EV v M8 v 840d

[thebullettrain]

I’ve an EV. I’ve been looking for a second car for my work run: 500 miles round trip nearly every week.

It’s really been a choice between a BMW 840d v a Tesla 3 long range. The Tesla is cheaper to run, but will mean stopping probably once each leg to top-up: as I’ve no charger at the destination.

I appreciate the Tesla is not as refined as the 840d, the latter is something I can fuel up at the start and not worry about again.

I’ve now seen a M8 gran coupe. This is a car I’ve liked for a while and I previously walked away from a M5 to get a more family friendly X5 50d at the time. The M8 is pricey but the insurance is “only” £800.

What do you think? If it’s the M8 then I think going to be using both the EV and M8 for the work commutes to ensure miles don’t rack up / cheap a lid of costs.

Thoughts?

Edited to add

Need two cars. One for the other half and then my “utility” car.

Edited by thebullettrain on Tuesday 2nd September 11:16

[samoht]

If the work run is mainly motorway, then IMHO it's not worth the cost of running an M8 just to sit on a motorway at 79mph with everyone else. I'd only consider that if you were going to get a decent amount of 'fun' miles in it.

250 miles each way sounds like at least four hours. Would you normally drive that non-stop? If you do, then the 840d seems worthwhile just to save you stopping. OTOH if you would generally want to make a stop on each leg, then you may as well charge at the same time and save some money.

Stepping back though, none of the options seem like a complementary / suitable pair of cars. You either have two EVs or an EV and a diesel, which is boring. Or you have an EV and an M-car, and end up sitting on the motorway in the M-car racking up boring miles to save a charging stop.

In my book if you have two cars, that's a chance for one to be fun. So either use an EV or a diesel for the work driving as suits, and then free up the other slot for a Boxster or A110 or something else small and light enough to actually be sporting. But that's just what I'd do, if you have a yearning for a big powerful GT car over a sports car then maybe the M8 is the answer.

[uktrailmonster]

A long range Tesla 3 would only require 1 stop on your way back. Older models are good for over 300 miles and a Highland can do over 350 miles.

[Jamescrs]

Of the options I would probably have the EV and the M8 or just the 840D alone.

The combination of EV and 840D doesn’t really make sense to me

[stub101]

M850i as a compromise - decent mpg when cruising and actually quite fun when spirited (and about half cruising mpg…)

Most of depreciation has happened so ‘relatively’ cheap to buy.

[Familymad]

The diesel and petrol options would interest me way more than the Tesla but … as I do a 578 mile round trip once a month in our Model Y and have done since 2023, it’s cheap and painless with the network. Just back from that run Saturday and will be doing an Exeter to Bucks round trip Friday for uni drops off. Prob needs 10mins or less at Exeter supercharger. Circa £20 total

My need with the older ICE stuff is the one off big bills they threw. My old Defender just did that last week and cost me £1756.

[Frankychops]

uktrailmonster said:

A long range Tesla 3 would only require 1 stop on your way back. Older models are good for over 300 miles and a Highland can do over 350 miles.

My old long range would only do 240miles at motorway speed in summer.

I’d go for the 840d or even a 640d. Brilliant motorway cars with adaptive dampers

[Wills2]

I did a similar long journey once a week for around 10 years in a range of 740/30d and M5/M3s, the M cars couldn't do it without a fill up unless you nursed them down which is no fun, the diesels would do it on half a tank, my route was 170 miles on the A1 then 25 miles cross country at either end so plenty of opportunity for some fun especially as I'd be driving when most were still in bed or at home.

If I had to choose looking back I'd say the M5 was the least favourite to do the journey in, too thirsty (at one point I was putting in £800 a month in fuel) the power was wasted on our roads and too big to throw down the cross country sections, if it had to be a big car then the 740d series would be my choice.

So I'd pick the 840d out of your choices, I wouldn't pick the EV just because I wouldn't like having a car that couldn't do the trip without being plugged in for 30-40 minutes.

[thebullettrain]

Familymad said:

The diesel and petrol options would interest me way more than the Tesla but … as I do a 578 mile round trip once a month in our Model Y and have done since 2023, it’s cheap and painless with the network. Just back from that run Saturday and will be doing an Exeter to Bucks round trip Friday for uni drops off. Prob needs 10mins or less at Exeter supercharger. Circa £20 total

My need with the older ICE stuff is the one off big bills they threw. My old Defender just did that last week and cost me £1756.

Interesting and thanks. How comfy do you find the Y seats and how many miles do you get from it?

[Familymad]

It’s a lovely motorway cruiser just not on uneven and potholed roads. That’s the air suspension brigade stuff that the RR and probably the 840 etc.

Ours has done mid 30k miles and has just turned 2 yrs old. It shows 330 miles on a full charge down from 335 when new.
We are close to M40 and my parents are in Keswick so 289 door to door. In summer it needs a 5 min top up at Preston, 3 hrs after setting off. In winter it needs 7-10 mins.
I never pull in with less than 80 miles left so it’s probably able to do 260 at 75mph. Again, I don’t check as I need a pee and it just takes what it needs with no thought from me.

Edited by Familymad on Tuesday 2nd September 09:31

[Familymad]

Sorry you asked about seats not ride quality. Seats are great!

[Frankychops]

Frankychops said:

uktrailmonster said:

A long range Tesla 3 would only require 1 stop on your way back. Older models are good for over 300 miles and a Highland can do over 350 miles.

My old long range would only do 240miles at motorway speed in summer.

I’d go for the 840d or even a 640d. Brilliant motorway cars with adaptive dampers

just to add, i'd go for one of these as a single car option.

[Ed Banger]

If your a largeish person the seats in the Tesla I find very short of underleg support which can have an effect on your back after a few hours. deffo worth sitting in one to try for size.

[CG2020UK]

Frankychops said:

uktrailmonster said:

A long range Tesla 3 would only require 1 stop on your way back. Older models are good for over 300 miles and a Highland can do over 350 miles.

My old long range would only do 240miles at motorway speed in summer.

I’d go for the 840d or even a 640d. Brilliant motorway cars with adaptive dampers

I’ve a 2020 Long Range so pre heat pump and that seems really low.

I really don’t sit about either and on cross climate 2 tyres so more grippy.

I’ve just hammered (proper good drive) my car home there now on hilly steep B-roads and I’d be getting 285miles at 100%.

I’d go M8, Model 3 then 840d.

[MDL111]

Normally I would say M8, but given the mileage and type of driving I would go 840D. My dad had one and it is a great motorway car with a very good range.

[uktrailmonster]

Frankychops said:

uktrailmonster said:

A long range Tesla 3 would only require 1 stop on your way back. Older models are good for over 300 miles and a Highland can do over 350 miles.

My old long range would only do 240miles at motorway speed in summer.

I’d go for the 840d or even a 640d. Brilliant motorway cars with adaptive dampers

How fast did you cruise? My 2022 AWD Model Y can do 250 miles at 77 mph. A LR Model 3 would be considerably more. No idea how you only got 240 miles out of a LR Model 3 unless you were going much faster, especially in summer.