E92 M3 test drive - Left feeling cold?

[cheddar]

I had a brief test drive in one recently and it absolutely blew my socks off.

Yes, plain interior, bit like all BM's but the refinement/madness juxtaposition was brilliant.

[gaz1234]

I drove one for 2 seconds and I agree the seats are too high, plus it's so easy to drive and felt boring. I can imagine it's not biting at high revs.

[3ananaPie]

I'll be trying to get one for the day so I can perhaps go down south a little and see what it is really like. Hopefully it wins me over. I really want to like the car.

gaz1234 said:

I drove one for 2 seconds and I agree the seats are too high, plus it's so easy to drive and felt boring. I can imagine it's not biting at high revs.

And the steering wheel is so thick, like in all M Sport BMWs. Thhat is a little annoying too.

[cerb4.5lee]

3ananaPie said:

And the steering wheel is so thick, like in all M Sport BMWs. Thhat is a little annoying too.

I think you get used to that though as the steering wheel in my old Z4M was really thick and our old 330d had a thick rim too as you say and the E92 M3 isn't any different but I don't mind it but I was miffed at the high driving position of the M3 though but I think they have sorted that on the new one.

[bennyboysvuk]

dufflecoat said:

I shall quote myself for a similar thread...

I am going back to an E92 M3...

Sold my last one in 2012, since then I've been through a E46 CSL, Cayman S, 996 C4S, various Jap Turbo nutter stuff, a Clio 200. In the new shopping trip I have been and driven a GTR, 997 Turbo, 997 C4S, C63, RS4(B7 and B8), New M3/M4, M235i and finally a E92 M3 DCT. Miss it like mad, going back and sticking with it. I want a car that can eat miles in comfort and also be as focussed as possible when I occasionally turn up at Donnington, Cadwell etc. None of the others do both anywhere near as well.

And this is why the M3 is really a fantastic car. As much as I dislike the annoying electronics, the high seating position (and the fuel consumption when merely pottering) it's one of the most entertaining and accomplished all-rounders in the car world.

[dufflecoat]

bennyboysvuk said:

And this is why the M3 is really a fantastic car. As much as I dislike the annoying electronics, the high seating position (and the fuel consumption when merely pottering) it's one of the most entertaining and accomplished all-rounders in the car world.

Agree, I achieved nothing more than 19mpg in light use, which even for a V8 is rubbish. High seat can be fixed, the easiest option being these...

[Wills2]

In S6 with everything up to 11 the e92 M3 is anything but boring. Some M3s do look a little crap inside but others don't.

[JMBMWM5]

3ananaPie said:

Greetings,

So I've been mulling over getting an E92 M3 for a while. I've now had a test drive and have been left feeling a little disappointed. The noise was good, but everything else seemed a little... well, boring.

The interior for instance just felt really dull and somewhat low-rent. The seats were too high and felt really weird, and the steering was really vague and disconnected. Now I've read the competition pack sortes the steering out but those cars are out of budget. I've always wanted the M3, I prefer the look of the E92 over the E46, and the engine too. But it just doesn't seem all that specail now that I've tried it. Of course this was all on road so maybe on a track it comes more alive.

If it matters, I currently have a GT86 so perhaps that made it a little harder because it is a great car to drive. Anyone else felt the same way? Or perhaps i'm missing the point here.

With most of your driving being in town, give the E92 a miss, it will bore you to tears , it needs to be worked and there are not many in town places for that. Fuel costs are high in town for no net gains in performance.
I sold mine after 9 months, I bought mine new and got good money thankfully for it.
BUT Steering was great on it, the best road feel I have had, better than My LCI M5 by a mile.

Edited by JMBMWM5 on Tuesday 22 July 16:54

[Schermerhorn]

Do they come with a TV option?

[16plates]

I tried one this time last year, a 2010 DCT with all M settings at max and a salesman who was up for a hoon as much as i was! I also found it very... un-impressive, or certainly not as impressive as I had previously considered M3's to be.

I had been driving a diesel Seat Ibiza for 3 years prior so expected the M3 to blow me away but it really didn't, the interior was dull and the noise was poor. It didn't 'feel' special... didn't make me feel like i was sitting in a range topping BMW. My mate had a 320d coupe at the time - his interior was nicer than the M3. I appreciate this is down to the example you find and how it was specced from the factory but few have the good seats in my experience?

I then tested a V8 S5 and then a V8 RS4... bought the RS4, absolute animal in comparison to the E92 M3, louder, raw-er, looks better and has a great interior. Obviously they are all older than the newest E92 M3's and I get the impression the bills on the M3 are a fair bit more palletable than the RS4 and i did like the idea of a coupe being a young single guy with no wife or kids to deal with... but the whole package of the RS4 won me over.

I would still look at the new F30 M3 when they come into budget though.

[3ananaPie]

I suppose sometimes things don't always meet people's expectations. I can't really consider an Audi. I think the interior is a little unappealing (certainly better than the BMWs) but mostly I dislike the Quattro AWD. Would prefer to just drift around everywhere. That said, I wouldn't mind considering an Audi R8 but those are considerably out of budget, and I would much rather get a nice Honda NSX or V8 Vantage/Maser GT instead. Not the same things, but yea.

JMBMWM5 said:

ith most of your driving being in town, give the E92 a miss, it will bore you to tears , it needs to be worked and there are not many in town places for that. Fuel costs are high in town for no net gains in performance.
I sold mine after 9 months, I bought mine new and got good money thankfully for it.
BUT Steering was great on it, the best road feel I have had, better than My LCI M5 by a mile.

Edited by JMBMWM5 on Tuesday 22 July 16:54

I mostly use my GT86 and Corsa so a car like the M3 would likely be used more rarely. The M3 does have much more rear space so it would mostly be used for longer journeys. Not too worried about fuel consumption as again it wouldn't be driven all the time.

[pjv997]

Agree with many comments - a real grower and the V8 is a masterpiece.

Interior is a bit plain - but it was only a £50k car - can't believe the GT86 interior makes it feel low rent.

Had my E90 manual for 3 years and I would still have it if I didn't need more space.

[irish boy]

Those m performance seats above are just lovely!

[dufflecoat]

16plates said:

I then tested a V8 S5 and then a V8 RS4... bought the RS4, absolute animal in comparison to the E92 M3, louder, raw-er, looks better and has a great interior. Obviously they are all older than the newest E92 M3's and I get the impression the bills on the M3 are a fair bit more palletable than the RS4 and i did like the idea of a coupe being a young single guy with no wife or kids to deal with... but the whole package of the RS4 won me over.

I would still look at the new F30 M3 when they come into budget though.

Really! Horses for the courses I suppose. I found the RS4 utterly dull and patheticly understeery. Certainly wouldn't be tempted to take it to the track, it would be a fish out of water. Great everyday, all weather car though I imagine.

[Big E 118]

I've had two E92 M3's (and two E46's) and they are very good "all rounder" cars. It' will 70% of the time feel like a 320 (but with a better ride if EDC car) and will get you where you want to go in comfort and a reasonable amount of luxury.

The other 30% it will be a fantastic sports coupe, great engine, playfull rear end and it handles very well. It's a car that loves being thrashed.

I used to use mine as an only car but decided to buy a shed to commute in, that left the M3 as a weekend toy and to be honest it was too compromised and not special enough for that. I got bored of it very quickly.

If you are looking for an M3 as an only car it is a very good package and you'll get plenty of kicks from it, as a weekend car I'd say your GT86 is probably more fun and an event to drive.

[irish boy]

dufflecoat said:

16plates said:

I then tested a V8 S5 and then a V8 RS4... bought the RS4, absolute animal in comparison to the E92 M3, louder, raw-er, looks better and has a great interior. Obviously they are all older than the newest E92 M3's and I get the impression the bills on the M3 are a fair bit more palletable than the RS4 and i did like the idea of a coupe being a young single guy with no wife or kids to deal with... but the whole package of the RS4 won me over.

I would still look at the new F30 M3 when they come into budget though.

Really! Horses for the courses I suppose. I found the RS4 utterly dull and patheticly understeery. Certainly wouldn't be tempted to take it to the track, it would be a fish out of water. Great everyday, all weather car though I imagine.

Agreed, I got fed up with the rs4 after 6 months. e92 a different ball park when pressing on.

[dufflecoat]

irish boy said:

Agreed, I got fed up with the rs4 after 6 months. e92 a different ball park when pressing on.

I have to admit, until I took my E92 around Nurburgring and Cadwell it didn't make complete sense. When I got some instruction at Cadwell and began to properly lean on it, it became a completely different animal. (also realised the brakes are ste, stood up to 3 decent stops before grumbling)

[bennyboysvuk]

dufflecoat said:

Really! Horses for the courses I suppose. I found the RS4 utterly dull and patheticly understeery. Certainly wouldn't be tempted to take it to the track, it would be a fish out of water. Great everyday, all weather car though I imagine.

In trying to find a replacement estate for my 330 tourer, the RS4 did spring to mind. However, knowing how I like my cars, I think I'd find exactly the same.

[cerb4.5lee]

dufflecoat said:

(also realised the brakes are ste, stood up to 3 decent stops before grumbling)

You don't even need to venture onto a track to realise the brakes an a M3 are not up to the task I never tracked mine but they scared the life out of me on the road so that was enough for me but most upgrade them and its easy to see why.

[Gibbo205]

dufflecoat said:

Really! Horses for the courses I suppose. I found the RS4 utterly dull and patheticly understeery. Certainly wouldn't be tempted to take it to the track, it would be a fish out of water. Great everyday, all weather car though I imagine.

Had an RS4 for a day and driven the RS5 on both road and track. On the road the ability is huge in all conditions, but I found it dull and it did not feel that quick as it was so smooth. On track they are simply USELESS, understeer, UNDERSTEER and boring.

For me the E90 M3 felt heavy but it felt rapid, the DCT shift in attack mode was great, not as good as an E46 SMG in attack mode but it was good and far superior in auto mode being dual clutch. On track the E90 M3 makes it weight present but the balance is amazing, does not understeer like the Audi and is more capable and more fun.

In the end I went with a 997 C2S, don't shoot me guys it was simply far more engaging again, but the E90 M3 is a better all round car as the 911 can be a little to raw at times.