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Originally Posted by tke743

There are difference that make them appeal to different audiences.
M2 appeals to a slightly younger audience (All the comments I get are from 20 somethings). No kids, not over 5'10", Not-truly a daily driver, and/or if price difference is a hit to your standard of living, then get the M2.

M3 appeals to BMW guys (Most comments come from 30+ year olds.) Have kids, over 5'10", truly a daily driver, and/or price difference makes no real difference to your standard of living then go for the M3 (I have no experience in the M4)



There is no good info coming from the M2 boards as they are all set on their purchase and very few have experience in the M2 and it's older 1/2 siblings. I've got over 8K miles in a non-ZCP M3 and over 2500 miles in an M2. I'm looking forward to my return to the M3 (Now ZCP) in a week and a half. Yes, the difference is in the engine and the body/interior.



There is definitely a reason it costs more. The question is if it is worth $20k more to you. That $20k is what you are really looking at feature for feature. The suspension is the same (ish, adaptive vs. passive), the steering is the same. I've driven about 100 miles in a ZCP and they fixed the dead spot on center issue and the steering feels just like the M2. In the older M3's it was not as well sorted. The steering is actually quite good. The ZCP is better planted then the early M3's that were tail happy and tricky to drive. The software update for the early M3's got them to 90% of the ZCP, but 90% is not 100%.

In a straight line there is no comparison. The M3 will walk away from the M2. The M3's engine is special, the M2's is "only" great. My take is that the M3 justifies $10k of the difference here.

The M2 is easier to drive and drive fast. Part of this is that the car is MUCH shorter. It is more of a sports car, than the M3's sport sedan. The M3 ZCP is faster. The M2 at 10/10ths is easy and accessible, even to a novice. Not so in the M3. A ZCP M3 at 9/10 is faster than the M2 at 10/10. Going past 9/10 in the M3 you know there is an angry beast waiting for you if you cross the line. With the M2 there isn't.

The interior of the M2 is nothing special, the M3's interior is. I find the M2's seats crippling after a long drive. I found the M3's seats to be very comfortable. I would easily say the M3's interior is $10k better than the M2's.

Convenience of 4 doors. If this is important to you (kids) then there isn't a comparable car on the market to the M3. I also think it's the best looking of the M2/M3/M4 family.

Note: Part of why people associate fun with the M2 is that a majority of them are sticks. The stick adds a character to the M cars that can't be replaced by any level of jiggery pokery from a DCT. Even if it's slower. My F87 is stick and so is my upcoming M3.

Great review. Thanks!