Best and worst value M cars....views?

Best and worst value M cars....views?

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Discussion

DjSki

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

194 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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Lots of chat in the last few years about prices going up/down. Lots of CSL, E30, and Z3M craziness.

What are your views of the best value in the M car world at the mo?

I think the pre LCI e9x manual M3s under £18k look good but surely the f10 m5 is looking like the bargain of the year at under £25k?

Discuss.

Smuler

2,286 posts

138 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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I watched Evolve automotive’s You tube video on their F10 M5 final thoughts and that mentioned the price around 25k

Just parked by one, nice sound. Not to my personal taste , yet could be a candidate.

I prefer the E9X generation M3s , but can understand why some see these as less value fir money with the F8X dropping.


DjSki

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

194 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
quotequote all
M2s at £30k will be a great buy....8-12 months I think.

e30m3Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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There are still some very nice sub £10k e46 M3 out there if you put the time in searching through the dross. There’s a nice ‘52 plate, non sunroof manual near me for £6950. Lots of history, no horrors and certainly appears nice enough. Just mileage is more than I’d prefer. I mcertainly tempted though.

It’s the propensity for big bills that puts me off any “good value” M cars though.

CRA1G

6,501 posts

194 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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It all depends when you bought,my M cars i bought at the right time before the hipe and still own today my 60k Z3MC i paid just over £10K for so to me it's great value now at £30k + may be not....!

Wills2

22,669 posts

174 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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I'd say a leggy F80 2-3 year old with 80-100k on it for around 25k would be great value if you could find one.


e30m3Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Saturday 22nd September 2018
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Any thoughts on a well maintained s54/3.2 getting close to 150K miles? Vanos has been done etc but is it just a time bomb?

Front bottom

5,648 posts

189 months

Sunday 23rd September 2018
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e30m3Mark said:
Any thoughts on a well maintained s54/3.2 getting close to 150K miles? Vanos has been done etc but is it just a time bomb?
Mine was still going strong at 147000 miles when I sold it last year. 2003 Manual coupe. No track days, but driven pretty hard on occasion.

I had no major issues with it during my 5.5 years of ownership. Bought at 126000 miles.

I purposely bought one with the sort of mileage that would scare most people away, as my logic was that anything important would have most probably been sorted by then.

It worked for me.

Only sold because I'd been hankering after an e92 M3 for a while.

Cheburator mk2

2,973 posts

198 months

Sunday 23rd September 2018
quotequote all
e30m3Mark said:
Any thoughts on a well maintained s54/3.2 getting close to 150K miles? Vanos has been done etc but is it just a time bomb?
Headgasket and rod bearing shells. If not done, a question of when and not if. Other than that, nothing to worry about...


Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Sunday 23rd September 2018
quotequote all
What about the E60 M5 they are cheap as chips now half (or les) than the cheapest F10 M5 and it’s a 207mph car.

E92 V8 M3 will have exactly the same issues as the E60M5 so if your happy to go for the M3 then the M5 is indifferent risk wise

M6 V10 is a great car too more special plus that carbon roof.

Rob747

225 posts

175 months

Monday 24th September 2018
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When I stripped my S14 engine down the only wear out of tolerance in the whole engine was the exhaust valve guides. This was after 125,000 miles.

If it’s been serviced correctly then a BMW M engine should be sound.

Bearing shells, head gaskets, throttle actuators etc. can all be changed, if they haven’t then try and factor it in to the purchase price. Or find another which has had it done. Plenty of cars out there, don’t confuse high mileage with poorly looked after.

Agree that F10/E60 M5 are a lot of fun for the money involved.

couper

16 posts

111 months

Tuesday 25th September 2018
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I'm waiting on a sub £30k M2 which seems pretty good value to me. Seen a couple for sale at £32k recently so not far off. Currently looking to move on my 1M for one.

Muzzer79

9,806 posts

186 months

Tuesday 25th September 2018
quotequote all
Welshbeef said:
What about the E60 M5 they are cheap as chips now half (or les) than the cheapest F10 M5 and it’s a 207mph car.
People will always have a sizeable reliability fear on those cars, which they don't have on E39 and F10 variants.

Bose

2 posts

66 months

Tuesday 25th September 2018
quotequote all
couper said:
I'm waiting on a sub £30k M2 which seems pretty good value to me. Seen a couple for sale at £32k recently so not far off. Currently looking to move on my 1M for one.
Can you post up the details of your 1M

Cheburator mk2

2,973 posts

198 months

Tuesday 25th September 2018
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Muzzer79 said:
People will always have a sizeable reliability fear on those cars, which they don't have on E39 and F10 variants.
The E39 is just as unreliable as an E60. Vanos, bearings and headgasket. Also, they rust for Britain, unlike the E60. As for the F10 - the hot V Turbos are not great for any sensors/wires etc in the vicinity

GregorFuk

563 posts

199 months

Tuesday 25th September 2018
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The s54/3.2 likes to eat its cams, especially if it's seen high Gs during track work.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Wednesday 26th September 2018
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Muzzer79 said:
Welshbeef said:
What about the E60 M5 they are cheap as chips now half (or les) than the cheapest F10 M5 and it’s a 207mph car.
People will always have a sizeable reliability fear on those cars, which they don't have on E39 and F10 variants.
Same issues exist for the E92 M3.

Also you can buy 2x E60 M5’s for the price of 1x F10 M5. Surely hey cannot be that unreliable instead indifferent to the reliability of any big power car

Rapido1

51 posts

138 months

Wednesday 26th September 2018
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Welshbeef said:
Same issues exist for the E92 M3.
I dont think so. I think the main issue on the E6x M5 is SMG related - something the E92 never had (thank god). DCT is bullet proof in comparison.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Wednesday 26th September 2018
quotequote all
Rapido1 said:
Welshbeef said:
Same issues exist for the E92 M3.
I dont think so. I think the main issue on the E6x M5 is SMG related - something the E92 never had (thank god). DCT is bullet proof in comparison.
Big end bearings and the VANOS Unit are apparently some of the big bills on the E60 M5

andyman_2006

718 posts

189 months

Wednesday 26th September 2018
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Good value M cars for me are - in order of best value based on purchase price only.

-E46 M3
-Z3M Roadster
-Z4M Roadster
-E60 M5
-E9X M3

All have their issues (like any older higher end M car) but when you look at what they cost to buy vs what you can buy today (for the same money) these are a lot of car for the cash.

I'll wager that most, if not all of these in the future will increase in price, and become rarer and more desirable than they are today.

As 4 of the 5 cars above are available in a manual i can bet that in future these will be even more desirable, as purists chase that analogue driving experience in the face of more and more automation in newer cars.