E46 M3 compared to other sports cars you've driven

[oceansize]

Disclaimer: I don't buy cars with practicality in mind. If I want a sedan, coupe, touring, vert, or hatchback my one and only concern is do I like it.
Disclaimer 2: I love the e46 m3, absolutely love it but it sure has become costly.

With today's prices on low mileage E46 M3 coupes in good condition there are two cars I would prefer to buy simply because I might feel bad putting mileage on what is quickly becoming a semi-collectable car (or maybe I wouldn't, who knows).

New Mustang Mach 1 with manual
New Miata RF Club with manual

Mach 1 is stupid fun. My brother owns one and I've driven the crap out of it and I can't believe how good it is. Steering in sport mode is too twitchy for the street but otherwise no complaints and the constant growl is intoxicating. He has the loaded up fighter jet grey and orange that you see in all the promotional materials. I urge you all to go out and drive one. It should be noted prior to the GT350 I would have never ever bought a Mustang.

Miata RF Club is another ridiculously fun car that I've been able to spend some time in and on back roads it is a great go cart plus now it looks better than it ever has in the past. To me the prior generations are ugly. I'd mod the crap out of the Miata and make it the best go cart ever.

[lastMleft]

I always wanted an Avus Blue one but IIRC they only made like 200 of those. If I found a good one today this car might be trade bait.

maw

Yes...yes...yes if you can find one bye bye e46 you won’t regret it!

[S3diment]

Drove a Pagani and that was better in almost every way.

just kidding … the car is super fun to drive. Dislike that so many things are plastic and beginning to degrade/squeak. Gearbox when cold is like canoeing in a frozen lake.

[maw1124]

Back in the day I owned a 93 M5 and it was the most in gauging M I’ve ever owned, the E46 and E9x are great too, but that M5 was something special I kick myself all the time about selling if I could go back😔

I always wanted an Avus Blue one but IIRC they only made like 200 of those. If I found a good one today this car might be trade bait.

maw

[usdmej]

Exactly, it's something you do once to say you did it and realize you never want to do again unless you're a dude like maw in a cab.

i still take large parties out for joyrides or going out in general whenever the opportunity arises


it's not a motorcycle, the car was designed to do it and I imagine it's a lot more common than you're making it out to be

[jet_dogg]

Exactly, it's something you do once to say you did it and realize you never want to do again unless you're a dude like maw in a cab.

[cobra]

I've never carried more than three people and that was only a couple of times, nor have I ever seen four people let alone five people in an m3 with a trunk full of "stuff". This is one of those oft repeated knee-jerk responses to the virtues of the m3 that fail to play out in real life. I'd really like to know how often people are doing this because it's definitely not a Socal thing.

I don't even like anyone in the back so my car is basically a two seater. Golf clubs for the older guys sure but people don't buy the m3 for practicality concerns, it's just a benefit they like to bring up on discussion boards.

There was about 6 months where I carpooled to work with 4 other people. So for one week I would drive an hour each way with 5 people in the car, plus our backpacks and stuff in the trunk. The benefit was that I didn't have to drive to work for 4 weeks straight.

Nowadays I don't like having people in the back seat just because it's annoying and I worry they're going to kick the center console and stuff getting in and out. But the car can do it and it handles it great.

[Silbergrau metallic]

I've never tracked my Car, but I'm sure it would be a very engaging experience, since it stays flat through the corners and handles like a Go Cart, accelerates hard, breaks incredibly and since it doesn't have a Limiter can go basically as fast as I dare. I paid $24,000 for my Car, my Friends Porsche GT3 was $175,000 and the Huracan north of $200k are incredible cars to drive, but I wouldn't call it night and day compared to my modified E46 M3 ZCP for street driving. I love a Sports car that has a Raw feel and incredible exhaust sound, the Full Supersprint exhaust did that for me, now I just need to step up to one of those CSL intakes and I'll be set and not have to always be worried like my friends that some idiot is going to crash into my Porsche or Lambo, because while it would break my Heart to get in a wreck with my M3, it's not going to be quite as painful as a 200k Lamborghini.

[DoubleSidedTape]

i chose the E46 M3 and it was mainly because i knew it'd be the most practical/comfortable. I've taken the car camping, snowboarding, and it was part of the coworker carpool rotation (3-4 passengers) for years

I’m sure that was the norm for most first/second owners of these cars. My dad has leased 5-series for 20 years but that job could have been accomplished with M3s if he had fewer kids/we were already grown and out of the house.

[usdmej]

but people don't buy the m3 for practicality concerns, it's just a benefit they like to bring up on discussion boards.

when i was single/living in an apt, car shopping had me between a blob eye STI, R53 cooper s, and the E46 M3

i chose the E46 M3 and it was mainly because i knew it'd be the most practical/comfortable. I've taken the car camping, snowboarding, and it was part of the coworker carpool rotation (3-4 passengers) for years


not sure if that's the norm tho, especially nowadays as the car approaches collector car status

[maw1124]

I've never carried more than three people and that was only a couple of times, nor have I ever seen four people let alone five people in an m3 with a trunk full of "stuff". This is one of those oft repeated knee-jerk responses to the virtues of the m3 that fail to play out in real life. I'd really like to know how often people are doing this because it's definitely not a Socal thing.

I don't even like anyone in the back so my car is basically a two seater. Golf clubs for the older guys sure but people don't buy the m3 for practicality concerns, it's just a benefit they like to bring up on discussion boards.

Mine is basically a beach home cruiser (SoFL not SoCal) so 4 people to the beach, shopping or dinner is it’s base duty… I guess I’m an older guy because 2 people and 2 sets of clubs to the course and back (15mins to an hour each way) is it’s other duty. You know, people actually use these things (cars) outside of chat room props. I actually don’t know anyone who uses these as a primary car. More often they’re the 3rd or 4th f*ckaround car. And who likes to do that alone?

maw

[DoubleSidedTape]

I owned an s2000 as my only car (in Seattle) and ended up buying my first m3 because I wanted a practical daily. I quickly realized that the m3 in stock form was something like 90% of the fun of an s2000 with 300% of the usability, and just a much nicer place to be.

About six months later I sold the s2000 (to a 17 year old if I remember correctly) and had the m3 as my only car for two years before I bought an x5.

As far as the “sports-car-ness” of the s vs the m3, I use my m3 to go on long road trips to find fun roads, often driving 300-400 miles per day. That’s no problem in an m3 but the longer drives I did in my s2000 got pretty uncomfortable, so I’m very happy that I settled on this platform.

[repoman89]

I really want to try an S2000. I picked up a new '21 Miata Club earlier this year for the two seat, lightweight, raw purpose built sports car experience. Didn't even consider S2000s because I already own two old BMWs and wanted something that'd have nothing to fix. A local guy has both an S2k and ND2 though and gives the nod to the former, which is impressive because the latter is really good IMO. Better street car than my E46 for sure ... it's more comfortable and composed, easier to drive, less stressful and clunky, but still really playful and responsive. Limits are lower than my M3 but that's not a bad thing on the street. Haven't tried it on the track yet because I haven't installed a roll bar ... likely will next year so I can rotate out of the M3 some events and get a different experience if I don't have a friend, fiancee and/or my dog with me.

I don't have any particular interest in anything more valuable or faster like the Porsches, Lambos etc. because my M3's limits are already too high on the street and I can't afford to drive those types of cars at the track ... so what's the point. That's why I bought something slower and as expected I pretty much always prefer to drive the Miata on public roads.

[jet_dogg]

I have driven a handful of cars, nothing crazy. I really just like the E46's well-roundedness. It's not the most sporty feeling but is still comfortable and quiet inside. It's not the fastest but it can carry 5 people and a trunk full of stuff. It's just a great balanced sporty car that is livable and has a connected feel. I'd rather have that over something more compromised that might be faster or more comfortable.

I've never carried more than three people and that was only a couple of times, nor have I ever seen four people let alone five people in an m3 with a trunk full of "stuff". This is one of those oft repeated knee-jerk responses to the virtues of the m3 that fail to play out in real life. I'd really like to know how often people are doing this because it's definitely not a Socal thing.

I don't even like anyone in the back so my car is basically a two seater. Golf clubs for the older guys sure but people don't buy the m3 for practicality concerns, it's just a benefit they like to bring up on discussion boards.

[lastMleft]

Back in the day I owned a 93 M5 and it was the most in gauging M I’ve ever owned, the E46 and E9x are great too, but that M5 was something special I kick myself all the time about selling if I could go back😔