I've stated this many times: Don't buy an out of warranty BMW. It's not the fact that they're chronically unreliable, as they're not. It's the fact that anything outside of "routine" issues are ungodly expensive, and even routine replacement items (brakes, belts, etc) are more expensive than average.
1989 Z24 Convertible - Dust Covered
2006 tC - Dust Covered, but driven more
the straight 6 is a very solid engine and the cars are over engineered so things usually don't break mechanically but things on the electronic side always have a tendency to break no matter what car you have and BMW's have boatloads of that good stuff. its just that when if things do break they will end up costing you a lot to have fixed unless you know how to work on cars your self.
if your looking to get a e36 92-99 M3 then i would do the fan delete mod as the fan likes to break apart and fly off into the radiator and destroy it... also the older e36's pre 97 i believe the water pumps fins are plastic and break off some times too causing a cooling problem. last thing i can think of is the thermostat housing should be replaced if they haven't already as its made from plastic and has a tendency to crack...
o and don't get an auto
good luck
yup like everyone says, if its not under warranty i wouldnt get one. my buddy use to work at a bmw dealership and he said its very costly.
I know a few E36 M3 owners.
No ... just, no.
The ride on bumpy roads is god @!#$ awful because of the stiff ass suspension. Blows ass.
Nice car otherwise.
Yeah shoot for the 1996 - 1997 M3 sedans. The ride is alot more comfortable, more passenger space, and better resale. I have 2 friends with M3's they've had small problems common with 10 year old cars. It was a bit pricey but they say NEVER tak it to a dealer if you know of a good BMW/Benz service place. The dealer will rape you. But the they said don't let cost of maintence scare you...it's not that awful when you consider the part being replaced will most likely last another 10+ years.
You pay for quality not name, BMW's are known for being reliable just as much as for being sporty. It may have a few issues (being used and old) but will still be 100x's more reliable than a Cavalier. Just something to think of.
"Formerly known as Jammit - JBO member since 1998" JBOM | CSS.net
#1 common problem... they're expensive to work on, especially in the states.
I want a new 3 series..id take that over an older m3 anyday
Uhm, what year M3?
I would have to say....
well you know.
05 M6 YJ GTO 1 of 447 12.767@109.93
sooo you want a bimmer.
at first thought who doesn't ?
at second thought who does ?
e46 M3s ride rough. they're noisy. regular parts cost a fortune. aftermarket parts cost more than your first born. The performance won't put you in a state of catatonic bliss, but the insurance will put you in catatonic shock ... so good luck with that.
[ o ][][][][][][][][ o ] coach built xj ( o \[][][][][][][]/ o ) hid wj
yeah id be very careful. My friend is a service writer for a BMW dealer and hes told me about some of the basic crap that goes wrong with them....and ouch is all i can say. The M3 has always been one of my favorite cars though.
"Custom cars, custom problems."-me
I see we have basically the same job. Structural Maint, except I work on the E-8c.
Have you looked at a GTO? You can get a 05 for the price of some of those 01 M3s.
05 M6 YJ GTO 1 of 447 12.767@109.93
Cavie Freak wrote:ok look sliek im not getitng one cause i am having eliecrical probs with mine and dont wnat ahtat @!#$ and i dont like expensive problems at all haha. SO any suggestions?
you seriously gotta stop posting drunk lol
I person love M3's. If I had the cash I wouldnt mind picking one up.
Have you thought of getting a 350Z???
"Remember do what you like because you have to drive it."--Me
DaFlyinSkwirl (PJ) - BPU++ wrote:Cavie Freak wrote:ok look sliek im not getitng one cause i am having eliecrical probs with mine and dont wnat ahtat @!#$ and i dont like expensive problems at all haha. SO any suggestions?
you seriously gotta stop posting drunk lol
Damn pj you know me way to @!#$ good. Have I been on here that long and drunk posting that damn much hahaha.
Disclaimer:
Dey see me Trollin' Dey hatin' for trollin dey trying to catch me ridin dirty.
i agree with sappy if your looking to get a bmw'ish car you should look into the GTO but they do guzzle gas just like my car soo that is why im getting a brand new Mini Cooper S in a few months
just think with a new Mini S
1. 1/4mile 14.7-14.9 stock
2. 29 city / 36 highway and thats conservative from what i heard
3. it will out handle almost anything
4. its a brand new BMW! ....but wont break the bank
just something to think about...and this is coming from a LS1 Trans Am owner lol
I have been looking into the same body style M3's when the Jeep gets paid off for a second vehicle (01-06 e46). M3forum.com has a lot of nice threads about common problems and some situations owners have been through.
A couple points I noticed that owners expressed:
-Parts are expensive, if you have a dealership do the work be prepared to pay. Especially for the scheduled Inspection 1 and Inspection 2 services.
-Definitely get one with the warrenty still in tack, they also have a maintenance warranty that will cover oil changes, brakes, etc.
-e46 M3's had an issue and recall for the vehicle produced between 11/01 and 01/02. The recall required replacement of the engine oil pump and as a precautionary measure, replacement of the connecting rod bearings.
Some positive points though:
-General maintenance doesn't seem as difficult as originally thought (oil change, tranny fluid change, etc.)
-Some owners are above 100k on the vehicle with little to no major problems.
-The prices are getting lower with the e92 M coming around the corner.
Have a good one,
Justin
If you're only getting it as a daily driver or maybe show-oriented car(which i think would be a waste of an M3, it was meant to be raced)... than I don't think you'd have many problems with it. There are a lot of ways around expensive BMW service, and a lot of aftermarket replacements for the common failures that are a lot cheaper.
However, and what turned me off to them, is that if you're more into racing, most M3 drivers are too afraid to even rev their motor over 3500 rpm, at least from what i saw on M3forum. There's very little, if any good firsthand information out there about performance stuff, and anything like a supercharger or turbo kit is redonkulously expensive. They do have a lot of aftermarket, but due to the costs of potential replacements, no one seems to know what the actual limits of the powertrain are, because they don't want to foot the bill to replace a motor, diff, transmission, whatever if it were to break.
Mini Cooper S as mentioned is a pretty bangin little ride, back when I first started racing the Beetle I raced one at ATCO and all he had done was a slightly smaller pulley, and he was doing 14.5's all day. Of course, the styling is love it or hate it, and pretty far from an M3.
Overall, if you have ANY doubt about being able to afford regular maintenance/repairs, than do the smart thing and buy something more in your price range.
Arrival Blue 04 LS Sport
Eco
Turbo
Megasquirt
'Nuff said
