[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by fastboatster

I'm dailying my e90, of course) still get excited almost every time I need to drive it.

So, I've been on vacation these past few weeks and haven't driven much compared to my normal 800-mile weeks. I've not driven the E90 since Christmas eve. Yesterday I was ripping around in the Z3 with the top down, rare around here for early January . The Z3 has a Bilstein/H&R suspension and is my best driving car, slow that it is (fun to drive a slow car fast...)

But the E90 was up for its 5,000-mile tire rotation and winter pressure adjustment. That accomplished, I dropped it off the lift and took it out to warm up the N52 and scrape the rust off the rotors. After 13 and a half years and a bazillion miles, I still really just love driving that car.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

Hold my beer.

My "daily driver" for work is a 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 hatchback. NO clearcoat (and barely any paint) on any horizontal surface, with a lot of rust on the bottom of the back hatch as a bonus. The remaining clearcoat is slowly oxidizing and flaking off-- the car looks like it has mange. The only way to tell what the true color of the car used to be is to look at the bumpers or where the remains of what used to be a clear bra (that's fossilized onto the hood) was.

The Bad: Driver's window doesn't work and is speed-taped into position. Turn signals only work manually. Radio is intermittent (some days it works, other days-- not so much). Hatch won't stay latched which either a) drains the battery or b) triggers a door light at highway speeds. Hatch struts are completely blown so there's a good chance of decapitation if you open the hatch and forget about that little tidbit. It has an intermittent electrical gremlin that triggers the Electric "idiot light" randomly. I pretty much troubleshot and replaced everything in the electrical system except the ECU and finally gave up-- it runs, so I just ignore the light. The blower fan sounds like a family of talkative squirrels moved in (which isn't beyond the realm of possiblity), which means for heat/cold, you have two settings: Off or Full Blast-- anything between is Fingernails On A Chalkboard. The rear wiper is completely erratic-- you have to coax it to take a swipe at the rain on the back hatch. The suspension has a LOT of creaks and noises in it from the front strut perches; I changed them twice, the noise came back and I gave up because Ford's build quality is right up there with Yugo's. I'd turn up the radio to help ignore the din, but that's a hit or miss proposition. And finally-- the wiring that was installed by the Ford employee's in Mexico? Terrifying. Just..... terrifying. I've had to splice/patch/replace a good chunk of it just to keep from going up in flames like a buddhist monk. I literally fear plugging an amp meter into the circuit box as I'm afraid of what I'll read.

The Good: It's a manual transmission and has stiffer roll bars than stock-- it's actually sort of a hoot to drive. It has new light housings since the old ones were so hazy that on/off was more or less the same thing, I finally broke down and bought some cheap Chinese knock-off housings and they work great.

And? NOBODY in their right mind is going to break in to it or steal it from the Employee Lot, so I don't need to worry about security when I'm on a trip.

Part of the deal with my wife for me getting a new M2C was that the Focus had to Go Far Away. In its defense, it lived out in Cali for 15 years in the blasting sun with minimal care and feeding-- I would use it a few days a month when I commuted out to play with the AF Reserve, so for how often it got abused and neglected, it did a good job for longer than I would have expected.

Now, I just need to figure out how to get rid of it. My buddy is seriously considering giving it to his girlfriend's two kids-- they're recently of driving age, and he figures the humiliation of driving this around would do them a world of good. It's not like they can hurt it, and it might teach them that "No you do NOT get a nice, new car for free, just because you want one."

I'm all for it.

R.

Come on, you've really never seen a Yugo have you...

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Come on, you've really never seen a Yugo have you...

Actually? Yes, I have. I'm old enough to have actually seen them at a dealership in the late 80's/early 90's.

The Focus might not be quite that bad, but having it sandwiched between owning an Acura and a Honda? It was a bit disappointing in build quality/materials/fit and finish.

Not Ford's finest product. I blame a lot of it on building them in Mexico.

(You listening there, BMW?)

R.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

Actually? Yes, I have. I'm old enough to have actually seen them at a dealership in the late 80's/early 90's.

The Focus might not be quite that bad, but having it sandwiched between owning an Acura and a Honda? It was a bit disappointing in build quality/materials/fit and finish.

Not Ford's finest product. I blame a lot of it on building them in Mexico.

(You listening there, BMW?)

R.

Yeah I'm old enough too; it's why I asked ... Agreed, the 2001 Focus was not the best of Ford's efforts. My 1999 F150 was a POS too. Tied back to the then VP of Fords supply chain back in the late '90s; some French dude, I forget his name. My Brother has a late model Fiesta, 2018 I think, which is built in the same Mexican factory and it's a well-built piece. I think he paid $12,500 for it brand new.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

Actually? Yes, I have. I'm old enough to have actually seen them at a dealership in the late 80's/early 90's.

The Focus might not be quite that bad, but having it sandwiched between owning an Acura and a Honda? It was a bit disappointing in build quality/materials/fit and finish.

Not Ford's finest product. I blame a lot of it on building them in Mexico.

(You listening there, BMW?)

R.

Both of my Mexican GTI's have been great. My BMW's made in the US and South Africa have been better than the German ones. Place your blame elsewhere.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Both of my Mexican GTI's have been great. My BMW's made in the US and South Africa have been better than the German ones. Place your blame elsewhere.

I'll stand by my description of Mexican build quality, but I concede that it may be much different now than in 2001.

I also fault Ford for going "cheap" on materials- substandard wiring bundles, "fuzz on the floor" carpet, flimsy plastic, et. al.

Again, this is a 2001 car.

R.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

I'll stand by my description of Mexican build quality, but I concede that it may be much different now than in 2001.

I also fault Ford for going "cheap" on materials- substandard wiring bundles, "fuzz on the floor" carpet, flimsy plastic, et. al.

Again, this is a 2001 car.

R.

I've always thought of that Focus as a bit like a Subaru. Good engineering and dynamics but awful materials.

[vilord]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

I'll stand by my description of Mexican build quality, but I concede that it may be much different now than in 2001.

I also fault Ford for going "cheap" on materials- substandard wiring bundles, "fuzz on the floor" carpet, flimsy plastic, et. al.

Again, this is a 2001 car.

R.

Ford had bad build quality in the states before they moved production to Mexico. I'd blame the bad build quality on the fact that it is a Ford.

[GenXer]

Due to reducing my motor stable into 2 vehicles, I am left with my 2018 Chevy crewcab as my daily driver. It's not the most efficient or environmentally friendly means of transportion. But what the heck, the world is going to end soon anyway.

[W///]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

2018 i3 Rex

Been looking into this lately. Call me crazy, but I've tossed the idea of selling my E36 M3 for either a 2018 BMW i3s or F56 MINI JCW. Not in a rush or anything, and patiently waiting for prices to drop even more.

The reason is because I really don't have anything fuel efficient, and these 2 replacements would be different than the other cars I have. Having said that, I've backed off many times and have just kept the E36.

How are you liking the i3?

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by W///

Been looking into this lately. Call me crazy, but I've tossed the idea of selling my E36 M3 for either a 2018 BMW i3s or F56 MINI JCW. Not in a rush or anything, and patiently waiting for prices to drop even more.

The reason is because I really don't have anything fuel efficient, and these 2 replacements would be different than the other cars I have. Having said that, I've backed off many times and have just kept the E36.

How are you liking the i3?

Nobody buys these, leasing is way to go. As much as I love mine its equivalent of buying an iPhone and holding for 4+ years, the battery life offering will be exponentially better. If you want to get one go for 2019 as it has the longest battery life.

FWIW I leased mine for $299/m with 0 down other than sales tax. With my net gas/electricity savings it comes down to $180/m. For that little you should just keep your e36 m3 imo.

[W///]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

Nobody buys these, leasing is way to go. As much as I love mine its equivalent of buying an iPhone and holding for 4+ years, the battery life offering will be exponentially better. If you want to get one go for 2019 as it has the longest battery life.

FWIW I leased mine for $299/m with 0 down other than sales tax. With my net gas/electricity savings it comes down to $180/m. For that little you should just keep your e36 m3 imo.

Thanks for the feedback! My commute is only 20 mins each way, mostly highway too. So I really dont think I'd get much benefit from the fuel savings. But I do find the i3 an interesting car though

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by W///

Thanks for the feedback! My commute is only 20 mins each way, mostly highway too. So I really dont think I'd get much benefit from the fuel savings. But I do find the i3 an interesting car though

They're fun to drive (being rwd with 125 cross section tires) and are surprisingly roomy inside. Someone at my kid's daycare makes it work with a rear facing car seat. If they just had double the range I'd have bought one, the US version of REX is a bit challenged.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

They're fun to drive (being rwd with 125 cross section tires) and are surprisingly roomy inside. Someone at my kid's daycare makes it work with a rear facing car seat. If they just had double the range I'd have bought one, the US version of REX is a bit challenged.

I have 2 rear facing seats in mine, one for toddler (passenger side) and one for newborn (driver side). Getting in/out can be slightly challenging given the doors design but you eventually figure out a ‘system’ that works. The only thing that sucks is the lack of trunk space. It’s pretty narrow so don’t even think about filling a stroller in there.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by W///

Thanks for the feedback! My commute is only 20 mins each way, mostly highway too. So I really dont think I'd get much benefit from the fuel savings. But I do find the i3 an interesting car though

One thing I like is how it’s all carbon fiber. You won’t find that in another BMW for long time due to cost but it was the only way to keep the weight down since their battery tech at the time wasn’t all that great. The 2019 version is actually decent life but keep in mind that your range does down day 15-20% during colder weather...

Too bad the Mini EV has shitty battery. Was really looking forward to that as a potential i3 replacement but guess I’ll be waiting for the X3 EV specs...

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by JM98

2002 Civic - boring as hell but I barely trust my 135i to take a drive more than an hour from home.

Just averaged 36mpg on an 800 mile road trip.


Attachment 2197921

Nice beater. How the feck do you survive without tinting them windows? I know you like to be seen in that blue beauty but still!

[Richneerd]

My daily, just finished restoring it 91 MR2 IG @Richneerd

[flgfish]

Daily: '12 e91 xdrive
Fun car: '15 Porsche 911
Wife's car: '16 Chevy Tahoe

[W///]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

They're fun to drive (being rwd with 125 cross section tires) and are surprisingly roomy inside. Someone at my kid's daycare makes it work with a rear facing car seat. If they just had double the range I'd have bought one, the US version of REX is a bit challenged.

I remember driving them at a dealership event when they just came out and quite enjoyed it. It was a nice comfortable ride and definitely felt fast enough. I'm ok with the 2019s having about 120 mi range. The car will only be driven maybe 3 times per week locally so it would have plenty of time to stay charged up even on level 1 charger. I would definitely skip on the REX because I'd never take it on a road trip.

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

One thing I like is how it’s all carbon fiber. You won’t find that in another BMW for long time due to cost but it was the only way to keep the weight down since their battery tech at the time wasn’t all that great. The 2019 version is actually decent life but keep in mind that your range does down day 15-20% during colder weather...

Too bad the Mini EV has shitty battery. Was really looking forward to that as a potential i3 replacement but guess I’ll be waiting for the X3 EV specs...

Yea I was also hoping the MINI SE would have way better range, because I'm actually a fan of their interiors. But the way I see it, if I'm going to get something electric that's different than my M's, I'd want something very different, which the i3 is inside and out.

Have you had anything come up with yours? Don't see to find too many issues on the BEVs

[JM98]

Originally Posted by infinitekidM2C

Nice beater. How the feck do you survive without tinting them windows? I know you like to be seen in that blue beauty but still!

Funny you said that - I just had it tinted, felt like I was in a fish bowl lol

[Finlandr]

#stillstatic

[TheirThere]

e36 328i
zuma 125cc scooter
honda grom 125 (lil motorcycle)