E92 M3 potential buyer
Discussion
Hi all, just after a few insights into E92 ownership.
The main 2 things seem to be rod bearings and throttle actuators, is this actually as prevalent an issue as it's made out to be online?
Road tax is fairly heavy and MPG seems to be pretty poor but I don't do many miles so isn't a huge issue.
Is the LCI worth much of a premium over the earlier cars? And likewise for a competition car over a vanilla one? I do much prefer the wheels on the comp car.
The only other car I'm considering is an E46 M3, which seems to have a similar price of entry for half decent one, which makes it a difficult pill to swallow against a newer, more powerful V8 M car... Anyone to convince me otherwise?
The main 2 things seem to be rod bearings and throttle actuators, is this actually as prevalent an issue as it's made out to be online?
Road tax is fairly heavy and MPG seems to be pretty poor but I don't do many miles so isn't a huge issue.
Is the LCI worth much of a premium over the earlier cars? And likewise for a competition car over a vanilla one? I do much prefer the wheels on the comp car.
The only other car I'm considering is an E46 M3, which seems to have a similar price of entry for half decent one, which makes it a difficult pill to swallow against a newer, more powerful V8 M car... Anyone to convince me otherwise?
Hi,
I've owned mine since march this year and covered roughly 3,000 miles since.
With regards to throttle actuators, one of mine failed last month. I bought my car through BMW so this was covered on warranty.
Rod bearings *seem* to be an issue on pre LCI cars. Whether this is a myth or not, I'm not sure.
Evolve tuning charge £1500 to change them and they use the bearings used in the LCI engine.
I bought a frozen silver edition which came with the comp pack, wheels are better looking imo and the 10mm drop in ride height compliments them well.
EDC is a must it's chalk and cheese driving with it off and then turning it on. The car feels so much more sharper.
Just checked my consumption on the way home from work, I have an 8 mile commute, currently getting 22mpg, I tend to go for a longer drive on the weekend and stretch the engines legs.
It's an addictive noise, especially with the 2 pipe mod on the exhaust.
Forget about tax, it's a necessary evil to pay on many cars in this tax bracket. Once paid its forgotten about for the year.
Hope this helps a little.
I've owned mine since march this year and covered roughly 3,000 miles since.
With regards to throttle actuators, one of mine failed last month. I bought my car through BMW so this was covered on warranty.
Rod bearings *seem* to be an issue on pre LCI cars. Whether this is a myth or not, I'm not sure.
Evolve tuning charge £1500 to change them and they use the bearings used in the LCI engine.
I bought a frozen silver edition which came with the comp pack, wheels are better looking imo and the 10mm drop in ride height compliments them well.
EDC is a must it's chalk and cheese driving with it off and then turning it on. The car feels so much more sharper.
Just checked my consumption on the way home from work, I have an 8 mile commute, currently getting 22mpg, I tend to go for a longer drive on the weekend and stretch the engines legs.
It's an addictive noise, especially with the 2 pipe mod on the exhaust.
Forget about tax, it's a necessary evil to pay on many cars in this tax bracket. Once paid its forgotten about for the year.
Hope this helps a little.
I’m really fortunate to have owned many wonderful cars over the years. My factory ordered e92 LCI is still of my very favourites. Really had work it hard to get performance out of it; hence the dct really complimented keeping the engine at the top of its rev range. You could drive it hard without getting into daft speeds.
My best friend now owns it as it’s 5th owner and it’s still a great car 9 years later with 90k on the clock with the engine requiring no work to date (although I know I ran it fastidiously). Head and shoulders over it’s predecessor imo and still looks the business. EDC has been argued to death, but I preferred not having it. The standard step up was a perfect middle ground for me. Enjoy your search!
My best friend now owns it as it’s 5th owner and it’s still a great car 9 years later with 90k on the clock with the engine requiring no work to date (although I know I ran it fastidiously). Head and shoulders over it’s predecessor imo and still looks the business. EDC has been argued to death, but I preferred not having it. The standard step up was a perfect middle ground for me. Enjoy your search!
I bought mine in June this year, have only managed about 1000 or so miles. This car, as with all (but the current FXX farty-sounding turbo'd 6) is all about the engine, that V8 is just immense.
Actuators go when they go, not something thats pre determined, so I don't believe there's a premium for paying for a car with this done. They will go at some point tho. Rod bearings is another matter, probably get a car with these replaced, or at least if not, factor in to purchase price and have them changed yourself. Mine aren't and the car has FSH and 130k on the clock ... it was used as a daily driver for 10 years ... maybe it was driven more sedately or at least warmed up properly, who knows? Anyway, I'm getting these done next month when it has a service.
I've averaged 22.6 MPG ... mostly on a sunny day on my 56 mile commute with a few quick back road blasts on the odd weekend I've had the time.
Tax? Forget about it
The comp pack cars don't offer anything performance wise over a standard car, yes it has a nicer set of wheels, so buy on condition/history over this.
Gearbox. The DCT suits the car perfectly, its part of the package. Forget the manual .... the DCT box is part of the cars character.
I would have a E92 over a E46 because of that V8 alone. Those days are gone, never to return. The E46 is a great car, but wasn't so different from the E36 ... I've owned an E36, E36 GT and a E46 CSL ... .I'd say the E92 is as close to the CSL.
A little more noise wouldn't go amiss but its a great car.
Actuators go when they go, not something thats pre determined, so I don't believe there's a premium for paying for a car with this done. They will go at some point tho. Rod bearings is another matter, probably get a car with these replaced, or at least if not, factor in to purchase price and have them changed yourself. Mine aren't and the car has FSH and 130k on the clock ... it was used as a daily driver for 10 years ... maybe it was driven more sedately or at least warmed up properly, who knows? Anyway, I'm getting these done next month when it has a service.
I've averaged 22.6 MPG ... mostly on a sunny day on my 56 mile commute with a few quick back road blasts on the odd weekend I've had the time.
Tax? Forget about it
The comp pack cars don't offer anything performance wise over a standard car, yes it has a nicer set of wheels, so buy on condition/history over this.
Gearbox. The DCT suits the car perfectly, its part of the package. Forget the manual .... the DCT box is part of the cars character.
I would have a E92 over a E46 because of that V8 alone. Those days are gone, never to return. The E46 is a great car, but wasn't so different from the E36 ... I've owned an E36, E36 GT and a E46 CSL ... .I'd say the E92 is as close to the CSL.
A little more noise wouldn't go amiss but its a great car.
I had a pre-LCI manual, and a LCI Comp pack (DCT).
Very different characters. The manual was great in a 3rd gear pull, feeling the engine go through it's various 'stages' up its screaming red line. That aside, the gear change on my 08 was so bad it spoiled the car for me. I doubt other manuals were quite as poor though, as it ended up having some warranty work to improve the gear change (which it didn't but that's another story).
The Comp pack with the DCT was a very different animal. As mentioned above, the gearbox really suits the engine and gives the whole car much more of an aggressive vibe, which I think it needs in order to 'wake it up'.
The LCI also has the benefit of a Pro-Nav system which was still in use until about 2016, so it feels quite modern still.
My personal view on the EDC is that it, in a strange way, it works better with the DCT, in that being able to simultaneously adjust the suspension and the aggression of the gear change gives the car a much wider bandwidth - from comfy-relaxed cruiser to hard(er)core road racer.
In terms of reliability, both were a bit of a nightmare but neither suffered from an actuator or rod bearing problem in my ownership. Paint issues (mine was Frozen Silver individual), batteries failing, seizing calipers, software updates, cat resets, fueling issues...the list goes on.
I still get envious when I see one, but I do know that my Boxster/Caymans were on a different level as fun cars.
Very different characters. The manual was great in a 3rd gear pull, feeling the engine go through it's various 'stages' up its screaming red line. That aside, the gear change on my 08 was so bad it spoiled the car for me. I doubt other manuals were quite as poor though, as it ended up having some warranty work to improve the gear change (which it didn't but that's another story).
The Comp pack with the DCT was a very different animal. As mentioned above, the gearbox really suits the engine and gives the whole car much more of an aggressive vibe, which I think it needs in order to 'wake it up'.
The LCI also has the benefit of a Pro-Nav system which was still in use until about 2016, so it feels quite modern still.
My personal view on the EDC is that it, in a strange way, it works better with the DCT, in that being able to simultaneously adjust the suspension and the aggression of the gear change gives the car a much wider bandwidth - from comfy-relaxed cruiser to hard(er)core road racer.
In terms of reliability, both were a bit of a nightmare but neither suffered from an actuator or rod bearing problem in my ownership. Paint issues (mine was Frozen Silver individual), batteries failing, seizing calipers, software updates, cat resets, fueling issues...the list goes on.
I still get envious when I see one, but I do know that my Boxster/Caymans were on a different level as fun cars.
I have a 2012 comp pack. Main comments as follows:
- In three years of ownership - only issue has been an actuator which was replaced on Warranty (£1200 I think)
- Ive kept the warranty running - but so far car has been very reliable.
- Mpg averages 20 - which is pretty good in my opinion.
- The car is much better built than E46 (I had one before)
- Michelin 4s improves traction.
- DCT a must in my opinion.
- Great all round car.
I have an E93 M3 and have had it for 3 years now. I don't do huge miles , but I think its a great car. I'd recommend the exhaust mod, as other have mentioned, it sounds so good with that even when you're going slow (even better with the roof down :-) )
My car is an early vert, a 57 plate, I bought it as an approved used car and have used the warranty on a fair few occassions. But I do thoroughly enjoy the car. Mine has the older iDrvie (CCC) system, the newer ones re much slicker but its a minor issue and can be updated.
I had an E46 too, which is a great a car, of the two I think I prefer the E93 but the E46 still is a special place to be.
MPG wise mine is doing 19.4 on super unleaded. I don't have EDC, so can't comment on that but find the ride on a normal one fine. I have Ps4S tyres on mine which are great.
Good luck with the search
My car is an early vert, a 57 plate, I bought it as an approved used car and have used the warranty on a fair few occassions. But I do thoroughly enjoy the car. Mine has the older iDrvie (CCC) system, the newer ones re much slicker but its a minor issue and can be updated.
I had an E46 too, which is a great a car, of the two I think I prefer the E93 but the E46 still is a special place to be.
MPG wise mine is doing 19.4 on super unleaded. I don't have EDC, so can't comment on that but find the ride on a normal one fine. I have Ps4S tyres on mine which are great.
Good luck with the search
I have a 2013 m3 which is my daily driver and I run it exclusively on Tesco Momentum petrol.
In the 6 months I've owned the car I get just over 24mpg on my daily 40 mile round trip commute to work which for such an amazing engine I'm more than happy with.
On a weekend if I take it out for a fun drive it obviously drops, I get around 15-16mpg but for the smiles the car gives me it's more than worth it.
The engine in the car is by far the best part though, it just begs you to wring it's neck and comes back for more, I'll NEVER get tired of hearing it.
As someone above said, try and find a car with EDC, it does make a noticeable difference to the driving experience particularly when you turn the M mode on.
I'm fully in love with my car and wouldn't swap it for anything else.
In the 6 months I've owned the car I get just over 24mpg on my daily 40 mile round trip commute to work which for such an amazing engine I'm more than happy with.
On a weekend if I take it out for a fun drive it obviously drops, I get around 15-16mpg but for the smiles the car gives me it's more than worth it.
The engine in the car is by far the best part though, it just begs you to wring it's neck and comes back for more, I'll NEVER get tired of hearing it.
As someone above said, try and find a car with EDC, it does make a noticeable difference to the driving experience particularly when you turn the M mode on.
I'm fully in love with my car and wouldn't swap it for anything else.
Appreciate the input guys!
Looking at how strong the E36/E46 market has gotten, I think the E92 is reaching the bottom of it's depreciation curve, so definitely looks like a good time to pick one up.
Haven't quite found the perfect car for me yet, but I'll update when I have it!
(A white E92,silver comp wheels, DCT, ideally with the rod bearings and actuators sorted!)
Cheers
Dan
Looking at how strong the E36/E46 market has gotten, I think the E92 is reaching the bottom of it's depreciation curve, so definitely looks like a good time to pick one up.
Haven't quite found the perfect car for me yet, but I'll update when I have it!
(A white E92,silver comp wheels, DCT, ideally with the rod bearings and actuators sorted!)
Cheers
Dan
DanGPR said:
Appreciate the input guys!
Looking at how strong the E36/E46 market has gotten, I think the E92 is reaching the bottom of it's depreciation curve, so definitely looks like a good time to pick one up.
Haven't quite found the perfect car for me yet, but I'll update when I have it!
(A white E92,silver comp wheels, DCT, ideally with the rod bearings and actuators sorted!)
Cheers
Dan
Get yourself onto M3 cutters, a spec like that pops up surprisingly often in the classifieds. Looking at how strong the E36/E46 market has gotten, I think the E92 is reaching the bottom of it's depreciation curve, so definitely looks like a good time to pick one up.
Haven't quite found the perfect car for me yet, but I'll update when I have it!
(A white E92,silver comp wheels, DCT, ideally with the rod bearings and actuators sorted!)
Cheers
Dan
stevesingo said:
Someone will come along shortly and tell everyone that they lack torque.
They lack torque. 
sorry, I had to. They don't lack torque in the grand scheme of things, and 8400rpm makes up for that. The M3 to me had always been a car that needed to be driven hard for it to show itself. The current turbo cars don't do that and the power seems to accessible. I'd take an E90 M3 over an F80 every day.
They're certainly a quite enigmatic car. A bit of a jack-of-all-trades as a performance motor, but by definition they do a lot of things quite well, a few things very well, but they have a lot of compromises too.
Really, it comes down to whether those balance of qualities is what you're looking for, and whether they outweigh those downsides which become more apparent through familiarity (thirst, high seating position, concerns over rods/actuators, the characteristics of the engine and limited opportunities to use their full power on the road, weight etc).
There isn't really a right or wrong answer. A lot of people love them and keep them a long time, a lot of others go a bit cold on them and move them on.
Personally, I love the way they look and mine always gave me a buzz aesthetically. Whisper it, but whilst I found the engine technically impressive, I didn't actually feel it really gathered energy in the same way a lot of high-revving engines do. There wasn't that disproportionate rush to the red line as it climbed into the upper reaches.
As a result, the engine usually left me a bit underwhelmed in that regards. I appreciate i'm probably in a minority here though!
Really, it comes down to whether those balance of qualities is what you're looking for, and whether they outweigh those downsides which become more apparent through familiarity (thirst, high seating position, concerns over rods/actuators, the characteristics of the engine and limited opportunities to use their full power on the road, weight etc).
There isn't really a right or wrong answer. A lot of people love them and keep them a long time, a lot of others go a bit cold on them and move them on.
Personally, I love the way they look and mine always gave me a buzz aesthetically. Whisper it, but whilst I found the engine technically impressive, I didn't actually feel it really gathered energy in the same way a lot of high-revving engines do. There wasn't that disproportionate rush to the red line as it climbed into the upper reaches.
As a result, the engine usually left me a bit underwhelmed in that regards. I appreciate i'm probably in a minority here though!
KPB1973 said:
They're certainly a quite enigmatic car. A bit of a jack-of-all-trades as a performance motor, but by definition they do a lot of things quite well, a few things very well, but they have a lot of compromises too.
Really, it comes down to whether those balance of qualities is what you're looking for, and whether they outweigh those downsides which become more apparent through familiarity (thirst, high seating position, concerns over rods/actuators, the characteristics of the engine and limited opportunities to use their full power on the road, weight etc).
There isn't really a right or wrong answer. A lot of people love them and keep them a long time, a lot of others go a bit cold on them and move them on.
Personally, I love the way they look and mine always gave me a buzz aesthetically. Whisper it, but whilst I found the engine technically impressive, I didn't actually feel it really gathered energy in the same way a lot of high-revving engines do. There wasn't that disproportionate rush to the red line as it climbed into the upper reaches.
As a result, the engine usually left me a bit underwhelmed in that regards. I appreciate i'm probably in a minority here though!
Agree with everything you've said here. I really liked the way mine looked too, and I did genuinely enjoy the engine at 6000rpm plus. The brakes are poor and the car feels its weight generally for me. I'd like the interior to feel a bit more special too.Really, it comes down to whether those balance of qualities is what you're looking for, and whether they outweigh those downsides which become more apparent through familiarity (thirst, high seating position, concerns over rods/actuators, the characteristics of the engine and limited opportunities to use their full power on the road, weight etc).
There isn't really a right or wrong answer. A lot of people love them and keep them a long time, a lot of others go a bit cold on them and move them on.
Personally, I love the way they look and mine always gave me a buzz aesthetically. Whisper it, but whilst I found the engine technically impressive, I didn't actually feel it really gathered energy in the same way a lot of high-revving engines do. There wasn't that disproportionate rush to the red line as it climbed into the upper reaches.
As a result, the engine usually left me a bit underwhelmed in that regards. I appreciate i'm probably in a minority here though!
I did love the chassis and the induction noise though big time.
TheAngryDog said:
They don't lack torque in the grand scheme of things, and 8400rpm makes up for that. The M3 to me had always been a car that needed to be driven hard for it to show itself. The current turbo cars don't do that and the power seems to accessible. I'd take an E90 M3 over an F80 every day.
Conversely, the F80's chassis starts being challenged way lower in the rev range which means it needs to be "driven" too in response but mainly using both hands rather than one foot. For me "driven" is about the chassis, not the engine so accessible power means the fun starts earlier.
I had an 09 manual and a 12 DCT. The DCT is night and day better and much better suits the engine. As others have said, get the exhaust mod done.
I owned both for 2 years and had no issues at all.
Personally I never found mine much of an event unless I was driving it hard. I have a C63 now, and that’s heaps more fun and theatre, and dare I say it, shows the e92s lack of low end torque (there I said it).
I owned both for 2 years and had no issues at all.
Personally I never found mine much of an event unless I was driving it hard. I have a C63 now, and that’s heaps more fun and theatre, and dare I say it, shows the e92s lack of low end torque (there I said it).
I’ve got an E92 M3 and a Z4M with the same S54 engine as the E46 M3.
While I agree that the V8 is a masterpiece, so is the S54, and I would find it very hard to choose between them if I had to.
What puts me off the E46 is rust. Having owned a few rusty cars when I was younger I can’t be arsed with the hassle of constantly chasing it.
Think there was mention of rod bearings and pre/post LCI. The issue is the same for both, it’s just that the post LCI rod bearings are made of different material so don’t look as worn (exposed copper) when removed. Failure can and does happen on either - it’s as a result of being pushed hard (beyond 3000 rpm) before the oil is warm. So entirely dependent on how previous owners have treated it.
My 2p on EDC is that on cars I test drove I hated comfort mode as it felt uncontrolled and whatever the hardest setting was is made for the track and autobahn. Having driven one with ohlins suspension I’d save the cash and install those instead. That said I’ve got the Z4M and don’t mind the suspension in that.
Have to say that sadly I doubt the E92 is at the bottom of its depreciation curve. The E46 dropped or around 8k and I recon these will as well, once more F80s hit the used market as people move to the latest one.
Long term I think they are a safe bet. Decent handling, V8 and still feel analogue.
While I agree that the V8 is a masterpiece, so is the S54, and I would find it very hard to choose between them if I had to.
What puts me off the E46 is rust. Having owned a few rusty cars when I was younger I can’t be arsed with the hassle of constantly chasing it.
Think there was mention of rod bearings and pre/post LCI. The issue is the same for both, it’s just that the post LCI rod bearings are made of different material so don’t look as worn (exposed copper) when removed. Failure can and does happen on either - it’s as a result of being pushed hard (beyond 3000 rpm) before the oil is warm. So entirely dependent on how previous owners have treated it.
My 2p on EDC is that on cars I test drove I hated comfort mode as it felt uncontrolled and whatever the hardest setting was is made for the track and autobahn. Having driven one with ohlins suspension I’d save the cash and install those instead. That said I’ve got the Z4M and don’t mind the suspension in that.
Have to say that sadly I doubt the E92 is at the bottom of its depreciation curve. The E46 dropped or around 8k and I recon these will as well, once more F80s hit the used market as people move to the latest one.
Long term I think they are a safe bet. Decent handling, V8 and still feel analogue.
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