Hello again Oppo!
It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been on, but in reality it looks like maybe it was just a few weeks. Lots of things have happened; I started my new job, celebrated the completion of my MBA with the official pomp and circumstance walking across the stage ceremony, and I traded in the Miata for a new something.
The MBA was completed in July so this was really just a celebration thing. It did make the whole experience feel complete though, so I am very glad I got to walk. The new job is going swimmingly, however I can’t oppo like I did in my old job – at least not yet. The role is totally new to my skill set. I’ve transitioned out of banking and in to cyber security. Long and short, I come in to help clean up after data is stolen/shared accidentally/etc. My role particularly is more a face to the process and there is a team behind me that does all the hard work.
The new job has a commute though. I actually have to get on the interstate and occasionally I sit in stop and go traffic on the way home. This is dramatically different than the 12 minute commute I had at my old spot. I quickly realized the Miata was great, but not for what I was doing in traffic. I love a smol boi as much as the next guy, don’t get me wrong. People however don’t see you on the road and there were definitely times that I just wasn’t comfortable sitting in the car for so long. I predicted this would come so I shopped around mid-size sedans during the funemployment period.
I test drove the following: Cadillac CTS-V, Volvo S60 R-design, Audi S3, BMW M240i, and a Jaguar XE R-Sport.
You can probably see the rough theme there; sporty, fun, sedan like cars. I prior checked out an Alfa and almost bought one, however the paperwork didn’t feel right. I let that pass and found the perfect predictable German Camry – the BMW 3 series.
For those who like to inspect the specs:
So far I absolutely love it! It’s a 2016 340i xDrive with 40k miles on the b58. It shifts through the 8 speeds automatically so I can have a free hand to text and drive. I have a 2 year full coverage warranty. The AWD wasn’t on the need list, but it checked all the other boxes I wanted so xDrive it is. Particularly happy to have the M-sport! I’m a little mixed on the new tires that are on it. I appreciate that they are brand new, but they are massively off brand cheapos. They seem to grip well as day one it was pouring rain and I couldn’t get it to break loose. However I’m not sure how great they’ll be long term.
I know this motor responds well to mods. I suspect it will stay stock for a bit then I might consider a few small additions. This is my second 3 series and by far one of the nicer newer cars I’ve owned. It’s much more car than I’ve had in a long time, but I know at the end of the day it’s also rather boring – which I’m pretty okay with.
So concludes this TysMagic update! I’ll probably spam some f30 pictures once I’ve gotten a chance to clean and detail the car some.