330ci or m3 convertible- advice needed
Discussion
Hi
I currently have a e46 318 W plate saloon and have decided it's time to upgrade. my budget is around 22k and have been lookin at e46 m3's with SMG. However do the experts on here think I am better off getting a 330 convertible now and waiting for m3 values to drop further following release of the new model, perhaps sometime next year? Also does anyone have a rough ballpark figure i can get for part excahnge of my car, its black with grey leather, mint condition, however it has 99k miles on the clock ( 95% motorway miles). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Josh
I currently have a e46 318 W plate saloon and have decided it's time to upgrade. my budget is around 22k and have been lookin at e46 m3's with SMG. However do the experts on here think I am better off getting a 330 convertible now and waiting for m3 values to drop further following release of the new model, perhaps sometime next year? Also does anyone have a rough ballpark figure i can get for part excahnge of my car, its black with grey leather, mint condition, however it has 99k miles on the clock ( 95% motorway miles). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Josh
If you wait for the value of cars to drop then you will never buy one - they will continually drop.
I have owned an E46 330 Ci cab and an E46 M3 cab - they are totally different beasts. You are comparing apples with pears. A similar bodyshape and interior is about all they share from a driver's perspective. If you just want to cruise about then the 330 is fine - if you want an adrenaline rush from the outright speed, SMG 'box and screams from the hectic straight six then go for an M3. Every time. No contest. No debate.
I have owned an E46 330 Ci cab and an E46 M3 cab - they are totally different beasts. You are comparing apples with pears. A similar bodyshape and interior is about all they share from a driver's perspective. If you just want to cruise about then the 330 is fine - if you want an adrenaline rush from the outright speed, SMG 'box and screams from the hectic straight six then go for an M3. Every time. No contest. No debate.
Edited by wrn on Saturday 31st March 14:04
yeah i know what your saying, if i wait i'll be waiting forever. my only concern is that if i buy one now for around 22k, it will lose about 5k in one year because of the release of the new model, whereas if i wait another year someone else will pay the largest chunk of depreciation for me. Also am i right in thinking that if i want a convertible i should get the 330ci whereas if i want the thrill of driving i should get the m3? or is the m3 convertible the best of both worlds??
Personally I loved my M3 convertible - a purist would always say that a coupe is a stiffer/better drive, but with the convertible you get the thrill of the wind in your hair and the exhaust sounds louder... so I'd go for a convertible every time (just don't drive around town on your own with the roof down and your shades on - you might think you look cool... but you don't ;-)).
There is nothing like the adrenaline of caning solo around some challenging roads at full whack, with the engine screaming at you, the sun beating down on your head and the wind in your hair.
You are partially right about the new model's hit on the price of the E46 - however IMHO it'll take more than a year to really have an effect as it's not until there are quite a few on the road that the old one looks older and therefore depreciates faster. In 12 months time the new M3 will still be a rare sight - and you could argue that the new model will stir so much attention on M3s in general that it will have a small positive effect on the E46.
My advice? Just go for it... sell your granny, silence your other half and buy a convertible E46 M3 now in time for the summer. It'll be your best summer ever (as I've said before I've owned 2 x 997s and 1 x Aston AMV8 since my E46 M3 and the M3 still holds a special something - I LOVED it).
Will
There is nothing like the adrenaline of caning solo around some challenging roads at full whack, with the engine screaming at you, the sun beating down on your head and the wind in your hair.
You are partially right about the new model's hit on the price of the E46 - however IMHO it'll take more than a year to really have an effect as it's not until there are quite a few on the road that the old one looks older and therefore depreciates faster. In 12 months time the new M3 will still be a rare sight - and you could argue that the new model will stir so much attention on M3s in general that it will have a small positive effect on the E46.
My advice? Just go for it... sell your granny, silence your other half and buy a convertible E46 M3 now in time for the summer. It'll be your best summer ever (as I've said before I've owned 2 x 997s and 1 x Aston AMV8 since my E46 M3 and the M3 still holds a special something - I LOVED it).
Will
There is not much in it in terms of initial capital purchase price and running costs. E46 M3 vert everytime, the 330 struggles to deal with all the weight.
A purist would insist on a E46 M3 Coupe, Manual (with ACS short-shifter), OE 18s, No-model inscription (including removal of M3 decals on front wing vents and then colour coded).
A purist would insist on a E46 M3 Coupe, Manual (with ACS short-shifter), OE 18s, No-model inscription (including removal of M3 decals on front wing vents and then colour coded).
wrn said:
If you wait for the value of cars to drop then you will never buy one - they will continually drop.
I have owned an E46 330 Ci cab and an E46 M3 cab - they are totally different beasts. You are comparing apples with pears. A similar bodyshape and interior is about all they share from a driver's perspective. If you just want to cruise about then the 330 is fine - if you want an adrenaline rush from the outright speed, SMG 'box and screams from the hectic straight six then go for an M3. Every time. No contest. No debate.
I have owned an E46 330 Ci cab and an E46 M3 cab - they are totally different beasts. You are comparing apples with pears. A similar bodyshape and interior is about all they share from a driver's perspective. If you just want to cruise about then the 330 is fine - if you want an adrenaline rush from the outright speed, SMG 'box and screams from the hectic straight six then go for an M3. Every time. No contest. No debate.
Edited by wrn on Saturday 31st March 14:04
I agree totally, when buying a car for yourself, just buy what you really want, dont spend the next 2/3 years driving around in your second choice car.
If you spend £22k on a 330 cab, obviously you will get a younger car than if you bought a £22k M3, but they will both depreciate at a very similar rate. I happen to know that whole "new model coming out, old will drop like stone" theroy is a just a myth.
But if it was true, dont forget the 3 series convertible has just been replaced as well.
If you spend £22k on nearly any modern car its value will fall.
thanks for all the advice, much appreciated. I think I will go for the m3 convertible as its the car I really want, the 330 was my conscience warning me about depreciation! KentMC do you have a rough udea how much I will get for my current car in part exchange ( specs above) will it be more difficult to sell once it hits the 100k miles barrier?
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