Why did you buy an E9X M3 over Audi RS4/5, MB C63 AMG or Cadillac CTS-V ETC. ?

[mdosu]

Awesome forums

[superflywheel]

For me, I had just came from Audis. Very sharp cars but I was bored with AWD and not impressed with general reliability, carbon buildup issues and genuine VW parts. The Mercs are boring to me... CTS? Jeremy Clarkson summed that up well, "it was designed by someone who only had access to a ruler"

[canukgtp]

I loved the 335xi we picked up for the girlfriend, so I knew the 3 series was a great platform...I've been a huge BMW fan for years and I've always wanted an M car...how could I not own an M3 for a while!

[karussell]

Originally Posted by M3ZCP6MT

We all Love our E9X M3s. But why over such strong competitions and newer models?

Rear wheel drive with manual transmission naturally aspirated and fits 4 adults.

what competition?

I love the 991 base car and S. its big enough to fit my kids in back but not much else. certainly can't haul all the "stuff" that a family needs on a road trip.

[81bear]

Originally Posted by PoweredBy///M

It's the last of it's kind. It was the end of an era, an era that I wanted to see what the hubbub was about - and they were right. This thing is just that good.

QFT

[davesaddiction]

Attainable dream car.

Coming from a FWD hatchback, my criteria were:

Manual transmission
250+ horsepower
RWD or AWD
Great suspension & handling
Four doors

The cream quickly rose to the top.

[Darth One]

no riff raff drivers.

[Darth One]

on a serious note, the M3 was the only car i bought where i never test drove any of its competitors. i honestly don't remember why i did that.

[tjsabec]

Originally Posted by karussell

Rear wheel drive with manual transmission naturally aspirated and fits 4 adults.

what competition?

I love the 991 base car and S. its big enough to fit my kids in back but not much else. certainly can't haul all the "stuff" that a family needs on a road trip.

The RS4s fit your specifications there.

[///M3THOD]

Originally Posted by mdosu

Awesome forums

Originally Posted by Darth One

no riff raff drivers.

...well, maybe one less now that derple's gone

[hpc3]

Originally Posted by M3ZCP6MT

We all Love our E9X M3s. But why over such strong competitions and newer models?

I like the DSG and DCT options for maybe 15-20min worth of track-type driving but am utterly bored to death with them for daily use. I waited to see the order guide for the RS5 last May(US) before committing on the M3, had an '11 S4 6sp at the time.

Its also fair to say I *never* would have seriously considered the M3 had it not been for the BMW PC here. I've never been allowed to test drive a potential purchase like the car was meant to be used

[Giggs]

I had dreamt of owning an M3 in my teens and BMW nailed it with this car. I think its the best looking and most fun to drive of all of their cars do date; most fun to drive based on a wide variety of other models I've driven in the past that is. Even though I've moved on to my true dream car I'd love to put an e92 M3 back in the garage in a few years! Hence why I still hang around on the forum! Lol

[nullrouted]

C63 AMG is the only one that even comes close, but you have to like the saloon style, and also the automatic gearbox. The CTS-V is just a poor man's Corvette, I see absolutely no reason to buy one over a C6 (and soon C7). The Audis are heavy and the AWD understeer is pretty bad with them from what I've seen.

I bought the M3 because it was a dream from when I was a kid zipping around in my '99 Eclipse GS-T. Got a used E46 a few years back and haven't looked back since

That said, there are some upcoming cars that are pretty spectacular that you didn't include -- such as:

Jaguar F-Type
Nissan GT-R (2014)

Those two, along with certain Porsches, do give the M3 a run for it's money. If the rumors are to be believed about the M4's pricing being closer to $85k, I think we may see more attrition to cars like the ones I've listed above, rather than upgrades to M4. Personally I will still likely buy an M4 in a few years if it turns out to be a good car, just to go to Munich again, that experience kicked ass

[karussell]

Originally Posted by tjsabec

The RS4s fit your specifications there.

how many RS4's are RWD?

no way.
driven several on the track and on street. can't stand them. understeers badly and truly horrible steering feedback.

[swartzentruber]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

Those two, along with certain Porsches, do give the M3 a run for it's money. If the rumors are to be believed about the M4's pricing being closer to $85k, I think we may see more attrition to cars like the ones I've listed above, rather than upgrades to M4.

I would be shocked if that were the case, particularly since the current M3 didn't really sell that well, which is likely at least partially attributable to the price increase over the E46 M3. There's nothing I've seen so far to suggest anything that would make the M4 worth much of a price increase -- the engine in fact is arguably a downgrade, vs both Audi and MB are sticking with V8s in their competitors.

To the OP, I never really strongly considered the others. The M3 was an easy choice because I've been a BMW fan for a few years, plus I was doing ED, and BMWs is one of the best values. Also a fan of the M3 due to the ALMS car. Audi was ruled out because I wanted to go RWD (was trading in a 335xi), plus their dealership experience generally sucks. As far as MB, I just haven't been that much of a fan of their cars, plus I don't think I could be happy with a conventional auto (a DCT version might be a different story). Cadillac is just too big, and I'm not all that fond of the looks, plus also just a conventional auto.

[W///]

Dream car for me as well (next to 911 Turbo). Top 3 reasons, in no specific order
1) Looks
2) S65 (performance, sound --> big time, reliability)
3) Somewhat affordable for us mere mortals (bought used)

[OilPatch]

RS5 is the only car that even tempted me from an m3, but in the end the S65 engine and brand of M is what made that temptation go away rather quickly.

[av2]

I am not fond to the styling of the CTS-V. Although it puts out impressive power, the supercharged OHV engine just lacks a bit of refinement. The RS4 and C63 are both great sports sedans but they are just 1-2 steps shy of the M3 in terms of overall balance of power/ handling and styling. The high revving engine, dual-clutch transmission, balanced handling, and that elegant/aggressive styling all contribute to the E9X M3's success. Very fierce competitors, but my order of preference is M3>C63>RS4>CTS-V.

[pkimM3r]

i wouldn't mind the cts-v wagon. that would be a nice addition to the m3, it will never be a replacement for it though.

huge ass costco cargo and ripping it all the way home LOL.

[Ezio]

Originally Posted by nullrouted

Jaguar F-Type
Nissan GT-R (2014)

Those two, along with certain Porsches, do give the M3 a run for it's money. :

GTR is a 110,000 car. to much money for this comparison. at that point we which include a ZR1 and R8.....

i think AMG, RS5, and CTSV, are more on point with the m3. being luxury sports cars. and being well under 100k cars .

[///M3THOD]

Originally Posted by Ezio

GTR is a 110,000 car. to much money for this comparison. at that point we which include a ZR1 and R8.....

i think AMG, RS5, and CTSV, are more on point with the m3. being luxury sports cars. and being well under 100k cars .

True, but looking at any of the mentioned cars used is a whole new ballgame. Used GT-R's aren't too bad. The new F-Types are gorgeous, although the s/c v8 version is nearly 100k as well.

With the way jags hold their value, I would be surprised to see them in the 70's within 12-18months. Only downside to the jags is they only have autos, plus I would wait for the coupe version anyway.

[24601]

RS5/6, Audi of Hawaii has such poor customer service and is fair to say, racist.

9114S, did come close with attractive lease offers, but I was compulsive that day when I saw my M3. I wasn't even looking for a car but just drove her off the lot.

GTR, well, I'm not stupid... $125k for a Nissan. Pass.

AMG, never considered due to poor reliability.

Caddy, never even crossed my mind. I would never buy American, poor build quality and low resale.