I am very serious about buying a Z4; however, that being said, it will be my daily commuter and was wondering if the luster will wear off? Does it get really old fast that you only have 2 seats and very little storage room anywhere in the car? I really never have anyone in the back of my current 2006 330i sedan and I am just bored with it. I have always wanted a convertable and the Z4 is such a thrill to drive. Do most of you that own a Z4 use it strictly for weekends and various outings or is it your every day commuter vehicle?

Mine is my every day commuter...

daily driver here !

I purchased mine with the intent of using it as a weekend fun car, that didn't last long. Nowadays it sees a fair share of weekday and weekend use. It's a blast to drive.

I drive mine every day. I put about 20,000 on it last year. It's a joy to get into every time.

I'm debating the same thing...I'm in the northeast and have a 45 min commute each way, mostly over freeways. I'd like to unload my Accord and use the $$ towards my Z4 but everything I've heard is that I need to hang onto it....I'll be interested in this discussion

Daily driver and loving it, except in deep snow, which I'm guessing won't be a big issue in Brentwood. A fresh thrill every time I start the engine. Top down, there's nothing to beat it. Even in lousy weather with the top up, absolutely no regrets. Great car.

Daily driver here. My commute is only 7 miles so I have less annual miles than some of the posts above - my coupe will be 1 year old at the first of April and has just under 13K miles.

I'd be perfectly comfortable driving my Z4 MC anywhere, in any weather. I never tire of driving it, although I don't have to commute in stop-and-go traffic every day.

Its my daily grinder, through good times and bad traffic. Why wouldn't you drive it all the time? :)

M Coupe - Daily driver 12 months out of the year with snow wheels/tires for the winter. I enjoy it every time I drive it.

Track season will be coming up soon, and that will only add to the ways to enjoy the car.

EB

Every day driver for me. Only...and I mean ONLY negative is all the annoying rice burners that constantly try and race me. Other than that weird issue...I absolutely love the car more and more each time I drive it.

Z4 3.0i is my daily driver. 03 model that just turned 60K this weekend.

It's my every day car...

In fact I chose it over the Cayman and 350Z because (go ahead and laugh) it was the more practical vehicle.

The trunk / storage space is impressive in the Coupe and it was just a more simple understated vehicle.


I wanted the most practical two seat sporter I could find and this was it...

Daily driver here as well. You'd be surprised with the amount of stuff you can cram into the trunk when you have to. Plus you can always roll up the soft top rack in the trunk temporarily if you need the extra space. Only negative part is that when you drive a car like that every day you're probably going to get more tickets. But who knows. Drive fun or die trying :buttrock

Everyday. And everyday it manages to put a smile on my face. :)

Do you want to trade cars? I am looking for a 3er at them moment. I need the backseat occasionally, and I need to lower my insurance rates.

Just traded in my 03 2.5 5 speed. I put 50k miles in a couple years. It had 76k on it when I was done. Now I have an 04 3.0 6 speed with only 30k. Drive it all the time. I don't have kids though.

Do you want to trade cars? I am looking for a 3er at them moment. I need the backseat occasionally, and I need to lower my insurance rates.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

how dare you!?!?!?

jk- the z isn't the most practical car ever but still!!!! how can you bear to let her go?

both :D

daily driver except when it snows over two inches.

daily in summer, occasionally in winter when the weather is good and no salt on the ground~

the trunk is surprisingly huge!!!! I fitted a 1200W microwave with box there few months ago!

Daily driver, in fact my only car at the moment. No regrets. However, the roads in Phx are among the best-maintained in the country. If I were in SoCal, I don't think I could do it - at least not in an M. A non-M, without the damn runflat tires, would probably be fine. Definitely ditch the runflats the moment you drive off the lot if you buy non-M.

Daily driver

Sorry to be a realist!

You wanted opinions.. Mine is an 03 with approx. 30k. I absolutely fuss over the car! It has had a pretty cushy life. I'm west of Kansas City. We have EXTREME climate changes. Insanely cold and unbearably hot!!! It will be 70 plus degrees today. Last week we had ice/sleet storms. You get the picture. Our Z is a 4th car, so that effects things too! But... to answer your question.. I would NOT, or could not drive it as a daily. I have family in Belmont Heights (Long Beach).. They have a neighbor with a late model beat-to-hell 911 parked in front of their house, like we park old pickups in front of ours. It always is a geographical reality check for me when I have to go back out there. Ok, ok... I'm rambling... I guess in SoCal you could drive one every day. Here in the Midwest..no way. I wish I could.. So, henceforth and to-wit, if you can...go for it...! sean.

I have an 85 Accord that is my daily driver, but I still will grab the Z4 some days when I get the itch. I will drive it usually 2 days out of the work week and weekends? Forget it, it's always being driven, except when it's raining of course. Great car.

seanz4 is that because of what being outdoors in bad weather does to the appearance (in my area most houses don't have garages!!) or because of actual functional issues like poor traction in bad weather?

Erdoran, probably both. We have sub zero temps in the winter and 100-110 plus temps in the summer. Either one of those extremes will wreak havoc on your cars' finish and interior if left outside. On another note: I've owned 3 Z3s... I'll talk about my first two. The first one came from right here in Kansas City... Under 30k, Immaculate!!! People think...OMG!!! don't buy a car from the "rust belt"...etc. My second Z3 had approx. the same amount of miles. I bought it in Tampa FL. "the sun belt"....Yikes!!! What a fright pig it was. Faded out top..hard tires, sun torched interior, sun rotted steering wheel cover, and door dinged to hell! I'll take a garage queen pampered midwest car any day! As far as functionality... I don't know about traction issues, but you'll for sure have road/ground clearance issues!! I was in Philly in '04 and I recall their potholes were every bit as cavernous and common as ours... soooo??? Man, I'm really being the negative denominator here today!!

Erdoran, probably both. We have sub zero temps in the winter and 100-110 plus temps in the summer. Either one of those extremes will wreak havoc on your cars' finish and interior if left outside. On another note: I've owned 3 Z3s... I'll talk about my first two. The first one came from right here in Kansas City... Under 30k, Immaculate!!! People think...OMG!!! don't buy a car from the "rust belt"...etc. My second Z3 had approx. the same amount of miles. I bought it in Tampa FL. "the sun belt"....Yikes!!! What a fright pig it was. Faded out top..hard tires, sun torched interior, sun rotted steering wheel cover, and door dinged to hell! I'll take a garage queen pampered midwest car any day! As far as functionality... I don't know about traction issues, but you'll for sure have road/ground clearance issues!! I was in Philly in '04 and I recall their potholes were every bit as cavernous and common as ours... soooo??? Man, I'm really being the negative denominator here today!!

.....or the voice of reality. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep my immaculate '03 Accord EX with a great navi after I get my Z4; hoping I can unload it but after all the discussions I've read I might keep it at least over the next winter.

I have a 75 mile R/T commute, mostly interstate and It started out being a second car, but my Camry ended up just sitting most of the time..... so I finally sold it and now my Z4 is my only car. It really is very comfortable to drive, very supportive I find. It hurts my back less than most any other car I have had for whatever reason.

Oh, and you really can fit quite a bit into the trunk, you would be amazed!

Daily driver when its over 50F. I would recommend not getting a sport package if you want to use it daily on various road surfaces

I live in Mass-near Cape Cod-I love my Z4 but the car is horrible in the snow-I've read the responses about driving in the winter-but they must not be from the N.E. area. My Z4 will be spending its future winters wrapped away in the garage next to my bikes.The Z4 is my wife's daily driver-we have had to relace the convertible top motors and had some issues with faulty engine sensors but the CPO warranty has covered the costs.i think I'm buying the wife a Jeep for the winters-Good Luck

Everyday... 100 miles per day.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

how dare you!?!?!?

jk- the z isn't the most practical car ever but still!!!! how can you bear to let her go?

The payments are breaking my back, and no one else in my house likes or drives the car. :(

Sorry to be a realist!

You wanted opinions.. Mine is an 03 with approx. 30k. I absolutely fuss over the car! It has had a pretty cushy life. I'm west of Kansas City. We have EXTREME climate changes. Insanely cold and unbearably hot!!! It will be 70 plus degrees today. Last week we had ice/sleet storms. You get the picture. Our Z is a 4th car, so that effects things too! But... to answer your question.. I would NOT, or could not drive it as a daily. I have family in Belmont Heights (Long Beach).. They have a neighbor with a late model beat-to-hell 911 parked in front of their house, like we park old pickups in front of ours. It always is a geographical reality check for me when I have to go back out there. Ok, ok... I'm rambling... I guess in SoCal you could drive one every day. Here in the Midwest..no way. I wish I could.. So, henceforth and to-wit, if you can...go for it...! sean.
Well, up here in the Frozen North I drive my M-Roadster anywhere and anytime anyone would drive any 2WD sedan (bar the storage capacity and lack of extra seats). The heated seats and excellent heater make top down motoring above 0 degrees C (32F) an enjoyable experience when commuting to and from work on a sunny winter day - just have to watch out for other cars hitting snow melt puddles near me!

aerobod, what are you using for tires?

aerobod, what are you using for tires?
This winter I have only been driving when there isn't any snow on the roads since I bought the car at the beginning of February, so I'm just using the stock Continentals. Due to it being later in the winter I wasn't able to get the right winter tyre and wheel combination. I will most likely use either Michelin PA3 or Dunlop Winter M3 tyres if I can find 17" wheels to fit, or Pirelli Sottozero 240 tyres if I need to go with 18" to clear the brakes. Tyre size will be either 225/50-17 or 225/45-18 all round. I will likely use TSW wheels in a 17"x7.5" or 18"x8.0" size due to the fact that they have a few decent looking wheels that also come with 40mm and 20mm offsets in the same wheel pattern.

I have used Michelin PA2, Pirelli Snowsport 210 and Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 on my RWD drive BMWs in the past. I prefer the Michelins over the Pirellis, over the Bridgestones.

I use the MR every day, even though I have a 540 to fall back on in dire situations where I need to take more than 1 passenger. My roundtrip commute is 120 miles, and I must admit I love every minute of it...so much so that I barely drive the 5 at all (yes, it has become the garage queen, and has never seen snow and only a few times seen rain). I'm running Blizzak snows (in the OE 18 inch sizes) and have had zero problems this winter in CT and NY, even in unplowed snow up to 4 inches (anything more and the M's airdam would probably start to act as a snow shovel). The car is delightful, well balanced, ludicrously quick, and except for the few times I've had to drive over really bad pavement and had my teeth knocking together, I've got no complaints. I would strongly, strongly suggest the hardtop if you plan to use it in the winter - it keeps it warmer and quieter, as well as making snow removal much easier.
"Drive the (new) legend forever", as they say...

Sorry to be a realist!

You wanted opinions.. Mine is an 03 with approx. 30k. I absolutely fuss over the car! It has had a pretty cushy life. I'm west of Kansas City. We have EXTREME climate changes. Insanely cold and unbearably hot!!! It will be 70 plus degrees today. Last week we had ice/sleet storms. You get the picture. Our Z is a 4th car, so that effects things too! But... to answer your question.. I would NOT, or could not drive it as a daily. I have family in Belmont Heights (Long Beach).. They have a neighbor with a late model beat-to-hell 911 parked in front of their house, like we park old pickups in front of ours. It always is a geographical reality check for me when I have to go back out there. Ok, ok... I'm rambling... I guess in SoCal you could drive one every day. Here in the Midwest..no way. I wish I could.. So, henceforth and to-wit, if you can...go for it...! sean.

Good point. My car came from New Jersey, the original owner didn't drive it daily, they only drove it 3,000 miles a year for 5 years. I more than doubled the milege in a year.

Do you want to trade cars? I am looking for a 3er at them moment. I need the backseat occasionally, and I need to lower my insurance rates.
Too bad you are all the way in Florida!! I may take you up on it! My Bimmer is actually also on lease trader right now too. I am just going to lose too much money trading it in.

The Z4 at the Stealership will hopefully still be there when I unload the 3. It NEVER snows here so it is great to know so many of you LOVE driving your Z4 every day. I am looking at the 08 3.0 si, boy was that a fun test drive. It was hard to walk away. I had an 05 M3 and the Z4 si was dare I say "more fun" to drive than that car! My commute is around 80 miles R/T.....maybe with the Z I will look forward to that drive more, LOL. My boyfriend does have kids that are with us on weekends, but that is what his truck is for right? If I didn't birth them, I don't need a car to hold em all, right? LMAO...

Mine's my daily car.

However, where I live, potholes are rare, winters are mild, and summers are warm and dry. I have an old 4-wheel drive vehicle for snow and for hauling stuff that I can't/won't fit in the z4. I'm constantly renovating my house and I'll always need something (ie: wagon or pick-up) that can take some bigger loads. It never gets old driving the z4, and unlike my old vehicle I look forward to warmer weather so I can put the top down.

Every day driver for me. Only...and I mean ONLY negative is all the annoying rice burners that constantly try and race me. Other than that weird issue...I absolutely love the car more and more each time I drive it.

Ain't that the truth!! And not just rice burners... a lot of Bimmers, too.

Anyway, mine's a daily driver :)

Too bad you are all the way in Florida!! I may take you up on it! My Bimmer is actually also on lease trader right now too. I am just going to lose too much money trading it in.

The Z4 at the Stealership will hopefully still be there when I unload the 3. It NEVER snows here so it is great to know so many of you LOVE driving your Z4 every day. I am looking at the 08 3.0 si, boy was that a fun test drive. It was hard to walk away. I had an 05 M3 and the Z4 si was dare I say "more fun" to drive than that car! My commute is around 80 miles R/T.....maybe with the Z I will look forward to that drive more, LOL. My boyfriend does have kids that are with us on weekends, but that is what his truck is for right? If I didn't birth them, I don't need a car to hold em all, right? LMAO...

If you want to, I'll drive cross country. I would love to do it top down! :buttrock

http://www.leasetrader.com/photos/actual85936/640x480/BMW-330i-Sedan.jpeg
Is this your car?

SW Florida daily driver (12,000 miles a year roughly) and it never ceases to put a smile on my face every single time I drive it....

Mine is my daily driver, but I'm thinking I might get something else for winter; the car did fine, but I cringed every time I heard salt pattering against the undercarriage. Thing is, I'm not much of a "beater" guy. Friends squawked when I drove my 2003 2.5i in bad weather, but my other car was a 2003 325i that was just as nice.

mines weekend by default only b/c i take public transportation to work. but after work, i take my z out all the time. once weather warms up though, it'll be driven any less... riding season! =P

Every day driver for me. Only...and I mean ONLY negative is all the annoying rice burners that constantly try and race me. Other than that weird issue...I absolutely love the car more and more each time I drive it.

Every day driver for me, too. Maxinater got it right though; but not just rice burners... other Bimmers, too :)

Nope, that one is not mine. Mine is Sparkling Graphite/Black

Nope, that one is not mine. Mine is Sparkling Graphite/Black

Auto? I've been looking high and low for that color combo in decent condition. :D
Can you email me the link? :)
Thanks, Ian

^^ It is an auto and I sent you the link :)

Daily Driver.......

daily driver....they're meant to be driven...so why not...

use my taco when i need to carry more passengers tho...

Dailey Driver

Almost a daily driver. When there is snow (I don't have snow tires) or need to travel with the dogs, or go to home depot I take the '99 Expedition. My commute to work is only 2.7 miles.

Weekend car.

-Eric

Pretty much a daily driver, but then I don't have much of a commute. The coupe makes a pretty good GG (grocery getter) though.

Daily Driver; even though I still have my 97 528i. It's just not the same anymore after the Z so it pretty much collects dust. The 5 will be sold soon.

daily driver...cruising is amazing

It's a pseudo daily driver. One of the reasons I purchased the car because it gets really good gas mileage. I'm averaging about 21 to 22 MPG per tank with the kind of city driving I do which is a mix of about 70% street driving and about 30% freeway driving. In Houston, it's hard to get anywhere without getting on some freeway for a stretch.

I also have a Dodge Dakota truck which I drive when I need a truck or just to run it for a few miles here and there. The "original plan" was to only drive the Zed on nice days and drive the truck on rainy days, however, because the Zed is so much fun I've found myself driving it almost everywhere. I'm sure when the weather gets really hot I'll start driving the truck more since taking the top down will become less of an option. But so far, every time I've said that I would "take the truck more often" I've never actually done so.

Daily Driver- But I live in the city and try to take the train at least 2 days per week. I look forward to the days I have to drive.

daily driven

Daily driver thanks to global warming... Didn't really snow in DC in 2007..

Dry pavement and driving school car.
236631
236632
A 1985 Honda Accord serves as my rainy day transport.

Just got it, but it's DD alternating with the E36

Mine is my daily driver...I only have a 7 minute commute to work, so it's not that bad.

Daily driver. 6500 miles in the first 4 months, averaging 29 mpg.

Mine is also a daily driver, with 60-75 miles daily, and about 18K a year with other outings. I love driving it.

Weekend warrior. Can't wait for Friday.

I'm debating the same thing...I'm in the northeast and have a 45 min commute each way, mostly over freeways. I'd like to unload my Accord and use the $$ towards my Z4 but everything I've heard is that I need to hang onto it....I'll be interested in this discussion

Mine's a daily driver in Philly. Last year it snowed 3 times. I didn't even bother to buy snow tires, roads get cleared the next day anyway

Dry pavement and driving school car.
236631
236632
A 1985 Honda Accord serves as my rainy day transport.


yea my rainy day car is a 1990 honda accord. you've got a mean mz4 though.

haha I have a 1991 accord I plan to keep around for a while just in case. I will mostly drive the Z4 though once it's mine tomorrow:)

I went fromt a Toyota 4Runner to a Z4 as a daily driver and I worried about the same thing!

Talk about a reduction in space...

My honest opinion after this move is that the Z4 is a little small for a roadster. Don't get me wrong, it's an incrediable car and I still love driving it everyday, but if you do require a little bit of room, or have a honey you drive around a lot, you honestly will miss not having rear seats.

In this way, I can now see the justification for small little rear seats even though no one ever sits in them... it's still nice to throw you stuff on.

So just keep that in mind, cause short of CD's some sunglasses and little acessories, you an't gonna fit much else in the cabin with you.

So just keep that in mind, cause short of CD's some sunglasses and little acessories, you an't gonna fit much else in the cabin with you.

While I do kinda miss that aspect, it also forces me to keep my car cleaner/less cluttered. I mostly drive alone so I'll keep a cd case, phone book and a few papers on the passenger seat - can always tuck these on the floor against the seat if I pick someone up. In my subaru wagon I was forever throwing stuff on the back seat and rarely taking it off.

The 2003 Z4 stays in the garage under cover waiting for nice days to drive her around. We live in NW Penn near Lake Erie and we measure snow in feet not inches. The summer weather is getting better "global warming I guess" so it gets more use now. Nice winding roads checking out the hills and valleys of rural PA. Glorious days to say the least.

daily driver. always puts me on a good mod before and after work. my navigator is just collecting dust since gas prices are so high and just use it when somebody ask me to pick them up at the airport.

Z4 2.5i '03, daily driver here in cold Ohio. So long as you don't use RFTs, it's a blast to drive. Z's were meant to ride! Enjoy it while you can.

I have an '06 Z4M Roadster. While it's a great car, I do drive it primarily on weekends. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be fine as a daily driver, but I have an '03 330i for that.

Mine was purchased as a weekender but if it is nice out - the E39 stays home and I take it to work or wherever....well provided my fiance did not already take it!!!

I am very serious about buying a Z4; however, that being said, it will be my daily commuter and was wondering if the luster will wear off? Does it get really old fast that you only have 2 seats and very little storage room anywhere in the car? I really never have anyone in the back of my current 2006 330i sedan and I am just bored with it. I have always wanted a convertable and the Z4 is such a thrill to drive. Do most of you that own a Z4 use it strictly for weekends and various outings or is it your every day commuter vehicle?

Haha I live in Brentwood too, just south of San Vicente Blvd. Daily commuter here although my office is five blocks from my apartment :D

summer car for me. I have a 07 3.0si coupe, 6 spd., sapphire black, red interior, sport, premium, Msport seats.
I live in Buffalo, so prefer not to drive in the snow. I have a 04 Honda Element for the snow, and lugging around everything for the house. I love both vehicles. The disgustingly FUN car, and the disgustingly practical car!

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but tomorrow at 9am I will be buying an 07 Z4 M Coupe with it being my only car and daily driver :) I'm excited!

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but tomorrow at 9am I will be buying an 07 Z4 M Coupe with it being my only car and daily driver :) I'm excited!
-Congrats! :buttrock

daily driver. almost a year with it, and i still can't wait to hop in and drive! :D

Im on the look out for a Z4 coupe. When I get one it will be my weekend toy, and My e46 will be for the week. No offense but its pretty ghetto driving a 2 seater as your Daily Driver.

No offense but its pretty ghetto driving a 2 seater as your Daily Driver.

No offense, but that is by far the dumbest comment I have ever read on this board.

EB

No offense, but that is by far the dumbest comment I have ever read on this board.

EB

How is it the dumbest thing you've ever read?

Think about the reasons why people use cars. Make a check list for what they use them for.

Compare all the things you can do with a 4 Seater to a 2 seater, then come back to me.

not saying you're wrong but not everyone has the same uses for a car that you do. I dont have kids, don't haul around loads of stuff, never drive when I go out with friends (nor do i want to), so a 2 seater is actually pretty fine for me. ive never really had a situation where it seemed "inconvenient" so it really does all depend on the person.

I have driven my '06 Z4 3.0 everyday for the last 2 years plus and it has been great. Trunk space is adequate. You can get two sets of golf clubs in there and a weekend bag if you wedge it properly. In fact, tomorrow night I am taking delivery of my new '08 Z4M and will drive that everyday for the next 3 years.

Have fun.

How is it the dumbest thing you've ever read?

Think about the reasons why people use cars. Make a check list for what they use them for.

Compare all the things you can do with a 4 Seater to a 2 seater, then come back to me.

Which days of the week are OK to drive a two seater without being "ghetto", by the way, a disgusting analogy? Are Saturday and Sunday OK, but then what if I work those days and my "weekend" is Tuesday and Wednesday?

Why don't you just say, "Oops", and drop the discussion.

EB

Mine's strictly a weekend toy.

Daily driver, but I'm single with no kids. I wouldn't want it in an area where potholes/ground clearance issues were a major problem... I have the sport package with 18's, and have had one wheel crack from what I think was a pothole. I also have a Grand Cherokee that I drive maybe 20% of the time, so storage space/driving in areas with crappy roads/poor weather/people hauling are not issues.

That said, I drive the Z4 the other 80% of the time, and love every minute of it.

I use my Z4 Roadster as a daily commuter primarily because I love driving it. I have a 335xi for when the weather is ugly, a Ford Expedition for when I need to haul a lot of people around and a Dodge Ram 4x4 V10 for the heavy lifting. Its good to have specialized vehicles. None of the others compare with the Z4 for sheer driving pleasure.

TRB

BOTH, its my daily driver and my weekend warrior, lol. I love driving this car....all the time! It puts a smile on my face just walking up to it.

http://nlink720.zoints.com/image/82756-Festiva

I work 4 days on and 4 days off. I drive my Z when around, but it is mostly a weekend / autocross car.

I drive 55 miles each way to work once to twice per week and didn't want to put those miles plus "errand miles" on the Z, so I got my commuter car.. It's a 1993 Ford Festiva L. (L for luxury :))

Probably gonna sell it though since it has no safety anything and I drive it when the roads are "too inadequate" for my baby (ie. rain, snow, wet, etc.) yet the Bimmer has six airbags and a full safety compliment and would fare really well compared to the above car.

Probably safer to get a different commuter car with some safety, or at least A safety feature or just drive the Z4 in the occasional snow on Dunlop M3s and use it as an exclusive car.

Probably gonna get a safer commuter car since I like keeping the Zed's miles at 12,000 per year, and I could easily do 20,000 without even realizing it - it's that fun.

I would say to the original poster just by the Z4. It's freaking awesome.

Weekend car for sure. Wouldn't want to waste miles and wear and tear driving to work and back. Unfortunately it's also in hibernation from November to March.

Driving 16 miles round trip to work March - November.
Ford Sport Trac for pulling, hauling and places I don't trust
taking the Z4.
Gas mileage @ 24 (milage@24) mpg its a bonus.
Took the Z4 on a 1k mile trip last weekend.
Mileage was 34 mpg and very comfortable.

Weekend car for sure. Wouldn't want to waste miles and wear and tear driving to work and back. Unfortunately it's also in hibernation from November to March.

My following question is not in any way meant as a shot, but I really don't understand your thinking, which seems to be shared by others.

How is driving to work "wasting miles and wear and tear"? I don't understand how it is "wasting" such if on a commute, but not wasting if driving on the weekend. Miles driven are miles driven.

I would think that driving your M Coupe could make a routine commute something more enjoyable.

To paraphrase a comment I read a number of years ago, "If I had a Testarossa, I'd drive it; if I had a fine persimmon wood driver, I'd tee off with it; if I were married to Bo Dereck, I'd.... "

EB

My following question is not in any way meant as a shot, but I really don't understand your thinking, which seems to be shared by others.

How is driving to work "wasting miles and wear and tear"? I don't understand how it is "wasting" such if on a commute, but not wasting if driving on the weekend. Miles driven are miles driven.

I would think that driving your M Coupe could make a routine commute something more enjoyable.

To paraphrase a comment I read a number of years ago, "If I had a Testarossa, I'd drive it; if I had a fine persimmon wood driver, I'd tee off with it; if I were married to Bo Dereck, I'd.... "

EB

In my opinion, driving to work is a 'waste' because you're stopping and starting, stuck in gridlocks idling and probably on the phone half the time. I'd rather drive a car like the M coupe on a 'fun' road, without much traffic where i can let 'er rip.

One of these cars 5-10 years down the road that has 200k miles on it is going to be worthless compared to one that has 50k miles on it.

I guess you can say it's only a $40k-$50k car but at this point that's like having a $200k Lamborghini to me and i wouldn't drive a Lamborghini to work everyday.

In my opinion, driving to work is a 'waste' because you're stopping and starting, stuck in gridlocks idling and probably on the phone half the time. I'd rather drive a car like the M coupe on a 'fun' road, without much traffic where i can let 'er rip.

One of these cars 5-10 years down the road that has 200k miles on it is going to be worthless compared to one that has 50k miles on it.

I guess you can say it's only a $40k-$50k car but at this point that's like having a $200k Lamborghini to me and i wouldn't drive a Lamborghini to work everyday.
I'd rather drive a nice car all the time than just part of the time, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic. If you need another reasonably good vehicle for when you don't drive the ///M, then over the total life of the vehicles the 200K ///M will likely cost less than a 50K ///M plus another reasonably good vehicle.

For example, if we look at the 1995 ///M3 (similar starting price to a ///M Z, reasonable number of cars to give a price average), we find that those with mileages between 150K and 200K are priced between $5,000 and $10,000 and those with mileages between 40,000 and 60,000 are priced between $15,000 and $20,000. This means that the likely additional retained value is about $10,000 for the 50K car vs the 200K one. Lets also assume that you buy a Honda Civic for the 2nd car to cover the mileage difference. Also I'm, not going to consider cost of money or do a TCO analysis, but just concentrate on the cost differences.

In terms of maintenance, besides brakes and tyres, most other items will be changed on a time basis when comparing a car that does average mileage compared with low mileage, so in an additional 150K miles, 3 brake jobs and 5 sets of tyres would be needed, likely about double the price of those on an economy car, or about $800 extra for each additional brake job and $600 extra per additional set of tyres (for $5,400 in total). Assume that the ///M car fuel consumption of 15/23 averages to 19mpg and the Honda's 26/34 averages to 30mpg. Over 150K the ///M would use an additional 2,900 gallons of fuel, for a cost of about $8,000 at current prices.

The question then is, can you buy, insure and maintain (besides the tyres and brakes factored in above) a Honda Civic for 14 years for a cost of $10,000+$5,400+$8,000=$23,400? or about $1,700 per year? Possibly, but likely not.

Basically, over 200K you could drive the ///M all the time or buy a 2nd econobox and drive it 75% of the time and the ///M 25% of the time and end up with a similar outlay.

In my opinion, driving to work is a 'waste' because you're stopping and starting, stuck in gridlocks idling and probably on the phone half the time. I'd rather drive a car like the M coupe on a 'fun' road, without much traffic where i can let 'er rip.

One of these cars 5-10 years down the road that has 200k miles on it is going to be worthless compared to one that has 50k miles on it.

I guess you can say it's only a $40k-$50k car but at this point that's like having a $200k Lamborghini to me and i wouldn't drive a Lamborghini to work everyday.

Do I understand that the prime motivator in your "wasting" thinking then is resale value? If so, I missed that in your earlier post, and we then differ on what is important to each of us in purchasing, valuing, and driving a car.

We also differ re: a Lambo. If I had one, I'd drive it daily as well, just as if Bo Dereck, wait, I've been down this path.


EB

Do I understand that the prime motivator in your "wasting" thinking then is resale value? If so, I missed that in your earlier post, and we then differ on what is important to each of us in purchasing, valuing, and driving a car.

We also differ re: a Lambo. If I had one, I'd drive it daily as well, just as if Bo Dereck, wait, I've been down this path.


EB

Resale value and having a car that is mint condition and has pride taken in it. A car that gets used everyday is going to show wear and tear, going to be dirty, have dents/scratches and just isn't going to last long.

When i'm commuting and have a coffee in hand i don't care so much if it spills. When i'm wolfing down a big mac from the drive thru i don't care if some special sauce gets on the seat. When i pick up the kid from school i don't car if he's got mud all over his shoes.

I think that perhaps my $50k M Coupe is worth a lot more to me then it would be to you. Maybe you have so much money that you don't have to care about your car cause when it's had it's day you can buy another one. By no means am i slagging you. I hope/can't wait to be in that position, but in the meantime i'm left with cherishing my little bimmer.

As for Bo Dereck, if she was my wife, i wouldn't be drivin her either

Resale value and having a car that is mint condition and has pride taken in it. A car that gets used everyday is going to show wear and tear, going to be dirty, have dents/scratches and just isn't going to last long.
Taken to the extreme, the car would just be kept inside and never driven.

No reason why a daily driver should be dirty or have dents and scratches. Also, a policy of no food or drink allowed to be consumed in my vehicles helps a lot in protecting the interior.

I rather enjoy commuting in the M-Roadster, makes that time seem well spent, especially when the roof is down.

Resale value and having a car that is mint condition and has pride taken in it. A car that gets used everyday is going to show wear and tear, going to be dirty, have dents/scratches and just isn't going to last long.

When i'm commuting and have a coffee in hand i don't care so much if it spills. When i'm wolfing down a big mac from the drive thru i don't care if some special sauce gets on the seat. When i pick up the kid from school i don't car if he's got mud all over his shoes.

I think that perhaps my $50k M Coupe is worth a lot more to me then it would be to you.

Actually, it sounds like plain old different philosophies about ownership. There's no car I would treat the way you described above. I don't eat or drink in my cars, don't talk on the phone while driving and if my car gets dinged or scraped, I get it repaired. Taking proper care of a nice car is no more expensive than buying a 2nd car to trash, any way you cut it. Reaaly, there's no reason why a daily driver has to look like someone's keeping a howler monkey in it. In fact, I kind of like the fact my daily drivers have always looked like garage queens. When I sold in my 325i, which I bought used and cost me half what the M Coupe did, the buyer remarked on how well-kept the car was.

Actually, it sounds like plain old different philosophies about ownership. There's no car I would treat the way you described above. I don't eat or drink in my cars, don't talk on the phone while driving and if my car gets dinged or scraped, I get it repaired. Taking proper care of a nice car is no more expensive than buying a 2nd car to trash, any way you cut it. Reaaly, there's no reason why a daily driver has to look like someone's keeping a howler monkey in it. In fact, I kind of like the fact my daily drivers have always looked like garage queens. When I sold in my 325i, which I bought used and cost me half what the M Coupe did, the buyer remarked on how well-kept the car was.
+1

Actually, it sounds like plain old different philosophies about ownership. There's no car I would treat the way you described above. I don't eat or drink in my cars, don't talk on the phone while driving and if my car gets dinged or scraped, I get it repaired. Taking proper care of a nice car is no more expensive than buying a 2nd car to trash, any way you cut it. Reaaly, there's no reason why a daily driver has to look like someone's keeping a howler monkey in it. In fact, I kind of like the fact my daily drivers have always looked like garage queens. When I sold in my 325i, which I bought used and cost me half what the M Coupe did, the buyer remarked on how well-kept the car was.

I couldn't agree more! That said, there are also others who have different priorities and views, and I do respect that. To me though, why only enjoy my Z4 once in a while, when I can every it every day. At least every day in the summer.

I guess there's some of us out there that can drive our cars everyday and still keep them looking great. 40,000 miles so far and she still looks wonderful (inside and out)

i'd rather enjoy my purchase than let it sit in the garage all week. i dont think its fair to think that because we drive the car everyday we value it less or have more money. on the contrary, for me anyway, it's my only car, and i can't afford another one - so keeping one car as a garage queen and another to drive sounds like you have more money to spend.

there's something to be said about racking up the miles on a car and keeping it running smoothly with maintenance and hard work. i can't wait to see how long i can make this car last - we'll see if it's farther than my 270,000 mile Volvo.

Mine is both a daily and a weekend road trip car :) It is nice, as long as you dont have TOO much stuff. The trunk is actually decent size for a weekend for two.

New to this forum but not to the "Bimmer" world. My daily driver use to be my E30 1991 319is. I decided I can't do my mods and drive it daily also. so I found me an 05 Z4 22k miles on it only had it two weeks but I drive it everywhere I go and from that it will be a daily driver.

im about to hit 75k miles

My only comment about using your car as daily driver and not able to keep it clean or looking like it's new. Those who can't fall into the category as most bikers call "posser". if you driven BMW's as long as I have you should express the enjoyment for driving them into the way they look when you spend hours making sure they like the first day you drove it from the dealer lot. I have a 1984 318i with 189K till this day people think it's a new model becuase I make sure it holds the BMW image. Just my .02 cents on keeping your BIMMERS clean.

I would take my baby ('06 Z4M) EVERYWHERE if not for stupid, the selfish a-holes out there who ding it with their doors/bumpers when it's parked. I only take it to a place where I can get a wide, generous space.

drove 13,000mi since February. I try not to drive it at all but it's so hard. I drive most of the time for no reason. Winter it will be hibernating tho....but that's like in a month.