Does it make sense to spend $$$ on a "clean, lower mileage" M3?

[chicane]

MILEAGE ≠ CONDITION.

I've seen high mileage cars in great shape and low mileage cars that were trashed, so that should not be the sole barometer you use. Same goes for price ≠ quality. Some incredible deals can be had on certain color combos and SMG cars (see 6MT conversion value proposition). Lower mileage does increase the odds of it being a nicer car, especially as the platform ages and wear & tear things like paint and interior that are very costly to R/R should be more of a factor than having to replace bushings etc. Too many people expect "the big three" to be done at ANY price point, and unfortunately that results in some sellers' lying about it. You should always buy the best car you can afford and that includes a diamond in the rough. Familiarize yourself with the costs and nuances so you know what you feel comfortable looking past. All E46's will need something depending on the next owners's level of pickiness and planned use. One upside to a car that has *not* had potentially shoddy repairs done is you can oversee them done by someone you trust which ends up being short money in the long run.

Maintenance is key before and after. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your price of entry for a car will abscond you from potential costs down the road either, it IS a financial commitment having an older sports car. Purchase price is just the beginning... but if you take good care of an M3, it will take good care of you. If you cut corners well let's just say you'll end up in a Facebook group with the rest of 'em

Post of the day...awesome.

[pawelgawel]

Buying anything used is a gamble TBH. No matter how clean the car looks, you won't know the truth about it unless you've owned it since day 1. Everyone lies in some degree, they want to sell it (.)

IMO, doing things yourself or during your ownership, gives you the benefit of knowing something is done up to your standards. The more you care about it, the more picky you'll be about the quality of time and effort that's put into it. As much as I would love to buy something "done" already, I would always wonder "what if it wasn't done as well or properly". Its like buying a "renovated" house... whats behind those walls?? any corners cut?? any cheap material used??

Comparing your two choices, when it comes to mechanical items, I would always go as low mileage as possible. But that's a personal preference, I prefer to get the one used as less as possible by previous owner(s). 20k+ is not chunk change for the vast majority so take your time and make sure you'll be ready to commit to that car when the time come. If you like DIYs and you're mechanically inclined to handle these types of repairs, any E46 is a great platform to work with. Thats the great thing about these cars, you can actually work on them on your own time.
Maybe its just me, but many on here seem to be very paranoid about the BIG 3. I know these are things that need to be sorted out, but depending on the car and how it was driven and maintained, you might not need to do any of those in near future. Sub frame usually goes out in cars that are driven hard. These cars aren't made of tin can, it can handle normal driving without being torn up. Ive seen many of them without issues as of yet so it is possible. Vanos is same, some just don't fail.. all depends on luck i guess. My tabs are still ok and I'm sure at 60k they are not something I need to stress about with the type of driving I do. I've seen these cars in the 120k without having any of the 3 being done.
now .... Oxford Green LOL! just think about that one for a second... Ive had a 330ci OG and in some light it looked fantastic, but in direct sunlight, it just stunk!! I hated that color after about a year. I purchased silver gray 05 CP smg with 55k and the last owner just purchased a slick top OG 6spd from Seattle. They were parked right next to each other and I couldn't help to LOL and ask why? his only response was 6spd Slick Top (and I understand). So seriously, make sure you like the colour in every light, not just once in a while.. Also SMGs are not that difficult to convert to 6spd. Many shops are doing it, you could save yourself about 5-8K by just going that route. That's what I did... even though its SMG, its low mileage with clean maintenance, I drive it seasonally about 2-3k a year so I know that pump won't be failing on me anytime soon. In the meantime Im just collecting the parts needed for the swap and the other crucial areas and one of these winters It'll all get done. But at lest im not stressed to rush through with these things, the low mileage is on my time.

[oceansize]

General advice in question answer format that I would give anyone and when I say "best" below I'm referencing your preferred color combo combination with as many of the big three done as you can afford plus the lowest mileage you can find:

1. Do you plan to DIY?

If you don't plan to DIY any of the big ticket items then you should, without any argument, buy the "best" car you can. Even if that means spending 30k.

2. Do you have the mod bug but not a limitless wallet?

If you do then you should still buy the best car you can so your money is spent on important stuff.

3. Is this a weekend driver?

If it is then you should buy the best car you can as the mileage you are going to add is probably inconsequential and you will get close to what you paid at resale.

4. Is this a project car, your weekend driver, your wallet has cash waiting to jump out of it, and you are going to DIY?

If it is then get a car with a sound engine and enjoy project time in your garage.

[heinzboehmer]

You might also consider buying an SMG car as the premium for manuals tends to be more than the cost of the conversion. Plus, you can sell some of the parts from the SMG system to get some money back. If done right, there is no difference between a manual conversion car and a factory manual car. You'll be able to save some money that you can put towards the big three if you buy an SMG car.

If I were to buy another M3, this is 100% the route I would take.

[Tom Day]

Buy the lowest mileage, best condition car you can afford.

[Cbouts]

Just my two cents.

I picked up a TiAG with 39K on the clock for $26K. I love it! problem is, now i think about miles every time i drive it. As others have mentioned, what is the end goal of the car? keep low miles? track car? Modified weekender? I think this will help give some clarity on how you spend the $$.

My opinion is you will still spend about 20-30K on the car regardless of what you buy. super clean and maintained with low miles or high miles and needs some love. As much as i love mine, part of me wishes i went with higher mileage so i didnt feel bad about driving the hell out of it and dont care about a rock chip..

[tvan]

Buy the lowest mileage, best condition car you can afford.

Came here to say this. I've avoided so many headaches by buying the right car for the right money.

My compromise was the color (carbon black) which was not on my list, though it has grown quite a bit on me over time.

[cozmo kraemer]

100k+ miles and everything done right and on time is much better than something sub 70k where you are going to have to do it all. These cars are a very case by case basis. My car has 180k miles on it, and it looks much better than many that have a third of those miles, but of course nothing really on the car has that many miles on it, since so much has been replaced as maintenance over time.

[Lip]

Just my two cents.

I picked up a TiAG with 39K on the clock for $26K. I love it! problem is, now i think about miles every time i drive it. As others have mentioned, what is the end goal of the car? keep low miles? track car? Modified weekender? I think this will help give some clarity on how you spend the $$.

My opinion is you will still spend about 20-30K on the car regardless of what you buy. super clean and maintained with low miles or high miles and needs some love. As much as i love mine, part of me wishes i went with higher mileage so i didnt feel bad about driving the hell out of it and dont care about a rock chip..

I felt the same way when I bought mine at the same mileage as you. But I realized that was not the right thinking (for me). I bought the car to drive and i get to enjoy a lower mileage example which I appreciate.

And agree with what everyone else is saying; higher mileage that is well sorted is good. But a well sorted lower mileage is even better.

[jvit27]

This is so true lol, I got the exact interior and exterior combination I wanted and every time I see an Alpine White, Silver Grey or Interlagos car I'm like, damn maybe I should've gone for that instead. I know it's not super popular but I even love a really clean, minty TiAg.

Hah! Same here.. these days I'd think long & hard about a TiAg. Or an Imola Red. Sigh, the struggle of keeping up Jet Black is real...

This is basically the advice I was looking for, I appreciate the response. I have the advantage of time on my side, so I definitely don't mind waiting for the right car and paying a premium for it--I just want to make sure I'm smart about it. And the goal is to definitely negotiation the price as much as possible

Hold out for the one you want but POUNCE when the right one comes up. Assume it will takes six months of constant searching to find 'the one' so don't get trigger happy and buy one out of frustration. Getting exactly what you want will make you enjoy ownership that much more. They made enough of them that your car is out there somewhere. You might even get lucky and stumble on an Individual too.

You might also consider buying an SMG car as the premium for manuals tends to be more than the cost of the conversion. Plus, you can sell some of the parts from the SMG system to get some money back. If done right, there is no difference between a manual conversion car and a factory manual car. You'll be able to save some money that you can put towards the big three if you buy an SMG car.

If I were to buy another M3, this is 100% the route I would take.

I always suggest this. Buying a factory 6MT car means a lot of competition and you may not have time to do your due diligence or negotiate. By comparison, SMG cars are the ugly duckling and you can potentially come out way ahead. I enjoy my SMG car but if I wanted a manual I'd still go this route anyways. There are more clean SMG examples available and it literally doubles the pool of cars of your preferred spec to choose from.

Just my two cents.

I picked up a TiAG with 39K on the clock for $26K. I love it! problem is, now i think about miles every time i drive it. As others have mentioned, what is the end goal of the car? keep low miles? track car? Modified weekender? I think this will help give some clarity on how you spend the $$.

My opinion is you will still spend about 20-30K on the car regardless of what you buy. super clean and maintained with low miles or high miles and needs some love. As much as i love mine, part of me wishes i went with higher mileage so i didnt feel bad about driving the hell out of it and dont care about a rock chip..

Drive it like it's 2008. No one thinks twice about putting miles on their F8x's right now. Odometer is a badge of honor.. the game is not to keep the miles off, but to keep the car looking good.