E46 M3 vs 335i E92

I own a 2003 E46 M3 Vert SMG 88 000k's.

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.

Depends what you type of car you want.

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?

His is an 08 M Sport.

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.

How much would that be worth?

Originally Posted by M3N7AL

His is an 08 M Sport.

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.

How much would that be worth?

Sedan or coupe?

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.

His 335i is Paddle Shift/DCT ? It's a coupe.

Originally Posted by M3N7AL

His 335i is Paddle Shift/DCT ? It's a coupe.

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.

It's only got the one button near the idrive.

It has paddles tho... so does that mean it's DCT or automatic?

I just want something a little newer. I'm sick of the rattles of the m3/convertible.

I want something a little more quiet/discreet and more for a daily driver.

Originally Posted by M3N7AL

It's only got the one button near the idrive.

It has paddles tho... so does that mean it's DCT or automatic?

I just want something a little newer. I'm sick of the rattles of the m3/convertible.

I want something a little more quiet/discreet and more for a daily driver.

its automatic, not dct...my nans is an auto 08 325i which ive been teaching her to thrash with the paddles

shes only done 7000kms in the 4 years she's had it lol

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!!)

Originally Posted by KOpower

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'm sure he has the M Sport Package because it has the M steering wheel, M bodykit etc. Could that just be the M Sport Pack rather than an M Sport?

Don't do it.

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.

Lolz Declan - I may be insane true - but bro me and my car have come SUCH A LONG WAY I ain't ever giving her up - !

Don't do - doing business with friends more often than not leads to disaster

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.

Hmmm thanks for the input guys. It's so confusing.

I'm just over my car i guess.

^ e46 is quite different and doesn't get as dated as e36

E46 is more sustainable into the future with both looks and features

I prefer the e46 driver facing cockpit to e90

But yes I think the f10 is a worthy successor to the e46
And on second thoughts - I might swap my e46 for the new 4 series coupe !!!!

Not knocking the e90 coupes - they are nice - one in manual would be pretty sweet in my opinion

Originally Posted by MJ80

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).

^ yes I agree the sport e46s/coupes/m3 are still good to go -

Not so much the sedans - not a big fan of e90 sedan either