M3 or 535 or subi wrx sti

[naveenb]

i am looking for a car to fix up, be a daily driver and have the ability to cartthe family around. i just wanted to get some opinions about what to do. i love the m3. i think it a great monster of the car. i just hate how new cars depreciate so fast. i was thinking the 535i used would be a good choice, but i am just wondering how many miles i can get on a bmw engine because i keep my cars for a long time. many of my friends have stated the new impreza wrx sti can get alot of work done to it and still lasts for ever. any thoughts?

[SlammedR8]

dude, your all over the map!
huge differences in every aspect between a M3/535/WRX

I def wouldn't say that the Subaru will last for ever, with all that power crammed into a little 4 cylinder, especially if you mod it. My buddy had one a couple years back, and after 2 years it started to lose power and became a pile of shit. Needless to say, he sold it quickly!

[akh23456]

e90 M3 would be perfect.

[shchow]

Originally Posted by naveenb

i am looking for a car to fix up, be a daily driver and have the ability to cartthe family around.

Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima...

[naveenb]

Originally Posted by slammedm3

dude, your all over the map!
huge differences in every aspect between a M3/535/WRX

I def wouldn't say that the Subaru will last for ever, with all that power crammed into a little 4 cylinder, especially if you mod it. My buddy had one a couple years back, and after 2 years it started to lose power and became a pile of shit. Needless to say, he sold it quickly!

i completely forgot about the 4 cylinder in the equation. you are correct about that. i think a non modified wrx probably would last for a while, they are known for their longevity. i guess then my next question would be, is there aftermarket support for the 535i?

Originally Posted by shchow

Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima...

gross...

[yosepp]

m3 versus all the rest of those cars are not even in its league...............

[HBspeed]

Originally Posted by slammedm3

dude, your all over the map!
huge differences in every aspect between a M3/535/WRX

I def wouldn't say that the Subaru will last for ever, with all that power crammed into a little 4 cylinder, especially if you mod it. My buddy had one a couple years back, and after 2 years it started to lose power and became a pile of shit. Needless to say, he sold it quickly!

I wouldn't listen to this guy. I've had my 02 wrx for almost 7 years and 70k miles now, and its has had zero problems other than replacing first gear syncros under warranty once. My car has some mods including intake, exhaust, suspension, etc. A few of my friends have wrx/sti's as well and they have been just as reliable and equally or further modded. These cars are well built and last a very long time.

[naveenb]

Originally Posted by HBspeed

I wouldn't listen to this guy. I've had my 02 wrx for almost 7 years and 70k miles now, and its has had zero problems other than replacing first gear syncros under warranty once. My car has some mods including intake, exhaust, suspension, etc. A few of my friends have wrx/sti's as well and they have been just as reliable and equally or further modded. These cars are well built and last a very long time.

everyone i talked to said that the subie's last forever. thinking today i am wondering if the wrx may be too small for me. i am still wondering if there is an aftermarket for the 535i.

[Driver72]

Yes there is an aftermarket for the 535i.
Practically everything that was made for the 335i is now available for the 535i (and 135i now too).

I agree with the others, there's a big difference between the 3 cars you are looking for. The 535i is more of a luxury sport sedan with emphasis on luxury. The WRX STi is a rally car with zero luxury (the new ones have a bit of "luxury" if you want to stretch the definition a bit) and the M3 is a luxury sports sedan with emphasis on sport.

If being a daily driver is important AND there's a need and desire to haul the family around in more comfort than sport, get the 535i.
Slap a $600 chip on it and you'll run high 12's @ 110-111 mph on 91 Octane no other mods. Add a few other performance mods and you'll hang with many sports cars in any aspect of driving, plus have the luxury and room you probably desire.

The WRX STi is more of a "kids" car and you'll feel that way when driving it. The M3 while great may not have the room you desire to haul the family around in.

[schadenfreude]

Originally Posted by naveenb

everyone i talked to said that the subie's last forever. thinking today i am wondering if the wrx may be too small for me. i am still wondering if there is an aftermarket for the 535i.

I'm 6'2 and the WRX is a tight fit. I almost bought one 5 years ago and found the VW GTI to be roomier and bought one of those instead. Yesterday I rode in a friends STI, and remembered how tight it was. IIRC, the steering wheel tilts but not telescopes, which made it hard to clear my knees when shifting the MT. (The STI is pretty sick with all the mods this guy has, but he's pretty much only got sunday cruises and track miles on it, so who knows about reliability)

As for aftermarket mods on the 535, I know Dinan has a chip. Springs, etc should be out there too. I considered one when shopping for my M3.

[SlammedR8]

Originally Posted by Driver72

The 535i is more of a luxury sport sedan with emphasis on luxury. The WRX STi is a rally car with zero luxury (the new ones have a bit of "luxury" if you want to stretch the definition a bit) and the M3 is a luxury sports sedan with emphasis on sport.

VERY well said!

[naveenb]

it looks like the m3 and the 535i will stay on the top of my list. i am leaning towards the 535i because it has the room. i love how the m3 just drives. it always has been one of my favorite cars. the 535i came into the picture when i was looking through the auto trader and found some as low as 35000 for two years old. does anyone know how many miles we can expect to get out of the 535i? the m3 i would buy new because i know the people really rip into the m3 engines. also, i have a honda oddessy for road trips.

[Driver72]

Engine longevity depends on many factors. But in this day and age of computer specd and balanced engines along with top level synthetic motor oils, and good gasoline with cleaners and so forth, any engine that is well taken care of can last for 100-150k no problem.

I wouldn't say all M3 owners really rip into their cars.
Often times in my experience the owners of nicer cars often baby them more than lesser cars that aren't intended to be driven as hard.

Doubtful many used 535i's were driven too hard though.
If you plan to keep the 535i for a really long time however, do yourself a favor and get an upgraded (larger/more efficient) oil cooler as well as FMIC. This will keep the engine running cooler and will certainly help with longevity.

Other really important factor, use top tier gasolines and change the oil with only fully synthetic motor oil every 5K miles (no more than 6k) and the engine should go a long time.

[GnokGnik]

e46 M3

[RedGT3]

Originally Posted by Driver72

Yes there is an aftermarket for the 535i.
Practically everything that was made for the 335i is now available for the 535i (and 135i now too).

I agree with the others, there's a big difference between the 3 cars you are looking for. The 535i is more of a luxury sport sedan with emphasis on luxury. The WRX STi is a rally car with zero luxury (the new ones have a bit of "luxury" if you want to stretch the definition a bit) and the M3 is a luxury sports sedan with emphasis on sport.

If being a daily driver is important AND there's a need and desire to haul the family around in more comfort than sport, get the 535i.
Slap a $600 chip on it and you'll run high 12's @ 110-111 mph on 91 Octane no other mods. Add a few other performance mods and you'll hang with many sports cars in any aspect of driving, plus have the luxury and room you probably desire.

The WRX STi is more of a "kids" car and you'll feel that way when driving it. The M3 while great may not have the room you desire to haul the family around in.

Sorry not going to happen on 91.

[graider]

your best bet is an fx35 or fx50 for daily driving and hauling family around.

[a burrito]

Dude, forget the fam. Get that R8 thats in your sig.

No I'm just kidding. I can imagine the 535i being the most comfy so my vote goes for that. But hey, you can always get like a e63 or something. So fast so funnnnnnnnn.

[jm1234]

Originally Posted by naveenb

i am looking for a car to fix up, be a daily driver and have the ability to cartthe family around. i just wanted to get some opinions about what to do. i love the m3. i think it a great monster of the car. i just hate how new cars depreciate so fast. i was thinking the 535i used would be a good choice, but i am just wondering how many miles i can get on a bmw engine because i keep my cars for a long time. many of my friends have stated the new impreza wrx sti can get alot of work done to it and still lasts for ever. any thoughts?

The M3 works fine to cart my family around. I'm home with my kids (6 and 9) all day and I've hauled them almost 15,000 miles in the car with no complaints (including a 2,000 mile road trip).

Turbochargers generate a lot of heat (or at least they did in all turbocharged cars I had) and that heat tends to make nearby plastic components dry and brittle with age. Also, turbochargers spin very fast with tight tolerances and again in a high heat environment so they can be an expensive item more prone to failure. I can't say how far the engineering and design has come but they present unique challenges that can effect engine longevity. Also, turbocharged engines are more complex and thus you have more failure points. I've had two turbocharged cars and I replaced the turbocharger in the first car and had troubles with the turbocharger system in the second (several mechanics couldn't diagnose the problem and then wanted to replace the turbochargers because they couldn't figure the system out).

From a performance perspective a 535 will never be close to the other two cars. From a luxury perspective the WRX will never be close to the other two cars. From a price perspective the M3 will never be close to the other two cars. There isn't a huge size difference between a 3 and 5 series. I believe the M3 will prove to be the most reliable but only time will tell. As far as modifying goes, I'd think the M3 is the least modifiable of the three (it has the fewest clearly defined flaws).

You should prioritize your criteria and then people can help you.

[Driver72]

Originally Posted by fll335

Sorry not going to happen on 91.

What would make you think that?

[DsoVIP]

m3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aznbenz07]

Originally Posted by GnokGnik

e46 M3

^+1

[naveenb]

Originally Posted by graider

your best bet is an fx35 or fx50 for daily driving and hauling family around.

have the honda odessey for that.