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I just traded-in my 2008 e90 M3 6MT (85k miles) for a 2018 Shelby Mustang GT350R (1100 miles). I must say, I felt a huge sense of guilt and heartache watching my beloved M3 being driven away as it was the best car I’ve ever owned and driven in my 30+ years of driving history. I thought I was going to keep that car forever, but it was time for a change.
One of the many reasons I chose to let her go now was that I wasn’t optimistic my particular example would go up in value in the foreseeable future, if ever. I was able to negotiate a trade value of $22,500 from the Ford dealership which, considering it had two small dents from a fence that fell on the car in a storm, was in par with what I would have expected to sell the car privately for. I was also looking at $5000 in upcoming maintenance costs (rod bearings + brakes).
After 7 years of ownership and this being my 7th BMW, this M3 has been the most reliable car I’ve owned with only one exception: I did have to replace the throttle body actuators during the first year of ownership. Since then, it's only been oil changes and regularly scheduled service.
Now, as to the GT350R…OMFG. Lol I am still in shock I went from a BMW M product to a Mustang. But what Ford has created with this particular car is nothing short of amazing. I am very particular about build quality but so far, I have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the interior. Yes, my 13-year-old M3’s interior is still superior, but not by as much as I was expecting.
Long term, I do see myself returning to the e90 M3 platform at some point, especially with the direction that BMW is going with its cars.
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