Demuro: All the BMW M3s Ranked from Worst to Best

[bmw]

The G80 M3 is one of the ugliest cars ever created in the entire history of automobiles. Putting it ahead of the E9X M3 is just clickbait to generate controversy.

[01SG]

I think we tend to look at this on the Enthusiast to Mainstream spectrum of BMW M commenters.

Doug is the worst and doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Matt Moreman is an authentic enthusiast with his own taste - he’s an E9X guy over any other Generation.

Matt Farah is kind of in the middle - and will go whichever way makes more financial sense.

The problem is they are just that, enthusiasts, or less. They're not mechanics, engineers, or race car drivers. It is cool when Tiff Needell says the m3 is a good drive, because he has legitimate racing credentials. His opinion carries weight. Denis Jenkinson was the navigator to Stirling Moss in the Mille Miglia, and he raced motorcycles. These guys are just bores. They are youtubers. They are not the genuine article.

[01SG]

But there are a lot of great cars where the interiors don’t really hold up. Lots of BMWs and Porsches come to mind.

The 90s was a bad time for interiors. It is worth remembering the 911 was relatively poor quality too.

Mechanically though, the e36 is a tank. Also, one of the last cars with a nice open greenhouse. You can easily see all around you; no pillbox windows. And the cable throttle is beautiful. I detest drive by wire.

Perhaps the euro e36 m3 is the best of all.

[maw1124]

My first intro to these M cars was in an E36M3 sedan 6MT through the hills and back streets of Westchester NY and Peekskill in probably ‘99/‘00. “Trash” is not a word that comes to mind. 20+ years later, debatable. But there are a lot of great cars where the interiors don’t really hold up. Lots of BMWs and Porsches come to mind.

If you’re going to keep a car for that long you’re going to replace interior parts, seat covers, switches, etc., just like brakes, control arms and the rest. It’s part of the game. Doesn’t make the cars trash. The owners maybe (for buying cars they can’t afford to keep up) but not the cars, IMO.

It just means you need to find a garage kept example from someone who could afford it, or your 964/993/928/30/36 will have brittle plastic and dry leather all over the place. In those old car forums, the posts are not so much about engine or suspension mods but NOS parts and Leatherique. It’s just a different game for a different player.

But any car that old you can drive today and still enjoy is saying something, when you think of the ones that are gone and happily forgotten.

maw

BTW, this is great stuff… https://www.obenaufs.com/natural-pre...eather-oil.htm

[Chas3n]

They literally just fall apart. Something breaks if you breath on them. It's an E36 with badges and higher horsepower engine still. A 964 Porsche has a similar raw feel. It is also a pile of trash everyone wants now. The E36 M3 has the advantage of such a great feel, you forget about how bad the car sucks to own and can enjoy it in spirts.

Ugh, while the interior leaves much to be desired, at times, it certainly is not trash. First and for most, the examples that were well kept didn’t have most of the interior issues that you probably just watched in Jason Camisa’s video. The car is definitely more than a standard 3 of the time with more power.

Out of the 3 of 4 I owned, those 3 were fairly clean inside and out with 100k+ miles. They are a blast to own, specially financially, given they’re several thousand less To bullet proof over a 30/46/9x

Remember they are going on 30yrs old now, and are going to have wear. It’s not like most 46’s I see for sale aren’t trashed inside either. Most on the market excluding BaT examples look like Wolverine left his mark all over the trim pieces, and someone wedges sandpaper between their elbow snd the arm rests.

Like I said, driving feel alone e36 sedan > e46

On the back roads I find myself driving these days, a 46 driver wouldn’t feel held up following an e36.


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[shibui]

Owned a E30 325i (later S52 swapped and LSD), E36 M3/4/5, E46 M3, and E92 M3 DCT. My friend had a F80 M3. I have to say that I had to modify E30s, E36s, and E46s suspension to get any enjoyment out of driving. The E30 and E36 just had too much body roll. E36 has the best balance for me though. E46 felt under sprung and would hit potholes too hard in stock form. The E92 felt tight but felt too heavy for very twisty road driving. F80 had just too much torque from the go and would spin tires though very fast.

The E36 interior is pure garbage.

So what you’re saying is they’re all trash in one way or another

I joke 😄

[slavik1988]

Owned a E30 325i (later S52 swapped and LSD), E36 M3/4/5, E46 M3, and E92 M3 DCT. My friend had a F80 M3. I have to say that I had to modify E30s, E36s, and E46s suspension to get any enjoyment out of driving. The E30 and E36 just had too much body roll. E36 has the best balance for me though. E46 felt under sprung and would hit potholes too hard in stock form. The E92 felt tight but felt too heavy for very twisty road driving. F80 had just too much torque from the go and would spin tires though very fast.

The E36 interior is pure garbage.

[lemoose]

They're actually really reliable and one of the best driving BMWs of all time. S50/S52 are such awesome motors.

I think hes talking about the interior moreso than mechanically.

[jet_dogg]

I've owned my E36 M3 for almost 15 years and it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned - and I've owned multiple Toyota and Honda vehicles in that time.

I'm curious - have you personally owned one?

What problems did your hondas and toyotas have?

[EthanolTurbo]

They literally just fall apart. Something breaks if you breath on them. It's an E36 with badges and higher horsepower engine still. A 964 Porsche has a similar raw feel. It is also a pile of trash everyone wants now. The E36 M3 has the advantage of such a great feel, you forget about how bad the car sucks to own and can enjoy it in spirts.

They're actually really reliable and one of the best driving BMWs of all time. S50/S52 are such awesome motors.

[mtpktz]

They literally just fall apart. Something breaks if you breath on them. It's an E36 with badges and higher horsepower engine still. A 964 Porsche has a similar raw feel. It is also a pile of trash everyone wants now. The E36 M3 has the advantage of such a great feel, you forget about how bad the car sucks to own and can enjoy it in spirts.

I've owned my E36 M3 for almost 15 years and it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned - and I've owned multiple Toyota and Honda vehicles in that time.

I'm curious - have you personally owned one?

[TexaZ3]

Believe what you want. It's a discussion, not a debate. I don't think anyone is really here to change minds but it's interesting to see different opinions. Your disagreement doesn't make my words false in any way.

It does for me. Your opinion may be true to you, but false in general. Because it is not based on experience.

[Arith2]

Literally, not a single word you wrote there is even remotely close to being true.

Believe what you want. It's a discussion, not a debate. I don't think anyone is really here to change minds but it's interesting to see different opinions. Your disagreement doesn't make my words false in any way.

[TexaZ3]

They literally just fall apart. Something breaks if you breath on them. It's an E36 with badges and higher horsepower engine still. A 964 Porsche has a similar raw feel. It is also a pile of trash everyone wants now. The E36 M3 has the advantage of such a great feel, you forget about how bad the car sucks to own and can enjoy it in spirts.

Literally, not a single word you wrote there is even remotely close to being true.

[Arith2]

You have never driven one, have you? Because anybody who have, can't possibly call E36M a pile of trash.
Back in the day, it was the best handling car by a long shot over some really big names. I still think they are second best M3, yes, even with the crappy S52.

They literally just fall apart. Something breaks if you breath on them. It's an E36 with badges and higher horsepower engine still. A 964 Porsche has a similar raw feel. It is also a pile of trash everyone wants now. The E36 M3 has the advantage of such a great feel, you forget about how bad the car sucks to own and can enjoy it in spirts.