e46 m3 buy one?
 

the 02/03s are in the low to mid 20s w 50-60k miles. Am I in for a mechanical nightmare? Seems like a great car for the money though. Or is maintenance going to kill me? Should I avoid the SMG transmission?

Thx!

My E46 non-M3 is for sale. It's been a super car.

From everything I have read on M3forum.net, the e46 is extremely reliable as long as it is well-maintained. The scheduled maintenance that pops up every 15K miles is somewhat expensive at $1-$2K, but other than that they are fairly bullet proof aside from common BMW weak spots like radiators and suspension bushings that start creeping up around 75K-100K miles. Also, the manual seems to be just ever-so slightly more reliable than the SMG. The big thing is that the SMG is not inherently unreliable. However, if something does go wrong there is a small chance it will be cheap and a greater chance it will be $$$$$$$$. Drive both before you decide though, as there a swear by both.

Great car, but as has been pointed out, most of the engine and suspension parts are unique to the M3 so parts are VERY expensive. I would not let that deter me from buying one. Just something to keep in mind.

m3forum.net seems to be the place to get info. Service history does seem to be critical..

I forgot to add, on edmunds earlier this year, they ranked the most reliable cars to own and not only was the M3 on the list, it was the only BMW to make it.

Good article in the recent GRM comparing each M3. While a heavy pig the e46 came out with good reviews, even as an 'old' car.

Don't have much to add but do your research on the SMG. I worked with a guy who had one in an early Z4 and it was terrible. Kind of behaved like Microsoft software at times. It could literally "lock up" and he'd have to shut the car down and restart it. Reviews at that time panned it.

I just helped a friend at work buy an '02 M3, so ask again in a few months :)

Check the service history with a BMW dealer to make sure it's had the engine recall performed, the inspection #1 and if it has 50-60K miles, the inspection #2 which includes the valve adjustment.

When looking for a car, we drove an '04 330i e46 6 speed and the '02 M3. Even though the 330 was newer and in better condition, it didn't feel as tight as the M3.

Part are quite a bit more, for instance brake rotors are about 4 times the cost of standard e46 rotors.

Incredible cars, one of the most impressive I've ever driven. The 6-speed is excellent, I don't know why anyone would go with the potentially troublesome (and expensive) SMG. While there are those who swear by them, most of the reviews rated the SMG as being jerky during normal driving. Otherwise, go for it! They're a bargain for the money.

My friend who bought the M3, had an SMG Z4 that was killed by Ike.

The SMG felt pretty good, sort of like a video game. My friend said he really liked it and he went from a manual to the SMG. He did say he missed the full control of a regular manual so he went back to that on the M3.

The hydraulic pump for the SMG is something like $3500, so keep that in mind.