E90 M3 Sedan - Should I do it?

[kchan]

Originally Posted by slowguy

this thread sucks

lets enjoy your rav4 and my celica together

woop woop

everyones talking about horsepower and here we are with our hands down our pants enjoying the 100whp we love

back on topic: OP - just go with the car you truly desire most, dont settle for something just because you want to quickly get something - either way both cars aren't perfect
i love both the e46 / e9x m3 - they both have their pros and cons

[trollguy]

your hands have 100whp? sheeit... that's some intense........ self lovin

[smoothie.]

rough.

[white rocket]

Originally Posted by slowguy

this thread sucks

yup.

[mikey2781]

You just answered your own question... You pointed out that the 335 is the same as the m3 in many ways except better fuel efficiency and comfort. How can you also deny torque makes a car a better daily?

[Amaru]

Originally Posted by TOPEC

because every 335 owner likes to brag about how they can keep up with a car that costs $20K more, but knows that when it comes to turns their $20K less car wont be able to keep up so they always fall back to the "oh u wont feel the handling difference unless ur on the track pushing the car" saying.

Yes, that's exactly right. Please note that at no point in this entire thread has anyone suggested that the 335 is a superior track car than the e46 or e92 M3, at least not in stock form.

Outside of a track environment, the kind of "handling" you're talking about is irrelevant. Nobody is trying to shave a tenth of a second off the right hander at W. Georgia & Howe. Your M3's 28mm sway bars really aren't making any fucking difference at all in that situation.

You are confusing "driving feel" or "driving characteristics" with "at-the-limit handling at a track". They're not the same thing.

You could argue that the M3 of all generations is a more pleasurable car to drive, especially on a twisty rural road at 3am... and you'd be absolutely right, IMO. Even on a dollar-value basis, very few cars can deliver as much automative awesomeness as the M3/M5.

BMW knows that the type of person who buys an M3 is happy to sacrifice ride quality for a more responsive front end and forgo a spare tire in exchange for better weight distribution. They'll always aspire to make the //M lineup a more raw driving experience that delivers maximum enjoyment, even if it hurts practicality or adds to the sticker price.

On the other hand, the 335i caters to the vast majority of drivers who want a fast, fun-to-drive vehicle that handles nicely on a twisty road... as long as the car remains practical for daily use and the price doesn't stray too far above competing vehicles.

On the morning commute to work in traffic, on the way to Wal-Mart to pick up Xmas gifts, on the I5 to Seattle in heavy rain..... I really don't need to have an M3. The "handling performance" you refer to is meaningless, and much of the time a smoother ride, quieter cabin, and $25k in the bank is more appealing than the added driving pleasure that the M3 delivers. If that's not your cup of tea -- if you prefer uncompromising driving dynamics and the feel of an NA motor at 8k RPM to a smoother ride or a spare tire -- cool, get an M3.

I find it amusing that the M3 proponents who have chimed in on this debate are accusing 335 owners of getting defensive or having a chip on their shoulder. As far as I can tell, no-one has disputed the superiority of the M3 as a car... the 335 was simply suggested as a possible alternative for the OP, who was looking at E46 M3's but complaining about how hard it was to find one in good condition with low mileage. A 335i solves both of those problems, and it's still a fast, fun daily driver with good potential for excellent straight-line speed at low cost. It is not by any means a bizarre suggestion, nor does it infer that the M3 is somehow a worse choice.

There, I've solved the argument.

[Timpo]

DO IT!!!

Liberty Walk BMW M3

[TOPEC]

here buy this instead, CHEAP

2014 BMW M5 Competition Package LOW KMS M Carbon Ceramic Brake

pro the exact same one that crashed into the bus stop

[LP700-4]

Originally Posted by xfhfth

i think you just came on here so that people tell you to buy it lol

How do we get rid of these spammers that come on here and copy paste what someone else said like 4 times a day

[westopher]

Local car!
Low KMs!
No smoking!
No pets!
Only drifted into one bus stop!

[LP700-4]

Did not expect thread to be bumped. So as an update I did give this guy a call

***2008 BMW M3 SEDAN**FULLY LOADED 6 SPEED MANUAL***

Got the VIN and did a quick check, report tells me there was an accident and then reported for auction but asked the sales over the phone and he did not want to disclose over the phone lol wtf. Did some more googleing and seems like no ones ever heard of their dealership (Fleetwing Enterprises). Car is cheap with the tech pkg i want but sketch as fk dealer.

[mikey2781]

LOL c'mon dude. $27k for an e9x m3?
For one in an acceptable condition would be atleast $48k.

[rooster328]

2009 BMW M3 Coupe DCT

Not a bad deal it seems

[LP700-4]

^ Only looking for 6MT at this point

Originally Posted by mikey2781

LOL c'mon dude. $27k for an e9x m3?
For one in an acceptable condition would be atleast $48k.

08 sedans are around 35-40k. But yea that one is cheap as hell. Doesnt hurt to ask right?

[Qmx323]

^

Mileage is (somewhat) high and could be an under the table rebuilt...

but if you do your due diligence... go for it, can't go wrong with a 6 speed V8 rear wheel drive sedan

[westopher]

Originally Posted by Qmx323

^

Mileage is (somewhat) high and could be an under the table rebuilt...

but if you do your due diligence... go for it, can't go wrong with a 6 speed V8 rear wheel drive sedan

I don't know. Some scary things could hide even from a PPI in some instances.

[wonton1017]

Should probably not get an 08 of any e9x, they come with the old CCC navigation system and the control on that is horrible and not to mention the very dated software.

And that post of liberty walk m3's... the second one is a 335i.

[TOPEC]

^correct, 09+ has the new CIC navigation system which is way better than the first generation iDrive. i believe somewhere along they again updated the software.

also i think most of the bearing failures to the engine r mainly MY08. quickly skimming the forums seems to point that its safer to go with a MY10/11+

[Z3guy]

Originally Posted by LP700-4

Did not expect thread to be bumped. So as an update I did give this guy a call

***2008 BMW M3 SEDAN**FULLY LOADED 6 SPEED MANUAL***

Got the VIN and did a quick check, report tells me there was an accident and then reported for auction but asked the sales over the phone and he did not want to disclose over the phone lol wtf. Did some more googleing and seems like no ones ever heard of their dealership (Fleetwing Enterprises). Car is cheap with the tech pkg i want but sketch as fk dealer.

if the price is too good to be true, it probably is....anyone that doesn't disclose mileage or accidents.....I would just keep walking.....

[hud 91gt]

I hope in the future when buying a sports car, I never pass it by due to it's navigational system software. What is this world coming to.

[wonton1017]

Originally Posted by hud 91gt

I hope in the future when buying a sports car, I never pass it by due to it's navigational system software. What is this world coming to.

The navi controller knob is also what you use to select your phone/music/radio/drive settings/ac settings. Although I never use my navi because of how hard it is to use anyways, the added buttons on the controller and improved UI of the navi/entertainment system makes my daily commute that much better.

[gripenM]

in my 08, once everything is set up (M drive settings, bluetooth, speed dial etc)
I just plug in my USB and push the up/down button on my steering wheel to skip tracks
I may have used my Navi like once, and it worked great too.

It is definitely faster/easier on the 09+ but my point is, you just don't use it as much as
you think you would.

[rriggi]

Don't worry about bearing failures.. Replace oil regularly with Castrol 10W60 or LiquiMoly 10W60 and don't bounce off the limiter at every shift, but you do need to occasionally drive the car hard. There are cars out there with over 200,000kms on the original bearings.

CIC navigation can be retrofitted at a cost, so if you find a good car and want the updated system it can be done afterwards, but to be honest you will be paying for the look as they function nearly the same. I've been playing with doing this but its totally pointless.

Things to worry about? S65 and S85 are solid motors, and if taken care of, will take care of you

However, on a lower mileage car, expect the throttle actuators to go eventually, they are a poorly designed system that uses nylon gears which wear out and need to be replaced. Dealer cost will be over 1,600 per unit, you will have 2 of them. I did find replacement units for 400 a side, so do some research. Its not a big deal, and if you are mechanically inclined you could swap them yourself.

If you're 20-30, don't hesitate and buy this car. You honestly wont look back for a second. I squeezed my finances to buy my M5 and although it has made money tight for me being in school and all, it puts the BIGGEST smile on my face everytime I go for a drive.

[mikey2781]

Once again, the CIC vs CCC navigation thing is purely subjective. People look for different things in cars.

Why buy a car for 3k cheaper and spend 2k + time on retrofitting it?

Look at these people thinking the m3 is purely a track car. Yet they rarely or never track it.

So yes, there are people who actually care about small things like this when buying a sports car.

If luxury and entertainment system don't matter, why not gut your cars? I'm sure there are a few people here who have done it, good for you guys.

Its basically saying drone doesn't matter because I like it, so go buy a shitty exhaust. This can't be applied to everyone.

[hud 91gt]

You have a point. But i'll share my asshole/naive/prejudicial comment right now. I have a feeling the people who care about Navigation systems, are probably also the ones interested in the technology infested Nissan GTR's. Don't hit me. Haha. Both do nothing for me. but I do understand where you are coming from if you are looking for an everyday car.

When it comes down to trying to find the right sports car, when there are few to choose from. A navigation system would be one of my lowest priorities. But who am I to judge, I've never had 50k to blow on a car. Infact, i've never owned a car new enough to even have the option of navigation I do wish I had Bluetooth though. hahaha