Next car, follow the heart or the head ?

Originally Posted by Constantine

I'm interested in feedback from people who have driven the 335i. Impressions?

its an animal. there is no choice. 335i ALL day, as long as you get an m-sport. set aside some mod money for any of the following - ECU tune, coilovers, sway bars, BBK, full exhaust

newer shape, tuneable car, IMO looks better

the only reason you'd buy an e46 M3 is cos its cheaper......................


ohhh and the sound the 335 makes when accelerating is intoxicating. believe me.........in facelift m-sport form with the roof down it gets lots of looks. ive even seen people taking photos when behind me at red lights

Originally Posted by aar0n_91

its an animal. there is no choice. 335i ALL day, as long as you get an m-sport. set aside some mod money for any of the following - ECU tune, coilovers, sway bars, BBK, full exhaust

newer shape, tuneable car, IMO looks better

the only reason you'd buy an e46 M3 is cos its cheaper......................


ohhh and the sound the 335 makes when accelerating is intoxicating. believe me.........in facelift m-sport form with the roof down it gets lots of looks. ive even seen people taking photos when behind me at red lights

I love my 335i M-SPORT the power of a tuned n54 is simply astonishing 450bhp and around 600nm of torque at 1500rpm just throws you back in the seat for a cost of $2000 procede 2.5 DCI and intercooler thats all you need
Suspension twigs is M3 tension struts and you have -1.5 camber front and M3 sway bars and rear subframe bushes and you have a beast no body roll.
Plus if your wife drives it you can flip the cruise control to 0 on the run and brings it to stock.
I have had mine for around 4yrs and enjoying everytime i take it out.
Just depends on what you want a raw feel and roughness of the m3 or a wolf in sheeps clothing.

From what you have stated regarding the purpose of your driving I would choose the newer car, more technology and with a few simple mods (flash tune / TBE / HPFP) you will have a faster car. My personal experience of purchasing a later model car has been a breath of fresh air, only time i spend money on maintenance is for log book servicing.

Only e46 I would consider purchasing now would be the CS (CSL is unrealistic), if that's in your budget then disregard the above comment.

Originally Posted by DeclanM3

To me the E46 M3 was always a 'realistic dream car' when it first came out. I knew that if I got the 335 I'd never end up owning an e46 M3 and be forever kicking myself for not taking up the opportunity. Clean, well maintained e46 M3's are still relatively readily available but they won't be for long. 335's however are just another car, there's nothing 'special' about them. Sure they're a great car, but I feel they lack the fizz the Top Gear guys are always on about.

The M3 on the other hand, for me at least, is a car that has truly made me appreciate driving a car to it's fullest (on the track) and it also lets you have a bit of fun on the street. The sound, the overall rawness of the vehicle and it's appearance is something that will stick with me.

THIS.


I'm spending all my spare cents owning all the cars I ever dreamed of NOW because I know that later I may not have the opportunity!

I think you should get an M3

If you want an M3 but still like the newer E92 shape...just get an E92 M3.
Done!

Any pristine example of an E46 M3, i.e. low kms, late model, individual colour, should be reserved for weekends and special occasions, it'll be a collector's piece in the years to come.

I had the same decision as you e92 335i or e46 M3. Same money, totally different cars and I truly went with my heart and bought the M3 sight unseen without having even driven/sat in one before or a 335i for that matter, all i knew it it is in the combo I wanted. I've put 35k on it in 6 years and and it still gives me a wood every time I get in/look at it. I don't regret the decision at all as I drove a 335i many years later and while it was awesome, just like my 330i was, but it was no M. It is hard to explain that feeling although if I was to have my time again now and had to be restricted to one car, I would take the 335i, the e46 is too old now.

Originally Posted by aar0n_91

its an animal. there is no choice. 335i ALL day, as long as you get an m-sport. set aside some mod money for any of the following - ECU tune, coilovers, sway bars, BBK, full exhaust

newer shape, tuneable car, IMO looks better

the only reason you'd buy an e46 M3 is cos its cheaper......................


ohhh and the sound the 335 makes when accelerating is intoxicating. believe me.........in facelift m-sport form with the roof down it gets lots of looks. ive even seen people taking photos when behind me at red lights

Please don't take this the wrong way Aaron but you don't strike me as the kind of person who really drives their to the fullest (around corners, not just quick traffic light squirts). Nothing wrong with this though, some people prefer refinement and technology, others prefer a raw car with a bit of history.

Originally Posted by DeclanM3

Please don't take this the wrong way Aaron but you strike me as the kind of person who really drives their to the fullest (around corners, not just quick traffic light squirts). Nothing wrong with this though, some people prefer refinement and technology, others prefer a raw car with a bit of history.

fix up the comment so it makes sense, then i'll respond =D

im before lock

Originally Posted by aar0n_91

fix up the comment so it makes sense, then i'll respond =D

Haha. Trying to eat lunch, pretend to be listening to a colleague and type on my phone all at the same time.. Multitasking fail!

Note Aaron, I'm not trying to have a go. Just saying I think there are 2 kinds of drivers, those who want refinement, luxury, usable power and reasonable handling but don't often out of their way to find a twisty road where they can have some fun and probably wouldn't consider tracking their car.

There are then the drivers who intentionally look for a route with twisty roads, go on specific drives to good roads, go to the track etc. and would prefer a raw handling car with great feel, raw sound over something newer.

Then is there a third kind of person who wants the best of both worlds. I think that's all of us but none of us can afford it

Holy fkn OCD batman! So much thought about such a trivial issue for something which isnt even going to take place until next year. Why do people prepare months/years in advance on what car they will purchase when they havent even sold the car let alone even have it for sale.

Deciding what car to get now compared to what you will actually get when you have the physical $ is completely different.

FYI the E9x are not new at all. They are already old. The F30's are out and the E90 are already becoming dated (looks and technology). If you are looking at buying an E46 in 2013 then you are buying something that was designed in 1999/2000 (looks and technology wise) and is already 2 generations old!!

You also state you are looking for a DD. The 335 is hands down the better DD out of the 2. If you are after go kart weekend experience then get the E46 M3. If you want one of the best all rounders and bang for buck then get an E9x. Either way the E9x is already dated, but only by 1 generation.

If you want to at least stay in the game try to get a 335 DCT model (i think they only came in in 09). That way you will at least still have one of the latest and greatest gear boxes

You are aware that next year is only 2-3 months away right? I'm hardly preparing to early.

Trivial issue? 50k worth of decision is hardly trivial.

Originally Posted by ating

If you want an M3 but still like the newer E92 shape...just get an E92 M3.
Done!

Dont waste your money. My old man reckons they are ****.

Originally Posted by aar0n_91

its an animal. there is no choice. 335i ALL day, as long as you get an m-sport. set aside some mod money for any of the following - ECU tune, coilovers, sway bars, BBK, full exhaust

newer shape, tuneable car, IMO looks better

the only reason you'd buy an e46 M3 is cos its cheaper......................


ohhh and the sound the 335 makes when accelerating is intoxicating. believe me.........in facelift m-sport form with the roof down it gets lots of looks. ive even seen people taking photos when behind me at red lights

This young buk knows what he is talking about. Besides the photo taking part. I doubt people take photos of 335. They are way too boring looking

Originally Posted by MJ80

You are aware that next year is only 2-3 months away right? I'm hardly preparing to early.

Trivial issue? 50k worth of decision is hardly trivial.

3 months until 2013. You car isnt even up for sale so add another 1 month to that until its sold. So yeah, you arent in a position to even buy for at least 4 months

Its trivial because its not even a hard choice. If you had the money, there is no way you would buy an E46 M3 over a 335 in 2013 unless you were a 100% fanatic/enthusiast/collector which is obvious that you are neither.

Originally Posted by rossim3

This young buk knows what he is talking about. Besides the photo taking part. I doubt people take photos of 335. They are way too boring looking

He has a point about the looks. The E46 is dated but has better lines. I saw an E90 the other day driving ahead of me. I was dirty and unwashed and looked like crap. This is a great car but needs to gleam and sparkle to look decent.

Originally Posted by Constantine

He has a point about the looks. The E46 is dated but has better lines. I saw an E90 the other day driving ahead of me. I was dirty and unwashed and looked like crap. This is a great car but needs to gleam and sparkle to look decent.

Yeah an e46 m3 still looks better then an e9x 335 and sounds better then an e92 m3. Nothing beats the rasp of an e46 m3. You have to start getting into gallardo/f360/f430 territory to find something that sounds so amazing stock

Originally Posted by rossim3

Its trivial because its not even a hard choice. If you had the money, there is no way you would buy an E46 M3 over a 335 in 2013 unless you were a 100% fanatic/enthusiast/collector which is obvious that you are neither.

This. If you are none of those 3 then buy the 335. If not then get the M3. I think deep down everyone who buys an e46 M3 knows it will suit them best but its always tempting to buy the 335 for its technology and reliability (HPFP aside).

If you an enthusiast you'll enjoy the M3 much more.