HRD, real nice setup!

 

I purchased a 04 SMG 2 years ago. I had a budget of $30k and it was the best bang for the $ with 45k miles on it. I drive 500 miles a week. I figured maintenance would be much lower than driving either of my Porsches. Unfortunately its seems to be bleeding me dry. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great DD, but at 500 miles a week, the Inspections at 15k mile intervals come up rather quick. Since the car is pretty complex, I have the dealer do the Inspections. Inspection #1 runs just about $1k. Inspection #2 is just over $2k. Just replaced front brakes. Dealer wanted $1900! I had a local mechanic do for $1200, still pricey. Also just had a headlight die. Ballast Control unit failure. Dealer price, part only, $600! And don't forget about those rear tires! If you are a spirited driver, they will wear fast. So in short, as a DD the car will require maintenance that is inline with high end cars, even if the used car purchase price doesn’t reflect it. As for it being the new Civic, The first time those teenagers need service, they will sell the M3!

 

It is completely true that BMW service is expensive. Even on my old 318, service is expensive. I just put brakes on it and it cost me $400. That's a lot different from the brakes on a Civic.
I will also add that the M3 is a good training car for those with higher aspirations. It will positively allow you to get your feet wet in the REAL car game. It is a semi-exotic, so you will get a little taste of the exclusivity and a tiny bit of exposure to the maintenance game. Just a reminder to those aspirational individuals, however: in the REAL car game, the repair costs on the M are not even a sample of what Lambo, Ferrari, and other high line autos are like. More money, more problems.

 

I have owned every M3 from E30 to E92 and I think the E46 is a piece of crap! Anyone who thinks this is a good car has apparently never driven a good car. I had a 2003 coupe and could'nt wait to get rid of it. Pros, Great looking! Reasonable quality, nice interior. Cons, Too heavy, too slow, terrible brakes, terrible shifter, terrible steering wheel, terrible climate controls, etc. I forgot a pro, great forged wheels! My Audi RS4 handled better on snow tires! Which by the way is a much better all around car. My E92 is light years better.

 

I want to apologize for my previous post regarding the E46 M3. Just because I had a bad experience with this car doesn't give me the right to criticize the E46 in this manner. I am sorry, and I mean no disrespect to the E46 or current or previous owners. In the future I will keep my opinions to myself.

 

Honestly, I can't think of a better DD than the E46 M3 for the price. I've used my 01 6sp as a daily for quite some time now (120K+ miles) with no major issues. I do routine maintaince which is basically just an oil change once a year. DIY for $80.

Rear tires depend on how hard you drive the car as with any RWD car. I use Generals which have been great and the rears are about $150 a pop?

 

I switched to a higher-grade diff oil and the common "M3 diff groan" went away almost completely.

@sprinter, I actually think my E46 M3 was a lot more tactile and much lighter on its feet than the new E92.

E92 is definitely a better DD, but it's a big sterile boat when it comes to performance usage. At least the E46 has a sports car feel.

Maybe you had a SMG Cab?

-Chris

 

Its been a while since i have been back to thread, but thanks a lot for all the responses

 

I'll list some bad things, because overall other than this the e46 M3 is an excellent sports car.

-Sound system sucks in the e46 (doesn't matter what option with/without navigation), might not be important for some.
-Some plastics in the e46 loose their 'soft coat' and get sticky/ugly.
-335i engine can be easily and cheaply tuned to make much more power (and even in stock form the 335i make more torque than the e46 M3).

 

its not always about power. I have a 550whp+ turbo as well as many other 'faster' vehicles and I still love driving the e46, I drive it more than any of my other cars and none of them are DD's.

Something about the car that I just can't seem to let go

 

I'm with you, I miss my e46 zhp, and i was considering getting an e46 m3 many times and still am debating...

 

dont consider just get it, you will love the car, even more if you miss your ZHP (great car btw) ZCP or not the e46 is an amazing car, brings a to my face every time I drive it.