New job and impact of longer commute on cars

FC · 10-08-2020, 12:08 PM

I'm taking a new job that is ~25 miles from home. This is a big change for me. My current job (started 2 years ago) is 13 miles away but I've been working from home since mid-March. Before that, I spent 12 years at a place 4 miles from home. Before that job (my first job) I spent 6 years at a job 25 miles away, but it was all backroads (50 minutes. Long, but nice country roads.)

Anyway, the new drive is 95% hwy, and thanks to COVID, at least for now they are bound to be fast miles. When I ordered the M3, I was fully expecting to spend many more years at the 4-mile away job.

I hesitate to put all those miles (~11k just for driving to work) on the M3. Of course, naturally, by virtue of winter (where the Miata is my beater) and wanting to change things up, the M3 may not really see more than 8k worth of commuting miles.

But:

1) Should I care that the M3 just went from a 5k mile a year car to a 10k mile a year car? (resale, tires, maintenance, wear & tear, etc.)
2) The Miata is pushing 100k miles and is not a great hwy car. Should I just drive it as much as I can bear it and deal with its wear and tear? Should I sell it in favor of something more practical & better in the winter? Like an VW alltrack or a Golf hatch?

I think I could make it work with a 2:1 M3:Miata split.

Thoughts?

John V · 10-08-2020, 12:15 PM

Why do you care about the number of miles you put on the M3? Presumably you bought it to drive it, right? It's not like it's some collector car, or particularly fragile or unreliable (in theory).

wdc330i · 10-08-2020, 12:20 PM

How long is your wife's commute? Can you swap cars back and forth?

FC · 10-08-2020, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdc330i

How long is your wife's commute? Can you swap cars back and forth?

Wife's commute is zero right now. When she did drive, it was 4 miles to the train station. It's likely that post COVID, she may only go in 3 times a week or so.

FC · 10-08-2020, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John V

Why do you care about the number of miles you put on the M3? Presumably you bought it to drive it, right? It's not like it's some collector car, or particularly fragile or unreliable (in theory).

Yeah, I don't mind driving it. But perhaps there is a point where it doesn't make as much sense to put as many miles.

dan · 10-08-2020, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FC

Yeah, I don't mind driving it. But perhaps there is a point where it doesn't make as much sense to put as many miles.

may I direct you to plaz' 115,000+ mile 1M?

JST · 10-08-2020, 12:53 PM

Driving a Miata as a winter beater doesn't make much sense. I'd get rid of that in favor of something more...winter like. A Golf or GTI makes sense. That also clears the way for a Boxster at some future point.

Jeff_DML · 10-08-2020, 12:58 PM

I would just drive the m3. As other say 11k a year is a not a lot and they are easy highway miles.

Edit1:As for the GTI , I wouldn't buy another German car to not drive another.

Edit2: with that said been driving my GTI around a lot shuttle my kids and it is a great car. All that I need.

FC · 10-08-2020, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JST

Driving a Miata as a winter beater doesn't make much sense. I'd get rid of that in favor of something more...winter like. A Golf or GTI makes sense. That also clears the way for a Boxster at some future point.

Well, this is kind of where I was headed.

To John's point, I like driving the Miata in the winter just fine. It does have an LSD and good winter tires. It's more of an NVH thing with that car.

No need to rush into anything yet.

dan · 10-08-2020, 12:25 PM

10,000 miles a year on a car is still quite low. Just drive the M3

10-08-2020, 12:08 PM	#1
FC Solving problems Join Date: Oct 2003 Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4 Location: Metro Boston Posts: 25,248	New job and impact of longer commute on cars I'm taking a new job that is ~25 miles from home. This is a big change for me. My current job (started 2 years ago) is 13 miles away but I've been working from home since mid-March. Before that, I spent 12 years at a place 4 miles from home. Before that job (my first job) I spent 6 years at a job 25 miles away, but it was all backroads (50 minutes. Long, but nice country roads.) Anyway, the new drive is 95% hwy, and thanks to COVID, at least for now they are bound to be fast miles. When I ordered the M3, I was fully expecting to spend many more years at the 4-mile away job. I hesitate to put all those miles (~11k just for driving to work) on the M3. Of course, naturally, by virtue of winter (where the Miata is my beater) and wanting to change things up, the M3 may not really see more than 8k worth of commuting miles. But: 1) Should I care that the M3 just went from a 5k mile a year car to a 10k mile a year car? (resale, tires, maintenance, wear & tear, etc.) 2) The Miata is pushing 100k miles and is not a great hwy car. Should I just drive it as much as I can bear it and deal with its wear and tear? Should I sell it in favor of something more practical & better in the winter? Like an VW alltrack or a Golf hatch? I think I could make it work with a 2:1 M3:Miata split. Thoughts? Last edited by FC; 10-08-2020 at 12:33 PM.

10-08-2020, 12:25 PM	#10
dan redefined Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 14,891	10,000 miles a year on a car is still quite low. Just drive the M3 __________________ "There's a freedom you begin to feel the closer you get to Austin, Texas." -Willie

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10-08-2020, 12:15 PM	#2
John V No more BMWs Join Date: Apr 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8 Location: Glenwood, MD Posts: 14,753	Why do you care about the number of miles you put on the M3? Presumably you bought it to drive it, right? It's not like it's some collector car, or particularly fragile or unreliable (in theory).

10-08-2020, 12:20 PM	#3
wdc330i dogged Join Date: Dec 2003 Carmudgeonly Ride: '22 M440 xDrive GC Posts: 13,281	How long is your wife's commute? Can you swap cars back and forth?

10-08-2020, 12:53 PM	#7
JST 195 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 24,607	Driving a Miata as a winter beater doesn't make much sense. I'd get rid of that in favor of something more...winter like. A Golf or GTI makes sense. That also clears the way for a Boxster at some future point.

10-08-2020, 12:58 PM	#8
Jeff_DML Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: T4R,GTI Location: San Diego Posts: 8,556	I would just drive the m3. As other say 11k a year is a not a lot and they are easy highway miles. Edit1:As for the GTI , I wouldn't buy another German car to not drive another. Edit2: with that said been driving my GTI around a lot shuttle my kids and it is a great car. All that I need.