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10-08-2020, 12:08 PM | #1 |
Solving problems
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,273
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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, 12:15 PM | #2 |
No more BMWs
Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 14,753
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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).
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10-08-2020, 12:20 PM | #3 |
dogged
Join Date: Dec 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: '22 M440 xDrive GC
Posts: 13,314
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How long is your wife's commute? Can you swap cars back and forth?
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10-08-2020, 12:28 PM | #4 |
Solving problems
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,273
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10-08-2020, 12:27 PM | #5 |
Solving problems
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,273
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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.
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10-08-2020, 12:30 PM | #6 |
redefined
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 14,899
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may I direct you to plaz' 115,000+ mile 1M?
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10-08-2020, 12:53 PM | #7 |
195
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 24,622
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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.
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10-08-2020, 12:58 PM | #8 |
Old Fart
Join Date: Oct 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: T4R,GTI
Location: San Diego
Posts: 8,571
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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. |
10-08-2020, 01:33 PM | #9 | |
Solving problems
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,273
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Quote:
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. |
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10-08-2020, 12:25 PM | #10 |
redefined
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 14,899
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10,000 miles a year on a car is still quite low. Just drive the M3
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