Opinions? C63 vs ISF vs M3
 

Need to drive the parents around more as they're getting old and the family is growing, so looking to change things up. Gonna get rid of the AP2, but would like to keep things fun and sporty while still being somewhat practical.

1) Safety Features
2) Driveability (weather condition, comfort)
3) Insurance, Maintenance, Gas Mileage (approx annual, etc)
4) Technological features
5) Fun Factor

Really torn between these cars, don't really know enough to come to a decision. Would appreciate any advice; if you had or currently had one of these cars please chime in! Thanks RS

All-weather? Audi S4 with upgrades....

Otherwise my vote goes to the C63. The IS-F rear seat is pretty tight, moreso than the other two.

They're all pretty similar with regards to tech, milage and maintenance.. I would choose the M3 for drivability over the others though.


or trade your ap2 for my m5.. srs..

M3, actually my mom and my aunties love sitting in it too even though its a coupe and they are getting old. But once inside its all good.

ISF

You can't argue with Toyota are reliability.

if only leasing and returning any of the 3 will work
if planning to keep past warranty or buying something off warranty, i'd take the lexus in a heartbeat

Absolutely. I'm sure the M3 and C63 have some pluses over the IS-F but you just can't mess with a Euro without warranty. I'm heavily biased though and the IS-F is a dream daily for me.

<-----currently driving an S63 waiting for it to break :S

Just throwing this out there...but why not a Q50?

Test drove an IS-F and was going to pull the trigger but it has almost to no backseat. wife is 5'2 and she said she felt suffocated from sitting at the back.

Only the M3 gives you the manual option, the other 2 don't.

AND

I'll buy your AP2 :thumbs:

Correct me if I'm wrong but can IS-F even fit 3 people at the back? I recall the middle isn't even a seat. Also I've sat in regular IS before and the headroom at the back is a joke. I assume interior space wise they are the same. Not being able to fit 3 ppl in the back could be a huge factor.

ISF only has 2 backseats. The middle is not for sitting. It is not padded and there is no seatbelt.

Only regular IS has 3 seats in the back.

Out of the 3, the F is the only car you should buy used without a warranty.

buy a camry to drive family around in

keep the s2k

Yea, seriously. It makes more sense to get a cheap roomy and comfy sedan and keep the s2k than consolidating.

ISF

sure no manual, but you are considering the C63 anyway so i don't think it's much of an issue. The M3 is pretty reliable too, but i think the ISF looks nicer. The M3 is a German athlete, the ISF a Japanese Samurai and the C63 a mafia muscle car, haha that's how i see it.

M3 is also the only one that is available without navi and you can put an aftermarket deck in it, i wouldnt want a near 10 yr old infotainment system.

i would probably get a b8 s4 though, newer for same price, awd, manual or dsg, plenty quick stock or with chip and pulley its 400+ hp

E9x M3 is surprisingly reliable, way better than any of the turbo'd models in the last few years and have few problems, sound incredible and give the best overall driving experience, can get in 4 doors and backseat even in the Coupe is comfortable, my mom who's 62 and 5'9" has no problems volunteering to get back there and finds it quite comfy, I don't know about the other 2 but the M3 is rape for insurance and gas, I'd imagine gas mileage on the others aren't much better. ISF is always going to be near the top for reliability becuz yota and 4 doors is nice but backseat size is shocking how small for a Sedan, sound and looks don't totally excite me, c63 doesn't interest me but they do sound like death.B8 S4 is a solid unit as well, fairly reliable, quick and practical with awd and 4doors, and tuned can be a good hwy crusier, but sort of a blah driving experience out of the box.....that's just my 2c but I'm not buying for you, I'll never get rid of my m3

IS-F will be a trouble free car that will last a long time, issue is finding a clean one that has not been abused, same goes for the c63. early M3 had bearing issues, which gets quite costly. C63 wise, u'll get addicted to the torque so gas millage and rear tires suffer big time.

LOL @ ppl recommending a S4 over M3/IS-F/C63, completely different class of car

One thing to consider with ISF is that the rear seats do not fold down, they do on the C63 and M3.

If you want a manual you are limited to the M3, cost of ownership will be M3>C63>ISF, resale depreciation will probably be C63>ISF>M3 (In order of most depreciation to least).

I'm a big fan of all three cars and have come very close to buying all of them a number of times... after hours and hours of deliberating I always end up chasing the M3.

All good cars, GL!

Everyone pretty much covered the key points. I think you'll enjoy any of those three.

I had an AP1 and currently have an E92 M3. I did consider C63 and ISF, but for me, I wanted stick shift so that pretty much made the choice for me. That and it felt like a good all-around car.

Also, I like how the V8 is relatively high revving. The shifter is pretty standard BMW though (to me a little rubbery and can be notch), and does not compare to the S2000.

Nothing compares to an s2k shifter

I'm a fan of all 3, but from a reliability aspect, I'd go with the ISF. Only prob with the ISF is back seats are only 2 people and I find the look is starting to become dated. The m3's are always ageless imo.

Decide whats most important to you.
Driving dynamics = M3
Reliability = IS-F
Free coffee while your car is being fixed = C63

Seriously all the cars are going to be great, but BMW essentially invented this class of car. I think they have always done it the best. Especially since you are going to miss rowing the gears of your s2k.

All will be very safe, all will be absolute pigs on gas, all are expensive to maintain when something does go wrong, but I have a hard time believing any will be as fun as the m3.

I debated between all those cars and the S4.

I opted for the E90 M3. Love it. But as others have stated do your research on what years you're planning on buying. Some years are better than others, but obviously the newer the more they cost.

Euro's naturally are alot more expensive to keep on the road. I would estimate easily $3-5k a year in maintenance/repairs. Brakes go faster, tires go faster, parts break down a little more frequently, alot of weird parts you have to buy from OEM.

ISF - Most reliable, probably the least fun of the 3 IMO. Bad mileage.
M3 - Handles the best, parts expensive. Shitty mileage. Horrible in snow.
C63 - Fastest, parts most expensive. Really shitty mileage. Completely useless in snow.

Don't expect Honda/Toyota econo car type of reliability from ANY of these cars. High performance comes at a cost. Last thing you want is the car to malfunction and can't afford to fix it. If the occassional $2K+ repair/maintenance bills will ruin you then I don't think any of these cars are for you. If the odd brutal bill won't financially ruin you, then you won't regret these cars. Engine wise these cars are solid, it's the oddball vehicle specific components that tend to randomly die. Replacement parts usually run $1500-4000 before labour.

E9x M3 example.
Throttle actuators are $1400 ea (need two usually)+ install
Rod bearing replacements $2500-3000
Brake rotors $500ish ea rotor
Pads $200+/ $40 sensors/ etc
Stupid Air Sensor of some sorts plus whatever parts needed $1300 + install
2008 clutch/flywheel $3400 + install

Not to scare you off. This type of stuff eventually will happen, not all at once. But probably over the years.

If you're hands on, and have a programmer then you can save some money. Just sucks when it's your daily driver something breaks, and you need to wait days/weeks for parts.


If given a chance to change my mind, would I? Hell no. The driving satisfaction is so worth it. I had a Lexus I drove for 5 years, loved it, reliable as fuck and comfy. But I got bored and missed something sporty. I might drive a little more spirited than in my Lexus, but it was worth it. Now I'm in the market for a comfy grandpa car as my daily and keep the M3 as a weekend car. I miss not worrying about speed bumps/potholes/parking dividers/door dings. My m3 causes me too much anxiety lol. Like a high maintenance gf. Sometimes you just want a good wifey that doesn't stress ya out all the time :p

Technically Metra or Scosche is releasing a dash kit for the IS

2006-up Lexus IS250 IS350 IS series Double DIN or DIN with Pocket <br>**Pre-orders Only** ls2151b SCOSCHE

Not sure when, but I saw it at SEMA last year. I would assume it should be releasing soon :p

Might as well put the Evo & STI into consideration too :P which i'd rather choose from over the other 3.