My Last M3???

[Gomie]

I currently have an e46 M3 and look at getting an e92 or possibly waiting for the next version but have really been thinking if it's worth it. they cost so much more then a 3-series and parts are double it seems.

I love driving my car hard but wonder if i'll miss it if i were to get a normal 3-series. When I get loaners from the dealer I love how nice the interior is on the new e92 models and they often seem decently quick.

My question is this, Has anyone traded in their M3 for a series car and are you happy with the change? do you miss your M3?

Thanks,

Gomie

[floydr]

In the early days of the 335i, there were many discussions of this - you might want to search the archives. There were also some comments in reviews (in Car & Driver for instance) about that comparison.

IIRC, the consensus was that the 335i was almost as quick and fast, but didn't handle as well. Also there were complaints about the RFT's and a few other things. IMO, you should test-drive a 335is; it comes either 6MT or DCT, and the additional power and torque makes it very comparable to the E46 M3.

[mryakan]

It all depends how you drive. If you are not driving at > 8/10, I think going to a 335 will feel like an upgrade. At the limits though, the M3 still is superior, at least if both are in stock form. The M3 is also more fun if you love to rev the engine to the redline, which is almost redundant on the 335, or at least not as gratifying. Go on an extended test drive and decide for yourself.

[mikeSS]

e92 m3 is a lot hotter than a 335i.

[Ferruccio]

I have a 335i, and if you want an intense and relatively visceral experience, definitely go with the M3. I'd have been looking at the M3 if it weren't for the altitude and icy conditions. The M3's sound is amazing!

[fun2drive]

I guess you need to decide how much hp is enough? Unless you track the car the new 335's are terrific. I have 2 M3's and a 335.
I will most likely get one of the last M3 V-8 sedans if I can find one CPO.
I will not be buying the new M3 with another 6 cylinder engine.
Personal preference nothing to slight the new M3 with the 6 it is just I want the V-8 sound.

I still very much enjoy driving my M3's but I don't track them just like to enjoy how well connected to the road they are and how they respond to my inputs. The 335 is close to that but not quite. Unless you own both you really can't understand the difference. I go back and forth all the time between the cars and the difference is sutle but still there...

[328xi0wner]

Stick to the M3 bro. E92s are very nice, yes they are, but I wouldn't take it over an M3. It just so happens to be that the E46 M3 is my favorite car ever designed. If I found one with very low miles and well kept I would have bought one in an instant. Unfortunately they all had 60,000+ miles, not in great shape, still 25k+, and I know whoever owned an M3 had abused it a bit.

[ynoty3k]

I'll write the dissenting opinion.

The m3 has a great heritage, but the v8 e9x comes up flat. I have a e92 335i 6mt sport and it's every bit of what the m3 should have been. Lohttp://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102981ok at what the stock m3 puts down vs what my stock 335i (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1664221) put down this weekend.

With the sport package, the cars handle nearly the same, and if you really want that extra bit, there's the aftermarket.

For the nearly 20k price difference, there's a huge cost margin for improvement with a 335i that just isn't there on the M.

[mryakan]

I'll write the dissenting opinion.

The m3 has a great heritage, but the v8 e9x comes up flat. I have a e92 335i 6mt sport and it's every bit of what the m3 should have been. Lohttp://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102981ok at what the stock m3 puts down vs what my stock 335i (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1664221) put down this weekend.

With the sport package, the cars handle nearly the same, and if you really want that extra bit, there's the aftermarket.

For the nearly 20k price difference, there's a huge cost margin for improvement with a 335i that just isn't there on the M.
Have you driven the e9x M3? I would suggest doing so before passing judgement based on numbers alone. No it is not in the same league as the 335, not even close, not to say that the 335 isn't a great car. But the e9x M3 is so much more. And if you cannot appreciate the extra qualities that the M3 offers after you have driven one, then maybe the 335 is good enough for you. No offense to 335 owners, just stating the truth (yeah I have driven both).

As for the e46 M3, I have not driven it, but I suspect that the 335 is much closer to it than to the e9x M3. Still dynamically, stock v.s. stock, not in the same league. Sure you can mod a 335 to beat an M3, but heck, you can mod a Hyundai to beat it too.

[ynoty3k]

No, I haven't driven one, but next to many, and either I'm a better driver, out they're just not that great because I've never been beat. Who knows, maybe they're sand bagging, but if you throw 5k at a 335i you'll wind up with a better car and 15k still in your pocket.

[mattjw916]

They're probably saying, "look at this idiot next to me wrecking his clutch".

Arguments that consist of "If you throw X dollars at Y you'll be faster than Z" are pointless. A used Z06 will melt your face and embarrass you for substantially less money than a 335 with 5k in mods. Put the same 5k on the 'vette and you're in super-car territory.

See how pointless that was?

[ynoty3k]

They're probably saying, "look at this idiot next to me wrecking his clutch".

Arguments that consist of "If you throw X dollars at Y you'll be faster than Z" are pointless. A used Z06 will melt your face and embarrass you for substantially less money than a 335 with 5k in mods. Put the same 5k on the 'vette and you're in super-car territory.

See how pointless that was?

Quite.

Try taking it around a corner though.

[mryakan]

Quite.

Try taking it around a corner though.

A Z06 would actually tear the pants off a 335 and even an M3 around corners. That is one of the top forte of the vette. Mind you I am the least fan of American cars in general, but give credit where it is due. Now throw in DD liveability and it is a different story.

[in transit]

I spend a bit of time behind the wheel of an '08 M3 and frankly it wasn't all that. Granted, I drove it around town and on the freeway, but didn't get on a track. I noticed that unless you're in the higher rpms, it's pretty gutless compared to the low end torque of the 335. The M3 is a beautiful and slick looking car, and will shine on the track, which is what it's made for, but for a DD, I'll take the 335. Now if I was going to autox or track a car, the M3 would be my weapon of choice.

[mryakan]

I spend a bit of time behind the wheel of an '08 M3 and frankly it wasn't all that. Granted, I drove it around town and on the freeway, but didn't get on a track. I noticed that unless you're in the higher rpms, it's pretty gutless compared to the low end torque of the 335. The M3 is a beautiful and slick looking car, and will shine on the track, which is what it's made for, but for a DD, I'll take the 335. Now if I was going to autox or track a car, the M3 would be my weapon of choice.
If you do not like a high revving engine, or like your torque down low, then yeah, the M3 is not the car for you. It lives after 4K and becomes a beast at 6K, all the way up to 8.5K. If you like to drive below 4K most of the time, it will probably not impress you at all. But man, that V8 engine sound is pure magic even at idle.

[TwinTurboBMW]

They're probably saying, "look at this idiot next to me wrecking his clutch".

Arguments that consist of "If you throw X dollars at Y you'll be faster than Z" are pointless. A used Z06 will melt your face and embarrass you for substantially less money than a 335 with 5k in mods. Put the same 5k on the 'vette and you're in super-car territory.

See how pointless that was?

haha, this made me laugh. So true. But like we say a lot, to each their own. m3's are sick cars. If I could have purchased an e92 m3 I would have, I could only afford the 335i, and I chose the 335i over an e46 m3.

[mattjw916]

Quite.

Try taking it around a corner though.You have no idea what you are talking about and just proved it conclusively.

[in transit]

Leave z06s out of this discussion, they are in another league on the track or in a straight line.

[bigturk]

If you do not like a high revving engine, or like your torque down low, then yeah, the M3 is not the car for you. It lives after 4K and becomes a beast at 6K, all the way up to 8.5K. If you like to drive below 4K most of the time, it will probably not impress you at all. But man, that V8 engine sound is pure magic even at idle.

I wish I could afford 1 of these.