I've been offered a straight swap for a 335i Coupe 2008 with 100 000km's which my mate owns.
It's paddle shift, has bluetooth, gps etc. Front and rear sensors, no heated seats tho, has sunroof and memory seats etc.
What do you guys think?
Just a few questions i'm curious about
How does the 335i compare to the E46 M3 in power (straight line/track).
What about torque etc.
Reliability (engine/box etc)
And finally what would you guys do?
He'd be offered 35-40k as a trade in... Those kms kill any chance of a good resale. Go jump on e90post Australian section... There's a quick discussion happening in the for sale sub-forum about current 335i prices. 08 m sport with lowish kms should sell for 55-60k. How much is your m3 worth? If it's anything more than 45k i'd be asking for money your way.
As for comparisons... A tune and some simple bolt-on mods make it considerably quicker than an m3 in a straight line... But driving enjoyment is nowhere near the same. Tuning a high km n54 could lead you to replacing spark plugs, injectors, fuel pump etc relatively soon... But there are cases where 100k+ km engines are still going strong on original consumables.
335i
- Newer
- Generally more reliable / cheaper to maintain - This is highly debatable but when you compare apples with apples (a similarly maintained 335 and m3) it will be more reliable and cheaper to maintain. Purely because you're comparing an M which is 10 years old, a car which had some what 'cutting edge' technology in it's day (SMG etc.) to a car which doesn't employ much 'new' technology. I.e. technology that hasn't been tested in other models prior.
- Easily modifiable to get a heap more power - Not hard to get 500hp out of those engines without modding engine internals
- A better daily
M3
- Likely to hold it's value better than the 335 if it's well maintained and looked after
- Raw performance / delivery or power and grip
- Much more fun for spirited driving
- If you're truly an 'e46 fanatic' then the shape probably appeals to you more
- It's an M car.. Need I say more?
Mine is a Late 2003 M3, Convertible with all options, heated seats, sat nav, 88 000k's, a suspension overhaul i.e all rtab's, tie rods, fcabs, coil overs, adjustable camber arms, limiting kit etc, i'm second owner, log books etc. Interior is immaculate, same with exterior.
I'd say your car would be worth low 40's. Maybe mid 40's if you held out of the right buyer that can appreciate the maintenance. Generally speaking I've found that you'll be hard pressed finding a buyer that will actually pay more for a car that's been well maintained, it usually just decreases the time it takes to sell.
If it's 08 it will be a standard automatic. DCT came out in 2010.
Still, an 08 coupe M-sport is worth at a bare minimum a few k more than yours. But without seeing the condition of it / the maintenance performed it's hard to say if it's a good trade or not.
They updated the e92 in 2008 so if it's an update it's worth a fair bit more. Easiest way to tell is from the iDrive controller. The one with more buttons is the update.
Rattles are minor an can be fixed (with some work)
Friend or not - I am always weary of swaps -
If you sold your m3 - bank the cash - you can look out for one of them 'update' 08 models
Or DCT models like others are mentioning
Your options are limitless
With swaps - you only have one option
Besides - I feel ur pain with rattles,etc - but personally I wouldn't even swap my car for a F10 ! (extreme I know!!)
I wouldn't be so quick to discard the swap. It's unlikely that you would get a quick sale on your car if you asked for anything above low 40's. Besides 1 335i on carsales at the moment there are no Msport 335's for under 55k. An update or DCT (2010 onwards) is going to cost even more money.
You obviously know the guy with the 335 so you know how he drives, the kind of maintenance schedule he has for his car etc. If this is all positive then I don't see it to be a bad option.
Just keep in mind the things that have gone wrong with your M3 in your ownership and that depending on the guy and his perception of M3's he may not know exactly what he is in for. The last thing you want is for your friend to coming knocking on your door saying the SMG pump is fkd and demanding you pay the 4k to fix it.
KOpower - you're insane if you wouldn't swap an e46 325 for an F10
I reckon you'll end up modding it to handle and stop like your M3.
The 335i is a great rig if you want something that is quick in a factory package, however if you want it to turn and stop like an M car you will need to modify it.
For me, the runflats + electronic LSD (read: poobag differential) and the suspension are not good enough for what i want from a car, and when i was considering buying one after my first M3, i realised that i was planning on modding it to go/stop/turn like an M car. So i just bought another M car instead.
I would perhaps consider it if it were a 2009+ update with DCT or was a manual, but i wouldn't trade for a steptronic. Fcuk that.
Would totally make that swap. Considering buying a E46 M3 or the MY08 E92 335i myself as my next car so have thought about it extensively, and im not sure why i have thought about it so much, such a no brainer imo other than the fact the 335i is 15ish k more expensive, even still if that swap poped up for me id be all over that ! Im gonna cop it from pretty much everyone for this but be realistic, the E46 is going to be a very dated and old looking car in a few short years, i certainly wouldn't want to be in one in 4 years time for example, would be like seeing an E36 on the road, they just look so so so dated.
I think your right about the dated looks, anything non sport looks dated even e90 models but I feel that the M models so far have stood the test of time (other than PY on 18s).
I think it simply HAS to be an M sport imo, the kit and wheels/after market are a must, but at the end of the day i think the E92 body is an extremely elegant and sexy car.
OP, what sort of driving do you do? I was considering an E46 M3 but ended up buying a 330Ci instead as I figured an M3 would be wasted on 90% of the driving I do with my second car (Sydney traffic).
If you do regular spirited driving you might get "bored" with a 335 (which is a fantastic car but wouldn't quite compare to the rawness of the M3) particularly as the one you're considering is a torque converter auto.
Keep the vert. Just go have all the rattles taken care of. Find a nice upholstery shop to do some sound deadening and your all good.
20 yrs from now people will still be hunting e46 M 6 spds. The car is iconic already
Honestly, I would so it in a hear beat !! I'm literally in the same boat. I'm selling Kyle M3 very soon and moving into a 335i (has to be m sport) and that one is gergous.
I think the e46 M3 has had its time, as much as some people don't like to admit it thats the case.
That is exactly the right question to be asking yourself. Also ask why your friend wants to swap his 335 for the M3, obviously there is a void that he is trying to fill. There's no wrong or right answer though, it just comes down to personal preference. If you have the budget then obviously something like an e92 M3 is the best of both worlds.
If rattles and clunks are your only issue then they may be easier to fix or at least reduce than you may think. Granted you will always have the infamous 'M clunk' on shifts but replacing diff bolts etc. can help make it less apparent.
I hate when I'm driving my car with a passenger that doesn't know much about cars and my car clunks at low speeds when engaging the clutch or going into reverse. They look at me like WTF just happened with your car? Is it broken? I know everything is fine and normal but the clunks can be a bit awkward at times with colleagues, girlfriends etc.
^ are your rattles related to the car being a vert? yeah these cars do have some rattles (my rear deck rattles sometimes) but I still love it. I personally wouldn't change for a 335, but I can see your point with it being a more practical and newer car.
Just buy a 335 for a daily and keep the m3 for weekends. Win win
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