[Z3guy]

I have moved on from my alpine 03 wht E46 M3..however I know I will always remember that car very fondly.......kinda like a really good gf that you broke up with due to work life factors more than not liking each other anymore. I bought my M3 in 06 for $55K. In the day, that was a good deal before the bottom fell out in the Cdn car market. Nowadays, a nice clean E46 M3 2004+ is approx. $25K for a low mileage example. I don't know any car that can come close to the feel, performance, reliability, fit/finish, and styling of the E46 M3. The other cars that are in the ballpark are G35, 350Z, Merc c55, Subaru STI, etc...but they all are missing something......

I think the E46 is the best $25K you can spend on a second hand car. What do you guys/gals think?

[JoshuaWong]

+1 I agree:thumbsup:

[van_driver]

Aren't M3s quite expensive to repair in the long term?

and pics of the GT3 plz :D

[van_driver]

btw i would pick a G35 or Z4 over an M3, theres too many douchebags in M3s doing loser laps on robson to make it stand out anymore

[ShyGuy]

I definitely agree. I recently sold my E46 M3 and moved on to something bigger but I still miss that car.

It handled great and the raw power was awesome. The car came out in 2002 and it still turns heads today when you see a clean one drive by.

My old love:

http://www3.telus.net/justinliu/M3/new/DSC02086%20(Large).JPG

G35 isn't even in the same league as an M3.

[Meister1982]

The E46 are great cars. But for $25k I would like to have a Porsche 964. Nothing comes close to that IMO, but again it's expensive to maintain. I can't exactly say that BMW are cheap cars to maintain either.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/2344874084_56a0f0a81b.jpg

[Meister1982]

^
btw matte black cars are played out. :)

[vash13]

^^ What did you replace your M3 with?

[Leopold Stotch]

IMO with cars being cheaper now like e46 m3s and 986 boxters and 996 carerras to me what's more relevant is not that you can afford to BUY the car, but whether or not you can afford to OWN the car.

my friend wanted to get a m3 cause it was ONLY 30k, but there are other things to consider beyond the asking price.

[1exotic]

MK4 Supra

/

[Iron Chef]

02 Z06 will kill it in every aspect of performance

[PavelGTR]

02 Z06 will kill it in every aspect of performance

The M3 looks better, sounds better, and its a BMW after all not a Chevrolet.

[Tillerz]

Aren't M3s quite expensive to repair in the long term?

and pics of the GT3 plz :D


they aren't too bad, inspections 1 and 2's are the most expensive things, but they are spaced approx ever 25-30k km so its not bad. gives you enough time to save up for the next one =) also depends on how much you drive, i for example only get about 10k km on a car a year, so inspections would happen every 2-3 years.

[HondaGuy]

Shyguy: spotted your old M3 at the TypeR Meet on june 16 at ironwood mall.
Ppl were watching it roll in and they were saying its shyguys old ride.
It had the front lip w/ stabilizer rods rite?? The current owner was a brown guy.
Car looked nice but had few rockchips everywhere.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[jpark]

yep, used e46 m3 is the best bang for the buck if you want to experience the the true sports car engineering and your on budget

[adc]

E46 m3 would be my car of choice id even take it over the e92
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Ducdesmo]

I was looking into one when I was in the market as it really does give you great value for the car that it is. But I drive a lot and I figure the repair/maintainence is just going to rape me.

[Zyzz]

it is a nice car, but to be honest it is quite old

my friends always tell me to trade in my antique.... 25k for this car is good value though definately

[JoshuaWong]

The M3 looks better, sounds better, and its a BMW after all not a Chevrolet.

Corvette is a Chevrolet.....

NSX is just a Honda
Ford GT is just a Ford
R8 is just a Audi
LF-A is just a Toyota/Lexus
GT-R is just a Nissan

so what ? Great cars are great cars regardless of brands. You know BMW 3 series is just an entry level saloon in Europe, not the hyped up luxury car in North America... they use E90 3 series for taxi in some places too. Conversely, try driving a Chevrolet Corvette in Japan or China, you'll get way more attention especially so in Japan.

[PavelGTR]

Corvette is a Chevrolet.....

NSX is just a Honda
Ford GT is just a Ford
R8 is just a Audi
LF-A is just a Toyota/Lexus
GT-R is just a Nissan

so what ? Great cars are great cars regardless of brands. You know BMW 3 series is just an entry level saloon in Europe, not the hyped up luxury car in North America... they use E90 3 series for taxi in some places too. Conversely, try driving a Chevrolet Corvette in Japan or China, you'll get way more attention especially so in Japan.

They also use the Mercedes E class as taxis all over Europe; however, that isn't the point. In the NA market which brand would you rather own, BMW or Chevrolet?

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

a honda





on a serious note

E46 m3 , one love yo

seriously a timeless machine, like NSX

classic, enough said.


probably the best bang for the buck for $20-30g range, just more expensive to maintain. Than again, anything euro/BMW badge dont expect it to come cheap in any form

[Z3guy]

I definitely agree. I recently sold my E46 M3 and moved on to something bigger but I still miss that car.

It handled great and the raw power was awesome. The car came out in 2002 and it still turns heads today when you see a clean one drive by.

My old love:

http://www3.telus.net/justinliu/M3/new/DSC02086%20(Large).JPG

G35 isn't even in the same league as an M3.

you are right...but I was thinking about cars in the $20-$30K price range...not necessarily performance wise....

[.Renn.Sport]

I still have my M3 and not gonna sell it anytime soon :D
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v5204/249/24/506864111/n506864111_2934196_3441412.jpg

[Z3guy]

The E46 are great cars. But for $25k I would like to have a Porsche 964. Nothing comes close to that IMO, but again it's expensive to maintain. I can't exactly say that BMW are cheap cars to maintain either.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/2344874084_56a0f0a81b.jpg

sure for a fun car...but no way as a DD....964s needs proper heating/cooling ventilation system to be a good DD

[Phil@rise]

MK4 Supra

/

Doesn't have the fit finish or refinement of a fine German automobile.
Not knockin it tho I like MK IV Supras too.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

I still have my M3 and not gonna sell it anytime soon :D
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v5204/249/24/506864111/n506864111_2934196_3441412.jpg

no bitch, instead you know what you should sell punk ass motherfucker?

your white piece of shit yaris, so you can rock translink without worrying about filling up ur piece of shit gutless 4 banger. alrit?

now crawl back to ur hole and cry to ur mommy

[ALEX1988]

04+ with low mileage for 25k?
it is hard to find..

[ALEX1988]

inspection 2 is a pain...

[Tillerz]

Shyguy: spotted your old M3 at the TypeR Meet on june 16 at ironwood mall.
Ppl were watching it roll in and they were saying its shyguys old ride.
It had the front lip w/ stabilizer rods rite?? The current owner was a brown guy.
Car looked nice but had few rockchips everywhere.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

yup thats me =)

and yeah, the rock chips suck =( just came back from the states that day, so that probably didn't help.

[freakshow]

I'll put my vote in for e39 M5 being the best car under 25K :P

[tofu1413]

I'll put my vote in for e39 M5 being the best car under 25K :P

+1 i'd take the M5 actually as much as i like the E46 M3 :thumbsup:

[sonick]

I'll put my vote in for e39 M5 being the best car under 25K :P
+2 great call, I was just gonna post that here.

E39 M5 is one of the greatest sports sedans ever. I would take a nice E39 M5 over E46 M3 any day.

Also, more doors, more whores.

[tofu1413]

+2 great call, I was just gonna post that here.

E39 M5 is one of the greatest sports sedans ever. I would take a nice E39 M5 over E46 M3 any day.

Also, more doors, more whores.

better advertising too! if madonna can ride it.. why not? :thumbsup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1dYv_gKTA8

[jungle168]

^^^Hahaha....always loved that commercial!

[Project__D]

Evo 9?

[Z3guy]

^ I think the Evo 9 is a great performance car, but it lacks interior refinement and overall fit and finish quality has something to be desired. I think the E46 M3 and E39 M5 are better overall pkgs with less glaring issues, hence better value.

[twixxer]

Though hard to find i am going throw the w210 e55 amg in this pot as well.

[tofu1413]

Though hard to find i am going throw the w210 e55 amg in this pot as well.

those are pretty reliable.


more sleeper too actually.

[blanktape]

For used E46 M3, which transmission would you guys recommend?

I heard that SMG is no good... and it does not shift smoothly.

[ShyGuy]

only people who haven't driven a SMG say it's bad. I loved the SMG tranny on my M3. Super fast, crisp shifts and the convinience of a auto mode when you're stuck in traffic. There is a little learning curve to it, but once you get the hang of it, you don't really want to go back to a manual.

[Amaru]

For used E46 M3, which transmission would you guys recommend?

I heard that SMG is no good... and it does not shift smoothly.

There's definitely a learning curve, but most owners I've spoken to are pretty satisfied.

I agree with the notion that the e46 M3 is the best overall daily-driver car available under $25k. Of course it totally depends on your preferences; if you want a late-model vehicle but don't care much about refinement you might be better off with a G35. If you're only looking for performance, the Z06 was mentioned by another poster and that's a very fast car. If you like 4 doors, e39 M5 is a solid bet.

But, overall, the M3 has a bit of everything and it's a steal for $25k.

[RabidRat]

I guess it depends on what you want for your dollar, but it's hard to argue with all the car that the M3 offers, vs say an Evo 9.

So you changing your name to GT3guy then? ;)

[Z3guy]

^ nah, too many yrs as Z3guy to consider changing now......looking back, the Z3 was a pretty lousy BMW, but boy did I love that car when I was younger....I think I spend more money modding my Z3 than it cost to buy...what a waste of money!

[Z3guy]

For used E46 M3, which transmission would you guys recommend?

I heard that SMG is no good... and it does not shift smoothly.

it is hard to beat a nice 6sp for driving enjoyment, but SMG is a great tranny combo....once you learn how to drive it without the jerkiness, it is really fun, especially if you hit the sport button. The other benefits of SMG is that you can left foot brake or drive in full auto mode in traffic.

Just don't ride the clutch....clutch replacement cost over $2K. Also, the M3 manual says you don't need to lift when shifting.....if you want smooth shifts, you have to back off the throttle a little when shifting.

[Z3guy]

anyone considering buying an used E46 M3, make sure you check the following;

1) pre 04 - check to make sure the bearing recall was done (if it hasn't and the owner did not use OEM oil, walk away)
2) SMG Hydraulics - make sure you check the SMG system is in good working order...new hydraulics will cost you $5K
3) VANOS System - buy a low km car....the VANOS system will eventually go...approx. 100K kms...cost can range from $2K to $7k
4) Rear Subframe - don't buy a car that has been tracked, unless the car has addressed rear subframe issues. Fixing a cracked subframe is big money....$2K+

otherwise the M3 is really reliable. I had absolutely no issues or failures on my M3...however I only put 52K kms on it.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

5k for smg hydraulics


holly!!!1

[Marioo1991]

I agree for 25k the E46 is one of the best second hand cars you can get, but I would hate to see the price of repairs on a German car thats getting close to 10 years old. I have a friend that bought a BMW that was about 10-12 years old, and within 6 months had to get some top end work done. I think he paid in the 2-3k range @ BMW

[Z3guy]

^ that's why you should buy the newest, low KMs car available....even overpay for a pristine low kms car, cause in the long run it will be cheaper. To avoid crazy bills, buy a aftermarket warranty plan as well. I think for a 02-05 M3 it will cost approx. $3K for 2yrs......

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

:( euros are so scary to maintain.

[Z3guy]

^ the funny thing is, the research I did before I bought my GT3, it is actually really cheap to maintain....change the engine, tranny, and diff oil....that's it...if you track it allot it will cost allot due to $500 pads, $1K rotors, and $3K tires...also clutch replacement is $2K. For performance in the lambo, F430 league, the GT3 is cheaper to maintain than a Carrera...

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

well i guess we better pray that GT3 is cheaper to maintain


afterall the original price tag MSRP is lower than other exotics, Lambo, F430 etc

nonetheless....great pick up
:thumbsup:

[tofu1413]

Should be. Not too much huge of a diff to std 911. And 911 arent bad reliability wise
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Roach]

The only $25k M3's I've seen are higher mileage pre '04 cars. And in reading your list of repair items, that $25k M3 will quickly turn into a $35k M3 if you are unlucky.

The M3 is a good jack of all trades car, but I don't think it's by no means a used car bargain. There are going to be a lot of young kids with $25k in hand buying a beat on M3 and finding themselves in over their head when they have issues with the sub-frame, VANOS or simply having to pay for a valve adjustment.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic car. A good buddy just picked up a clean example last year. But, IMO, no, it's not the best used car purchase for $25k.

Kev

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

it is still one of the best 6 cylinder car ever made tho


just gotta prepare a deeper pocket for mainteance after picking it up for cheap ($25-32g):rofl::drool

[DC5-S]

Unreliable car
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[Death2Theft]

The E46 n/a with an exhaust sounds worse than any fartcan civic i've ever heard. It's probally one of the worst sounding bmw's ever.
The M3 looks better, sounds better, and its a BMW after all not a Chevrolet.

[.Renn.Sport]

The E46 n/a with an exhaust sounds worse than any fartcan civic i've ever heard. It's probally one of the worst sounding bmw's ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si4xJ9YRQso&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCA3WjCPOuw&feature=related

[ALEX1988]

this thread is so much of fail...
With lower labour rate and 10% discount in parts, ispection2 is actually cheaper than I thought..
lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hej6IFt9Aqo&feature=related

[ShyGuy]

Yah. If you are getting all the maintenance done by the stealership of course its going to be expensive. Its not that bad if you bring it to a indy shop
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[sleazyho]

e39 m5 > e46 m3

[BEEB]

The E46 n/a with an exhaust sounds worse than any fartcan civic i've ever heard. It's probally one of the worst sounding bmw's ever.

With ITB and the highly tuned inline 6, BMW is stuck with that sound unfortunately. But u can always stick your fart can from a civic on your BMW to make it sound like one.

[darnold]

The only $25k M3's I've seen are higher mileage pre '04 cars. And in reading your list of repair items, that $25k M3 will quickly turn into a $35k M3 if you are unlucky.

The M3 is a good jack of all trades car, but I don't think it's by no means a used car bargain. There are going to be a lot of young kids with $25k in hand buying a beat on M3 and finding themselves in over their head when they have issues with the sub-frame, VANOS or simply having to pay for a valve adjustment.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic car. A good buddy just picked up a clean example last year. But, IMO, no, it's not the best used car purchase for $25k.

Kev

No kidding, sounds like these cars can get you WAY over your head if youre not careful about planning and staying on top of routine maintenence.

BMW is the only euro brand that id ever consider buying from, but those big $$$ repair bills keep me from pulling the trigger.

[Amaru]

I think it's hilarious how people on RS make it sound like owning European cars guarantees massive repair bills.

Yes, the car is slightly less reliable than a Honda/Toyota, but it's not an exotic or something. You can still rely on your car to start every day and get you from point A to point B without any issues.

Parts are a bit more expensive, yes, but hourly labour rates from an independent shop shouldn't be any more than you'd pay at a Honda/Toyota dealership, for example.

There are a few known issues on early-model M3's, but even then they affect a small percentage of vehicles... you're not guaranteed (or even likely) to get one needing subframe repairs or VANOS failure or whatever else, especially if you have it inspected before buying.

Besides, you get what you pay for... the e46 M3 is a brilliant car. Even if it costs you a few hundred dollars more in maintenance every year, wouldn't you be willing to pay that for pleasure of driving it every day?

My e46, although not an M3, is reliable enough even with 140,000km on it... and it's a sheer joy to own and drive. I'd never trade it in for a lesser car even if it meant I'd save a thousand dollars a year on maintenance.

[darnold]

I think it's hilarious how people on RS make it sound like owning European cars guarantees massive repair bills.

Yes, the car is slightly less reliable than a Honda/Toyota, but it's not an exotic or something. You can still rely on your car to start every day and get you from point A to point B without any issues.

Parts are a bit more expensive, yes, but hourly labour rates from an independent shop shouldn't be any more than you'd pay at a Honda/Toyota dealership, for example.

There are a few known issues on early-model M3's, but even then they affect a small percentage of vehicles... you're not guaranteed (or even likely) to get one needing subframe repairs or VANOS failure or whatever else, especially if you have it inspected before buying.

Besides, you get what you pay for... the e46 M3 is a brilliant car. Even if it costs you a few hundred dollars more in maintenance every year, wouldn't you be willing to pay that for pleasure of driving it every day?

My e46, although not an M3, is reliable enough even with 140,000km on it... and it's a sheer joy to own and drive. I'd never trade it in for a lesser car even if it meant I'd save a thousand dollars a year on maintenance.

If it were as small as an extra 2k a year on maintenance, I wouldnt mind at all.

Its all the horror stories ive heard about M3's that ive heard about them having poor oiling problems in the block, that VANOS problem etc.

Ive owned hondas for the last 8 years though, so ive also been spoiled with cheap repair costs.

[darnold]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si4xJ9YRQso&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCA3WjCPOuw&feature=related


You honestly think that sounds good?

Those clips sound like complete shit... No way would I invest in aftermarket pipes for an M3 after hearing that garbage.

[Amaru]

If it were as small as an extra 2k a year on maintenance, I wouldnt mind at all.

Its all the horror stories ive heard about M3's that ive heard about them having poor oiling problems in the block, that VANOS problem etc.

Ive owned hondas for the last 8 years though, so ive also been spoiled with cheap repair costs.

Most problems are on 01-02 models, IIRC, and even then they certainly aren't "common". There will be some lemons out there, no doubt, but if you do your homework and keep up with preventative maintenance I highly doubt you'll have any problems at all. As with any car, get a pre-purchase inspection and try to get a hold of maintenance records to ensure any recalls have been done.

90%+ of e46 M3's are still on the road without any major problems. For an $85,000 car (new) with outstanding performance, you're not likely to find anything that's much cheaper to own.

You honestly think that sounds good?

Those clips sound like complete shit... No way would I invest in aftermarket pipes for an M3 after hearing that garbage.

I like the sound of the high-strung I6 engine with the stock exhaust. It can get a bit raspy at high-RPM but what do you expect? It's a 3.2L straight-6 that revs to 8300rpm or whatever, so it's not gonna sound like a 5.0L V8.

S54 motor was on the "best engines" award list four years in a row I believe. Not as smooth as the non-M straight-6's but still incredibly balanced compared to V6's and 4-bangers. The car is just a blast to drive, only other car that compares in terms of outright driving joy (for me, anyway) was the S2000. Except the M3 has torque, so it has usable power at the bottom end when driving around town.

[ShyGuy]

You honestly think that sounds good?

Those clips sound like complete shit... No way would I invest in aftermarket pipes for an M3 after hearing that garbage.

what about this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qju9iEFqp3Y

[.Renn.Sport]

If it were as small as an extra 2k a year on maintenance, I wouldnt mind at all.

Its all the horror stories ive heard about M3's that ive heard about them having poor oiling problems in the block, that VANOS problem etc.

Ive owned hondas for the last 8 years though, so ive also been spoiled with cheap repair costs.

you drive a 10 years old honda...
you probably can't even afford the engine oil needed in the M3 even if the car is given to you for free.

my 02 Carbon Black E46 M3 was the first batch of cars with SMG in HK, and so far only small electrical problems occurs till now (windows went down on its own, and alarm went off on its own) both fixed by BMW within a day. Other then the schedule maintenance and wear and tear (brakes, clutch, tires....etc) maintenance the car has been fine.

my 05 Silver Grey in van had absolutely no problem even after I drove it like I stole it most of the time. I even used the launch control almost daily. BMW even gave me a new clutch before the warranty period was over.

[.Renn.Sport]

I like the sound of the high-strung I6 engine with the stock exhaust. It can get a bit raspy at high-RPM but what do you expect? It's a 3.2L straight-6 that revs to 8300rpm or whatever, so it's not gonna sound like a 5.0L V8.


the rasp is what make the M3 sound so good, especially mixed in with the ITB sound from the engine :drool

even a 360 Modena's 3.6 high revving V8 is raspy as hell

[darnold]

what about this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qju9iEFqp3Y

That sounds pretty badass!

Although straight pipes and wide open throttle on most engines with any sort of power will sound mean.

[darnold]

you drive a 10 years old honda...
you probably can't even afford the engine oil needed in the M3 even if the car is given to you for free.

my 02 Carbon Black E46 M3 was the first batch of cars with SMG in HK, and so far only small electrical problems occurs till now (windows went down on its own, and alarm went off on its own) both fixed by BMW within a day. Other then the schedule maintenance and wear and tear (brakes, clutch, tires....etc) maintenance the car has been fine.

my 05 Silver Grey in van had absolutely no problem even after I drove it like I stole it most of the time. I even used the launch control almost daily. BMW even gave me a new clutch before the warranty period was over.

Half of the guys I work with drive diesel trucks worth at least as much as any e46 M3. Its not some kind of special exclusive car....

The rest of this post is most likely bullshit anyways lol.

[Amaru]

the rasp is what make the M3 sound so good, especially mixed in with the ITB sound from the engine :drool

even a 360 Modena's 3.6 high revving V8 is raspy as hell

Agreed. I actually really like it. Form over function. The nice thing about the M3, imo, is that it's very civilized when you're driving around town. It's quiet, comfortable, and won't bounce you around over every bump and dip in the road. Engine noise is audible under moderate acceleration, but just a pleasant grumble. The rasp of the exhaust takes over at high RPM's.

That sounds pretty badass!

Although straight pipes and wide open throttle on most engines with any sort of power will sound mean.

Sounds cool, but if that's the sound you're looking for then you will want to avoid driving within 10 miles of any police as you're absolutely certain to get pulled over. That thing was loud as hell, not something I'd want on a DD anyway. Not that it would ever pass AirCare anyway, so it's a moot point...

Half of the guys I work with drive diesel trucks worth at least as much as any e46 M3. Its not some kind of special exclusive car....

That's the point. For $25k you can own a very high performance luxury sports car, which means it's entered the "affordable" realm for many average people. It's not a 911 or an SL63, but it's very quick and very very fun to drive. Would you rather a diesel truck or an M3?

I own an e46 330ci and if M3's were only $25k back when I bought this car I would be driving one right now, no question about it. It's really a bargain for that kind of car. Very few other vehicles have the same balance between daily comfort/practicality and raw, high-revving sports car performance.

You could get a faster car, like a Z06, but would you want to drive it around town every day? Especially one that's 8 years old? I don't really mind the car overall, and there's no denying it's fast, but it's far less practical than an M3.

[BEEB]

That sounds pretty badass!

Although straight pipes and wide open throttle on most engines with any sort of power will sound mean.

Would love to hear some sort of mean sound from your B18C1 engine ! :rofl:
I've said that just to pick on you ! Just to let you know, I do have a B16 EG civic and a E46 M3.

[.Renn.Sport]

Agreed. I actually really like it. Form over function. The nice thing about the M3, imo, is that it's very civilized when you're driving around town. It's quiet, comfortable, and won't bounce you around over every bump and dip in the road. Engine noise is audible under moderate acceleration, but just a pleasant grumble. The rasp of the exhaust takes over at high RPM's.


The M3 actually doesn't sound "happy" when you are driving it slow around town, it always want you to step on it harder, but once you step on it a bit, it opens up and the car itself will feel excited and will bring a smile on your face.

[.Renn.Sport]

That sounds pretty badass!

Although straight pipes and wide open throttle on most engines with any sort of power will sound mean.

having a open throttle and having independent throttle body is a big difference, not very many cars from factory actually have independent throttle body.

[.Renn.Sport]

Half of the guys I work with drive diesel trucks worth at least as much as any e46 M3. Its not some kind of special exclusive car....

The rest of this post is most likely bullshit anyways lol.

M3 was never a special exclusive car, there were probably more E46 M3 around than 330CI around 5-6 years ago when they were still "new".... btw... thats when people were buying it for 80-100k brand new, and weren't "affordable" like now at 25k USED

[darnold]

Would love to hear some sort of mean sound from your B18C1 engine ! :rofl:
I've said that just to pick on you ! Just to let you know, I do have a B16 EG civic and a E46 M3.

I dont consider my GSR anywhere remotely close to being powerful. I was in a pinch for a vehicle last year before heading out to edmonton for work, and a friend happened to be selling his JDM fronted GSR at the same time.

Ive had Integras for too many years now, and something from BMW or Subaru would really hit the spot!

[RabidRat]

3) VANOS System - buy a low km car....the VANOS system will eventually go...approx. 100K kms...cost can range from $2K to $7k
4) Rear Subframe - don't buy a car that has been tracked, unless the car has addressed rear subframe issues. Fixing a cracked subframe is big money....$2K+


Hmm. Sounds like the e46 M3 would be pretty terrible for a track car then. Is there specific preventive maintenance you can do to prevent these issues?

[Great68]

The M3 looks better, sounds better, and its a BMW after all not a Chevrolet.

The M3's straight six will never, ever, in a million years sound better than a Z06's V8.

[ShyGuy]

Hmm. Sounds like the e46 M3 would be pretty terrible for a track car then. Is there specific preventive maintenance you can do to prevent these issues?

Subframe issues were a design flaw in the E46 chassis and not just the M3. There was a recall on the subframe after a lawsuit with BMW of America in the US. Unfortunately the claim doesn't apply to canadians. The M3 is a awesome track car. VANOS issues really didnt' happen that often and only to a select few.

[Z3guy]

Hey shyguy, did you change cars to an E55/63?

[OhSoGood]

The M3's straight six will never, ever, in a million years sound better than a Z06's V8.

different class of cars.....

dumbass

[Great68]

different class of cars.....

dumbass

An engine's sound has nothing to do with a car's "class" fucktard.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

but u cant really compare a 4 banger to a V10

obviously the V10 will sound better?

:grenade: :spin:

[Amaru]

Hmm. Sounds like the e46 M3 would be pretty terrible for a track car then. Is there specific preventive maintenance you can do to prevent these issues?

Don't let the haters fool you, it's a fantastic track car. That's what it was built for.

Subframe and VANOS issues were resolved for 03+ models I believe, and even in the early years they weren't "common" issues. The engine itself is bulletproof and the build quality is top-notch aside from the usual Euro issues.

And yes, proper preventative maintenance can ensure the car is very dependable, especially 2003 and up models with less than 200,000km. It's certainly not a Honda Civic in terms of reliability, but by no means will it be a nightmare to own, either.

Plus, it's an amazingly fun car to drive, which in my opinion more than makes up for its reliability shortcomings...

[tofu1413]

hmm the only thing i can think thats really expensive on those cars are.....



tires. knowing any person that would buy one, would drive it quite frequently. And any owner would go through quite a few sets over the ownership of the car.

as for engine sounds. they're completely different. how can you compare?

[Amaru]

hmm the only thing i can think thats really expensive on those cars are.....

Yeah, but that is obviously true of any high-performance vehicle. Most performance freaks opt for the 18" M3 wheel to reduce weight/rotational mass, which probably reduces the tire cost a fair bit over the 19" rims. Regardless of the vehicle, if you drive like a maniac you'll wear out your tires pretty damn quickly.

Still, you're definitely right to some extent. I bought a set of 4 new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 all-season tires a couple of weeks ago for my 330ci (factory-size 17" wheels) and had to fork over nearly $1300. Comparable tires in 18" would probably be another couple hundred bucks on top of that.

But, if you went to the States and bought "decent-but-not-insane" summer tires, you wouldn't have to empty your savings.

[Z3guy]

Hmm. Sounds like the e46 M3 would be pretty terrible for a track car then. Is there specific preventive maintenance you can do to prevent these issues?

The M3 is actually a very good track car.....as long as the sub frame issue has been addresssed. The issues I quoted are worst case scenarios...for my M3...I never had any of the issues I listed. Most of the common problems on M3s is due to owners not following the BMW recommended service intervals or using inferior oil.

[Death2Theft]

If that doesnt' sound like a tinny gutless fartmobile I dont know what does. Ferrari may sound raspy but in no way do they EVER get confused with a fartmobile.
Well theres one advantage of owning a m3 with an exhaust over a ferrari... it would be that i'd never floor it because it sounds so bad so i'd save alot in gas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si4xJ9YRQso&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCA3WjCPOuw&feature=related

[ALEX1988]

buy a 04+ and you good to go.

[Amaru]

If that doesnt' sound like a tinny gutless fartmobile I dont know what does. Ferrari may sound raspy but in no way do they EVER get confused with a fartmobile.
Well theres one advantage of owning a m3 with an exhaust over a ferrari... it would be that i'd never floor it because it sounds so bad so i'd save alot in gas.

Jesus, it's not the beefiest sounding exhaust in the world but "tinny gutless fartmobile" is pushing it. Still sounds better than 99% of the ricer Ebay mufflers out there.

[Z3guy]

^ the rasp from an E46 M3 at first sounds weird....same kind of way a 911 flat 6 sounds...different.....everyone is different, I actually like the rasp from the M54 motor. If you don't like it, just get a rasp eliminator pipe. The sound is completely different. I actually got mid pipes that made the rasp sound even more aggressive!.......

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

to be honest...it sounds pretty shitty

not feeling the raspy sound AT ALL


prefer the VQ engine, sounds much better

[ShyGuy]

Who cares about the sound. The S54 is a way better performing engine then the VQ
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[rawr]

Who cares about the sound. The S54 is a way better performing engine then the VQ
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

^+1.

The VQ engine, especially the 3.7L, is very raspy top end; it's not very refined. The shifter vibrates quite a bit and it just doesn't sound too good. It definitely has lots of power though.

S54 on the other hand was smooth as hell. Revs up fast and sounds great.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

i thought its due to FR layout, therefore the shifter vibrates like a dildo. At least that was the case for 350z


which engine is the S54

[Amaru]

i thought its due to FR layout, therefore the shifter vibrates like a dildo. At least that was the case for 350z


which engine is the S54

S54 is the e46 M3 motor. 3.2L inline-6. Easily one of the best motors of the past decade; I doubt there are many car freaks that would even try to argue that. Smooth, linear power - and lots of it, all the way up to 8,300rpm.

VQ sounds beefy, but I agree with rawr, it lacks refinement. Still a good motor, don't get me wrong, but it was really never in the same league as the S54. Not from a driver's standpoint, anyway. It's not nearly as smooth as the BMW motor (an I6 is inherently more balanced than a V6 obviously) and it's still doesn't make the same top-end power as the S54.

But yeah, if you buy a car based only on it's exhaust note, you should buy a VQ-powered vehicle and not an M3. :joy

[ericthehalfbee]

But yeah, if you buy a car based only on it's exhaust note, you're a fucking idiot
fixed

[.Renn.Sport]

i find the S54 on the M3 feel exactly the same as the VQ35DE from 1000-6600RPM... from 6600RPM to 8300RPM is where the M3 takes over

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

actually i felt the S54 lacks low end torque. VQ was able to drive around town shifting anywhere from 2000-2500rpm, and it felt torquey.

S54 is all about mid and high end power


VQ lots low and mid, but really lacks the high. I felt pointless revving after 4700-5000rpm till redline.

[Death2Theft]

Which is partly why it sounds like a civic is because it drives like one. No torque low end and once vtaaak kicks in daaaawg

[Z3guy]

^ get a 4.10 rear diff and any concerns you have about low end torque goes away.

The E46 M3 was geared way to high.....with stock 3.62 gears, the M3 was geared to go 206mph...obviously the car cannot go 206mph stock. With 4.10 gears, the M3 is still geared for 181mph......

[Z3guy]

Which is partly why it sounds like a civic is because it drives like one. No torque low end and once vtaaak kicks in daaaawg

do you know anything about cars?

[tofu1413]

actually i felt the S54 lacks low end torque. VQ was able to drive around town shifting anywhere from 2000-2500rpm, and it felt torquey.

S54 is all about mid and high end power


VQ lots low and mid, but really lacks the high. I felt pointless revving after 4700-5000rpm till redline.

lols. hearing how you guys talk about it, sounds like our Hondurrrr motors. :D

speak of VQ.. yes their low to mid is quite nice, but they seem to run out of breath at about 6ish or so. never tried the VQ35HR's though. heard theyre better on the top end part.


Z3guy// shorter final drive makes a night and day diff on "torque" challenged cars. i could really feel it on my ITR gear box.. from 4.4 to the 4.7 was night and day. some guys even put 5.1 in those cars..

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

ya when i drove it after the 350z, it really kinda reminded me of my k20

just 2 more cylinders, more refined..more powerful.

but the reason it reminded me was the lack of low end (compare to VQ) so kinda apple to apple.


Nonetheless, i heart E46 all the way

just sharing my 2 cents how the two diff motor's characteristics are. VQ VS S45

[fuzebox]

Some good info in this thread as I was considering one this year...

:lol to people who buy cars based on exhaust notes, or think a 2004 is too old.

[Amaru]

actually i felt the S54 lacks low end torque. VQ was able to drive around town shifting anywhere from 2000-2500rpm, and it felt torquey.

S54 is all about mid and high end power


VQ lots low and mid, but really lacks the high. I felt pointless revving after 4700-5000rpm till redline.

Which is partly why it sounds like a civic is because it drives like one. No torque low end and once vtaaak kicks in daaaawg

What the fuck?

VQ35DE makes between 260 ft-lb and 274 ft-lb of torque at 4,800rpm (depending on vehicle/model year). The new VQ37 makes slightly more but at a higher peak RPM.

S54 makes 262 ft-lb or torque at 4,900rpm.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q167/teh_sheik/M5/M3vsM5.jpg
(look at how flat the power band is)

http://www.dragtimes.com/images_dyno/8837-2003-Nissan-350Z-Dyno.gif
(oh wowz 6 more torques! :rofl:)

The S54 has plenty of low-end power for driving around town. Anyone who says otherwise either enjoys shredding rubber from every stoplight and/or has never driven an e46 M3.

[.Renn.Sport]

ya when i drove it after the 350z, it really kinda reminded me of my k20

just 2 more cylinders, more refined..more powerful.

but the reason it reminded me was the lack of low end (compare to VQ) so kinda apple to apple.


Nonetheless, i heart E46 all the way

just sharing my 2 cents how the two diff motor's characteristics are. VQ VS S45

stfu

you don't even own either car. I own both G35 and a M3. you know nothing about the difference
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v99/249/24/506864111/n506864111_82742_3522.jpg

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

LOL

u are telling me to shut the fuck up?

u little piece of shitty ass midget honger?

u are one to talk


no one belives what the FUCK u drive moron

claiming ur lambo, ur ferrari, porsche.
i had enough of ur motherfucking bullshit on revscene

[.Renn.Sport]

LOL

u are telling me to shut the fuck up?

u little piece of shitty ass midget honger?

u are one to talk


no one belives what the FUCK u drive moron

claiming ur lambo, ur ferrari, porsche.
i had enough of ur motherfucking bullshit on revscene

awww.... did i hurt your feelings?
fact is, I own both and you only driven each for a short test drive. now shut the fuck up and crawl back to your shitty RSX
btw, i never claim to own any lambo or ferrari on RS ever. I do claim to own porsches cuz I do have 3

[asahai69]

LOL

u are telling me to shut the fuck up?

u little piece of shitty ass midget honger?

u are one to talk


no one belives what the FUCK u drive moron

claiming ur lambo, ur ferrari, porsche.
i had enough of ur motherfucking bullshit on revscene


http://cdn1.knowyourmeme.com/i/30403/original/YouMad.jpg

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

why oh why


i dare u to show up at the RS meet


btw bring one of ur ride to prove urself worthy

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

i already lost count what u claim to be urs and whats not

the whole RS wants to know, just look at ur own avatar...resident bullshiter.

:rolleyes: Gee i wonder how you got that title.

As far as i could count, you were never able to prove something solid regarding the high end vehicles you claim to own.

so why not do everyone a favor and settle the score once for all


PS:
lol last time i checked u drive a white yaris with some cheap shitty work rims. Now whether u sold it or not, i dont care. WHy? becuz for all we know, u actually did own the yaris. the rest? you aint got no proof.

[.Renn.Sport]

in fact I did bring my M3 out to a RS meet a few yrs ago

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v140/249/24/506864111/n506864111_308407_3270.jpg

i actually forgot to take a pic of my own car at the meet LOL

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

the grey one in the top corner?

[Amaru]

ya when i drove it after the 350z, it really kinda reminded me of my k20

just 2 more cylinders, more refined..more powerful.

but the reason it reminded me was the lack of low end (compare to VQ) so kinda apple to apple.

Nonetheless, i heart E46 all the way

just sharing my 2 cents how the two diff motor's characteristics are. VQ VS S45

For the record, I'm inclined to agree with your skepticism, buddy could very well be bs'ing about his cars and he's obviously interested in showing off.

BUT, he's right about the engine. The S54 has more power throughout most of the power band, and doesn't give up much torque to the VQ motor at all. Because it's an inline configuration it's also way, way smoother than the VQ and any 4-banger.

(However, I do think that BMW sacrificed a bit of that silky-smooth feeling when they enlarged the M54 by 200cc to create the S54... every time I drive an e46 M3 I notice that it's a bit rougher than my non-M e46. Small price to pay for 108 more horsepower. :rofl:)

I like the VQ motor a lot, and I'd own a vehicle powered by a VQ-series engine in a heartbeat... but the S54 is just light years beyond in refinement, power delivery, responsiveness, and top-end power... and it has nearly the same low-RPM performance all the while.

[BEEB]

every time I drive an e46 M3 I notice that it's a bit rougher than my non-M e46. Small price to pay for 108 more horsepower. :rofl:)


Can't agree more ! But I don't think the engine is rough, it's just the noise and sound ! Let's think it this way, BMW made the non-M engines silky smooth for 4 door saloon ! :D

[Death2Theft]

Ok well then just make sure you dont try to pass any hondas with an intake on the highway with your "ultimate" driving machine. They just might not be in the mood to let you pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mc6rmEJerA
Hence why peaky powerbands suck if you dont know how to extract every rev and make the most of it your gonna get punked by kid in their rsx.
^ get a 4.10 rear diff and any concerns you have about low end torque goes away.

The E46 M3 was geared way to high.....with stock 3.62 gears, the M3 was geared to go 206mph...obviously the car cannot go 206mph stock. With 4.10 gears, the M3 is still geared for 181mph......

[Death2Theft]

Actually I wish I didn't. The whole reason this thing strikes near and dear to me is because I was sitting in traffic one day and heard the nastiest fartbox sounding exhaust..... So i'm thinking oh great what kinda idiot kids do we have pulling up next to us... a 1980's honda with a broken exhaust? Maybe typernammer in his delsol? Or maybe a automatic accord with cut springs and a ebay exhaust? Believe me... was I in for a shock when I saw it was an m3 with a modded exhaust....
do you know anything about cars?

[tofu1413]

i already lost count what u claim to be urs and whats not

the whole RS wants to know, just look at ur own avatar...resident bullshiter.

:rolleyes: Gee i wonder how you got that title.

As far as i could count, you were never able to prove something solid regarding the high end vehicles you claim to own.

so why not do everyone a favor and settle the score once for all


PS:
lol last time i checked u drive a white yaris with some cheap shitty work rims. Now whether u sold it or not, i dont care. WHy? becuz for all we know, u actually did own the yaris. the rest? you aint got no proof.


his dad's rich friends own those ferraris / lambos /etc.

he has the porsches in hk + m3

G35 + M3 + yaris are here.


thats what i have on track so far. not unreasonable imo.

[Amaru]

Ok well then just make sure you dont try to pass any hondas with an intake on the highway with your "ultimate" driving machine. They just might not be in the mood to let you pass.

Hence why peaky powerbands suck if you dont know how to extract every rev and make the most of it your gonna get punked by kid in their rsx.

:fuuuuu:

[.Renn.Sport]

the grey one in the top corner?

ya with the CSL rims

[Death2Theft]

Just to rub it in more to your euro paying to drive a big badge and looks types. You'd think your m3cs would be shod with stickier tires than a rsx-s right? Well guess what road and track 700ft slalom ...
m3cs 67.3
rsx-s 67.1
So given the rsx-s be on the same tires i'm not sure there really is any performance reason to get an m3 aside from rolling down robson thinking your hot shit.

[The_AK]

stfu

you don't even own either car. I own both G35 and a M3. you know nothing about the difference
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v99/249/24/506864111/n506864111_82742_3522.jpg

I don't know what you're talking about becuz thats my buddy's garage back in Tokyo. He loved his cars so much he had them shipped to where he moved (talk about automotive enthusiast). I dont know where you got the shots from either cuz hes a pretty low-key guy and only takes his cars out Sunday nights if hes meeting up with his crew (they're pretty tight, you might have heard of them; Yakuza). Anyways, yea man, stop taking other people's photos... man. :blushsmile:

[ShyGuy]

Just to rub it in more to your euro paying to drive a big badge and looks types. You'd think your m3cs would be shod with stickier tires than a rsx-s right? Well guess what road and track 700ft slalom ...
m3cs 67.3
rsx-s 67.1
So given the rsx-s be on the same tires i'm not sure there really is any performance reason to get an m3 aside from rolling down robson thinking your hot shit.

wow..so I guess you drive around town swerving through cones eh?

[Z3guy]

Just to rub it in more to your euro paying to drive a big badge and looks types. You'd think your m3cs would be shod with stickier tires than a rsx-s right? Well guess what road and track 700ft slalom ...
m3cs 67.3
rsx-s 67.1
So given the rsx-s be on the same tires i'm not sure there really is any performance reason to get an m3 aside from rolling down robson thinking your hot shit.

dude, you gotta get rid of the chip on your shoulder. Obviously you are clueless and know zero about cars. You quote a slalom speed and think that is the benchmark for handling?

...please don't buy a euro car, we don't need another idiot bimmer owner.

[Death2Theft]

I believe performance is measured in numbers. The slalom is not the end all for handling but it surely cannot be dismissed either. Clearly when given stats that the m3 is not as great as you claim you have no evidence to back it up so you and marco911 can get together and circle jerk each other with unmeasurable performance stats. The rest of us that are after performance know where to look and that surely isn't at bmw.

[Z3guy]

^ ignorance must be bliss.....no pt debating with you....I guess all the automotive journalists that have owned or own E46 M3s don't anything about performance.

Since you are into stats, go buy a corvette Z06....that must be the best car ever because of the stats, oh I forgot you think a RSX is in the same performance league as a E46 M3.....VTEC yoooooooo!!!

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

I don't know what you're talking about becuz thats my buddy's garage back in Tokyo. He loved his cars so much he had them shipped to where he moved (talk about automotive enthusiast). I dont know where you got the shots from either cuz hes a pretty low-key guy and only takes his cars out Sunday nights if hes meeting up with his crew (they're pretty tight, you might have heard of them; Yakuza). Anyways, yea man, stop taking other people's photos... man. :blushsmile:

for real?

[Death2Theft]

Sorta, usually just around the slow as merc's being driven by gramps.:thumbsup:
wow..so I guess you drive around town swerving through cones eh?

[Death2Theft]

No but it would be sad that some lowly honda could keep up with the "ultimate driving machine"
However on that note i'd certainly consider the newer cts-v over the newer m3 if we are talking in the same category.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/comparobmw-m3-vs-audi-rs4-vs-cadillac-cts-v-vs-lexus-is-f-vs-mercedes-c63-amg/


^ ignorance must be bliss.....no pt debating with you....I guess all the automotive journalists that have owned or own E46 M3s don't anything about performance.

Since you are into stats, go buy a corvette Z06....that must be the best car ever because of the stats, oh I forgot you think a RSX is in the same performance league as a E46 M3.....VTEC yoooooooo!!!

[.Renn.Sport]

I don't know what you're talking about becuz thats my buddy's garage back in Tokyo. He loved his cars so much he had them shipped to where he moved (talk about automotive enthusiast). I dont know where you got the shots from either cuz hes a pretty low-key guy and only takes his cars out Sunday nights if hes meeting up with his crew (they're pretty tight, you might have heard of them; Yakuza). Anyways, yea man, stop taking other people's photos... man. :blushsmile:

:rofl:

[The_AK]

for real?

d00d u haz no idea :troll:

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[BEEB]

http://forum.hkv35.com/viewthread.php?tid=45

found the same picture on a hong kong forum !

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

interesting......



did anyone saw his m3 at RS meet than? lol

[BEEB]

http://photos-e.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v99/249/24/506864111/n506864111_82756_6710.jpg

[BEEB]

Interesting person !!

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

interesting, it does say BC plates

[BEEB]

next thing is to run those plates and see if it's really his cars or his daddy's !

[unit]

I believe performance is measured in numbers. The slalom is not the end all for handling but it surely cannot be dismissed either. Clearly when given stats that the m3 is not as great as you claim you have no evidence to back it up so you and marco911 can get together and circle jerk each other with unmeasurable performance stats. The rest of us that are after performance know where to look and that surely isn't at bmw.

have you driven one?

[ShyGuy]

If you've ever driven both a RSX Type-s and a M3 you can't even put them anywhere close to each other in terms of performance and driving feel. I don't even know why this is being debated.

Anyways, back on topic, I do agree...E46 M3...hands down one of the best bang for the buck cars right now.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^


agreed

[freakshow]

If you've ever driven both a RSX Type-s and a M3 you can't even put them anywhere close to each other in terms of performance and driving feel. I don't even know why this is being debated. People like to debate crazy things.. my friend was trying to convince me that a Civic Si had about the same performance as an e39 M5..

[Jgresch]

maybe if the m5 had 4 flat tires

[cressydrift]

I wouldn't say the E46 M3 is the best 25K range used car. It might be the nicest looking but I wouldn't say the best.

Its a toy car. Not good at hauling stuff, not good in snow, gas is pricey and its a sports car so chances are it's been thrashed (If buying used).

But for the shake of argument we will say you have a different car that does all of those things and you have 25k burning a hole in your wallet. PERSONALLY I would buy something older (240, skyline, rx7, ae86... that's just what I like) and fix it, and make some minor changes.

Example : Toyota AE86 cost $500-$5000.

Honda F20c + Suspension + Brakes + ETC = 250 - 300 Hp, Sub 1800lbs car which would destroy that M3. For less money, and you would have something more original...ish*

But I like tinkering, mods, and monsters. I know you can do that with the m3, but throw 25k at a M3 or the 50k to buy something else, and ill take a NSX.

[ShyGuy]

You could take the $25k and buy a $5k car and spend $20k moding the shit out of it. It willl definitely be faster but when it comes time to sell, you've only got a $10k car

[Zyzz]

more like 3k

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

more like 2k

[ALEX1988]

i guess you'd better just keep it..
or maybe more like 1k...

[Amaru]

I believe performance is measured in numbers. The slalom is not the end all for handling but it surely cannot be dismissed either. Clearly when given stats that the m3 is not as great as you claim you have no evidence to back it up so you and marco911 can get together and circle jerk each other with unmeasurable performance stats. The rest of us that are after performance know where to look and that surely isn't at bmw.

:troll: You're a fucking moron!!!! :thumbsup:

"...nothing can touch BMW's mastery of refining and redefining the entire performance envelope. This is one of the few performance cars that can triumph at weekend track days and still carry four friends in perfect comfort and luxury to an evening movie. It's as at home tearing up a winding mountain road as it is commuting on the freeway. The M3 is elegant and powerful, and it does its job at a comfort level not many cars can match." - Popular Mechanics Magazine (http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4230182), after awarding the 2008 BMW M3 it's "Performance Vehicle of the Year" award

The BMW M3 has made Car & Driver's annual "Ten Best" list a record NINETEEN TIMES.

In 2006, it was the "World Car of the Year" at the New York Auto Show.

Various M3 motors, including the e46 and e90 models, have won "engine of the year" awards numerous times.

Car & Driver (http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/bmw/m3/2010/bmw-m3-coupe) gave the E92 M3 a 5-star rating and said that it's "perhaps the best car on the planet."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMTRfezpQds&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhFwr2URB24&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojbheso1cpY&feature=related


Troll somewhere else you fucking goon.

[Death2Theft]

Considering how much value bmws lose over time(perhaps anything else) is a very good indication of why people are willing to unload them cheap. No it's not because they are all ballers and want the latest and greatest but rather the cost of upkeep in general. Sure you may know an m3 that has gone 1 million miles with nothing but oil changes but that doesn't change what the majority of owners experience.
I never said a rsx would "feel" better than an m3 just the fact that your 25k bargain would have problems passing a rsx. So when you take the companies "ultimate driving machine" slogan and bang for the buck together it just does not work.

Of course posers will hate that for 25k you cant' really have the ultimate driving machine but hey obviously a few of you are convinced that possible.
You could take the $25k and buy a $5k car and spend $20k moding the shit out of it. It willl definitely be faster but when it comes time to sell, you've only got a $10k car

[Zyzz]

that is quite wrong actually... most first hand buyers paid 100k for the m3's (could buy a townhouse in richmond back then around '02), and i really doubt the cost of upkeep is significant especially after the 4 year warranty. My inspection II costed nearly 2k, and the tires costed about 2.5k. So it costs about 2k per year.

in fact all the e46 m3 owners i know moved on to the new m3, m5, m6, maserati, r8, etc quickly after each appeared

[Amaru]

I never said a rsx would "feel" better than an m3 just the fact that your 25k bargain would have problems passing a rsx.

No, actually, it wouldn't. Since you believe a car's performance is judged by "numbers," let's look at some numbers...

----

2002 RSX Type-S: FWD, 2.0L I-4, 200 bhp, 142 lb-ft. @ 6000 rpm, 2771 lb. curb weight (13.8 lb per 1 bhp)

2001 BMW M3: RWD, 3.2L I-6, 333 bhp, 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm, 3407 lb. curb weight (10.8 lb per 1 bhp)

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 0-60mph: 6.5 seconds

2001 BMW M3, 0-60mph: 4.7 seconds

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 1/4 mile: 15.20 s @ 93.6 mph

2001 BMW M3, 1/4 mile: 13.38 s @ 105.73 mph

----

In other words, the M3 is way fucking faster.

[cressydrift]

that is quite wrong actually... most first hand buyers paid 100k for the m3's (could buy a townhouse in richmond back then around '02), and i really doubt the cost of upkeep is significant especially after the 4 year warranty. My inspection II costed nearly 2k, and the tires costed about 2.5k. So it costs about 2k per year.

in fact all the e46 m3 owners i know moved on to the new m3, m5, m6, maserati, r8, etc quickly after each appeared


Uhhhh???????????????????????????????????

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!!!

[Amaru]

Considering how much value bmws lose over time(perhaps anything else) is a very good indication of why people are willing to unload them cheap. No it's not because they are all ballers and want the latest and greatest but rather the cost of upkeep in general.

Good point. We should all buy Toyota Corolla's, because they have a very very low cost of ownership.

Find me a $90,000 performance car (a la M3) that doesn't cost more to maintain than a $35,000 economy-oriented Honda.

Your stupidity knows no bounds.

[ALEX1988]

Ok well then just make sure you dont try to pass any hondas with an intake on the highway with your "ultimate" driving machine. They just might not be in the mood to let you pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mc6rmEJerA
Hence why peaky powerbands suck if you dont know how to extract every rev and make the most of it your gonna get punked by kid in their rsx.

you should go and race your rsx with a mazda3...not a bmw m3..
o wait...yours is a type-s, then go find a mazdaspeed3...

[Zyzz]

Uhhhh???????????????????????????????????

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!!!

considering the car costed 100k, 2k per year ( if i dont need tires or inspt II, then its around 500) after 4 years is pretty insignificant

[unit]

Uhhhh???????????????????????????????????

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!!!

i think it means it might actually be a triple rainbow :rofl:

[Death2Theft]

Obviously not fast enough for the average hamfisted driver to be able to make the most out of that engine to pass a rsx on the highway. But hey bmw's are only driven by "ultimate drivers":rofl:

So if you have say a less than M series bmw then damn u better watch out! Getting clowned by hondas all day!
No, actually, it wouldn't. Since you believe a car's performance is judged by "numbers," let's look at some numbers...

----

2002 RSX Type-S: FWD, 2.0L I-4, 200 bhp, 142 lb-ft. @ 6000 rpm, 2771 lb. curb weight (13.8 lb per 1 bhp)

2001 BMW M3: RWD, 3.2L I-6, 333 bhp, 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm, 3407 lb. curb weight (10.8 lb per 1 bhp)

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 0-60mph: 6.5 seconds

2001 BMW M3, 0-60mph: 4.7 seconds

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 1/4 mile: 15.20 s @ 93.6 mph

2001 BMW M3, 1/4 mile: 13.38 s @ 105.73 mph

----

In other words, the M3 is way fucking faster.

[Z3guy]

I wouldn't say the E46 M3 is the best 25K range used car. It might be the nicest looking but I wouldn't say the best.

Its a toy car. Not good at hauling stuff, not good in snow, gas is pricey and its a sports car so chances are it's been thrashed (If buying used).

But for the shake of argument we will say you have a different car that does all of those things and you have 25k burning a hole in your wallet. PERSONALLY I would buy something older (240, skyline, rx7, ae86... that's just what I like) and fix it, and make some minor changes.

Example : Toyota AE86 cost $500-$5000.

Honda F20c + Suspension + Brakes + ETC = 250 - 300 Hp, Sub 1800lbs car which would destroy that M3. For less money, and you would have something more original...ish*

But I like tinkering, mods, and monsters. I know you can do that with the m3, but throw 25k at a M3 or the 50k to buy something else, and ill take a NSX.

With your logic, I could get a Datsun 510 and drop a V8 in it and destroy any AE86 or Honda.

You say the M3 is a toy car, but your car examples are even less practical and usable.

As great of a car the NSX is, it is a difficult car to drive in the city....rearward vision is a nightmare, clutch and window regulators are huge money.....looks great, but compared to modern cars, it has allot to be desired.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

Considering how much value bmws lose over time(perhaps anything else) is a very good indication of why people are willing to unload them cheap. No it's not because they are all ballers and want the latest and greatest but rather the cost of upkeep in general. Sure you may know an m3 that has gone 1 million miles with nothing but oil changes but that doesn't change what the majority of owners experience.
I never said a rsx would "feel" better than an m3 just the fact that your 25k bargain would have problems passing a rsx. So when you take the companies "ultimate driving machine" slogan and bang for the buck together it just does not work.

Of course posers will hate that for 25k you cant' really have the ultimate driving machine but hey obviously a few of you are convinced that possible.

wow wait a minute
since when a DC5 able to out run a m3? even with I/RH/E kproed

i know with my current new setup i can beat a 350z, but highly doubt a m3 dude

[cressydrift]

With your logic, I could get a Datsun 510 and drop a V8 in it and destroy any AE86 or Honda.

You say the M3 is a toy car, but your car examples are even less practical and usable.

As great of a car the NSX is, it is a difficult car to drive in the city....rearward vision is a nightmare, clutch and window regulators are huge money.....looks great, but compared to modern cars, it has allot to be desired.

Exactly right with the 510, but in a straight line;).

I understand fully that if need be you could drive the M3 daily (Compared to a highly modified car which will be less reliable). Also don't get me wrong that I really like the E46 M3. If I was going to own one though I would drive it like a toy. On the weekend, couple times to work, and on the track. Same with NSX or any other "Sports car". That's why I would opt for something else that I really like.

[unit]

^its a pretty good daily driver overall...
its comfortable, and arguing snow and towing capabilities isnt really fair for any sports car

[BEEB]

wow wait a minute
since when a DC5 able to out run a m3? even with I/RH/E kproed

i know with my current new setup i can beat a 350z, but highly doubt a m3 dude

hey, you bring your RSX-S, I bring my M. We can do some runs !

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

lol why would i wonna embarrass myself :rofl::rofl::rofl:


2nd and 3rd i can keep up, 4th i'd get pulled away


thats the result i seen for most cases

kproed ones...not too sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mc6rmEJerA

fairly interesting.

im kproed...so i dont know...

[Tegra_Devil]

if I had 25Kish...id import a decent condition 91-92 NSX from the states

[Z3guy]

^ get ready to spend $10K to get it running properly....

[Tegra_Devil]

^ get ready to spend $10K to get it running properly....

im sure it would run properly...

plus its a honda...it isnt gonna take 10K to run

[Z3guy]

^ do you know window regulators on the NSX are a common problem? they probably cost $100 on a Civic, but for the NSX...it is $2K for a special cable system. Do some research before you talk nonsense.

Sure, a nice condition, low KMs NSX will run well...but if you want to buy a NSX for $21-$25K...it is going to beat to shit....why do you think people sell their NSX so cheap? they want to good guys?.. nice ones go for $40-$60K

[freakshow]

Can we just close this thread? I can't even believe we're talking about RSX vs M3.. You have a higher chance at seeing a triple rainbow than beating an M3 in an RSX.

[unit]

im sure it would run properly...

plus its a honda...it isnt gonna take 10K to run

its a 100k USD car... the parts arent gonna be your typical honda prices.

[Z3guy]

^ plus the chassis and body are made of aluminum, try getting your NSX fixed at your local body shop.....

[too_slow]

im sure it would run properly...

plus its a honda...it isnt gonna take 10K to run

Stop trolling.. There's a reason why early 90s NSXs are still going for $40k+ USD.. It's called full service history.

Anything in the 20-35k range is shit.. high milleage, no service history, snap-range (sp??) etc.. Good luck keeping a NSX on the road with the mentality that it'll cost the same as an SI (even a S2k costs a lot more than a SI)

[too_slow]

For $25k I would look for a 2002/2003 E39 M5 from the States with full service history and slap on a tubi exhaust... "NA is best"

[BEEB]

This is the reason I picked a M3 over an S4. The M3 can only shake lose the S4 in 4th gear. Guess the RSX-S is just as quick as an S4 turbo right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTl4st-tNiY

[ShyGuy]

That's a V8 NA S4 by the way...which the M3 has been known to beat all the time.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

This is the reason I picked a M3 over an S4. The M3 can only shake lose the S4 in 4th gear. Guess the RSX-S is just as quick as an S4 turbo right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTl4st-tNiY

LOL s4 is pretty slow than

[BEEB]

LOL s4 is pretty slow than

it's slow due to the 4wd drivetrain. I'd similar problem with my Subau too !

[moomooCow]

Seriously guys just leave this idiot to dd his rsx... he's obviously too retarded to be persuaded =/

[JulyZerg]

Can we just close this thread? I can't even believe we're talking about RSX vs M3.. You have a higher chance at seeing a triple rainbow than beating an M3 in an RSX.

+1

:rofl: @ triple rainbow

[darnold]

Good point. We should all buy Toyota Corolla's, because they have a very very low cost of ownership.

Find me a $90,000 performance car (a la M3) that doesn't cost more to maintain than a $35,000 economy-oriented Honda.

Your stupidity knows no bounds.

Despite the fact that an M3 is head and shoulders above most japanese cars, I agree with Death2theft on the fact that coming from a typical japanese car, the steep repairs of an M3 can discourage many potential buyers.

I think it would be safe to assume that M3 replacement parts are likely 2-3 times that of a typical honda, which would make any rational person considering a used model cringe.

[Amaru]

Despite the fact that an M3 is head and shoulders above most japanese cars, I agree with Death2theft on the fact that coming from a typical japanese car, the steep repairs of an M3 can discourage many potential buyers.

I think it would be safe to assume that M3 replacement parts are likely 2-3 times that of a typical honda, which would make any rational person considering a used model cringe.

That's just the reality of owning a high-performance vehicle. If you want to drive a $90,000 car that doesn't make any compromises in build quality/materials, then you have to pay more for parts.

Of course a Honda will be cheaper to repair. So will a Hyundai, a Toyota, a Mazda, etc. But none of these manufacturers make a car that can compete with the M3, and for the most part their cars don't come anywhere near $90,000 MSRP.

Will an M3 will cost more to own than a G35, for example? Yes, it likely will, but it cost $25k less when new and the M3 is a much better car overall imo.

If you buy a comparative car - say, an older NSX, an S4, or a Z06 - you'll pay just as much if not more to maintain it.

In other words, expensive cars are expensive to maintain... and that's a sacrifice you make when you choose to buy a high-end performance-oriented vehicle.

The M3 itself is not the issue; it's no more expensive than most comparable vehicles. In fact, when you compared it to a b6 Audi S4 or maybe a previous-gen AMG Merc, the M3 will probably be more reliable and cost less to maintain.

People on RS make it sound like European cars cost a fortune to maintain, but if you do your homework and don't get servicing done at the dealership, they're not ridiculously more costly for the most part.

[Death2Theft]

Perhaps but i'd sure as hell hate to be one of those posers that bought something less than the top performance model yet have to shell out top performance dollars to get things fixed.
I agree that the m3 parts should be pricey but what ticks me off is the failure rate. Engine recall anyone? I'd gladly pay 3x more for german cars and parts if they failed only as often as honda parts. That and the downtime of constantly having the car in the shop is a big negative.

No way will an nsx nor a corvette cost more to maintain than an e46 no chance in hell.
Only if you compare it to other german makes will it be any cheaper to maintain.... if that. All euro car makers as of the last 10-20 years (exception to porsche) have been riding coat tails of previous claims of "reliability" They use the best components yet the stuff breaks more often. So go ahead and enjoy paying extra for your german (warming your ass at the stealership waiting lounge as your car gets fixed) engineering.

[Amaru]

Perhaps but i'd sure as hell hate to be one of those posers that bought something less than the top performance model yet have to shell out top performance dollars to get things fixed.
I agree that the m3 parts should be pricey but what ticks me off is the failure rate. Engine recall anyone? I'd gladly pay 3x more for german cars and parts if they failed only as often as honda parts. That and the downtime of constantly having the car in the shop is a big negative.

No way will an nsx nor a corvette cost more to maintain than an e46 no chance in hell.
Only if you compare it to other german makes will it be any cheaper to maintain.... if that. All euro car makers as of the last 10-20 years (exception to porsche) have been riding coat tails of previous claims of "reliability" They use the best components yet the stuff breaks more often. So go ahead and enjoy paying extra for your german (warming your ass at the stealership waiting lounge as your car gets fixed) engineering.

1) There was no e46 M3 "engine recall". You are making this shit up. Stop spreading incorrect information.

A small portion of M3's produced between 10/01 - 12/01 (a two month period) in the 2002 model year had a problem with "contamination of the engine lubrication system". (Approximately 10% of the M3's built in this two month period were affected, meaning that it is a very very small percentage of all M3's on the road, considering they were produced for 72 months... and this is 10% of cars built in a 2 month window.)

Anyway, this engine issue is really a moot point now, as owners of vehicles with production dates within this range were contacted by BMW and urged to come in and have their oil pump and connecting rod bearings replaced. This was 100% complimentary and a replacement vehicle was provided at no cost during the repairs.

As a further response to this issue, BMW extended the warranty on all S54 engine equipped North American M3's and M Coupes/Roadsters to 6 years or 100,000 miles on internal mechanical engine components lubricated by engine oil.


2) Thanks for your comments about the M3 being more expensive to own than an NSX. Sadly, you're wrong. As a higher mileage e46 owner I can tell you that for the most part the cost of ownership is greatly exaggerated. Most e46's, including almost all M3's, have average or good reliability compared with their competitors.

An NSX is a supercar, and parts prices are even higher than they are for M3 parts. This is not always the case, but it often is, given that the NSX is a hand-built $120,000 vehicle. As an example, the $1800 window regulator fix in an NSX costs about $500 in an e46 M3.

Again, you clearly know absolutely nothing about M3's, so why not save yourself the embarrassment and stop posting in this thread?

[Death2Theft]

Obviously you chose to neglect the fact that more than one person went out and had some "fun" driving their cars were given the third degree by the dealer via black box which read wrong saying they had overevved the car hence causing failure when it was clearly an factory issue. Imagine having to pay out of pocket to replace the engine from the factory if the warranty doesn't cover you. To boot unless the complimentary vehicle is an m3 then you may as well be driving a base model posermobile. Infact heres a guy that got stuck with a 300c when his "ultimate posing machine" was bought in after 50miles brand new 2010 with a CEL. as well as other horror stories. Enjoy the bmw experience! http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439844
It would be amusing to see if you could find one nsx owner who has having half the nightmare the guy posting this thread is LOL.


Stats as of 2004 20,000 m3's affected in the us and as of 2004 28,600 m3's were sold in the US.

So how many times in it's life time will an nsx require it's window regulators replaced vs the standard bmw brakes replacement which requires rotors at oem cost of how much? Since when was a 330i a e46 m3? Your blowing smoke out of your ass and if the upkeep costs wern't so bad then the resale would be higher, this is a stigma bmw and mercs have bought unto themselves in the past 10-20 years and it's well deserved.

Perhaps one of the few cars out there were the manual version is truely faster than the smg!
0-100 km/h (62 mph) — 4.8 seconds for SMG, 4.6 seconds for Manual, 5.1 seconds for cabriolet

HAHAHA what german engineering!

[BEEB]

^ FYI, bmw call in all the 01-03 M3's just because bmw just wanted to provide the extra caution even though they knew exactly how many vehicles was affected by the bad bearings. Not that 20,000/28600 M engine was affected.

[.Renn.Sport]

So how many times in it's life time will an nsx require it's window regulators replaced vs the standard bmw brakes replacement which requires rotors at oem cost of how much? Since when was a 330i a e46? Your blowing smoke out of your ass and if the upkeep costs wern't so bad then the resale would be higher, this is a stigma bmw and mercs have bought unto themselves in the past 10-20 years and it's well deserved.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Death2Theft]

Clearly as the topic states we are talking about the e46 M3. Go tool around in your yaris you've obviously got nothing to contribute since you really own one.:thumbsup:
[QUOTE=.Renn.Sport;7023345]:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:[/QUOTE

[unit]

Your blowing smoke out of your ass

lol
oh reaaally. and everything you've said is a fact?

[.Renn.Sport]

Clearly as the topic states we are talking about the e46 M3. Go tool around in your yaris you've obviously got nothing to contribute since you really own one.:thumbsup:


I think i know more about the M3 then most of the ppl on this forum
:rolleyes:

[Amaru]

Obviously you chose to neglect the fact that more than one person went out and had some "fun" driving their cars were given the third degree by the dealer via black box which read wrong saying they had overevved the car hence causing failure when it was clearly an factory issue. Imagine having to pay out of pocket to replace the engine from the factory if the warranty doesn't cover you. To boot unless the complimentary vehicle is an m3 then you may as well be driving a base model posermobile.

What is this conspiracy theory bullshit?

Infact heres a guy that got stuck with a 300c when his "ultimate posing machine" was bought in after 50miles brand new 2010 with a CEL. as well as other horror stories. Enjoy the bmw experience! http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=439844
It would be amusing to see if you could find one nsx owner who has having half the nightmare the guy posting this thread is LOL.

What "black box" was used to prove M3 owners were over-revving the engine? I've never heard of this, and I actively surf the e46fantatics forum. Again, I call bullshit.

And you posted a link to a guy having issues with his 2010 M3, which is not an e46. (Which is ironic, since you clearly stated in your most recent post that "we're talking about the e46 m3".)

And what do you think the Honda/Acura dealership is going to give you when you go in for servicing? An RL? Dream on, you'll be lucky to get a CSX or Accord.

So how many times in it's life time will an nsx require it's window regulators replaced vs the standard bmw brakes replacement which requires rotors at OEM cost of how much?

Brakes on an M3 would most likely be less expensive than on an NSX.

Since when was a 330i a e46 m3? Your blowing smoke out of your ass and if the upkeep costs wern't so bad then the resale would be higher, this is a stigma bmw and mercs have bought unto themselves in the past 10-20 years and it's well deserved.

I own a 330ci, and thus it's 95% identical to an M3. Window regulators are exactly the same, for instance, and therefore I know exactly how much they cost.

Also, one of my close friends owns an e46 M3, and I helped him research & buy it, so I understand the recalls and reliability issues. They're no worse than you'd find in any other performance vehicle. (And no, an RSX does not count as a "performance vehicle", sorry.)

Perhaps one of the few cars out there were the manual version is truely faster than the smg!
0-100 km/h (62 mph) — 4.8 seconds for SMG, 4.6 seconds for Manual, 5.1 seconds for cabriolet

HAHAHA what german engineering!

SMG is a unique to BMW, so I'm not sure which "other cars out there" you would be comparing it to. And many vehicles are faster with a manual than an semi-automatic tranny, so it's really not shocking at all. Nor does it say anything for "German engineering"...

:troll:

Troll elsewhere man. You clearly know nothing about cars, so you're just making yourself look like a moron.

[.Renn.Sport]

And what do you think the Honda/Acura dealership is going to give you when you go in for servicing? An RL? Dream on, you'll be lucky to get a CSX or Accord.


BMW on the other hand have given me 745i, 545i, X5 4.8, Z4, 335i etc as courtesy cars before:thumbsup:

[Zyzz]

BMW on the other hand have given me 745i, 545i, X5 4.8, Z4, 335i etc as courtesy cars before:thumbsup:

want a cookie?

[Death2Theft]

There were a number of months that went by when the S54 first started to experience failures during which many owners were treated as having over rev'd the engine, and I mean really over rev'd, not exceeded some non-limited "break in" limit. (At one point it was even determined that the ECU could have a false high rev achieved number stored.) Ultimately when enough cases presented themselves and the issue was traced to the rod bearings BMW changed its tune, announced a recall, and offered an extended warranty. This was all well documented on a number of sites at the time. The best archive that I recall is...

http://members.roadfly.org/jason/m3engines.htm

3/4 of the first page re: christian miller
http://www.m3forum.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000811.html
two posts after that by bbj with the attitude of how he was treated and how he must have really been revving the shit out of the engine, when it fact the DME black box reading is at fault.

Being that it's 8 years old now the archives of people having such problems and bmw blaming them for "over rev" refusing warranty claims did infact happen. I specifically recall this. So basically people were screwed until LOTS of other m3's were having this problem. Finnally they take fault, meanwhile these m3 owners are stuck with busted cars. I'm sure when the owners complained to the dealership, they gave them the same "you know nothing about cars" attitude your so fond of.

The reason I bought up the 2010 m3 case was because it was newer because it's easier to find than horror stories from an 8 year old model. The point of storey is to show that it's a pain in the ass dealing with bmw.

True you wont get an nsx as a loaner if u bought your nsx in however, if you'd like to compare the number of nsx owners who had to bring their cars in for work i'm positive it is fewer than m3's.

A brake job on a base model or any bmw such as yours costs more than most simply because unlike the rest of the planet bmw requires you to change your rotors along with your pads. I highly doubt a brake pad change could be more costly on an nsx. I guess I dont know anything about cars compared to some wanabe m3 leghumper who is too sophisticated to get his hands dirty. :rofl:

I guess if your car is 95% the same as the m3 then it sure sucks to be the 5% stuck with broken engines and cracked subframes. Keep dreaming buddy if the m3 has problems passing a rsx, than you best not even attempt to because as you like to say you'd be "making yourself look like a moron"




What "black box" was used to prove M3 owners were over-revving the engine? I've never heard of this, and I actively surf the e46fantatics forum. Again, I call bullshit.

And you posted a link to a guy having issues with his 2010 M3, which is not an e46. (Which is ironic, since you clearly stated in your most recent post that "we're talking about the e46 m3".)

And what do you think the Honda/Acura dealership is going to give you when you go in for servicing? An RL? Dream on, you'll be lucky to get a CSX or Accord.



Brakes on an M3 would most likely be less expensive than on an NSX.



I own a 330ci, and thus it's 95% identical to an M3. Window regulators are exactly the same, for instance, and therefore I know exactly how much they cost.

Also, one of my close friends owns an e46 M3, and I helped him research & buy it, so I understand the recalls and reliability issues. They're no worse than you'd find in any other performance vehicle. (And no, an RSX does not count as a "performance vehicle", sorry.)



SMG is a unique to BMW, so I'm not sure which "other cars out there" you would be comparing it to. And many vehicles are faster with a manual than an semi-automatic tranny, so it's really not shocking at all. Nor does it say anything for "German engineering"...

:troll:

Troll elsewhere man. You clearly know nothing about cars, so you're just making yourself look like a moron.

[.Renn.Sport]

please bring out that super RSX of yours....

my stock M3 have no problem smoking modded DC5-R, I don't see how that RSX is faster then ANY Type R

[Death2Theft]

Feel free to resort to the video posted earlier in this thread, I dont own a rsx.
If you havn't caught the idea it's me saying that a "measly" honda can beat down your imaginary m3.
However if you would like to show up at the next meet please let me know ahead of time as everyone would love to see you along with your imaginary m3.
please bring out that super RSX of yours....

my stock M3 have no problem smoking modded DC5-R, I don't see how that RSX is faster then ANY Type R

[Zyzz]

ITT a troll is argueing with a troll

[realG]

i use to race my friends m3 all the time, i would always smoke him in my dc5 on the highway
m3 are overrated

[Amaru]

There were a number of months that went by when the S54 first started to experience failures during which many owners were treated as having over rev'd the engine, and I mean really over rev'd, not exceeded some non-limited "break in" limit. (At one point it was even determined that the ECU could have a false high rev achieved number stored.) Ultimately when enough cases presented themselves and the issue was traced to the rod bearings BMW changed its tune, announced a recall, and offered an extended warranty. This was all well documented on a number of sites at the time. The best archive that I recall is...

http://members.roadfly.org/jason/m3engines.htm

3/4 of the first page re: christian miller
http://www.m3forum.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000811.html
two posts after that by bbj with the attitude of how he was treated and how he must have really been revving the shit out of the engine, when it fact the DME black box reading is at fault.

Being that it's 8 years old now the archives of people having such problems and bmw blaming them for "over rev" refusing warranty claims did infact happen. I specifically recall this. So basically people were screwed until LOTS of other m3's were having this problem. Finnally they take fault, meanwhile these m3 owners are stuck with busted cars.


So in other words, what you're saying is that BMW admitted there was a problem and issued a service action and replaced the parts on any cars that could possibly be affected. And what exactly where they supposed to do?

I'm not going to sit here and defend BMW NA, because I'm not always fond of their business practices, but they're no better or worse than any other company.

Here's a listing of more than 300 individual customer complaints regarding your beloved Honda and their poor handling of warranty-related issues. (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/honda_p61.html) (Similar sites can be found for Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, VW, etc).

I'm sure when the owners complained to the dealership, they gave them the same "you know nothing about cars" attitude your so fond of.

That's rather presumptuous, don't you think?

The reason I bought up the 2010 m3 case was because it was newer because it's easier to find than horror stories from an 8 year old model. The point of storey is to show that it's a pain in the ass dealing with bmw.

So you're willing to make a judgement on an entire company based on one person's experience (which may or may not be true) at one dealership? That's especially funny since the guy's problem ended up getting solved under warranty, for free, and he was given a loaner vehicle.

Anyway, Honda must be a disastrous company to deal with given the link I proved above... I mean, if one customer complaint indicates that BMW is an awful company, then the 300 complaints above must indicate Honda is the worst company on the planet... right?

No, obviously not. BMW sold 1.2 million vehicles last year... do you really think that one complaint from one customer at one franchised dealership indicates the company is "a pain in the ass to deal with?"

True you wont get an nsx as a loaner if u bought your nsx in however, if you'd like to compare the number of nsx owners who had to bring their cars in for work i'm positive it is fewer than m3's.

Got any proof of this, or are you just pulling it out of your ass?

A brake job on a base model or any bmw such as yours costs more than most simply because unlike the rest of the planet bmw requires you to change your rotors along with your pads.

No... no, they don't. You have clearly made this up, and once again you have indicated that you know nothing about cars and even less about BMW's.

I highly doubt a brake pad change could be more costly on an nsx.

:rofl:

I guess I dont know anything about cars compared to some wanabe m3 leghumper who is too sophisticated to get his hands dirty.

Apparently. In this thread you have managed to:

1) claim a 200bhp fwd car is faster than a 333bhp rwd car;

2) demonstrate that you do not know what an e46 is;

3) make up statistics and fabricate false info regarding the m3;

4) pass judgement on an entire company based on one customer complaint.

So... yes, you know less than an "M3 leghumper", and you've demonstrated that very clearly in this thread.

I guess if your car is 95% the same as the m3 then it sure sucks to be the 5% stuck with broken engines and cracked subframes.

...sorry? Not only does this not make sense, it's ridiculously presumptuous once again. I've owned my car for 2.5 years and to date it has been as reliable as my previous car (an Acura Integra).

It's also an absolutely fantastic car. If you stopped trolling for a minute and drove one, you'd realize this.

Keep dreaming buddy if the m3 has problems passing a rsx, than you best not even attempt to because as you like to say you'd be "making yourself look like a moron"

I don't even know where to start with this, so I'll just ignore it.

I will, however, re-post the following in hopes that your retarded ass will stop claiming that an RSX is faster than an M3:

----

2002 RSX Type-S: FWD, 2.0L I-4, 200 bhp, 142 lb-ft. @ 6000 rpm, 2771 lb. curb weight (13.8 lb per 1 bhp)

2001 BMW M3: RWD, 3.2L I-6, 333 bhp, 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm, 3407 lb. curb weight (10.8 lb per 1 bhp)

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 0-60mph: 6.5 seconds

2001 BMW M3, 0-60mph: 4.7 seconds

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 1/4 mile: 15.20 s @ 93.6 mph

2001 BMW M3, 1/4 mile: 13.38 s @ 105.73 mph

[Amaru]

Feel free to resort to the video posted earlier in this thread, I dont own a rsx.
If you havn't caught the idea it's me saying that a "measly" honda can beat down your imaginary m3.
However if you would like to show up at the next meet please let me know ahead of time as everyone would love to see you along with your imaginary m3.

Feel free to resort to the other 10,000 videos on YouTube that show an M3 ass-raping an RSX... or the car magazine reviews that illustrate the M3 is 2 seconds faster in the 0-60... or the 0-60 and 1/4 mile numbers from every car website on the internet.... or perhaps a bit of common sense?

:gtfo:

[Death2Theft]

No what i'm saying is bmw accused the owners of being idiots for blowing up the engine and using the "black box" against them. Both which malfunctioned. If you want to compare the # of m3 owners vs the # of honda's vs complaints go for it. BMW has wet dreams about only have 300 complaints throughout it's a model year much less however long that honda one spans for.



We all know bmw's arn't on anyones list of reliable vehicles but your own.
If you think replacing brake pads vs pads + rotors which are standard then theres no point argueing with you, your head is stuck too far up bmw's ass.

Everyone knows you buy japanese cars and lease german cars. I wonder if your an owner or leaser just for the sake of defending your ego you'd have to be a owner. Of course everyone else knows that you wouldn't ever want to be stuck with a euro car out of warranty but hey i'm just "assuming" things again.



I have
A. Never said the RSX was faster, just said your "ultimate posing machine" might have problems passing it on the highway.
B. I know what an e46 m3 is I tend not to care too much about the base model posers such as yourself.
C. Those arn't fake stats they exist and have been documented however as the car is 8+ years old now there are less up to date info about past claims.
D. It's not one customers complaint, if i were to list everyone of them i'd be at it forever. What is undisputable is that bmw is not going to be on any "reliability" top choice picks.


Please go back and quote my post where i've said the rsx was ever "faster" than the m3.
So in other words, what you're saying is that BMW admitted there was a problem and issued a service action and replaced the parts on any cars that could possibly be affected. And what exactly where they supposed to do?

I'm not going to sit here and defend BMW NA, because I'm not always fond of their business practices, but they're no better or worse than any other company.

Here's a listing of more than 300 individual customer complaints regarding your beloved Honda and their poor handling of warranty-related issues. (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/honda_p61.html) (Similar sites can be found for Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, VW, etc).



That's rather presumptuous, don't you think?



So you're willing to make a judgement on an entire company based on one person's experience (which may or may not be true) at one dealership? That's especially funny since the guy's problem ended up getting solved under warranty, for free, and he was given a loaner vehicle.

Anyway, Honda must be a disastrous company to deal with given the link I proved above... I mean, if one customer complaint indicates that BMW is an awful company, then the 300 complaints above must indicate Honda is the worst company on the planet... right?

No, obviously not. BMW sold 1.2 million vehicles last year... do you really think that one complaint from one customer at one franchised dealership indicates the company is "a pain in the ass to deal with?"



Got any proof of this, or are you just pulling it out of your ass?



No... no, they don't. You have clearly made this up, and once again you have indicated that you know nothing about cars and even less about BMW's.



:rofl:



Apparently. In this thread you have managed to:

1) claim a 200bhp fwd car is faster than a 333bhp rwd car;

2) demonstrate that you do not know what an e46 is;

3) make up statistics and fabricate false info regarding the m3;

4) pass judgement on an entire company based on one customer complaint.

So... yes, you know less than an "M3 leghumper", and you've demonstrated that very clearly in this thread.



...sorry? Not only does this not make sense, it's ridiculously presumptuous once again. I've owned my car for 2.5 years and to date it has been as reliable as my previous car (an Acura Integra).

It's also an absolutely fantastic car. If you stopped trolling for a minute and drove one, you'd realize this.



I don't even know where to start with this, so I'll just ignore it.

I will, however, re-post the following in hopes that your retarded ass will stop claiming that an RSX is faster than an M3:

----

2002 RSX Type-S: FWD, 2.0L I-4, 200 bhp, 142 lb-ft. @ 6000 rpm, 2771 lb. curb weight (13.8 lb per 1 bhp)

2001 BMW M3: RWD, 3.2L I-6, 333 bhp, 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm, 3407 lb. curb weight (10.8 lb per 1 bhp)

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 0-60mph: 6.5 seconds

2001 BMW M3, 0-60mph: 4.7 seconds

----

2002 RSX Type-S, 1/4 mile: 15.20 s @ 93.6 mph

2001 BMW M3, 1/4 mile: 13.38 s @ 105.73 mph

[ShyGuy]

Wow..this is still going on? As a former owner of a E46 M3 that was driven 130,000KM I must say the car was fairly reliable. Aside from having to spend money on the preventative maintenance items around 100,000km this car has been pretty solid.

The car can be operated for very minimal costs if you know the right places to go to for parts. I replaced all of my rotors and pads at around 100,000 for $350 using centric OEM replacements and axis ultimate pads.

Valve adjustments are an expensive job if you get it done from the dealership but when you're car is out of warranty, who the heck goes to the dealership for service anyways?

I will say that the M3 is probably more expensive to maintain than a similarly priced Japanese sports car however the small marginal difference in maintanence costs is far outweighed by the extra driving enjoyment that the E46 M3 will give you over the Japanese alternative.

[ShyGuy]

Infact, I loved my M3 so much I'm looking to get another one. Of course this time I'm trying to find a clean one that I can supercharge or go HPF turbo with.

[6insomnia9]

This thread is fucked.. who compares a RSX to a M3.. both on different levels through performance and pricing.

You can probably get two RSX for the price of an E46 M3. Personally, i had to choose between a g35c and E46 M3, i'm glad i choose the g35 because now that i think of it, i would rather have the E92 M3 instead but back when i was purchasing my car, i didn't want to spend so much on my first car.

Now, im looking forward to a new E92 M3 or a slightly used one, i like how slick it looks but don't get me wrong, i love my g35 and if i had the money would probably keep the G and buy an M3 as well. I remember the first time sitting in a G35, it was so comfortable , i just adore how the seats hug you.

When purchasing performance cars, it isn't about if you are able to afford it, it is about if you are able to maintain it; gas , insurance , maintenance.

[dhari]

This thread is fucked.. who compares a RSX to a M3.. both on different levels through performance and pricing.
.

yea what the hell? how did the rsx get thrown in? straight nonsense!

[q0192837465]

I dun think it's that easy to find a E46 M3 for 25k. A lot of them r still going for well over 30k

[6insomnia9]

You won't find any clean E46 M3s for 25k either its been in accidents or it has a lot of clicks on it.

[ALEX1988]

maybe a 02 or a 03 with lots and lots of kms..

[Amaru]

You won't find any clean E46 M3s for 25k either its been in accidents or it has a lot of clicks on it.

I dunno about that. 01-03 models have dropped quite a lot; you could definitely find a clean one with about 100,000km on it for $25k before tax.

Example 1 (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/1834635937.html)

Example 2 (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/1834308840.html)

The used car market is ridiculous these days... US imports & longer lasting vehicles have resulted in an over-saturated market and depressed prices. An accident-free 2003 M3 convertible with 95,000km for less than $27k? That's a steal, plain and simple.

[Amaru]

We all know bmw's arn't on anyones list of reliable vehicles but your own.
If you think replacing brake pads vs pads + rotors which are standard then theres no point argueing with you, your head is stuck too far up bmw's ass.

No, BMW's are not known for being reliable, but they're not God-awful, either. Especially the e46, which is one of BMW's more reliable models.

And you're just completely wrong about the brakes. There's no reason you can't replace the pads without replacing the rotors. Period.

Everyone knows you buy japanese cars and lease german cars. I wonder if your an owner or leaser just for the sake of defending your ego you'd have to be a owner. Of course everyone else knows that you wouldn't ever want to be stuck with a euro car out of warranty but hey i'm just "assuming" things again.

I love owning a "Euro car" and I could care less that it's out of warranty. So do millions of other people, most of whom are enjoying their cars and will buy another "Euro car" again.

I have
A. Never said the RSX was faster, just said your "ultimate posing machine" might have problems passing it on the highway.

Semantics aside, it's still a completely ludicrous assertion and one without any logic/reason behind it.

B. I know what an e46 m3 is I tend not to care too much about the base model posers such as yourself.

Yes, but I was pointing out that you have a general lack of knowledge regarding BMW's. And that continues to be extremely evident based on all your posts.

C. Those arn't fake stats they exist and have been documented however as the car is 8+ years old now there are less up to date info about past claims.

How is there "less" info available now? If anything, there would be more information now regarding the e46 m3 than there ever was previously, simply because there's 8 years worth of feedback available online.

D. It's not one customers complaint, if i were to list everyone of them i'd be at it forever.

Actually, that's exactly what it is. You have provided a link to a single customer complaint and attempted to use this one post to justify your hatred of BMW.

I'll be the first to admit that the RSX is a more reliable and affordable vehicle, but it will be passed by an e46 m3 with ease.

Please go back and quote my post where i've said the rsx was ever "faster" than the m3.

You said the M3 "will have trouble passing" an RSX. In other words, you are saying that the M3 is in the same performance ballpark as the RSX, and that is a completely asinine suggestion.

I'm not sure if you're trolling or if you actually believe the nonsense you're writing... but either way, I am finished debating the subject, as you have already proven to me and everyone else on these boards that you completely lack the ability to apply reason or logic to your arguments.

[1exotic]

http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-2003-BMW-M3-only-78-000-kms-Red-with-Red-Leather-Seats-W0QQAdIdZ217087305
^
http://www.revscene.net/forums/fs-2003-bmw-t619665.html


decent

[shawn79]

i see e46 m3 everywhere now

[Amaru]

i see e46 m3 everywhere now

I assure you... they're not getting any more common. :rofl:

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

werd

they stop making them lol

[shawn79]

I assure you... they're not getting any more common. :rofl:

saw 3 at YVR parking lot the other day and 2 at costco yesterday

[Death2Theft]

Just like supras are getting more common people are importing them here from other places.

[BlackZRoadster]

http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-2003-BMW-M3-only-78-000-kms-Red-with-Red-Leather-Seats-W0QQAdIdZ217087305
^
http://www.revscene.net/forums/fs-2003-bmw-t619665.html


decent

the car has an accident over 2K, i know its minor but "clean" m3 with low km's at 25K is very rare. Plus the accident can be 8K, who knows, since it doesnt specify the exact amount

[Death2Theft]

Sure thats not what the Factory recommends but go ahead.

Again you can't quote me saying that the rsx is faster, since you have still have problems understanding i'll say it more clearly. THE BMW E46 M3 IS NOT GODS GIFT TO MAN AND WILL HAVE PROBLEMS PASSING RSX ON THE HIGHWAY. DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO PASS SINCE YOU ARE BASE MODEL COMPARED TO THE FLAGSHIP YOU BIG BMW HEADED POSER.

There is less info because the info is old and i dont feel like signing up to 10 bmw forums sitting there for hours just to prove you wrong. In that thread alone is more than ONE owner complaining so your obviously blind.You know damn well who is going to have more problems per car sold bmw vs honda/acura. So dont play dumb.

M3 having problems passing an rsx is a reality, video proves so. Twist my words however you want.

No, BMW's are not known for being reliable, but they're not God-awful, either. Especially the e46, which is one of BMW's more reliable models.

And you're just completely wrong about the brakes. There's no reason you can't replace the pads without replacing the rotors. Period.



I love owning a "Euro car" and I could care less that it's out of warranty. So do millions of other people, most of whom are enjoying their cars and will buy another "Euro car" again.



Semantics aside, it's still a completely ludicrous assertion and one without any logic/reason behind it.



Yes, but I was pointing out that you have a general lack of knowledge regarding BMW's. And that continues to be extremely evident based on all your posts.



How is there "less" info available now? If anything, there would be more information now regarding the e46 m3 than there ever was previously, simply because there's 8 years worth of feedback available online.



Actually, that's exactly what it is. You have provided a link to a single customer complaint and attempted to use this one post to justify your hatred of BMW.

I'll be the first to admit that the RSX is a more reliable and affordable vehicle, but it will be passed by an e46 m3 with ease.



You said the M3 "will have trouble passing" an RSX. In other words, you are saying that the M3 is in the same performance ballpark as the RSX, and that is a completely asinine suggestion.

I'm not sure if you're trolling or if you actually believe the nonsense you're writing... but either way, I am finished debating the subject, as you have already proven to me and everyone else on these boards that you completely lack the ability to apply reason or logic to your arguments.

[.Renn.Sport]

so a M3 didnt down shift to the right gear + not full throttling = tough to pass a RSX.....LMAO, you fucking ricer

you know what, RSX could smokes the Veyron when its running at idle too.
:rolleyes:

[JDMStyo]

Set aside $15k a year in maintenance and contingency funds for a E46 M3 over 100k+ km, is this accurate?

[ALEX1988]

the car has an accident over 2K, i know its minor but "clean" m3 with low km's at 25K is very rare. Plus the accident can be 8K, who knows, since it doesnt specify the exact amount

Ya, exactly...
When I was looking for a M3 last summer, there was a 02 smg coupe with 70k selling for 26k, the seller said the car is accident-free. Then I carfax'd it and there was a $19,000 claim...wth...
The fact is a low km 6mt coupe is really hard to find in the market..
If you look on craigslist, the cabriolets for selling are way more than coupes...

[Lomac]

Sure thats not what the Factory recommends but go ahead.

Most manufacturers "recommend" you do maintenance and repairs a certain way. It doesn't mean that it needs to be done in such a manner. Automotive Mechanics 101 will teach you that...

There's a difference between reusing torque-to-yield head bolts and reusing rotors that are still perfectly good.

[Amaru]

Set aside $15k a year in maintenance and contingency funds for a E46 M3 over 100k+ km, is this accurate?

No, it's not even close to accurate.

Again you can't quote me saying that the rsx is faster, since you have still have problems understanding i'll say it more clearly. THE BMW E46 M3 IS NOT GODS GIFT TO MAN AND WILL HAVE PROBLEMS PASSING RSX ON THE HIGHWAY. DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO PASS SINCE YOU ARE BASE MODEL COMPARED TO THE FLAGSHIP YOU BIG BMW HEADED POSER.

:rofl:

[hotong]

so a M3 didnt down shift to the right gear + not full throttling = tough to pass a RSX.....LMAO, you fucking ricer

you know what, RSX could smokes the Veyron when its running at idle too.
:rolleyes:

it can also smoke your imaginary lambo

[nack]

it can also smoke your imaginary lambo

you cant forget the zonda man

[Amaru]

you cant forget the zonda man

Zonda would have trouble even passing an RSX Premium, let alone the Type-S.

Koenigsegg CCX might have trouble passing the RSX-S but would probably pull once it hit 5th gear.

However, RSX has lower maintenance costs and is more reliable. Zondas and Koenigsegg's are poser cars.

:haha:

[nack]

Zonda would have trouble even passing an RSX Premium, let alone the Type-S.

Koenigsegg CCX might have trouble passing the RSX-S but would probably pull once it hit 5th gear.

However, RSX has lower maintenance costs and is more reliable. Zondas and Koenigsegg's are poser cars.

:haha:

you got me there man, DAMN

[roastpuff]

Hey guys, what would you think - between the choice of a similar condition (mint-ish) M3 coupe, or a VW Phaeton W12, what would you have?

I really really admire the Phaeton - VW's most unrecognized amazing car. But I also like the M3.

Torn!

[Lomac]

Hey guys, what would you think - between the choice of a similar condition (mint-ish) M3 coupe, or a VW Phaeton W12, what would you have?

I really really admire the Phaeton - VW's most unrecognized amazing car. But I also like the M3.

Torn!

Those are completely different styles of car. The M3 is a great sports car, but the Phaeton is a fantastic luxury car. It depends what you would want...

[Amaru]

Hey guys, what would you think - between the choice of a similar condition (mint-ish) M3 coupe, or a VW Phaeton W12, what would you have?

I really really admire the Phaeton - VW's most unrecognized amazing car. But I also like the M3.

Torn!

Which do you value more: luxury, or performance? The M3 is a driver's car, built for those who regularly enjoy spirited driving. The Phaeton is a large luxury vehicle built for comfort.

If you like to drive fast and you prefer a smaller car, get the M3. If you prefer luxury and want something a bit bigger, go for the Phaeton.

I have no idea how reliable the Phaeton is, but I would imagine they'd both be similar in terms of cost of ownership.

[ShyGuy]

The Phaeton is quite the luxury cruiser...most underrated luxury vehicle. They're totally different cars though. You gotta ask yourself what you're looking for.

I went from a M3 to a E55 and I don't like the change. I'm wanting to go back to a smaller better handling car.

[Z3guy]

Set aside $15k a year in maintenance and contingency funds for a E46 M3 over 100k+ km, is this accurate?

no, not $15K a year.....avg maintenance costs for a M3 under 100K kms, would be approx. $1K to $2K per yr, depending if you need to replace consumables like pads, rotors, tires. Regular annual maintenance is like any other car....every 30K kms you have to do a valve adjustment ($200).

The E46 is a very reliable car, the potential vanos, rear subframe, SMG issues are not common...just worst case scenarios.....

[Z3guy]

Hey guys, what would you think - between the choice of a similar condition (mint-ish) M3 coupe, or a VW Phaeton W12, what would you have?

I really really admire the Phaeton - VW's most unrecognized amazing car. But I also like the M3.

Torn!


there is a reason Phaeton's are cheap......totally different cars man....

[JDMStyo]

no, not $15K a year.....avg maintenance costs for a M3 under 100K kms, would be approx. $1K to $2K per yr, depending if you need to replace consumables like pads, rotors, tires. Regular annual maintenance is like any other car....every 30K kms you have to do a valve adjustment ($200).

The E46 is a very reliable car, the potential vanos, rear subframe, SMG issues are not common...just worst case scenarios.....

Thanks guys - I'm simply going by some of the older E46 (non-M3) recommendations - they certainly don't seem cheap.

One I'm looking at are 25k-30k range but several of them are approaching 100k range if not over. Would the cost still be 2-3k a year in maintenance then or is this simply the time/reason people sell them?

[ShyGuy]

There is a low mileage 2004 selling at a coquitlam chrysler dealership I think. It has 50K kms and is asking $28k.

Around 100K km, expect the fuel pump and alternator and battery to go. After you fix these things it should be good for awhile. I had all of those replaced for less than $1K.

[SumAznGuy]

Around 100K km, expect the fuel pump and alternator and battery to go. After you fix these things it should be good for awhile. I had all of those replaced for less than $1K.

This is an interesting topic.
On my S, it was 4 years old when I bought it and within a month, I had to replace the battery. Then 3 months later, I had to get the valves adjusted.
Knock on wood, 4 years later, still on the same alternator and belts but I do have the replacement belts sitting at home. My biggest repair cost was to rebuild the head thanks to some crack vavle retainers and new LCA's since the compliance bushings wore out. Head was over $1K for parts and labour while the LCA's were $800 for parts and labour.

Based on these regular items, the cost of maintenance on an M3 really isn't that much higher if not lower than my S. :(

I remember hearing about some of the horror stories about how much parts cost to repair older BMW's. One guy said he had to pay $700 for a new rad on his older 535.

[ShyGuy]

Rebuilt alternator was $200, new BMW fuel pump $350, $100 (Mini-CSL Battery). It's really not that expensive compared to other cars. You just gotta know where to look. There are always going to be people who will tell you they spent $800 for a alternator on his honda civic. Well yes, if you go to the dealership to get it fixed then yes probably.

I did all the servicing myself on the M3 including the valve adjustments. It's not that hard to work with and is a lot cheaper to maintain than you all make it out to be. Just be prepared to have some money ready for maintenance when the car hits 100K km. After that you're good to go for awhile.

[Death2Theft]

No, again you misunderstand. Poser cars are base models that are pumped out by the thousands like 330's 335's etc. Ideally ones where u can slap an M badge on.
Zonda would have trouble even passing an RSX Premium, let alone the Type-S.

Koenigsegg CCX might have trouble passing the RSX-S but would probably pull once it hit 5th gear.

However, RSX has lower maintenance costs and is more reliable. Zondas and Koenigsegg's are poser cars.

:haha:

[ALEX1988]

There is a low mileage 2004 selling at a coquitlam chrysler dealership I think. It has 50K kms and is asking $28k.

Around 100K km, expect the fuel pump and alternator and battery to go. After you fix these things it should be good for awhile. I had all of those replaced for less than $1K.

found the car on craigslist:
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pml/ctd/1835070813.html
6mt, coupe, low mileage, no accident.
28k is a steal..:thumbsup:

[Z3guy]

Thanks guys - I'm simply going by some of the older E46 (non-M3) recommendations - they certainly don't seem cheap.

One I'm looking at are 25k-30k range but several of them are approaching 100k range if not over. Would the cost still be 2-3k a year in maintenance then or is this simply the time/reason people sell them?

The price gap between 330ci ZHP and M3 are probably $5K difference. For approx $5K more you get a far superior car even though they look similar.

Spend a little extra up front for a clean title low km and you will be way further ahead. I bought my 03 M3 with 18K kms on it and sold it at 52K kms....I was anal on fluid changes, but I never had a single problem on my M3...other than someone rear ending me. I would stay away from any M3 over 100k kms even if it sounds like a good deal....as Shyguy stated, most things start to go....especially FCABs and RCABs.

[SumAznGuy]

Just checking, but I am pretty sure it is a 6 spd and not a 5 spd like the ad right?

[Z3guy]

found the car on craigslist:
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pml/ctd/1835070813.html
6mt, coupe, low mileage, no accident.
28k is a steal..:thumbsup:

anyone looking for an M3...this is the one to get.....55K kms and asking $28.9...I bet if you offered him $25K, they would take it.......looks stock and if it doesn't have any serious accidents.....this is a good one!