Why do you buy E46?

[m3f_cracky]

The only thing I like about the e46 is the s54(and not for its hideous exhaust note).

otherwise the e46 can take a hike for all I care(and I daily one lol). I dont find it to be a clean looking car. its too bloaty and ricey looking for my tastes.


I think a 330i is a better looking car than the m3 if I had to choose which looked better out of the e46 lineup.


I think the e30 m3 looks great so its not bulging fender issue for me with the e46m.


The interior materials are not higher quality. its the next generation following along bmws lineup. ie: not horrible but not that great. Especially compared to most new interiors these days. my late model e36 interior is holding up better than my e46 is. mainly all that soft touch garbage thats falling apart.

[m3f_Paulo M]

E36 is the ugliest m3 made imo.. Interior and exterior just aged terribly. Even parked next to an e30 it looks so dated. Then again e46 owners say the same thing you said about newer m3's. It's a never ending cycle.

[m3f_Paulo M]

The only thing I like about the e46 is the s54(and not for its hideous exhaust note).

otherwise the e46 can take a hike for all I care(and I daily one lol). I dont find it to be a clean looking car. its too bloaty and ricey looking for my tastes.


I think a 330i is a better looking car than the m3 if I had to choose which looked better out of the e46 lineup.


I think the e30 m3 looks great so its not bulging fender issue for me with the e46m.


The interior materials are not higher quality. its the next generation following along bmws lineup. ie: not horrible but not that great. Especially compared to most new interiors these days. my late model e36 interior is holding up better than my e46 is. mainly all that soft touch garbage thats falling apart.

Are you basing your opinion on an e46 m3 off your daily driver 325i?

[Obioban]

Are you basing your opinion on an e46 m3 off your daily driver 325i?

Hey now-- e46 325i's (or any e46 non M) share 7% of their parts with the e46 M3 and have a chassis 2/3 as stiff. It's pretty much the same car!

[m3f_Paulo M]

Hey now-- e46 325i's share 7% of their parts with the e46 M3 and have a chassis 2/3 as stiff. It's pretty much the same car!

when my dad bought his e46 m3 brand new back in the day it felt/looked much nicer than our family car (330i). From the seats to even the headliner, looked and felt much nicer

[m3f_cowboyM3]

Answer = Because it's the best all-around car ever made. Everything; was just right for the chassis, not in a minute amount; but not overkill. The CSL profits even further from this and is the reason why another car will never match it's (and e46 m3's in general) all-around utility and performance, especially for the price.

[Obioban]

when my dad bought his e46 m3 brand new back in the day it felt/looked much nicer than our family car (330i). From the seats to even the headliner, looked and felt much nicer

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. 7% parts sharing is correct, per BMW. The e39 shares more parts with the e53 x5 than the e46 non M shares with the M. The e46 non M drives more like an e39 M5 than an e46 M3. Forming an opinion of what the M3 is like to drive based on the non M is more misleading than informative.

[m3f_cracky]

Are you basing your opinion on an e46 m3 off your daily driver 325i?

where did I do that? I spoke about the looks and interior quality. Didnt even touch on driving dynamics.


e46m is a terrible looking car. sorry you are upset that I feel that way.


Im in different e46m's weekly so I get to see and drive a lot of them.

[m3f_Paulo M]

where did I do that? I spoke about the looks and interior quality. Didnt even touch on driving dynamics.



e46m is a terrible looking car. sorry you are upset that I feel that way.



Im in different e46m's weekly so I get to see and drive a lot of them.

That's like me being upset because a 95 miata owner thinks his interior looks better. You think e36 m3's interior/exterior feels/looks better, more power to you

[m3f_kyrix1st]

I did have an option to go for E46 SMG but chose not to... non-manual transmission does not let you shift to the limits when you need to on the circuit. Nice interior though.

[m3f_kyrix1st]

I had both. Ended up selling my E46 for the Gallardo. I preferred the E36, but to each his own. E46 felt more fragile to me, E36 feels more toss-able (if that makes any sense).



I was just so scared of stuff breaking in the E46, I couldn't enjoy the car as much as I wanted to. I get into the car one day and the rear view mirror leaked fluid all over the center console. One time the wheel speed sensors got road crud on them and lit the dash up like a Christmas tree with warning lights. Always knew I'd have to get the subframe reinforcements installed one day (the E36 had them from the factory, why remove them for the E46?). And while I didn't have any issues with mine, the forums kept scaring me into worrying about my vanos bolts and hubs. I just felt like the nervousness wasn't worth the driving experience. I was having a great time in my E36 and didn't have a care in the world. Years later, still no issues, and still enjoying the car. But maybe that was just my experience, like I said, to each his own.

I want those M3 wheels in your signature

[Obioban]

I did have an option to go for E46 SMG but chose not to... non-manual transmission does not let you shift to the limits when you need to on the circuit. Nice interior though.

I really dislike SMG, but that's just not true. The only thing SMG doesn't let you do on track is money shift. It'll happily powershift, sit at whatever redline you set on the ECU, all day long, and downshift on command as soon as you tell it to (so long as it doesn't result in a money shift).



In fact, while I despise SMG overall, on track it doesn't bother me at all-- it's actually quite competent there.



That said, SMG cars are the good value pickups these days-- equal condition SMG cars are worth $3-5000 less than their 6mt bretheren. And, for the money you can get from selling an SMG pump, you can buy all the parts to make your SMG car into a manual car (as it's the same trans, you just need to remove the hydraulics and add a shift level/pedal). In fact, I'll be doing just that with my brother's and best friend's cars in the next two months.

[Obioban]

e46m is a terrible looking car. sorry you are upset that I feel that way.

Those are really two separate statements.



"e46m is a terrible looking car" is... well, certainly not correct on average. Many times its referred to as the best looking BMW of all time.



"sorry you are upset that I feel that way." That's certainly completely fine, you can feel however you want about it!



I believe it's the notion that because you think it, it's a universal fact, that people were responding to.

[m3f_kyrix1st]

I really dislike SMG, but that's just not true. The only thing SMG doesn't let you do on track is money shift. It'll happily powershift, sit at whatever redline you set on the ECU, all day long, and downshift on command as soon as you tell it to (so long as it doesn't result in a money shift).



In fact, while I despise SMG overall, on track it doesn't bother me at all-- it's actually quite competent there.



That said, SMG cars are the good value pickups these days-- equal condition SMG cars are worth $3-5000 less than their 6mt bretheren. And, for the money you can get from selling an SMG pump, you can buy all the parts to make your SMG car into a manual car (as it's the same trans, you just need to remove the hydraulics and add a shift level/pedal). In fact, I'll be doing just that with my brother's and best friend's cars in the next two months.

Testdrove SMG as well but my thought was to save up for E92 than having to go through all the trouble of conversion only to sell at less than an ideal price some time later... Anyways which engine oil did you use when you drove S50B32 E36?

[Obioban]

Testdrove SMG as well but my thought was to save up for E92 than having to go through all the trouble of conversion only to sell at less than an ideal price some time later... Anyways which engine oil did you use when you drove S50B32 E36?

In my S50B32, I ran Motul 15w-50 (track car). Interestingly, my S50B32 came from an SMG e36 M3 (though I didn't keep the smg, just had the display in the cluster).


6mt converted e46s sell for more than SMG cars, btw.


e92 is a whole different kind of car (for better or worse, depending on what you're looking for from an M3). The e46 was the more hard core (stiffness, sounds, specific output, piston speed) while the e92 is the softest/easiest.