E46 M3 as a daily drive. Yes or No?
Discussion
I have been reading lots of old posts regarding the E46 M3 and keep reading that a Warranty is a must, people wouldnt buy one now as they are going to depreciate further.
I am considering one of these as my only car and selling the cars I have at the moment as I only use 1 and dont have time for Track Days etc.
I would be looking at an SMG car.
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
Thanks in advance
I am considering one of these as my only car and selling the cars I have at the moment as I only use 1 and dont have time for Track Days etc.
I would be looking at an SMG car.
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
Thanks in advance
BlueNGT said:
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
1) They are to an extent, but as with any thing electrical, some have gremlins, some don't.2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
2)SMG II is what is fitted to E46s. The SMG box appears on the E36.
3)Check running in service complete around 1200 miles. But apparently upto to around 1800 is acceptable for warranty purposes. Check FSH. Check suspension components (these wear quickly RTAB, Wishbones, springs break)... Check all recalls have been done.
4)Around town driving conservatively I get around 24mpg.
5)Dependant on driving really, but once they've worn, you can replace with a harder compound type to save on costs.
6) Not a must, just peace of mind really. Dealers are expensive places to visit if something is mechanically wrong.
7)& 8) This is again dependent on your driving style. The pads throw off a lot of brake dust. If a daily drive I'll doubt you'll be hammering it in rush hour. The brakes are up to job for fast road driving, but for some serious track use, I'd upgrade to AP's or something.
BlueNGT said:
I have been reading lots of old posts regarding the E46 M3 and keep reading that a Warranty is a must, people wouldnt buy one now as they are going to depreciate further.
I am considering one of these as my only car and selling the cars I have at the moment as I only use 1 and dont have time for Track Days etc.
I would be looking at an SMG car.
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
Thanks in advance
4.) Are they thirsty? Well yes and no. Its no diesel that for sure, but i dont drive mine like i stole it, so i somteimes get good MPG.I am considering one of these as my only car and selling the cars I have at the moment as I only use 1 and dont have time for Track Days etc.
I would be looking at an SMG car.
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
2.) What is the difference between SMG and SMG 2?
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
4.) Are they very thirsty?
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
Thanks in advance
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles? Again, depends on how you drive it. I've just done 8000 from new and the rears look like new.
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes? Unless you are doing track days (which i dont) then they feel pretty sharp.
Hope this helps. Any other questions, please ask.
Here's my take on relevant bits:
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
Can't comment- mine's a manual, but imagine it must be handy having auto when you can't be arsed, or stuck in traffic.
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
All commone sense- but I would say check history & paperwork etc, usual HPI if private- not much to see under the bonnet really. I would probably limit to cars with Sat nav & 19's (depending on where you sit on the whole handling versus looks debate), and both make it easier to resell.
4.) Are they very thirsty?
Nope- not really considering the performance. Mine varies from 22-24 depending on use. More if you're doing long runs & taking it easy (unlikely though...!)
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
As you might deduce from my username, I'm not what you might call a Sunday driver, so there is a decent amount of sideways action & fast cornering etc. However, if you buy Michelin PS2's or other decent rubber it's possible to get more than 8k from rear tyres. Also- if you buy from somewhere like Micheldever, it's very reasonable on consumables.
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
Personally I'd always buy a car with proper manufacturer's warranty- even if you find a private sale with the balance of a warranty, you can extend it (though pricey now)
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
Depends how you drive it- for fast road use they'll just about do...though mine do make a fuss sometimes with sections of dual carriageway + roundabout-type roads. Track- forget it really, as if you're pushing hard they'll give up and fade badly after a couple of laps. You'll need to get a CSL & AP's or Brembos if Track work is what you're after. I've decided that track work is best left for cars under about 1400kgs!
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
If you buy decent pads and uprate the fluid etc, can't see what they wouldn't last 10k miles or more really. Mine did and they get a proper hammering.
Hope that helps. (edited to add the actual answer to the question- yes, very good everyday driver with a decent bit of power to make it interesting- great all-rounder)
1.) Is the SMG box reliable?
Can't comment- mine's a manual, but imagine it must be handy having auto when you can't be arsed, or stuck in traffic.
3.) What are the main things to look for when viewing cars?
All commone sense- but I would say check history & paperwork etc, usual HPI if private- not much to see under the bonnet really. I would probably limit to cars with Sat nav & 19's (depending on where you sit on the whole handling versus looks debate), and both make it easier to resell.
4.) Are they very thirsty?
Nope- not really considering the performance. Mine varies from 22-24 depending on use. More if you're doing long runs & taking it easy (unlikely though...!)
5.) I read rear tyres only last 8,000 miles?
As you might deduce from my username, I'm not what you might call a Sunday driver, so there is a decent amount of sideways action & fast cornering etc. However, if you buy Michelin PS2's or other decent rubber it's possible to get more than 8k from rear tyres. Also- if you buy from somewhere like Micheldever, it's very reasonable on consumables.
6.) Is the Warranty a must (I ran a Tiptronic Boxster for 2 years and hammered it without a single problem and no warranty cover)?
Personally I'd always buy a car with proper manufacturer's warranty- even if you find a private sale with the balance of a warranty, you can extend it (though pricey now)
7.) Is it worth upgrading the front brakes?
Depends how you drive it- for fast road use they'll just about do...though mine do make a fuss sometimes with sections of dual carriageway + roundabout-type roads. Track- forget it really, as if you're pushing hard they'll give up and fade badly after a couple of laps. You'll need to get a CSL & AP's or Brembos if Track work is what you're after. I've decided that track work is best left for cars under about 1400kgs!
8.) A friend has an E46 M3 and he seems to be forever fitting new pads, is this because the brakes are too weak for the weight of the car?
If you buy decent pads and uprate the fluid etc, can't see what they wouldn't last 10k miles or more really. Mine did and they get a proper hammering.
Hope that helps. (edited to add the actual answer to the question- yes, very good everyday driver with a decent bit of power to make it interesting- great all-rounder)
Edited by nutcase on Friday 21st September 13:34
Thats really helpful chaps. Thanks very much for that.
I might do the odd Trackday but wont be trying to set any Lap records but I dont see a brake upgrade as a waste of money. On that subject, how much are the AP's/are they 6 pot and flotting disc?
If anybody has exprience of SMG box does it need clutches changing regularly?
I am picking SMG as I do often get caught in traffic on my travels and having the option to make use of the Auto is attractive.
Are they Super Unleaded only?
I might do the odd Trackday but wont be trying to set any Lap records but I dont see a brake upgrade as a waste of money. On that subject, how much are the AP's/are they 6 pot and flotting disc?
If anybody has exprience of SMG box does it need clutches changing regularly?
I am picking SMG as I do often get caught in traffic on my travels and having the option to make use of the Auto is attractive.
Are they Super Unleaded only?
Edited by BlueNGT on Friday 21st September 16:01
A M3 is just like a normal car, but with a bit higher running costs.
Yes a warranty is nice, but I'm definitely only level at best, if not slightly behind. Engines are pretty arn bullet proof, as is transmission. My 1st clutch is at 63K miles now and shows little sign of going, though I suspect within in the next 20K it will need one, but I have no idea to be honest, it still pulls like a train.
Go for it, they are great cars!
Yes a warranty is nice, but I'm definitely only level at best, if not slightly behind. Engines are pretty arn bullet proof, as is transmission. My 1st clutch is at 63K miles now and shows little sign of going, though I suspect within in the next 20K it will need one, but I have no idea to be honest, it still pulls like a train.
Go for it, they are great cars!
I have owned most mpodern M cars including the new M5, I currently drive a Z4MR. The M5 felt detached and even though insanely quick, it wasn't raw enough. Z4MR is raw in the extreme, if you don't concentrate, it will punish you. The E46 M3 is a great mix of both rawness and driveability. I have an 03 cab in my showroom and keep thinking about getting rid of Z and taken that home with me.
paoloh said:
Personal opinion here so no one get the axe out... BMW spend millions getting the Mcars just right. I would leave the suspension alone. Before people start going on about brakes for track use, I'm talking about as a daily driver. I'm going to run and hide now
I think the car looks great, the engine is fantastic and build quality superb. However having owned a few Porsches I cannot understand why BMW do not invest more in brakes on the M-Cars. They should be fitted with at least 4 pot brakes, 6 pot would be better...they are quite heavy but powerful and reasonably quick so fitting larger brakes would aid safety if nothing else. If I buy an M3 I will be fitting AP's or similar even if I dont track it.Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff