Is the ZHP the best daily driver?

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Originally Posted by Reasoned1

I'm curious to know what makes your Model 3 a better DD than your E46. Exactly what E46 did you have?

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Well the only thing I don't like about the Model 3 is that it's a sedan. Feels too big, I'll get used to it I guess. Also some random little quirks that can be easily fixed through a software update. But the car has all the modern amenities, little to no maintenance (haven't had it long enough yet, but based on the model s it's like just wear and tear items), no gas (cheaper per mile to drive). It's an eco car that is fast lol Has some zip when I need it to. Handles pretty well and is solid. Drives itself a bit lol What's not to like?

My E46 is what I would consider highly modified now. So it's more of a pain to drive in areas that are not lowered friendly. It's not that comfortable to drive long distances (even when it was stock). If I'm driving on the freeway for awhile, my car essentially becomes an auto so it's just as boring as any other car. I used to on purpose take the longer way to work and back only because there's a little canyon section to go to lol The big thing is I worry about damage to my car. I have custom body parts so it's not like you could even replace it if it's damaged lol Like my entire front clip is custom. Any damage to that will be a bitch to fix.

But man I haven't seen my E46 for like a year lol I miss that thing. I should get it back this year though.

Mine is sitting behind my garage. I’ve only driven it 2-3 times since we moved in August ;-( I feel like a cheater but the VW TDI DSG is now my DD here in the NoVa traffic. I did buy her a new battery tender!

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Originally Posted by sillieidiot

Well I used to daily my e46 so I thought it was the best at the time. But now I daily my Model 3 and it's a better DD than the e46 lol

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I'd echo this sentiment, but instead of a Model 3 I had an i3 (60ah, non-range extender) for 2.5 years. TL;DR: modern, new-car amenities are nice to have, good handling electric vehicle is great if it works for your use-case and if the finances of it makes sense for you.


I thought my e46m3 and the 330i were great DDs until I got the i3. Once the range is >200 per charge, and if there's a good lease deal again, I'd get another one. New-car amenities such as not having to wrench on it or plan for preventative maintenance is nice, the electronics are an added bonus. Basically it was fuel and go like any new car, gas or electric.

I think BMW did a fantastic job with the i3.
- driving/seating position was really good (front seats are really comfortable too),
- height of the seats and large door openings made ingress / egress easier and more comfortable (never having to really step up or bend down is nice, and welcomed for my aging parents).
- spaciousness of such a compact car was amazing (4 regular sized adults fit comfortably),
- sight lines out of the i3 was really good, I find most of the new cars to have huge blind spots, not so with the i3.
- rigidity of the carbon chassis was palpable,
- suspension tuning made it feel similar to other BMWs I've driven,
- the slight rear weight bias (47/53) felt good as did the low center of gravity and the low overall weight (<3,000lbs is great in today's car world, imo),
- instant-response and max torque from 0 rpm of the electric motor is great around town and for passing on the freeway,
- although 0-60 was 7.5 seconds it never once felt slow in my day to day use (in fact it felt zippy and more than capable to keep up / pass on the freeway),
- slightly eery at first, the silence of the drivetrain was welcomed. It made commuting less tiring.
- LED headlamps are a little better in clarity imo than the xenons,
- cargo capacity was really good (rear seats folded), and the loading height of the trunk meant it was more ergonomic when stowing items,
- The distance-controlled cruise control was nice to have in stop and go traffic,
- maneuverability of a small vehicle is good in crowded places like LA

The max range of about 80 miles was the pain in the ass for my usage, I was traveling 55-65 miles each way (90% highway from Orange County to Los Angeles), which meant I was essentially maxing out the range each leg of my round trip. Charging was a necessity on each leg of the trip and additional destinations were essentially a non-starter or took additional planning and time for charging.

However, it was perfect for around town or when my daily commute totaled less than 60-70 miles. Range anxiety is real (at least in the first 3-4 months of acclimation). And nothing more frustrating than arriving at a quick-charge station to find it occupied, with exception of finding a fully charged car / car that's not charging occupying the space and charger. It wasn't so bad when I first got the car (2015), but with additional EVs on the road the available charging stations started to feel more crowded (2017).

I think it depends on your predominant use-case and the finances. For me, I was spending ~$400-500/mo. on fuel (2-3x/week at about $50-60 each time), then add in maintenance items (oils, filters, tires, brakes, etc, which adds up in both time and $) in either the m3 or the 330i. The finances of it worked out in my case: $257/mo for 30 months, $0 down, 15k miles / year, plus the random rebates available at the time. The only additional charge I incurred was $300 for 2 rear tires, fronts were almost done but the guy at the dealership was cool about it.

Over the course of 2.5 years I didn't have to put 36k miles on either of my e46s, which was nice. With exception of going for "fun-drives" and where distance could be an issue I never drove my other cars. Waiting for 200+ mile range plus good lease deals again. Fingers crossed.

Having said all of that, I think the e46 is great for longer distances and now that I'm back in it for DD I don't have any real complaints. It's a fantastic car even for DD. I go on road trips a few times per year (southern California to Oregon) and it eats up the miles like a champ. The chassis and the engine seem to have a sweet spot between 70-90mph ...it just feels and sounds right in this range. It's hard to get rid of the e46 - I even picked up a project ZHP. BMW did a great job with the e46 ZHP imo, they just need some TLC as they age.

Death before electric...

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Originally Posted by Reasoned1

Death before electric...

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Nah. Electric is the ish.

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Originally Posted by Reasoned1

Death before electric...

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This. No sound = no care.
They're cool cars and have their place, but I will drive cars with combustion motors for as long as is humanly feasible.

I mean...we already have piped in sound in modern cars.

Electric cars sound like spaceships with the right motor/controller.

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Originally Posted by DeathTrap

I mean...we already have piped in sound in modern cars.

Electric cars sound like spaceships with the right motor/controller.

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But the piped in sound is the real sound of the motor but just amplified, so that doesn't actually count. If you put your foot down in a car with a combustion motor, there's no doubt in your mind that the sound you hear, piped in or not, is coming from an actual motor running at the corresponding revolutions due to how it feels. You simply can't duplicate that with an electric car.

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Originally Posted by az3579

But the piped in sound is the real sound of the motor but just amplified, so that doesn't actually count. If you put your foot down in a car with a combustion motor, there's no doubt in your mind that the sound you hear, piped in or not, is coming from an actual motor running at the corresponding revolutions due to how it feels. You simply can't duplicate that with an electric car.

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My favorite piped in sound story was when @sockethead found out that the M2 was piping in highway drone through the speakers lol

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Originally Posted by az3579

But the piped in sound is the real sound of the motor but just amplified, so that doesn't actually count. If you put your foot down in a car with a combustion motor, there's no doubt in your mind that the sound you hear, piped in or not, is coming from an actual motor running at the corresponding revolutions due to how it feels. You simply can't duplicate that with an electric car.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

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Agreed. Many people call that "character" or "soul." It's actually one reason why I would not want the ZHP to be full electric. (To stay on topic)

Given the opportunity though, I'd mod the hell out of an EV project car.