I've been contemplating switching from my B9 S5 Sportback which is now fairly high in mileage ever since I got a new job that pays well and I've been burnt by the rocker arms.

For context the S5 is pretty much my dream car, everything from the design to the B9's fit and finish and of course the power are the best package I can think of besides the S7/RS7 if I wasn't living in Switzerland where it's a little too big. The tuning potential was also very appealing at the time, as I got it to make well over 500WHP, but came with the earlier mentioned downside of reliability that's becoming more and more questionable with time as we find out about cylinder scoring and already have enough issues to deal with like the waterpump and PCV (which I had to replace twice already).

If I switch to a different car I've already narrowed it down to the closest I can get to a reliable and economic S5, which is the BMW i4 M50, but it's less about what I'm switching to but what I'll miss from the S5. Little things like the AC controls, quilted leather seats with massage, etc. After test driving newer cars the cost savings really became apparent with everything the S5 comes with. Of course the lack of an exhaust is also a bummer, but admittedly less than I expected since the interior sound it makes is quite fun. In terms of driveability they're quite similar but the BMW is noticeably heavier and more RWD biased. The instant torque is cool but since tuned B9s already pull quite hard it's not as jaw-dropping as for people switching from something like an A3 to an EV.

Overall I know that if the S5 continues to require more than just regular maintenance the i4 will break-even easily. And I'll probably have to do the transmission oil flush soon anyway if I want to take it another 50tkm or more, among other things. Having already done some big items like the timing chains and waterpump recently I have some remorse about that but also a general concern that this platform will just become more of a moneypit as time passes, completely opposite to an EV.

So those of you who own B9s, is the fit and finish and exhaust and a few small features like massaging seats worth the pain of the platform, engine and overall running costs of an ICE? I'm starting to feel like a boomer as this is the first time I'm looking at new cars and just not really seeing the upgrade beyond running costs, warranty and things like that.

Hey y'all, we recently got an Alfa Romeo Junior as a gateway EV in our household and have absolutely loved the convenience, low running costs and comfort of an EV for the daily commute. Since my girlfriend mainly uses it I want to get myself an EV now, too, as I will be commuting a lot soon, but relatively short trips under 40km per day.

​

At the moment I drive an S5, it's tuned and really a lot of fun. I love the car and it's been mine for nearly 5 years, and especially those of you who own an M440i can relate that these cars can be a blast and offer great bang-for-your-buck in a beautiful package with a great sound (for a 6-cylinder) when you have an aftermarket exhaust/downpipe. I've made some genuinely great memories with this car and my friends.

​

But on the other hand it's truly been a pain in the ass. The B9 platform is plagued by faulty rocker arms, waterpump, PCV and other random issues that have cost me 25k+ over the years and even without the bigger issues it's easily 3k per year that needs to be budgeted to maintain it. That's not helped by the fact that labor is expensive in Switzerland so it's not cheap to run.

​

I made the "mistake" of getting some offers on the i4 M50 rather than a more commuter-oriented EV and calculated that I can come out below the running costs of the S5 even including all the financing costs (with buyout and low interest) especially since the i4 has included servicing until 100k, full warranty, etc. Whereas my S5 has been out of warranty being at 190tkm.

​

I'd be getting into a faster, more reliable, convenient, cheaper to own, more modern car with goodies my S5 doesn't have like the moonroof and ACC/lane-keep assist, for same/less than the S5 costs to run, insure and tax. The only thing I'd lose is the sound of the ICE that I genuinely do enjoy, but I'm wondering if anyone has made such a switch and do you regret it? Or do you find there are enough benefits to the EV and that the M50 is enough of a performance upgrade to make up for that? Especially here in Switzerland where our infrastructure is great and we can drive across the country on a full charge no problem, there really are no other downsides to the i4 M50 in my eyes. Other than the emotional attachment I admittedly still have to the S5.

I recently got an Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica as a pilot for an EV in our household and have since learned that we really enjoy a lot of the aspects that come with owning such a car. It's very convenient to be able to pre-heat/cool the car with the app, keep it cool for the dog (living in Switzerland you can't leave an ICE running), and in stop&go the EV is just a lot easier to drive with less vibrations making it a much more pleasant commute. Then add that it's cheaper to run with near zero running costs, taxes, and the insurance/tires is just dependent on how much power the car has and how much it costs.

Meanwhile I've had my 2018 B9 S5 for 4 years now, it's modded to 550WHP and is a blast to drive. There's so much drama with the gear shifts and the exhaust note and it keeps up well with most cars on the road. But I was also affected by the rocker arms which cost ~8k to repair, and even without that over the years I've had to do PCV twice, waterpump, two oil leaks, the timing chains and a few other things that ran me at least 20kCHF since labor here isn't cheap.

So now I made the "mistake" by getting some offers for 2023-25 BMW i4 M50s, calculating that it'd cost me the same if not less to run including the leasing (and buyout) if I trade-in the S5. If I get unlucky and the S5 brings up larger issues again (it's already at 190tkm) then the i4 will be a bargain in comparison, especially because they come with free servicing for the next few years.

I'd be driving a nearly new car with much fewer kilometers, equal power, more torque, much more modern interior and tech as well as a few goodies my S5 lacks such as a moonroof and ACC/lane-assist. Especially as I'll be commuting a lot more soon it feels like the right move.

I simply however don't know if I'll end up missing the S5. The main thing I expect to miss is the sound and drama of the ICE powertrain, but that alone seems to hardly justify the higher risk and running costs? Has anyone done the switch from a fun ICE to an EV? I plan on eventually adding back a sporty car to the fleet like a 718 or an F-Type to get back into that feeling, but still. Taking 4 people on the Autobahn and hitting 290km/h is exhilarating, as was taking the same group to the Alps and having fun with the exhaust note. Not that the V6 is the best-sounding engine out there, but it's a ton of fun with my group of friends that drive I4s and diesels lol.

Note: The EV infrastructure is fantastic here and we could drive across the country with the range of the i4.

Hey everyone!

I recently built Trevi, a self-hosted app for tracking restaurant visits and reviews, primarily as a project to practice and relearn Laravel. While I used AI to help with parts of the code—especially the frontend—every line has been read and reviewed by me, and the backend is mostly hand-written. The project is still in early stages, but it’s fully functional and being used by my girlfrend and myself!

It’s built with:

• Backend: Laravel (Spatie Query Builder, JSON API Pagination)
• Frontend: React
• Auth: Laravel Sanctum (cookie-based)
• Features: Team support for shared lists

Since I’m running it on my homelab K3s cluster, I’m sharing both Kubernetes YAMLs and a Docker Compose file for anyone who wants to self-host it. Images are on GHCR:

• ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-php-fpm
• ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-nginx
• ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-client

Screenshots

https://preview.redd.it/z13kc7v6db3h1.png?width=1600&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1f8fd11b086af8e27f10a4f6d05db3a19fbf084

https://preview.redd.it/c2qox4k7db3h1.png?width=1600&format=png&auto=webp&s=d12cee249f96852ced8aa02d09700e24a54e018d

https://preview.redd.it/6nsbpnw7db3h1.png?width=1586&format=png&auto=webp&s=83530f6746dab36c533daf737288f8eadf44c9a0

Docker Compose (Simplest way to try it)

version: '3.8'
services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:17
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: trevi
      POSTGRES_USER: trevi
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: yourpassword
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  php-fpm:
    image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-php-fpm
    environment:
      DB_CONNECTION: pgsql
      DB_HOST: postgres
      DB_PORT: 5432
      DB_DATABASE: trevi
      DB_USERNAME: trevi
      DB_PASSWORD: yourpassword
      APP_KEY: your-app-key  # Generate with: php artisan key:generate
    volumes:
      - storage:/var/www/storage
    expose:
      - "9000"

  nginx:
    image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-nginx
    ports:
      - "8000:80"
    depends_on:
      - php-fpm
      - postgres

  client:
    image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-client
    environment:
      VITE_SERVER_URL: http://localhost:8000
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    depends_on:
      - nginx

volumes:
  postgres_data:
  storage:

Kubernetes YAMLs

(For K8s users - minimal setup with Traefik ingress)

# 1. Namespace
apiVersion: v1
kind: Namespace
metadata:
  name: trevi
---
# 2. Storage PVC
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: trevi-storage
  namespace: trevi
spec:
  accessModes: [ReadWriteOnce]
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 15Gi
  storageClassName: local-path  # Replace with your storage class
---
# 3. ConfigMap (update with your DB credentials)
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: trevi-env
  namespace: trevi
data:
  APP_KEY: "<your-app-key>"
  DB_CONNECTION: "pgsql"
  DB_HOST: "<your-postgres-host>"
  DB_PORT: "5432"
  DB_DATABASE: "trevi"
  DB_USERNAME: "<your-db-user>"
  DB_PASSWORD: "<your-db-password>"
---
# 4. Server Deployment (PHP-FPM + Nginx)
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: trevi-server
  namespace: trevi
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: trevi-server
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: trevi-server
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: php-fpm
        image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-php-fpm
        envFrom:
        - configMapRef:
            name: trevi-env
        volumeMounts:
        - name: storage
          mount_path: /var/www/storage
      - name: nginx
        image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-nginx
        ports:
        - containerPort: 80
      volumes:
      - name: storage
        persistentVolumeClaim:
          claimName: trevi-storage
---
# 5. Server Service
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: trevi-server
  namespace: trevi
spec:
  type: ClusterIP
  selector:
    app: trevi-server
  ports:
  - port: 80
    targetPort: 80
---
# 6. Client Deployment
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: trevi-client
  namespace: trevi
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: trevi-client
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: trevi-client
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: client
        image: ghcr.io/dan6erbond/trevi-client
        env:
        - name: VITE_SERVER_URL
          value: "http://trevi-server"
        ports:
        - containerPort: 3000
---
# 7. Client Service
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: trevi-client
  namespace: trevi
spec:
  type: ClusterIP
  selector:
    app: trevi-client
  ports:
  - port: 3000
    targetPort: 3000
---
# 8. Ingress (Traefik example)
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: trevi
  namespace: trevi
  annotations:
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.entrypoints: websecure
    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.tls.certresolver: letsencrypt
spec:
  rules:
  - host: trevi.your-domain.com  # Replace with your domain
    http:
      paths:
      - path: /api
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: trevi-server
            port:
              number: 80
      - path: /sanctum
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: trevi-server
            port:
              number: 80
      - path: /
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: trevi-client
            port:
              number: 3000

Prerequisites & Steps

• Docker Compose: Run docker compose up -d and access the frontend at http://localhost:3000.
• Kubernetes: Apply the YAMLs and configure your ingress/DNS.

The full source code and Dockerfiles are on GitHub.

Would love to hear your feedback or if you have any questions about the setup!

We recently bought an Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica and one of the driving reasons for it was because it was a lot more fun to drive than we expected. Initially it was meant to be a shared car for my girlfriend and I but she likes it so much that I'm looking again into getting myself an EV and trying to find something else that's fun similar to our Alfa. Of course the Veloce exists with an additional 130HP but there are things about the Junior I don't like as much, the Stellantis cost-savings are apparent which was fine for a 27kCHF car but the Veloce goes for around 42kCHF at which point I can get a BMW iX1M or even a used i4, stretch the budget slightly further and I can even get a used E-tron GT.

I've driven a few really comfortable EVs that have all the benefits of being quiet, smooth, etc. like the E-tron but I'm not as experienced with the fun side of them, and I'd love to hear some recommendations for preferably European EVs that fit that requirement. The Q4 E-tron also looks pretty solid in terms of specs, especially the 55 quattro but I'm not sure if it can be categorized as fun. Of course I'll test drive a few before buying but wondering if I'm missing any overlooked options, I heard good things about the Mach-E and would be willing to consider it if it weren't for the giant touchscreen, as well as the I-Pace but it has its own issues/risks.

​

I want to get this off my chest since I often see this and other EV communities recommend against buying one if you don't have home/work charging like it's some kind of global rule.

First of all I'm well aware that this may apply to certain regions, scenarios or use-cases. But I expect more from the EV community as a whole to try and encourage ownership while obviously mentioning the downsides but also providing solutions to them.

So I'll be stating my opinion as a European (Swiss) living in an area with good public infrastructure, which I believe is often the case especially in Europe, but possibly also in NA/Asia. We specifically bought an EV with relatively short range (410km WLTP) because most of our driving is in the city, maybe 10-20km per day - which I believe is the case for more people than they're willing to admit.

We don't have home charging as we rent an apartment, and work charging is depending on the work site, sometimes my girlfriend parks on public parking with charging stations, sometimes not. But since, as I stated, we only do 10-20km per day this already means the battery lasts us about 10 days and because we go shopping, swimming, dance classes, etc. as part of our routine, many of them have public charging, some even free. Those that aren't free are between 0.20CHF-0.50CHF/kWh and an hour of charging even with our relatively slow OBC (max 100kW DC) an hour will give us 20-40% which is plenty until the next time we charge.

For us, and probably a lot of other people especially in Europe too, we also have street charging 5-8 minutes walking distance. And since we have a dog that walk isn't an issue we just walk him on the way to/back if we're in a bit of a pinch.

For Americans I'm guessing it's harder to justify an EV if you're genuinely travelling 50-100km per day regularly, and don't have reliable access. But there's no point in US Defaultism on this subreddit and when someone asks for advice on buying an EV people should first ask what kind of driving habits they're usually dealing with as well as how the public charging infrastructure looks. Our Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is 50% cheaper to run than my Audi S5 Sportback without even factoring in maintenance and taxes because gas is 1.90CHF here.

As for roadtrips I would say the Junior isn't the ideal choice. Find something with a bit more range and faster charging so you can do 600-800km with two stops and honestly I struggle to believe that 10-15 minutes stop is such an inconvenience when you have to pee, drink, eat anyway, or in our case walk the dog, or take the kids out to stretch their legs.

So once you factor in all that, I think a lot of people will be very happy with an EV even if they can't charge at home overnight. There's a lot of benefits to EVs that I won't get into this post but other than very specific circumstances they won't be an inconvenience.

​

I want to get this off my chest since I often see this and other EV communities recommend against buying one if you don't have home/work charging like it's some kind of global rule.

First of all I'm well aware that this may apply to certain regions, scenarios or use-cases. But I expect more from the EV community as a whole to try and encourage ownership while obviously mentioning the downsides but also providing solutions to them.

So I'll be stating my opinion as a European (Swiss) living in an area with good public infrastructure, which I believe is often the case especially in Europe, but possibly also in NA/Asia. We specifically bought an EV with relatively short range (410km WLTP) because most of our driving is in the city, maybe 10-20km per day - which I believe is the case for more people than they're willing to admit.

We don't have home charging as we rent an apartment, and work charging is depending on the work site, sometimes my girlfriend parks on public parking with charging stations, sometimes not. But since, as I stated, we only do 10-20km per day this already means the battery lasts us about 10 days and because we go shopping, swimming, dance classes, etc. as part of our routine, many of them have public charging, some even free. Those that aren't free are between 0.20CHF-0.50CHF/kWh and an hour of charging even with our relatively slow OBC (max 100kW DC) an hour will give us 20-40% which is plenty until the next time we charge.

For us, and probably a lot of other people especially in Europe too, we also have street charging 5-8 minutes walking distance. And since we have a dog that walk isn't an issue we just walk him on the way to/back if we're in a bit of a pinch.

For Americans I'm guessing it's harder to justify an EV if you're genuinely travelling 50-100km per day regularly, and don't have reliable access. But there's no point in US Defaultism on this subreddit and when someone asks for advice on buying an EV people should first ask what kind of driving habits they're usually dealing with as well as how the public charging infrastructure looks. Our Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is 50% cheaper to run than my Audi S5 Sportback without even factoring in maintenance and taxes because gas is 1.90CHF here.

As for roadtrips I would say the Junior isn't the ideal choice. Find something with a bit more range and faster charging so you can do 600-800km with two stops and honestly I struggle to believe that 10-15 minutes stop is such an inconvenience when you have to pee, drink, eat anyway, or in our case walk the dog, or take the kids out to stretch their legs.

So once you factor in all that, I think a lot of people will be very happy with an EV even if they can't charge at home overnight. There's a lot of benefits to EVs that I won't get into this post but other than very specific circumstances they won't be an inconvenience.

I want to get this off my chest since I often see this and other EV communities recommend against buying one if you don't have home/work charging like it's some kind of global rule.

First of all I'm well aware that this may apply to certain regions, scenarios or use-cases. But I expect more from the EV community as a whole to try and encourage ownership while obviously mentioning the downsides but also providing solutions to them.

So I'll be stating my opinion as a European (Swiss) living in an area with good public infrastructure, which I believe is often the case especially in Europe, but possibly also in NA/Asia. We specifically bought an EV with relatively short range (410km WLTP) because most of our driving is in the city, maybe 10-20km per day - which I believe is the case for more people than they're willing to admit.

We don't have home charging as we rent an apartment, and work charging is depending on the work site, sometimes my girlfriend parks on public parking with charging stations, sometimes not. But since, as I stated, we only do 10-20km per day this already means the battery lasts us about 10 days and because we go shopping, swimming, dance classes, etc. as part of our routine, many of them have public charging, some even free. Those that aren't free are between 0.20CHF-0.50CHF/kWh and an hour of charging even with our relatively slow OBC (max 100kW DC) an hour will give us 20-40% which is plenty until the next time we charge.

For us, and probably a lot of other people especially in Europe too, we also have street charging 5-8 minutes walking distance. And since we have a dog that walk isn't an issue we just walk him on the way to/back if we're in a bit of a pinch.

For Americans I'm guessing it's harder to justify an EV if you're genuinely travelling 50-100km per day regularly, and don't have reliable access. But there's no point in US Defaultism on this subreddit and when someone asks for advice on buying an EV people should first ask what kind of driving habits they're usually dealing with as well as how the public charging infrastructure looks. Our Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is 50% cheaper to run than my Audi S5 Sportback without even factoring in maintenance and taxes because gas is 1.90CHF here.

As for roadtrips I would say the Junior isn't the ideal choice. Find something with a bit more range and faster charging so you can do 600-800km with two stops and honestly I struggle to believe that 10-15 minutes stop is such an inconvenience when you have to pee, drink, eat anyway, or in our case walk the dog, or take the kids out to stretch their legs.

So once you factor in all that, I think a lot of people will be very happy with an EV even if they can't charge at home overnight. There's a lot of benefits to EVs that I won't get into this post but other than very specific circumstances they won't be an inconvenience.