Seriously considering this M3
 

I just took a look and went on my first test drive in an Imola Red 2002 M3 Cabriolet. The car has 39,000 miles on it and is priced at $39,900 (which is pretty low compared to others I looked at). The seller had a clean carfax report (2 previous owners; lease return vehicle, orignially from Arizona) and a clean title. The car is also BMW certified. The guy running the small dealership is pretty much running it alone and has about a 20 car inventory and is a really nice guy. The car runs really smooth, and I was impressed with the performance. The interior and exterior all looked great despite a few tiny scratches/rock chips. Here is the ad:
http://www.diablomotors.com/id18.html

Does it look good? What do you guys in the Porsche crowd think of it? I'm seriously considering it...

Truth?

Since I'm not into bling, I'd have to say that only dealers and pimps should have a car like that. The funny thing about M3s, is that they are all over the place yet they stand out from other BMWs. They are supposed to be the sportiest, fastest and best handling of the bunch, yet most of the ones I've seen, are blinged out with non-performance enhancing accessories.

I think if you toned down the shiny wheels a bit and kept the music low, you might be OK.

Nice blvd cruiser . .. but not 40k nice.

The weight of the convertible adds a full 1/2 second to the 0-60 time. :eek: That price is not a 'good deal' (i.e. I'd sell my bling-free 1 year old '04 coupe with less miles and full warranty for that). Also, is the factory warranty still in effect? I'd hope so. While I love drving my M3, I have had several frustrating problems - relatively minor problems, but problems that leave you dead-in-the-water! The latest? I hadn't driven the car in about 5 weeks. Got in last week, fired it up, and the serpentine belt snaps!! So, no water pump, pwr steering, etc. Before that? A door actuator was faulty. It made the computer think that the driver's door was open. So all of the dome lights were on and it would throw the SMG gearbox into neutral after sitting still for several seconds. The window would also jerk up and down because it thought the door was being opened and closed. Before that? Power steering gradually went out intermittently and then totally failed. Weird problems. The overall build-quality is outstanding and the car is a rocket, but these oddball problems leave me second-guessing the future.

YMMV depending on geography. But $39,900 is NOT a deal, factory-certified or not. Like cegerer wrote, you can do better, pricewise.

LOL, 86911 I think you live in a different universe than I did when I was 16 years old. My first car was a 1972 Volkswagen bug painted orange (I called it the Great Pumpkin). What a great car.

So far you have had a 1986 911 convertible and are now looking at a $40k BMW??

Different world.

I like M3's, especially the new ones, but somewhere down the line they have become less desirable. Must be from what the other posters have explained. Those cars has some serious engine issues also. The kind that don't get advertised but fixed quietly. I do like BMW's and have an X5 that just came off its full boat warranty. I'm most likely going to sell it soon because the option of $700 front brake jobs doesn't interest me as much now that BMW is not paying for it. Chances are you have 10K left on you original warranty before it ends and the certified one is for only major components with a hefty copay. I'd look for one that has as much coverage left as possible.

Never understood the M3 cab. It's an M, supposed to be the closest thing you can get to a race car. While I dont have anything against cabs for crusers what is this car trying to be? Why dont you just get a regular 3 series cab? I always got a bad taste in my mouth with this concept. I just cant imagine a GT3 cab, although I am sure that there will be one soon enough. It's your car but that is alot of money for something like that.

I love the M3 and have been thinking about getting one for myself as a daily driver.

Michael

M3 Forum at E46

If this car had SMG, I would be all over it.

http://images.autotrader.com/images/..._A.562x421.jpg

438 original miles (not a misprint). 1 of 1 M3s made in Dakar Yellow with the Competition Package and Sunroof Delete. For sale by the original owner. Guarantee: No smoke, food, kids, pets, odors, scratches, dings, dents, accidents and/or paintwork. Not a mark on the car (including under the front bumper). All keys, books and Window Sticker included. Waited a year and half for this M3; and it is the only known US VIN M3 hand built by BMW's not-for-US Individual Programme which offers special order cars for the European Market. By having the "right" people in direct communication with BMW, this US VIN M3 was manufactured through BMWs Individual Programme in color-to-sample non-metallic Dakar Yellow (option code 490 @ $2,000 which is similar in hue to Ferrari Fly Yellow), with a power rear sunshade (option code 415 @$400 which is normally not available for US spec M3s). Other options include: N5SW: $1,100 Black Leather Interior, ZCP: $4,000 Competition Package, 459: $995 Power Front Seats, 490: $500 Adjustable Seat Width/Lumbar, 494: $500 Heated Front Seats, 522: $700 Xenon Headlights; and 674: $675 Harman-Kardon Sound System. The only three options not on this M3 are SMG, Nav and sunroof. Reason being, BWM will come out with a superior version of SMG and Nav every year, which would negatively "date" this car. Therefore, by "omitting" SMG and Nav, this M3 will age gracefully with a wonderful-to-operate six speed manual gearbox and an un-cluttered dash (free of a hopelessly outdated Nav system). By not opting for the optional sunroof, this M3 enjoys significantly more headroom with a lighter and much stiffer tub. Also, sunroofs are noisy, creek, leak, need maintenance, weaken the structure of the car and cause skin cancer! This 1 of 1, last of the non-Banglized M3s, is THE M3 to own and enjoy for many years to come. First $53,995 takes this unique and highly collectible M3 home.

I love M3 but these are my favs (pics below).....the E46 have got very porky and cush over time, still great cars but I love the grassroots of the E30 and even the E36 seems lightweight compared the E46:

http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/92/77/45_12.JPG

http://carad.ebayimg.com/i12/01/a/06/67/aa/eb_4.JPG

Yasin

I looked for a clean E30 and they were 25K plus.

Michael

Wow, > $25K?! Before I bought my 930, I also considered M3's. E30 version (the only "real" homologation special), of course, was my fave. Looking around, they all seemed to be around $15K (went to go look at a local one which had a $17K asking price--113K miles, looked pristine), and they all had over 100K miles. I thought the car I found was a bit much, but if you now find them to be $25K, it would have been a bargain.

E36 M3's are much more affordable (and plentiful) at around $20K (give or take $5K). But they don't look as good, and aren't as raw.

E46 cars have a lot of problems, too. Sure they look hawt, but after conversing with a couple good friends that have/had them, I'm not sure I would want to pay those maintenance and out-of-warranty bills. Of course, if Dad's gonna foot them... And while I haven't ever tried the SMG system, I've heard that it isn't as smooth as the DSG. If you're still determined to find an E46 M3, I'm fairly certain you can find one for $35K or less. Go take a look at Roadfly.org.

Heh heh. We had a kid in highschool who got an E30 M3 as a first car. Totaled it on Coldwater Cyn, and got a 300ZX twin- turbo as a replacement.

nice car, but the price is too high IMO.

I wish I had that kind of money to throw around when i was your age. I was driving a VW Rabbit diesel and piecing together a 914..

Be thankful for what you have

I never understood the M3 Cab either!? :eek: Strictly bling. As for SMG, it's the ONLY way to fly! It's unbelieveably fun to drive. The 'smoothness' issue refers only to when you use the 'auto shifting' mode. It's awful in that mode. Which brings me to the 2nd thing I don't understand about M3's - why is there an automated mode in SMG? Answer: because there can be and it might sell a few to people who probably shouldn't be driving these cars anyway. I NEVER use that mode and don't know anybody who does. I use only sequential manual mode with the paddle shifters and stability control switched off - it's a religious experience.

an '02 with 2 owners? Likely bought at auction with no real history. Not worth what he's asking. Remember there are no nice guys in the used car biz. They are there to make a profit...period. They are not your friend. Do not trust anything they say or do. I'm not a fan of the small independent dealer...often the cars are suspect or are question marks bought at auction. There are exceptions, but if you really want a "BMW Certified" car, you should go to a BWM dealership. If you want to buy used/more inexpensive, find a good private party car.

what is your goal in a car? If you've got $40K to throw around, there are a ton of choices. A convertible bmw would be close to last on my list, but that's just me...

at your age, go with a WRX STi. come on! and let me drive it.

i dont like that M3. way to blingy with the convertible top. what is with that chrome on the side vent. that part of the car is supposed to be tasteful. take you time and get a good car.

Listen to all the 40-somethings telling a 17 year old "it's too much bling". He's a kid, he probably loves bling, and sadly, the chicks his age do too. Go for it, Matt. Enjoy your teenage years. We're all just jealous, and would swap you places in a heartbeat.

Way too much bling, that belongs on an Escalade. I also don't understand the M3 cab, but I'm not a cab guy anyway. Not a good price, and I would never buy a car like that from a small, one man operation. Nearly a guarantee he got it at auction, most of the time cars that new at auction are not a good idea. If you want an M3, shop around, they're not rare. You don't want an M car with issues, regardless of who's paying the bills. Otherwise, $40k will buy a lot of car, I'm sure we could come up with a nice list.;)

Edit: I'm only 25.

for an '02 you're at least 5k to high.

Make sure you understand the risk before you buy one. I bought an '02 new and am so glad I ditched it rather than dealing with the engine failure issue.

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

Zoanas, what that kid should want is what's in your picture. We call those E-46's right, I mean, like the Bimmer model

Since it's probably for your mom, tell her to go ahead and buy it. It oughta be fun!

Ghetto as can be!
Is the car from the slums of DC or Atlanta???
I think anyone installing chrome on ANY German car that was built after 1973 should be flogged repeatedly until the ghetto-ness flies outta da nugguh.
Ye-ah! What? OKAY!

Chrome seems to be making a comeback - there's some dealers in CA and TX that sell Z4s with the wheels chromed. Weird, but whatcha gonna do?

As for the car, the E46 M3 isn't a total nightmare, but the earliest years are problematic - BMW extended the factory warranty on the model to 6 years, 100,000 miles. To play it safe, I'd want one of the later ones with all the bug fixes and to have a warranty as long as possible.

Prices should be coming down (even on cabs) with the impending release of the E90 M3, so $40k seems a little high. Personally, I'm not a fan of the E46 cab - I like my convertibles to be designed that way. I was looking at getting an M3 myself last year, but since I didn't like the cab I split the money and bought my 325i and Z4. Of course, now they've got the Z4 M Roadster for people like me, but I'm happy with what I've got.

It is not for his mom. He happens to come from a well off family, but I for one, am not holding that against him. 86911 has never flaunted his parent's money and if he had never told anyone on this board he was 16 (now 17?) everyone here would think he is much older.

You're right, Kurt. I've met the young man, and he seems to have his head on straight. He isn't as "experienced" as many on this board, and I find it refreshing that he doesn't hesitate to ask questions and guidance. We should applaud that and understand that he's a teenager, and may not have the same tastes, and maybe shouldn't. Matt, my advice is that it really doesn't matter what you pay for a car. It's not a true test of the value. If you pay double what anyone else pays, and you enjoy the car every day that you drive it, then it was a steal. I think the more illuminating questions for you involve issues that others might have had with a similar car. Who really cares if smeone else can buy one for half the price? But if there's a big issue with the particular model that you don't know about, it could help you decide. Whatever you do, it's YOUR money, your decision, and the experience will always help you grow.

i agree. matt gives me reason to even consider having kids. he is one of the good ones. as for that car, it is only my lame opinion. my other car is a chevy S10, so that says all it needs to say about my car expertise. not much. i just dont like the softtop M3, but i do love the hardtop. i dont even know crap about asking prices.

either way, matt get a cool car, and if you want...big brother cliff can give it a proper test drive. hehe

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I kinda got the opposite reaction from the M3 forums ;). I think I will go with the '02 since it is CPO'ed, has a warranty, and imho looks nice. I just have to have the convertible after owning the Porsche... there is no way I can drive a hardtop. Plus, all you do is press a button to drop the top, or even as you walk to the car you can drop the top by pressing a button on the keyless enty keychain. Pretty cool. Zoanas and Cliff, thanks for your kind words. You'll def. see the car on the next Mines Rd. run... if I'm allowed to come ;).

Go for it, have fun!

Go for it Matt!

Same here. My 1st car was a 1971 Dodge Colt 4 door w/ auto tranny and in was powder blue. I paid $800 for it.

My second car was my dream car. It was a 68 Mustang w. 4 on the floor and a 302 swapped in. I paid $1200 for that and it seemed like every penny in the world to me.

I like BMW, alas my good friend and neighbor has your model..different color only difference. It is in the shop alot, little stuff mainly, but cannot be DYI solved..everything seems to need , another run on the problem solving machine.
Rika

Matt, I just got home from picking mine up. Topaz Blue coupe with 6 speed! These cars rock!

Just be carefull if you get one, I could see myself getting in a lot of trouble at your age with one of these rockets. But I'm sure you are more mature than I was at 16.

Congratulations Matt! I'm still thinking about one. What options does yours come with?