Head vs heart (M3 vs M240i/140i)

[anonymous-user]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 01 March 2018 at 20:58

[anonymous-user]

Buy the M3. They wont be around unmolested and lowish mileage forever, and you will never ever get their ilk on sale again new.

140s and their equivalent will continue for a little while yet.

[Smuler]

I drove a M135i and then an E92 M3 ; I reviewed the experience here , if you want to look back to my post in October 2013. The M3 is a different league as a performance car from every aspect so this comparison is pointless , it’s only as a daily driver the M Lites can be competitive.

I got a 335i cos I couldn’t afford the purchase cost of a E92 M3 plus I was doing high miles so fuel would be an issue ; low down grunt due to high torque is a great thing for daily driving. The M Lites have this in buckets , but the M3 has the better throttle response and as I now own a E46 M3 I’m less persuaded by the supposed big advantages of torque v throttle response for daily driving . It’s a close call in my opinion.

The M Lites like the 335i are stealthier , and that can be nicer for daily driving if you seek no attention or very little. My M3 gets loads of attention and it’s better looking.
It’s “sex appeal” v stealth and I know what wins for me.

So the final strengths of a M lite I guess is fuel economy and all benefits of being new / newer , such as warranty. The boring reasons.
If you were thinking M2 and were struggling to afford it , as I was a M3 when I went second best and got 335i, then these would make sense and perhaps be definitive.

But if you can afford a M3 and run it they don’t.
Get a M3

[anonymous-user]

janesmith1950 said:

Buy the M3. They wont be around unmolested and lowish mileage forever, and you will never ever get their ilk on sale again new.

140s and their equivalent will continue for a little while yet.

Yeah, that comes into it to, they'll not make them like that again.

Smuler said:

I drove a M135i and then an E92 M3 ; I reviewed the experience here , if you want to look back to my post in October 2013. The M3 is a different league as a performance car from every aspect so this comparison is pointless , it’s only as a daily driver the M Lites can be competitive.

I got a 335i cos I couldn’t afford the purchase cost of a E92 M3 plus I was doing high miles so fuel would be an issue ; low down grunt due to high torque is a great thing for daily driving. The M Lites have this in buckets , but the M3 has the better throttle response and as I now own a E46 M3 I’m less persuaded by the supposed big advantages of torque v throttle response for daily driving . It’s a close call in my opinion.

The M Lites like the 335i are stealthier , and that can be nicer for daily driving if you seek no attention or very little. My M3 gets loads of attention and it’s better looking.
It’s “sex appeal” v stealth and I know what wins for me.

So the final strengths of a M lite I guess is fuel economy and all benefits of being new / newer , such as warranty. The boring reasons.
If you were thinking M2 and were struggling to afford it , as I was a M3 when I went second best and got 335i, then these would make sense and perhaps be definitive.

But if you can afford a M3 and run it they don’t.
Get a M3

Good points. I've been used to turbo'd cars with instant torque most of the time, the little 325 has shown me how much fun a more revvy NA motor can be, I did have it in my head for a while anything without a turbo would have zero torque but to be honest it still has enough low down torque to move me along. I want an auto and the DTC is suppose to suit the rev happy V8 quite well.

I dont drive anywhere that I'd be worried about leaving it really, home or work 99% of the time and if really I did, I'm sure the mrs would be willing to loan me her 320d. In reality, as much as I like stealthy, I'd love to be looking back at the M as I walk away from it. I dont do huge miles, about 8k a year so while my fuel costs would go up it's not going to sink me.

My budget will afford me a 2011/2012 approved used M3 with less than 40k on, a years BMW warranty on it, I'd try and get a second included on the deal.

I'll have a little read of your posts later

Thanks guys.

[Stu-nph26]

140/240i are great cars and will probably be quicker on the road with a basic remap but the M is special that engine is a beauty. Yes it'll cost more to run but it'll also make you smile more and what it's costs you to run I think you'll make up in the lack of depreciation. Try and get a competition package if you can the CSL wheels and the 10m drop make a huge difference IMO.

[SBN]

I have had a e90 M3 and miss it every day. You should definitely buy one, it will make you smile every day, that v8 really does sing!!!

There are literally hundreds of mlites for sale at the moment... if you purchase the m3 and decided it wasn’t for you it will sell very quickly, mine sold within hours of going live on a forum, If you went for the mlite like I went for a 335i because it seemed the sensible choice you’ll soon get itchy feet and then have to sell it in a sea of other mlites.

[Mr Whippy]

Just get an M car first, run it for a year, then buy an m140 for less because they'll have depreciated more.

Total cost is the average of the two, but you get to enjoy both cars for a part of your life.

Win win.

[cerb4.5lee]

For a daily I'd much rather have a M240i, I had a E92 M3 as my daily for 10k miles and I pretty much hated it in that situation, it's a very frustrating car because it only really comes into it's own at very high revs, and you can't exploit it's potential very often.

I prefer the instant punch you get from a turbo as a daily...rather than having to thrash that high rev N/A engine to get the reward, for purely a weekend car though I would prefer a N/A engine over a Turbo.

[Smuler]

CaptainMorgan said:

Good points. I've been used to turbo'd cars with instant torque most of the time, the little 325 has shown me how much fun a more revvy NA motor can be, I did have it in my head for a while anything without a turbo would have zero torque but to be honest it still has enough low down torque to move me along. I want an auto and the DTC is suppose to suit the rev happy V8 quite well.

I dont drive anywhere that I'd be worried about leaving it really, home or work 99% of the time and if really I did, I'm sure the mrs would be willing to loan me her 320d. In reality, as much as I like stealthy, I'd love to be looking back at the M as I walk away from it. I dont do huge miles, about 8k a year so while my fuel costs would go up it's not going to sink me.

My budget will afford me a 2011/2012 approved used M3 with less than 40k on, a years BMW warranty on it, I'd try and get a second included on the deal.

I'll have a little read of your posts later

Thanks guys.

FWIW, here is my original review, save you looking.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I had your post in mind when I took my E46 M3 out this morning, not for a specific blast in mountains but for a nice drive, but one I've done in every car for the last 10 years.
I had in mind my 335i and that slingshot feel or surging up the dual carriageway or M/way and also the pull in high gears and low revs. But I found no inadequacy cos of the power that is on tap and that instant throttle response. Add to this, even when taking it easy, the feel of the car. It feels so much more like a performance car. You will look back at it. The E92 3 is a little more comfortable , more grown, newer - and I think a better daily. And the V8 sound is awesome.

I think the M Lites are a very like-able second best.

[anonymous-user]

Smuler said:

FWIW, here is my original review, save you looking.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I had your post in mind when I took my E46 M3 out this morning, not for a specific blast in mountains but for a nice drive, but one I've done in every car for the last 10 years.
I had in mind my 335i and that slingshot feel or surging up the dual carriageway or M/way and also the pull in high gears and low revs. But I found no inadequacy cos of the power that is on tap and that instant throttle response. Add to this, even when taking it easy, the feel of the car. It feels so much more like a performance car. You will look back at it. The E92 3 is a little more comfortable , more grown, newer - and I think a better daily. And the V8 sound is awesome.

I think the M Lites are a very like-able second best.

Thanks for the link, it's good to get some experiences from people who've drive both, especially back to back.

I think while the M3 might have a lack of low down torque relative to other V8s or its competitors it's still got more than enough for driving about on the public roads where in all fairness, I find in many of the latest turbo'd cars it's easy to get up to fast speeds with half throttle and little sense of the speeds you're doing, they're so smooth and fuss free. The point you mention about the feel of your car, where even just driving to the shops it's a bit of an event so to speak, I got that when I've driven both the E46 & E92 M3s in the past.

I'm leaning towards an M3, I like the thought that even though I'm planning to keep whatever I get for a long time, as Mr Whippy says, IF I got the M3 and decided after a couple of years it's just too much outlay for the reward of owning the car, I could probably get into a M140i or similar fairly easily given how well the M3s are holding their value vs the M140i. If I can negotiate a second years AUC warranty then I'm not at risk of a large bill for repairs either.

In my mind there is little doubt as a tool for getting about, the M140i will be 'better' at doing the job but it's whether the M3 is worth it's short comings and running costs to have the 'special' feel of it.

I think I'm going to have to get a drive in a DCT M3, my mates was a manual and tbh I was just enjoying making lots of noise in it rather than paying attention to how it drove. There's a guy up the road with one, might see if he'll take me for a spin nearer the time

Thanks for the replies.

[Andy70]

V8 M3 mate all the way, lucky to have that sort of choice, best of luck with what ever you choose though

[Mr Tidy]

I'd get the M3.

If you fancy having one now is the time to do it while you can get one with a warranty.

And as has been said all those other options will still be around if it doesn't suit you - and you'll only find out by trying one!