M3 vs 340xi vs Tacoma...

After totaling my 2013 M5 and rolling nearly 7 times, I'm back in the market for a daily driver.

My conscious (and my girlfriend) refuses to let me get another 700 HP RWD vehicle as this definitely played a factor in the accident.

I have an E36 project car that will serve as my weekend go fast (single turbo build, track suspension).

I've narrowed it down to:

1. A 2016 Tacoma
- good for getting to work and back
- good for throwing parts/materials in the back for projects/house rehabs
- good as I'm moving to Denver in 1 year
- seems very boring to drive everyday
- I already have access to a truck from work if I really need the bed

2. 2016 340i x-drive
- AWD
- looks good, and fun
- good for moving to Denver in 1 year
- hear bad things about steering/susp after coming from M
- tunable

3. E90 M3
- too many awesome things to list
- bad- RWD, although I did do RWD 335 in canada for a year and good tires were fine in the winter.
- relatively slow / good and bad
- the sound of the V8


Obviously I've already thought about this a lot but can anyone chime in with some experience? Specifically if they've driven/owned any of these cars over the others. Open to other recommendations of other makes/models as well (S3?)

For altitude, I would buy a turbo car so you don’t lose as much performance in the thinner air. For practicality, at least fold down seats. Preferably 4 doors.

How about an X3 35i?

X5 35i also worth a look. E61 535xi is good for a wagon but getting old.

I drive my E90M3 in winter in NH, with snow wheels. Also drive my turbo E36M3 in winter with snow wheels. Definitely not as good as AWD and cannot go through as deep snow due to ground clearance but I get around.

If you have access to a truck, don't buy a Tacoma. I daily drive a 2009, and it's great, but find something else more fun to drive.

SAMM3Y wrote

Get another m5, she's not your wife.. yet... don't let her dictate some of life's most important decisions... it'll set a bad (for you) tone for the rest of your relationship.

It's not really just her - I also didn't want to get another one. Kind of wanting to move on to something manual and smaller and also not so powerful.

Interesting, the cars you listed are all 3 completely different vehicles lol. I'll chime in because I've driven all 3.. an important question to really ask yourself is "What do you want in a everyday car?". I don't know you personally but I feel like if speed and handling is something that you value then the Tacoma will not likely be a good match for you. Tacoma's are great vehicles, you can't beat the cost and reliability, however it does get boring because they are one of the more underpowered trucks.

I'm not sure what your budget is but I would recommend possibly a 2016+ 535i (M5 if possible) or a 2015+ M6 Gran Coupe (if you like blowing money). Both are comfortable every day cars, handle great and have sufficient power. E90 M3 is a good affordable daily also, I just feel like there are many better options for an every day car.

Provide us with some details on what your needs are in a car and we may be able to provide better recommendations.

X5m. Has space for house project stuff. Awd for winter (tires still matter more). And just about as fast as the m3. It's not as fun to drive as the m3, but still way more fun than a tundra, 535, x5 3.5 etc..

KeepForever wrote

Interesting, the cars you listed are all 3 completely different vehicles lol. I'll chime in because I've driven all 3.. an important question to really ask yourself is "What do you want in a everyday car?". I don't know you personally but I feel like if speed and handling is something that you value then the Tacoma will not likely be a good match for you. Tacoma's are great vehicles, you can't beat the cost and reliability, however it does get boring because they are one of the more underpowered trucks.

I'm not sure what your budget is but I would recommend possibly a 2016+ 535i (M5 if possible) or a 2015+ M6 Gran Coupe (if you like blowing money). Both are comfortable every day cars, handle great and have sufficient power. E90 M3 is a good affordable daily also, I just feel like there are many better options for an every day car.

Provide us with some details on what your needs are in a car and we may be able to provide better recommendations.

Thank you, I think I'm still trying to figure out what I want in a daily vehicle which is why the vehicles I posted are so different.

I had a 535i before the M5 and while it was fun, the handling was pretty abysmal and I upgraded to the M5 a few months later. This is why the E9X M3 is on the table, I do enjoy handling and speed in my daily driver (but maybe not as much as the M5 had to offer, at least in the way I modded it). I am also looking to get into a manual, I miss the stick (except the tundra of course).

My girlfriend drives a Q5, we've lived together for 2 years and will be getting engaged soon, so the AWD suv is already in the household. I have a work truck that I can take home if I really "need" to use it albeit an inconvenience.

I guess it comes down to (since I already have the fun E36) do I get another fun car to daily, or something very utilitarian like the Tacoma.

I think if the Tacoma had a V8 it would be a shut book choice, I test drove it last night and seriously had to put the pedal through the floor just to merge onto the highway.

and the throttle response and auto transmission take some getting used to.
On the brighter side - the low end torque is similar to my E92

Not even a questions for me---I'd go 340 all day long. Just a better daily and a car I wouldn't mind exposing to constant abuse, particularly when you're talking about driving in the snow. In addition, it sounds like you're already working on a fun weekend car. And yeah, the taco would be a horribly boring.

KPM3er wrote

and the throttle response and auto transmission take some getting used to.
On the brighter side - the low end torque is similar to my E92

I haven't driven the E9x m3s is it really that bad? Haha

Drive a 330e

You might be surprised how much fun you have with the electric side of the car. And you can actually flog it a bit before you’re in go to jail territory

I wouldn’t choose a non turbo car to take to Denver

Richbot wrote

Drive a 330e

You might be surprised how much fun you have with the electric side of the car. And you can actually flog it a bit before you’re in go to jail territory

I wouldn’t choose a non turbo car to take to Denver

I'm also considering some of the F80 M3s.. although the exhaust sound of them is really terrible.

I'll check out the 330e!

I test drove a 530e (and have driven a lot of electrics) and the way the cars gamify driving in normal boring-ass traffic can be fun if you allow yourself to switch off your “I wanna go fast” brain

All electric range is dismal on the BMW plugins, but in Denver traffic it could make a boring commuting job more fun and still have a nice familiar bmw driving experience

I actually have both the E92 M3 & 2018 tacoma. Tacoma is my daily, M3 fun weekend car (until I finish my e36 haha). Dailyed the M3 for 2 years before getting the Tacoma.

Comfort: I prefer the cloth seats in my Tacoma then the leather seats in the M3. Other then the seats, everything else is pretty much the same, just done differently. Radio, gps, steering wheel, etc are obviously different, but like I said, they do the same thing.

Gas: Tacoma wins obviously. Depending on how much I have to drive, I refill the tank once or twice a week. With the M3, I refilled every day or every other day depending on how much I drove. Funnily enough, I think both cars have similar tank sizes. I never looked at the real tank size facts, but when I fill up near E the pump always states around 16 gallons.

Reliability: I've put 15k miles on my tacoma since I bought it last year in August. No issues and I don't anticipate any issues since its a Toyota, and a tacoma. Also, being a new vehicle it comes with warranty.

My 2013 M3 has 74K miles. Only issue I ever had was cyl. 5 injector being faulty. That being said, I've dropped tons of money into maintenance and preventative stuff like rod bearings. As the more older these cars get, the more money you're going to drop on it. Not to mention, you might get the mod bug

Power: M3 wins here obviously. Although, stock for stock I feel like the tacoma has the same torque as the M3 sometimes LOL.

Room: Tacoma wins, but not by much. If this isn't going to be a truck used to carry things in the bed a lot, go for it. Although, if you need to use the bed frequently for large items, get the 6ft or buy a bigger truck. I have the 5ft bed and I regret not getting the 6ft or a bigger truck. This is because I mainly work in construction, and need that room sometimes.

Driveability: M3 wins here. Mine is tuned for both motor & trans. The drivetrain works flawlessly albeit some slight clunkyness from the DCT at times.

The Tacoma transmission is TERRIBLE. It never knows what gear it wants to be in, and when you press the accelerator, it takes some time for it to downshift itself. This is a problem when changing lanes or merging on highways. I actually drove from VA to NY recently in the Tacoma and it was struggling to go anywhere with the car full of people plus luggage in the bed. I had to turn on the "extra power" button just so it would stay put in a gear.

To end, I think the E90 M3 for you is a good choice, if you don't mind the MPG & possible repair / maintenance costs. Especially if you have truck access already.

yidgyi wrote

I actually have both the E92 M3 & 2018 tacoma. Tacoma is my daily, M3 fun weekend car (until I finish my e36 haha). Dailyed the M3 for 2 years before getting the Tacoma.

Comfort: I prefer the cloth seats in my Tacoma then the leather seats in the M3. Other then the seats, everything else is pretty much the same, just done differently. Radio, gps, steering wheel, etc are obviously different, but like I said, they do the same thing.

Gas: Tacoma wins obviously. Depending on how much I have to drive, I refill the tank once or twice a week. With the M3, I refilled every day or every other day depending on how much I drove. Funnily enough, I think both cars have similar tank sizes. I never looked at the real tank size facts, but when I fill up near E the pump always states around 16 gallons.

Reliability: I've put 15k miles on my tacoma since I bought it last year in August. No issues and I don't anticipate any issues since its a Toyota, and a tacoma. Also, being a new vehicle it comes with warranty.

My 2013 M3 has 74K miles. Only issue I ever had was cyl. 5 injector being faulty. That being said, I've dropped tons of money into maintenance and preventative stuff like rod bearings. As the more older these cars get, the more money you're going to drop on it. Not to mention, you might get the mod bug

Power: M3 wins here obviously. Although, stock for stock I feel like the tacoma has the same torque as the M3 sometimes LOL.

Room: Tacoma wins, but not by much. If this isn't going to be a truck used to carry things in the bed a lot, go for it. Although, if you need to use the bed frequently for large items, get the 6ft or buy a bigger truck. I have the 5ft bed and I regret not getting the 6ft or a bigger truck. This is because I mainly work in construction, and need that room sometimes.

Driveability: M3 wins here. Mine is tuned for both motor & trans. The drivetrain works flawlessly albeit some slight clunkyness from the DCT at times.

The Tacoma transmission is TERRIBLE. It never knows what gear it wants to be in, and when you press the accelerator, it takes some time for it to downshift itself. This is a problem when changing lanes or merging on highways. I actually drove from VA to NY recently in the Tacoma and it was struggling to go anywhere with the car full of people plus luggage in the bed. I had to turn on the "extra power" button just so it would stay put in a gear.

To end, I think the E90 M3 for you is a good choice, if you don't mind the MPG & possible repair / maintenance costs. Especially if you have truck access already.

Wow thank you for the extremely detailed write up.. this is exactly what I was looking for. A good review of the Tacoma by someone who also knows the M3. Thank you for taking the time.

Gas mileage will be better than my M5 I guarantee it, if I drove hard that thing would use a half tank in under an hour I swear.

I've also added a 2015 F80 into the mix... it makes things tougher. That was pretty much my dream car for the last 3 years (I settled on the M5 because the 2013 depreciated so much).

I think I'm going to go with the (M3 E90/F80) and when the time comes to move in a year I will feel it out and sell if I absolutely feel like I need the truck in Denver. I'm going to fight the mod bug except for wheels/tires. Tires most importantly.

_BSMM5 wrote

Wow thank you for the extremely detailed write up.. this is exactly what I was looking for. A good review of the Tacoma by someone who also knows the M3. Thank you for taking the time.

Gas mileage will be better than my M5 I guarantee it, if I drove hard that thing would use a half tank in under an hour I swear.

I've also added a 2015 F80 into the mix... it makes things tougher. That was pretty much my dream car for the last 3 years (I settled on the M5 because the 2013 depreciated so much).

I think I'm going to go with the (M3 E90/F80) and when the time comes to move in a year I will feel it out and sell if I absolutely feel like I need the truck in Denver. I'm going to fight the mod bug except for wheels/tires. Tires most importantly.

For the price of a used f80 M3, you could probably get a used Tacoma, and M3 lol. I haven't checked the f80 market recently but aren't they going for $50k used? A decent e9x M3 is like $25k, and the tacoma too.

Actually, I just read you have a single turbo e36. Why not get a Tacoma daily if you need a truck next year and use the e36 as a fun car which could potentially act as double duty some times? Unless its a fully on track car. Currently building my e36 as a double duty car in case I get bored dailying the Tacoma

yidgyi wrote

_BSMM5 wrote

Wow thank you for the extremely detailed write up.. this is exactly what I was looking for. A good review of the Tacoma by someone who also knows the M3. Thank you for taking the time.

Gas mileage will be better than my M5 I guarantee it, if I drove hard that thing would use a half tank in under an hour I swear.

I've also added a 2015 F80 into the mix... it makes things tougher. That was pretty much my dream car for the last 3 years (I settled on the M5 because the 2013 depreciated so much).

I think I'm going to go with the (M3 E90/F80) and when the time comes to move in a year I will feel it out and sell if I absolutely feel like I need the truck in Denver. I'm going to fight the mod bug except for wheels/tires. Tires most importantly.

For the price of a used f80 M3, you could probably get a used Tacoma, and M3 lol. I haven't checked the f80 market recently but aren't they going for $50k used? A decent e9x M3 is like $25k, and the tacoma too.

Actually, I just read you have a single turbo e36. Why not get a Tacoma daily if you need a truck next year and use the e36 as a fun car which could potentially act as double duty some times? Unless its a fully on track car. Currently building my e36 as a double duty car in case I get bored dailying the Tacoma

Used 2015s are hitting the mid 30k mark for the F80 now. 50k for low mileage 2016/2017 models. My E36 is months away from being finished.. maybe I should just be less patient. I could dial the boost back and make it more street friendly for sure.😮

I have a 50 mile round trip commute to work and the Tacoma seems grueling on the highway.

I was thinking about the M3 and Tacoma combo as well. If I can find a good condition MT E90. Not as easy as I thought. I'd have to go older on the Tacoma too.

OP, keep looking for an E90M. Should you find one in the shape you want, you have a decision near.

An E9x M3 in Denver will make 15% less power and even less if you go for mountain drives. The same goes for the Tacoma but if you buy one of those you have already accepted that you are not interested in performance or handling.

Gladiator

_BSMM5 wrote

Used 2015s are hitting the mid 30k mark for the F80 now. 50k for low mileage 2016/2017 models. My E36 is months away from being finished.. maybe I should just be less patient. I could dial the boost back and make it more street friendly for sure.😮

I have a 50 mile round trip commute to work and the Tacoma seems grueling on the highway.

I was thinking about the M3 and Tacoma combo as well. If I can find a good condition MT E90. Not as easy as I thought. I'd have to go older on the Tacoma too.

Holy crap, 30k for a used f80? Lol. Well, with whatever you decide to do, good luck!

E9XM would be my last choice to be honest. Any heat/load/altitude make the car literally feel like a 4 cylinder. These cars need to be at sea level to be fun. (I live near sea level in San Diego but we have 5000ft mountain runs right in our back yard and my E90M was a complete dog up there).

You for sure want a turbo car or big displacement if you want power.

Now - I just bought my wife a 2019 TRD Offroad 4x4 QC Long Bed last weekend and it is mind-blowingly plush in the comfort department. The ultimate DD / trip / people hauler / Home Depot machine in reality. If you are planning on owning a home in Denver I can't fathom not owning a truck, especially if you're an outdoors type. Truck is mandatory. (not saying you need a late model Tacoma, just that a man needs a truck depending on lifestyle). I will echo the lack of power and very *confused* transmission comments, though. Killer truck, just a very non-sporty drive train.

340Xi sounds ideal to be honest. It will feel 4 times faster than an E9XM, handle just as good in the real world and get you through the snow easily. So, if no truck, this is my vote hands down.

Note - I'm not knocking the E9XM. I, unlike most poeple, just call things like they are. I am actually shopping for another E9XM but know its limitations. Just traded in my '18 F80 ZCP manual stripper after a year of leasing if you'd like to chat more about that experience - by FAR the best car I've ever owned (my plan was to keep only for a year as that's the amount of "money loss" I could justify in exchange for the amazing experience - the depreciation on a $75k car is a big dollar amount).