[Carnage]

Originally Posted by DeuceDeuce

Ahhh, I find myself in the same dilemma!! I have a 2004 325i that I'm looking to trade this year. I have an e90 330i as well that is the wife's daily driver. The problem- an SMG e46 M3 is my dream car as well, (prancing horses excluded), but I hate buying a body style at the end of its life.
I finally decided to get on the waiting list for a 335 intending to lease it as a bridge to the new V8 M3 once its released in the states. The complication came when I visited my dealer for service last week and saw a Carbon Black 2006 M3 with competition package/Prem/SMG/Nav sitting there with 2500 miles on the odometer. Now I'm literally fighting to keep from leaving the house to go bring it home. -Keith

I also hate buying cars at the end of their current lifecycle unless I plan on keeping it for a long time. In this case, I'm not worried because a) If I get it I plan on keeping it for a while and b) this bodystyle is classic and will hold it's value well.

[aapriadi]

if i have the money, i'll trade in my e90 for that m3 anytime
sorry just cant help it

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by aapriadi

if i have the money, i'll trade in my e90 for that m3 anytime
sorry just cant help it

That's the nice thing, I don't have to trade in my 330 and I can still drive it whenever I want. On the other hand, my wife can't drive a stick so she won't be driving the M3 or anything with a stick for that matter. Her inability to drive a 6-spd. is the only reason the E90 has the auto in it. Had to be the good husband on that one.

[younghov85]

Just curious....would anyone trade in their new E90 for like a used 03-04 M3????

[StewtheBassman]

No, since an M3 doesn't come with xDrive!!

[Traceaz]

I went through the same exact thing, buy a new or slightly used E46 M3, or hold off for the 335i. I went back and forth for a few months, researching as much as a I could and debating the pluses and minuses. Ultimately after a few months, I finally decided in March to wait another month or two for the 335i official pics to come out. When they came out in late April along with the specs, I knew I had made the right choice; it definitely was a hard decision, but the right one.

I went for the 335i, newer design, newer technology, newly designed engine, more torque, twin turbo so easily to mod, brand new 4 year warranty, new options like comfort access and integrated ipod. I like that it's 4" longer too. Thats not a lot, but enough that this will help out a little with leg room and space in the backseat. Plus, a lot of people already view the E46 M3 as the "old M3", its been out since 2001 and was designed in the late 90's. The design and technology and engine are all at least 8 years old. I think it's still a gorgeous car and it was all I could do not to pull the trigger on a 2005 ZCP M3 in Interlagos Blue.... but still, it IS a dated car by now, and there have been VERY little revisions to it since released in 2001. Imagine it now if you only keep your car 3 more years.

Topping it off, the 0-1000 times look like this (both manual):

0-1000m for 2006 E46 M3: 24.2 seconds
0-1000m for 2007 E92 335i: 24.5 seconds

Most reports are saying the real world times for the 335i in daily, usable situations will equal or just barely beat the E46 M3 (such as 30-50, 50-70 acceleration, etc.)

Now imagine buying an ECU chip.

All that, for about 15k less than the E46 M3 (comparing fully loaded vs fully loaded).

I would never tell someone that buying the E46 M3 is a bad decision at all. Its a great decision. For me though, after weighing everything, the 335i twin turbo was just an even BETTER decision.

Originally Posted by Aija

I also am expecting the the used M3 will drop its value because their are alot of people who are stuck on choosing M3/335 which has to hurt the demand to some extent. Two of my buddies have a M3's and one of them is will probably trade it in for a 335 since out of warranty a M3 costs $$$ and more $$$

Aija, you should add "warranty/no expensive repairs" to the + section of the 335i, and a - to the M3 side for the drop in value due to not only the 335i coming out, but also the E92 M3 due out in probably 12-15 months.

Now of course, when the E92 M3 comes out, this will be a whole new ballgame.

If you decide to go with the E46 M3 anyway, make sure you use any and all arguments you can find to get a solid 10% off if not more. They should give you a decent deal with the E46 M3 design being antiquated and this model design of the M3 being phased out.

[EVO_S4]

if the wife yes, is should be parking in the garage

[D-Rock]

Get the m3 its an amazing car. They should give you lower than sticker since the new one comes out soon. Also is it SMG ? that is a must thats what is in the F1 cars shifts in 0.3sec yes no man can shift that fast.....

[younghov85]

Originally Posted by TracerHawk

I went through the same exact thing, buy a new or slightly used E46 M3, or hold off for the 335i. I went back and forth for a few months, researching as much as a I could and debating the pluses and minuses. Ultimately after a few months, I finally decided in March to wait another month or two for the 335i official pics to come out. When they came out in late April along with the specs, I knew I had made the right choice; it definitely was a hard decision, but the right one.

I went for the 335i, newer design, newer technology, newly designed engine, more torque, twin turbo so easily to mod, brand new 4 year warranty, new options like comfort access and integrated ipod. I like that it's 4" longer too. Thats not a lot, but enough that this will help out a little with leg room and space in the backseat. Plus, a lot of people already view the E46 M3 as the "old M3", its been out since 2001 and was designed in the late 90's. The design and technology and engine are all at least 8 years old. I think it's still a gorgeous car and it was all I could do not to pull the trigger on a 2005 ZCP M3 in Interlagos Blue.... but still, it IS a dated car by now, and there have been VERY little revisions to it since released in 2001. Imagine it now if you only keep your car 3 more years.

Topping it off, the 0-1000 times look like this (both manual):

0-1000m for 2006 E46 M3: 24.2 seconds
0-1000m for 2007 E92 335i: 24.5 seconds

Most reports are saying the real world times for the 335i in daily, usable situations will equal or just barely beat the E46 M3 (such as 30-50, 50-70 acceleration, etc.)

Now imagine buying an ECU chip.

All that, for about 15k less than the E46 M3 (comparing fully loaded vs fully loaded).

I would never tell someone that buying the E46 M3 is a bad decision at all. Its a great decision. For me though, after weighing everything, the 335i twin turbo was just an even BETTER decision.



Aija, you should add "warranty/no expensive repairs" to the + section of the 335i, and a - to the M3 side for the drop in value due to not only the 335i coming out, but also the E92 M3 due out in probably 12-15 months.

Now of course, when the E92 M3 comes out, this will be a whole new ballgame.

If you decide to go with the E46 M3 anyway, make sure you use any and all arguments you can find to get a solid 10% off if not more. They should give you a decent deal with the E46 M3 design being antiquated and this model design of the M3 being phased out.

Why is it that since the 335i is Twin-turboed that it will be easily modded?

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by TracerHawk

I went through the same exact thing, buy a new or slightly used E46 M3, or hold off for the 335i. I went back and forth for a few months, researching as much as a I could and debating the pluses and minuses. Ultimately after a few months, I finally decided in March to wait another month or two for the 335i official pics to come out. When they came out in late April along with the specs, I knew I had made the right choice; it definitely was a hard decision, but the right one.

I went for the 335i, newer design, newer technology, newly designed engine, more torque, twin turbo so easily to mod, brand new 4 year warranty, new options like comfort access and integrated ipod. I like that it's 4" longer too. Thats not a lot, but enough that this will help out a little with leg room and space in the backseat. Plus, a lot of people already view the E46 M3 as the "old M3", its been out since 2001 and was designed in the late 90's. The design and technology and engine are all at least 8 years old. I think it's still a gorgeous car and it was all I could do not to pull the trigger on a 2005 ZCP M3 in Interlagos Blue.... but still, it IS a dated car by now, and there have been VERY little revisions to it since released in 2001. Imagine it now if you only keep your car 3 more years.

Topping it off, the 0-1000 times look like this (both manual):

0-1000m for 2006 E46 M3: 24.2 seconds
0-1000m for 2007 E92 335i: 24.5 seconds

Most reports are saying the real world times for the 335i in daily, usable situations will equal or just barely beat the E46 M3 (such as 30-50, 50-70 acceleration, etc.)

Now imagine buying an ECU chip.

All that, for about 15k less than the E46 M3 (comparing fully loaded vs fully loaded).

I would never tell someone that buying the E46 M3 is a bad decision at all. Its a great decision. For me though, after weighing everything, the 335i twin turbo was just an even BETTER decision.



Aija, you should add "warranty/no expensive repairs" to the + section of the 335i, and a - to the M3 side for the drop in value due to not only the 335i coming out, but also the E92 M3 due out in probably 12-15 months.

Now of course, when the E92 M3 comes out, this will be a whole new ballgame.

If you decide to go with the E46 M3 anyway, make sure you use any and all arguments you can find to get a solid 10% off if not more. They should give you a decent deal with the E46 M3 design being antiquated and this model design of the M3 being phased out.

I will respectfully disagree with you on a couple of things, but I do agree with most of your posting.

1) The warranty/no expensive repairs is plus for both sides, not just the 335. Remember what I'm looking at is a brand new 2006 with the same new warranty as any new BMW.

2) The M3 will drop in value slightly when the new M3 model hits the world, but BMW is not selling the 335 as an M replacement so the impact of the 335 on the M's resale will be minimal at best. The M class is dear to BMW and they will always protect it in terms of the way their other car lines impact it. The current M3 is viewed by many to be the perfect performance coupe (in terms of the overall package, performance, body styling, etc.) and will always have a huge market for it in terms of being able to resell it.

3) In terms of being able to upgrade performance the M3 is ready now. That is the plus side to the fact is it an older style. I could go out the next day and get hard-core upgrades if my wallet could support it. The 335 will be a different story. Just use my current E90 330i as an example. It's been a year since I got it and there are no true engine performance upgrades (chips, etc) yet and there's nothing coming for the forseeable future based on comments on the progress of said upgrades. Despite the fact that the 335 will be a turbo, it will be no different because of the newness of the computer control system.

4) The fact that the engine is 8 years old is a non-issue because of the comments in #3. As stated in other posts, the fact that the current M3 engine is still being used in new models (Z4 M for example) tells us about the level of respect that BMW has for it. The age of an engine doesn't matter if the design is solid. The combustion engine is 100 years old but it's still the best game in town, for now. Look at GM, they're been using the same basic small-block V8 design for many years with great success. The fact that a new model has the same basic engine as a vehicle from 20-30 years ago hasn't mattered.

For me, getting a 335 will be like getting a 2 door version of the car I already own. Getting the M3 will be like, well like nothing else I've ever owned. It's no contest between the two.

[SP330]

I was going to get a 330i, but then I decided a new m3 it is.

I myself plan on keeping it for a long long long time, i absolutely love how it looks, to me it's the perfect car. In reality it doesn't matter what others think, it's about your satisfaction and if you have the funds and permission from your spouse to fufill it by all means do so, I know I am .

*edit I didnt get it yet

[younghov85]

I sort of agree with what matsarge is saying, bc the 335i im thinking would be harder to modify engine-wise due to the new technology in the CPU. the M3 has been out for sometime now so companies like Dinan already have the top performance upgrades. Also with that extra amount of torque in the 335i, it would be very quick but with 333hp (which i think is underrated) the M3 is still going to be much faster than the 335i. And regardless, you cant even truly compare a non-M to an M, can you? Maybe in looks but in performance, I doubt it. thats like comparing performance of the old M5 to a 550i, of course the 550i is gonna have better features, but can it compare in the performance department. No. Thats what separates the non-M cars to the M cars.

[Bimmerforlife]

I just wanted to say I'm post #101 and I have been watching this thread everyday with much excitment.

I say get it, I still own an 99 E46 328i I bought it special order with HK and park distant control sensors. I still enjoy it as much as when I first picked it up at the dealer. I've kept it in great condition but in Nov I plan to part with it for the new E90 hopefully the 335i sedan if they make it.

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by younghov85

I sort of agree with what matsarge is saying, bc the 335i im thinking would be harder to modify engine-wise due to the new technology in the CPU. the M3 has been out for sometime now so companies like Dinan already have the top performance upgrades. Also with that extra amount of torque in the 335i, it would be very quick but with 333hp (which i think is underrated) the M3 is still going to be much faster than the 335i. And regardless, you cant even truly compare a non-M to an M, can you? Maybe in looks but in performance, I doubt it. thats like comparing performance of the old M5 to a 550i, of course the 550i is gonna have better features, but can it compare in the performance department. No. Thats what separates the non-M cars to the M cars.

Great point about comparing an M to a "non-M".

The 335 is not going to be as close to the E46 M3 as we think in terms of performance IMO.

0-60 is 4.6.- 4.8 (depending on the source) for the M3 vs. 5.3 for the 335. When you're talking in the context of only 5 seconds, a 1/2 a sec. is a long time (10% of the total to be exact, so you can say the M3 will be at least 10% faster in terms of 0-60).

Yes the TQ is higher but it hits it's max at 1300 RPM so it will have a great initial launch and then TQ will drop after that. The M3's TQ maxes at 4900 so it should in theory pull better throughout the entire rpm band. By the time the 335 hits 4900 RPM, it's large TQ advantage will be gone and the higher the RPM's goes, the M3 will probably hold an advantage.

Not only is the HP higher on the M3, to the overall range is better. The 335 will max (300 HP) at 5800 and drop from there with a 7000 RPM redline. The M3 hits max (333 HP) at 7900 with a 8000+ redline. When the 335 is sucking wind and having to change gears, the M3 will still be pulling toward max HP and climbing. This range will give the M3 the ability to not have to change gears early to take in for higher RPM power loss.

Top end speed is no match either since you have to get the sport package on the 335 to hit 150. The M3 will hit 155. Take out the limiter on both and the extra HP of the M3 gives it even greater potential then the 335.

Will the 335 be an impressive car? Without a doubt, there's no question there. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking it's going to be some sort of E46 M3 "killer".

[BMW F22]

last day to consider it. Tomorrow is TUESDAY!!!!

[StewtheBassman]

Yeah Matsarge, have you talked yourself into it yet?

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by StewtheBassman

Yeah Matsarge, have you talked yourself into it yet?

I don't think you guys ever talked me out of it. Nice job..

I'll be there bright and early in the morning to try and work a deal. If they work with me, great. If not, I'm a patient man who already owns a great car.

[Bimmerforlife]

Originally Posted by matsarge

I'll be there bright and early in the morning to try and work a deal. If they work with me, great. If not, I'm a patient man who already owns a great car.

It will be end of month too!!

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by Bimmerforlife

It will be end of month too!!

That's how I got such a sweet deal on my 330i.

[pander5]

Good luck, matsarge and let us know how you make out. Apparently a lot of us want to know.

[LEDZEP]

Do it man! Buy it! Hurry!

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by matsarge

I don't think you guys ever talked me out of it. Nice job..

I'll be there bright and early in the morning to try and work a deal. If they work with me, great. If not, I'm a patient man who already owns a great car.

Good luck and bring one home for the team! You knew before you wrote this that you were going to the dealership. I'm surprised you haven't already created your login for the M3 forum. I can see how some could sway over to the 335 but the first to have twin turbo is only asking for potential trouble later. The M3 is at the end of the lifecycle but that is the good thing. It has the latest and the greatest of all the previous models with each generation being that much better. Who needs comfort access? Bluetooth is already on board. Bimmerfiles will still turn their heads and say that what an M3 that just smoked me or glide by with all the beauty that BMW envisioned making any onlooker shake their head wishing to be the proud owner of a sports cars that is legendary even with a new line coming. Post some pics of the new ride!