B7 RS4 vs. E90 M3 vs. C63 AMG
Discussion
All three are far too compromised...get something fairly quick and comfortable for the week and get something lighter and more driver focussed for the weekends instead. 
Unless you have plenty of cash then run one of them as a daily(for me the C63) but still have something exciting for the weekends.
Unless you have plenty of cash then run one of them as a daily(for me the C63) but still have something exciting for the weekends.
ColdoRS said:
The reason i went for the RS4 over the M3, aside from much better looks, was mostly down to the interior... RS4 interior is excellent, lots of leather, carbon fibre, bucket seats, central armrest, front and rear heated seats. M3... well... i may aswell have been sat in a 320d... dull as dishwater, nothing to shout M-Car at you at all.
Completely agree and that was a very large frustration that I had with my M3 and it was impossible to see from inside how it justified its asking price when it was new, as it was just bog standard 3 series inside apart from slightly different seats and a speedo that went to 200mph rather than 160mph. I have lusted after a RS4 for as long as I can remember and love the noise they make but I always wanted a V8 M3 but that left me flat when I got one, so I will leave the RS4 as a hero car to me so I can continue to lust and view them very highly.
I was dead set on an E9X M3. I'd admired, but ultimately dismissed the B7 RS4 and the C63 for ages. We've always had BMW's in the family, and it was an obvious choice. Drove one, and really really liked it. Felt great, sharp and like an M BMW should feel.
Then one day, I thought, "Do you know what, I rather like how those C63's sound and they have a lot of presence on the road".
I did some reading, and generally I've always seeked that 'drivers car' experience. The C63 sounded naughty, and a bit like a 'hammer' rather than a precision tool... Strangely I liked the sound of that. So I booked a test drive and instantly my senses/preferences/want factor went wild - I had to have one!
Drove one in July, and picked my C63 up in September. I still can't get enough of it. It gets all of the hairs tingling, it makes me grin, it feels like a naughty child and it doesn't want to sit on the naughty step. I have seen the odd M3 and RS4 on the road, and I honestly don't even bat an eyelid that I didn't choose them. The C63 is ultimately the right choice for me, and my driving tastes. Happy me, excellent one of a kind car.
Here's a pic:-
Good luck with your choice, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.
Then one day, I thought, "Do you know what, I rather like how those C63's sound and they have a lot of presence on the road".
I did some reading, and generally I've always seeked that 'drivers car' experience. The C63 sounded naughty, and a bit like a 'hammer' rather than a precision tool... Strangely I liked the sound of that. So I booked a test drive and instantly my senses/preferences/want factor went wild - I had to have one!
Drove one in July, and picked my C63 up in September. I still can't get enough of it. It gets all of the hairs tingling, it makes me grin, it feels like a naughty child and it doesn't want to sit on the naughty step. I have seen the odd M3 and RS4 on the road, and I honestly don't even bat an eyelid that I didn't choose them. The C63 is ultimately the right choice for me, and my driving tastes. Happy me, excellent one of a kind car.
Here's a pic:-
Good luck with your choice, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.
garylythgoe said:
I was dead set on an E9X M3. I'd admired, but ultimately dismissed the B7 RS4 and the C63 for ages. We've always had BMW's in the family, and it was an obvious choice. Drove one, and really really liked it. Felt great, sharp and like an M BMW should feel.
Then one day, I thought, "Do you know what, I rather like how those C63's sound and they have a lot of presence on the road".
I did some reading, and generally I've always seeked that 'drivers car' experience. The C63 sounded naughty, and a bit like a 'hammer' rather than a precision tool... Strangely I liked the sound of that. So I booked a test drive and instantly my senses/preferences/want factor went wild - I had to have one!
Drove one in July, and picked my C63 up in September. I still can't get enough of it. It gets all of the hairs tingling, it makes me grin, it feels like a naughty child and it doesn't want to sit on the naughty step. I have seen the odd M3 and RS4 on the road, and I honestly don't even bat an eyelid that I didn't choose them. The C63 is ultimately the right choice for me, and my driving tastes. Happy me, excellent one of a kind car.
Here's a pic:-
Good luck with your choice, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.
Very nice Then one day, I thought, "Do you know what, I rather like how those C63's sound and they have a lot of presence on the road".
I did some reading, and generally I've always seeked that 'drivers car' experience. The C63 sounded naughty, and a bit like a 'hammer' rather than a precision tool... Strangely I liked the sound of that. So I booked a test drive and instantly my senses/preferences/want factor went wild - I had to have one!
Drove one in July, and picked my C63 up in September. I still can't get enough of it. It gets all of the hairs tingling, it makes me grin, it feels like a naughty child and it doesn't want to sit on the naughty step. I have seen the odd M3 and RS4 on the road, and I honestly don't even bat an eyelid that I didn't choose them. The C63 is ultimately the right choice for me, and my driving tastes. Happy me, excellent one of a kind car.
Here's a pic:-
Good luck with your choice, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.
On a couple of occasions I have been behind one and I have tried to get the owners to gun it and gratefully they both did and I was just giggling at not only how awesome they sound but at how quick they go too...I would love one and that engine is a beauty as far as I am concerned.
Enjoy it.
cerb4.5lee said:
Very nice
On a couple of occasions I have been behind one and I have tried to get the owners to gun it and gratefully they both did and I was just giggling at not only how awesome they sound but at how quick they go too...I would love one and that engine is a beauty as far as I am concerned.
Enjoy it.
Thanks buddy.On a couple of occasions I have been behind one and I have tried to get the owners to gun it and gratefully they both did and I was just giggling at not only how awesome they sound but at how quick they go too...I would love one and that engine is a beauty as far as I am concerned.
Enjoy it.
After a while, I realised that I'm not the stig, nor do I want to drive round the roads like the stig. I just want to enjoy it in my own way, and this allows me to do it! And the mrs is happy she has a heated seat, so win win. The noise is absolutely incredible, these cars will all have worn window mechanisms in a few years... I drop the window a bit in almost all weather
white_goodman said:
Ok, so B7 RS4 vs. E90 M3 vs. W204 C63 AMG, which would you buy? They all seem to be available for 20-25k (the M3 possibly a bit less) and all offer ample performance and a V8 soundtrack.
When I was 25, my boss had one of the first B7 RS4s and I thought that it was awesome. I drove it once but only a few yards around to the front of the building as it was raining and he didn't want to get wet! The controls felt nice and tight and weighty and I thought that it looked and sounded good too. Having owned a WRX, I also like AWD in a performance car, as you can corner about twice as quickly and stop in half the time
Only joking but I do love the traction and it does inspire some confidence. However, 5 years later my neighbour had a B7 RS4 Avant and I actually thought it looked a bit too blingy (not RS Audi's best effort, as the earlier cars and the current RS4 for that matter look a lot more subtle in a good way) and it was really loud on start-up. I don't know if I want everyone on the estate to know when I've gone out or when I've come home and I think an Audi RS should be more of a Q-car than that. I have also read that they have a surprisingly high bork factor (active dampers leaking and engine coking up etc). Unusually, as estates are a bit of an Audi RS thing, I always preferred the looks of the saloon too but these are quite rare compared to Avants and the other two cars for that matter. Outside of PH, arguably the coolest image though.
For the last few years, I have been convinced that the M3 is the one to have. I like the subtle looks, the engine is a bit more subdued at low revs but still screams at high revs, which for me is a good thing and supposedly, the M3 has the edge for handling but they are very thirsty apparently (although I expect all of these cars are) and I don't know how much of an impact the infamous M-tax has on running costs! This may be offset by slightly lower prices compared to the RS4 and C63 though.
The C63 hasn't interested me much until recently. I have traditionally favoured Mercedes over Audi or BMW but I just think their recent efforts (W204 included) have been brash and ugly. That being said, I saw a black one with straight-spoke alloys the other day and it looked awesome (and evil and mean)! Sounds great too and they seem to be well-liked on PH. In general, I'm also an estate car fan and think the estate version looks just as good and adds an extra dash of practicality to the package (never a bad thing when you're trying to justify a new purchase).
So which one would you buy and why? Which is the best to drive/easiest to live with/least expensive to run etc?
From my experience. If it HAD to be AWD, the RS4 is the one. But its the only reason to go RS4 IMO. Great engine, but bettered aurally and grunt-wise by the C63 and dynamically by the M3.When I was 25, my boss had one of the first B7 RS4s and I thought that it was awesome. I drove it once but only a few yards around to the front of the building as it was raining and he didn't want to get wet! The controls felt nice and tight and weighty and I thought that it looked and sounded good too. Having owned a WRX, I also like AWD in a performance car, as you can corner about twice as quickly and stop in half the time
Only joking but I do love the traction and it does inspire some confidence. However, 5 years later my neighbour had a B7 RS4 Avant and I actually thought it looked a bit too blingy (not RS Audi's best effort, as the earlier cars and the current RS4 for that matter look a lot more subtle in a good way) and it was really loud on start-up. I don't know if I want everyone on the estate to know when I've gone out or when I've come home and I think an Audi RS should be more of a Q-car than that. I have also read that they have a surprisingly high bork factor (active dampers leaking and engine coking up etc). Unusually, as estates are a bit of an Audi RS thing, I always preferred the looks of the saloon too but these are quite rare compared to Avants and the other two cars for that matter. Outside of PH, arguably the coolest image though.For the last few years, I have been convinced that the M3 is the one to have. I like the subtle looks, the engine is a bit more subdued at low revs but still screams at high revs, which for me is a good thing and supposedly, the M3 has the edge for handling but they are very thirsty apparently (although I expect all of these cars are) and I don't know how much of an impact the infamous M-tax has on running costs! This may be offset by slightly lower prices compared to the RS4 and C63 though.
The C63 hasn't interested me much until recently. I have traditionally favoured Mercedes over Audi or BMW but I just think their recent efforts (W204 included) have been brash and ugly. That being said, I saw a black one with straight-spoke alloys the other day and it looked awesome (and evil and mean)! Sounds great too and they seem to be well-liked on PH. In general, I'm also an estate car fan and think the estate version looks just as good and adds an extra dash of practicality to the package (never a bad thing when you're trying to justify a new purchase).
So which one would you buy and why? Which is the best to drive/easiest to live with/least expensive to run etc?
The C63 is lovely. Old blunt bruiser, bags of old world charm and pace but a bit unsophisticated and lacking is driver fun/engagement next to the M3.
The M3 is the better drive and is more alive and fluid.
I'd go M3....but I would still wind the window down and sigh with regret every time a C63 rumbled past.
Also..... "I also like AWD in a performance car, as you can corner about twice as quickly and stop in half the time
"AWD doesn't improve cornering or braking. AWD improves traction. Subaru & EVO drivers who assumed that AWD gave them improved cornering and braking were often the ones that woke up wrapped round a tree!
RobM77 said:
I've had a decent drive in the Audi and I must confess I don't know what the fuss is all about. It felt slow, barely sounded like a V8 and the handling was steady but dull. I'm not for one second saying it was a bad car, but to me it didn't feel substantially different from the lesser A4 models - everything that I liked about it would be present in a well specced 2.0TDi. I posted on PH at the time asking whether the car I drove was broken (approved used at an Audi dealer) and was told the lack of performance was fairly normal due to coking issues and 4WD drivetrain losses. To me it felt 330i fast and certainly not M3 fast. I'm not denying it's the easiest for numpties to drive fast on days like today and if that's what you want from a car then that's great, but it's a long way from what I would call a driver's car or in any way interesting.
The M3 I've had quite a nice long drive in (E92, not E90) and I really liked it. The performance is strong - not scary fast, but enough for most people on the road. The handling very neat and fluid, although it can't escape from its 1600kg+ kerb weight and it ultimately feels heavier than a lesser spec 3 series, although the suspension and rear diff are a world apart from your average '3'. The engine is a lovely thing - a high revving V8 producing 400bhp - what's not to like? I'm fairly sure it's the best four seater I've ever driven.
The C63 I haven't really had enough experience of to comment, but the engine sounds glorious, the interior nicely styled and the handling neat enough. It's only available with a torque converter auto, which is a bit annoying, but it's a good choice and well worth a look. At low speed it probably feels the most special of the three due to the engine note.
Picking up from that last note though, personally I'm not a huge fan of super saloons. If you do the maths on the running costs compared to a lesser model (A4 3.0i, 330i, C350), then they cost a lot more to run, whilst feeling the same most of the time (especially on the motorway), in fact noisier due to the big tyres. Personally I'd always plump for a lesser model of saloon in a good spec and spend the savings, in purchase price and running costs, on a dedicated sports car.
So for those who love driving I'd put the M3 first, C63 second and RS4 last; but I'd highly recommend getting a calculator out and the PH classifieds and investigating a two car option. For those who love easy performance, looks or image I can't comment, as those aren't areas I understand.
Thanks. Lots of great replies. I am dithering a bit because I haven't had this kind of budget to play with before and have dreamed of owning something awesome with this level of performance for a long time. It's good to see that all 3 are rated and have their fans. I guess being the older design, the B7 RS4 may well feel a generation behind the others but compared to other high performance Audis, it is also widely regarded to be one of the best driver's Audis ever made. I wouldn't mind a Jaguar as an option and I'm also rather fond of the W211-gen E-Class but in general I prefer something a bit lighter and more compact. The Lexus I overlooked (despite often suggesting it as an alternative myself in these kind of threads) and I guess it might be worth looking into. How do they compare price-wise though? It's easy to overlook I suppose because the RS4 is the AWD one, the M3 has the manual box and the C63 has the insane engine! I did like my Subaru, it was a great all-rounder but something RWD still appeals and without driving them, I think I still favour the M3, although I had a Mercedes once and like them from the comfort aspect.The M3 I've had quite a nice long drive in (E92, not E90) and I really liked it. The performance is strong - not scary fast, but enough for most people on the road. The handling very neat and fluid, although it can't escape from its 1600kg+ kerb weight and it ultimately feels heavier than a lesser spec 3 series, although the suspension and rear diff are a world apart from your average '3'. The engine is a lovely thing - a high revving V8 producing 400bhp - what's not to like? I'm fairly sure it's the best four seater I've ever driven.
The C63 I haven't really had enough experience of to comment, but the engine sounds glorious, the interior nicely styled and the handling neat enough. It's only available with a torque converter auto, which is a bit annoying, but it's a good choice and well worth a look. At low speed it probably feels the most special of the three due to the engine note.
Picking up from that last note though, personally I'm not a huge fan of super saloons. If you do the maths on the running costs compared to a lesser model (A4 3.0i, 330i, C350), then they cost a lot more to run, whilst feeling the same most of the time (especially on the motorway), in fact noisier due to the big tyres. Personally I'd always plump for a lesser model of saloon in a good spec and spend the savings, in purchase price and running costs, on a dedicated sports car.
So for those who love driving I'd put the M3 first, C63 second and RS4 last; but I'd highly recommend getting a calculator out and the PH classifieds and investigating a two car option. For those who love easy performance, looks or image I can't comment, as those aren't areas I understand.
I have also considered the 2 car option. Probably an E90 330i MSport manual as the other two don't really appeal in lesser trims and maybe a TVR/Elise/S2000? I'm not sure though. For by budget, the "fun" car is likely to be a 2-seater and if I only use it at the weekend/in nice weather, how much will I really use it, as I have a really busy life and like to spend the weekend with my 2 kids, which a 2-seater doesn't really fit into!
Tracking them down and driving them will be good fun though and I'll report back when I make that decision.
If you went two cars I really can't see why you wouldn't go for a 330d/335d e90/92 and then the Elise as mentioned.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
xjay1337 said:
If you went two cars I really can't see why you wouldn't go for a 330d/335d e90/92 and then the Elise as mentioned.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
Not this s
t again! They are slower and sound st.white_goodman said:
I think I still favour the M3,
I have also considered the 2 car option. Probably an E90 330i MSport manual as the other two don't really appeal in lesser trims and maybe a TVR/Elise/S2000? I'm not sure though. For by budget, the "fun" car is likely to be a 2-seater and if I only use it at the weekend/in nice weather, how much will I really use it, as I have a really busy life and like to spend the weekend with my 2 kids, which a 2-seater doesn't really fit into!
I do think the two car option is a very good idea but I also appreciate that the weekend car doesn't get used much especially with having a family, it was one of the reasons I decided to ditch running a daily and a weekend car because the weekend motor didn't get used much so I tried the V8 M3 as a do it all car instead.I have also considered the 2 car option. Probably an E90 330i MSport manual as the other two don't really appeal in lesser trims and maybe a TVR/Elise/S2000? I'm not sure though. For by budget, the "fun" car is likely to be a 2-seater and if I only use it at the weekend/in nice weather, how much will I really use it, as I have a really busy life and like to spend the weekend with my 2 kids, which a 2-seater doesn't really fit into!
Maybe if I didn't have experience of running a weekend car and I had just been used to one car then the M3 may well have impressed me far more than it did but I think I kept looking back at what I had.
So the M3 could completely hit the spot for you whereas in my experience it just made me want to go back to running a weekend motor again.
If you use the E46 M3 as an example then that is regarded as one of the best do it all cars there is, so there is nothing to say that the E90 M3 couldn't do the same for you.
Edited by cerb4.5lee on Tuesday 1st December 17:44
ORD said:
xjay1337 said:
If you went two cars I really can't see why you wouldn't go for a 330d/335d e90/92 and then the Elise as mentioned.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
Keep the costs down on the "daily".
With an exhaust system the 6cyl diesels sound mega and real world daily driving are quicker than the equivalent petrols.
Stick a £300 map on them and you've gained another 40bhp and the same above in torque.
Not this s
t again! They are slower and sound st.
I can see where xjay is coming from in some ways though.
white_goodman said:
RobM77 said:
I've had a decent drive in the Audi and I must confess I don't know what the fuss is all about. It felt slow, barely sounded like a V8 and the handling was steady but dull. I'm not for one second saying it was a bad car, but to me it didn't feel substantially different from the lesser A4 models - everything that I liked about it would be present in a well specced 2.0TDi. I posted on PH at the time asking whether the car I drove was broken (approved used at an Audi dealer) and was told the lack of performance was fairly normal due to coking issues and 4WD drivetrain losses. To me it felt 330i fast and certainly not M3 fast. I'm not denying it's the easiest for numpties to drive fast on days like today and if that's what you want from a car then that's great, but it's a long way from what I would call a driver's car or in any way interesting.
The M3 I've had quite a nice long drive in (E92, not E90) and I really liked it. The performance is strong - not scary fast, but enough for most people on the road. The handling very neat and fluid, although it can't escape from its 1600kg+ kerb weight and it ultimately feels heavier than a lesser spec 3 series, although the suspension and rear diff are a world apart from your average '3'. The engine is a lovely thing - a high revving V8 producing 400bhp - what's not to like? I'm fairly sure it's the best four seater I've ever driven.
The C63 I haven't really had enough experience of to comment, but the engine sounds glorious, the interior nicely styled and the handling neat enough. It's only available with a torque converter auto, which is a bit annoying, but it's a good choice and well worth a look. At low speed it probably feels the most special of the three due to the engine note.
Picking up from that last note though, personally I'm not a huge fan of super saloons. If you do the maths on the running costs compared to a lesser model (A4 3.0i, 330i, C350), then they cost a lot more to run, whilst feeling the same most of the time (especially on the motorway), in fact noisier due to the big tyres. Personally I'd always plump for a lesser model of saloon in a good spec and spend the savings, in purchase price and running costs, on a dedicated sports car.
So for those who love driving I'd put the M3 first, C63 second and RS4 last; but I'd highly recommend getting a calculator out and the PH classifieds and investigating a two car option. For those who love easy performance, looks or image I can't comment, as those aren't areas I understand.
Thanks. Lots of great replies. I am dithering a bit because I haven't had this kind of budget to play with before and have dreamed of owning something awesome with this level of performance for a long time. It's good to see that all 3 are rated and have their fans. I guess being the older design, the B7 RS4 may well feel a generation behind the others but compared to other high performance Audis, it is also widely regarded to be one of the best driver's Audis ever made. I wouldn't mind a Jaguar as an option and I'm also rather fond of the W211-gen E-Class but in general I prefer something a bit lighter and more compact. The Lexus I overlooked (despite often suggesting it as an alternative myself in these kind of threads) and I guess it might be worth looking into. How do they compare price-wise though? It's easy to overlook I suppose because the RS4 is the AWD one, the M3 has the manual box and the C63 has the insane engine! I did like my Subaru, it was a great all-rounder but something RWD still appeals and without driving them, I think I still favour the M3, although I had a Mercedes once and like them from the comfort aspect.The M3 I've had quite a nice long drive in (E92, not E90) and I really liked it. The performance is strong - not scary fast, but enough for most people on the road. The handling very neat and fluid, although it can't escape from its 1600kg+ kerb weight and it ultimately feels heavier than a lesser spec 3 series, although the suspension and rear diff are a world apart from your average '3'. The engine is a lovely thing - a high revving V8 producing 400bhp - what's not to like? I'm fairly sure it's the best four seater I've ever driven.
The C63 I haven't really had enough experience of to comment, but the engine sounds glorious, the interior nicely styled and the handling neat enough. It's only available with a torque converter auto, which is a bit annoying, but it's a good choice and well worth a look. At low speed it probably feels the most special of the three due to the engine note.
Picking up from that last note though, personally I'm not a huge fan of super saloons. If you do the maths on the running costs compared to a lesser model (A4 3.0i, 330i, C350), then they cost a lot more to run, whilst feeling the same most of the time (especially on the motorway), in fact noisier due to the big tyres. Personally I'd always plump for a lesser model of saloon in a good spec and spend the savings, in purchase price and running costs, on a dedicated sports car.
So for those who love driving I'd put the M3 first, C63 second and RS4 last; but I'd highly recommend getting a calculator out and the PH classifieds and investigating a two car option. For those who love easy performance, looks or image I can't comment, as those aren't areas I understand.
I have also considered the 2 car option. Probably an E90 330i MSport manual as the other two don't really appeal in lesser trims and maybe a TVR/Elise/S2000? I'm not sure though. For by budget, the "fun" car is likely to be a 2-seater and if I only use it at the weekend/in nice weather, how much will I really use it, as I have a really busy life and like to spend the weekend with my 2 kids, which a 2-seater doesn't really fit into!
Tracking them down and driving them will be good fun though and I'll report back when I make that decision.
Anything that adds to engagement and fun makes it worse as a soothing long distance cruiser. Anything that makes it less of a PITA in a traffic jam makes it less engaging on a Sunday thrash.
If you have a lot of money and can afford a decent sports car and a fast family car, go for it. That's like having enough money to have a good homely wife who looks after the house and cooks well, whilst having a dominatrix in the guest bedroom and them both being fine with that. If you can only really afford the one however, then that's fine so long as you don't expect too much from it.
Is an M3 much more exciting than a 320d long term? No. No it isn't. You get used to the power. It's not that noisy normally. You don't/can't use the extra performance most of the time, it looks like a 320d with 4 exhaust pipes and bigger wheels. You'll be in it every day for mundane stuff and the furthest thing from your mind will be to take it out voluntarily for a thrash once you've owned it for 6 months. If you have enough money to just get the M3 over the 320d anyway because "Why would I want the slow rattler?" then fine - you'll be happy with it. I have a V8 Jag because I don't need to settle for the diesel / don't need the MPG. I like the car a lot, but I never take it out for an A-to-A drive. I'm in it every day. I drove in to work in snow the last 2 days. It's just my daily driver. It's my Cerbera I take out on A-to-A drives, but this year I've done 3 of those. To get any use of it it needs to be used instead of the Jag.
But it's variety and it's hard work. Sometimes I want that. Sometimes I need it. If my total car budget was what I spent on the fast saloon, I'd be sick of it by now - and I've only had it 18 months.
jamieduff1981 said:
I haven't driven them all, but the Mercedes instills the impression of taking itself a bit less seriously than the other two. More of a hooligan car. That appeals to me more than ideas of clinical precision.
That's why I looked at the XFR-S too but they were way out of budget. Great engine though. jamieduff1981 said:
All rounders are a compromise as you know. Whether or not they're a good compromise depends on how much you expect from it.
Anything that adds to engagement and fun makes it worse as a soothing long distance cruiser. Anything that makes it less of a PITA in a traffic jam makes it less engaging on a Sunday thrash.
If you have a lot of money and can afford a decent sports car and a fast family car, go for it. That's like having enough money to have a good homely wife who looks after the house and cooks well, whilst having a dominatrix in the guest bedroom and them both being fine with that. If you can only really afford the one however, then that's fine so long as you don't expect too much from it.
Is an M3 much more exciting than a 320d long term? No. No it isn't. You get used to the power. It's not that noisy normally. You don't/can't use the extra performance most of the time, it looks like a 320d with 4 exhaust pipes and bigger wheels. You'll be in it every day for mundane stuff and the furthest thing from your mind will be to take it out voluntarily for a thrash once you've owned it for 6 months. If you have enough money to just get the M3 over the 320d anyway because "Why would I want the slow rattler?" then fine - you'll be happy with it. I have a V8 Jag because I don't need to settle for the diesel / don't need the MPG. I like the car a lot, but I never take it out for an A-to-A drive. I'm in it every day. I drove in to work in snow the last 2 days. It's just my daily driver. It's my Cerbera I take out on A-to-A drives, but this year I've done 3 of those. To get any use of it it needs to be used instead of the Jag.
But it's variety and it's hard work. Sometimes I want that. Sometimes I need it. If my total car budget was what I spent on the fast saloon, I'd be sick of it by now - and I've only had it 18 months.
A very nice sum up that is buddy. Anything that adds to engagement and fun makes it worse as a soothing long distance cruiser. Anything that makes it less of a PITA in a traffic jam makes it less engaging on a Sunday thrash.
If you have a lot of money and can afford a decent sports car and a fast family car, go for it. That's like having enough money to have a good homely wife who looks after the house and cooks well, whilst having a dominatrix in the guest bedroom and them both being fine with that. If you can only really afford the one however, then that's fine so long as you don't expect too much from it.
Is an M3 much more exciting than a 320d long term? No. No it isn't. You get used to the power. It's not that noisy normally. You don't/can't use the extra performance most of the time, it looks like a 320d with 4 exhaust pipes and bigger wheels. You'll be in it every day for mundane stuff and the furthest thing from your mind will be to take it out voluntarily for a thrash once you've owned it for 6 months. If you have enough money to just get the M3 over the 320d anyway because "Why would I want the slow rattler?" then fine - you'll be happy with it. I have a V8 Jag because I don't need to settle for the diesel / don't need the MPG. I like the car a lot, but I never take it out for an A-to-A drive. I'm in it every day. I drove in to work in snow the last 2 days. It's just my daily driver. It's my Cerbera I take out on A-to-A drives, but this year I've done 3 of those. To get any use of it it needs to be used instead of the Jag.
But it's variety and it's hard work. Sometimes I want that. Sometimes I need it. If my total car budget was what I spent on the fast saloon, I'd be sick of it by now - and I've only had it 18 months.
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