rbt
New Reader
6/4/18 10:04 a.m.
I feel like I have a good grasp on what everyone here would recommend as a daily driver from countless threads about it, but I haven't seen anything where everyone shared what they actually daily drive.
So... what's everyone using as a daily these days and why did you choose it/how do you like it?
To start things off I'm dailying a 16' FiST.
Chose it because It's practical with the hatch & 4 doors, gets decent mpgs, has been reliable so far (only 40k though), and most importantly, it's fun to drive.
Only complaints have been the cheap interior kind of wears on ya after spending so much time in it, and the recaros are a little aggressive for me during long drives. I also do a lot of commuting on crappy roads and in salty winters, so sometimes wish I had something I didn't care as much about.
Also I don't need a tow vehicle for the s2k yet, so that may change in the future, since having 2 vehicles + the wife's car is pretty much the limit for now
Wife DD's a 2014 Forte Koup 2.0Nu 6-spd auto. My DD currently is my Yamaha FZ-09, or my 78 C10 when it's raining. When winter hits it's back to the 06 Sierra CC.
Previous to that, we dd an 08 Rio LX, a '10 Forte SX sedan, a 2002 Elantra GLS, a 2000 Accent, Suzuki Grand Vitara. Before marriage was all GM products for me (93 fullsize, 89 9C1 caprice, 00 Sonoma stepside).
As for why... well Kia. It had 40k miles, was $7500 and looked decent and drove like new. She gets 36mpg weekly, and its cheap and easy to repair. For me... well, I had to sell the '10 Forte when I bought the truck. So the Sierra/bike/78 became my dailies because of space and limitations from the finance manager about keeping a 4th car.
I drove the E39 M5 today because it's supposed to be hot outside and the AC works. It's the grown-up car, sometimes I like to be a grown-up.
I tend to ping pong around, but my daily driver is usually one of the following:
- 1985 CRX Si
- 1990 Miata turbo
- 1990 Jeep Cherokee
- Something obscenely fast from work
06HHR
HalfDork
6/4/18 10:09 a.m.
I've got beaters for commuting. Right now it's a 91 Chevy 1500 Silverado. My 91 Infiniti G20 is waiting on new tires and alignment to get back in the rotation. Once that's set it will take over as there is a significant gas mileage delta between the two. The Infiniti is more fun in the ways that a compact, relatively good handling car is more fun than a full-size truck. But the truck gets much more respect in traffic.
I DD a 2001 Neon RT with 277K, I have put 77K on it my self. Good mpgs, dirt cheap to upkeep and is fun to drive. I cant complain.
When fuel gets $$$ I DD my 04 Golf TDI with a manual. Kind for the same reasons.
Ian F
MegaDork
6/4/18 10:13 a.m.
I have a few.
My main daily is "supposed" to be my 2003 Jetta TDI wagon... when I finally get the motivation to finish some maintenance work on it. In the meantime, the main driver is a 2008 Grand Caravan with broken A/C. When I don't want to sweat, I drive a 2006 MINI Cooper S. I'll probably get the A/C fixed in the van this month so I don't have to subject the MINI to my commute and it can go back to being the weekend fun car it was bought to be.
rbt
New Reader
6/4/18 10:14 a.m.
Professor_Brap said:
I DD a 2001 Neon RT with 277K, I have put 77K on it my self. Good mpgs, dirt cheap to upkeep and is fun to drive. I cant complain.
Actually had one of these as my DD a few years back, even around the same mileage, absolute tank, and so cheap. It was kind of nice not caring about rock chips and all that too
92 mustang, for something to mod and drive this is my summer daily and HPDE car. Wife's car is a Mazda 5 for it's reliability, low cost of ownership and six seats, she really wants a nice sedan again. I recently replaced my Jeep GC and Full sized GMC van with an 08 Pathfinder, this cures my need for seven seats and my want for 4WD and V8.
I'm also partial owner of an 89 Mustang notch Lemon's car.
LS400. Comfy, powerful, 25 MPG, reliable.
2013 135i
Of all the cars I've owned, it's probably my favorite. It ticks all the boxes for being quick, comfy, great stereo, etc.
Just has BMW parts prices. I only have one car nowadays, so it's a great do it all car. Just need to do some maintenance and then do a track day with it.
The only real negative is the DCT is grumpy around town. It's amazing when driving rapidly.
Personally, ‘13 Avalanche. Mpg’s be damned, 16 or so around here with my 180 mile round trip to work. Easy to maintain, hauls everything I would use it for, and hides what I need to hide.
Sonic
UltraDork
6/4/18 10:22 a.m.
2007 Mercedes CLS63 is what I drive the most. Like Keith’s M5, this is a grownup car. I like it because it is a very nice place to spend time with a quiet comfortable interior with vented seats, great compromise between sporty and comfortable, and it is amazing at the long toad trips we like to do. 500hp is fun. 16-20mpg
On nice days I take the 05 NSX. It is brilliant. An exotic with daily driver manners. 21-25mpg too, it is my most economical car!
If it snows or I have to pick up something heavy, then 03 Suburban 2500. I actually hate driving it because it is so big and ponderous and gets 11mpg and is such a waste, but as a tool it is excellent at doing what I need it to do.
2001 Prowler.
Comfortable, big stereo and never depreciates.
Tyler H
UltraDork
6/4/18 10:23 a.m.
2006 Tundra Double Cab -- hauls the whole crew if needed
2002 911 -- fun commuter once or twice a week. All of the deferred maintenance is caught up now. Still trying to decide if I'll ever get past the M96 'noids.
SVreX
MegaDork
6/4/18 10:25 a.m.
An F-250 with 560,000 miles on it.
LanEvo
HalfDork
6/4/18 10:25 a.m.
I've got two:
2010 BMW (E90) 335xi. It's an AWD, automatic sedan with all the modern comforts, like dual-zone auto climate control, adaptive HID headlights, satnav, satellite radio, heated seats, iDrive, etc. etc. A solid, reliable car to tool around in. My wife likes it. Great for winter driving, too.
1987 Mercedes (W124) 260E. Another boring German sedan. A little more stylish than the newer car. Smoother and quieter over rough roads. Significantly worse than the (modern, twin-turbo) BMW in terms of acceleration and braking, but it keeps up with modern traffic and is more than enough for getting to work.
rbt said:
Professor_Brap said:
I DD a 2001 Neon RT with 277K, I have put 77K on it my self. Good mpgs, dirt cheap to upkeep and is fun to drive. I cant complain.
Actually had one of these as my DD a few years back, even around the same mileage, absolute tank, and so cheap. It was kind of nice not caring about rock chips and all that too
I commute 100 mile round trip a day most day and have driven it 8hrs plus out of state with zero issues. I love these damn cars
RossD
MegaDork
6/4/18 10:31 a.m.
'14 Grand Cherokee for kid hauling duties. It will probably break 100k miles before the end of the year. We bought used in 2014 with 20k on it already. Its paid for, so we might just maintain it and run it until it doesn't seem to make financial sense.
We have a '93 Ranger for any hauling.
The wife has a work vehicle.
Sonic said:
On nice days I take the 05 NSX. It is brilliant. An exotic with daily driver manners. 21-25mpg too, it is my most economical car!
The 1990 Cherokee, the M5 and the 6.7 Cummins all get right about the same mileage on my commute. The truck is slow but mighty, the M5 is a four door supercar and the XJ has no excuse.
I've got a 1989 Honda Prelude as my DD. Honestly, I saw the Craigslist posting and was overcome with nostalgia (I learned to drive in a 1991 Prelude). It's definitely a throwback, and definitely slow compared to other traffic, but it makes even short drives fun. That said, I am rather thankful that my commute is rather short, as it would be a bit rough around the edges for a longer commute.
I'm DDing a base autotragic GD Impreza these days. At least it's comfortable and has AC.
Edit: Why did I choose it? It was a family beater that was available to me, and my Samurai which I used to DD got wrecked last May, when it already had some mechanical problems, and I've been struggling to keep it running ever since. The other option would be my AE92 which can't make it over speedbumps and has ultra-hard suspension and no AC.
How do I like it? Comfort and interior space/cargo capacity are the only things it really has going for it. It's pretty thirsty for a 1.6L 4cyl too.
2013 Mustang GT convertible. in the winter I drive a 2010 NC Miata, but that is my wife's summer daily.
'13 Fiesta SE, Just following my list of Escorts. 55k miles. Normal wear items. It has the DCT which I got out of curiosity. It has been trouble free until I noticed the oil leak. Took it my dealer,still under warranty. SW asked if I had any shudder. I said a little on occasion.
Anyway, I now have the latest in seals and clutches. Works like it should.
I really enjoy driving the car,short trips or long,fast or slow, straight or crooked, crooked preferred.
40+- mpg is normal. Got 52 once.
‘12 Lexus CT200h. Comfortable, quiet, 40+mpg.
Something from this odd collection but a tool for every job. Not shown, also a '90 Miata.