2009 BMW M3: Brilliant, But Would I Buy One?

Good entry James. I've never had an engine like this one (small displacement, high RPM), but I can see that you would be right. On my 3 mile drive to work I usually play a game to see if I can keep my G8 V8 under 2000 rpm. I like highway cruising at 70 with less than 2000 rpm as well. If had a Civic Si I would probably get bored with it.

I'm sure the high-rpm fanboys will say you're wrong, but it is all in the personal preferences.

I can agree with what Riswick's saying here. A good sports car is always a rip when it comes to driving for enjoyment; but they're much less fun when it comes to, I don't know, running to the store for groceries.

Ris - on the M6, you can dial it back out of M-mode. Can you do this with the M3, and if so, does it make it more docile?

I will say it again the 5 series bmw with the right engine is the best car on the road. 08 535 XI 15,400 miles.

"perhaps a 335i and a boat load of cash."

Having only driven a 335i (not the M3), but having read many, many reviews, I would almost certainly go with the 335i. I'd appreciate not having the sporty flairs that make the M3 stand out when I'm just trying to cruise slightly above the speed limit on the highway (what better target than a 20-some driving an M3?). The reduced maintenance costs involved with the lower-strung 335i engine would be great. And for my region, a 335xi would be a great all-year-round car.

But just like JRiz, I would totally drive an M3, or own one, were it given to me.

This is exactly one of the reasons I traded my 2008 MS3 for a 2010 Mz6. Although the MS3 was a great machine and very fun to drive, there were times when I found it's frenetic nature tiresome- especially when I just wanted to drive to relax. That turbo engine wanted to be flogged 24/7 and the suspension was best at carving corners first and comfort second. It also didn't have a ton of rear leg room for my kids when their 6'2" dad was driving.
I'm finding my Mz6 sGT offers just the right balance of fun to drive and comfortable cruiser. The V6 engine will pull like a train when asked and the compliant suspension offers a nice mix of control and comfort. Even the 6 speed auto is pretty good when you want to carve some corners.
Of course if someone gave me an M3 I'd also make do with its "compromises". As usual though Mazda offers about 90% of the fun for half the cash.

fire this guy ASAP, his sanity is in question.

Wouldnt the complaints be solved with the DCT? Get a different tranny and the car is smooth in traffic. Problem solved.

"But just like JRiz, I would totally drive an M3, or own one, were it given to me."

Well I think we can all agree to that. I think its hard for these editors to actually give opinions on these vehicles as if the payments were coming out of their bank accounts. If I drove the M3 for free and didnt even think about its $67k price tag I too would be writing love letters every other day. "would you buy it with your own money?" is the key question for all of these LT cars.

You know James, the answer is right there in front of you: the Cadillac CTS-V. But you're so import and BMW biased, you don't even see it. Shame.

I wouldn't call the M3 a "sports car" either. It's a compact performance luxury sedan. A Z4 is a sports car.

"perhaps a 335i and a boat load of cash."

Or a 328i and an E30 M3.

For this reason exactly is why I drive an EVO X MR. So I get to have my fun, and in traffic... let the SST do the work.

"Or a 328i and an E30 M3."

I'd go with an E39 M5(or possibly an RS4) and an E30 M3.

The M3 has big compromises for a daily driver, high maintenance costs and the poor gas mileage.

As for the drive per se, I`d have to drive it several days until I can make judgement.

cr_driver-- what are the big compromises? High maintenance costs?-- actually virtually none --FREE maintenance for 4 yrs or 50,000 miles (I have an M3)

Poor gas mileage-- compared to a Prius -- but compared to a similar sports Sedan (S4) - its about the same.

I have been driving my M3 2003 for 7.5 yrs--every day--in the snow, --winter spring, summer and fall -- 92,000 miles and counting!!!

I traded a 2007 335 in on a 2008 M3 (the lease was up), both sedans. I don't find the M3 to be particularly more difficult to drive around town; if anything, the non-runflat tires on the M3 improve overall ride comfort. The M3 doesn't have quite the immediate well of torque that the 335 did, but it has plenty of power even at low RPM--you don't have to wind it out just to putter around town. I am not sure what the author of the post means about smooth control movements--I find the clutch in the M3 incredibly easy to modulate, and it is just as easy to be smooth in this car as in the 335. About the only negative from a comfort standpoint is a slight increase in gear whine, but this is really splitting hairs.

The M3's big disadvantage over the 335, from a day to day use standpoint, is fuel economy. It burns SO MUCH GAS, especially when you are just commuting in stop and go driving, that it makes you feel like a cretin. And having to fill up every 160 miles or so isn't exactly comforting, either.

All that said, if I were to do it again, I don't think I'd get the M3. Its performance advantages on a daily basis over the 335 are minimal, and while it is great, great fun to rip off 8300 RPM blasts, you get the chance to do that maybe once a week around here, if you are lucky. If I had to do it again, I would have bought the 335 off lease and used the extra coin on a sports car for the weekends.

I'd rather a 328 after owning a 335i. The big weight difference v. handling/chassis feel just doesn't sell me on the 335i. Plus the 335i's engine has a narrow rev band while the M3 and 328 you can get a free-spinning little tach and smooth engine that begs to be beat on. No it's not hang out the tale and scream in fun character of the M3 but it'll get the costco trip done and still be fun on the weekend drive. The 335i... just lots of power and um...yeah not nothing else beyond the 328i which actually feels better to drive. At least with the M3 you have the glorious sounds and sublime handling to go with the power.

I know I'm saying something awful but the power really isn't all that special when the engine only seems to have it for a few k.

"As such, I think for the M3's price tag of $67,370, I'd opt for something a little more neutral in character."

The M3 is a fantastic car and all, but for the price, I'm not sure that I wouldn't just get two cars with two missions instead of one car with two missions. Maybe a TDI Sportwagon (economical, lots of space) and an MX-5 (loads of fun)? Or a 328i and a used Boxster S? For the price, the possibilities are almost endless.

Wow, an M3 bashing thread :).

This is a well written piece and as Bimmerjay alluded to, the reason the M3 is a car for a limited audience.

I struggle with this issue in my own car life.

I've tried daily driving sports cars which was fine for me until kids came along.

I've tried the sedan or truck daily driver with a sports car for the weekends - that never worked. 99% of my driving was done in my no fun car and the sports car got ~ 1000 miles a year which wasn't enough to justify the expense and hassle of owning it.

The M3 sedan is the best answer I've found to a dual natured car that is about as capable as any sports car out there but can still play sedan for the 95% mundane tasking. Yes it is a little high strung for a daily driver but not overly so.

The M3 certainly isn't for everyone in a daily dose but it is the best compromise answer I've found so far. I tried the obvious competition (C63 and IS-F) and the M3 is much better for me than both. The CTS-V styling and size don't appeal to me. The 335i is probably the closest second but it just isn't special enough.

All that said, I still miss driving a true sports car daily. Darned family needs!

a jim carrey persona i could handle.

robin williams on the other hand... that dude is wound tight!

Coming from a 335i coupe to a M3 coupe, I don't know what the OP is talking about. Except for the gas mileage (which someone mentioned), the M3 is totally fine as a daily driver and then a weekend drive car. With the EDC (damper settings), sport throttle settings, steering wheel settings, etc, you can make this car as pussycat as you want, or into a tiger (save your settings with the 'm' button).

Until peeps really drive the car day-in and out, you really have no clue what this car is like. And again, I came from an 335i, which was a great car in itself.

I want Inside Line to do a compare-o of the CTS-V and M3. Settle the arguments once and for all!!! (actually it probably would start more arguments)

I couldn't agree more with this post, and as someone who just took delivery of a brand-new M3 coupe (6-speed, of course) that may be surprising. However, I did exactly as James said. I bought the M3 because I wanted a fun car that I could use for track-days or just for a fun weekend car. However, because of my rather long commute and the pitiful condition of most roads around here, I kept my S550 as my daily driver. Part of this was because I love the Benz so much I honestly couldn't bring myself to part with it (which is remarkable for me, made even more so by the fact it has 80K miles). Nevertheless, I'm more excited about the Bimmer than I have been about a car in a really long time. This weekend is going to be great.

@mbfan, congrats! What'd you get? I'll keep an eye out for you on the roads around here.

this post resonates with me as well. my plan had always been to use my GTI as a stepping stone to something significantly more powerful & sporty. More power would be great; more sportiness would be great... but when i think rationally about it, I'm not sure how relevant either would be on public roads.

I'd love an M3 and would happily take one, but as much fun as my GTI is for me on a daily basis I'm not sure I could justify to myself paying such a premium for something that's only significantly faster in a very small percentage of situations.

@bimmer

It's Space-Grey Metallic (not my first choice, but the only other options had the 19" rims which I didn't want) with black interior. No moon roof. I was looking for a basic model because it's not my daily driver, but this one has the Tech Package and other assorted options because it's the only way they seem to come equipped around here.

mf, why didn't you just order it?

You are absolutely right! Nice little article. I would have to have two cars, the M3 and something much more fuel-efficient (Honda Fit, Mazda 3) for the monotonous miles of everyday life.

" slcmitch says:

05:10 PM, 03/15/10

I want Inside Line to do a compare-o of the CTS-V and M3. Settle the arguments once and for all!!! (actually it probably would start more arguments)"

I would like to see that comparison too, but I wouldn't want Edmunds to do it. With BMW giving them free long term test cars for quite some time now, there is no way they could look at things objectively.

I did my own comparison, and choose the CTS-V. The M3 was a close second, but for my needs and wants, the CTS-V was a better choice. I still love the M3 though. Great car by any measure.

@dragonflight, be warned about the 335xi - the AWD is well below the typical reliability of a 3-series. Just get snow tires on separate wheels, if you must get a bmw.

Regarding too high-strung, I test drove an Acura GS-R in 1997. I loved it, but thought its revvy nature would drive me to apoplexy in city driving. Mind you, I was coming from a 1981 Mercury Cougar. Turns out, a Maxima with a manual was the right combo of cruising and occasional sport for my needs then.

If the GTI provides similar thrills of the M3 for $23K, that's quite a statement! Is there an age-cap on the GTI? My buddy was musing yesterday that he loved that car when he was out of school, but would now feel ridiculous driving one while pushing 40. For me, I could care less.

"Is there an age-cap on the GTI? My buddy was musing yesterday that he loved that car when he was out of school, but would now feel ridiculous driving one while pushing 40. For me, I could care less."

Same here. I remember a while back I saw a then-new Viper doing a big smoky burnout in front of a big crowd at a car gathering. The driver was a grey haired man in his mid-70's. His license plate read "OLD N MEAN". I want to be like that when I'm that age. Or like Bob Lutz, Carrol Shelby, and Bob Bondurant who can all hop into a high horsepower car and put down some lap times on a track that can humble drivers in their 20's, while they are in their 70's and even 80's!

@blueguy,

I seriously considered it, but the dealer gave me $4K off MSRP and I figured that made up for everything else.

Jederino, Stingray, I am 45 and I will buy another GTI in a second. I care not what anyone thinks of my automotive choices -- as long as I am fine with it, that's pretty much all there is to it.

@mercedesfan,

Nice - I'd definitely get the Tech if not for just EDC. I ordered mine via Euro Delivery and got it a couple months ago in the U.S. Have fun with it, I know I have. I'd peg it as among the best BMWs ever made.

@lowmilelude,

"Ris - on the M6, you can dial it back out of M-mode. Can you do this with the M3, and if so, does it make it more docile?"

Yes and yes.

@bimmerjay,

That's awesome. Did you love ED with it?

With EDC, I could easily see this car being a daily driver, even with a manual tranny. I had a manual GTI and manual Probe GT when I was a Marine in California; I was in DC for a couple of years with my manual 3-Series; driving a stick in traffic is no problem with me.

blueguydotcom says:

01:43 PM, 03/15/10

I'd rather a 328 after owning a 335i...

__________________________________________

I know what you mean. Take the 911 S, versus the heavier, but more powerful Turbo.
I feel the Turbo overwhelms the chassis.

Driving a 330 sedan manual was in some ways more enjoyable than the 335 coupe manual (I swap cars with friends). The 330 was noticeably lighter, and engine was more playful. Not afraid to floor it constantly. Reminded me of my old RX-8 and even older Ford Probe. However, I did not feel the 335's turbo engine overwhelms the chassis, like in the 911.

It depends what one likes. I understand that some people like oversteering hooliganism.