a daily with 4 doors. So much I'm tempted to find a cheap Focus RS which would be a nice HP upgrade and AWD.

[Bimmers4life]

Originally Posted by Alpine300zhp

Your story makes sense. FWIW, I'm in the camp that thinks that the F80/82 make great daily drivers and I use mine in that fashion. However, I'm in sunny South Florida where rolling on summer max tires all year is fine. Most people who live in colder climates seem to feel that the F80/82 do not make great daily drivers and are better as weekend cars. If it were me, and I was living back in the northeast, the F80/82 would still be my daily driver just with a winter wheel set for the cold months.

I’m glad you understand my perspective and situation. I agree with you 100% about the car being capabale of northern climate. Everyone does what they think is best for them. The OP was simply asking for advice on a daily not to be questioned why he’s not using his F80 as a daily. Can’t help him out with what he’s looking for? It’s okay to keep scrolling onto another thread haha. Sometimes peeps forget that’s an option.

[Poiseuille]

My position on DD is simple: if I couldn't have a DD, I would have leased the car.
My reasons for this, in declining order of significance are these: I expect to keep the M4 for an extended period of time, ~10yrs; I live in the Northeast, where they don't use rock salt. Instead, they use oceans of liquid brine that at highway speeds gets way the hell up inside panels where you can never ever flush it out. Unlike rock salt, brine remains long after the last snow and continues to get up inside your car every time it rains; I live in New Jersey where parking manners are probably as bad as anywhere on the planet. Early in my career when I had no parking options I had an Acura DD that after three years looked like a freaking golfball; I have two Labradors that sometimes need to go to the vet or to the lake (maybe this shouldn't be last on the list).
Were I leasing the car than all the above would be moot, except maybe to whomever bought it as a CPO.
Regarding what I would select as a DD this is also simple: with indoor parking an E46; without indoor parking a long-wheelbase extended crewcab Toyota 4WD pickup truck with a cap. Which is what I have.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Bimmers4life

I’m glad you understand my perspective and situation. I agree with you 100% about the car being capabale of northern climate. Everyone does what they think is best for them. The OP was simply asking for advice on a daily not to be questioned why he’s not using his F80 as a daily. Can’t help him out with what he’s looking for? It’s okay to keep scrolling onto another thread haha. Sometimes peeps forget that’s an option.

OP said he was leaning towards getting a third car and was open to hearing thoughts and strong opinions. So there is really no reason to take offense to anyone suggesting he just drive his F80.

[Bimmers4life]

Originally Posted by Poiseuille

Were I leasing the car than all the above would be moot, except maybe to whomever bought it as a CPO.

Hahaha... considering the condition it would be in after 3 years that car would be sold at the auction below wholesale and not turned into a CPO. Some folks just don’t get it. I plan on keeping my weekend F80 for 10 years and it’s a purchase not a lease. So I totally understand your reasoning for having a DD.

[Bimmers4life]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

OP said he was leaning towards getting a third car and was open to hearing thoughts and strong opinions. So there is really no reason to take offense to anyone suggesting he just drive his F80.

Nah bro it’s all good. I’m not offended and I’m sure the OP isn’t either. It’s just that without fail anytime someone mentions keeping their F80 as a weekend car or garage queen some folks on here lose their mind lol.

[EricSMG]

My "strong" opinion is that having two 'fun' cars makes no sense. Your other car should be for utilitarian purposes and here is where a pickup is the only viable option.

There is no way I could live without a truck and thus it's hard for me to imagine how other grown men with houses/families/hobbies could. Do you go camping? Do you ride dirtbikes? Do you go on ski trips? Home depot runs? Dump runs? Landscaping projects? Mountain biking? Kayaking? Cost Co runs?

It goes on and on and on. You cannot do most of those comfortably, or some at all, without a truck. And if you think you can, you've never owned a truck. They're life changing.

Get yourself a Chevy Silverado 1500 shortbed/crew cab, circa ~2007 and 2012. Extremely nice trucks. Carry 5 full grown men in luxury, comfort and style. Get high teems combined mpg. Get a 4x4 for winter use. Spend about 20k. Care less about mileage, wear and tear, depreciation, etc. Requires minimal maintenance.

Win. Win. Win.

[Poiseuille]

Originally Posted by Bimmers4life

Hahaha... considering the condition it would be in after 3 years that car would be sold at the auction below wholesale and not turned into a CPO. Some folks just don’t get it. I plan on keeping my weekend F80 for 10 years and it’s a purchase not a lease. So I totally understand your reasoning for having a DD.

Regarding what gets CPO'd and what doesn't get CPO'd: I searched 18 months for a CPO'd E92 and was shocked at some of the polished-up off-lease clappers I looked at. Finally gave up and ordered an F82. Seemed as though as long as the bare minimum maintenance had been done, the mileage was within limits and the car hadn't been stuffed too many times they got CPO'd. Most of the resprays I looked at were actually pretty good but the overspray was invariably bush-league. imo it's only prudent to wonder about the condition of an ultra high-performance car when the previous driver had zero financial interest in the car's longevity. For example: how likely would it be that the car was always properly warmed up before the throttle got mashed? and so forth.
I'm pretty sure that had I leased the car it would ultimately get CPO'd, but the Labs would have been relegated to Mrs. Poiseuille's Highlander.
All of this just my opinion, of course, and I would certainly consider a used car, but only from a private seller and if and only if he had an appropriate stack of service records.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Poiseuille

Regarding what gets CPO'd and what doesn't get CPO'd: I searched 18 months for a CPO'd E92 and was shocked at some of the polished-up off-lease clappers I looked at. Finally gave up and ordered an F82. Seemed as though as long as the bare minimum maintenance had been done, the mileage was within limits and the car hadn't been stuffed too many times they got CPO'd. Most of the resprays I looked at were actually pretty good but the overspray was invariably bush-league. imo it's only prudent to wonder about the condition of an ultra high-performance car when the previous driver had zero financial interest in the car's longevity. For example: how likely would it be that the car was always properly warmed up before the throttle got mashed? and so forth.
I'm pretty sure that had I leased the car it would ultimately get CPO'd, but the Labs would have been relegated to Mrs. Poiseuille's Highlander.
All of this just my opinion, of course, and I would certainly consider a used car, but only from a private seller and if and only if he had an appropriate stack of service records.

Yes, the basic CPO requirements of BMW (and other manufacturers) is not very high despite marketing hype. For example, many people assume cars involved in accidents can't be CPOd but that is not the case. Some dealers have standards higher than others and choose not to CPO cars that are eligible, but I suspect that has more to do with the volume of trade ins and lease returns they get vs. CPO demand they see, which allows them to be very selective. I was in a major crash in an Audi, with repairs completed at an Audi authorized facility and Audi dealer over 4 mos. That dealer who took the car back wouldn't certify and sent it to auction. Another dealer bought it at auction and sold it as a CPO. I have also seen CPO Porsche's with accidents on vehicle history reports and understand CPOing cars picked up at auction is normal practice. I am pretty sure BMW is no different.

[JackieChiles]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

My "strong" opinion is that having two 'fun' cars makes no sense. Your other car should be for utilitarian purposes and here is where a pickup is the only viable option.

There is no way I could live without a truck and thus it's hard for me to imagine how other grown men with houses/families/hobbies could. Do you go camping? Do you ride dirtbikes? Do you go on ski trips? Home depot runs? Dump runs? Landscaping projects? Mountain biking? Kayaking? Cost Co runs?

It goes on and on and on. You cannot do most of those comfortably, or some at all, without a truck. And if you think you can, you've never owned a truck. They're life changing.

Get yourself a Chevy Silverado 1500 shortbed/crew cab, circa ~2007 and 2012. Extremely nice trucks. Carry 5 full grown men in luxury, comfort and style. Get high teems combined mpg. Get a 4x4 for winter use. Spend about 20k. Care less about mileage, wear and tear, depreciation, etc. Requires minimal maintenance.

Win. Win. Win.

I think you can do similar things with a Tahoe. But yes, plan on getting to this place once my son and kid on the way grow up a little more.

[EricSMG]

Originally Posted by JackieChiles

I think you can do similar things with a Tahoe. But yes, plan on getting to this place once my son and kid on the way grow up a little more.

Yep, most things. But the Tahoe is a tough argument when the Truck will hold an entire family AND give you maximum utility. For example, you can't easily fit drywall sheets or lumber in a Tahoe. Nor a dirtbike. Nor skis (with family). Nor a large plant. Etc. etc.

My buddy of 25 years (wife, kids, dog, hobbies, etc) just made the Tahoe-Truck switch after many years and he's been extremely happy with the convenience and flexibility of the truck. He gave up nothing (but the third row of seats) and gained a ton. He picked up a '16 Z71 crew cab 1500 and it's DAMN nice.

Food for thought.

Edit - about the only benefit of the Tahoe is that it's shorter and thus easier to park in tight spaces.

[JackieChiles]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

Yep, most things. But the Tahoe is a tough argument when the Truck will hold an entire family AND give you maximum utility. For example, you can't easily fit drywall sheets or 10' lumber in a Tahoe. Nor a dirtbike. Nor skis (with family). Nor a large plant. Etc. etc.

My buddy of 25 years (wife, kids, dog, hobbies, etc) just made the Tahoe-Truck switch after many years and he's been extremely happy with the convenience and flexibility of the truck. He gave up nothing (but the third row of seats) and gained a ton.

Food for thought.

Edit - about the only benefit of the Tahoe is that it's shorter and thus easier to park in tight spaces.

for sure, I hear you 1000%.

but for many, the benefit of the 3rd row if needed (kids friends etc) is more useful than the rare occasions of transporting such a massive item.

with the seats folded the Tahoe can fit a lot, but not as much as a truck, and for dirty items such as mulch etc, its nicer to have a truck.

they both offer a ton of flexibility, although in slightly different ways

[Mjpgolf1]

The issue with having a nice car in an area that experiences 4 seasons is that it’s not just about throwing snow tires on the car and having paint correction done in the spring. It’s all the hidden damage from road salts and grime that take a long term toll on a winter driven vehicle. If someone is leasing then this isn’t such a big deal, but if you bought the car to keep long term then keeping that garbage off of the underside of the car is priceless. Salt does some serious damage to the underside and suspension parts on a car.

[Poiseuille]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

My "strong" opinion is that having two 'fun' cars makes no sense. Your other car should be for utilitarian purposes and here is where a pickup is the only viable option.

There is no way I could live without a truck and thus it's hard for me to imagine how other grown men with houses/families/hobbies could. Do you go camping? Do you ride dirtbikes? Do you go on ski trips? Home depot runs? Dump runs? Landscaping projects? Mountain biking? Kayaking? Cost Co runs?

It goes on and on and on. You cannot do most of those comfortably, or some at all, without a truck. And if you think you can, you've never owned a truck. They're life changing.

Get yourself a Chevy Silverado 1500 shortbed/crew cab, circa ~2007 and 2012. Extremely nice trucks. Carry 5 full grown men in luxury, comfort and style. Get high teems combined mpg. Get a 4x4 for winter use. Spend about 20k. Care less about mileage, wear and tear, depreciation, etc. Requires minimal maintenance.

Win. Win. Win.

Absolutely agree with all that
no dirt bikes, but Poiseuille Jr has this:

[gds52]

E90 if you like hydraulic steering feedback
F30 if you like...well F30

[jmg]

I went with an i3 as my 3rd car and it was the best decision I ever made. Adaptive Cruise, instant torque, and the carpool lane has made my 40 mile commute a breeze. Family hauling in my wife's car and the i3 leaves the F80 for fun drives and keeps the miles down.
The i3 is different enough that I don't feel like I'm just driving a slower F80 like you would in a F30. I think you will find that there are more than a few of us who have the M3 i3 combo because of how well they compliment each other.

[THEROK]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

My "strong" opinion is that having two 'fun' cars makes no sense. Your other car should be for utilitarian purposes and here is where a pickup is the only viable option.

x.5

I have just as much fun in my Land Bruiser as I do the M4.

In fact, the Toyota truck is my lifetime car whereas the M4, as great as it is, remains a temporary vehicle that'll get replaced by a GT3 again.

[seis-speed]

Focus ST.

[jlhymb]

Originally Posted by THEROK

x.5

I have just as much fun in my Land Bruiser as I do the M4.

In fact, the Toyota truck is my lifetime car whereas the M4, as great as it is, remains a temporary vehicle that'll get replaced by a GT3 again.

LC80? Looks good. I agree with the toyota/lexus SUVs for lifetime ownership. My other car is a GX460 - great stock stereo, awd with a rear locker, plenty of towing capacity, and a surprisingly pleasant sounding v8. I don't see my self getting rid of it, but if I did, it would definately be for something of the land cruiser variety

[THEROK]

Originally Posted by jlhymb

LC80? Looks good. I agree with the toyota/lexus SUVs for lifetime ownership. My other car is a GX460 - great stock stereo, awd with a rear locker, plenty of towing capacity, and a surprisingly pleasant sounding v8. I don't see my self getting rid of it, but if I did, it would definately be for something of the land cruiser variety

Originally Posted by jlhymb

LC80? Looks good. I agree with the toyota/lexus SUVs for lifetime ownership. My other car is a GX460 - great stock stereo, awd with a rear locker, plenty of towing capacity, and a surprisingly pleasant sounding v8. I don't see my self getting rid of it, but if I did, it would definately be for something of the land cruiser variety

Yes, sir! FZJ80. Last of the solid front axle Toyota/LC in the USA and made during peak Japan wanting to flex its economic ascendancy to the top. They put their best effort in this period imho. When Porsche consulted Toyota to copy its JIT manufacturing. Factory triple e-locked... official vehicle of UN, NATO and other global entities. The land cruiser is Toyota's engineering flagship for QRD. It's a beast.

Thanks and enjoy.

[redEYEjedi]

How about a 6MT E91 wagon? The 328i N52 is a relatively simple engine to maintain and the 6MT actually makes it kind of fun. It's also the last NA manual wagon offered by BMW in the states.

[Spritztour]

DD F80 in traffic no problem. Why baby the F80? What's the end goal? It will depreciate to $0