E46 M Vert or coupe?
Discussion
Started looking at E46 M3 but can't decide if i should go for a coupe or convertible?
Verts looks nice and even better as a summer toy.
Coupe look more of a proper car and im thinking will hold its value better.
Both models look to be a bargain at the moment and i cant see the prices going lower than what there are atm.
What you think?
Verts looks nice and even better as a summer toy.
Coupe look more of a proper car and im thinking will hold its value better.
Both models look to be a bargain at the moment and i cant see the prices going lower than what there are atm.
What you think?
Edited by bababoom on Wednesday 9th November 20:15
I had both.
Convertible was usable all year round with heated seats and wind deflector.
Downsides - prone to shakes and squeaks, bit of a faff with the wind deflector if you use the rear seats regularly, smaller boot, no inflatable bolsters in the seats.
If you can find one with a hard top even better.
Objectively the convertible did feel a bit more shaky on bumpy roads, but not badly enough to ruin the experience. I only really noticed it when going from coupe to convertible on the same day.
Convertible was usable all year round with heated seats and wind deflector.
Downsides - prone to shakes and squeaks, bit of a faff with the wind deflector if you use the rear seats regularly, smaller boot, no inflatable bolsters in the seats.
If you can find one with a hard top even better.
Objectively the convertible did feel a bit more shaky on bumpy roads, but not badly enough to ruin the experience. I only really noticed it when going from coupe to convertible on the same day.
bababoom said:
Started looking at E46 M3 but can't decide if i should go for a coupe or convertible?
Verts looks nice and even better as a summer toy.
Coupe look more of a proper car and im thinking will hold its value better.
Both models look to be a bargain at the moment and i cant see the prices going lower than what there are atm.
What you think?
Verts looks nice and even better as a summer toy.
Coupe look more of a proper car and im thinking will hold its value better.
Both models look to be a bargain at the moment and i cant see the prices going lower than what there are atm.
What you think?
Edited by bababoom on Wednesday 9th November 20:15
Congrats for deciding you want an E46 M3. Great cars (i'm biased of course!)
Suppose its all personal preference, bit like looking for a Cayman vs boxster.
I like the Coupe, as was never a fan of the looks of convert with the roof up (canvas) a hard top looks much better but adds further weight. You will probably find the Coupe feels more agile, but you should try drive both.
The next step will be to find one good enough, and if it were me i'd look at sub 100K cars. Although the numbers are getting lower, and prices are creeping up for cars sub 100K and manual cars getting thinner on the ground than SMG. Recent Autotrader search shows 59 coupes upto 90K miles, both auto and manual. 28 are listed as manual but some SMG are being listed as manual. 94 convertibles upto 90K 56 are manual.
not sure what your budget is, but there wont be that many under £10K but then what else can you buy for £10K? a diesel Audi A1 on a 2012 plate....
I agree they are a bit of a bargain.
Good luck with your search.
Andy
Edited by andyman_2006 on Thursday 10th November 09:45
Maybe a bargain on those terms but go in with your eyes open as to running costs and potential bills.
Plenty sell as soon as they see the first big bill. Its a £50k car new.
I have a coupe. Wouldn't have a convertible but in the summer and in nicer weather it would be quite nice and make for a better experience on those occasions imo.
Plenty sell as soon as they see the first big bill. Its a £50k car new.
I have a coupe. Wouldn't have a convertible but in the summer and in nicer weather it would be quite nice and make for a better experience on those occasions imo.
I bought a vert as a daily 2years ago whilst the TVR sits in the warm garage !!
Brilliant car's, just read the buying guides and buy the best you can. I purchased mine very cheaply £5000 for a 110k Individual Avus blue vert with all the toys. She needed the vanos sorting and some new bushes but most importantly the rear sub frame had been extensively sorted by Redish Motorsport and the rear end fully polybushed whilst it was apart.
I love it with the roof down even in the winter, the induction noise and exhaust rasp are addictive. With the roof up yes its a bit squeaky but silicone spray every few months keep most of them at bay and its very quite at 85-90mph (on a private road).
Happy hunting and enjoy.
Brilliant car's, just read the buying guides and buy the best you can. I purchased mine very cheaply £5000 for a 110k Individual Avus blue vert with all the toys. She needed the vanos sorting and some new bushes but most importantly the rear sub frame had been extensively sorted by Redish Motorsport and the rear end fully polybushed whilst it was apart.
I love it with the roof down even in the winter, the induction noise and exhaust rasp are addictive. With the roof up yes its a bit squeaky but silicone spray every few months keep most of them at bay and its very quite at 85-90mph (on a private road).
Happy hunting and enjoy.
You can buy my individual coupe for £12.5k
It's properly sorted but has 109k on it. That seems to be scaring people off even though it's had all the known problems sorted.
edit to add - my post was a bit hastily written and somewhat OT - i was looking for ages and really fancied a vert as id never owned one before. after a few hours of test driving each i couldnt get the convertible - i found the chassis flex too bad over small bumps at low speed. the coupe feels much tighter and when in the UK do we really get a chance to go topless?
its a shame as the e46 M3 convertible is one of the best looking convertible cars made imho.
It's properly sorted but has 109k on it. That seems to be scaring people off even though it's had all the known problems sorted.
edit to add - my post was a bit hastily written and somewhat OT - i was looking for ages and really fancied a vert as id never owned one before. after a few hours of test driving each i couldnt get the convertible - i found the chassis flex too bad over small bumps at low speed. the coupe feels much tighter and when in the UK do we really get a chance to go topless?
its a shame as the e46 M3 convertible is one of the best looking convertible cars made imho.
Edited by pidsy on Friday 11th November 09:58
wiggycerb said:
I bought a vert as a daily 2years ago whilst the TVR sits in the warm garage !!
Brilliant car's, just read the buying guides and buy the best you can. I purchased mine very cheaply £5000 for a 110k Individual Avus blue vert with all the toys. She needed the vanos sorting and some new bushes but most importantly the rear sub frame had been extensively sorted by Redish Motorsport and the rear end fully polybushed whilst it was apart.
I love it with the roof down even in the winter, the induction noise and exhaust rasp are addictive. With the roof up yes its a bit squeaky but silicone spray every few months keep most of them at bay and its very quite at 85-90mph (on a private road).
Happy hunting and enjoy.
Sold my 450 chim last year and regretted it ever since. The prices on them now make the M3 look really good value.Brilliant car's, just read the buying guides and buy the best you can. I purchased mine very cheaply £5000 for a 110k Individual Avus blue vert with all the toys. She needed the vanos sorting and some new bushes but most importantly the rear sub frame had been extensively sorted by Redish Motorsport and the rear end fully polybushed whilst it was apart.
I love it with the roof down even in the winter, the induction noise and exhaust rasp are addictive. With the roof up yes its a bit squeaky but silicone spray every few months keep most of them at bay and its very quite at 85-90mph (on a private road).
Happy hunting and enjoy.
IMO it makes me laugh how people get obsessed over numbers on a clock. Quite a few cars I have owned with higher miles have been better than the same car I bought with less miles on it. It is all down to who owned it and how they maintained it. That said it can make a car harder to sell even if there are worse examples out there.
Anyway, back on topic
.
The Convertibles do allow you to get the wind in the hair feel and the wonderful sound of the S54. However, the scuttle shake did drive me nuts. That said my only convertible before that was a Triumph Stag. Yes they are not the most solid of things but they did have a T-Bar in place to reduce the scuttle shake. For me when I drove an E46 it annoyed me.
If you fancy some of the wind in the hair experience get a sunroofed coupe. It's what I did but I do like sunroofs for odd reasons.
While they are great and relatibely easy to work on they can be pricey to maintain. I am talking about £800 in parts for the brakes, £550-800 on tyres all round depending on what you buy, and a minimum of around £500 an Inspection if you pay someone to do it correctly ; not many specialists near me will do the valve clearances as they can be fiddly for example.
While the miles seem high Pidsey's car sounds like a good 'un. When I last looked back in May there was plenty of s
t for sale below £8k. People say they got great cars for £7k but I have come to two conclusions. Either they got a bargain or their definition of good is not the same as mine (i.e something not tired).
Sorry, but if I can keep a 260k (Mondeo V6 MkIII) car tidier than an M3 with 90k on it the car is a nugget as far as I am concerned.
Anyway, back on topic
.The Convertibles do allow you to get the wind in the hair feel and the wonderful sound of the S54. However, the scuttle shake did drive me nuts. That said my only convertible before that was a Triumph Stag. Yes they are not the most solid of things but they did have a T-Bar in place to reduce the scuttle shake. For me when I drove an E46 it annoyed me.
If you fancy some of the wind in the hair experience get a sunroofed coupe. It's what I did but I do like sunroofs for odd reasons.
pidsy said:
You can buy my individual coupe for £12.5k
It's properly sorted but has 109k on it. That seems to be scaring people off even though it's had all the known problems sorted.
edit to add - my post was a bit hastily written and somewhat OT - i was looking for ages and really fancied a vert as id never owned one before. after a few hours of test driving each i couldnt get the convertible - i found the chassis flex too bad over small bumps at low speed. the coupe feels much tighter and when in the UK do we really get a chance to go topless?
its a shame as the e46 M3 convertible is one of the best looking convertible cars made imho.
This. IMO a certain forum seems very keen to say cars are a rip off and people are dreamers. I used to see this on a Porsche forum. Next we'll all be moaning about Minis being overpriced and so on.It's properly sorted but has 109k on it. That seems to be scaring people off even though it's had all the known problems sorted.
edit to add - my post was a bit hastily written and somewhat OT - i was looking for ages and really fancied a vert as id never owned one before. after a few hours of test driving each i couldnt get the convertible - i found the chassis flex too bad over small bumps at low speed. the coupe feels much tighter and when in the UK do we really get a chance to go topless?
its a shame as the e46 M3 convertible is one of the best looking convertible cars made imho.
Edited by pidsy on Friday 11th November 09:58
While they are great and relatibely easy to work on they can be pricey to maintain. I am talking about £800 in parts for the brakes, £550-800 on tyres all round depending on what you buy, and a minimum of around £500 an Inspection if you pay someone to do it correctly ; not many specialists near me will do the valve clearances as they can be fiddly for example.
While the miles seem high Pidsey's car sounds like a good 'un. When I last looked back in May there was plenty of s
t for sale below £8k. People say they got great cars for £7k but I have come to two conclusions. Either they got a bargain or their definition of good is not the same as mine (i.e something not tired).Sorry, but if I can keep a 260k (Mondeo V6 MkIII) car tidier than an M3 with 90k on it the car is a nugget as far as I am concerned.
Edited by SebringMan on Friday 11th November 21:37
Agree people can get far too hung up on mileage. I had people tell me to steer well clear of my own M3 due to exactly that reason, although I couldn't afford the premium of an example with less miles anyway. As previously said, buy on condition and service records. Most enthusiastic owners keep good records of any work done (especially when it is so easy to blog ownership online) so you should have plenty of information to help you make the right decision.
I had a 330ci sport convertible back a few years ago and loved the look of it, Cant say i remember my body scuttle in it but funny enough a did mention it on a test drive.
I like a convertible but expect the coupe will hold maybe even increase in value better than the vert.
This does seem the norm on a lot of cars that offer both coupe and convertible.
The 996 is a good example of this atm.
Couple i have in mind
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
and
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
I also like the look of this one but its been repainted in a different shade of blue, Was original Topaz so how would that effect the the future value?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-e46-m3-coupe-manual-...
I like a convertible but expect the coupe will hold maybe even increase in value better than the vert.
This does seem the norm on a lot of cars that offer both coupe and convertible.
The 996 is a good example of this atm.
Couple i have in mind
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
and
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
I also like the look of this one but its been repainted in a different shade of blue, Was original Topaz so how would that effect the the future value?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-e46-m3-coupe-manual-...
Edited by bababoom on Saturday 12th November 20:38
I think the vert is the option for those (like myself) who have a TVR but have a family who keep saying "we can't all get into that".
Is the scuttle shake rally that noticable? I've yet to try one but it's on my list of possible cars.
I drove a 1980's 911 Targa a couple of year ago - now that had scuttle shake - must have been nearly an inch of movement.
Is the scuttle shake rally that noticable? I've yet to try one but it's on my list of possible cars.
I drove a 1980's 911 Targa a couple of year ago - now that had scuttle shake - must have been nearly an inch of movement.
I love my 'vert. For me, there were a few factors when looking for my M3 namely FSH, no rust, manual, boot floor crack free.
If I were looking to track the car then I would have only looked a coupes but that's not really my scene. Many also say the convertible doesn't handle as well as the coupe.... I'm sure that's correct, however, I will never be putting it at 10/10ths on public roads so, again, no issue for me.
I've never owned a convertible before and I'm loving the feeling of open-air motoring, especially listening to that straight six sing!
If I were looking to track the car then I would have only looked a coupes but that's not really my scene. Many also say the convertible doesn't handle as well as the coupe.... I'm sure that's correct, however, I will never be putting it at 10/10ths on public roads so, again, no issue for me.
I've never owned a convertible before and I'm loving the feeling of open-air motoring, especially listening to that straight six sing!
essayer said:
How do you know the eBay one was repainted? I think that's Techo Violet, an individual colour, that said I think ordering individual paint meant you got 'Individual' door sill plates
I asked the seller, He said its an individual colour velvet blue i think he said, was originally topaz blue.The convertible is also a individual colour car.
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