Do I really need a M car such as e46 m3?
Discussion
Ok, all petrol heads will say just get a m3, but...
Main car used as a family car with a 5 and 2 year old is a 535d sport touring
Actually by far the best car I've owned
Each time I jump in it, the driving position is ace, I know everyone has enough room, enough room for kids bike in the back, electronic auto shifter is easy and steering input feedback is good. Oh and not to forget the balance of power and mpg, also good. So I speak highly of it
Been driving a 2004 ka for commute whilst wife uses the 535d during the week, nice and cheap motoring and good for the 10 mile round trip journey, a little bit of B road and mainly just suburb built up traffic.
Been lucky to get a 2004 s4 cabriolet to run instead of the ka, it ticks a lot of boxes on paper but the pure love isn't there.
I'm now thinking maybe drop down to a 330 convertible as has enough poke for my daily drive but the other hand thinks I should try a m3.
Now do I really need a m3 for my commute, answer is no.
But I've enjoyed top model range ownership on other cars.
M3 would bring more excitement for those times on my own for a blast.
But the 535d is so competent and easy, will the m3 just be added expensive not required?
Main car used as a family car with a 5 and 2 year old is a 535d sport touring
Actually by far the best car I've owned
Each time I jump in it, the driving position is ace, I know everyone has enough room, enough room for kids bike in the back, electronic auto shifter is easy and steering input feedback is good. Oh and not to forget the balance of power and mpg, also good. So I speak highly of it
Been driving a 2004 ka for commute whilst wife uses the 535d during the week, nice and cheap motoring and good for the 10 mile round trip journey, a little bit of B road and mainly just suburb built up traffic.
Been lucky to get a 2004 s4 cabriolet to run instead of the ka, it ticks a lot of boxes on paper but the pure love isn't there.
I'm now thinking maybe drop down to a 330 convertible as has enough poke for my daily drive but the other hand thinks I should try a m3.
Now do I really need a m3 for my commute, answer is no.
But I've enjoyed top model range ownership on other cars.
M3 would bring more excitement for those times on my own for a blast.
But the 535d is so competent and easy, will the m3 just be added expensive not required?
Just this weekend I've been asking myself the same question as the OP. I've had a bad hankering for a V10 Audi S8 for, well, at least a couple of years. But in that time our main car has become a FFRR, and I've begun to question the wisdom of running a V10 as a second car alongside a SC V8.
And then I spied the E46 M3 as a possible option B. And now I'm a bit torn.
I toyed briefly with the idea of getting a convertible one about 5 years ago, but they see end a lot more chavvy than they are now. They have matured a lot (and the design has aged very, very well) and now seem like a good and sensible buy - well, the unmolested ones do.
And I'm quite interested to try out an SMG box...
And then I spied the E46 M3 as a possible option B. And now I'm a bit torn.
I toyed briefly with the idea of getting a convertible one about 5 years ago, but they see end a lot more chavvy than they are now. They have matured a lot (and the design has aged very, very well) and now seem like a good and sensible buy - well, the unmolested ones do.
And I'm quite interested to try out an SMG box...
Yeah I would fancy the smg too
They definitely went through a chavvy stage but seems more enthusiasts picking them up now
My s4 is a convertible, first I've had and I'm converted
Yes it might not be as focused due to flex, but I'm not tracking it
Just like the acceleration of high powered cars and know power is on tap when required
They definitely went through a chavvy stage but seems more enthusiasts picking them up now
My s4 is a convertible, first I've had and I'm converted
Yes it might not be as focused due to flex, but I'm not tracking it
Just like the acceleration of high powered cars and know power is on tap when required
Lefty said:
Try a few other things first, the m3 is a fine car but, IMHO, not special enough as your fun car.
It would be great if you had something daft for the weekend.
Really? It would be great if you had something daft for the weekend.
It might not be as step ahead of mundane saloons as it used to be when launched however - I drove one on a track not that long ago and really enjoyed it the engine and handling are superb truely superb (brakes felt up for the job on track too)
Its also good value - looking at ones for sale there are countless well under £10k and really how low can these go... You could assume £5-6k so cheap motoring plus don't they average high 20's mpg?
The M3 is a very expensive car to run but a fantastic experience. Still a 3 serious though and not as a special as a 911 C4S for example (C2 is too soft).
Very rewarding when you drive them quick but the servicing costs can be expensive, especially if you want to maintain the dealer history.
Inspection 2 is £900 and discs/pads are £1k.
Cheers,
Bill
Very rewarding when you drive them quick but the servicing costs can be expensive, especially if you want to maintain the dealer history.
Inspection 2 is £900 and discs/pads are £1k.
Cheers,
Bill
ba65 said:
The M3 is a very expensive car to run but a fantastic experience. Still a 3 serious though and not as a special as a 911 C4S for example (C2 is too soft).
Very rewarding when you drive them quick but the servicing costs can be expensive, especially if you want to maintain the dealer history.
Inspection 2 is £900 and discs/pads are £1k.
Cheers,
Bill
These are at least ten years old now most will not be main dealer serviced. Very rewarding when you drive them quick but the servicing costs can be expensive, especially if you want to maintain the dealer history.
Inspection 2 is £900 and discs/pads are £1k.
Cheers,
Bill
Discs and pads - you can for them yourself and save a significant chunk of £.
Like the 911 C4S but that's a different budget to a E46 M3 - I'd wager the M3 more fun being rwd and a 8-9k rpm screamer.
p1tse said:
Ok, all petrol heads will say just get a m3, but...
Main car used as a family car with a 5 and 2 year old is a 535d sport touring
Actually by far the best car I've owned
Each time I jump in it, the driving position is ace, I know everyone has enough room, enough room for kids bike in the back, electronic auto shifter is easy and steering input feedback is good. Oh and not to forget the balance of power and mpg, also good. So I speak highly of it
Been driving a 2004 ka for commute whilst wife uses the 535d during the week, nice and cheap motoring and good for the 10 mile round trip journey, a little bit of B road and mainly just suburb built up traffic.
Been lucky to get a 2004 s4 cabriolet to run instead of the ka, it ticks a lot of boxes on paper but the pure love isn't there.
I'm now thinking maybe drop down to a 330 convertible as has enough poke for my daily drive but the other hand thinks I should try a m3.
Now do I really need a m3 for my commute, answer is no.
But I've enjoyed top model range ownership on other cars.
M3 would bring more excitement for those times on my own for a blast.
But the 535d is so competent and easy, will the m3 just be added expensive not required?
535 sounds fineMain car used as a family car with a 5 and 2 year old is a 535d sport touring
Actually by far the best car I've owned
Each time I jump in it, the driving position is ace, I know everyone has enough room, enough room for kids bike in the back, electronic auto shifter is easy and steering input feedback is good. Oh and not to forget the balance of power and mpg, also good. So I speak highly of it
Been driving a 2004 ka for commute whilst wife uses the 535d during the week, nice and cheap motoring and good for the 10 mile round trip journey, a little bit of B road and mainly just suburb built up traffic.
Been lucky to get a 2004 s4 cabriolet to run instead of the ka, it ticks a lot of boxes on paper but the pure love isn't there.
I'm now thinking maybe drop down to a 330 convertible as has enough poke for my daily drive but the other hand thinks I should try a m3.
Now do I really need a m3 for my commute, answer is no.
But I've enjoyed top model range ownership on other cars.
M3 would bring more excitement for those times on my own for a blast.
But the 535d is so competent and easy, will the m3 just be added expensive not required?
Welshbeef said:
These are at least ten years old now most will not be main dealer serviced.
Discs and pads - you can for them yourself and save a significant chunk of £.
Like the 911 C4S but that's a different budget to a E46 M3 - I'd wager the M3 more fun being rwd and a 8-9k rpm screamer.
Agreed. Indy Inspection 2 is £650. Discs/pads parts are about the same too.Discs and pads - you can for them yourself and save a significant chunk of £.
Like the 911 C4S but that's a different budget to a E46 M3 - I'd wager the M3 more fun being rwd and a 8-9k rpm screamer.
My E46 M3 is main dealer serviced from new but the costs now are becoming silly (in relation to the value of the car).
C4S with about 100k can be had for £14-15k mark but agreed, still quite a way off...
p1tse said:
My s4 is a convertible, first I've had and I'm converted
Yes it might not be as focused due to flex, but I'm not tracking it
Just like the acceleration of high powered cars and know power is on tap when required
The S54 is an engine you have to work hard. It won't feel as immediately butch as your Audi S4. However, all of that is left behind once the engine is revving hard. The M3 really scores on its suspension and set-up. You can get them handling very neutrally with very, very little understeer at all. When you're not in the mood this translates to a car that exits roundabouts with that feeling of the whole car being hooked up and easy to turn hard if required, if you're going a bit quicker, you can let the steering off a bit and use a bit more throttle to help power-slide off the roundabout. This is the beauty of the M3 for me. The chassis is so nicely balanced and hugely throttle adjustable towards the limit of grip. If you think that lot sounds appealing then an M3 might be for you. If not, get a 330i. Do avoid the E9* series Sport models at all costs though since they changed the suspension design to terminally understeer as standard, which is hateful.Yes it might not be as focused due to flex, but I'm not tracking it
Just like the acceleration of high powered cars and know power is on tap when required
I've got an e36 M3 convertible. It's run me ragged over the last 2 and a half years. I can't even nearly justify the financial outlay. Sometimes it worries me, and sometimes annoys me.
However every month or so I 'invest' in a tankful of Momentum and hit some decent roads. Every single penny that gets spent on it becomes worth it. The thousands on suspension, bushes, and the other stuff that probably only just needed doing, all combine to make it a brilliant, tight B road weapon.
Moral of the story is that an M3 will never be a cheap proposition. But if you're going to do it, do it properly and spend the money when you need to. A half-assed approach to ownership and maintenance won't cut it, and it won't be half the car it could be.
However every month or so I 'invest' in a tankful of Momentum and hit some decent roads. Every single penny that gets spent on it becomes worth it. The thousands on suspension, bushes, and the other stuff that probably only just needed doing, all combine to make it a brilliant, tight B road weapon.
Moral of the story is that an M3 will never be a cheap proposition. But if you're going to do it, do it properly and spend the money when you need to. A half-assed approach to ownership and maintenance won't cut it, and it won't be half the car it could be.
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