Considering buying a used E90 or E92 ///M3

silverspoon · 09-22-2012, 10:47 PM

Hello there, new to this forum and to BMW's as well.

When I was a kid my parents owned a BMW 3 series and when it got to be around 7-8 years old, it started to break down and I remember the visits to the mechanic to become part of my folks routine and the bills to be quite high.

Lately, I've been considering the idea of keeping my current car (a modified Subaru WRX) purely as a toy and go ahead and get another car for daily use. I've noticed a few 2008 and 2009 M3's with about 60K miles (sometimes less, way less) for around 40 grand.

I've liked this particular generation of the M3 but feel a bit hesitant about pulling the trigger on one because of the impression that 318i left in me. I am used to have cars that are extremely reliable even when modified. So I was wondering, how good of a 3-4 year old car are these used M3's? What are the usual problems they have? Are they high maintenance? Cons/problems are there about/with the DCT? (It must be DCT equipped). Insurance, super high? (I live in Miami) Do they get regularly stolen?

Thanks for any input. Oh and nice forum! ...lots of nice cars also...

Takumi587 · 09-23-2012, 01:33 AM

DCT more likely to get stolen?

Seriously though how old are you?

Drive a WRX and now you want an M3 because your parents used to have a 3 series?

Do yourself a favor and listen to me. If you don't own a house yet then go out and buy one. If you already own one then go buy another one and rent it out! Pay off your WRX if it is not done yet. If you dont want to do any of those then go put your 40k you have saved up and put it in an IRA or securities account and buy a dividend stock or any strong stock that has room to grow.

Sorry if I sound like a Dbag but from the sounds of it you sound young and the worse thing to do at our age is to waste money on a sports car that can wait. Be smart. If I totally mis judged you then seriously my bad for over analyzing you and writing this long post just for you. Best of luck and welcome to bimmerpost.com

silverspoon · 09-23-2012, 08:47 AM

^Whoa... Takumi... seems like we started with the wrong foot...

Yes sir, you do sound like a Dbag, but at least you know it...

I am 32 years old, I'm a professional, married to another professional, I'm a home owner and I happen to like my WRX, which I bought brand new in 2005 and it has been paid off for 2 years now...

Wow, think it is unfortunate that BMW enthusiasts have the reputation they have out there but the last thing I thought was that I needed to explain my financial situation in order to get straight answers about a car...

Anyway, as I stated on the very first sentence that I wrote above, I am new to BMW's. If I mentioned my current car it is only to establish the difference of the type of car that I have and the one that I'm considering to get. I do not know if they get stolen a lot with or without DCTs. Where I come from thieves steal whatever they want, no matter how well equipped or not it is...

I don't want a BMW because my parents had one (and one of the lamest...). It is precisely that fact what is making me a bit iffy about all this. However, I do like the M3 as it is one of the few cars out there that are sporty enough for my taste but at the same time it is impressively refined, comfortable and practical enough to be a family car...

I'm sure there are some other E9X M3 owners here that are more down to earth and can answer my questions on a rather civilized way...

Kwando · 09-23-2012, 09:00 AM

If you really think we're dbags, go on NASIOC and try asking a question that's been repeatedly asked without doing a search. But to answer you're question without sugar-coating it, everything about the M3 is expensive but the V8 is bullet proof. E9x is pretty reliable but of course no car is built to last forever. Theft is relative. If you want one with problem-free DCT get 09+. You should just do search as all your questions have been answered.

m3an · 09-23-2012, 09:07 AM

318 BMW were junk; they're 4 cylinder are better now but still; do some searching; there's no issues w/ these cars. Just too many people who worry that there are

silverspoon · 09-23-2012, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwando

If you really think we're dbags, go on NASIOC and try asking a question that's been repeatedly asked without doing a search. But to answer you're question without sugar-coating it, everything about the M3 is expensive but the V8 is bullet proof. E9x is pretty reliable but of course no car is built to last forever. Theft is relative. If you want one with problem-free DCT get 09+. You should just do search as all your questions have been answered.

Nah... I'm sure there are nicer BMW enthusiasts, I know a few myself. And you are right on NASIOC, that's why I rarely post there...

Anyway, answers like the one you gave on the DCT and the year is the kind of stuff I am looking for, so thanks...

Takumi587 · 09-23-2012, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverspoon

^Whoa... Takumi... seems like we started with the wrong foot...

Yes sir, you do sound like a Dbag, but at least you know it...

I am 32 years old, I'm a professional, married to another professional, I'm a home owner and I happen to like my WRX, which I bought brand new in 2005 and it has been paid off for 2 years now...

Wow, think it is unfortunate that BMW enthusiasts have the reputation they have out there but the last thing I thought was that I needed to explain my financial situation in order to get straight answers about a car...

Anyway, as I stated on the very first sentence that I wrote above, I am new to BMW's. If I mentioned my current car it is only to establish the difference of the type of car that I have and the one that I'm considering to get. I do not know if they get stolen a lot with or without DCTs. Where I come from thieves steal whatever they want, no matter how well equipped or not it is...

I don't want a BMW because my parents had one (and one of the lamest...). It is precisely that fact what is making me a bit iffy about all this. However, I do like the M3 as it is one of the few cars out there that are sporty enough for my taste but at the same time it is impressively refined, comfortable and practical enough to be a family car...

I'm sure there are some other E9X M3 owners here that are more down to earth and can answer my questions on a rather civilized way...

Alright, I truly mis-judged you and apologize for that. After being years on the forum you will soon find out it is mainly filled with young teenagers just obssessed about their dream car and posting BS threads on here. To be honest with you i just recently began posting here again. I left because i was sick of seeing all the threads about young kids getting into car accidents with their new M because of reckless driving.

It sounds like you are most certainly well off and ready to move up to an M3. As for the car being stolen, it honestly depends where you live. Brooklyn? East Hollywood? You know what I mean? You can visit your local police station and ask about the occurence of stolen vehicles in your area.

Now DCT vs. Manual debate has been an issue since I have been on here. If your WRX is manual right now then the DCT will make you surely miss it. However, since you said the m3 will be a daily then DCT makes sense. No worries of stalling etc. Manual has its benefits too because they have the anti roll on a hill ( some hate it some love it). My choice though if i had a choice is a manual. Less buttons and pretty straightfoward if you ask me.

Maintenance will be expensive for the M3 so you might want to ask about extended waranty. If not that then I highly reccommend a lease especially if you might be thinking of getting the next generation m3 in 2014.

Well best of luck to you buddy and again I apologize for being a D bag with my first post to ya haha.

silverspoon · 09-23-2012, 01:38 PM

Apology accepted, no hard feelings...

Now, about the transmission, The WRX is stick and since my wife (after many attempts) just can't drive stick and since we just moved (back) to Miami and my family (which live elswhere) will be visiting regularly and none of them drive stick, I think it will be a better idea to have another car without a clutch pedal. So that's why I'd rather have that feature...

The warranty extension is definitely something that I'd like. Do you guys know if you can buy an WE after the original warranty period has expired or the millage exceeded?

Oh, and it will have to be a 2008-2009 car, I will not feel comfortable having to pay a gazillion bucks each month for it. There are a lot of other things that I like to do and have besides a really nice car... Issues on these M.Y. to look for?

davesaddiction · 09-23-2012, 01:46 PM

Best of luck on your search. 2009 gets you the newer version of iDrive and the updated tail lights (if going E90). I'd definitely try to get one with some warranty remaining, so you can get anything you notice taken care of, and have the option of extending service/warranty (both very pricey from BMW).

My wife, thankfully, can drive a manual. But enjoy the DCT!

09-22-2012, 10:47 PM	#1
silverspoon New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: Not a BMW... Yet. Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	Considering buying a used E90 or E92 ///M3 Hello there, new to this forum and to BMW's as well. When I was a kid my parents owned a BMW 3 series and when it got to be around 7-8 years old, it started to break down and I remember the visits to the mechanic to become part of my folks routine and the bills to be quite high. Lately, I've been considering the idea of keeping my current car (a modified Subaru WRX) purely as a toy and go ahead and get another car for daily use. I've noticed a few 2008 and 2009 M3's with about 60K miles (sometimes less, way less) for around 40 grand. I've liked this particular generation of the M3 but feel a bit hesitant about pulling the trigger on one because of the impression that 318i left in me. I am used to have cars that are extremely reliable even when modified. So I was wondering, how good of a 3-4 year old car are these used M3's? What are the usual problems they have? Are they high maintenance? Cons/problems are there about/with the DCT? (It must be DCT equipped). Insurance, super high? (I live in Miami) Do they get regularly stolen? Thanks for any input. Oh and nice forum! ...lots of nice cars also... Last edited by silverspoon; 09-23-2012 at 08:53 AM..
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09-23-2012, 01:33 AM	#2
Takumi587 ///M3 Enthusiast 397 Rep 993 Posts Drives: 05' M3 and 21' Tesla Model 3 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Pasadena iTrader: (1) Garage List 2015 Mercedes AMG GTs [0.00] 2020 BMW M340i [0.00] 2005 BMW M3 [0.00]	DCT more likely to get stolen? Seriously though how old are you? Drive a WRX and now you want an M3 because your parents used to have a 3 series? Do yourself a favor and listen to me. If you don't own a house yet then go out and buy one. If you already own one then go buy another one and rent it out! Pay off your WRX if it is not done yet. If you dont want to do any of those then go put your 40k you have saved up and put it in an IRA or securities account and buy a dividend stock or any strong stock that has room to grow. Sorry if I sound like a Dbag but from the sounds of it you sound young and the worse thing to do at our age is to waste money on a sports car that can wait. Be smart. If I totally mis judged you then seriously my bad for over analyzing you and writing this long post just for you. Best of luck and welcome to bimmerpost.com
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09-23-2012, 08:47 AM	#3
silverspoon New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: Not a BMW... Yet. Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	^Whoa... Takumi... seems like we started with the wrong foot... Yes sir, you do sound like a Dbag, but at least you know it... I am 32 years old, I'm a professional, married to another professional, I'm a home owner and I happen to like my WRX, which I bought brand new in 2005 and it has been paid off for 2 years now... Wow, think it is unfortunate that BMW enthusiasts have the reputation they have out there but the last thing I thought was that I needed to explain my financial situation in order to get straight answers about a car... Anyway, as I stated on the very first sentence that I wrote above, I am new to BMW's. If I mentioned my current car it is only to establish the difference of the type of car that I have and the one that I'm considering to get. I do not know if they get stolen a lot with or without DCTs. Where I come from thieves steal whatever they want, no matter how well equipped or not it is... I don't want a BMW because my parents had one (and one of the lamest...). It is precisely that fact what is making me a bit iffy about all this. However, I do like the M3 as it is one of the few cars out there that are sporty enough for my taste but at the same time it is impressively refined, comfortable and practical enough to be a family car... I'm sure there are some other E9X M3 owners here that are more down to earth and can answer my questions on a rather civilized way...
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09-23-2012, 09:00 AM	#4
Kwando Major 431 Rep 1,428 Posts Drives: 2018 340i xDrive Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: London, Ontario, Canada iTrader: (1)	If you really think we're dbags, go on NASIOC and try asking a question that's been repeatedly asked without doing a search. But to answer you're question without sugar-coating it, everything about the M3 is expensive but the V8 is bullet proof. E9x is pretty reliable but of course no car is built to last forever. Theft is relative. If you want one with problem-free DCT get 09+. You should just do search as all your questions have been answered.
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09-23-2012, 09:07 AM	#5
m3an Banned 39 Rep 1,590 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Florida iTrader: (2)	318 BMW were junk; they're 4 cylinder are better now but still; do some searching; there's no issues w/ these cars. Just too many people who worry that there are
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09-23-2012, 01:38 PM	#8
silverspoon New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: Not a BMW... Yet. Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	Apology accepted, no hard feelings... Now, about the transmission, The WRX is stick and since my wife (after many attempts) just can't drive stick and since we just moved (back) to Miami and my family (which live elswhere) will be visiting regularly and none of them drive stick, I think it will be a better idea to have another car without a clutch pedal. So that's why I'd rather have that feature... The warranty extension is definitely something that I'd like. Do you guys know if you can buy an WE after the original warranty period has expired or the millage exceeded? Oh, and it will have to be a 2008-2009 car, I will not feel comfortable having to pay a gazillion bucks each month for it. There are a lot of other things that I like to do and have besides a really nice car... Issues on these M.Y. to look for?
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09-23-2012, 01:46 PM	#9
davesaddiction is fast cars 391 Rep 2,137 Posts Drives: '08 E90 M3 6MT SSII BPM Stg II Join Date: May 2012 Location: Oklahoma iTrader: (0)	Best of luck on your search. 2009 gets you the newer version of iDrive and the updated tail lights (if going E90). I'd definitely try to get one with some warranty remaining, so you can get anything you notice taken care of, and have the option of extending service/warranty (both very pricey from BMW). My wife, thankfully, can drive a manual. But enjoy the DCT! __________________ Daddy's Rocket Sled! Clarkson: "It is... pretty much perfect... Why don't I have one of these cars?" Harris: "The saloon is definitely the M3 of choice."
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