Opinions Wanted on 3-Car Fleet: E46 M3 + Family SUV + ???

[LSB4Me]

Lots of good suggestions, so I’ll throw a curveball—air cooled 911.

If you squint, the e46m3 is a family car. Air bags, AC, usable backseat. The Cayenne requires no trickery, it’s a great family car.

So . . . grab a fun two seat weekender that (once sorted) just needs gas and oil for the foreseeable future. And hey, they make car seats for them too.

[Bimma360]

Will your wife and infant be in this car at times? If so, your options are really, really limited with a proper rear facing seat. They are gigantic and will make normal sedans or hatchbacks impractical (IMO) for whomever is sitting in front of the child unless they are like 5 ft. tall. We have an almost 2 year old and a 4 month old, both in rear facing car seats. The older kid will go front facing in maybe 6 months? If we are transporting both children and any amount of stuff it has to be in an something quite large. I also want to point out that kids are an absolute mess. Goldfish, milk, spit up everywhere, the occasional diaper leakage...shit happens.

This! Except for the kids being a mess. I don't let my kids eat anything in any of our cars, or drink anything other than water. As an X3M owner, unless your passenger is 5'2" a rear facing car seat won't work. And despite my X3M brethren, it isn't the ideal family car. It's fine, but not ideal size if you will do any roadtrips. My kids are 5 and 3, both front facing, and everything is fine. But something X5 sized would be ideal. I don't know much about the Cayenne, but I imagine it's roughly X5 size.

Having said that, some of you are being a little too dramatic about 1 kid. Its fine. Get whatever 3rd car you want. The only bearing the kid should have on your car choice is if you want to use it with a rear facing car seat. But if you have the Cayenne for that, and won't have a passenger in your 3rd car then that doesn't even matter really. Case in point, we have the X3M, and when I get the E46 buttoned up (it will have buckets), I am going to throw a car seat in the back and drive it almost exclusively unless I need to fit a second kid or the weather is bad.

[lcrain]

Will your wife and infant be in this car at times? If so, your options are really, really limited with a proper rear facing seat. They are gigantic and will make normal sedans or hatchbacks impractical (IMO) for whomever is sitting in front of the child unless they are like 5 ft. tall. We have an almost 2 year old and a 4 month old, both in rear facing car seats. The older kid will go front facing in maybe 6 months? If we are transporting both children and any amount of stuff it has to be in an something quite large. I also want to point out that kids are an absolute mess. Goldfish, milk, spit up everywhere, the occasional diaper leakage...shit happens.

I would honestly buy something you don't care about too much, is reliable, that doesn't need much work and can haul a bunch of shit around.

We bought my wife a volvo xc90 before kid #1 arrived and she loves it, I find it to be fine. Mid-level luxury, very comfortable ride (air suspension) but the twin charged + mild hybrid system means it has absolutely no hints of being fun to drive. It gets us and our kids from A to B safely, in comfort and has room for some stuff. I cannot imagine fitting two car seats and any amount of necessary equipment in something much smaller. I had an F150 before the kids arrived. It used to be for hauling my racecar (no time for that anymore lol). Now it serves it's purpose as another kid hauler. Obviously has plenty of space for everyone to be comfortable. Once kid #1 is bigger I want to get something more entertaining but am cautious about getting something I care too much about (see the messiness above).

I know people do dad life with fun cars, and part of me really wants to be that dad. I still have fun cars. I drove my e46 m3 a few days a week before selling it and buying something even less kid friendly.

These are just my opinions as a man who's life has changed so much in two years with the growth of my family. It is awesome, I wouldn't change a thing, but so different.

[elbert]

In my mind, a true dct car would be desirable as it complements the E46 and Cayenne experience, and I've never owned one. Though, cheaper options (say <$35k) are limited to VW, Hyundai pretty much, or a high mileage E9X. Am I crazy for wanting an E39 beater, lol? Sometimes, enthusiast life is hard 😂

IMO If you're willing to consider a DCT, then you should also include cars with the ZF 8HP.
DCT's had their moment, but the 8HP has pretty much closed the gap performance-wise.

[George Hill]

Probably a good option-- honestly my brother had a E90 325xi (or whatever early E90 6 cyl, automatic) and didn't have a great experience with it (electric water pump, valvetronic) but he's really not a car person, had low tolerance for maintenance.

He's not wrong, those are definitely items on the to do list, and they can add up for sure. But its just the price to own a BMW and I'd say it would still be cheaper in PM vs an M54/E39 of similar maintenance condition. My point is its all relative, if you want it to be like a Honda you gotta buy a Honda but if you have an E46 M3 and have done the big (3) then its no different (just cheaper).

For whatever reason the bangle cars kinda turn me off tbh. I feel like there's a slippery slope there cuz then I'll want a turbo car, or an E60 550i, etc and then it's not so economical anymore LOL

I think most would agree, but I think after the E46 generation its hard to beat the looks of an MSport E60/61. And personally I like the N62 with an auto or MT. You can often find them for cheap even with valve stem maintenance history, but they are going to be more money intense than an E9x.

Full disclosure I am putting together an AWD N52 E91 for my wife and if I had more time and money I would have an E61 550 for myself (on top of the E46s).

[BTB]

If you want to stay BMW and you like the E92 other than the practicality of an S65/Coupe then I'd consider an N52 powered E90 or E91. For the BMW market its probably the sweet spot of analog cars with modern amenities and they are fairly sold with some basic maintenance that can be DIY'd

Probably a good option-- honestly my brother had a E90 325xi (or whatever early E90 6 cyl, automatic) and didn't have a great experience with it (electric water pump, valvetronic) but he's really not a car person, had low tolerance for maintenance. For whatever reason the bangle cars kinda turn me off tbh. I feel like there's a slippery slope there cuz then I'll want a turbo car, or an E60 550i, etc and then it's not so economical anymore LOL

[George Hill]

Ahh, yeah I hear you. Really appreciate the feedback on this. E39 probably makes more sense in my car brain than it does in reality. Seeing how I've fallen for the E46 M, I could see myself loving an E39 beater in the same way, easy car to rip on. But something newer is probably more logical, per other's responses

If you want to stay BMW and you like the E92 other than the practicality of an S65/Coupe then I'd consider an N52 powered E90 or E91. For the BMW market its probably the sweet spot of analog cars with modern amenities and they are fairly sold with some basic maintenance that can be DIY'd

[BTB]

I have a different proposal for you; sell the cayenne too and get an X3M.

I have an X3M as a daily and absolutely love it. It checks the practical SUV box AND the fun/fast daily box completely. It will be way more fun than any E9X and just almost as practical as the Cayenne (just a touch smaller). Plus there is good aftermarket support.

Really sweet car ... I do like the new X3s, and I'm sure they are great to drive. I always thought my mom's F15 X5 35d was one of the best SUVs, apart from the lack of horsepower lol. If the family grows I could see X3M as my 'dad car', but we really love the Cayenne at the moment (my wife's dream mom car). Honestly I fell for it pretty quick as well, the steering, brakes and chassis are unreal for a 5,000 lb SUV. And the 2.9TT v6 makes me feel like I'm in an overgrown 911 turbo 'lite'

[BTB]

Yea man, everyone’s situation is different, but I can tell you one thing. It’s not a money thing. It’s a time and energy thing. You will not have a lot of extra time or energy for existing project cars, let alone new project cars, for a while at least.

In LA, we had a RAV4 hybrid and it was perfect because it has room for a big stroller, a good car seat, gets good fuel economy, and crucially, you don’t have to do anything to the car except put gas in it.

Now here in Germany, our daily is a tiny ass Audi A1 diesel, which is significantly more sucky across the board. But it was already here, paid off, etc… So, you can adapt, absolutely. But you should try to set yourself up for success as best as possible, at least for the first phase. The last thing you’ll want is an annoying or difficult car.

Dang, yeah, makes a lot of sense. I can't imagine moving abroad as well, must be an adventure! Even now I feel like I don't have much time for car stuff, including just washing the cars. I'm going to want something bulletproof. I will say, I could see myself in an Ioniq 5, if it is a good car to drive

[BTB]

If it hasn't had the coolant pipes under the intake replaced I'd be planning on closer to that $5k for most M54s. If it has then its likely been well maintained and the cost may be much closer to $0 (at least right off the bat). E39 sedan or tourings are great cars and really once the cooling system and engine maintenance is locked down they are very reliable. You will start to contend with parts availability that depending on how perfect you want it might be a bigger issue. The newest ones will be 23yrs old, but the car as a whole could last a long time. I think this is a good option if you are emotionally invested in the platform. Otherwise its probably going to be a headache you don't want.


I just meant your 6 mile one way trip to daycare. If you are on 35/Mopac cruising 6 miles each way I wouldn't sweat the drive, but if you are on Lamar or Burnet for that trip, I'd say its gonna be hard on an S65.

12mi a day, 5 days a week for 50 weeks is only 3k miles. Even if you double that it'll be a while before those miles really rack up if you are starting with something around 100k

Ahh, yeah I hear you. Really appreciate the feedback on this. E39 probably makes more sense in my car brain than it does in reality. Seeing how I've fallen for the E46 M, I could see myself loving an E39 beater in the same way, easy car to rip on. But something newer is probably more logical, per other's responses

[BTB]

lol ... we're probably biased tho


The E46 is my "show car" we don't really consider it one of the fleet. It's not making any Target runs.

So we have the X3M for normal stuff, then we have her RS3 for fun Saturdays or whatever, and then we have the Raptor for Costco runs and truck stuff.


For me, that's the "perfect" 3 car garage. Sports car, wildly fun SUV, and incredibly capable truck.

Now that is a heck of a setup😎😎😎 I'm limiting myself to 3 cars at the moment due to 2 car garage. And, you know, money 😆

[9kracing]

lol ... we're probably biased tho





The E46 is my "show car" we don't really consider it one of the fleet. It's not making any Target runs.

So we have the X3M for normal stuff, then we have her RS3 for fun Saturdays or whatever, and then we have the Raptor for Costco runs and truck stuff.




For me, that's the "perfect" 3 car garage. Sports car, wildly fun SUV, and incredibly capable truck.

[Gearhead55]

I have a different proposal for you; sell the cayenne too and get an X3M.

I have an X3M as a daily and absolutely love it. It checks the practical SUV box AND the fun/fast daily box completely. It will be way more fun than any E9X and just almost as practical as the Cayenne (just a touch smaller). Plus there is good aftermarket support.

[Nate047]

This sounds a lot like the voice of reason, hah! Probably what I will end up doing-- thanks for the advice. In the meantime at least I can let my imagination run wild with the possibilities, at the risk of driving myself (and wife) crazy

Yea man, everyone’s situation is different, but I can tell you one thing. It’s not a money thing. It’s a time and energy thing. You will not have a lot of extra time or energy for existing project cars, let alone new project cars, for a while at least.

In LA, we had a RAV4 hybrid and it was perfect because it has room for a big stroller, a good car seat, gets good fuel economy, and crucially, you don’t have to do anything to the car except put gas in it.

Now here in Germany, our daily is a tiny ass Audi A1 diesel, which is significantly more sucky across the board. But it was already here, paid off, etc… So, you can adapt, absolutely. But you should try to set yourself up for success as best as possible, at least for the first phase. The last thing you’ll want is an annoying or difficult car.

[Mustafa564]

My current setup is
- 2024 BMW X5 M package as a family car.
-2006 BMW M3
-89 BMW 325is
-99 Corolla for winter daily.

since you don’t want a E30 I would say get a E90 with N52 reliable and it’s a motor you can throw around and it’s reliable. Something like 328x drive. E46 M3 and a E92 M3 will be a bit too much when it comes to maintenance and insurance . That’s just my opinion. I want a E92 M3 but I need to find a place for it 😂.