E92 vs e46

[BinBuilt]

So i have been thinking recently and i need some peoples opinions who have drove or owned the e9x m3 and e46 m3 and i wanna know y’all’s thoughts on it? I was thinking should i save and get one along side the 46 m3 or should i replace it because honestly I haven’t drove one but i really want some knowledgeable opinions on this.

[theOracle]

I owned an e92 competition 6mt. Melbourne red over silverstone interior. I absolutely loved that car. I ended up selling it for the X3M comp when I had my second child.
The e92 is a great car but when I chose to get another M3 I chose the e46 because it was more special to me and embodied what the M3 is. I prefer the size and style of the e46. But the e9x is a close second to me. I like the idea of the e90 sedan. Maybe I’ll get one in the future.

[dHam_Slow.46M]

Not an exact 1st hand experience, since the only e90 I've owned was a 328 and have only have a small amount of driving time in an e9x M, but almost everyone I know who traded up to the e9x M platform eventually went back to it. For the raw driving experience, as theOracle said, the e9x platform is a close 2nd to the e46. If you're getting to the age of prioritizing more comfort, then the e9x platform takes the cake w/o much sacrifice to the driving experience.

[bigjae46]

I've owned both for the past 14 years. Performance - the E92 beats the pants off an E46. The front and rear suspension design is far superior, engine is a different animal and the DCT is WAY better than the SMG.

The E46 has a better interior. Not in terms of long-term quality but it is kind of hard to describe. Ergonomic? Everything just feels better, its easier to reach, and makes a lot of sense. I enjoy sitting in an E46 more than my E90.

[CrisSilberGrau]

I've owned both for the past 14 years. Performance - the E92 beats the pants off an E46. The front and rear suspension design is far superior, engine is a different animal and the DCT is WAY better than the SMG.

The E46 has a better interior. Not in terms of long-term quality but it is kind of hard to describe. Ergonomic? Everything just feels better, its easier to reach, and makes a lot of sense. I enjoy sitting in an E46 more than my E90.

This isn't talked about enough IMO, it is one of the great dash designs of our time. Everything is sculpted to fall away perfectly and the inclination towards the driver is perfect. Probably the most iconic dash layout and guages, top 5 for sure.

[Obioban]

E90 is faster, more comfortable, has a better automatic transmission if you go that route, and has a better sounding exhaust.

e46 is more fun,lighter, smaller, easier to work on, prettier, has a nicer interior, and has a better sounding intake.

e46 has 3 scary failure modes, but you can fix them all. e9X has one scary failure more, but there is no fix. Many e9Xs are saddled with iDrive, but more of them come without sunroofs. .

For most people, the e9X is the better DD and the e46 is the better weekend car.

[bigjae46]

has a better automatic transmission

Don't trigger me! NOT an automatic...It's a dual clutch! 🤣

Actually, the S65 has the similar failures - rod bearings and VANOS. Add in main bearings, $1200 throttle actuators (2 of them) and the stupid idle control valve. Ignition coils are like $250 each now? Times 8. God forbid you spill some brake fluid onto the reservoir while bleeding the brakes...boom! $500!

And I forgot to add...if you like to drink coffee in your car - the E9X is NOT the car for you!

[oceansize]

Don't trigger me! NOT an automatic...It's a dual clutch! 🤣

I called the DCT in the last version of the GT500 an automatic in the Mustang forums and holy shite. You would have thought I told them their mother had crabs. I've never seen a more sensitive group than Mustang guys. I've been on a lot of forums and man are they sensitive, about everything.

[bigjae46]

I called the DCT in the last version of the GT500 an automatic in the Mustang forums and holy shite. You would have thought I told them their mother had crabs. I've never seen a more sensitive group than Mustang guys. I've been on a lot of forums and man are they sensitive, about everything.

Lol. It definitely hurts some feelings.

I call "D" mode the wife mode. I had a manual 330Ci...couldn't own 2 cars my wife couldn't drive. My wife is not the kind of person that should drive a manual.

[Slideways]

E9XM feels like a big car. IMO the M3 grew into an M5, which is why I refer to it as the E9X M5

E39 has the styling, but E90 has a steering rack and more motorsporty engine

[Obioban]

Don't trigger me! NOT an automatic...It's a dual clutch! 🤣

Actually, the S65 has the similar failures - rod bearings and VANOS. Add in main bearings, $1200 throttle actuators (2 of them) and the stupid idle control valve. Ignition coils are like $250 each now? Times 8. God forbid you spill some brake fluid onto the reservoir while bleeding the brakes...boom! $500!

And I forgot to add...if you like to drink coffee in your car - the E9X is NOT the car for you!

Yeah, but the S65 rod bearing failures are seemingly lottery, and nuke the engine. The S54's are wear based and fairly predicable. You just replace them as needed.

Yes, the e9X (and e82, and e60) cup holders all suck. E39's too, for that matter-- e46 is an outlier 🤣

People used to get really worked up about "automatic". If the shifting is automated, it's automatic.

[Obioban]

E9XM feels like a big car. IMO the M3 grew into an M5, which is why I refer to it as the E9X M5

E39 has the styling, but E90 has a steering rack and more motorsporty engine

100% yes to this. The e9X feels way more similar in driving experience to either of the M5's I've had (e39 and e60) than it does the e46. Just...without the larger interior to match.

[oceansize]

I've test driven e9x m3s so many times over the years. I really wanted to like them and I'm sure I could modify them to make them more suitable, but with respect to the current pricing (for a nice one) I'd take a GT350, Mach 1, or Dark Horse all day over an e9x m3. Just loads more character right out the box.

[Mayan-Viking]

I've owned both. I went back to the E46. It's just the platform that makes me smile more. The E92 had a great intake note if you did a little work with it. But the CSL intake's cacophony is a different thing all together...

[332]

Put the money towards a stroker for the E46, I drove my friends E46 stroker with 400whp. If I wasn't in the market for a E63 M6, I'd own one too!