Life's too short to drive boring cars vs. responsible mpg commuter appliance

I did 150-200/day for 5-years, part of that time in my Miata. A fun car does not make a boring commute any more fun, it just makes a fun car seem more boring.

The only thing that made that commute more fun was a cheap, reliable, and economical POS that I could flog mercilessly without too much worry of inappropriate attention. In my case, that was a Hyundai Accent - with good snow tires for the winter. Additionally, because it wasn't a nice car to begin with, details like potholes, RR crossings, speed bumps, etc. that I would have slowed down for had I been in a car I cared about, now became fun obstacles(yes, I've had it airborne ). THAT makes a commute fun!

Xceler8x wrote: That or just have your commuter for 4 day a week service and a "Friday car" for those fun days.

heres what i was gonna say. thanks xcelera8x

Would light modifications to the daily make it any more fun to drive?

In reply to Racer1ab:

He already has a chip, coilovers and 17s. Can't go much further

Well, that'll learn me to actually look at his garage before commenting.

petegossett wrote: I did 150-200/day for 5-years, part of that time in my Miata. A fun car does not make a boring commute any more fun, it just makes a fun car seem more boring.

This.

I'm in a similar boat... hell... I have pretty much the same car: '03 TDi 5 spd wagon, although I've managed to avoid the mod bug, so it's bone stock.

To be honest, I know EXACTLY what you're going through... and I've had the same thoughts... "Eff this! I want to be driving something FUN!" But the thing is when I was daily driving a "fun car" - either my E30 or our now sold '07 MINI while the TDi was down for service - I was actually very happy to go back to the TDi. It simply does the job so damn well. Granted, some of the difference may be in my car, which I ordered to spec brand new, so it's optioned exactly how I wanted it: leather interior, up-rated stereo - and I find it still to be a comfortable place to spend 2+ hours of my time every day.

So right now I have the "Friday cars": my '64 Mini, '72 GT6 and (eventually it will run again...) '88 E30.

singleslammer wrote: In reply to Racer1ab: He already has a chip, coilovers and 17s. Can't go much further

You would be surprised... I know someone who has a tdi golf that they just got a factory recaro interior, 6 speed, big turbo+custom tune, full street suspension rebuild (not coilovers), etc. Its probably a $15k car now, but it handles well and its quite fast.

My e46 is a big step up interior-wise from te mk3/4 VWs that I have had and although similar "option" to my b5 S4, it has always felt 2-3x more solid and comfortable.

I wouldnt jump to m3 as the answer but a zhp 300 could do the job nicely. I get 25-26mpg mixed with my 325i/auto you could prpbably get the same or close with a 330/manual. Its one of the few cars that I have spent hours in without wanting to off myself.

Keith has great points. One other factor I'd say to add in is maintenance. Yes, a CTS-V may be falling into that range, as would a GTO. But what will they (especially the CTS) cost to keep up? At that price, it's probably already going to be high mileage and/or not as well cared for. You may spend $15k to buy, then thousands more the first year or two to fix it. You put a ton of miles on your car, I'd think you want something rock solid.

Paul_VR6 wrote: My e46 is a big step up interior-wise from te mk3/4 VWs that I have had and although similar "option" to my b5 S4, it has always felt 2-3x more solid and comfortable. I wouldnt jump to m3 as the answer but a zhp 300 could do the job nicely. I get 25-26mpg mixed with my 325i/auto you could prpbably get the same or close with a 330/manual. Its one of the few cars that I have spent hours in without wanting to off myself.

ZHP is an amazing car and somewhat of a Q ship compared to an M3.

Also someone mentioned an S4, a friend recently bought one and has difficulty getting 20mpg out of it, I'd stear clear of them on the gas front.

What is known of the Lexus CT200h? These seem to be the "driver's car" of the hybrid craze. They have been out about 3 years now so there should be some coming off-lease that might represent a good buy.

Mmadness wrote: If you're looking to stay diesel, check out the older diesel Mercedes especially the S-Class (aka SDL) or if you're looking for power you could go with a newer E-Class diesel.

The 350 SDL can make stupid power if you want to.

JohnRW1621 wrote: What is known of the Lexus CT200h?

A co-worker had one of these as a loaner while his wife's Lexus was in for service (his main DD is an automatic Mazda 6). He described it has a horrifically boring car to drive.

Maintenance is a good point if considering moving away from a TDi. I'd go nuts if I had to go back to 3-5K mile oil change intervals - I'd be changing the oil about once a month. Now I change the oil 3x a year.

Regal GS:

• Plush interior - nice for extended travel
• Boosted I4 - decent fuel economy (when youre nice to it), ~300 ponies when you get frisky
• Sport mode for hooning (firms up suspension damping and more applies aggressive steering from the electric unit) for weekend warrior stuff

...can be found used already if you look hard enough

I think you should get a new DD. I been driving the same Nissan truck for 27 years.

Whatcha want for the Golf?

+1 on a Friday car. Aside from the back seat a C5 would be my top pick. Next up would be a GTO or an E46.

Life is too short to drive a boring car? How about life is too short to spend 2.5 hours a day in your car? If I had a commute that long and couldn't move I'd grab the nearest razor blade and slit my wrists.

petegossett wrote: A fun car does not make a boring commute any more fun, it just makes a fun car seem more boring.

100% this. I have an STR Miata I could commute in. I almost never do. The same was true for my S2000, Z32, etc. Staring at the brake lights of the Camry in front of me is no more enjoyable from the seat of a sports car than it is from my appliance. Exiting a corner at 6/10s in my DD is no less exciting than exiting the same corner at 3/10ths in my STR prepped Miata. But at least the Miata gets worse gas mileage, is less comfortable, and is more expensive to maintain and repair!

^^^ Kinda this.

Plus, I always hate to see (or experience) a nice car getting ground down like that. Yes, I know, cars are meant to be driven, and I agree 100%. But cars are meant to be driven appropriately. If you're putting 40,000 miles on a car in a year, buy something comfortable that you won't mind using up and replacing with something equally replaceable.

There used to be a guy in town with a pretty nice older Audi S4... that he used for delivering pizza. Clearly he was struggling to afford driving his dream car, and driving it he was. But he was also destroying it and using it up. By the time it was paid off, there was likely nothing worth owning, assuming it lasted even that long!

That being said, something like a manual-tans TSX would be a nice place to sit for a couple hours a day, won't destroy your soul to drive, and will likely touch 30 mpg if you drive lightly.

If you are considering "sporty" E46's like 330's and ZHP, look at the Infiniti G35 with a six-speed. I had one before I moved cross-county and it is a really pleasant daily driver with a good combination of sporty and luxury.

Mine was a sedan which is a little more stealth and doesn't have the "guido" image that seems to come with the coupes.

I daily a BMW (E36 M-sport 5-speed) now and would glady push it off a cliff for a manual G35.

ProDarwin wrote: Life is too short to drive a boring car? How about life is too short to **spend 2.5 hours a day in your car**? If I had a commute that long and couldn't move I'd grab the nearest razor blade and slit my wrists.

petegossett wrote: A fun car does not make a boring commute any more fun, it just makes a fun car seem more boring.

100% this. I have an STR Miata I could commute in. I almost never do. The same was true for my S2000, Z32, etc. Staring at the brake lights of the Camry in front of me is no more enjoyable from the seat of a sports car than it is from my appliance. Exiting a corner at 6/10s in my DD is no less exciting than exiting the same corner at 3/10ths in my STR prepped Miata. But at least the Miata gets worse gas mileage, is less comfortable, and is more expensive to maintain and repair!

Did you read the original post?

"150 miles/day commuting, almost all highway or backroads, just over an hour each way (very little stop and go)."

Doesn't sound like he is staring at the brake lights of a Camry the entire time does it? My commute is very similar, but half the distance, which is why I drive DDs that are fun and engaging. I can't handle a boring appliance sucking the life out of me, so riding a bike, or driving a fun car everyday appeals to me. As far as having a long commute....well riding the k1200s in this morning was awesome and started my day off right, so no complaints here.

petegossett wrote: The only thing that made that commute more fun was a cheap, reliable, and economical POS that I could flog mercilessly without too much worry of inappropriate attention.

Good point, I find driving my Samurai to be a lot more enjoyable on the street. No need to dodge potholes, it doesn't feel like traffic's slowing me down so much, and I can drive it FLAT OUT without breaking the speed limits.

ProDarwin wrote:

petegossett wrote: A fun car does not make a boring commute any more fun, it just makes a fun car seem more boring.

100% this. I have an STR Miata I could commute in. I almost never do. The same was true for my S2000, Z32, etc. Staring at the brake lights of the Camry in front of me is no more enjoyable from the seat of a sports car than it is from my appliance. Exiting a corner at 6/10s in my DD is no less exciting than exiting the same corner at 3/10ths in my STR prepped Miata. But at least the Miata gets worse gas mileage, is less comfortable, and is more expensive to maintain and repair!

Yes and no on that one. I agree that staring at a Camry's brake lights from the drivers seat of a Lotus Exige would be the same as staring at them from the drivers seat of an '87 Escort Pony. You're just following the herd either way. But which one would you rather be in? I believe OPs commute is mostly highway cruising. That can be pretty boring in any car, but having something nice makes it a little more tolerable.

4cylndrfury wrote: Regal GS: + Plush interior - nice for extended travel + Boosted I4 - decent fuel economy (when youre nice to it), ~300 ponies when you get frisky + Sport mode for hooning (firms up suspension damping and more applies aggressive steering from the electric unit) for weekend warrior stuff ...can be found used already if you look hard enough

For anywhere near $15k?

oh, missed the $15k part. But I have seen them for ~$25k listed, so probably could get nearer to $20k with some negotiating...

edit: First link I clicked on when searching...
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-2012-Buick-Regal-GS-Turbo-t43712#resultsPage=1
sort for lowest price first