Will I hate an e92 m3
Discussion
MikeGoodwin said:
Ive noticed over the last week or two discussing M3s with friends its always the same response.... ooh big bills, my mate had a £6k bill when his engine shat a conrod. AND he had his gearbox replaced. etc. And its always that same look of 'youre mental looking at a 10 year old BMW M car'. I know this car is going to be expensive but from spending plenty of time reading it doesnt seem so bad. Fuel I dont care about, servicing isnt cheap but I am not overly concerned about the cost of it. Almost feel like i doing the wrong thing here and I should be looking at a Focus Ecoboost.
Buy from a BMW dealer with a warranty if you are worried about bits going wrong. That's what I did as I wanted peace of mind. Private is cheaper yes but you need to weigh it up. Plus a bmw warranty is the best warranty to get IMO. 
woogie said:
you found an M3 you like ?
Yeah its a car at Autostrada in Bristol, links on previous page somewhere. Looks ok. I wasn't specifically after an edition, in fact i only wanted it to be any colour except white and must have edc. Ive left manual cars out as want an auto for the commute. Rest of it I dont really mind about but ive not found one I properly like yet. MikeGoodwin said:
woogie said:
you found an M3 you like ?
Yeah its a car at Autostrada in Bristol, links on previous page somewhere. Looks ok. I wasn't specifically after an edition, in fact i only wanted it to be any colour except white and must have edc. Ive left manual cars out as want an auto for the commute. Rest of it I dont really mind about but ive not found one I properly like yet. 
MikeGoodwin said:
woogie said:
you found an M3 you like ?
Yeah its a car at Autostrada in Bristol, links on previous page somewhere. Looks ok. I wasn't specifically after an edition, in fact i only wanted it to be any colour except white and must have edc. Ive left manual cars out as want an auto for the commute. Rest of it I dont really mind about but ive not found one I properly like yet. Had mine 14 months. One thing I would day is make sure you have decent tyres , michellin ps4 or mpss.
I have mpss on front but rears came with contis , 70 mph last week on motorways I dropped to manual and booted it in MDM mode , logic 5. I went sideways down the motorway.I never expected I to lose grip and I am usually careful. I noted it was 14 degrees and dry, it amazed me it wheel span at that speed. Anyway I am having a lot of fun now going sideways just to wear these contis out to get some ps'4 tyres
Edited by woogie on Tuesday 9th January 16:12
Things to bear in mind on extending the warranty with the BMW insured warranty:
1) It is considerably more expensive to put a warranty on a car once it reaches 60,000 miles
2) It costs considerably more for the BMW insured warranty in the 1st year of taking cover IF the car has no existing cover with them or any BMW AUC warranty. Something like +25% higher cost and zero excess not available in 1st year. Once the car has a policy for 12 months the renewal comes down in price by around 25% so this helps to appreciate the true cost of warranty for 2 years.
3) Buying from a BMW dealer includes 12 months AUC warranty (with no excess) which also means renewal in 12 months is at the lower price (provided car is still below 60,000). Also an approved AUC car will have 12 months MOT and MOT cover for the next test in 12 months.
All of these factors add up and should be considered when comparing prices privately vs independent dealer vs BMW dealer cars.
I recently bought a 2012 E92 Comp pack car in Santorini blue (my last 3 cars have been white and it was time for a change!) from a BMW dealer after looking at a few privately but the dealer car made a lot more financial sense, was a great spec and came in at a very good deal.
Good luck with your search.
1) It is considerably more expensive to put a warranty on a car once it reaches 60,000 miles
2) It costs considerably more for the BMW insured warranty in the 1st year of taking cover IF the car has no existing cover with them or any BMW AUC warranty. Something like +25% higher cost and zero excess not available in 1st year. Once the car has a policy for 12 months the renewal comes down in price by around 25% so this helps to appreciate the true cost of warranty for 2 years.
3) Buying from a BMW dealer includes 12 months AUC warranty (with no excess) which also means renewal in 12 months is at the lower price (provided car is still below 60,000). Also an approved AUC car will have 12 months MOT and MOT cover for the next test in 12 months.
All of these factors add up and should be considered when comparing prices privately vs independent dealer vs BMW dealer cars.
I recently bought a 2012 E92 Comp pack car in Santorini blue (my last 3 cars have been white and it was time for a change!) from a BMW dealer after looking at a few privately but the dealer car made a lot more financial sense, was a great spec and came in at a very good deal.
Good luck with your search.
chrisABP said:
Things to bear in mind on extending the warranty with the BMW insured warranty:
1) It is considerably more expensive to put a warranty on a car once it reaches 60,000 miles
2) It costs considerably more for the BMW insured warranty in the 1st year of taking cover IF the car has no existing cover with them or any BMW AUC warranty. Something like +25% higher cost and zero excess not available in 1st year. Once the car has a policy for 12 months the renewal comes down in price by around 25% so this helps to appreciate the true cost of warranty for 2 years.
3) Buying from a BMW dealer includes 12 months AUC warranty (with no excess) which also means renewal in 12 months is at the lower price (provided car is still below 60,000). Also an approved AUC car will have 12 months MOT and MOT cover for the next test in 12 months.
All of these factors add up and should be considered when comparing prices privately vs independent dealer vs BMW dealer cars.
I recently bought a 2012 E92 Comp pack car in Santorini blue (my last 3 cars have been white and it was time for a change!) from a BMW dealer after looking at a few privately but the dealer car made a lot more financial sense, was a great spec and came in at a very good deal.
Good luck with your search.
I got 2 years AUC warranty on mine - .1) It is considerably more expensive to put a warranty on a car once it reaches 60,000 miles
2) It costs considerably more for the BMW insured warranty in the 1st year of taking cover IF the car has no existing cover with them or any BMW AUC warranty. Something like +25% higher cost and zero excess not available in 1st year. Once the car has a policy for 12 months the renewal comes down in price by around 25% so this helps to appreciate the true cost of warranty for 2 years.
3) Buying from a BMW dealer includes 12 months AUC warranty (with no excess) which also means renewal in 12 months is at the lower price (provided car is still below 60,000). Also an approved AUC car will have 12 months MOT and MOT cover for the next test in 12 months.
All of these factors add up and should be considered when comparing prices privately vs independent dealer vs BMW dealer cars.
I recently bought a 2012 E92 Comp pack car in Santorini blue (my last 3 cars have been white and it was time for a change!) from a BMW dealer after looking at a few privately but the dealer car made a lot more financial sense, was a great spec and came in at a very good deal.
Good luck with your search.
I wouldn't have bought it without a 2 year warranty
The AUC warranty certainly has its benefits, I bought a E93 just before Christmas and I've a had couple of things go wrong all sorted no quibble by the dealer. Although I am a risk averse person when it comes to cars, I like the piece of mind of buying a car from a dealer.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to negotiate the second year warranty, the dealer told me they couldn't do it? Anyway I was happy with the deal I got.
Happy hunting!
Unfortunately I wasn't able to negotiate the second year warranty, the dealer told me they couldn't do it? Anyway I was happy with the deal I got.
Happy hunting!
I personally didn't bother with a warranty.
BMW wanted £1600 PA with £100 excess. I almost cried with laughter.
The only things that have gone wrong in two years of motoring have been the actuators which was £700 to permanently put right and £200 when one of the fan belts snapped. All other costs have been maintenance costs. Which, in fairness, have not been insignificant.
BMW wanted £1600 PA with £100 excess. I almost cried with laughter.
The only things that have gone wrong in two years of motoring have been the actuators which was £700 to permanently put right and £200 when one of the fan belts snapped. All other costs have been maintenance costs. Which, in fairness, have not been insignificant.
MikeGoodwin said:
RS Grant said:
OP, have you driven one yet? I came from a MK7 Golf R (albeit a little more powerful than your Megane) which I absolutely loved and was very worried about the switch to N/A power again, but I have absolutely made the correct decision.. the only niggles I've got with the car are spec-related; leather seats should really be heated (mine aren't) and I miss the adaptive headlights in the Golf. But given that it ticked a LOT of my other boxes, I couldn't walk away from the deal over a couple of small things like that and I don't regret it at all.. sound, throttle response, steering, handling balance are all fantastic in the BMW.
I did a bit of a comparison in my Readers' Cars thread between the Golf and M3 on the last page ( Click Here) which you may find useful.
Yeas its actually your fault I am after one! I did a bit of a comparison in my Readers' Cars thread between the Golf and M3 on the last page ( Click Here) which you may find useful.
Its this photo that really got me thinking about one again. And its that angle of the E92 I love the most. Black one is my old 320d.
Providing you go in with your eyes open regarding the running costs and different engine characteristics from your turbo'd car, then you should love it.
I was reading the buying guide in last months EVO magazine earlier, and I will admit I never realised when I was buying my old one...what a money pit they can be with things going wrong with the engine.
I expected my TVR to pull my pants down financially but not with a M3, a warranty does seem to be a must...whereas before I've never extended or gone for a warranty on any of the other beemers I've had.
I expected my TVR to pull my pants down financially but not with a M3, a warranty does seem to be a must...whereas before I've never extended or gone for a warranty on any of the other beemers I've had.
I've never been good with car buying decisions so I put a deposit on that one test drove in Bristol, was in very good condition actually, far better than I was expecting. 1 odd tyre (3x PS" and 1 Conti sport 2) which they are replacing and matching for me, plus a years MOT which is one less thing to worry about. 3 months warranty which I dont believe is worth the paper its written on so going to get BMW Comprehensive asap. Servicing doesn't apear imminent for anything atall. Service book was a mix of BMW and Dick Lovett (unsure if it was BMW or not, said BMW approved....).
Engine was interesting....
below 2500 rpm it was very docile - win, that's going to be handy in the commute and i was happy sat there doing f.a.
Up to 6k ish it was probably about as fast as the Megane maybe, pulled harder than I expected but I see where the torque comments come from but....
Above that, well you lot were right it just goes mental. Was quite quick really and just kept pulling hard right up to the speed limit. Once thing I liked about the Megane over something like the Focus ST or Golf R was that it pulled strongly to the red line, almost like an N/A engine, trade off was it being a little less strong low down. So this should suit.
I see people saying it has plenty of steering feel but I disagree, the Meg has the best electric rack I've used and is considerably better than most hydraulic systems ive used over the years, stepping into the M3 it wasn't bad, but was a little numb off center. Brakes were ok, I am used to the Megane which has anchors for brakes but very minimal servo assistance. M3 perhaps a little spongy, may change the lines and fluid sometime.
Not sure when collecting it yet, aiming for Saturday. Autostrada very good so far. I am still very wary of buying a 9 year old M3 and dont know if itll be as besserk as the Megane is round some backroads. Theres potential for big bills and tears with this car.
Im excited and nervous at the same time. Wife angry.
Engine was interesting....
below 2500 rpm it was very docile - win, that's going to be handy in the commute and i was happy sat there doing f.a.
Up to 6k ish it was probably about as fast as the Megane maybe, pulled harder than I expected but I see where the torque comments come from but....
Above that, well you lot were right it just goes mental. Was quite quick really and just kept pulling hard right up to the speed limit. Once thing I liked about the Megane over something like the Focus ST or Golf R was that it pulled strongly to the red line, almost like an N/A engine, trade off was it being a little less strong low down. So this should suit.
I see people saying it has plenty of steering feel but I disagree, the Meg has the best electric rack I've used and is considerably better than most hydraulic systems ive used over the years, stepping into the M3 it wasn't bad, but was a little numb off center. Brakes were ok, I am used to the Megane which has anchors for brakes but very minimal servo assistance. M3 perhaps a little spongy, may change the lines and fluid sometime.
Not sure when collecting it yet, aiming for Saturday. Autostrada very good so far. I am still very wary of buying a 9 year old M3 and dont know if itll be as besserk as the Megane is round some backroads. Theres potential for big bills and tears with this car.
Im excited and nervous at the same time. Wife angry.
MikeGoodwin said:
I've never been good with car buying decisions so I put a deposit on that one test drove in Bristol, was in very good condition actually, far better than I was expecting. 1 odd tyre (3x PS" and 1 Conti sport 2) which they are replacing and matching for me, plus a years MOT which is one less thing to worry about. 3 months warranty which I dont believe is worth the paper its written on so going to get BMW Comprehensive asap. Servicing doesn't apear imminent for anything atall. Service book was a mix of BMW and Dick Lovett (unsure if it was BMW or not, said BMW approved....).
Engine was interesting....
below 2500 rpm it was very docile - win, that's going to be handy in the commute and i was happy sat there doing f.a.
Up to 6k ish it was probably about as fast as the Megane maybe, pulled harder than I expected but I see where the torque comments come from but....
Above that, well you lot were right it just goes mental. Was quite quick really and just kept pulling hard right up to the speed limit. Once thing I liked about the Megane over something like the Focus ST or Golf R was that it pulled strongly to the red line, almost like an N/A engine, trade off was it being a little less strong low down. So this should suit.
I see people saying it has plenty of steering feel but I disagree, the Meg has the best electric rack I've used and is considerably better than most hydraulic systems ive used over the years, stepping into the M3 it wasn't bad, but was a little numb off center. Brakes were ok, I am used to the Megane which has anchors for brakes but very minimal servo assistance. M3 perhaps a little spongy, may change the lines and fluid sometime.
Not sure when collecting it yet, aiming for Saturday. Autostrada very good so far. I am still very wary of buying a 9 year old M3 and dont know if itll be as besserk as the Megane is round some backroads. Theres potential for big bills and tears with this car.
Im excited and nervous at the same time. Wife angry.
Nice one Engine was interesting....
below 2500 rpm it was very docile - win, that's going to be handy in the commute and i was happy sat there doing f.a.
Up to 6k ish it was probably about as fast as the Megane maybe, pulled harder than I expected but I see where the torque comments come from but....
Above that, well you lot were right it just goes mental. Was quite quick really and just kept pulling hard right up to the speed limit. Once thing I liked about the Megane over something like the Focus ST or Golf R was that it pulled strongly to the red line, almost like an N/A engine, trade off was it being a little less strong low down. So this should suit.
I see people saying it has plenty of steering feel but I disagree, the Meg has the best electric rack I've used and is considerably better than most hydraulic systems ive used over the years, stepping into the M3 it wasn't bad, but was a little numb off center. Brakes were ok, I am used to the Megane which has anchors for brakes but very minimal servo assistance. M3 perhaps a little spongy, may change the lines and fluid sometime.
Not sure when collecting it yet, aiming for Saturday. Autostrada very good so far. I am still very wary of buying a 9 year old M3 and dont know if itll be as besserk as the Megane is round some backroads. Theres potential for big bills and tears with this car.
Im excited and nervous at the same time. Wife angry.
Dick Lovett is a BMW Main dealer, so it has Full BMW service history.
Good man and congrats!
One thing about this generation of M3, and I don't know how you feel about this but it just seems to gobble up modifications. Fortunately, the aftermarket parts that are available for this car are plentiful and generally made by top notch manufactururers.
Interesting that you mention the brakes as I believe these to be the only weak link in an otherwise decent package. Apparently going for braided lines and better pads makes a big difference to that 'spongy' feel. I'm going for an AP formula kit before my 'Ring trip this year.
Did you go for a manual or DCT in the end?
A couple of cheapish worthwhile mods:
2 or 2.5 exhaust mod from Paul the welder.
Re-upholstered steering wheel from Jack Royal
BMC filter
GTS DCT software (if you went for a DCT)
F10 M5 gearknob if you went for a manual
Enjoy!
One thing about this generation of M3, and I don't know how you feel about this but it just seems to gobble up modifications. Fortunately, the aftermarket parts that are available for this car are plentiful and generally made by top notch manufactururers.
Interesting that you mention the brakes as I believe these to be the only weak link in an otherwise decent package. Apparently going for braided lines and better pads makes a big difference to that 'spongy' feel. I'm going for an AP formula kit before my 'Ring trip this year.
Did you go for a manual or DCT in the end?
A couple of cheapish worthwhile mods:
2 or 2.5 exhaust mod from Paul the welder.
Re-upholstered steering wheel from Jack Royal
BMC filter
GTS DCT software (if you went for a DCT)
F10 M5 gearknob if you went for a manual
Enjoy!
You will have appreciated about 10% of what it has to offer on the test drive. Enjoy "learning" what it can do. Brakes are however the weakest link IMHO.
Having owned a bunch of class leading hot-hatches over the years, and an E90 M3 for the past five, I think you'll come to appreciate the comment that it's like comparing the latest Fitbit with a Rolex GMT.
Enjoy!
EDIT: And yes, if it's affordable I would go for the Comp BMW Insured Warranty. I ran 2 wonderful E39 M5's out of warranty and worried about every pop, fart and bang they made. Biggest worry about my E90 is the £100 excess :-) When a bill comes it's likely to be big. I got 3 years premiums back in one claim.
Having owned a bunch of class leading hot-hatches over the years, and an E90 M3 for the past five, I think you'll come to appreciate the comment that it's like comparing the latest Fitbit with a Rolex GMT.
Enjoy!
EDIT: And yes, if it's affordable I would go for the Comp BMW Insured Warranty. I ran 2 wonderful E39 M5's out of warranty and worried about every pop, fart and bang they made. Biggest worry about my E90 is the £100 excess :-) When a bill comes it's likely to be big. I got 3 years premiums back in one claim.
Edited by ndj on Wednesday 10th January 22:35
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