e36 328 or evo m3 4 door

[dean4582]

Hi i have had many bmws over the years and currently drive a 328 sport coupe s reg. I have been offered a 4 door e36 m3 evo but it has 200k miles on it but is in good condition and has been looked after by a specialist.
working and running cost are not a problem as im a technician myself.
My questions are is the mileage to high for such a high revving engine? what is the performance like compared to the 328? i did have an e46 m3 but had to sell it to buy my first house will it compete with that in terms off speed?

i have been offered the car cheap and there would not be much in price difference if i was to sell my 328 so could someone please give me some guidance as im not sure what to do!
my 328 has just turned 140k miles as well so mileage is getting up on that as well,
i look forward to your replies many thanks!

[andy665]

I could have afforded the asking price of an e36 M3 last year, on investigating running costs I chose to find a really nice 328i Sport - unless you're absolutely sure of a full no expense service history I'd steer clear

[clarkey328is]

M3 Evos are significantly quicker than 328s. Bear in mind they have over 100hp more than the 328.
If you can afford it, why not buy the M3 and have it as an ongoing project, keeping the 328 as a reliable daily driver?

[TameRacingDriver]

I've got a 328i and I love it, but if I could afford to run an M3 Evo, then I would, no question about it.

[billzeebub]

I would, and have (several times) taken a really nice 323/328 over an average M3..to get a good M3 you need to budget around £5k at least, with minters around £7-£8k..for a lot less than £5k you would get a sensational 1 owner 328, either a Sport or a late Convertible..

due to the aspirational nature of the M3 and it's performance there are a lot of leggy, baggy, abused examples..and I always think it's much easier to get a really good 328..and have lower running costs into the bargain

[andy665]

I don't deny that the M3 is significantly quicker but it also comes with the risk of significantly higher running costs - to me the performance did not justify the cost

[Smike]

dean4582 said:

I have been offered a 4 door e36 m3 evo ...........
what is the performance like compared to the 328? i did have an e46 m3 but had to sell it to buy my first house will it compete with that in terms off speed?

The performance of an E36 M3 EVO will be much closer to your old E46 M3 than an E36 328 I can assure you. In a straight line, very little in it, as you'd expect really