daily driving, high mileage.

[IEDEI]

i drive quite a bit. about 100-120 miles per day, mostly freeway/highway...in all weather----rain, snow, sun, etc. It doesn't snow a lot in NYC/Long Island....but i always use snow tires in all of my cars no matter what.

Do you think the 1M would be a reasonable car to put in high miles every single day? Is it stable in heavy rain? Easy to manage in a freeway traffic jam? is it tiring to drive? Is the clutch heavier than a 128 or 135?

As you may notice i have a 135is (6 speed) on order, however have found a few 'pre-owned' 1Ms and am tempted by them. Am just currently trying to evaluate if a 1M would be as practical as a 135is. My basic knowledge says "yeah probably!" but part of me says "stick with the 135is as it will be easier as a DD"....

your thoughts?

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

i drive quite a bit. about 100-120 miles per day, mostly freeway/highway...in all weather----rain, snow, sun, etc. It doesn't snow a lot in NYC/Long Island....but i always use snow tires in all of my cars no matter what.

Do you think the 1M would be a reasonable car to put in high miles every single day? Is it stable in heavy rain? Easy to manage in a freeway traffic jam? is it tiring to drive? Is the clutch heavier than a 128 or 135?

As you may notice i have a 135is on order, however have found a few 'pre-owned' 1Ms and am tempted by them. Am just currently trying to evaluate if a 1M would be as practical as a 135is. My basic knowledge says "yeah probably!" but part of me says "stick with the 135is as it will be easier as a DD"....

your thoughts?

Other than the DCT vs. obligatory manual in 1M, there is nothing you would miss about the 135is in terms of DD qualities. The clutch is probably lighter than other 1 series cars and ride quality is not bad at all, save some really broken surface. I wouldn't do what you do and drive that much every single day in traffic but since your alternative is a 135is I would say go for it, a 1M would make those miles much more fun at least.

[Stu1M]

The 1M is a perfectly good daily. Mine is on 41,000 miles now and used every day on the commute. It's comfortable and the ride is better than my old 120d MSport. It's no less safe in wet weather with DTC on than any other car. I suspect a 1M will hold it's value a lot better than a brand new 135 too.

[Sparks1M]

Get the M1.

I have been using mine for a DD for almost 2 years and have no issues. The roads in Santiago can be pretty dreadful, particularly the concrete pavements, so I sometimes find myself looking for the asphalt surfaces - but it's no biggie.

There's another thread somewhere in here canvassing the views of DDs and it was all pretty positive.

[Ender_]

From a practicality perspective its the same as any 1-Series, except for the fact you'll feel bad putting too many KM on it, I do, because I want to keep it for so long.

[IEDEI]

thanks everyone. appreciate the input.

as for putting miles on....i never feel bad, because i love driving and i buy cars to put miles on them and enjoy them for what they are----well engineered machines that are meant to be driven!

Am still thinking about it....although the 135is is SO good as a package, and may already be good enough of a car for my driving 'talents'....so i'm not sure if an upgrade to a 1M is really necessary for me---but i'd be lying if i said i wasn't tempted!

[Axelf]

I think you should just go for the 1M... you say you like driving your cars... The 1M is a car that needs to be driven... Nothing better than a manual box, and i can tell you the smile on your face for either part or all of the milage you do in it will be great.... You will love it..... JUST DO IT!!!!!

[TunedM2C]

I switch out my OEM wheels/tires every winter and she handles whatever Mother Nature will throw at her with ease. This car with a good set of snow tires is pretty outstanding IMO.

[dandandk]

Having owned both the 135 and the 1m i dont feel much difference in the clutch, maybe a tad heavier, but really cant notice the difference. i also would definitely go for the 1m, it drives and handles very different from the 135i; another thing i suppose you should consider is how much traffic u face in a daily basis, i m also from brooklyn and the traffic in the city can be quite brutal, not sure u want to drive a manual car every day in such condition, but again that s something pretty personal. good luck!

[Jay-K]

1M since you're comparing to a 135is manual

[IEDEI]

so with my 135is delivery probably 2-4 weeks away....it's last minute for IF i want to take a leap into a used 1M. I have many apprehensions about buying a 1M instead of just getting a 135is....perhaps some of you can chime in:

A) is the 1M a handful in heavy rain? we get A LOT of heavy rain here in NYC...and i drive a lot as i mentioned before (120 miles a day in and out of NYC). Even with traction control on?

B) does the 1M eat tires? If i drive 20-25k miles a year, am i going to have to replace the tires every 10k miles?

C) SNOW: i already feel like i'm taking a major step down from driving quattros the past 10+ years in all types of snow....i think the 135is *should* be OK with skinny (205 or 215) snow tires....but the 1M has a bit more torque and is already more tail happy....so would driving this many miles on a snowy day be asking for trouble? as far as i've learned, 18s are the smallest we can put on the 1M right? skinniest would be 225 or so? (for snow, the skinnier the better...but for torque, skinnier is worse!)

D) lastly....this isn't really of significant importance, but do you guys think the value of these cars will remain if i put 50k miles on a car already with 15-25k miles? That would mean that buy this time in 2015, a used 1M driven by me would have about 65-75k miles on it....i'm guessing if i paid $50k now...the car would be worth $30k then? less? more? i don't buy cars as investments...nor do i buy cars to treat them like princesses. i buy them to drive the pants off them.

best regards and thanks for your thoughts! I am 95% happy with my 135is order, but there is this nagging, irritating voice inside me asking me to get a 1M....i already missed out on an offered allocation 2 years ago (which i still regret) and feel that i may again miss out on a 2nd opportunity. lol.

[Yellowceta]

A) I just drove into work, ~50 miles, in heavy rain the whole way with M-mode on. I didn't obey the speed limit and had no problems on PSS's with 3,000 miles on them. 80% highway that are pretty smooth, too.

B) My stock PS2's lasted me 40k miles on the fronts and rears with one track day that saw six sessions at MSR in Cresson, TX. I don't abuse the car as I got that out of my system with a V8 a decade ago.

C) I live in Texas, what is snow?

D) I just turned 45k on mine. I have no plans on selling it, just what to do to the new engine before I drop it in

IMO, if you are still asking yourself these questions, you will never stop until you pick one up. I would say you could always go back to a 135, but 1M's will be more difficult to pick up.

Good luck with which ever direction you choose, though.

[lcrain]

A) No more of a handful than any other car I have driven. With traction on you should have no problems. If you have decent car control, traction off should be no problem. I was on the Circuit of the Americas on Hankook RS-3s in a torrential down pour with traction off. I wasn't trying to set any lap records, and it performed quite well.

B) Depends mostly on your driving style. The 1M doesn't have too much more power than the 135is. They do have stickier PS2's which will wear more quickly than most tires, but I don't think it will be a material difference as compared to a 135is. My PS2s have seen roughly 13000 street miles and they have plenty of tread left. I am sure they are heat-cycled out and worthless on the track but they serve their DD purposes quite well and I expect them to continue to serve that duty for quite a while longer.

C) Have not had to deal with snow in Texas with mine yet. I feel certain I will at some point. Not concerned in the slightest. Again, like the rain, I just wouldn't recommend driving like an racecar driver in the snow. This isn't a Ferrari, it will handle just about anything you throw at it. Just FYI, Apex makes a 17 inch wheel that will fit over the stock brakes.

D) I don't think anyone can give you the "right" answer here. I think it will hold it's value better than a 135is, that's just my opinion though. Here is the thing; it has (I would assume, depending on your spec) a similar price of admission as the 135is, with less warranty, and slightly higher cost of ownership. You will have to decide if spending the extra money to have the M is worth it. To me, it absolutely is. If you have intentions of doing HPDEs, autocross or any type of performance driving I think most would appreciate the perks offered by the 1M. If not, then the 135is is more than enough.

I'm sure the 135is is a great car, probably 90-95% of what the 1M is. For most that is plenty of car. For others, the 135 just doesn't quite do it for them. I wouldn't know, I jumped at the opportunity to buy a 1M having never driven a 135.

You see a lot of people go from the 135 to the 1M. Not many (if any at all) going the other direction.

[mb135is]

A) Drive carefully, that's it! It will be no more of a handful than any other car.

B) Don't know, but when it does go through tires and other parts, they will be more expensive.

C) Snow tires!

D) It will be worth whatever someone wants to pay.

Sounds like you itch for the 1M - buy it!!!!!!!

[IEDEI]

THANK YOU, gentlemen. Some really great thoughts you've given me. Appreciate the feedback. Keep them coming if anyone else has any!

[lcrain]

BTW, my brother has a TTRS. Holy-moly that thing is fast!

[DrShimmy]

I am a surgical resident stationed in 2 cities that are 150 km apart. My family home is the last pillar that makes a triangle which is also 150 km away. I commute depending on work, duties, calls and teaching day. I had the car for a year and 6 months. It has 46000 km on the odometer. I do a lot of highway driving and other than the cabin noise that might be a bit too high at times. It is fantastic. The clutch is light, the fuel economy is not bad. The acceleration and handling will put a smile on your face any day of the week. Other than a charge pipe dying on me the car has withstood 47 degree Celsius weather in the summer and turns into an absolute beast in our 28 degree Celsius winters. Go 1M and don't look back. It is a fantastic companion on those long journeys. p.s. the Harmon Kardon sound system is not bad either

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by DrShimmy

I am a surgical resident stationed in 2 cities that are 150 km apart. My family home is the last pillar that makes a triangle which is also 150 km away. I commute depending on work, duties, calls and teaching day. I had the car for a year and 6 months. It has 46000 km on the odometer. I do a lot of highway driving and other than the cabin noise that might be a bit too high at times. It is fantastic. The clutch is light, the fuel economy is not bad. The acceleration and handling will put a smile on your face any day of the week. Other than a charge pipe dying on me the car has withstood 47 degree Celsius weather in the summer and turns into an absolute beast in our 28 degree Celsius winters. Go 1M and don't look back. It is a fantastic companion on those long journeys. p.s. the Harmon Kardon sound system is not bad either

you have my sympathies, man! I am also a physician...and all/most of my driving is related to me getting myself to the hospital and back....in all weather...all the time!

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by lcrain

BTW, my brother has a TTRS. Holy-moly that thing is fast!

definitely fast...but for some reason doesn't do anything for me!! I loved the 1st generation TT as it was just a design icon/classic...but the 2nd one sort of takes itself too seriously....and lost the design too

my TT...i've had it for 10+ years now (and i'm keeping it!):

[ozinaldo]

Got it, here is your poison: Think of the 1M as the Honda CBR600 of the Dr. House, look how unusually happy he is

[CarJunkie]

I have another daily driver, which I use whenever it snows since I don't put snow tires on the 1M for the winter. We have pretty mild weather, though, so I drive the car a lot in the winter, even in rain as long as twemps are not below freezing. In good weather, I can never manage to convince myself to drive anything else. The 1M is insanely fun, and very comfortable for daily driving.

[Robin_NL]

The 1M can do all the things the 135is does, but it does it a tad more involving.

Use snowtyres in wintertime.



If you drive normally it also gets rather high MPG for its output.(understatement, went to Paris and back with 26MPG US/31UK)

Eating tyres depends on you. Same story with the 135is.

Just do it

Cheers
Robin