How does the 5BW do as a daily driver? Nearly all the 2-3 year old 5BWs have very low miles. This makes me think they aren't as livable as I'm hoping.
Background....
I have a 2023 Volvo V60 Polestar wagon. It's got 455 HP and Ohlin coilovers....all from the factory. It's a very special car that was made in low numbers and I really do love it. However, it is a plug in hybrid with an automatic transmission. I also have a new Bronco 4dr soft top and a manual transmission. Bronco has been fun on the weekends but isn't a good daily. I drive 12-14k miles per year.
I have been salivating over a 5BW. I am considering replacing the Volvo with a 5BW manual trans. I'd drive the 5BW most of the year and save Bronco for winter (might need to get hard top...).
Is this a bad idea?
Not a bad idea at all. Per what everyone said, it makes a fantastic daily. I now have ~ $20K miles on mine without a hitch.
Why the low miles?
1) As others have stated, weather plays a role.
2) THIS forum is for BW enthusiasts. There is also a population of people who have/had the car and aren't on this forum who saw it as an investment and flipped it quick after experiencing it. NOT because they didn't like it, but because that was the game all along.
3) some of the EARLY adapters were car people with a lot of money (mind you we were still coming out of the COVID era). This population can get bored and will move on to the next thing to experience something else, not because they don't like it. Additionally, when we (and they) didn't get the exact spec they wanted due to constraints (CF1, CF backed seats, color options, etc), they might have moved on because they didn't get EXACTLY what they wanted. BUT this population of people can also afford other toys as well, thus keeping miles low. I'm guilty of cross shopping over the past year and potentially getting out of Cadillac altogether to try something different (see below, I've been V'ng since 2013), but the trade in value wasn't sufficient for me to bite (they were offered ~ $80-85K on trade in) so I'm gonna keep going. Why trade it in? I recently changed jobs and now my commute is only 5 miles each way. My time in my car was my escape for the day. Now I don't have that, and I don't feel I need such an amazing car if I don't get to stretch it out a little here and there.
4) People may be moving on to the 2025 due to the refreshed screen and precision package.
this list could go on, but as you can see, there are many reasons. I wouldn't be afraid to take the plunge if I were you. ADDITIONALLY, I daily drove a V2 and V3, the latter of which I put on ~75K miles with only minor issues, none with the engine or transmission. This car is better than both of those.
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