Daily drivers
 

Hey guys i was interested about this topic for a while. So i have come to a conclusion with being a 19 year old that the gas prices with my 4.4l x5 is becoming very costly and was thinking about a daily driver. The daily driver i had in mind was the 318is e30. Does anyone have and opinions about to car, because i would really appreciate all i could gather up about it. I have also been curious what other people that own x5's drive on a daily bases. All are welcome to show pictures of the daily's or a simple description because well being a 19 year old, i dont have a pleasing job right now to compete with the problems and the costs a x5 gives to drive it everyday. Give me your thoughts:thumbup:

e30 for a daily driver is nice - a lot of E30s end up being race or track cars as the car's platform was ultimately the "BMW essence" that made the brand what it is now...

every age has its beauty and in your case you skipped a beat or two by moving into a "middle-aged refuse-to-be-soccer-mom/dad-van-driver" category... by the time we, the old folks, are ready to buy an X, we alreadfy have built up the infrastructure to support gas-thirsty car - have you seen middle-aged guys buying a Corvette? thank God for Viagra, the corvette sales went a bit down in the last 10 years!!!! hahaha... you are too young to consider those remedies yet... at least i hope so...

That is why the BMW has 3-series (and now 1-series), the MB has the C-class and the Audi - the A4...

I have a 4.8iS as my daily driver, and that thing is NOT easy on gas by any stretch of imagination... And even though I can support the gas bill, I still b!tch about it... nevertheless, I am not moving my a$$ into a Prius...

short of buying a Kia Spectra, if you care to stay in the BMW family, you should consider a 318is in E36 body, or your choice of E30... just remember, the E36 version will just keep you in a BMW, will not give you much factory performance unless you modify the engine bay and the suspension (or buy already modifyed car)

and, as you age, do what my greatgrandfather did when he was 60 - marry a 20-year old!!! lol...:nanana: when he was asked, what he would do in 10 years when he would have turned 70 and she will be 30, he said that than he would divorce her and get himself another 20 year old!!!:nanana::nanana:

I mean, apply that to the cars!!!! :bustingup

you think spending money on an additional car is saving you in gas, add to the fact that you will be insuring, maintaining, and gassing up 2 cars? An 11 year old X5 is hardly a garage queen that needs an additional "daily driver" car. Also, you suggest an E30 for a daily driver so you will have not 1, but 2 expensive and older vehicles to maintain and insure.

The X5 goes anywhere and does everything, I actually bought mine because I had a slammed VW that couldn't get into a lot of driveways and was terrible in snow, the X5 became my daily driver. Long story short, I'm almost 27, and realized why do I need a motorcycle, a slammed VW which I never drive, and my X5 which does everything?

Let's just say I only have the m'cycle and the X5 in the garage nowadays.



Want a more practical "daily driver" idea? Buy a beat to shit 20 year old Honda Civic beater for a grand with a stick, you'll get 40 mpg and insure it for bare minimum. From what I gather though, you have my old mentality is that you don't want to go "full beater" but still have a somewhat nice daily driver, aka you aren't going to want to drive a hoopty rust bucket and make your X a garage queen.


Save your money in my opinion for the X5 repairs. If you aren't prepared for them financially, buying another BMW isn't going to make it any better.

i thought he is giving up the X in favor of the other one - not keeping both... keeping both is double financial suicide (if such is even possible!!!!)

Calculate the break-even point on a daily driver.

Let's say you drive 10,000 miles per year. Gas costs $4/gallon. The X5 we will say gets 18 MPG on average. Annual fuel expense: $2,222

Now let's try an E30. Same numbers, but 28 MPG. $1428/year.

Savings of ~$800.

Cost of E30 = $4k. Insurance, tabs, maintnence, misc = $1-2k per year.

So in theory you are looking at 5 years before you really "break even" on your gas expense. Year 6 you can finally "save money" with your E30.

There are other advantages to a daily driver. Less wear on the X5, more fun to daily an E30, etc.

If your looking for a daily driver and worried about gas prices, get a civic I got 40mpg on the highway no problem

Even more reason to buy a civic

The X5 is my daily driver.
For joyriding I have a E28 528i (Which is getting S38B36 from E34 M5 this year) and a E12 525 (which is getting a M106 3,4 Turbo from a E23 745i very very soon.)
I've used both the E28 and the E12 as daily drivers, and bought the X5 to have a "sensible" daily driver. Diesel is "sensible" because it's a lot cheaper than gasoline, so I got the X5 diesel.

I've also had a E34 525tds and a E30 320i as daily drivers. Using old cars as daily drivers require more mainetenance than I had time and energy for. They're easy to work on, but there was always something that needed to be done. And I always had to have two cars registered, just in case one broke down, I could use the other one while I fixed the broken one.

We share the same ideas! lol

Lol I had bought a 1990 civic for $800 180k and i had it for over 2 years with the only thing I had to change was the alternator and thermostat

It had aC, power steering, and power locks and windows

I also had a 2004 civic ex the body had 195k but the motor had 50k and going from Atlantic city to to queens I use just a half tank of gas 45mpg

I'd much rather have an E30 over an E36. E36 has good performance, but doesn't feel like it has the build quality the E30 did.
My commute is 45 miles one way, and I did the same math as above when trying to decide on my commuter. I started with an E30 325e (32mpg), lots of torque and very fun to drive. I then wanted a 40+mpg car and narrowed it down to either a Civic or VW Tdi; with a price cap of about $2000 that I chose to allow a ROI of 18months or less. Chose the diesel Jetta, averaged around 46mpg for the year I drove it and it paid for itself in less than a year. After owning/driving BMW's for 15+ years it was difficult for me driving the Jetta everday, so I decided I'd rather spend 2 hours/day in something that handled/braked/accelerated/more comfortable than the beater VW. I ended up buying a Mini this winter, and the only time I don't feel like I'm in a BMW now is when I try to power out of a corner (I still miss rear wheel drive), but 37MPG and 'BMW'ness have made my commute so much nicer.

You need to determine what your budget is and what kind of daily driving you do to figure out what car you should get, if you should get one. If you want something super reliable that you don't want to do any work on, look at Toyota pickups.

Sell the X5 and buy something that is both cheaper to maintain and easier at the pumps. Don't do the two car thing at your age.

Don't take this the wrong way..... did you not look into what costs are associated with running/maintaining such a vehicle? My X has been my daily driver since I was your age, and I'm now 26. It hasnt been an inexpensive vehicle by any means (before we even get to the mods)....but all the issues associated with these vehicles have all been well documented; and would have turned up with a simple search. The $120 fill-ups (right now it's $5.60/ us gal) are by no means economical.....but then again the X was never intended to be an "economical" choice, nor did I purchase it with the expectation.

i think im just going to go with the 318is e30 till i get around to getting a 4.8is because i have a 4.4

I agree, do the math. At 19, I would think, unless other ride is a Vespa, the insurance cost alone would burn any gas savings. I think you should also deduct from the X cost the worth of the fun factor to you, put it in $$$ I think you said you don't like your job--I would be looking for one I like better that paid for the current pain at the pump. Take it from experience the favorite ride in the garage, even if a cherry, rare collector grade vehicle should be driven and enjoyed or sold.

if anything, my insurance would go down because i wouldnt have an x5 dont you agree?

I would think if you can't budget $2000 a year for maintenance and $4 a gallon gas, then an X5 may not be the right car for where you are currently. Wait until you can truly afford to properly maintain these somewhat fragile cars.

Oops, I thought you were talking in addition to rather than in place of. That being the case you have great suggestions already it is just a different math problem that will help you make a decision that is good for you.

You have your whole life ahead of younto have nice cars and whatever but you just need to do what's best for your situation right now

I use to have it all but after a wife and 2 kids things change

I use my 2001 A4 as my daily/work/raining outside car, x5 pulls out of the garage when its sunny and afterwork/weekends ride. I dont like putting miles on my 4.8is but i wish i could drive it all the time without racking up miles lol. Am also 19.

Audi local doesnt get great mileage at all.. 19ish, summer with a/c on even worse, hwy i pull out 26- almost 29 depending if always driving/any traffic/speed.

Edit: also dont make the mistake of thinking a smaller engined car or smal engine with turbo will net you better mileage, depending on driving if local/hwy,
The bigger engined v6 may be alot better option even if lets say split of 50/50 driving..

The v6 esp with ac running will end up netting you most likely better mileage local then a smaller 4 or turbo 4 because you need to rev it out more, yeah on hwy you will get a little less with v6 then 4, but it will even out cause of better local, and hwy 4 will get lets say 28mpg vs 6 26mpg.

I'm in a very similar situation myself also 19. Had the X for over a year and put in a lot of time and work into it. It has cost me more than it worth. All belts and pulleys, water pump, heated ccv, k&n, oil filter gasket, new brakes, tires, ball joints, tension struts, elbow intake....etc
3.0 get 14 mpg and thats if i drive it like a granny.
decided to sell it... very hard to find a buyer right now in the summer time.
I'm already loosing money if I sell it, but atleast I wont need to worry about the transmission if it starts causing problems after, almost 100k and the cluster has dead pixels...

e30 is hard to find in my area... how's e36 or e39 in terms of reliability?

I'm in a very similar situation myself also 19. Had the X for over a year and put in a lot of time and work into it. It has cost me more than it worth. All belts and pulleys, water pump, heated ccv, k&n, oil filter gasket, new brakes, tires, ball joints, tension struts, elbow intake....etc
3.0 get 14 mpg and thats if i drive it like a granny.
decided to sell it... very hard to find a buyer right now in the summer time.
I'm already loosing money if I sell it, but atleast I wont need to worry about the transmission if it starts causing problems after, almost 100k and the cluster has dead pixels...

e30 is hard to find in my area... how's e36 or e39 in terms of reliability?

^E36 and E39 are pretty much the same as your E53. Of course, you would save on gas since they are smaller and lighter.
The engine is the same, even with the smaller displacement M54B25. They share lots of components --> same ups and downs. Still need the suspension overhaul, cooling system overhaul. Same maintenance on Vanos seals, DISA valve....
If you have your E53 in good maintained condition, I'd say keep it.

Well how is the e30? What should i look for and how are the engines?

On a side note, I don't know why an X5 would be used for anything other than daily driver duties. People who have other cars for daily use and pull the X out for weekends confuse me.

19 year olds with an X5. LOL

I had an E46 323i. Good car. I changed oil and control arm bushings - that's it. Decently sporty.

Dump the X5. It's stupid to even consider keeping that truck if you don't have finances to back it up. It will break and it will cost you considerable money sooner or later. In the meantime, it will drain your gas fund.

Buy anything Honda if you have little money for gas or repairs. I've owned three Civics, great cars and run forever.

Neither do I. It's not like a collector or sport/fun weekend car.

My 16 yrs-old daughter drives an X5 :yikes: And I know at least another member whose teenaged daughter drives an X5 too. Are we in trouble? :D

My guess is the 19 year old is paying for his X5, paying insurance, gas and all repairs. At least that's what the post implies. That's probably not the case with a teenager at home and dad has probably done the maintenace thus far and will continue to do the maintenance as long this 'fleet vehicle' stays in the family, taking all burden from the teenager. When I look for a first vehicle for my teenager, it will not be a 13 year old X5 based on my experience and what I read here. Maybe the 19 year old will continue to run his 4.4 and never have an issue. That would be awesome.

Its great all these teenagers can drive such fancy cars! In london you cant get your license until 17 and even then its very difficult and then the insurance will screw you HARD.
I would say never buy a car on its purchase value, but rather its maintenence value. If you cant afford to maintain it, you cant afford to buy it period.

Well-said, Imy

That's what he meant. I'm just "goofing" around :D

is there somthing wrong with that?

Nothing, if you can handle the associated costs.

I expect it stands out from the crowd and you will be driving your friends rather than in their hands.

It is a safe vehicle. I'm not 19 and I expect you haven't been driving for that long. I still don't feel comfortable in a car, certainly not a small car, on the most of the roads here--too much traffic and if you aren't going 10 over there is good chance you will get run over. I saw 4 elderly folks going 55 in a 70 zone in a Prius--I watched the news that night fully expecting them to be the latest fatalities. The Xs I have seen hit won the battle of the bumpers.

Safety is one of the reason why I choose to put my family in the bimmers.

I concur with that. The X5 feels solid and planted and there's lots of luxuries like built-in window shades that are great for my family. Plus there's like 20 airbags stuffed everywhere.

My first car was a 1985 Civic CRX. About the same protection as a bicycle.

Most definitely, take safety over fuel economy, any time. You can always buy a gallon of gas but you can't buy yourself out of injuries that you might not have sustained or had the severity of had you been surrounded with a more protective vehicle.

I stay away from tiny cars for that reason.

But don't look solely at Civics even though they seem to be the recommended decent fuel economy vehicles. There are vehicles that are slightly larger in size which may have better safety features too, that would get decent fuel economy.

And while you're at it, take a look at resale value. I know a guy who swears he can buy a car, use it for a year, and turn around and sell it for equal to or slightly more than what he paid when he bought it. Keep that in mind. It's a good way to go if you can find a reliable used car.

Others who commented about the stage they are in their lives where the X5's fuel isn't a problem from an affordability standpoint... I haven't thought about this for a while but I'm starting to feel old. Thanks for the reminder. :P

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I like how people like to talk shit here, especially younger people with these cars like me... Is it jelousy?

I agree with you if they arent paying for it and say they drive it and other stuff.

In my case i do everything from maintainance/insurance/$ to buy it/etc, on both my cars...

You guys say the X isnt a sports/weekend car well it can be especially if its the 4.6 or 4.8is, 3.0/4.4 i would agree.

And why did i buy a x5 4.8is? For the reason of it had loads of power and fast, fit and finish, and the options i wanted, like factory airbags, mean look of it, etc.

Yeah in 19 in a 4.8is, i would have got an m3 or m5, but i wanted something more "under" the radar cause ive had trouble with the cops too much where i am, not a car you associate with hs/college people, yet it can dish out a can of whoop ass on most.

And lastly i care very much about my car and what kind i drive, feel of it, power, etc, if i cared about gas mileage i would have got a 3 cylinder geo metro and been done.

you can have any car at any age - i've seen older men with salt and pepper in their hair driving the proverbial civics, and young kids driving ferrari (was it a valet kid behind a wheel???)...

the mankind has been around for a few millenia, and it is rather an accepted common stereotype that a younger person has not had a chance to establish himself/herself stable enough to afford an item that commands a higher entrance fee, and with age, it is assumed that a wisdom has been purchased in exchange for years gone...

the only jealousy that i will admit to is not the fact that somebody is driving a german car, or a BMW, or a 4.8iS - I would be jealous about your age, you are 19, and everything is ahead of you... but, i traded my age for the knowledge of things - at 19 i was young and stupid... now i am not as young and... well, not that smart after all...:dunno:

the OP has had his V8 X5 since this past september and has realized that the vehicle is draining his financial means in exchange for the benefits that he finds not so valuable for the price he is paying... the fact that he is 19 only means that his maximum purchasing power is probably (!) ahead of him and now this car is dragging him back...

it has been suggested that he steps away from the vehicle in favor of a more affordable vehicle, and at the same time not to sacrifice the most basic safety features that we are all accustomed in these cars...

or, he can stay in the car, and keep it in the garage/driveway/parking lot because he got no money to put gas in it...

I would suggest to either park the car for long term storage (not a good thing, the car will age twice as fast), and get a decent daily driver, or bleed the money through the teeth and feed the beast until the car will eat you alive... figuratively speaking... lol...

well, better yet, let it go - the beast is too hungry to feed...

I have been doing this for about 8 years now I started with $800 believe it or not I have been doing even trades for the last 3.5 years with a civic I paid $4k for and made it to this x5 but I think I'm gonna keep this

I'm sorry I have to interject...

First of all, "would have got an m3 or m5", but why didn't you? Insurance probably costs a lot more for those cars for someone who is 19 than for an E53, and maintenance for an ///M car isn't cheap. And the whole "trouble with the cops" thing, unless you are pushing blow out of your trunk or glovebox that's a whole load of BS, whats the worst that happens, you get a $50 ticket for window tint? Maybe stop driving it like you stole it around downtown and you wouldn't get pulled over as much, hell as long as you stop at red lights, stop signs and keep it less than 5-10 over the speed limit I can't see how you're a "target" for cops.

And not to be a dick, but we've heard your story plenty of times before, and no one asked for you to justify why you are 19 and in a 4.8is in this thread, is it because the OP is 19 as well you need to tell your story?

I'm glad you can afford the cost of buying 2 cars, insurance, maintenance, etc on whatever you do for a living at 19 yrs old, but obviously the OP is having problems with his 1 vehicle, his E53 4.4.

Everyone's situation is different and obviously he isn't as well off as you are doing for your age, and I commend you for that. However, my suggestion? I was your age not too many years ago, and just remember, having 2 vehicles be your sole source of where you spend your money is fun, but be sure to be putting money to the side so that you're not living at your parent's house 10 years from now in the basement, maintaining your perfect fleet of vehicles in their driveway.

I used to own 2 cars and a motorcycle, when I bought my house and got married I sold the lowered, pristine VW and my sportbike in order to have money to redo the central air on our house and also bought my 2011 Triumph Thunderbird Storm with the rest, so that I could still ride and have my wife at least enjoy it with me from time to time.

Nothing worse than being car rich and house poor, just some advice from someone who's 20's are fading away, and I'm sure you're going to be offended and what not from the honest opinions I just gave above, but I tell it like I see it.

Being able to afford something is quite different than making a smart financial decision.

When I was young I blew all of my money on cars. It was a phase that many of my friends went through as well.

Now I know that every penny was wasted, and not only that, I failed to set myself up with a long term financial plan. Time value of money... google it.

There are members of this forum that could empty their checking account and buy 3 4.8is', those are the guys we should be jealous of.

In fact, when I want motivation, I browse lambopower.com. Those guys will make us X5 owners look like 3rd world beggars.

Best cheap on fuel / cheap on maintenance / fun daily = old Miata.