Quote:
Originally Posted by PandaM3
Ok let's do the math. Here's a break down comparing a paid off e90 M3 vs Clarity PHEV base model current lease special.
Keep in mind these costs are not based on factory scheduled intervals, but intervals if you want to keep your M3 for a long time.
- Gas (based on todays rates at the Shell station I go to) with a 50 mile round trip commute= $234.24 per month
- Oil Change using that Twin Turbo power done at an indy shop every 5000 miles= $41.67 per month
- Battery every 4 to 5 years $300 if you don't do it yourself $200 if you do= $4 per month
- Brake fluid once a year= $16.67 (I think looking at my receipts thats based on ATE... since then I've been using fancy Castrol SRF which is even more)
- diff/ trans/ power steering fluid + plugs every 30,000 miles= $17.58
- Rod bearings every 60k miles (these bearings are going to be a wear item for me until there is a documented 100% solution) = $33.23 a month
- tires (I run an aggressive camber with PS4S)= $113.08 a month if they last 10,000 miles or half that if they last 20,000 miles
so that's $460.47 a month in running cost if I daily drove my M3. That's not including cost of brakes, repairs to the body from wear and tear, new windshield which would likely happen at least once in 3 years knowing my luck, and any other unexpected costs or the cooling refresh or cost of belts that should be done at 60k. Also does not include the depreciation from adding on more miles.
Clarity PHEV base lease special right now is $329 x36 most with $3999 at the start = $430.94 a month + $9 in electricity (I get half my charge at work) - another $450 rebate from the electric company for having an EV = $427.44 a month. And that's using a pretty bad lease rate too. As far as maintenance cost, if it is anything like my Spark the maintenance cost was just a pair of tires that I got for $150 over the 3 years I had the car.
Interestingly with my Spark EV after the incentives I got I'm essentially paying $70 a month + $9 in electricity and my total car insurance was cheaper with the Spark on the plan as my daily. I'll admit the only part of economics I messed up on with that was I should've turned around and invested that difference of $380 into different stocks each month for the last 3 years.
So there you have it a paid off M3 running cost per month with a 50 mile round trip commute is $460/ mos vs leasing a Clarity PHEV at $427.44 a month (it gets even cheaper per month by at least $100 by my estimates if you decide to just finance the Clarity and drive it over 10 years).
For kicks using the teslanomics calculator a fully loaded Model 3 will cost $1011.29 per mos if you add in all the running costs (except tires and brakes) and a stripper model 3 with the smaller battery + autopilot would cost $747.54 a mos.... but that's over 5 years. If the fully loaded Model 3 will last at least 10 years with ZERO issues then running cost on the tesla is about even with the M3.
Also last I checked/ googled Tesla Autopilot currently is considered level 2 autonomous... maybe high enough to be considered level 3. The Clarity comes standard with Hondasense + Low speed Follow which puts it solidly in level 2 which is just fine for traffic.
Anyhow, thanks for making me do the math cause if I spread it out over 10 years then monthly cost for a fully loaded Model 3 (with zero issues) is about even with the M3 and the monthly cost on a Clarity is even less over 10 years  |
LOL. I commute 170 miles a day round trip. 25 miles just gets me to cell service
. Then after another 30 miles I deal with Northern Virginia traffic. So I'm well versed in the costs of commuting in a BMW. Granted the E90 M3 is not the ideal commuter; I do have a friend at work, who is a member on the M4 Forum, who daily commutes in his M4. I don't think he has a 25 mile one way commute, but I can't see it being any less than 20. I had another friend I used to work with (he passed away last year) who did daily in a E90 M3 (his track car was a Factory-Five Cobra he built from my sister's 5.0 Mustang), without any mention of the absorbent costs; he definitely had over a 25-mile one way commute. So commuting in a M car is not unheard of. I think your monthly costs are way over estimated (e.g. I come up with $172/month at 1,000 miles per month and gas @ 3.08 and assuming 18 MPG). And based on your ridiculous maintenance plan on the M3... But really if the FJ is the logical choice. Running the FJ 50 miles a day can't be that expensive and not more than the
purchase (i.e. not lease) of a $47,000 EV plus running costs.
Again, if you want a car that drives itself in traffic, then you are quite limited. If you want an EV that is semi autonomous then you are even more limited. And there is the concept of negotiating the price down on a used Telsa S from the LA area; I saw at least 20 on Tesla's website.
Good luck with the search.