2009 BMW M3: Simple Where It Needs To Be

No, nothing is missing but it is FUGLY.

Well I see no fancy coin holder.

What I do see is that over-engineered, under-performing useless cupholder.

Buttons are too small and look the same (and probably feel the same). And yes, black and silver trim is boring.

I'm waiting for the BMW fanboies to come to the rescue here. I dislike BMW interiors: similar buttons (just like a remote) don't promote focus on the intent (driving or PS3, respectively). BMW Fanboies - defend your dream!

I do like the simplicity but I would like the 1 and 3 series lines to adopt the more warm inviting interiors of the X5, 7, 5GT. I know they can't have those levels of material quality as those cars are much more expensive but the additional detailing in those interiors makes them far more interesting places to be. The current 3's interior is simply too stark, cold and uninviting.

To completely honest... I find the G8 interior to be leaps and bounds more inviting than this... this is just craptastic.... and for a $70k luxury car?

@srlracing

I think you're going overboard with your comment. The interior is not craptastic by any means. Cold, uninviting, yes. The materials and fit and finish are great. And this car is really just a 40k-50k luxury car, 70k intense sports sedan.

I have an 08 M3 and I do agree that I do enjoy the simple layout and the somewhat minimal buttons. I do think that the interior in general is of high quality construction wise, but an audi is definitely prettier.

In terms of buttons, I do not find myself wanting for more "shortcuts" the rest left in iDrive can be easily found. Note that i have an 08 with the old idrive with only the simplified aluminum rotating knob and menu button.

Just perfect for my needs.

It's a particularly cold and unflattering picture with harsh lighting, but boy does that view look familiar lol. The 3-Series dash is in need of a refresh - the design dates from the E9x's March 2005 release in the U.S. I like the layout with iDrive but dislike the non-iDrive design. That one's just dated and the base audio system is difficult to use and obsolete-ish. Still, like another poster mentioned, the materials quality and fit and finish are second to none.

@hondacura4,

Those cars you cited are the next-gen of BMW interior design, the new 3-Series will no doubt have a similar (but naturally less expensive) layout to those models.

Nothing about this picture says $70k to me. More like $30k.

BMW interiors have never impressed me.

It doesn't look as bad as some are making it out to be. Look at the C Class, which was most recently redesigned, and it comes across as stark and cold as this vehicle (if not more). What do you expect from coal bin black w/aluminum trim.

I agree that it is cold and sterile, but some people are looking for that. I want my car to be a machine, not some womb that soothes me every time I rejoin it. Sometimes it is nice to be in a car that is strictly comfort oriented, but as someone who loves technology and efficiency, I find the 3 series interior to be the best option out there. I think the complaints are reasonable, but it all depends on what you want or expect from a car.

I think that the non-iDrive head unit is actually one of the easiest to use on the market. That said, I have been using cell phones and computers since I was a young child, so a menu based interface and soft keys do not deter me. Another thought I had was that no matter how poor the design, it seems that any factory head unit is easier to use than just about any aftermarket head unit.

This simplicity is very refreshing to see, especially if you've sat in a Honda Accord lately and looked at the center stack of buttons in that thing.

I think we need to be a bit more realistic here people.

- The M3 is 3 Series based and the 3 starts in the low to mid $30s.

- If the pricing structure started at $70K I would fully agree with many of your claims, fortunately it doesn't.

- It's very stark, cold and uninviting yes, but it's well crafted and the materials used are good for a car in this range.

- It's not the materials that need work it's the overall presentation that needs work.

- I think the picture actually makes the interior look even worse than it is. My brothers 335i sedan seems to be a bit warmer and cozy in person.

"This simplicity is very refreshing to see, especially if you've sat in a Honda Accord lately and looked at the center stack of buttons in that thing."

@ Norsairius, yes the Accord's center stack especially with Navi looks intimidating but it's surprisingly easy to use while driving. I guess one could say the new Buick LaCrosse and Regal's center stacks are just as intimidating (if not more as the have more buttons) by observation alone.

http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/0/k/u/1/ag_10lacrosse_intleft.jpg

http://www.insideline.com/buick/regal/2011/photos/2011_buick_regal_fint_ns_111109.html

http://image.automotive.com/f/miscellaneous/2008-honda-accord-all-new-with-more-space-safety-power/6960346+w640+cr1+re0+ar1/2008-honda-accord-interior-center-consolejpg.jpg

I say it has to much, sadly the e46 m3 is about as nice as I would go. Although I think the last true M3 would have been the e36. The current models are only a sham what what they should be.

Knock out about 90% of the inside features, cut the price a good 10-20k and you got your self a real M3.

The "simple where it needs to be" argument only makes sense when compared the the likes of the Honda Accord. Compared to what most people drive, it's par for the course (and a lot more expensive).

"craptastic" is EXACTLY the word......70K for that? ANY Ford on the market, including the Focus has a nicer stack than that.......good lord a Caliber does not look that bad. Interiors are seen a heck of a lot more by their owners than the outside........welcome to Stalag 13......Colonel Klink your car is here!

It's nice to see a nice set of rubber pedals. Too many car companies think that it's "sporty" to have metal pedals, but they are horrible when you have wet dress shoes on. I've had my feet slip off of the pedals more than a few times.

Since I have a 08 E90 M3, I can chime in on the interior design.
The brushed aluminum trim is a million times better in the M than in the standard range 3 series. The photo cannot convey the texture of teh aluminum trim. In the regular 3 it is just a piece of polished aluminum; in the M it is much darker and the texture is much more distinct. I have yet to see another car in the price range using this material. You really need to see and touch the aluminum trim to understand.
The leather seats trims, not shown in this photo, are so incredibly smooth and soft that it is better than the 5 series leather. The regular 3 series leather feels like rubber in comparison. Please note that while the leather is soft, the seats are firm--just the way a sports sedan should be.
My car does not have the butt warmer or parking sensor, so there are no buttons in the lowermost portion of the center stack--just a flat piece of plastic. I like to keep my cars free of extraneous options and I don't even have the IPod hookup. Who cares about music when you can make an 8300rpm V8 sing?
And please, for the love of god, do not compare it to a Fiat-Chrysler product. Their plastic dashboards are so hard you can use them as a wrecking ball. Looks can be deceiving. A knock on the material tells you all you need to know in the quality of the cabin.

@bodyblue,

""craptastic" is EXACTLY the word......70K for that? ANY Ford on the market, including the Focus has a nicer stack than that.......good lord a Caliber does not look that bad. Interiors are seen a heck of a lot more by their owners than the outside........welcome to Stalag 13......Colonel Klink your car is here!"

I don't think your comments are fair - have you been inside a 3-Series? I've actually driven a Caliber, there's absolutely no comparison. $70K is the tippy-top of the 3-Series range, remember this car does start at about $33K. The materials and assembly quality is top notch and you have a choice (no charge) of woods and aluminum trim. There's warm ambient lighting and all the displays are automatically controlled by interior light sensors. The buttons are very high-quality and the row of buttons below the climate control are actually electrostatically-sensitive. Resting your finger on them pops up a description of their function on the screen above. If you leave your finger there, the pop-up expands to show you how to custom-program them.

The harsh light really makes the stack look "flat" and cold with no depth to the materials. For instance, the (real) aluminum trim is over-exposed such that you see none of the detail - it has a brushed pattern.

If the cts-v had an interior that looked like that people would be ripping on gm for producing that interior. Yes, the m3 has good fit and finish and materials, but if the interior is ugly, what is the use. Im not rubbing my interior, i am looking at it. Who touches the bottom of the dash to see if its soft. I want it to be soft where my hands go normally and I want it to look good. The bmw might have the materials but a horrible look.

I too have an 08 E90 M3. I'd say the seats, shifter, pedals, and wheel are all top notch and just about perfect. I personally like the gauge cluster as well. The look and setup of the dash is functional but not particularly pretty. It is very German looking similar to Porsche's recent interiors. The materials used are quality but maybe not the most beautiful to look at. My car has the carbon fiber trim instead of aluminum and I think carbon fiber does improve things. They are supposed to redesign the next generation 3 series interiors. As others have said, you are really buying the engineering performance of the car with the extra money over a normal 3 series. A ZR1 Corvette is a good comparison. You get the same craptastic interior as a base Vette in the ZR1 but the car costs $50K+ more for the performance aspects....and that interior is truly craptastic compared to an M3. Yes, I have owned an 08 Vette so I can compare first hand.

i'll take simplicity any day of the week. over design is a downfall quite often these days.

I'll add and agree: do not forget this is a $33k interior from 2005 with what amounts to the following additions:

1. Trim that is not shown well in the picture
2. Better seats and seating materials
3. An in-dash car computer system that is shown as blank

The CTS and new A4 have far nicer interiors in my mind (with the A4 being too busy around the shifter), but they are newer too.

One of my reasons for NOT wanting an e90 series BMW is their interior and it's lack of everyday ergonomics (read: cubbies and cupholders) and warmth.

I don't care about that stuff when I'm driving hard, but I do care about it when I'm getting in to go to work on a 40 degree rainy morning. I want a place to put my coffee, blackberry, cell phone, a pack of tissues/napkins, and lip balm. And I want it all within easy reach in a small cubby where it's not rolling around or in the way of anything else or likely to fly out when I do corner hard.

Humorously, I find the e39 5-series interior great even though it's all lacking. Perhaps it's because I can get an e39 540i/6-speed for 12-14k.

Joe

I have indeed been inside a 3 series BMW. Looks fine with the wood trim for a 30k car but sure as hell not for a 70k car. And I have driven a Caliber with the sport appearance package (with blue or red seat inserts and colored dash panel in red or blue) and it looked just fine for a 20k car. It sounded like crap and was a dog but the inside looked just fine. So, no I was not being unfair at all. And ANY Ford looks better.

That's one of the reasons I bought an A4 with the tan interior. It's so much better than all black, or grey, Audi's other two color choices. The two tone tan with aluminum looks sooo much better than my last A4's black with piano-ish black trim. Benz's are the worst though.

I am with you, audi.....I am so sick of grey and black interiors.......I miss the reds and blues from 15-20 years ago.....or even a rich dark brown. Grey and black are so depressing.

No matter how much I like the M3, how much I like to drink bmw cool-aid, this interior sucks, thats it. I mean, it could be way better,it should be, but it isnt. The 3 series lacks in this regard.

I find the door pockets pretty useful for most things I carry but would agree that the cup holders do suck. I too like the look of a tan interior but black hides the dirt much better.

"I am so sick of grey and black interiors.......I miss the reds and blues from 15-20 years ago.....or even a rich dark brown. Grey and black are so depressing."

The leather color of Edmunds' M3 is actually Fox Red. On the non-///M 3-Series you can get Lemon, Saddle, Chestnut, Black, Jade Grey, Dakota Grey, Cream Beige, Oyster, and Coral Red. And there are no restrictions on which exterior color you get them with, whatever you want. Same with the interior trims - they are available with any interior color. The only limitation is that some of those interior colors are currently coupe/convertible-only and some are sedan-only.