440i M sport GC or 2yr old M3
Discussion
Morning all
I'm in the good position of being able to buy a new car next month.I want something that:
- is fast
- is quite practical (4 doors pref)
- with a reasonable degree of comfort / luxury
- that can be daily / do 5 up motorway / or hoon with just me on board
- whilst also having plenty of up to date tech and gadgets. I must be getting old as things like apple play and being able to integrate spotify seem to matter to me
for reasons I wont bore you with i've narrowed it down to a BMW and for the same money lets say £38-42k I can get either pre reg or discounted new 440i GC (£50k list) or a 2 year old low miles M3
Hardly a contest? And that was my gut feel. I've had an M3 CSL and a V8 M3 and 2 Z3M's. and plenty of other spicy stuff
and yet...my last daily was a 64 plate RSQ3 and I really liked it. I found it had ample performance and the fact it was quite soft riding was great. I probably wont go on track with the new car (have an R26.R for that), so when exactly am I going to get the benefit of the M3 is what i'm asking myself.
And its not like a 440i is slow, its got 325bhp and 330 lb/ft. Whereas it surely must be the nicer ride / drive for the day to day stuff?
Also cant help noticing the M3/4 is top 10 stolen, and most of the ones Ive seen have the dreaded comfort access
Finally - if both cars cost the same now, which do you think is going to have the better residuals from here on a 2 year view adding 10k miles
thoughts esp from anyone whos had both? cheers
I'm in the good position of being able to buy a new car next month.I want something that:
- is fast
- is quite practical (4 doors pref)
- with a reasonable degree of comfort / luxury
- that can be daily / do 5 up motorway / or hoon with just me on board
- whilst also having plenty of up to date tech and gadgets. I must be getting old as things like apple play and being able to integrate spotify seem to matter to me
for reasons I wont bore you with i've narrowed it down to a BMW and for the same money lets say £38-42k I can get either pre reg or discounted new 440i GC (£50k list) or a 2 year old low miles M3
Hardly a contest? And that was my gut feel. I've had an M3 CSL and a V8 M3 and 2 Z3M's. and plenty of other spicy stuff
and yet...my last daily was a 64 plate RSQ3 and I really liked it. I found it had ample performance and the fact it was quite soft riding was great. I probably wont go on track with the new car (have an R26.R for that), so when exactly am I going to get the benefit of the M3 is what i'm asking myself.
And its not like a 440i is slow, its got 325bhp and 330 lb/ft. Whereas it surely must be the nicer ride / drive for the day to day stuff?
Also cant help noticing the M3/4 is top 10 stolen, and most of the ones Ive seen have the dreaded comfort access
Finally - if both cars cost the same now, which do you think is going to have the better residuals from here on a 2 year view adding 10k miles
thoughts esp from anyone whos had both? cheers
I have been on a similar journey. Went 335i touring (auto) to E92 M3 (manual) to M135i (manual) to M4 (manual).
Two weeks ago I swapped my 2 and a bit year old M4 for a new (pre-reg) 440i GC.
I have to say for day-to-day use I am loving the 440i. I managed to find one with the carbon spoilers and upgraded wheels in Long Beach Blue so it looks ace too. Very smooth drive and plenty of oompf. However I did get the M Performance Power and Sound kit added. This includes a switchable cat-back exhaust (very loud and sounds better than the M4 in sport mode) and a remap to 360bhp (all warranty friendly).
If you aren't taking to the track as you say then I think 440i would be my choice.
Also, don't forget the 'M-Tax'. Brakes, servicing, parts etc are more expensive on an ///M. For example, cheapest you can get an M Performance Exhaust for an M3/4 is £3,100. I got the whole MPPSK kit fitted for less than £1,500.
Two weeks ago I swapped my 2 and a bit year old M4 for a new (pre-reg) 440i GC.
I have to say for day-to-day use I am loving the 440i. I managed to find one with the carbon spoilers and upgraded wheels in Long Beach Blue so it looks ace too. Very smooth drive and plenty of oompf. However I did get the M Performance Power and Sound kit added. This includes a switchable cat-back exhaust (very loud and sounds better than the M4 in sport mode) and a remap to 360bhp (all warranty friendly).
If you aren't taking to the track as you say then I think 440i would be my choice.
Also, don't forget the 'M-Tax'. Brakes, servicing, parts etc are more expensive on an ///M. For example, cheapest you can get an M Performance Exhaust for an M3/4 is £3,100. I got the whole MPPSK kit fitted for less than £1,500.
Edited by RossP on Friday 5th January 11:35
I’ve not had either but 2 things did strike me as I have seen video reviews of both.
A 2 year old M3 , that’s not the competition pack (some reviews also say needs to be face-lifted competition pack) so it’s not the best M3 out there.
The roof line of the Grand Coupe is lower than the 3 Series so may not be so good for 3 in the back as the M3.
A 2 year old M3 , that’s not the competition pack (some reviews also say needs to be face-lifted competition pack) so it’s not the best M3 out there.
The roof line of the Grand Coupe is lower than the 3 Series so may not be so good for 3 in the back as the M3.
stuart-b said:
What's wrong with comfort access? I love it
nothing wrong with its functionality but seems to increase the chance of the car being nicked despite the keys staying in your house. because of how the key and the car communicate without having to press a button, seemingly the signal can be boosted by crims with q cheap kit that then tricks the car into unlocking and startingPhil Dicky said:
stuart-b said:
squirdan said:
the dreaded comfort access
What's wrong with comfort access? I love itM3 every time. If only for lower depreciation. That 440i GC will depreciate hard.
RossP said:
stuart-b said:
What's wrong with comfort access? I love it
M3 every time. If only for lower depreciation. That 440i GC will depreciate hard.
I am not so sure about that. The discounts I got on my pre-reg 440i GC was HUGE! Only time will tell though!M3 every time. If only for lower depreciation. That 440i GC will depreciate hard.
OP. I've come out of a few very quick cars in recent years and into a 440i. I contemplated an M3/M4 but in the end I just wanted something a bit more 'under the radar. As others on here will confirm, the 440i really is a great all-round car. It's very smooth and refined in day-to-day driving and yet plenty quick enough (surprisingly quick, actually) when you're in the mood for a spirited drive. Economy isn't bad either (40mpg on a motorway run). It's just a really lovely car to live with. My wife actually prefers it to my two previous cars, a Ferrari 599 and a Porsche 911...although she doesn't drive, so take that with a pinch of salt! Still, it makes for happy car journeys. 
BMW website shows the following, based on £41k cars, for their PCP product
36mths term / 10,000 miles pa / £10k deposit
both 440i and M3 come out at £600 a month, with final bullet of £18,500 for the 440i or £17,950 for the M3
albeit there are some cheaper apr deals about on 440's. but I think i'm right in saying, with a PCP deal you are funding the interest and the depreciation over the term, hence if the APR is the same on both and the sum borrowed is the same, the maths here is that the depreciation would be the same on both cars according to BMW finance??
so the choice is a brand new 440i or a 2yr old M3, for the exact same initial outlay and best guess the same depreciation over next 3 years
Ross whats the ride like, as non M cars have run flats but M's dont?
36mths term / 10,000 miles pa / £10k deposit
both 440i and M3 come out at £600 a month, with final bullet of £18,500 for the 440i or £17,950 for the M3
albeit there are some cheaper apr deals about on 440's. but I think i'm right in saying, with a PCP deal you are funding the interest and the depreciation over the term, hence if the APR is the same on both and the sum borrowed is the same, the maths here is that the depreciation would be the same on both cars according to BMW finance??
so the choice is a brand new 440i or a 2yr old M3, for the exact same initial outlay and best guess the same depreciation over next 3 years
Ross whats the ride like, as non M cars have run flats but M's dont?
Stratstone have some too - http://assets.pdg-plc.com/ss/downloads/bmw/2017/Q4...
RossP said:
Stratstone have some too - http://assets.pdg-plc.com/ss/downloads/bmw/2017/Q4...
gee whizz undercuts TRLs steals The F3x (3 and 4 Series) is fairly long in the tooth now, Production is due to stop for the 3 Series in about 6 months or so. I imagine the 4 will keep going a little longer, but it will be dated by the introduction of the G20 3 Series later this year (so probably Feb/Mar next year for the UK).
I would probably take a 2 year old M3 on that basis, even though the 30% discounts look tempting on the run out model 440i.
I would probably take a 2 year old M3 on that basis, even though the 30% discounts look tempting on the run out model 440i.
squirdan said:
BMW website shows the following, based on £41k cars, for their PCP product
36mths term / 10,000 miles pa / £10k deposit
both 440i and M3 come out at £600 a month, with final bullet of £18,500 for the 440i or £17,950 for the M3
My bet is you will lose your deposit and throw the keys back at them on the 440i and will probably get around £7-8k back on the M3.36mths term / 10,000 miles pa / £10k deposit
both 440i and M3 come out at £600 a month, with final bullet of £18,500 for the 440i or £17,950 for the M3
M3 will always be more desirable to the used market and this is reflected in values.
Look at the price of the cheapest 4 year old M3 with 60k miles (14 plate, so will be 4 years in March) they are still £34k, a 435i GC on a 16 plate with 11k miles at a main dealer is already down to £26k.
OP, just to add to the mix, I’m delighted with my 440i GC. Delivered just before Christmas so haven’t done mega miles yet, but the B58 engine really is a peach. As a daily to carry around my 2 year old and wife, I decided on the 440i as a great mix of decent power, practicality and refinement without being too in your face.
Obviously the advice is to drive both and do the man maths to see what works best, but on balance when I was comparing a slightly used M3 vs new 440 GC (needed 4 doors), I preferred the Coupe-ish shape without having to pay the M-tax on servicing etc. As there weren’t too many LCI 440i GCs in the spec I wanted and the dealer had a build slot (not to mention a decent discount), new worked best for me. HTH
Obviously the advice is to drive both and do the man maths to see what works best, but on balance when I was comparing a slightly used M3 vs new 440 GC (needed 4 doors), I preferred the Coupe-ish shape without having to pay the M-tax on servicing etc. As there weren’t too many LCI 440i GCs in the spec I wanted and the dealer had a build slot (not to mention a decent discount), new worked best for me. HTH
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff