Trade up to M3?

[fisher191]

I have a 2007 335i and have an opportunity to trade up to a 2007 M3 with about 45,000 miles in white with black nappa - but I have to decide quickly.

It took me 6 months to decide on the 335i after much research that I won't have time to do now - so please help. I have had a quick look throught this forum but can't see anything jumping out.

Is there anything I should be looking for when I drive the M3, i.e. any known issues or problem areas (like the 335i HPFP)?

Do I need a warranty or are they bullet proof?

What expensive maintenance might be needed. It is a manual. How long does the clutch last?

[kiwistu]

Great to see another kiwi!

I drive an AW M3 manual here in Auckland.

Yes, they are really strong, if it's a private deal I would still get a main dealer to inspect it & sell you a warranty (which they will if you twist their arm). I am not going own mine out of warranty!

I do track days all the time in in mine, brilliant for hampton downs too.

Go see Andy at Team Mc he's got a mint space grey one at the mo.

Cheers
stu

(and no I dont work there! But I did buy mine there)

[MattE92]

I've owned 4 bmw's and i just bought a E92 M3 in manuel. its the greatest car ever. my friend has an M6, C63, and an S5. the M3 is the best of all of them. I'm not the biggest fan of buying used cars.. get it checked out.

[Mike van D]

Agree, get PPI done by a reputable dealer first.

[spdy330]

Originally Posted by fisher191

Is there anything I should be looking for when I drive the M3, i.e. any known issues or problem areas (like the 335i HPFP)?

Gas Stations

Good luck with your purchase OP!

[theliuman]

^ hah, you got an actual LOL from me. Nice.

OP, there seems to be a consensus that the M3s have LESS problems than the 3-series version.

One problem though, is that repairs will be more expensive due to the performance parts that the M3 has. I have around 44k miles on my 2008 and I'm starting to seriously debate whether or not an extended warranty is required, but I'm leaning towards no.

If you've always wanted an M3, get an M3. I upgraded from a 335i also, but I've ALWAYS wanted an M3 and I'm so glad I made the change

[brava09]

Do it, but make sure the M3 you are about to buy is in good condition!

[fisher191]

Originally Posted by theliuman

^ I upgraded from a 335i also, but I've ALWAYS wanted an M3 and I'm so glad I made the change

What were your impressions about the change after you owned the M3 for a few weeks/months, i.e. things I might not pick up from a test drive. Is there anything you miss about the 335i?

BTW, when I started looking I wanted an E46 M3 but after driving both decided on a 335i instead. The E92 M3 was out of my price range then.

[jagdeepj123]

There is definitely less torque from the M3 compared with a remapped 335i. If your 335i is remapped, u will miss the explosive pull when the turbos spool.
Obviously an M3 is better in many other ways, but something to consider...

[dhoggm3]

I had the Procede, so a little less than 400hp in the 335 but no slouch.

No turbo lag and a lightweight flywheel on the M3 (from the factory) mean instant spool-up when you blip the throttle. I like that a lot. A real limited slip on the M3, opposed to the lame electronic faux limited slip on the 335i puts the M3 into a whole different league traction-wise and drift-wise. And the M3 has several luxury touches you won't see on the 335i. And there is just no way you can compare the engine noise of the awesome V8 to the turbo I6. I'll gladly give up a full second 0-100 for that sound.

I'd never go back.

[mmm def]

Originally Posted by fisher191

What were your impressions about the change after you owned the M3 for a few weeks/months, i.e. things I might not pick up from a test drive. Is there anything you miss about the 335i?

BTW, when I started looking I wanted an E46 M3 but after driving both decided on a 335i instead. The E92 M3 was out of my price range then.

I miss the low end torque of the 335, that's it. I also owned an E46 M3. The E90 M3 is my favorite by far. Do it!

[theliuman]

Originally Posted by fisher191

What were your impressions about the change after you owned the M3 for a few weeks/months, i.e. things I might not pick up from a test drive. Is there anything you miss about the 335i?

BTW, when I started looking I wanted an E46 M3 but after driving both decided on a 335i instead. The E92 M3 was out of my price range then.

I also was surprised when I drove my M3 that it lacked the low-end torque versus a 335i (mine was not tuned).

Another thing that I sort of missed was not filling up almost twice a week

It's definitely a tougher car to DD than a 335i; the car feels more "raw." I love that feeling, but at the same time whenever I took it on chores like to the grocery store, I felt it was way too much. Hence, I just picked up a Mazda3 to zoom-zoom around town and commute.

Another thing that was interesting -- after getting the M3, I want to track the car whereas I've never cared about tracking a car before.

I don't regret it a single bit. I love my E92 M3, so much so that I'm babying it by getting a beater (although it's technically brand new). There are new feelings in this car that goes above and beyond the 335i that it's just indescribable. A lot of it is psychological, but damn it feels good

[fisher191]

Originally Posted by theliuman

I also was surprised when I drove my M3 that it lacked the low-end torque versus a 335i (mine was not tuned).

Another thing that I sort of missed was not filling up almost twice a week

It's definitely a tougher car to DD than a 335i; the car feels more "raw." I love that feeling, but at the same time whenever I took it on chores like to the grocery store, I felt it was way too much. Hence, I just picked up a Mazda3 to zoom-zoom around town and commute.

Another thing that was interesting -- after getting the M3, I want to track the car whereas I've never cared about tracking a car before.

I don't regret it a single bit. I love my E92 M3, so much so that I'm babying it by getting a beater (although it's technically brand new). There are new feelings in this car that goes above and beyond the 335i that it's just indescribable. A lot of it is psychological, but damn it feels good

I have just taken the M3 for a test drive and was hugely impressed. The sound they make when you wind them out is incredible and certainly puts a smile on your face..

It is a very different car to the 335i. I agree with what you say about wanting to track them.

BUT....I don't think I want one (a manual one anyway) as a DD. And I don't want to drive a (no offence to anyone - this is just me) cheaper car as a DD and have the M3 as a garage queen. If I buy it, I want to use it. Also, I wasn't hugely impressed with the shifter. Maybe a DCT would be a different story. With most of my driving it will be hard to 'exercise' the car to get to the feelgood zone (without attracting unwanted attention), and the 335i has better torque low down.

Gas isn't an issue - if you are prepared to pay for a nice car to me its just part of the running cost.

One thing it did show me - get rid of the runflats on the 335i. It was a revelation to drive an E92 that didn't tramline and crash over low speed bumps, crossings, etc. The M3 had PS2s vs the std RFTs I have.

But then I keep thinking about the noise of that V8 winding out to 8,000rpm....

[mid-corner fun]

feedback from someone in the same boat:

I have a tuned 335i with a Quaife LSD and M3 suspension bits, among other mods, that I track quite often. After "borrowing" an M3 for a long-term evaluation, I'm considering pulling the trigger on a '08 or '09 M3 soon.

1. For a DD scenario: You'll miss the low-end torque. To partially compensate for the loss, you can drive at a higher rpm range (not comfortable for DD) or invest in a tune+pulley. Or simply lower the windows and enjoy the awesome sound!
2. Trade up cost from an '08 335 to '08 or '09 M3 is not bad, $25k at most, I'd expect minimal increases from an '07. In my case it's even less as I'd part out everything except the LSD before selling.
3. I really want a DCT car for track purposes but it bugs me that CPO won't cover the DCT transmission, hence out of warranty repairs can be very expensive on this item.
4. Make sure you have a clean PPI report on hand before you buy

Good Luck!

[Ateam]

I don't get the frequent comments that it is "not practical or comfortable" to keep the revs high in daily driving in order to extract the good power? You get some more great sound but unless you have a loud exhaust, it is just really beautiful, non-intrusive sound. When I drive around in the city and am doing a lot of turns and in traffic stuff, I always keep it above 4k and its nice and quiet but just on the edge of the power band and a stab of the throttle and I am good to go. v. if you lull around at 2-3k, than a stab of the throttle will bog you down.

[fisher191]

Its not that the M3 has a lack of low-end torque but that you need to get to the higher revs before the car starts to show its character.

My last 3 cars have been HSVs (the maker of the last Pontiac GTOs), i.e. a Chev 6L V8 that has torque from idle. I love the way that the 335i can emuate that light throttle pull from around 1200-1400 - and still wind out to 7K.

If I had come from 4cly Jap cars that need to rev to move, I would probably think differently.

I can't see myself 'keeping it above 4k' as a DD. On my drive to work this morning (in cross town traffic, intersections, etc but moving at 30-40mph), the revs were in the 1k to 2k range for 99% of the time.

[LagMode335i]

Originally Posted by theliuman

^ hah, you got an actual LOL from me. Nice.

OP, there seems to be a consensus that the M3s have LESS problems than the 3-series version.

If you've always wanted an M3, get an M3. I upgraded from a 335i also, but I've ALWAYS wanted an M3 and I'm so glad I made the change

This....same scenario. My 335i is tuned also. It is why I ordered a M-3........

[MTM]

I bought a '09 M3 for my daily driver a couple of months, and I don't regret it one bit. I smile every time I start it, every time I accelerate, every time I brake or turn. This car is the total package (for me). It does great on the highway, but I do agree with the earlier comment that using it to run to the grocery store does seem a bit much.

When the basic warranty expires, I will probably bite the bullet an pay for the extended option. Even though I am quite mechanically minded, it does not make sense to me to be "self insured" on such an expensive car.

Hope this helps. I say go for it!

[PhillyNate]

Originally Posted by MTM

It does great on the highway, but I do agree with the earlier comment that using it to run to the grocery store does seem a bit much.

I wholeheartedly agree. Though you certainly could, for some reason this is not short/quick trip to the grocery store type of car. I too have a daily driver for those types of missions.

[S65V8]

-Get a CPOed one
-Look at service history and ensure it rec'vd all the right checks
-CLEAN carfax, no accidents whatsoever, 1-owner
-Best to get a M3 that was owned by the dealer and is simply a lease return to the same dealer. Less ideal to get one that was transferred from one dealer to the next.
-Check the fender seams, undercarriage (if you can), and other signs that the car had a fender bender. Uneven "orange peel" in the paint is a clear indicator the car had been repainted.
-The dealer can provide a CPO inspection form that tells you everything they had to repair or noticed when the car was evaluated.

GLWB!

[fisher191]

Originally Posted by SROC5

-Get a CPOed one
-Look at service history and ensure it rec'vd all the right checks
-CLEAN carfax, no accidents whatsoever, 1-owner
-Best to get a M3 that was owned by the dealer and is simply a lease return to the same dealer. Less ideal to get one that was transferred from one dealer to the next.
-Check the fender seams, undercarriage (if you can), and other signs that the car had a fender bender. Uneven "orange peel" in the paint is a clear indicator the car had been repainted.
-The dealer can provide a CPO inspection form that tells you everything they had to repair or noticed when the car was evaluated.

GLWB!

Unfortunately no CPO or carfax here in New Zealand. BMW offer a PPI. I had this done on the 335i but wasn't hugely impressed with the result. The car is fine but they didn't find the two things I noted on the test drive - seat belt extender arm and battery registration (the non-BMW dealer must have swapped the battery out). It just seemed like a '100 point check'.

Next time I will go back to my indie. He spends 2-3 hours having a good look around.

BMW dealers give a 2 year new car warranty on <5yo cars they sell. They 'may' sell you a warranty when buying from another dealer - I was quoted $3,000 for a year for the M3 I am looking at.

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

The M3 is BMW's most reliable car. The S65 is bulletproof. Don't miss out on this V8 screamer. This is an end of an era for ///M cars. Do you want to be apart of it?