2008 BMW 135i or 2002 BMW M3 E46?

If I had someone elses wallet, I would pick the M3. Yes, a much lower price, but expensive repairs were needed already and will continue to be needed, and in a 335i under a BMW new car warranty you pretty much have to worry about only putting gas in the thing. The 135i would look better in my eyes if it wasn't so expensive. In my eyes, the 3 series isnt really overpriced, but the 1 series is.

If money were no object, I'd likely take the M3. The 335 would be very close behind.

If I were spending my own money on a Bimmer, I'd take the 128.

E46 M3. It looks better inside and out than the 135. It's also an M car, which gets you all the recognition that comes along with that, if you're into that kind of thing.

I'm leaning to any of the newer vintages, probably the 1 series just to stick out a bit from the jerks driving 3 series around town. 4 years of warranty seems justifiable to me.

Privilege!

Also, a gorgeous picture you have there. Love that sky...

335i. Better looking than the 1. And I'm sure if you exclude the 4-year/50000 free servicing, the 335i would be cheaper to maintain.

Scott, I agreed 100% to everything you have said in this post. 335i > 135i > E46 M3. As great as the E46 M3 was, it has been outdated. And the turbo punch is unmatched by the NA inline-6 M motor. And to compare the 335i vs. 135i, the 135i is only a hair cheaper (~$few K), is only a hair lighter (~200 lbs), I rather have the much more stylish 335i with a much nicer interior. The only time the 135i is better is if the extra nimbleness from the small weight saving and the shorter wheelbase really matter in an autoX situration.

I commute in my friend's E90 M3 every other day now, and the E90 M3 is much more refine then the E46 M3.

Traded in my 03 911 TT after a test drive of the 335i sedan with sport. Owned for 2yrs, no issues at all, still original RFT tires with 21k miles. Found the shifting and transmission to be light years ahead of the M3's. Performance nod goes to the 335, handling aside, but the M3 was far too taught to be the daily driver (my GTR does a better job).
My reco would be a used, CPO to 100k 335i for $25k, forget the 135 and used M3.
Sad thing is, the new M3 isnt the improvement we'd all wanted.

Privelidge? Seriously, does anyone proofread these things?
I would go with the 335 as well. Now if only BMW could learn what standard features are and add some to their cars.

I'd take a 335xi (I'm in the lovely midwest, and unwilling/unable to store a spare set of wheels/winter tires) as my first choice, closely followed by a last gen M3. RWD would be a definite problem though.

I'd also consider a 535xi seriously, as my current 528xi is plenty quick, the 535 would just be a lot more kick in the pants while having more space than a comparable 3.

Fixed the typo. And the answer is no, we don't proofread these before they go live. Blogs are meant to be casual logbook entries. If we took the time to copy edit them, we would never get anything posted.

I'll take an E46 M3 Sedan. Oh wait. They never made one. :(

Daily driver w/kids = 335i Sport 6MT sedan

Daily driver w/no kids = 135i 6MT

Weekend warrior = M3

I would have no issues driving a stock E46 M3 everyday but if I owned one it wouldnt be stock for long. More than likely it would be boosted/intercooled with a roll cage, big brakes, a nice set of high end forged low weight (but stylish) rims and a much more aggressive suspension package.

I am an M3Cic (6 Speed Manual) owner and I have driven the 335i Coupe. I have to say that the M is really something special. A purpose built raw machine. Believe it or not my next car may most likely be a 135i. I prefer smaller and nimble when comparing the 135i to the 335i. I don't need AWD since my experiences with RWD BMW's equipped with snows here in the Northeast has been a positive one. Less weight and lower center of gravity rules the performance day.

By the way I love the job you all do on your photography. Some of the best pictures I've seen in an Auto publication.

I really really REALLY wanted to like the 335i during my test drive (though I would have eventually got gotten the xi) but for my tastes it was just a tad too big. I also didn't prefer how some very minor parts of the interior were laid out (esp. the cup holders.)

As soon as I sat in the 135i, I could just tell it felt right. My wife agreed.

We also have an E46 330xi and it shares a similar size to the 135i. I know the 135i compromises in a number of areas (back seat, trunk space, etc.) but it's the car I look forward to driving each day.

My personal ranking is 135i, E46 M3, 335i. And, to judge how off the wall I am, I would actually desire a 135xi :)

If Jack Bauer showed up and car-jacked me for my M Coupe to chase after a terrorist cell and I had to get something else, after I shed a solemn tear over the loss of my 3.91 diff and authentic CSL wheels, shipped from the UK, I'd get the 335i. Since the M Coupe stopped production, it's the best-looking car BMW makes right now, and offers the best combination of performance and practicality this side of a Porsche 911. My second choice would be the E46 M3.

I can NOT see myself driving a 1-series coupe. I like the hatch we didn't get in the US, but the coupe or cabrio? No. I couldn't, ever. It is THAT bad. And yes, this is coming from someone that owns a Smart Fortwo.

For the 335i, I'm taking about the coupe. Seriously, Edmunds - how much would an edit function cost? :)

epbrown, Jack Bauer wouldn't commandeer your M Coupe because it seems that Fords have been the vehicles of choice the last few seasons except for 24: Redemption which featured Hyundais (like Sundays). And if Jack Bauer wants to take your ride to save the U.S., you better let him...unless you're Chuck Norris.

http://www.jackbauerfacts.com/facts/top

It's not really an easy choice for me. In my case, the desire/need for a 4 door is pretty high on the list. If they made an E46 M3 sedan, it would be an even tougher choice. My favorite of all to drive (favorite of my wife too) is the 135i, but I lose the practicality. We like it even better than the E92 M3. More tossable, place it on a dime feeling, though less ultimate grip.

Unfortunately my E46 3er was just rear ended pretty badly and it's likely it will be totaled. I had been thinking about a Euro delivery 135i later this year, but without a raise I expect later this year and a bit of time to save money, I've got my eye on some low mileage 335 sedans. $30K is pretty reasonable for a 335 w/manual transmission. Plus, I can actually fit in a 335 with a helmet on. I don't think that would happen in a 135.

The E46 M3 is a second car, not a daily-driver. Not with expected yearly maintenance in the multiple thousands and a ride that's unforgiving of poorly-kept roads. It's still the most beautiful BMW in the company's history and more lust-worthy than either the 135i or the 335i.

The 335i is overpriced, especially now that the dollar is devalued relative to most other currencies. It's also the best of three, combining nearly all of the fun with the usability of more boring and practical cars. In daily driving, it's even more satisfying than the M3 because of the boosted engine's enormous torque reserves.

The 135i is ugly in photos and even uglier in person. It is, as with the 335i, overpriced. I see no point in paying for the privilege of owning a vehicle I'd be embarrassed to stand near.

The solution is to buy a used 335i. A 2007 coupe with 20K miles and all sorts of options can be had for the low $30Ks. This car will still be under warranty, and it will have all the conveniences of a new vehicle. When you tire of it, you can spend $300 to add 100 HP and at least as much torque, a gain that M3 owners would die for. Then you can spend another $3000 for an LSD. You'll end up with a car that'll trade punches with an E92 M3, and probably win, for less than $35K.

It's a toss up for me; whatever I picked would be a track rat, so it would either be the E46 M3 or the 135i. The 135i would be a terror with a decent re-flash and a good LSD, but the M3 would have a lower initial cost and also offer a more visceral drive. And a dipstick.

@epbrown: The fact that you actually own a Smart ForTwo means we can take you opinions with a grain of salt then right? (wink, wink)

@alexdi: Where can you spend $300 and get an extra 100hp?
The cheapest options out there right now only add ~25-40hp...the more expensive ones, $400+, will only add MAYBE 50-80hp...anything more than that and you would need downpipes, another few hundred dollars there. Anyway by the end it would end up costing considerably more than 35k.

http://www.burgertuning.com/jb3pinout.html

90 HP at the wheels, well more than that at the crank. The plug and play version costs a couple hundred bucks more, but it's still a pittance relative to the price of the car. I find the LSD the more interesting upgrade.

Funny comments above about the M3's maintenance costs. We've covered the potentially pricey repairs, but that's not maintenance. The annual maintenance consists (for me) of off-cycle oil/filter changes at 5,000 miles ($80 or so, as I recall). Every second year or so, there's an Inspection (with valve service) at roughly every 25,000 miles. A dealer will charge around $1500-$1800 for this, indie shops considerably less, and it is DIY-able.

Edmunds neglected to have the valve adjustment done at their inspection, and as a result, the engine's longevity (not to mention fuel economy and performance) are definitely compromised. Given that fact, and that theirs is an pre-03.5 model, I'm not sure I'm going to use their car as the benchmark of what to expect out of an M3 long-term.

In any case, just trying to correct the notion that an M3 is a money pit. There are some M-cars associated with huge repair/maintenance costs, but the E46 M3 isn't among them.

For all those who are picking the 135i because of mod-ability... yeah, it'll tear an M3 up with the right mods, but what are the net effects of doing so long-term? Nobody knows thus far. Get back to me when a Vishnu car has 60k on the odo. My guess is that your maintenance costs on a tweaked N54 car are going to make the M3's user fee seem like chump change.

Full disclosure, I've got an '06 M3 ZCP with 30k on the odo. Maintenance is still covered, but unless it starts behaving very badly, I'll certainly be keeping it after it expires in April of next year.

"Every second year or so, there's an Inspection (with valve service) at roughly every 25,000 miles. A dealer will charge around $1500-$1800 for this, indie shops considerably less, and it is DIY-able."

This was one of the reasons I cancelled my order for an '02 M3 and bought the Z06 instead. I tend to keep my cars for a long time, and if I had bought the M3, I would have spent $7,500 - $9,000 so far just for that stupid valve adjustment service.

You also forgot to mention the rear differential maintenance on the E46 M3. It requires some expensive exotic differential oil from what I recall, and has to be changed periodically (forgot what the interval is).

If I knew the maintenance wouldn't kill me, I'd have an E46 M3 with the competition pack. A CSL would be fantastic, but sadly the competition pack is the best we get in the states. In reality, a 135i with a select few options and free maintenance would probably be my choice.

I just don't see the point of a 135i over the E46 M3. Sure, it has the twin turbo (and long-term, attendant maintenance issues), and as tenfifteen reminds us, Edmunds' maintenance costs with its M3 are not what I consider reasonable nor prudent, because they continue to choose the most expensive route. Many people here seem to think the M3 will break if you sneeze at it; my experience in speaking to owners who treat their cars as I would suggests the cars are as reliable as the non-Ms if you take care of them.
And if anyone thinks they will get away with "no maintenance costs" for four years on a 335 or 135, I invite you to wait until the service indicator to change the oil. To not change the oil at 7,500 miles is inviting disaster later on. But then again, for most people, these cars are two-three year propositions at best.

*every* 7,500 miles. Edit!

Okay, we're starting the get into CrAzyEdMuNdZlAnD. We always start out discussing facts, then devolve into people posting every half-remembered rumor or anecdote they ever heard, treated as gospel. Suddenly, the only people that can afford to keep an S54 engine running are Columbian drug cartels and Jay Leno.

If you're driving a BMW with an S54 engine (E46 M3, 2001-2002 Z3 M Roadster/Coupe, or 2006-2008 Z4 M Roadster/Coupe) and your car is out of warranty, you can expect to spend about $300 every 15k for an Inspection I which includes oil change, maybe some belts or hoses, more washer fluid, and $2500 every 30k for an Inspection II which includes oil change, maybe some belts or hoses, some wahser fluid, coolant and a valve adjustment. Lots of people prefer to change the oil more often, which is about $100 if you do it yourself. Lots of people also recommend changing the diff fluid every 50k miles, which is about $100-150 for the fluid.

Aside from that, you can expect to need tires and brakes fairly often, though that depends on what you run and how you drive.

Yes, there may be other unexpected expenses - anyone driving a car out of factory warranty should get an extended warranty or have a "slush fund" set aside for such repairs. I have a money market account. When a car goes out of warranty, I put the money that most people spend on an extended warranty in that account. If I ever need the repairs, there it is. If I never need repairs, there it is. Bear in mind that the extended warranty companies are betting you'll never need them, and they've spent more time than us calculating the odds.

Edmunds True Cost to Own feature says 5-years/75,000 miles of maintenance on a 2005 M3 would average $1644/year. Five years of repairs, $1305/year. Both those figures are less than their fuel estimate. And that comes in as less expensive than the comparable but less practical 2005 Porsche 911.

Sgude - I agree and disagree. I was someone who posted on bimmerfest.com the terrible consequences of not changing the 335i oil every 7500 miles to start....but I've seen enough oil analyses now to not know the true result. There are people who have done 15,000 miles on the original oil, gotten an analysis at the change, and it looked OK! And that includes engine break-in!

And there are others, possibly one without the factory installed oil cooler that popped up, who had oil that looked terrible after 10,000 miles.

So I don't think it's cut and dry.

Personally, I would only consider keeping a 2007 335i CPO for 98,000 miles and then trade that puppy in. But I'd be more confident with a 2008/2009 335i, if I picked it up at 20,000 miles and took care of it properly.

FYI - Nissan 370z and Infiniti G37 are having overheating problems with the oil temp exceeding 300 degrees fahrenheit. And they don't have the excuse of twin turbochargers...

Back to this blog post:

Though I love the e46 M3, especially in 2004+ w/ LED taillights, I'd go with the 335i. It is faster in everyday driving (i.e. plant your foot at 3000 rpms in 4th gear), it has much better daily usability, and it can be made to go far faster for less money. It handles about the same, which means it handles far better than I'll ever need it too....I'm more of a "too much power is barely enough" type of guy, so the 335i appeals to me.

I drove the 135i auto/sport package (twice) and it didn't stir my soul the way the 335i 6-speed sport did. Weird, but there it is.

And yet, I still won't buy either. I think the next 3-series is going to be a massive improvement over the current gen, and I think it'll be worth it, so I'll stick with my e39 540i 6-speed that I am not yet close to owning :)

Joe

Seriously - we need edit capability. I wanted to add that I've yet to use my slush fund, and I ran my last two BMWs, bought used, out of warranty.

Also wanted to add that according to Edmunds site, the 2005 Corvette is $3000 less in maintenance and repairs over 5 years, so you'd save 50 month with the 'Vette, though I don't think it'd make as good a daily driver.

epbrown: for the M3, oil service every "15k" miles (according to the service counter but turns out to be more like 12k, is about $150-200. Only a stealership would charge you $300. Inspections every 30k miles run $1000-$1500 ($2500 is for an exorbitant stealer).

I have a 2001 M3 so I'm biased, but out of the 3 cars I'd choose the M3 for long-term ownership. I'm not a huge fan of the current gen BMW styling, and only time will tell whether the Banglized Beemers will look good in retrospect. I think the previous gen of BMW's (E46 3, E39 5, the 7 that James Bond drove) are beautiful from every angle and attractiveness will stand the test of time.

@m_thrizzle: the service counter goes by gallons consumed, so the heavier you are on the throttle or the more quickly it counts down. On my Z4 and 325i, it was 660 gallons. I dunno what the ECU in my S54 counts to. Taking the owner's manual at it's word, and being a cautious (and hopefully long-term) owner, I changed my own oil at 7500 miles. The service counter was squawking less than 2000 miles later. :( Acceleration runs with the Sport button are too addictive since I swapped in a 3.91 gearset. :D

I was dead set on purchasing a 335i sedan last year but decided in the interests of "frugality" that I would pick up an E46 M3 for about half the price of the 335i and take my chances with BMW reliability out of warranty (as compared to the Nissan I had been driving for the past 8 years with zero breakdowns or problems). Going with the M3 was by no means a downgrade for me, as I had been admiring the car since its debut and boring girlfriends with tales of its prowess. I was also much more likely to bring a six year old M3 to the track than I was a brand new 335i.

I have not regretted my decision since I bought the M3 and the ensuing economic meltdown, not to mention some epic track days and canyon runs, seems to have confirmed my choice. That being said, I would still love to have a 335i Sport Sedan in Space Gray over Aluminum and Saddle should I receive a sudden and large windfall.

Regarding maintenance on one of these cars, it's not for the faint of heart nor light of wallet. In about 8 months of ownership, I have spent around $1500 on maintenance and wear items (initial inspection, oil/brake/coolant change, new brakes except rear rotors, battery, alternator) and I'll be spending another $300-400 next week to have the RTABs replaced and get a full alignment. Next month, it will be another $1000 for some new rubber (Sumis) and during the summer I will be due for Inspection II. After that, maintenance costs should be minimal for the following two years.

This is all standard stuff when you buy a six-year old car with 40k miles on the clock, but upkeep is definitely a multiple of what it costs to keep a Camccordima running.

"You also forgot to mention the rear differential maintenance on the E46 M3. It requires some expensive exotic differential oil from what I recall, and has to be changed periodically (forgot what the interval is)."

Stingray454 I just had this done on my car at a BMW Dealer and it barely cost me $200.00. I have a 2002 M3Cic with 32,700 miles on it. These cars are not that expensive to maintain. If you had bought one back in 2002 the first 3 years or 36,000 miles of your service would have been covered by BMW anyway.

minibro, please stop calling the M3 a M3Cic!!

335i with 6MT all the way!!
135 is just plain fugly
E46b m3 are very service friendly

335i is just the perfect matchpoint between sporty and comfortable.

edit::::
i meant M3's are service drive or service advisor friendly

LOL@m_thrizzle! I'm guessing minibro77 prefers calling it that instead of M3 Convertible. :shrug:

"minibro, please stop calling the M3 a M3Cic!!"

I agree, it's kind of like the guys who own a 540i Sport and say that it has the "M5 Package".

"minibro, please stop calling the M3 a M3Cic!!"

I agree, it's kind of like the guys who own a 540i Sport and say that it has the "M5 Package".

"you can expect to spend about $300 every 15k for an Inspection I which includes oil change, maybe some belts or hoses, more washer fluid, and $2500 every 30k for an Inspection II which includes oil change, maybe some belts or hoses, some wahser fluid, coolant and a valve adjustment."

Anyone who says that isn't a lot of money for maintenance is insane, IMO. Here is what the 30k service involved for my '02 Z06 for comparison: mandatory (required in the owner's manual): replace air cleaner, change oil, inspect brakes, belts, and hoses. Doing it myself, that cost me $30 for the air filter, and $45 for oil and filter (8 quarts of Mobil-1 + filter). Optional maintenance that I did anyway, even though it wasn't required in the manual was: replace fuel filter ($30), change transmission oil ($25, 4 quarts Mobil 1 ATF), and change differential fluid ($20). Total 30k cost including optional maintenance I did was $150 doing it myself, and probably about $500 if I had a dealership do it. The 60k service is the same as the 30k service, except to also replace the serpentine belt (~$45). The most expensive service interval is at 100k, which is the same as the 30k service, but also requires replacing the spark plugs (~$40), and I would do the wires too for ~$80 (optional). The coolant and hoses are good for 150k miles. There are no special services at 15k or any other intervals. Just oil changes, which have been averaging every 8,500 miles using the oil life monitor.

So every 30k, $500 versus $2,500. I know some people are sick of hearing me preach the virtues of Corvettes, but one of the things I like about them is they were engineered to be inexpensive and easy to maintain and repair. Low maintenance and repair costs was not engineered into the M3.

Yawn...

"Here is what the 30k service involved for my '02 Z06 for comparison"

OMG!!! YOU OWN A Z06?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Stingray, we get it -- Corvettes are great. I agree but only if we're talking about the C6, and maybe the C5, although the interior was pretty disgusting on the C5. I literally got nauseous sitting in a brand new Vette at the dealership due to all of the plastics outgassing. Anyways, despite the Vette and M3 being priced similarly, they go for different target customers. Vette- pure performance, good handling, great value for the dollar. M3 - it's a GT car so it offers performance and handling with good feedback and refinement. So there is no winning which car is better, because it depends on who you talk to.

I do wish more cars had HUDs, they are bad ass.

The Vettes from the 70s and 80s are white trash wet dreams though, and only now is that perception starting to fade away from people's memories.

If the new cars weren't so damn ugly and heavy then maybe I would choose them over an M3.

"So there is no winning which car is better, because it depends on who you talk to."

Of course, we all know that a Saturn is better than either one...

Ugly, perhaps. Heavy? The 135i is lighter than the M3...

a BMW mechanic once told me that when your bimmer runs out of warranty sell it becaus its gonna cost you a fortune in maintenance.