Used M3 vs New ST
Discussion
Mits said:
Hi,
Not sure why running an M3 should be so expensive...
I'm on my fourth M3 and my 2nd E46.
My servicing is all done by a BM Main dealer...
oil service £90 + supplied my own oil £35
inspec I £450
inspec II £650
Brakes/pads upgraded and changed myself £1k, should last another 50k
Warranty at £1050 (<60k)...optional, mines runs out in Apr 07 and I wont renew.
Tyres Mich 19" PS2 all round £700, fronts last 22k rears 18k.
In two years this is all i've spent...oh yeh and the £10k on mods, vorsteiner cf hood, acs cf, acs alloys...list is endless lol
Mits
Which dealer? I ended up paying £720 for a inspection 1 (cheapest in the area).
Where can you buy 6L of Castrol TWS motorsport for £35 as well?
50k for pads? I've used 8 sets of fronts and 3 sets of rears in just over a year? Even with just road use they won't last that long surely? Same with tyres! 18k out of the rears? do you never accelerate?
I had a similar dilemma to you - albeit i was going to spend a lot less and get an old e36 - i have got a couple of trackcars and nothing sensible for work and on saturday i bought an e36 m3 evo saloon from this site.
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/73814.htm[/url]
full bmw history/new vanos etc - and i wanted a saloon without spoilers etc for stealth. never driven an e36 before
and after coming out of a stripped out e30 i drove to the garage - it was like jumping into a limousine. the car had a radio!
i simply wanted a cheap hack which can keep up with white mercedes sprinter vans on the motorway - lol - ok i am being unrealistic - "nearly keep up".
was a bit hungover on the test drive - did not really open it up - i hope when i collect it on friday that after 5000rpm there is a top
end to savour. the new car alternative was obviously to be more expensive - was looking at a clio v6 or clio trophy as i can get a renault supplier discount - assuming there were some left. in the end i thought both clios were not really the lazy luxo barge i was after - although the v6 is close! - and also financially the bm was a cheap set of wheels which provide me with a financial cushion for any servicing. the car has full BMW history - and the dealer suggested that i get oil changes done at the stealer - and other stuff at a local independant - but to be honest at this end of the market i don't think it's worth me carrying on with the franchised lot
if you buy the focus you'll be thinking of the m3 - if you get the m3 - i doubt you will be thinking of the focus!
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/73814.htm[/url]
full bmw history/new vanos etc - and i wanted a saloon without spoilers etc for stealth. never driven an e36 before
and after coming out of a stripped out e30 i drove to the garage - it was like jumping into a limousine. the car had a radio!
i simply wanted a cheap hack which can keep up with white mercedes sprinter vans on the motorway - lol - ok i am being unrealistic - "nearly keep up".
was a bit hungover on the test drive - did not really open it up - i hope when i collect it on friday that after 5000rpm there is a top
end to savour. the new car alternative was obviously to be more expensive - was looking at a clio v6 or clio trophy as i can get a renault supplier discount - assuming there were some left. in the end i thought both clios were not really the lazy luxo barge i was after - although the v6 is close! - and also financially the bm was a cheap set of wheels which provide me with a financial cushion for any servicing. the car has full BMW history - and the dealer suggested that i get oil changes done at the stealer - and other stuff at a local independant - but to be honest at this end of the market i don't think it's worth me carrying on with the franchised lot
if you buy the focus you'll be thinking of the m3 - if you get the m3 - i doubt you will be thinking of the focus!
I did just this last March - opted out of the company car scheme and bought my M3...
OK, so the company I was at (now moved on) only paid a paltry £350/month allowance & 14p (yes, 14p per mile!) - so it was never going to cover the cost of petrol, let alone depreciation, tyres, insurance etc, especially as your taxed at 40% on the allowance! - BUT, the feeling it gives you when your in your M3 going to work, stuck in traffic vs all the other "rep-mobiles" is priceless, and that's without the weekends of fun...!!
My M3 has cost about £3k ish in a years motoring (Insurance, Tax, Tyres, servicing, Extended warranty)and I reckon I'll lose about £4-4.5k in depreciation in that same year, but its been great fun.
It just so happens that I've changed jobs and have opted back in to company car "ownership" as in my new role & company I get £600/month, and I wanted to get the full benefit of that ammount (ie not lose 40% of it in tax), so my M3 is up for sale, see the classifieds here: .[url] www.pistonheads.com/sales/75733.htm [/url](pics still to be added)
I'm going to miss it, but for me, with a house build looming and more mileage in my new role, a company car is the "sensible" choice for a couple of years...
The only thing I won't miss is worrying every time I left it at the station, supermarket, pub etc....!!
In summary - if your thinking about do it - better to have been there and tried it than not and regretted it ever since...!!
Cheers,
J
OK, so the company I was at (now moved on) only paid a paltry £350/month allowance & 14p (yes, 14p per mile!) - so it was never going to cover the cost of petrol, let alone depreciation, tyres, insurance etc, especially as your taxed at 40% on the allowance! - BUT, the feeling it gives you when your in your M3 going to work, stuck in traffic vs all the other "rep-mobiles" is priceless, and that's without the weekends of fun...!!
My M3 has cost about £3k ish in a years motoring (Insurance, Tax, Tyres, servicing, Extended warranty)and I reckon I'll lose about £4-4.5k in depreciation in that same year, but its been great fun.
It just so happens that I've changed jobs and have opted back in to company car "ownership" as in my new role & company I get £600/month, and I wanted to get the full benefit of that ammount (ie not lose 40% of it in tax), so my M3 is up for sale, see the classifieds here: .[url] www.pistonheads.com/sales/75733.htm [/url](pics still to be added)
I'm going to miss it, but for me, with a house build looming and more mileage in my new role, a company car is the "sensible" choice for a couple of years...
The only thing I won't miss is worrying every time I left it at the station, supermarket, pub etc....!!
In summary - if your thinking about do it - better to have been there and tried it than not and regretted it ever since...!!
Cheers,
J
alfaspiderman2 said:
well, when I say covered, I mean I get 16p/mile which means I need to do 27mpg - I know I won't get that out of an M3 but I'll be near enough to not worry too much
You know you can claim back a further 24p * your tax rate * business miles from the tax man each April ?
As for the original question, M3 for me, even thought the Focus is a very god car.
M12,
I use BMW Heathrow...they do give a 10% discount but even that would'nt account for the difference.
...I meant I got 50k out of my oem discs, now I have Performance Friction all round, much better for track days. Yep I do get 18k from my rear Ps2 and that includes two trips to the Ring every year.
There use to be another forum that use to do group buys on the oil directly from contacts in Germany, this doesnt happen now, but I stocked up enough oil to get me through 3 services.
I use BMW Heathrow...they do give a 10% discount but even that would'nt account for the difference.
...I meant I got 50k out of my oem discs, now I have Performance Friction all round, much better for track days. Yep I do get 18k from my rear Ps2 and that includes two trips to the Ring every year.
There use to be another forum that use to do group buys on the oil directly from contacts in Germany, this doesnt happen now, but I stocked up enough oil to get me through 3 services.
I get £600/month, and I wanted to get the full benefit of that ammount (ie not lose 40% of it in tax), so my M3 is up for sale, see the classifieds here: .[url] www.pistonheads.com/sales/75733.htm [/url](pics still to be added)
I'm going to miss it, but for me, with a house build looming and more mileage in my new role, a company car is the "sensible" choice for a couple of years...
Funny woud should say that, but my allowance is around that ammount, I've got a 1yr old + pregnant wife, and a big house extension project planned.
You can see why I'm hesitating when I could get a company ST, 130 M Sport or R32.
I'm going to miss it, but for me, with a house build looming and more mileage in my new role, a company car is the "sensible" choice for a couple of years...
Funny woud should say that, but my allowance is around that ammount, I've got a 1yr old + pregnant wife, and a big house extension project planned.
You can see why I'm hesitating when I could get a company ST, 130 M Sport or R32.
Mits said:
M12,
I use BMW Heathrow...they do give a 10% discount but even that would'nt account for the difference.
...I meant I got 50k out of my oem discs, now I have Performance Friction all round, much better for track days. Yep I do get 18k from my rear Ps2 and that includes two trips to the Ring every year.
There use to be another forum that use to do group buys on the oil directly from contacts in Germany, this doesnt happen now, but I stocked up enough oil to get me through 3 services.
Heathrow is only 25 mins from me, think I've found a new dealer!
I did the group buy from BM3W but the prices are no where near as good as you got.
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