Opinions on this M3 CS

[ammw]

Hi All,

I'm thinking of changing my Boxster for an E46 M3, and this CS caught my eye:
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/auc/car_details/0,,1260...

What do you think of it, in terms of spec, value etc?

Also, any feedback from anyone else who's made the swap from Boxster to M3 would be appreciated ... I have previously had an E36 M3, so not a complete novice

cheers,
Andy

[Crusoe]

If it has just has its inspection 2 and got new brakes and tyres all round then I would say that was quite good value, though I haven't been keeping such a close look at prices recently. Same colour inside and out as mine and I think it looks great if a bit subtle for some.

[ammw]

Not really sure about the colour combo myself.

This one would be perfect, if it wasn't SMG: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2093290.htm

[Crusoe]

I'm not a fan of the clubsport spoiler or smg, manual one from the dealer looked much better IMO.

[_Neal_]

Crusoe said:

I'm not a fan of the clubsport spoiler or smg, manual one from the dealer looked much better IMO.

Agreed - that spoiler doesn't look right on an M3. The AUC car looks nice.

[ammw]

Sorry, I missed the spoiler - I agree it doesn't look good on an M3.

[Gruber]

Looks very good at that price for an AUC - presumably with a year's warranty, too. What sort of condition is the bodywork in?

And as above - check when its Service II is due.

[ammw]

Gruber said:

What sort of condition is the bodywork in?

Unfortunately, I'm 250 miles away from it, so it's not practical to just pop in for a look, which is part of the reason for asking for opinions on here before I take it any further.

The distance is a bit of a problem actually, as wether I'm interested will also depend heavily on getting a decent part-exchange on my Boxster and presumably they won't give me a PX price without seeing my car. That's why the other one above, which is Glasgow, would have been ideal if it hadn't been SMG (and that spoiler!).

[JNW1]

ammw said:

presumably they won't give me a PX price without seeing my car.

They probably will but it may be on the low side to cover themselves in case your car needs money spending on it; however, if you describe it accurately you should be able to get a feel for the likely cost to change and decide from there whether it's worth a trip to Derby or not! Suppose the other option would be to see if a BMW dealer local to you could get the car from Stratstone through the trade?

Reckon that M3 CS looks decent value given it's a BMW AUC. It doesn't have many extras but the M3 is pretty well equipped anyway; nothing wrong with carbon black IMO but then I would say that as my own car's that colour (albeit with a black as opposed to a grey interior!).

I've had my M3 CS for almost 4 years and in that time have covered over 50k miles in it. I've been thinking about changing it for several months but the fact I've still got it probably says a lot; great all-round package and the combination of involvement, performance, handling and everyday practicality really is hard to beat. Find a good one and even coming from a Boxster I doubt you'll be disappointed!

[outnumbered]

Grey interiors aren't the most popular on M3s so resale may be more of a problem even if you like it... Other than that, it looks like a nice car. I think the CS is worth getting over the standard car if you can find a good one at the right price.

[CSLchappie]

Bugger, I was in there at the weekend and could have taken a look for you.

What I will say, based on previous experience, is that they don't tend to be very generous when it comes to PX values, it may be different trading in a Boxster, but certainly for M cars I've found them to be rather stingy in the past.

ammw said:

Gruber said:

What sort of condition is the bodywork in?

Unfortunately, I'm 250 miles away from it, so it's not practical to just pop in for a look, which is part of the reason for asking for opinions on here before I take it any further.

The distance is a bit of a problem actually, as wether I'm interested will also depend heavily on getting a decent part-exchange on my Boxster and presumably they won't give me a PX price without seeing my car. That's why the other one above, which is Glasgow, would have been ideal if it hadn't been SMG (and that spoiler!).

[JNW1]

CSLchappie said:

What I will say, based on previous experience, is that they don't tend to be very generous when it comes to PX values, it may be different trading in a Boxster, but certainly for M cars I've found them to be rather stingy in the past.

Wonder if that's a Stratstone BMW thing? Their Harrogate dealership was way off in terms of a part-ex value on my M3 when I talked to them and to be honest they've never really seemed interested in doing a deal. I use them for servicing - and have no complaints on that score - but judging by their forecourt their salesmen obviously make their living selling diesel 1 and 3 series; guess they see a five year old M-car as risky and potentially hard work so therefore steer clear!

[JNG1]

Looks gd value for a CS of that age mate. Nice exterior colour, not sure about grey interior though -can look a bit plasticky IMO. Intersted to know why the move from 2 to 4 seater - kids?

Cheers