How do you know if you should sell your E46 M3?

[Hammerfang]

I would never want to drive a manual/car I care about messing up in any major city, let alone NYC. In that situation I would want an EV too. Depends on the commute.

I remember going to a Jeff Beck concert at MSG and there was a major traffic jam in the Bronx heading for the NET. We had to drive my 540i up a bike path on a hill to escape (lots of us did). The look on the faces of those odd people bicycling at 2:00 am was priceless.

Hahaha NYC is a special place for sure.

Thankfully I don’t drive all the way in (don’t get me started on NJT) but the few times I have definitely added to my growing number of grey hairs lol.

[01SG]

I like my job (in NYC)

I would never want to drive a manual/car I care about messing up in any major city, let alone NYC. In that situation I would want an EV too. Depends on the commute.

I remember going to a Jeff Beck concert at MSG and there was a major traffic jam in the Bronx heading for the NET. We had to drive my 540i up a bike path on a hill to escape (lots of us did). The look on the faces of those odd people bicycling at 2:00 am was priceless.

[Hammerfang]

Haha man you and I couldn't be further apart. All of that just sounds terribly boring. New ICE performance daily capable cars are so much better than electric, based on the assumption that you are spending at least 50% or more of your time in one. I do recognize that our definitions of "better" are different.

To each their own. I’ve tracked a new M2 and M3 at Monticello and they were certainly fast, but honestly had worse steering then my Tesla, felt “faker” and I think wouldn’t be any faster then a Model 3 Performance. All the while requiring a lot more to keep running.

I deliberately drove my e46 up to Monticello that day and on the drive home had absolutely no interest in buying a new M3. In fact I annoyed (not on purpose) the BMW rep at the end by saying the same thing in the survey they gave us.

Something from Porsche’s GT lineup or maybe a C8 is another story. But those cars aren’t really daily drivers.

[Bimma360]

New ICE performance daily drivers are pretty pointless IMO (with rare exception). Go drive a new EV with even the slightly hint of sportiness and compare that to the current ICE offerings from BMW or most other brands and I think you’ll agree the EV is the way to go for a daily, if it fits your lifestyle.

My model 3 (and most new EVs) is basically the perfect commuter car, at least in my use case;
- 20 miles of highway driving
- 5 miles of around town, sometimes on bad roads
- park on the street at the train station in all kinds of weather we get in the north east.

While the M3 is more fun to drive, it’s not better at being an efficient, comfortable commuter car that only needs to be plugged in at night and I don’t really care about what happens to it as it’s leased and can be easily replaced.

That’s why I don’t daily drive it. However, I’m certainly making more of an effort to use it for other drives, like I did last night.

I’d venture to guess that most e46 M3 owners, particularly on this forum, fall into the same category as me if they’re being honest with themselves. And it should come as no surprise that I think it’s fine if that’s the case.

If you can/want to daily your car, all the power to you. But if you can’t/don’t that doesn’t mean you should get rid of it so long as you can afford it and don’t let it sit unused for months on end.

Haha man you and I couldn't be further apart. All of that just sounds terribly boring. New ICE performance daily capable cars are so much better than electric, based on the assumption that you are spending at least 50% or more of your time in one. I do recognize that our definitions of "better" are different.

[Hammerfang]

I DDed an EV when my commute was 104 miles/day, but now that I'm down to 20 miles, 3 days a week... M3 retook the crown. At least 2/3 of the miles now are back road, and the M3 just wins there.

For sure EVs are better at sitting in traffic, or other joyless miles (highway).


... part of why I moved and changed jobs was to get away from joyless miles.

I go in 5 days/week and honestly the only real quiet time I get to myself (married w/ 2 little kids, manage a team at work) is on my mindless drive on the highway where I can put on a podcast or listen to an audiobook and unwind.

I won’t complain too much. I like my job (in NYC) and really like the town/environment where my family lives and kids get to grow up. So, for me, the trade off is worth it.

[Obioban]

New ICE performance daily drivers are pretty pointless IMO (with rare exception). Go drive a new EV with even the slightly hint of sportiness and compare that to the current ICE offerings from BMW or most other brands and I think you’ll agree the EV is the way to go for a daily, if it fits your lifestyle.

My model 3 (and most new EVs) is basically the perfect commuter car, at least in my use case;
- 20 miles of highway driving
- 5 miles of around town, sometimes on bad roads
- park on the street at the train station in all kinds of weather we get in the north east.

While the M3 is more fun to drive, it’s not better at being an efficient, comfortable commuter car that only needs to be plugged in at night and I don’t really care about what happens to it as it’s leased and can be easily replaced.

That’s why I don’t daily drive it. However, I’m certainly making more of an effort to use it for other drives, like I did last night.

I’d venture to guess that most e46 M3 owners, particularly on this forum, fall into the same category as me if they’re being honest with themselves. And it should come as no surprise that I think it’s fine if that’s the case.

If you can/want to daily your car, all the power to you. But if you can’t/don’t that doesn’t mean you should get rid of it so long as you can afford it and don’t let it sit unused for months on end.

I firmly believe you’ll never be able to get back into the same quality car for anywhere near the same money in the future. And that you’d likely end up regretting selling it if you’re not replacing it with something on par or above.

I DDed an EV when my commute was 104 miles/day, but now that I'm down to 20 miles, 3 days a week... M3 retook the crown. At least 2/3 of the miles now are back road, and the M3 just wins there.

For sure EVs are better at sitting in traffic, or other joyless miles (highway).


... part of why I moved and changed jobs was to get away from joyless miles.

[Bimma360]

The other side of this coin is that today's turbos and superchargers are not those of yesteryear. The new M2/M3/M4 are all super fun and available in manuals. N/A then GT350/Mach 1/Dark Horse? Yes they weigh more, but they are absolute beasts with a Tremec transmission that makes our M3's seem stupid bad (as they should, its newer after all). I own a Mach 1 HP and that car is so much fun on Cup 2s its stupid. Just stupid. Its visceral. Nothing surgical about it. My M3 is my favorite car, but I'm not tied to the notion that its N/A or bust. I've got a 2025 Corolla GR manual, super fun. Totally different car. In my mind, having cars that are very different from each other is the move. Every time I get in one of my cars there is a different experience to be had.

You are 100% correct with everything you said. haha. I wasn't really commenting on the "there aren't any n/a manual options" bit. I am not married to the n/a only mindset anymore.

[Hammerfang]

New ICE performance daily drivers are pretty pointless IMO (with rare exception). Go drive a new EV with even the slightly hint of sportiness and compare that to the current ICE offerings from BMW or most other brands and I think you’ll agree the EV is the way to go for a daily, if it fits your lifestyle.

My model 3 (and most new EVs) is basically the perfect commuter car, at least in my use case;
- 20 miles of highway driving
- 5 miles of around town, sometimes on bad roads
- park on the street at the train station in all kinds of weather we get in the north east.

While the M3 is more fun to drive, it’s not better at being an efficient, comfortable commuter car that only needs to be plugged in at night and I don’t really care about what happens to it as it’s leased and can be easily replaced.

That’s why I don’t daily drive it. However, I’m certainly making more of an effort to use it for other drives, like I did last night.

I’d venture to guess that most e46 M3 owners, particularly on this forum, fall into the same category as me if they’re being honest with themselves. And it should come as no surprise that I think it’s fine if that’s the case.

If you can/want to daily your car, all the power to you. But if you can’t/don’t that doesn’t mean you should get rid of it so long as you can afford it and don’t let it sit unused for months on end.

I firmly believe you’ll never be able to get back into the same quality car for anywhere near the same money in the future. And that you’d likely end up regretting selling it if you’re not replacing it with something on par or above.

[oceansize]

I am with you on this. Nothing wrong with needing a clean/nice car either. Doesn’t mean you don’t also prioritize driving. Also if people didn’t care about “cool”, whatever that may mean to someone, everyone would be driving a Miata.

Rust was also, at least in part, the reason I lost interest in my e36. The time, energy, and money it would take to get it where I wanted, for a color that wasn’t my first choice, just wasn’t worth it to me for the chassis. I chose to spend those things on a different car.

The other side of this coin is that today's turbos and superchargers are not those of yesteryear. The new M2/M3/M4 are all super fun and available in manuals. N/A then GT350/Mach 1/Dark Horse? Yes they weigh more, but they are absolute beasts with a Tremec transmission that makes our M3's seem stupid bad (as they should, its newer after all). I own a Mach 1 HP and that car is so much fun on Cup 2s its stupid. Just stupid. Its visceral. Nothing surgical about it. My M3 is my favorite car, but I'm not tied to the notion that its N/A or bust. I've got a 2025 Corolla GR manual, super fun. Totally different car. In my mind, having cars that are very different from each other is the move. Every time I get in one of my cars there is a different experience to be had.

[Bimma360]

I don't care what anyone else thinks of the car honestly. But I just don't feel like putting more time / money / energy into a car that has an issue that's not really fixable

A new car will happen regardless of what I do with the M3. Though it's a little annoying that there aren't really any n/a manual options asides for the GT3.

I am with you on this. Nothing wrong with needing a clean/nice car either. Doesn’t mean you don’t also prioritize driving. Also if people didn’t care about “cool”, whatever that may mean to someone, everyone would be driving a Miata.

Rust was also, at least in part, the reason I lost interest in my e36. The time, energy, and money it would take to get it where I wanted, for a color that wasn’t my first choice, just wasn’t worth it to me for the chassis. I chose to spend those things on a different car.

[oceansize]

I don't care what anyone else thinks of the car honestly. But I just don't feel like putting more time / money / energy into a car that has an issue that's not really fixable

A new car will happen regardless of what I do with the M3. Though it's a little annoying that there aren't really any n/a manual options asides for the GT3.

That much rust?

[terra]

You lost enthusiasm for driving because of some rust...? Sounds like a lot of people are more interested in the image of having a clean/nice/cool car than driving. Nothing wrong with that, but doesn't make much sense to own an e46 when the general public will always be more impressed with something new.

I don't care what anyone else thinks of the car honestly. But I just don't feel like putting more time / money / energy into a car that has an issue that's not really fixable

A new car will happen regardless of what I do with the M3. Though it's a little annoying that there aren't really any n/a manual options asides for the GT3.

[Obioban]

I know we all have different lives, but how in the world do some of you guys not have "time" to drive the M3?

Grocery store, coffee run, take out pick up, miscl Home Depot run, any random errand, etc etc.

If you have kids, throw one in the car and take it with you. If the wife doesn't like being in it, or can't, then go solo on any of the above. I am sure she'll live.

I don't know man, it sounds like these M3's aren't being driven out of convenience more so than anything else.

yeeeeeeep.

I don't drive mine for salt. Otherwise, default.

[Bimma360]

I know we all have different lives, but how in the world do some of you guys not have "time" to drive the M3?

Grocery store, coffee run, take out pick up, miscl Home Depot run, any random errand, etc etc.

If you have kids, throw one in the car and take it with you. If the wife doesn't like being in it, or can't, then go solo on any of the above. I am sure she'll live.

I don't know man, it sounds like these M3's aren't being driven out of convenience more so than anything else.

[02_lsb]

Speaking from experience, time is a precious commodity and is usually in short supply in your middle age.

I too have found it hard to put miles on my car. But whenever I do, it always puts a smile on my face. Tonight for example I took it to my daughter’s soccer practice. It would have been “easier” to take my Tesla, but I’m glad I took my M3 instead. Plus, my son who is 4 LOVES the “blue car” and says he wants it when he’s older. Guess I can’t ever sell it!

Preach.