Actual E30 Operating Costs

[roguetoaster]

Finally got my cost/mileage spreadsheet back in order for my 1991 318i. It's currently an all stock daily driver, but is about to be treated to the standard H&R sport and Bilstein sport setup along with a full suspension refresh (which has been paid for and is in the data).

Total days owned: 1052
Total miles traveled: 21779.6
Gallons of fuel used: 781.6871
Total cost of ownership: $9,739.28

27.86 MPG overall
$0.45 cost per mile



Anyone else have a cost per mile worked out for their E30s?

[AdironRider]

As an accountant yes I do, but your numbers are missing info. I assume theres maintenance and depreciation in with your 9k figure? Insurance?

Anyways, depreciation is starting to be a moot point on these cars.

That being said I'm averaging about ten cents less a mile currently, but short ownership timeframe.

[jaywood]

I don't like to think about these things :(

[roguetoaster]

As an accountant yes I do, but your numbers are missing info. I assume theres maintenance and depreciation in with your 9k figure? Insurance?

Anyways, depreciation is starting to be a moot point on these cars.

That being said I'm averaging about ten cents less a mile currently, but short ownership timeframe.

Nay, depreciation (or maybe appreciation these days) is not included. However, all maintenance, parts, insurance, registration, fuel costs, and even a speeding ticket are. I was hoping to hit $.25/mile myself.

[AdironRider]

Pretty impossible to hit that number with gas anywhere over 2 bucks a gallon.

Registration and insurance seem to be the biggest owner dependent costs. Cali and Mass are going to be way more expensive for insurance and registration, compared to me here in Wyoming where insurance is nothing (I pay 12 bucks for 10k full coverage on my e30 a month) and registration is relatively cheap.

Everything else will average out in the end, excluding mods, over 40-60k miles in these cars, but my 318is was more expensive per mile by a couple pennies. Timing stuff related mostly.

[roguetoaster]

Well, you know how it is, you are getting your cost/mile down, and then you have to spring for upwards of $500 in parts. So, as you say it will average out.

In any case, I have worked hard to keep costs down. My car has never been to a shop for work as I have friends with tire mounting equip/toe plates, and I have done all the other work except machining the cylinder head myself. Having said that I realize that I have not included tool costs here, but they are a definite part of DIY car ownership.

[AdironRider]

I exclude tools from my numbers as I figure that's a lifetime purchase I'll use on vehicles in the future.

[roguetoaster]

I suppose that is the correct practice. How do you account for personal time used to work on the car? I have ignored it as I probably would have wasted that time on something else, but I shudder to think of the cost if I were to account for that.

[AdironRider]

I don't include my time, I do it as a hobby and don't quantify the time.

If I was Id do my salaried rate at my current job, as that's the opportunity cost I suppose, but its bullshit cause Im salaried in the first place.

That being said if I pay for someone elses time it gets rolled in, haven't done that yet but at some point something will break in a scenario where I cant just fix it myself and I'll pay it.

[lowsodium]

I probably have one of the worst cost per mile. I bought my car on craigslist for $600 november last year. $4500 in parts later:

Total days owned: 378
Total miles traveled: 250
Gallons of fuel used: 10
Total cost of ownership: $5100

27 MPG overall
$20.4 cost per mile

[matthugie]

Well, since my odometer has never worked, I'm at #DIV/0!. Do I win?

[roguetoaster]

I probably have one of the worst cost per mile. I bought my car on craigslist for $600 november last year. $4500 in parts later:

Total days owned: 378
Total miles traveled: 250
Gallons of fuel used: 10
Total cost of ownership: $5100

27 MPG overall
$20.4 cost per mile

More miles = amortization.

Well, since my odometer has never worked, I'm at #DIV/0!. Do I win?

Yes, if life were a game of Hearts.

[LivingLegend06]

On my last e30 I had cost down around $.22/mile.

4 yrs ownership. 50k miles. About 11k in cost, almost all of which is gas, insurance and registration.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

[TurboJake]

Days owned: 4396ish
Insurance/Reg costs over that time: $4464
Purchase Price: $1000
Total spent on maintenence: $1500ish
Total spent on goodies: $600ish
Average mileage: 26mpg @ 25 miles per day.

Sooo... $1.41, plus $2.88 @ $3 per gallon per day.

Per mile driven, not including fuel: $.029. Including fuel: $0.14

Roughly.

[AwakenNoMore]

I don't calculate this stuff. All I know is this car has been good to me compared to my last one.