[SleepyE90]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone!
You really helped me form my decision, and have really got me thinking.
As I do live in Los Angeles, and this car will in fact be my daily driver, I think I am going to go with an e90 M3 if I find the right one for the right price.
You are all the best!

Cheers

Originally Posted by ersin

Handling, as far as I can tell for the little time I've had my E92 M3 is better than the E46 M3. The V8 engine is obviously much better -- power, torque (even better down low despite what some have said) and sound -- than the I6. Both are great engines though.

The E92 M3 is more comfortable and a bit quieter inside. If you like a more "raw" car the E46 M3 is it. But you could get even more of that (if that's what you're going for) with the Z4M coupe.

The new M3 is better is almost every way. It does not get as good gas mileage, but it's not that much worse. The steering on the new car is much lighter and does not have as much feel as the E46 M3 but you don't really notice it unless you're in a tight turn. I don't have the M button and so don't have the option of the harder steering so I can't comment on that. The E92 is a heavier car but you really don't feel it as much. I also have to say that I don't have DCT (40 some odd pounds I believe), nav, and I have the CF roof so my M3 is probably among the lighter (non-modded) new M3s.

I don't have the DCT but I've driven it a few times on test drives. I had the SMG in my E46 M3 and I can tell you there is no comparison -- the DCT is way better than SMG. That is, except when running all out, the SMG shifts were brilliant. The DCT doesn't give the same feel but it is still much faster and smoother shifting. It's just that the hard SMG shift at redline was special.

All in all, yes, the new M3 has soul. The two cars are different, but each in their own way are very special cars and I feel very lucky to be able to have driven both.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

I had 3 E46 M3s with SMG and much as I loved them all, I wouldn't go back to one from my E92 M3 DCT, its the better car in almost every respect...with more front end grip, better turn in, faster steering, more brutal acceleration, more grip overall, better brakes, better ride, more stable at high speed on uneven roads, quieter when cruising...plus other stuff.
On the down side the E9x range M3 uses more fuel.

Originally Posted by 3XTR3M3

The E92 M3 is a better car on paper. The E46 M3 (i had a competition model) has more M3 soul and sheer driving pleasure. Its more raw than the E92. Its lighter, its got the legendary inline-6 which is a much more special engine than the new V8.

Theres tons of cars out there with V8s that pump out crazy power. The E46 M3 was special because of its I6.

With that said, you will not be disappointed with a E92.

Originally Posted by smmmurf

Absolutely.

I have both. They are weekend toys. The E46 M3 feels a lot more special and an "occasion" to drive with its frenetic personality. The S54B32 inline-6 engine is a lot more eager to rev and feels more torquey on the low end. However, being 10 years old, it is rougher, louder, slower, and has less grip. The E90 is a good daily driver that's fast and smooth. It also has a quicker steering ratio and a lot of cool features like EDC, Bluetooth, HD radio, great Enhanced Premium audio (much better than the E46 base or HK), and a decent navigation system.

Now does the E46 have more soul... yes. But it has less balance in terms of handling; the E9x's wider front tires and superior front-end geometry reduce the amount of understeer at corner entry compared to the E46 M3.

If you want a daily driver, get the E90. If you want a weekend car, get the E46.

Originally Posted by signes

To the OP, not a stupid question at all. I was very torn when I got my E90 and still have thoughts of getting an E46 again. I would sum it up like this: E46 has more spirit, finesse, and a more raw feel. E90 is overall more capable but has more of a brute force feel (a little more numb than the feedback you get in an E46.) Each is an extraordinary car, I sometimes look back on my E46 as the perfect blend of handling, power, steering feel, etc.

Originally Posted by calintexas

I'm going to agree with others and say that my E90 is a much better daily driver than the E46. The EDC really works. The comfort setting is almost supple. Your passengers won't be doing the head jerk (SMG shift phenomena that you can mitigate but not completely control). I think the E46 is a bit better felling in the twisties because of less weight and a more connected (maybe direct) feel at the expense of substantial low speed suspension harshness. One thing about the SMG (especially when you are pushing it) is that you can tell there is a manual transmission and a regular clutch that you can control fairly directly with the throttle and the shift paddles. The DCT is much more like a true automatic in driving feel. Engagement of the wet clutch from start is very vague. It takes some getting used to.

Originally Posted by xxe92xx

the only negative is the weight....everthing is better compared to an E46, 6MT about the same clunkyness nothing to frown upon though

Originally Posted by Jack28

Very nice feedback guys... as a person coming from an e46 M3 and going to a e92 M3, its nice reading the feedback and experience from other E46 M3 owners to new E92 M3 owners like myself with the same situation!!! Very good info, especially as I'm waiting for my e92 M3.

Originally Posted by Poppin Fresh

The only thing I miss is the steering feel on the E46 M3. The E92's steering feels softer but somehow makes me feel more confident when handling the curves.

Originally Posted by 3XTR3M3

I had SMG on the E46 so I honestly have no idea how it compares to my current 6MT. I have driven a E46 6MT a few times and if I remember right it felt a lil more brute compared to the softer E92 6MT.

Ive driven a E92 DCT a few times as well and that felt sooo much smoother in shifting than SMG, almost too smooth. I know the DCT M3 is faster than the 6MT but i swear the 6MT FEELS faster. The DCT shifts are so effortless its like a continuous glide. Whereas the SMG felt JUST like a stick does; disengaging clutch, pulling out of gear, putting back in and engaging... but really fast!

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

When the SMG was working at its best (my three SMG M3s were in and out of the shop for new clutches or clutch teach-ins on a regular basis) it was a brilliant system, feeling like a manual with the changes being quite controllable by the throttle pedal. At its worst its was a clunky system in traffic with slurred (clutch eating) changes at high speed when the system was out of adjustment or the clutch was starting to wear (@ ~15k miles).
OTOH the DCT is smooth and consistent and totally at home in traffic or blasting down country roads, blatting down the gears when hard on the brakes into a tight corner. For the money its the closest thing you can buy to racing car thats also good as a daily driver.

Originally Posted by CATCH_M3

I came from an E46 M3 -> Z4M Coupe -> E92 M3 in about a 1.5-2 year period so I still have all 3 somewhat fresh in my mind. The E46 M3 & Z4M felt a bit similar. I wrote a comparison for the Z4M -> E92 M3. So I'll quote it here.. Having now owned the E92 M3 for 2-3 months, I can safely say if I could only own one of those 3 I would pick the E92 M3. Maybe because I have a bit more experience now (E46 M3 was my first manual car, and I was 19 when I bought it), this is the first car I have had the desire to really get into modding for. Perhaps that is because I now have the experience to know exactly how I want my car to feel, sound, look, etc. Maybe because I love it a bit more than the others?

Anyway here is the comparison:



Two things that stick out in my mind 2 months after are this:

-I got used to the servotronic. I like it now. (At least in sport setting; since I never drive it without.)
-I had the Z4M and E92 M3 simultaneously for a while. Eventually I didn't drive the Z4M as much; I noticed when I went back into it; it was definitely noticeably lighter.. However it handled a little bit more 'weirdly', not as planted. So it was a little harder to drive.
-When I switched back to the Z4M I noticed I started hitting the rev-limiter in 2nd gear ALOT. 7800 vs. 8400 RPM actually made a very noticeable difference when I was driving hard.

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by aussiem3

The E92 is definitely a nice and comfortable car to drive. But I miss owning and driving the E46 for its raw power. Everytime I see a E46 my heart just sinks. It will remain a timeless design ... a beautiful car overall. I concur with 3XTR3M3. I always pushed the E46 to its limits (or my limits) but I find it very hard to do so with the E92. Probably I am seven years older. I just don't feel the E92 has the same stability the E46 had especially at high speed. I feel the E92 has more body roll.
To feel the same soul and pleasure as the E46 you need to have the E92 in sports mode in every setting. Given the undulations and the pot holes we have in Australia it is a tough as to have the suspension on "sports" setting for a daily driver. This is my humble opinion.

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

I have to agree with everyone who's posted here. I loved the feel of my e46. It was more of "my" car. The e90 is a superior car in every measureable way, but lacks the soul of the e46. For me, only able to keep one car, the e90 is a much better choice.

Originally Posted by adc

I will disagree with some of the posters here, but if you are trying to get as many opinions as possible, here is mine:
- The E46 steering doesn't have more feel. The E90 is more boosted at low speeds but firms up very nice around 50-60mph which is very good, especially at speeds over 100 mph where the quick steering ration could have made the car very nervous/jumpy.
- The E46 engine did not feel as good around redline - felt harsher, as if it were straining a little. By comparison, the E90 seems to want to rip way past, its appetite for revs is much keener. I've always thought people who bumped up the rev limit on the E46 were crazy, but on the E90 I'd be inclined.
- The E46's performance envelope is much more accessible - I jumped in it and felt very comfortable throwing it around. The E90's limits are so high, it can get a little scary when you're really pushing. And the comparative lack of understeer means it feels very good, but you'd better be on your toes.

Did I like the E46? Hell yeah! I'm half thinking of getting a nice used example to go with a more extreme weekend toy (Caterham, Elise etc.). But as a daily driver / occasional trackday, the E90 beats the pants off the E46.

All in my opinion. I just drove my friend's E46 a few days ago, then jumped straight into my car - so the impressions are very fresh.

Originally Posted by ersin

Handling, as far as I can tell for the little time I've had my E92 M3 is better than the E46 M3. The V8 engine is obviously much better -- power, torque (even better down low despite what some have said) and sound -- than the I6. Both are great engines though.

The E92 M3 is more comfortable and a bit quieter inside. If you like a more "raw" car the E46 M3 is it. But you could get even more of that (if that's what you're going for) with the Z4M coupe.

The new M3 is better is almost every way. It does not get as good gas mileage, but it's not that much worse. The steering on the new car is much lighter and does not have as much feel as the E46 M3 but you don't really notice it unless you're in a tight turn. I don't have the M button and so don't have the option of the harder steering so I can't comment on that. The E92 is a heavier car but you really don't feel it as much. I also have to say that I don't have DCT (40 some odd pounds I believe), nav, and I have the CF roof so my M3 is probably among the lighter (non-modded) new M3s.

I don't have the DCT but I've driven it a few times on test drives. I had the SMG in my E46 M3 and I can tell you there is no comparison -- the DCT is way better than SMG. That is, except when running all out, the SMG shifts were brilliant. The DCT doesn't give the same feel but it is still much faster and smoother shifting. It's just that the hard SMG shift at redline was special.

All in all, yes, the new M3 has soul. The two cars are different, but each in their own way are very special cars and I feel very lucky to be able to have driven both.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

I had 3 E46 M3s with SMG and much as I loved them all, I wouldn't go back to one from my E92 M3 DCT, its the better car in almost every respect...with more front end grip, better turn in, faster steering, more brutal acceleration, more grip overall, better brakes, better ride, more stable at high speed on uneven roads, quieter when cruising...plus other stuff.
On the down side the E9x range M3 uses more fuel.

Originally Posted by 3XTR3M3

The E92 M3 is a better car on paper. The E46 M3 (i had a competition model) has more M3 soul and sheer driving pleasure. Its more raw than the E92. Its lighter, its got the legendary inline-6 which is a much more special engine than the new V8.

Theres tons of cars out there with V8s that pump out crazy power. The E46 M3 was special because of its I6.

With that said, you will not be disappointed with a E92.

Originally Posted by smmmurf

Absolutely.

I have both. They are weekend toys. The E46 M3 feels a lot more special and an "occasion" to drive with its frenetic personality. The S54B32 inline-6 engine is a lot more eager to rev and feels more torquey on the low end. However, being 10 years old, it is rougher, louder, slower, and has less grip. The E90 is a good daily driver that's fast and smooth. It also has a quicker steering ratio and a lot of cool features like EDC, Bluetooth, HD radio, great Enhanced Premium audio (much better than the E46 base or HK), and a decent navigation system.

Now does the E46 have more soul... yes. But it has less balance in terms of handling; the E9x's wider front tires and superior front-end geometry reduce the amount of understeer at corner entry compared to the E46 M3.

If you want a daily driver, get the E90. If you want a weekend car, get the E46.

Originally Posted by signes

To the OP, not a stupid question at all. I was very torn when I got my E90 and still have thoughts of getting an E46 again. I would sum it up like this: E46 has more spirit, finesse, and a more raw feel. E90 is overall more capable but has more of a brute force feel (a little more numb than the feedback you get in an E46.) Each is an extraordinary car, I sometimes look back on my E46 as the perfect blend of handling, power, steering feel, etc.

Originally Posted by calintexas

I'm going to agree with others and say that my E90 is a much better daily driver than the E46. The EDC really works. The comfort setting is almost supple. Your passengers won't be doing the head jerk (SMG shift phenomena that you can mitigate but not completely control). I think the E46 is a bit better felling in the twisties because of less weight and a more connected (maybe direct) feel at the expense of substantial low speed suspension harshness. One thing about the SMG (especially when you are pushing it) is that you can tell there is a manual transmission and a regular clutch that you can control fairly directly with the throttle and the shift paddles. The DCT is much more like a true automatic in driving feel. Engagement of the wet clutch from start is very vague. It takes some getting used to.

Originally Posted by xxe92xx

the only negative is the weight....everthing is better compared to an E46, 6MT about the same clunkyness nothing to frown upon though

Originally Posted by Jack28

Very nice feedback guys... as a person coming from an e46 M3 and going to a e92 M3, its nice reading the feedback and experience from other E46 M3 owners to new E92 M3 owners like myself with the same situation!!! Very good info, especially as I'm waiting for my e92 M3.

Originally Posted by Poppin Fresh

The only thing I miss is the steering feel on the E46 M3. The E92's steering feels softer but somehow makes me feel more confident when handling the curves.

Originally Posted by 3XTR3M3

I had SMG on the E46 so I honestly have no idea how it compares to my current 6MT. I have driven a E46 6MT a few times and if I remember right it felt a lil more brute compared to the softer E92 6MT.

Ive driven a E92 DCT a few times as well and that felt sooo much smoother in shifting than SMG, almost too smooth. I know the DCT M3 is faster than the 6MT but i swear the 6MT FEELS faster. The DCT shifts are so effortless its like a continuous glide. Whereas the SMG felt JUST like a stick does; disengaging clutch, pulling out of gear, putting back in and engaging... but really fast!

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

When the SMG was working at its best (my three SMG M3s were in and out of the shop for new clutches or clutch teach-ins on a regular basis) it was a brilliant system, feeling like a manual with the changes being quite controllable by the throttle pedal. At its worst its was a clunky system in traffic with slurred (clutch eating) changes at high speed when the system was out of adjustment or the clutch was starting to wear (@ ~15k miles).
OTOH the DCT is smooth and consistent and totally at home in traffic or blasting down country roads, blatting down the gears when hard on the brakes into a tight corner. For the money its the closest thing you can buy to racing car thats also good as a daily driver.

Originally Posted by CATCH_M3

I came from an E46 M3 -> Z4M Coupe -> E92 M3 in about a 1.5-2 year period so I still have all 3 somewhat fresh in my mind. The E46 M3 & Z4M felt a bit similar. I wrote a comparison for the Z4M -> E92 M3. So I'll quote it here.. Having now owned the E92 M3 for 2-3 months, I can safely say if I could only own one of those 3 I would pick the E92 M3. Maybe because I have a bit more experience now (E46 M3 was my first manual car, and I was 19 when I bought it), this is the first car I have had the desire to really get into modding for. Perhaps that is because I now have the experience to know exactly how I want my car to feel, sound, look, etc. Maybe because I love it a bit more than the others?

Anyway here is the comparison:



Two things that stick out in my mind 2 months after are this:

-I got used to the servotronic. I like it now. (At least in sport setting; since I never drive it without.)
-I had the Z4M and E92 M3 simultaneously for a while. Eventually I didn't drive the Z4M as much; I noticed when I went back into it; it was definitely noticeably lighter.. However it handled a little bit more 'weirdly', not as planted. So it was a little harder to drive.
-When I switched back to the Z4M I noticed I started hitting the rev-limiter in 2nd gear ALOT. 7800 vs. 8400 RPM actually made a very noticeable difference when I was driving hard.

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by aussiem3

The E92 is definitely a nice and comfortable car to drive. But I miss owning and driving the E46 for its raw power. Everytime I see a E46 my heart just sinks. It will remain a timeless design ... a beautiful car overall. I concur with 3XTR3M3. I always pushed the E46 to its limits (or my limits) but I find it very hard to do so with the E92. Probably I am seven years older. I just don't feel the E92 has the same stability the E46 had especially at high speed. I feel the E92 has more body roll.
To feel the same soul and pleasure as the E46 you need to have the E92 in sports mode in every setting. Given the undulations and the pot holes we have in Australia it is a tough as to have the suspension on "sports" setting for a daily driver. This is my humble opinion.

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

I have to agree with everyone who's posted here. I loved the feel of my e46. It was more of "my" car. The e90 is a superior car in every measureable way, but lacks the soul of the e46. For me, only able to keep one car, the e90 is a much better choice.

Originally Posted by adc

I will disagree with some of the posters here, but if you are trying to get as many opinions as possible, here is mine:
- The E46 steering doesn't have more feel. The E90 is more boosted at low speeds but firms up very nice around 50-60mph which is very good, especially at speeds over 100 mph where the quick steering ration could have made the car very nervous/jumpy.
- The E46 engine did not feel as good around redline - felt harsher, as if it were straining a little. By comparison, the E90 seems to want to rip way past, its appetite for revs is much keener. I've always thought people who bumped up the rev limit on the E46 were crazy, but on the E90 I'd be inclined.
- The E46's performance envelope is much more accessible - I jumped in it and felt very comfortable throwing it around. The E90's limits are so high, it can get a little scary when you're really pushing. And the comparative lack of understeer means it feels very good, but you'd better be on your toes.

Did I like the E46? Hell yeah! I'm half thinking of getting a nice used example to go with a more extreme weekend toy (Caterham, Elise etc.). But as a daily driver / occasional trackday, the E90 beats the pants off the E46.

All in my opinion. I just drove my friend's E46 a few days ago, then jumped straight into my car - so the impressions are very fresh.

Originally Posted by TheRealDC

Gentleman

I think you've all made very valid and honest comments. For me personally, I struggled all along with the comfort of the E92. I always missed that raw edge the E46 had. I would concede though, that the E92 is a better all round car for daily use. However, after going through the sequence of cars in the title, I think I'm happiest overall the the 4MC. Reason being, I get the rawness of the straight six, the lightness of the 4MC, plus some of the more modern additions the 4MC also has over th E46 M3. My only real criticisms of the Z are that it does try to go sideways much more readily than either M3 (not sure if its really a criticism, but it is harder to drive well than either M3 on the limit) and the bluetooth sucks.





DC

Originally Posted by Daft

If you can keep both cars, do it! I've had my E46 for 7 years now and when my E92 gets delivered I won't be getting rid of my E46. It's like an old g/f you want to keep on the side while in another relationship lol. I just can't part with her. The E46 will become my winter beater and I'll probably drop an AA S/C in it since it's now outta warranty and won't be my daily driver.

Originally Posted by Jim Pearce

I miss the steering weight of the E46, but not the understeer. I could thrash my E46 without losing my license - and car - but then laws and enforcement have changed in the past few years. The basic problem with my E92 DCT, as with any current near-supercar, is that its dynamic capabilities are far too high to exploit on public roads. This is exacerbated in the case of the E9x by an extreme linearity which doesn't quite translate into the same fun as an E46.