Question about X vs. M3s

Methodical4u · Oct 27, 2009, 10:27 PM

Hey all,
First i'll ask this question since there are a lot of BMW fans here... my friend wants to buy an M3, he likes the styling and such a lot of them. The prices on the used models don't seem to be to bad. Is there a best year for that particular car? Are they reliable cars, etc?

Other question is... will I be getting smoked by him with just a tune on my car? lol

kyooch · Oct 27, 2009, 10:35 PM

are you talking about a used e92 or a used e46? Either way, with a tune you'll probably actually pull on him until highway speeds

Methodical4u · Oct 27, 2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyooch

are you talking about a used e92 or a used e46? Either way, with a tune you'll probably actually pull on him until highway speeds

I honestly know nothing about the M3's I assume he is talking about the 92? but i'm not to sure.

ElementK · Oct 27, 2009, 10:42 PM

Going off price alone, I'd say a used E46. I too have been considering this. Things to remember:

BMW M parts are even more expensive than BMW parts which are more expensive than ... anything.

RWD vs. AWD, does he live in a snowy climate?

Does he need 4 doors?

But both cars will make you feel like you're driving something special. Drive a tuned X and then drive an M3 and see if the loss of torque is enough to justify the grin that driving an M puts on your face... until it hits your checkbook. :]

Methodical4u · Oct 27, 2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElementK

Going off price alone, I'd say a used E46. I too have been considering this. Things to remember:

BMW M parts are even more expensive than BMW parts which are more expensive than ... anything.

RWD vs. AWD, does he live in a snowy climate?

Does he need 4 doors?

But both cars will make you feel like you're driving something special. Drive a tuned X and then drive an M3 and see if the loss of torque is enough to justify the grin that driving an M puts on your face... until it hits your checkbook. :]

we live in Md, and over the past several years we haven't had any bad snows... occasionally it gets bad, but nothing major... I think that this year however we may get more than we have had in a while

casper3043 · Oct 27, 2009, 10:48 PM

cars aren't really that comparable...

awd vs. rwd
4 cylinder vs. 8 (e92)
luxury vs. rally sport
$33k vs. $55+k

there's a reason M cars lose their value so much. after your free maintenance warranty is up, you'll be selling organs to fix anything on that car. a simple oil change would cost you over $100 because of the idrive. i always remember, if you can't afford it new, then you most likely can't afford one used.

Methodical4u · Oct 27, 2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casper3043

cars aren't really that comparable...

awd vs. rwd
4 cylinder vs. 8 (e92)
luxury vs. rally sport
$33k vs. $55+k

there's a reason M cars lose their value so much. after your free maintenance warranty is up, you'll be selling organs to fix anything on that car. a simple oil change would cost you over $100 because of the idrive. i always remember, if you can't afford it new, then you most likely can't afford one used.

the oil changes cost that much even if you do them yourself?

casper3043 · Oct 27, 2009, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

the oil changes cost that much even if you do them yourself?

it's not the oil change so much that kills you, it's resetting the maintenance stuff on the ecu from the dealer.

Adept · Oct 27, 2009, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

we live in Md, and over the past several years we haven't had any bad snows... occasionally it gets bad, but nothing major... I think that this year however we may get more than we have had in a while

Hey I live in Maryland too! My friend use to drive a e46 and maintenance for him was a *****. M3's are as tempermental as your girlfriend. He got a nice deal on it but from all the maintenance, in retrospec that deal didn't really benefit him. He still loves the M3 for the sheer performance and that yank that puts that grin on your face going into the next gear.

AJsGenerX · Oct 28, 2009, 12:00 AM

Figured I'd throw this out there. A Test Pipe, catback, intercooler pipes, and intake will make an Evo X neck and neck with the E92 (414 hp) M3. I would know lol. With a tune, we're looking at a walk.

kyooch · Oct 28, 2009, 10:14 AM

Obviously the Evo has more tuning capability, but I'd have to honestly say the current gen M3 is the greatest all rounder in terms of performance. The evo really dulls you on the track because the car's 4wd system is so good. Snow-wise.. All you really need is a set of snow tires, which I would get for any car anyway. 4wd, for the most part, only helps in acceleration in the snow

tweakdsm · Oct 28, 2009, 10:19 AM

You didnt mention which year he is getting, thats a big difference.

Methodical4u · Oct 28, 2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweakdsm

You didnt mention which year he is getting, thats a big difference.

he's really not sure about the year. Maybe around an 02 ... give or take. I just wasn't sure if there was a particular year that may have been better than others.

kyooch · Oct 28, 2009, 01:58 PM

that's the e46 - and i believe that's the first year of the car. m3s typically don't change throughout its lifecycle. there was a competition package released later in the life cycle of the e46 m3, but it didn't make a much of a difference in performance like the csl did in europe. the e46 m3 is a fantastic drivers car though

RB185AFM · Oct 28, 2009, 02:05 PM

I own a 03 E46 and Evo. Biggest problem with the M is the cost to maintain. The BMW dealer wanted $2,400 just for a tune up and valve check.