I'm wondering if...

[///Macht]

Is there any way to lease a new M3? I've custom built my own and wanted to send the configuration to my local dealership, but I've never leased something like this before, and was unsure of what to do next. If I can't find one used, I suppose I can order one instead, but I'd definitely rather lease it than buy.

[dmw16]

Originally Posted by ///Macht

Hah! Well, I'd sure love to have one. I guess right now it's all about deciding whether or not I want to unload a perfectly good 335i. When I started this little search, I had expected my warranty company to give me trouble over my transmission, and when they said they'd buy me a brand new one, I was like "well, shit." Right now, after just a cursory glance over what's available, I see an '09 coupe that I really like just a few miles away, and a '10 coupe in Florida, both with clean service records so far.

Concerning options, my only requirement would be nothing less than what my 335i is equipped with. I don't want to go backwards. I've seen some decently priced M3's with no navigation, and my initial thought always pertains to why someone would not want navigation in a car with such a hefty price tag, both new and used. Competition package would be nice, but isn't a deal breaker. If I were to custom order anything, I'd pretty much be limited to a fully loaded 335i M-Sport, seeing as how I'd go nuts and drive a new M3's price through the roof!

I feel just the opposite. Why would anyone want to pay for navigation? It will eventually look dated and take away from the appearance of the interior (I wish my E46 M3 didn't have the nav). Personally I think a smartphone is far superior to built in nav considering they go out of date and can't be easily updated like a smartphone can.

I am perhaps in the minority here, but if you are worried about what options a car has and see not having a few things as "going backwards" then maybe you are after something other than what (at least I think) the M3 is meant to be. It's a sports car with 4 doors. All the gizmos and such take away from it's purpose. All those options are just bling to me.

But all that stuff is still better than Carbon Fiber Roundels.

[///Macht]

Well, by navigation, I mean the whole iDrive. The CIC-based iDrive is pretty useful, and (in my opinion) fits into an E9X interior very well. The F30 iDrive, on the other hand, looks like garbage, and I'd leave that out if I went that direction. When I look at an M3, I see a race car meant for public roads, and on those public roads, I'd want a few options made specifically for navigating those public roads easier.

To each their own. They're amazing machines no matter how they're equipped when it comes right down to it! If someone showed up on my doorstep and handed me the keys to an M3 without iDrive, I'd happily take it off his hands.

[OneRib]

Originally Posted by dmw16

I feel just the opposite. Why would anyone want to pay for navigation? It will eventually look dated and take away from the appearance of the interior (I wish my E46 M3 didn't have the nav). Personally I think a smartphone is far superior to built in nav considering they go out of date and can't be easily updated like a smartphone can.

I am perhaps in the minority here, but if you are worried about what options a car has and see not having a few things as "going backwards" then maybe you are after something other than what (at least I think) the M3 is meant to be. It's a sports car with 4 doors. All the gizmos and such take away from it's purpose. All those options are just bling to me.

But all that stuff is still better than Carbon Fiber Roundels.

I think this goes in the category of "to each his own". I for one would want navigation in the M3. Its an all around car, great for luxury, track, and daily driving. That's its greatest attribute. More people on this site use this car for completely different purposes. As far as smartphones, yes they have better nav but I and others don't like the lack of visuals if its just sitting on the seat or the suction cup mounts you have to use.

Yes you can still lease a new M3. Your best best is to check with your local dealer, David Aviles@ Northwest BMW, and Checa@ Steve Thomas BMW. The latter two do a large amount of M3 sales and the have great prices. They may have allocations left. If not then you have to take whats on the lot or call to many area dealers looking for an allocation. Be warned though most dealers are now likely to be very inflexible with price because they know the run is ending and they have leverage.

BMWconfig.com is a great tool and will give you the basic costs you can shoot for.

PM me if you have any other questions.

[Atombyte]

If you can't find a suitable used one, I think leasing may be the way to go right now (if you can find a dealer with an allocation). It's a big unknown what the F8x M3/M4 is going to do to the resale values of the E9x M3. The lease residuals are still pretty high on the M3, so if the new ones cause the value of the current ones to plummet, you can walk away. If, on the other hand, the current ones hold their value better than expected, you can buy the one you leased for a really good price. You can also option it the way you want.

But know that while the M3 is a big step up from a 335, it is by no means any kind of luxury car. They ride a lot harder than a 335 with a sport suspension. They're much more raw. That's good if you like that kind of thing, like most of us, but if you don't like feeling every tiny bump in the road, it may not be for you.

Personally, I've never liked M5's, so they would t even be a consideration for me.

[pkimM3r]

Its never to early to upgrade. Youre not gpnna keep it anyway. Get the m3 or forever regretit whenever an m3 rolls up next to you.

[Majin Buu]

I test drove a 335i with the sport suspension before I got the M3. I liked the low end torque and lack of turbo lag. But other than that, I wasn't really too impressed by it. It is definitely not a "sporty" handling car. I prefer the M3 for a variety of reasons. The suspension is stiffer and more stable in cornering. The steering, while a bit too overassisted, is still better communicative than the 335i. Engine wise, I prefer the N54 for a strictly street car. It has more torque on the low end, and better fuel efficiency. but for a car you will take to the track, the S65 is far better. It revs more freely and has much better throttle response, and more linear power delivery, and the high redline is very convenient so you don't keep shifting gears as often. Of course I could use a bit more low end torque when driving on the street, but it isn't a major inconvenience as you can always downshift a gear or two.

Also, 2 more things that sealed the deal for me. The 335i well known for tending to overheat during aggressive driving and on the track. Not so much with the M3. Also, the M3 is far more reliable than the 335i, though they're not without their own problems either.

[///Macht]

I've found two more decent candidates in Florida, both identical '09 sedans at the same dealership, optioned identically. In all seriousness, I would jump into an M3 in a heartbeat if it weren't for having to sell the 335 first. That, and a lot of the better deals are further away. If I can get out of my 335 relatively pain free, then there's my answer. I already know the M3 is hands down a better handling machine than the 335, but if I can't sell it (or if I take too big a hit on it), it wouldn't make sense to jump into an M3 right now.

[maesd74]

Originally Posted by ///Macht

I've found two more decent candidates in Florida, both identical '09 sedans at the same dealership, optioned identically. In all seriousness, I would jump into an M3 in a heartbeat if it weren't for having to sell the 335 first. That, and a lot of the better deals are further away. If I can get out of my 335 relatively pain free, then there's my answer. I already know the M3 is hands down a better handling machine than the 335, but if I can't sell it (or if I take too big a hit on it), it wouldn't make sense to jump into an M3 right now.

My previous 2011 E90 M3 DCT ZCP is for sale at McDonald Audi here in Denver. Give it a whirl....is your 335 AWD?

[flanast]

Originally Posted by ///Macht

Have any of you current M3 owners been in my situation? Let me explain.

I just picked up a new-to-me 335i, fully loaded (navigation, sport, premium, comfort access, privacy shades, etc), and I'm having a new transmission put in under warranty because of a hard 2nd to 3rd shift I felt. My dealership recommended we replace the transmission because of the degree of difficulty of tearing down the transmission and trying to pinpoint exactly what was causing the hard shift. Not sure I agree with replacing the entire transmission over that, but it all worked out in the end, so no harm done.

Any who, while my 335 was at the dealer, I was contemplating maybe looking for something else just in case the transmission work wasn't covered under my warranty. I took a look around, and found a jaw-dropping deal on a 2011 M3 sedan in Connecticut (I'm in Virginia). I didn't like the thought of having to deal with a dealership out-of-state, so I looked at a local dealer (different from the one where I brought my 335 for service) where a friend of mine works, and found two additional jaw-dropping deals on two 2008 M5's. It's ridiculous.

Now, I'm faced with a few perplexing decisions; I could a) keep my fully loaded 335 that looks and performs just fine, a car that I'm very happy with, b) call up this place in Connecticut and work with them for the 2011 M3, or c) run down the street and have my buddy help with a deal on an M5 here in town. The M3 and both M5's are identical in price, and in options. The M3 is fully loaded, with aftermarket parts still equipped (seems to be a set of VMR rims and carbon fiber front splitters, from what I can see). Has a total of 24,734 miles.

The two M5's are both MY2008, fully loaded, both under 50,000 miles, and both priced identically. I'm not sure what to do. On the one hand, the enthusiast hand, I'm wanting to go after what are arguably my dream cars. I absolutely love both the M3 and the M5, primarily because they're both sedans. If the M3 were a coupe, it'd be an easier decision to make. Not only are they sedans, they're racing sedans. They're unbelievable driving machines, and I would probably kill to have one. But then, on the opposite hand, the level-headed hand, I already own a beautifully maintained, fully equipped 335i that has more than enough power to last me a good while. I enjoy it now, and will enjoy it for the remainder of it's warranty (2 years).

So, what would you do?

I went from a 335 to an M3 and never looked back.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by ///Macht

Have any of you current M3 owners been in my situation? Let me explain.

I just picked up a new-to-me 335i, fully loaded (navigation, sport, premium, comfort access, privacy shades, etc), and I'm having a new transmission put in under warranty because of a hard 2nd to 3rd shift I felt. My dealership recommended we replace the transmission because of the degree of difficulty of tearing down the transmission and trying to pinpoint exactly what was causing the hard shift. Not sure I agree with replacing the entire transmission over that, but it all worked out in the end, so no harm done.

Any who, while my 335 was at the dealer, I was contemplating maybe looking for something else just in case the transmission work wasn't covered under my warranty. I took a look around, and found a jaw-dropping deal on a 2011 M3 sedan in Connecticut (I'm in Virginia). I didn't like the thought of having to deal with a dealership out-of-state, so I looked at a local dealer (different from the one where I brought my 335 for service) where a friend of mine works, and found two additional jaw-dropping deals on two 2008 M5's. It's ridiculous.

Now, I'm faced with a few perplexing decisions; I could a) keep my fully loaded 335 that looks and performs just fine, a car that I'm very happy with, b) call up this place in Connecticut and work with them for the 2011 M3, or c) run down the street and have my buddy help with a deal on an M5 here in town. The M3 and both M5's are identical in price, and in options. The M3 is fully loaded, with aftermarket parts still equipped (seems to be a set of VMR rims and carbon fiber front splitters, from what I can see). Has a total of 24,734 miles.

The two M5's are both MY2008, fully loaded, both under 50,000 miles, and both priced identically. I'm not sure what to do. On the one hand, the enthusiast hand, I'm wanting to go after what are arguably my dream cars. I absolutely love both the M3 and the M5, primarily because they're both sedans. If the M3 were a coupe, it'd be an easier decision to make. Not only are they sedans, they're racing sedans. They're unbelievable driving machines, and I would probably kill to have one. But then, on the opposite hand, the level-headed hand, I already own a beautifully maintained, fully equipped 335i that has more than enough power to last me a good while. I enjoy it now, and will enjoy it for the remainder of it's warranty (2 years).

So, what would you do?

Decisions like this are never made from a standpoint of logic and reason. Nobody needs a car like an M3 for practical transportation as a primary goal.
Drive the M3 and the M5. After doing so, if it is an easy emotional decision, i.e. you end up saying, "holy shit, this car is freakin' awesome!!!", then buy it. If not, then don't. But.....make sure you've had a decent test drive. The "fall in love" aspect of driving an M3 won't be experienced by just tooling around local roads at normal speeds.

I sold my previous Audi RS4 in August of 2010. In April of 2011, I went and test drove an M3. Placed an order immediately after my test drive.