E46 BMW M3 opinions needed

[makaio]

I was thinking of getting a 996, but decided against that, and I'm now shopping for an E46 M3. So I'm seeking the opinions of any members that may have or do own one. I would post on a BMW specific board, but most of them are ruled by pimple faced spoiled kids.

Anyways, is the E46 M3 suitable for daily driver use? Is the SMG tranny as fun as a 6 speed? Any major problems?

I'm most likely going to purchase a CPO 2002 or 2003 model.

Thanks

[TheMentat]

A good buddy of mine had one for several years, as a daily driver. He recently replaced it with a 997. It makes an excellent daily driver. While the SMG is not as smooth as some people seem to want, He (and I) loved it. He still complains about his 997 not having an SMG equivalent.

The car however did not seem to withstand track driving very well. Several laps on a warm day resulted in some cryptic warning lights on the dash, and the SMG not shifting into certain gears. Things returned to normal however after cooling down.

[cegerer]

The 'shifting smoothness' of SMG needs to be explained. It refers only to the 'auto-shifting' mode. In this mode, the gearbox attempts to simulate an automatic transmission. It does so fairly horribly!

That said, NOBODY (save a few doctor's wives who bought SMG because they couldn't drive a traditional manual gearbox car .....) uses the auto mode in an SMG M3!! It's a ridiculous feature. SMG is a performance upgrade, not a comfort option.

I drive in S6 (Sequential 6) with the paddle shifters and stability control switched off and Sport mode engaged 95% of the time. Does it shift smoothly in this mode? No - it shifts instantly and VIOLENTLY, breaking the tires loose easily in 2nd and 3rd gears. Is it as fun as using a clutch pedal? It's not even a contest. I would not ever buy a car with a clutch pedal again if an SMG/DSG type gearbox were available. There's a reason why all F1 cars run sequential manual gearboxes .... and it's not because they're slow-shifting.

I used my '04 M3 as a daily driver for about 1 year. It's a high-strung car but it worked just fine for that. The M3 is every bit as fun to drive as a Porsche (and faster than a normal 996/997), but it does so in a stealth/sleeper manner. Most people don't know what it is and don't give the car a second glance.

[cegerer]

BTW, the March issue of BMW Car has a comprehensive buyer's guide on the e46 M3.

[makaio]

Thanks for the replies guys. I looked at one this last weekend, but the salesman treated my wife and I like crap, so we walked. Hopefully this weeks outing will be better.

[yellowline]

My uncle sold his E46 M3 on the fear that the rod bearings would fail. Reports were that even with special Castrol 10-60 oil, the bearings failed. Maybe they fixed that, but he got a 996 and is pleased.

I guess it's rod bearings (unless they fixed it recently) or RMS, take your pick.

From the one ride I got in the car, I loved it. He's never exercised the 996 when I've been in it, but he sure opened it up with the M3. I was impressed.

[epbrown]

The rod bearings were only a problem on the 2001-2002 cars, and BMW extended the warranties on those cars to 10 years/100,000 miles, I believe. A somewhat different method of resolution than Porsche with the RMS I shopped for and test drove some 6-speed E46 M3s and liked them. As others have said, it's a stealthy way to enjoy 911-style performance, and a bit more practical for every day. In the end, I went with my 325i/Z4 combo because I didn't think I'd ever really get the chance to enjoy the performance all that often (and keep my license). I might yield to temptation after the E90 M3 is released and prices fall even more, since I could afford to get one and keep my Z.

[dd74]

Aside from what TheMentat's observations, does anyone else feel the E46 M3 is a worthy occasional track car?

[1973911s]

I have been thinking of dumping my TL and getting a M3, love the looks and the raw power. I drive about 20 miles a day, and shifting without a clutch would be awesome.

Michael

[epbrown]

Originally posted by dd74
Aside from what TheMentat's observations, does anyone else feel the E46 M3 is a worthy occasional track car?

The messages he was getting were probably related to the brakes - from people I've talked to, the M3's brakes can't handle sustained track work and need to be upgraded. Other than that, no problems though most people do some suspension upgrades once they get serious about autoxing one.

[dd74]

Originally posted by epbrown
The messages he was getting were probably related to the brakes - from people I've talked to, the M3's brakes can't handle sustained track work and need to be upgraded. Other than that, no problems though most people do some suspension upgrades once they get serious about autoxing one.

Good to know for future reference. The car definitely has enough power. Suspension, better brakes, some weight loss - sounds like a familiar combination - 911 style.

[1973911s]

Originally posted by makaio
I was thinking of getting a 996, but decided against that, and I'm now shopping for an E46 M3. So I'm seeking the opinions of any members that may have or do own one. I would post on a BMW specific board, but most of them are ruled by pimple faced spoiled kids.

Anyways, is the E46 M3 suitable for daily driver use? Is the SMG tranny as fun as a 6 speed? Any major problems?

I'm most likely going to purchase a CPO 2002 or 2003 model.

Thanks

What are you finding for prices in Nor Cal on used M3?

Michael

[makaio]

Michael, private party is around $32-35K for a 2002-2003 with 30-50,000 miles. How equipped it is with options being the biggest factor on price.

A CPO car, which I'm after, is $35-40K at the dealer with similar mileage and options. If my 911 would sell for what I'm asking, I would probably just order a new one.

I actually would prefer a more basic model with a 6 speed and 18" wheels. HID headlights are the only real option I want.

[makaio]

cegerer, did you ever put snow tires on your M3?

[cegerer]

Yeah, I did drive it thru 1 winter. Used Blizzaks mounted on a set of 17x7 wheels all around (that was the factory recommendation) and it handled unbelieveably well in the snow. The setup was awful in the dry.

I haven't tracked my car but I think it would be awesome in AX. The SMG allows you to left-foot brake and keep both hands on the wheel. The trick setup is the GSP-P7 brake pedal.

Have you test-driven an SMG car? If not, do it. It will seem very strange at first, but once you get used to it - you'll swear by it!

[1973911s]

Originally posted by makaio
Michael, private party is around $32-35K for a 2002-2003 with 30-50,000 miles. How equipped it is with options being the biggest factor on price.

A CPO car, which I'm after, is $35-40K at the dealer with similar mileage and options. If my 911 would sell for what I'm asking, I would probably just order a new one.

I actually would prefer a more basic model with a 6 speed and 18" wheels. HID headlights are the only real option I want.

Have you seen that yellow performance package one for sale in Orange County, has like 500 miles, and has almost no options?

Michael

[makaio]

I haven't seen that one. I don't really care for the yellow color either. It's a neat color, but I know I would get tired of it, before I got tired of the car. I'm leaning towards gray, silver, white or blue cars. I have noticed that the red cars seem to be the least expensive of the bunch.

[86 911]

I've been thinking about one too. I started a thread here:
Seriously considering this M3

I've also been considering an M5 and keeping the Porsche. I really don't need another two door, so I'm aiming at the M5 as a good sporty friend/supplies hauler throughout my college years. It gets interesting fitting 4 full size teenage boys in an older 911 .

[makaio]

I ended buying a 2002 Topaz Blue, CPO coupe this morning. It has 44,xxx miles, and it's only real options are HID headlights, and premium sound. Needless to say I'm excited! My 135 mile round trip commute twice a week is going to be fun! I'll try to post some pics tomorrow.

[epbrown]

Congrats!