Advice requested: Considering going from 335 to M3

[desertfox73]

Originally Posted by 517

Well, all this is probably moot - although the M3 is still on Autotrader, it's no longer on the dealer's website (it was there yesterday). Maybe I'll look at an S5 to hold me over until the 435i comes out. I test drove one a few weeks ago and that V8 is nice.

This is almost exactly how I picked my college. I got waitlisted at one school, so I committed to my backup before waiting to see if the waitlist finished; I wound up getting in, but had to decline. I got a great degree from my backup school, and it has done me well, but I regret not waiting.

Perhaps a silly analogy, but a similar decision process. Don't settle. If you want it, and can wait, wait.

[Roth517]

Originally Posted by apecush

Expand your search, and sell the 335i privately. 42k for a loan going from a 335 to a M3? That's nuts, I just paid 43.5 for mine (08, 25,000 miles, immaculate). By avoiding dealers (buying/selling privately), it shouldn't be too hard to get that loan under 30k when its all said and done. Get creative, and have the best of both worlds (under-budget loan/better car).

Trust me, I thought of that. I'd lose about $3,000 if I traded in my 335i versus selling it privately. But I live in mid-Michigan. It took me eleven months to sell an immaculate E46 a few years ago (and it ended up being bought sight unseen by a chick out in SoCal). There just isn't the market for them around here. Plus, if the M3 I was looking at in Indy is now sold, with my luck, I'd privately sell my 335 and have nothing to buy (there currently aren't any other M3s anywhere nearby that I'm interested in).

[luis_m3]

Originally Posted by 517

Trust me, I thought of that. I'd lose about $3,000 if I traded in my 335i versus selling it privately. But I live in mid-Michigan. It took me eleven months to sell an immaculate E46 a few years ago (and it ended up being bought sight unseen by a chick out in SoCal). There just isn't the market for them around here. Plus, if the M3 I was looking at in Indy is now sold, with my luck, I'd privately sell my 335 and have nothing to buy (there currently aren't any other M3s anywhere nearby that I'm interested in).

I can't believe you're actually complaining about this... I've noticed that most ppl in these forums live next to 1,000 other M3s, of which 990 are AW! (i.e. SoCal)
I'm glad I don't have that problem either... there's only about 10 in my area.

[KIS]

Originally Posted by desertfox73

This is almost exactly how I picked my college. I got waitlisted at one school, so I committed to my backup before waiting to see if the waitlist finished; I wound up getting in, but had to decline. I got a great degree from my backup school, and it has done me well, but I regret not waiting.

Perhaps a silly analogy, but a similar decision process. Don't settle. If you want it, and can wait, wait.

What was your first choice, and the school you ultimately attended?

[DefBringer]

You're going to miss the torque and the great gas mileage of the 335i.

The M3's are getting a bit long in the tooth, don't jump into one blindly. There are a lot of incredible options to be had for that kind of money in 2011.

My advice is to go out and drive a lot of cars and see what you like best. Maybe the M3 is the right car for you, maybe it's not?

[gthal]

Originally Posted by DefBringer

You're going to miss the torque and the great gas mileage of the 335i.

The M3's are getting a bit long in the tooth, don't jump into one blindly. There are a lot of incredible options to be had for that kind of money in 2011.

My advice is to go out and drive a lot of cars and see what you like best. Maybe the M3 is the right car for you, maybe it's not?

I agree with your recommendation for the OP but for different reasons. Seems to me that the "long in the tooth" M3 just won yet another comparison test For the right person, the M3 is not a blind jump and is still one of the best overall options. For the OP and his driving habits, I agree he should stick with the less expensive, better gas mileage, less fun and lower performing 335 because he won't see the benefit of the M3 the way he describes his driving habits, etc.

[desertfox73]

Originally Posted by KIS

What was your first choice, and the school you ultimately attended?

1) Yale, 2) Tufts. Only after I started going to Tufts did I realize it was known as the "Ivy League Backup". Ha! Still, it has done me well, so I can't knock it too much.

[kmarei]

The only thing that worries me is that problematic $21 a month worrying you
Because that tells me you are stretching yourself to get the M3
What if you do get the extra $1000 off and sav the $21 a month and you have an accident and you need to pay your deductible?
That's $100 or $250?
And you've already put a budget for the gas etc
That tells me this car might be taking too big a jump financially

You don't want to sell the 335 and buy the m3 only to realize you can't afford it and have to sell it

I'd put an ad for your 335 here and cars.com
Both of those are free
If it makes 2-3k difference it's worth it
I'd never do a trade in
Not a fan of getting screwed

[Roth517]

Originally Posted by kmarei

The only thing that worries me is that problematic $21 a month worrying you
Because that tells me you are stretching yourself to get the M3

Again, for the record, $21/month isn't/wasn't "worrying" me. I could afford it and then some just fine. I had personally set the $41.5K loan amount as the highest I was going to go. My philosophy, as I stated earlier, was that you have to be able to walk away from a car, especially one you don't "need." My offer was as high as I was going to go. The dealer could come down more if they wanted to sell the car. They didn't/haven't.

But, as many have pointed out, it doesn't seem that M3 and my driving habits are much of a match, unfortunately, so I think I'll probably just hold tight and get a 435i when it comes out in a year and a half. I can order a brand new one, watch its progress online, etc.