I NEED AN M3 (03-06) AND ADVICE!

[joegillett]

I AM LOOKING FOR A BMW M3 BUT STRUGGLING TO DECIDE ON ONE AS I AM WORRIED ABOUT BUYING SOMETHING WITH ANY HIDDEN PROBLEMS.
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I BE ASKING AND WHATS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CAR TO HAVE?
ALSO, SMG OR MANUAL? WHATS BEST?
THANKS

[Great Pretender]

GO AND DRIVE A FEW AND THEN COME BACK WITH QUESTIONS.

[joegillett]

WELL IVE DRIVEN THEM, BUT NEED TO KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS TO BE ASKING COS IM NOT TOO CLUED UP ON MECHANICS ETC AND THIS WILL BE MY FIRST HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR I WILL HAVE BOUGHT.

[Great Pretender]

OK, WELL MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THAT EVERYTHING FEELS TIGHT; THE E46 IS NOTORIOUS FOR EATING ITS REAR TRAILING ARM BUSHES. ALSO BRAKES AND SUSPENSION IN GENERAL ARE HEAVY WEAR POINTS. AS FOR TRANSMISSION: THATS ENTIRELY DOWN TO YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE

[joegillett]

AS FOR SERVICES, THE INITIAL RUN IN SERVICE AND FULL BMSH IS ESSENTIAL RIGHT?

[JNW1]

joegillett said:

AS FOR SERVICES, THE INITIAL RUN IN SERVICE AND FULL BMSH IS ESSENTIAL RIGHT?

The initial running-in service is essential! FSH would also be essential for me but I wouldn't be put-off if part of that was from a reputable independent as opposed to a main dealer. Manual v SMG is really down to personal preference; I found SMG a bit jerky in the car I drove and went for a manual but there's lots of people who have SMG and think it's great. As a final point, I'd go for a CS if you can find a nice one within your budget; they've got the best bits from the CSL (steering, suspension and brakes) and are a bit better to drive than the standard car as a result.

Good luck with it all, find a good one and you won't regret it!

[joegillett]

Thanks for that. Well I'm havin to try and stick to a £13k budget as I'm only 21 and bein hit hard by my insurance. £2600 is my cheapest quote as of yet! also, isn't the smg a bigger risk in case anythin goes wrong with it?

[318is boy]

if stuff goes wrong on any M car it can cost alot of money so always bear this in mind. its still a 40k car and has the associated running costs.

i think SMG by the time it got to the e46 model had had most problems ironed out. try both and see which you prefer.

buy on condition, rather than age and lowest mileage. i would rather have a 85K car with new suspension and bushes than a 50k car that needed all that doing in the next 12-18months.

enjoy the buying experience least of all - its a fun time looking at and buying the best one in your opinion. if your anything like me, go with a sensible mate just incase you go 'goggly eyed' and try and see past all the flaws that particular car has - the right one is out there even if takes 6 months.

[E36GUY]

joegillett said:

Thanks for that. Well I'm havin to try and stick to a £13k budget as I'm only 21 and bein hit hard by my insurance. £2600 is my cheapest quote as of yet! also, isn't the smg a bigger risk in case anythin goes wrong with it?

Buying to a budget is one thing but running it to a budget is quite another. Can you afford to repair it when/if it breaks or service it according to its schedule (which if you don't, no-one will buy it on from you)? No offence but at 21 I definitely couldn't have. Think very carefully about the pain the bills will be. Because there will be big bills.

[cringle]

try and get one with an extended warranty if u can and paythe £1000/yr for peace of mind. I have a mint 04 cab with 35k on the clock, I drive it pretty sympathetically yet wen it went in for the front brakes doing (£300!!) BM also changed 2 coil springs, the alternator and the rear diff...over £4000 worth of work...but this was all under warranty

I wouldnt have liked shelling that outta my own pocket...

[CHADROW]

I think you may have scared him off ..lol

[joegillett]

I've decided the more sensible option would b to go for a 330d m sport post 06 n av a remap. Best all round me thinks