any M3 owners out ther?

[desiplaya4life]

if u are so concerned with driving during snow and cant afford a beater, an AWD is the best option. m3 also need lots of maintainance and expensive repair.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus


Just trying to be helpful! :wine:

Its really not that helpful though as the typical M3 buyer would never consider a WRX, I myself am not a typical M3 buyer but also wouldn't consider the WRX and instead would much rather opt for an Audi Quattro or even gasp an Infinity or Lexus (<--hates japanese cars)...Subaru WRX is a nice budget car but IMHO not to be compared with a BMW, Lexus, Merc, Audi or Infinity.

That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: noxipoo
This is a used M3, so yes i can't afford another car. a new STI would be 2x the cost of the M3s i'm looking at. Sounds like i'll be ok with winter tires. I don't drive like an idiot, especially when theres snow out. I'll look more into the cost of actually owning this car.

You're looking at a $16k M3? Yikes! Man, the last thing I would buy is a late model BMW with 100k miles on it. Plan on spending $2-3k a year on maintenance/repairs, much more if anything major breaks.

 

[Doggiedog]

My friend sold his troublesome 96 M3 w/50K miles for $13K about 6 months ago.

It wasn't worth the trouble of fixing it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I sold our troublesome '94 E36 almost a year ago with 120k miles on it. That thing cost us $2-3k a year in repairs easy for the past 4 years and nothing major every went wrong. Struts/shocks replaced cost us $1300. Brakes were $300-400 every year. Those cars nickle and dime you to death in repairs.

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I sold our troublesome '94 E36 almost a year ago with 120k miles on it. That thing cost us $2-3k a year in repairs easy for the past 4 years and nothing major every went wrong. Struts/shocks replaced cost us $1300. Brakes were $300-400 every year. Those cars nickle and dime you to death in repairs.

I was typing a reply to you JulesMaximus when my son fell and smashed his head. I had to take him to the hospital but all is ok now.

Forgot what I was writing though.

 

[BooGiMaN]

if any of you M3 owners live in southern california and take up two parkign spaces at work..all i got to say to you is..nice car but...fvck you assh*les!!!

nice car doesnt mean you can take up two parking spaces especially when you know the parking lot fills up...so once again fvck you

sorry had to vent, proceed with your normally scheduled pogram

 

[abc]

1300 for struts shocks, did you take your repairs to the bmw dealer or an independent shop?

i'm thinking about getting a 2001-2003 330 coupe used, around 40-60k miles...


are bmw's out of warranty really that costly to own?

 

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by: Achtung
I've seen several M3's fishtailing in the snow. If I lived in Florida or Cali, I'd consider it. But out here in Chicagoland it just seems like another sports car you can't use 4 months out of the year.

So go buy a Camry.................be practical and forget about all the dreams you have....ya right

 

[z0mb13]

m3 is pure sex...

I think Im gonna upgrade to one when I have the moolah...

but I love my 330ci

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I sold our troublesome '94 E36 almost a year ago with 120k miles on it. That thing cost us $2-3k a year in repairs easy for the past 4 years and nothing major every went wrong. Struts/shocks replaced cost us $1300. Brakes were $300-400 every year. Those cars nickle and dime you to death in repairs.

I was typing a reply to you JulesMaximus when my son fell and smashed his head. I had to take him to the hospital but all is ok now.

Forgot what I was writing though.

Ouch! I hope he's okay? How old is your son?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: abc
1300 for struts shocks, did you take your repairs to the bmw dealer or an independent shop?

i'm thinking about getting a 2001-2003 330 coupe used, around 40-60k miles...


are bmw's out of warranty really that costly to own?

Independant shop and I bought the shocks/struts myself from Bavauto.com. I think the parts were around $450 delivered and the labor was like $800.

My wife's old E30 needed a new cylinder head (remanufactured actually) and that cost us $2500.

We were pretty sure the transmission was going on the E36 and that was an easy $3000 to replace, $4500 if you go to the dealership.

Yes, they do nickel and dime you to death.

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Doggiedog

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I sold our troublesome '94 E36 almost a year ago with 120k miles on it. That thing cost us $2-3k a year in repairs easy for the past 4 years and nothing major every went wrong. Struts/shocks replaced cost us $1300. Brakes were $300-400 every year. Those cars nickle and dime you to death in repairs.

I was typing a reply to you JulesMaximus when my son fell and smashed his head. I had to take him to the hospital but all is ok now.

Forgot what I was writing though.

Ouch! I hope he's okay? How old is your son?

4 YO

 

[bozack]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

not so much an opinion but rather a fact supported by market data, typical luxury car buyers do not consider Subaru when looking at options and last I checked BMW especially the M3 is considered a luxury car...so while you might prefer the lower expense and the reliability of the Subaru, 99.9999% of people looking to buy a luxury car will not even give Subaru a second thought....I know I wouldn't even consider one.

 

[Gimli43Orcs]

I drive an E36 M3 year round here in Toronto. No real problems, even with a lowered suspension. Just slap on a set of Blizzaks in the fall. As long as you are not the first one out in the morning after a snowstorm, its not a problem at all.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

not so much an opinion but rather a fact supported by market data, typical luxury car buyers do not consider Subaru when looking at options and last I checked BMW especially the M3 is considered a luxury car...so while you might prefer the lower expense and the reliability of the Subaru, 99.9999% of people looking to buy a luxury car will not even give Subaru a second thought....I know I wouldn't even consider one.

You are so full of crap. The OP is clearly not in the market for a new M3. A used M3 is not much of a bargain so I think someone who is interested in that car WOULD consider the much much faster STi. Don't be so quick to discount it as a serious sports car. I wouldn't consider it if I were in the market for a new M3 but a used one? Give me a fvcking break. :roll:

A used M3 isn't much of a luxury if you ask me. Dumbass...

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog

Originally posted by: jagec
I don't know about the M3, but my '84 325e was actually pretty good in the snow IF you put weight in the back. It would climb hills like nothing else.

Sideways?

My 95 325i can't even make it up the hump to my driveway from a standstill. It needs a push unless it comes in with some speed.

i saw a dude in an E46 M3 (we were follwing him cause we were lost and he knew the way), anyway he was driving pretty aggresively in the rain and while he was fishtailing a bit, it wasn't serious...the ESP always kicked in and stabilized him. We ended up loosing him cause he was so fast, but the car handled well in the rain (we were behind him all the time until he shot off by taking turns a little too fast for the minivan we were in).

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

not so much an opinion but rather a fact supported by market data, typical luxury car buyers do not consider Subaru when looking at options and last I checked BMW especially the M3 is considered a luxury car...so while you might prefer the lower expense and the reliability of the Subaru, 99.9999% of people looking to buy a luxury car will not even give Subaru a second thought....I know I wouldn't even consider one.

You are so full of crap. The OP is clearly not in the market for a new M3. A used M3 is not much of a bargain so I think someone who is interested in that car WOULD consider the much much faster STi. Don't be so quick to discount it as a serious sports car. I wouldn't consider it if I were in the market for a new M3 but a used one? Give me a fvcking break. :roll:

A used M3 isn't much of a luxury if you ask me. Dumbass...

I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

Well, you clearly haven't done any research on the latest Subaru's. Your loss.

A used 3-series is no bargain and barely a luxury car.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nebor
I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

Well, you clearly haven't done any research on the latest Subaru's. Your loss.

A used 3-series is no bargain and barely a luxury car.

Did you miss the part where Subaru people are the ones who did the research? The BMW people are just better.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nebor
I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

Well, you clearly haven't done any research on the latest Subaru's. Your loss.

A used 3-series is no bargain and barely a luxury car.

a 3 series is certainly a luxury car and is leaps and bounds above the subaru in terms of luxury

if i were in the market for a STI the only thing i would cross shop with it is the EVO

and the mazdaspeed 6 (if it was out and that would be my choice )

if you want pure performance / daily driver the subaru is nice

but if you want refinement you will go with a BMW , Lexus, Acura, Audi etc.

 

[SilentZero]

Originally posted by: noxipoo
Any M3 owners out there that drives it as an everyday car? I want to buy an used one but I don't know if I can use it as an everyday car. I live in chicago so the I'll need to use it the winter. 60 miles communte everyday.

I owned a 2002 E46 M3 for a year, was my daily driver, but ultimately got rid of it because living in hawaii and being "confined" by limited driving space was quite depressing with that car. I bought it while working in Germany and drove it on the autobahn for a year so going from that senerio to 55mph speed limits + bad traffic + limited space to drive it one was a extreme downer! As far as driving it in the winter...I did, and it wasn't the most stable car on ice (obviously), and you might want to get another car for the snowy/icy days.

All in all its a great car, rides good and makes a good daily driver as long as you can handle going slow in traffic with it and are ready to take the risks associated with driving a high hp/torque rear-wheel drive car in the snow/ice. And don't turn off the DSC in the snow or wet conditions, unless your a damn good driver!

And as someone else mentioned about cracking rims...I did the same. I cracked my front two stock 18in wheels due to potholes. I upgraded to a set of 19in Hartge Classics foolishly and three months later damaged the front left wheel thanks to a over-sized pothole.

As it stands though, Im now waiting for the next gen M3 to be released (hopefully next year) then going to go through this all over again.

 

[SilentZero]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

not so much an opinion but rather a fact supported by market data, typical luxury car buyers do not consider Subaru when looking at options and last I checked BMW especially the M3 is considered a luxury car...so while you might prefer the lower expense and the reliability of the Subaru, 99.9999% of people looking to buy a luxury car will not even give Subaru a second thought....I know I wouldn't even consider one.

You are so full of crap. The OP is clearly not in the market for a new M3. A used M3 is not much of a bargain so I think someone who is interested in that car WOULD consider the much much faster STi. Don't be so quick to discount it as a serious sports car. I wouldn't consider it if I were in the market for a new M3 but a used one? Give me a fvcking break. :roll:

A used M3 isn't much of a luxury if you ask me. Dumbass...

I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

Blah..my next car after buying the 02 E46 M3 was a subaru wrx wagon, and I honestly prefer the wagon in most instances. This is the first non-european car ive bought, followed by a acura a month later, and Im impressed with it. How many wagons for 25k are there that runs a second slower than an M3 in the 1/4 mile. Granted I love the M3, and was very pleased with it overall, but if given the choice of a used E36 M3 and a new subaru, id take the awd subaru any day.

 

[RiDE]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
That's your opinion though. For performance the STi compares very well with the waaay more expensive E46 M3. Interior isn't nearly as nice and it isn't as refined but it costs half as much.

Edit-I've owned 2 BMWs and I've driven a friend's M3 quite a bit. Nice cars but I don't want to own another German money pit. I'll stick with the more reliable, less expensive Japanese cars.

not so much an opinion but rather a fact supported by market data, typical luxury car buyers do not consider Subaru when looking at options and last I checked BMW especially the M3 is considered a luxury car...so while you might prefer the lower expense and the reliability of the Subaru, 99.9999% of people looking to buy a luxury car will not even give Subaru a second thought....I know I wouldn't even consider one.

You are so full of crap. The OP is clearly not in the market for a new M3. A used M3 is not much of a bargain so I think someone who is interested in that car WOULD consider the much much faster STi. Don't be so quick to discount it as a serious sports car. I wouldn't consider it if I were in the market for a new M3 but a used one? Give me a fvcking break. :roll:

A used M3 isn't much of a luxury if you ask me. Dumbass...

I would consider a used M3 long long before I would consider a Subaru. Cars say something about their drivers. A Subaru says, "I did a lot of research and picked an economical, reliable, decent performing car." A BMW says, "I'm better than you."

BMW wins. It's an Ultimate Driving Machine.

So you buy a car for image? The Ultimate Driving Machine? Says who? BMW marketing.

Originally posted by: Nebor
Because I can't drive a stick well at all, and I don't really care to.

Lightning Owner (only autos)

 

[Nebor]

An m3 isn't a stick. It's got the awsome SMG.

And yes, what a car says about me is pretty high in my reasoning when I go to buy. The Lightning says, I want to go fast, but I want to be different, and I'm a texan. I've concluded that the Acura says, "I cheaped out, and regret not getting a BMW 540i."