Need a 4 door sedan, so Get m3 or get A 328 and lease a sports car?

[whym3]

Need a 4 door sedan, so Get m3 or get A 328 and lease a sports car


m3 DCt sedan with most of options I want it is going to be 71K
Or

buy a 328 for 40k and with the remaining 30k lease a sprts car for 3 years such as Audi TTS or an 09 SLK 350 or a Z4 and still have 5 to 6K in pocket

My thoughts: with 328 u have space for 4 and a dd for work and then for weekend or after work, a sports car to have fun with

ofcourse none of them will be as good as an M3 sedan but might provide more interest/change with diff driving charcteristics and just driving the m3 day in and day out might wear out its appeal

Just thinking thru the scenarios, thats all

Any thoughts?

[Big Windy]

well, what is the point of having two cars if you don't need two cars? the "sports cars" you listed are good, but it sounds like you are compromising to me. also, i'm not sure that 30k will be enough to cover a 3 year lease on an Audi TT-S...the price isn't out yet, but it people are talking 50-65,000.

i think that maybe you should look at a 335i sedan because that is in the middle ground and will cover both categories a lot better than a 328 and a sports car combo.

[scollins]

Do you have the space for the extra car now? If yes, then it may be an option. But consider that you will have much more "incremental" costs associated with two cars vs. one:
1.) Insurance for two cars will be higher total, even though one will be driven far less.
2.) Maintanence costs will be more with two cars.

I've got 3 cars in the driveway right now, with the 3rd being a small pickup truck that I got from my father-in-law. It is a 2003 S-10, and I drive it maybe 2,500 miles per year. But, it costs the same amount to insure as my 2007 335i!! WTF? Anyway, I'm sure that if you got a 328i and another sporty/sports car, you'll probably be paying the same amount of insurance for both.

In the end, I bet you will drive the more fun "weekend" car more often than you'd expect. If you were doing a daily driver and a more dedicated track car I can see it, or even something more pure sports car (997 or Z06 for example). But a 328i and a Z4, 350z, TT or SLK? I'm not feeling it.

[mkoesel]

Just my opinion, but I don't think the TTS or CLK 350 will be nearly as fun as the M3. Sure they are sports cars, but they are not high-revving V8 sports cars, and neither will be as fast as the M3 in a straight line either. I'm not even convinced that the handling will be appreciably better. So basically are getting two lesser cars instead of one car that you really want. To me that just doesn't cut it. I mean if you can live with the 328i daily and the TTS on the weekend, why not just settle for a 335i then? It'll be better than both in just about ever case, and save you another 25K to boot. 335i will have you covered as far as better fuel economy than the M3 also (and almost as good as the 328i probably), if that is part of your concern.

[Buschy]

I think the censis says get the M3.
the M3 will be a good daily driver, and when you take it out on the weekend evenings, just drive it different, you will think its a different car.

[montreal red]

i say the get the m3 sedan... you save more money in the long run by getting one car instead of two.... also the m3 sedan can trash any of the sports cars you're considering... all of which have below 300hp.

the only way i can justify getting two cars is if you travel a lot of miles daily and dont want to spend so much money on gas by driving the m3 all the time .... if not i say get the m3 sedan... you can drive it to work and when you want, you can bring it to a track day or two with your buddies and scare the shit out of your wife/kids.

[Krank]

M3

It's just more fun than any other option you presented.

Besides, you asked the question on the M3 forums.... what else did you think the M3 lovers would tell you?

[rai]

I can see what you want to do, I have a S2000 currently and will be getting a M3. I was considering a 335i and keep the S2000 (would cost abbout the same) since the S2000 is worth about the price difference.

in the end, I think I will sell the S2000. I have a problem with already have 4 cars so if I keep an extra sports car will be my 5th and the room is not great and having to insure 5 cars and maintaince.

I would second the idea of the 335i (not the 328) because it's more of a beast (not like the M3 but almost). Then instead of a TTS maybe a Miata (or S2000) or some cheaper car than a TTS. You don't need all the bells and whistles in a sports car you won't be driving as much. I think the more simple and basic the sports car the better.

[drvai]

What will be the advantage of getting a 328+"sport car" Vs getting a M3 sedan.

You are getting a sports car (much more "sport" that any of the named), with the 4 doors.

No brainer!

[Buschy]

My thoughts would be that if you are going to have a third car(garage queen) it should be something worth lothing ofter.
My third car will be a gt3 rs, but thats a couple years away, so may change by then.

[drburton]

Don't do it!! I am likely going the opposite direction. I have a third car now, Boxster S and i want to go back to two cars. Here is why:

1) If you have a fun car to drive you want to drive it everyday versus sitting in the garage.
2) Cost of insurance etc... and hassle of maintenance
3) Cars are depreciating assets and it really sucks to know you are paying everyday for a car that is rapidly losing value in your garage.

I say get the M3 and enjoy the 'fun' car everyday while also having the practicality of a four door.

[ase2dais]

Originally Posted by whym3

Need a 4 door sedan, so Get m3 or get A 328 and lease a sports car


m3 DCt sedan with most of options I want it is going to be 71K
Or

buy a 328 for 40k and with the remaining 30k lease a sprts car for 3 years such as Audi TTS or an 09 SLK 350 or a Z4 and still have 5 to 6K in pocket

My thoughts: with 328 u have space for 4 and a dd for work and then for weekend or after work, a sports car to have fun with

ofcourse none of them will be as good as an M3 sedan but might provide more interest/change with diff driving charcteristics and just driving the m3 day in and day out might wear out its appeal

Just thinking thru the scenarios, thats all

Any thoughts?

I love the thought of a daily driver and a wkend toy, it worked for me

[Jack's dad]

I have gone the two car route twice and ended up regretting it both times. With the M3 I am driving an exciting high performance car 100% of the time, I give up virtually nothing performance wise and yet I can carry my kids with me whenever I want to. With the two car route, even though I have spent the money for a high performance car most of the time I am driving something far more mundane. I had two toy cars, a 993 and a Cayman S, and while I loved them both they both were parked far more than they were driven. The M3 sedan represents the best of both worlds and at this point in my ownership experience it is the best car I have ever owned and meets all of my needs.

Steve

[Davinhci]

M3 and forget about the rest

[jm1234]

Originally Posted by whym3

Need a 4 door sedan, so Get m3 or get A 328 and lease a sports car


m3 DCt sedan with most of options I want it is going to be 71K
Or

buy a 328 for 40k and with the remaining 30k lease a sprts car for 3 years such as Audi TTS or an 09 SLK 350 or a Z4 and still have 5 to 6K in pocket

My thoughts: with 328 u have space for 4 and a dd for work and then for weekend or after work, a sports car to have fun with

ofcourse none of them will be as good as an M3 sedan but might provide more interest/change with diff driving charcteristics and just driving the m3 day in and day out might wear out its appeal

Just thinking thru the scenarios, thats all

Any thoughts?

By "sports car" do you mean a car that go's fast and handles great or do you mean a convertible with two seats? From a purely objective standpoint the M3 is faster and will handle better than the "sports cars" you've listed. If there are more subjective criteria, then you have to drive all the cars to decide if you like the "feel" of the "sports car" you are considering more than the M3. If you don't like the feel of the "weekend car" better than the M3 sedan then I think you get the M3 and be happy seven days a week.

Will owning two cars make driving the weekday car more boring? If that thought doesn't bother you then why a 328? Why not something even cheaper and put more money into the weekend sports car (if you go the "weekends are for fun" route). Objectively, I don't think you can do better than the M3 for 70K IF you need a sedan. Some cars that might "outperform" the M3 and still leave something for a weekday driver might be the Corvette or Elise (other ideas). Either option wouldn't leave much for your weekday sedan.

If you are looking subjectively (something more "fun"), you've got a lot of comparison driving to do because there are a lot of combinations out there for 70K. You should start by driving the cars you've mentioned and letting us know what you think of the comparison.

[335destroyer]

M3 sedann

[kbk_75]

I agree with most of what's been said above. The M3 will be more fun to drive and a good deal quicker than the sports cars you've listed. It's perfectly practical as a daily driver (apart from the bad fuel consumption). You'll only have to pay for one car's maintenance and insurance. Seems like a simple choice to me, unless you NEED to have two cars.

[Krueger///M3]

A little OT, but why would someone pay 50-65k for a 265 hp TT-S when they could get an M3? Granted, the TTS is a beautiful car but come on, Cayman S or M3 for the same price range with much more performance, horespower and usability.