BMW e46 M3 Drivers, would you buy one with 100kmls.

Ferris

This car has a great spec and seems to have been well looked after but the mileage is 'high'. Are M3's generally capable of taking high mileage.

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/BMW/M3/car/1229296/

I'd be concered about resale, its not like they're easy cars to sell in Ireland at the best of times.

Cyrus

personally i wouldnt, not that they wont do big mileage if looked after but resale would be a disaster.

for 1-2k more there are 01s with 65000 miles (coupes not verts)

if you were to buy one with that mileage it would need a perfect s/h and would want to be cheaper than that

Ferris

Cyrus wrote: »

personally i wouldnt, not that they wont do big mileage if looked after but resale would be a disaster.

for 1-2k more there are 01s with 65000 miles (coupes not verts)

if you were to buy one with that mileage it would need a perfect s/h and would want to be cheaper than that

Thanks Cyrus, you're the very man I was looking for.

I'd actually rather a coupe anyway and I thought it was a bit rich for that mileage. But I am looking for a decent level of spec (CSL wheels, contrasting leather, sat nav etc) and a nice colour (no pee yellow ones).

I'm just looking at them anyway so I can afford to wait for the right car to come along.

TommyT

If I was in the market for an E46 M3 it would only be one from 2003 on. The earlier cars had issues with the big end bearings and Vanos, which would mean big money as the car in question is well out of warranty. Also do you really want a convertible M3. When are you going to get the roof down in this country and they are so much slower than the coupe.

Ferris

TommyT wrote: »

If I was in the market for an E46 M3 it would only be one from 2003 on. The earlier cars had issues with the big end bearings and Vanos, which would mean big money as the car in question is well out of warranty. Also do you really want a convertible M3. When are you going to get the roof down in this country and they are so much slower than the coupe.

I think that they were recalled to refit the big end bearings with better made ones but it'd be worth checking out. Also I think the S54B52 is a non vano's engine, not sure but I remember reading that they couldn't fit vanos into the cylinder head due to a lack of space. The vanos was a weak point in the e36 M3 evo however.

Also I'd ideally want a coupe.

Cyrus

Ferris wrote: »

Thanks Cyrus, you're the very man I was looking for.

I'd actually rather a coupe anyway and I thought it was a bit rich for that mileage. But I am looking for a decent level of spec (CSL wheels, contrasting leather, sat nav etc) and a nice colour (no pee yellow ones).

I'm just looking at them anyway so I can afford to wait for the right car to come along.

its rare that you will get one with genuine csls, so id try get 19" polished wheels you can always get the csls after, rest of the stuff is nice but i would make sure the car itself was a minter at the expense of extras personally.

TommyT's info seems a little off, the con rod bearings issue should be sorted with a recall and there are no known vanos issues afaik.

also the vert isnt slower than the coupe

TommyT

Bearings are still a problem on earlier engines, even after the recall. I had an engine let go after the recall was done but thankfully it was covered under warranty.
Convertibles are a fair bit slower than coupes due to the extra weight. Handling isnt as good and could anyone live with the horrible seats in a convertible? Mate had one while I had my coupe and they were like chalk and cheese. Have a look on mtorque for vanos issues. Quite common.

Cyrus did you ever own an M3?

Cyrus

TommyT wrote: »

Bearings are still a problem on earlier engines, even after the recall. I had an engine let go after the recall was done but thankfully it was covered under warranty.
Convertibles are a fair bit slower than coupes due to the extra weight. Handling isnt as good and could anyone live with the horrible seats in a convertible? Mate had one while I had my coupe and they were like chalk and cheese. Have a look on mtorque for vanos issues. Quite common.

Cyrus did you ever own an M3?

Bearings not an issue if the recall is done

vanos is not a common issue, its not totally unknown but it is uncommon, and if it does go its as likely to go on a 06 as a 01.

verts arent a fair bit slower, and most wont notice the difference, they are a little slower but with over 340bhp what difference will it make :pac:

i agree re the seats tho

and yes i own one right now, why do you ask

Ferris

TommyT wrote: »

Bearings are still a problem on earlier engines, even after the recall. I had an engine let go after the recall was done but thankfully it was covered under warranty.
Convertibles are a fair bit slower than coupes due to the extra weight. Handling isnt as good and could anyone live with the horrible seats in a convertible? Mate had one while I had my coupe and they were like chalk and cheese. Have a look on mtorque for vanos issues. Quite common.

Cyrus did you ever own an M3?

Cyrus has an M3.

I think you'd have to have a oil pressure test done to see if the bearings are shot.

TommyT

Bearings obviously are an issue after recall if mine went (and a few others that I have heard of).
Maybe my mates covertible was a one off, but it was noticeably slower than mine and any that I have driven just didnt feel as quick.
Cyrus did you not once have a 530? Maybe I am confusing you with someone else.
Anyway I am now in an E60 M5. Much quicker than a vert.

Cyrus

Er i did once have a 530, same way you once had an m3 ive moved on

ive driven a few verts, and yes they arent as quick, but there isnt much in it, and unless you are going to track the car you will be hard pressed to feel the difference on a daily basis. both are very quick cars, the coupe is just a little bit quicker.

e60 m5 :cool:nice, was poking around one at the weekend, will wait until im in my 30s tho i think:o.

Its quicker than an m3 vert alright, a gallardo spyder is a vert that would give you a run tho

Ferris

TommyT wrote: »

Anyway I am now in an E60 M5.

Cheers for the advice lads, more food for thought.

TommyT

My missus thinks its a 530D.
Im not allowed a petrol BMW after the M3. Too much hassle.
I think I had a bad one. Too few miles and not enough driving. Mates vert gets treated like a dog. Rarely serviced, driven to within an inch of its life, is the filthiest car on the road, inside and out, you wipe your feet getting out of it, yet it never gives a minutes trouble. Mine was mollycuddled and spent more time off the road than on it.

Cyrus

does she not notice when you hit the msport button, the HUD appears and the world around starts to melt

TommyT

She doesnt like BMWs. Never has. Hated the M3. I had a bad smash in an E39 and she has avoided them since. Thing is the E39 saved my life. If I had been in a lesser car I definitely wouldnt be here today.
Keep the M5 up in my mates house. Its a UK car and he has a huge garage. Its only getting a run on a Sunday at the minute, maybe a friday night if the weather is good.

DaveD

Ferris wrote: »

Thanks Cyrus, you're the very man I was looking for.

I'd actually rather a coupe anyway and I thought it was a bit rich for that mileage. But I am looking for a decent level of spec (CSL wheels, contrasting leather, sat nav etc) and a nice colour (no pee yellow ones).

I'm just looking at them anyway so I can afford to wait for the right car to come along.

As Cyrus as said i'd stay clear of a 100k one, it could be spot on but theres plenty of choice out there at the moment, although top spec ones aren't everywhere.

There were changes made in 2003, rear LED's, new colour options and strut bar. Lots of info here - http://m3.madrussian.net/faq.shtml

cancan

This might be useful to the OP.

Granted it's in dollars, but will give you some idea what it is like to run a car like this, and the costs involved.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/Vehicles/2002BMWM3/

Basically, they are a money pit, but fun.

Bearcat

any tosser worth their salt woul'nt leave a hard top on a paved hard surface as per the photo's. When I see an add like this, i run for the hills as they imo treat the rest of the car the same. Imagine all the scratches on the hard top having being dumped on paved surfaces

fletch

The linked car has 100,000miles

MRJ

TommyT wrote: »

If I was in the market for an E46 M3 it would only be one from 2003 on. The earlier cars had issues with the big end bearings and Vanos, which would mean big money as the car in question is well out of warranty. Also do you really want a convertible M3. When are you going to get the roof down in this country and they are so much slower than the coupe.

Are all M3's limiited to 155MPH anyway?