M3 Sedan Owners

[jpparker30]

I have three small children and currently drive the F10 550i. I am thinking about trading in on the new F80 M3 when it becomes available. My question is how is the seating in the M3? Will it comfortably seat my wife and three children in the back or would I be better off staying with a mid-sized sedan.

[Red Bread]

Is your wife Kristin Chenowith, or sized like her? The middle seat in any 3er is only good for torturing in laws or marketing people.

[nick3753]

Originally Posted by jpparker30

I have three small children and currently drive the F10 550i. I am thinking about trading in on the new F80 M3 when it becomes available. My question is how is the seating in the M3? Will it comfortably seat my wife and three children in the back or would I be better off staying with a mid-sized sedan.

Just go sit in a f30. The dimensions of the f80 should be about the same if not identical.

[JeremyR]

E90 M3 certainly would not fit that many in the backseat without some human origami. I have a 55lb bulldog, and she takes up at least half of the rear bench on her own...

[Calmwinds]

If you're buying an M3, get the coupe. I don't get why BMW is releasing the sedan before the coupe. If you really want a sedan, get the 335i.

[SD Z4MR]

Originally Posted by jpparker30

I have three small children and currently drive the F10 550i. I am thinking about trading in on the new F80 M3 when it becomes available. My question is how is the seating in the M3? Will it comfortably seat my wife and three children in the back or would I be better off staying with a mid-sized sedan.

Why would your wife sit in the back with three kids? Why wouldn't she just sit in the passenger seat?

Seriously, just go and test an F30 with the whole family in tow. The F80 M3 will have identical back seat room. The bigger question is, how long are you going to keep it and how big are your kids going to get in that time? Are they small enough now to need child/booster seats? You might be able to fit one kid in a child/booster seat, but if you have two kids in child/booster seats the oldest one won't want to sit in the middle between the other two kids because there probably won't be enough room.

If you really want an M and room for five, get the M5!

[thevex67]

I have had the whole family in the car. My kids are 17,15,12 (5'9), (5'10), (5'1)

they all fit, but I doubt they would enjoy a long distance drive together.

I would go test drive a new 3 series sedan and put em all in --see what you think

[hwelvaar]

Originally Posted by Calmwinds

If you're buying an M3, get the coupe. If you really want a sedan, get the 335i.

Why's that ? If you need 4 seats with 4 doors, you are too old to drive an M3 or what ?
And some people just like the beefier look of a sedan (with the added advantage of more usability.)
And it doesn't perform any less at all than the coupe. The 0.1 sec in acceleration, according to BMW, is just a number on paper. And experienced people will tell you that the sedan has even better balance than the coupe.


Besides, RS4 and C63 AMG are *only* available in 4 doors. Can't be bad.

edit: new C63 AMG also available as coupe

[dhoggm3]

I have the E60 M5 and am weighing the new M5 and M3 options with 2 teenaged sons. We test drove a new 335i sedan (impressive car BTW) and were stunned that the rear seat room of the new 3 is actually better than in my M5! Allelujah. I'm looking forward to getting back into an M3.

[Foodle]

Assuming that the F80 M3 has the same dimensions as the F30, you'll have about an inch less rear legroom and rear shoulder width in the F80 than in your F10 5-series. Plus a smaller trunk.

Personally, I don't think putting 3 kids in the back (especially if they need carseats or boosters) would be that comfortable.

[mweisdorfer]

Probably should stick with a 5 series. New 3 series is bigger in the rear seating area but for three kids I would question that line of thought. Two kids yes, middle would not be good for any real lengthy rides to grandmas house or weekend vacations etc.

[bobbyd1961]

Originally Posted by jpparker30

I have three small children and currently drive the F10 550i. I am thinking about trading in on the new F80 M3 when it becomes available. My question is how is the seating in the M3? Will it comfortably seat my wife and three children in the back or would I be better off staying with a mid-sized sedan.

car seats 5 and seats are great. and it seats 5 adults.

[jpparker30]

I like my F10 550i ok but in my opinion, most 5 seaters are boring, including the 550i. I am thinking the F80 M3 sedan might spice things up a bit for me. I think I could pull that off since my three kids are young and rarely ride with me. I have also considered the 650 gran coupe but that 5th seat looks like a joke. I have also considered the new M5 but I'm not sure I want to pay $100k for a vehicle that is going to look very similar to the one I already have (i have 550 M sport). In that price range I would prefer the new 991 911 which is alreay on my buy list in the next few years. The bottom line is I am kinda bored with my 550i. I can drive it for the next year or so but am looking for something better. My only constraint is I need a vehicle that will sit 5 for those rare occasions when I need to transport my entire family which makes my descision tough. Are there any "cool" 5 seater vehicles (non-SUV) for around 70K or less in the market or planned to hit the market in the next year or so?

[vwong]

Originally Posted by Calmwinds

If you're buying an M3, get the coupe. I don't get why BMW is releasing the sedan before the coupe. If you really want a sedan, get the 335i.

By your logic, the M5 shouldn't exist at all?!

What's wrong with a performance sedan?

[Poor Knight]

Originally Posted by jpparker30

I have three small children and currently drive the F10 550i. I am thinking about trading in on the new F80 M3 when it becomes available. My question is how is the seating in the M3? Will it comfortably seat my wife and three children in the back or would I be better off staying with a mid-sized sedan.

I had a E90 M3 sedan, 2 teenage kids and we would barely fit - forget the chairs and sports equipment. So I bought an X5 for my wife and that's what we used as a kid hauler. I kept the M3 as my daily commuter. Now my daughter has a VW Tiguan, my son a Ford F 150, and I have a F30 335i sport line arriving this month which my wife will take over when the X5 lease ends and I will get a F80 M3.

So to make a long answer short - need an X5 or something that size as a kid carrier, especially if they do sports. For a second family car, as emergency backup, an M3 works but barely and only in sedan mode (and I have only 2 kids). Once the kids can drive, then chauffeur duty is over and you can get whatever you want - Ferrari anyone?

[Alpine F31]

Originally Posted by hwelvaar

Why's that ? If you need 4 seats with 4 doors, you are too old to drive an M3 or what ?
And some people just like the beefier look of a sedan (with the added advantage of more usability.)
And it doesn't perform any less at all than the coupe. The 0.1 sec in acceleration, according to BMW, is just a number on paper. And experienced people will tell you that the sedan has even better balance than the coupe.


Besides, RS4 and C63 AMG are *only* available in 4 doors. Can't be bad.

edit: new C63 AMG also available as coupe

Totally agree! I like the M3 coupe the best but if I were to actually BUY one right now I'd get the 4 door simply because I can put my whole family in it. Not to mention that I've seen many, many bad ass M3 sedans....I'd have NO problem rollin' one myself. If you can afford an M3 but need to carry more than one other person, the M3 sedan is a dream come true!

[hwelvaar]

Originally Posted by Poor Knight

So to make a long answer short - need an X5 or something that size as a kid carrier

I guess that depends on their age as well. Seems like you're talking about teenagers. If you have 2 kids aged minus 14, the M3 sedan is all you need.

[MojorisinM3]

Originally Posted by Calmwinds

If you're buying an M3, get the coupe. I don't get why BMW is releasing the sedan before the coupe. If you really want a sedan, get the 335i.

OMG, you are so smart!

Call BMW, Cadillac, MB, Audi, Chrysler executives and let them know there is no longer a need to build M5's, M3 sedans, SRT's, AMG, or anything else in a 4 door that is high performance. The 335i is the single car that fits EVERYBODY's needs.

Maybe they will hire you to run all their marketing.

[MojorisinM3]

Originally Posted by dhoggm3

I have the E60 M5 and am weighing the new M5 and M3 options with 2 teenaged sons. We test drove a new 335i sedan (impressive car BTW) and were stunned that the rear seat room of the new 3 is actually better than in my M5! Allelujah. I'm looking forward to getting back into an M3.

Interesting - I was looking to move from an 08 M3 to an 08 M5 for more "room". Based on what you stated, maybe I'll stick wtih the M3 then or wait for the new M5.

[snowmants]

the 4 door e90 m3 is really only comfortable with 4 people. 3 in the back gets tight.

[kueks29]

Originally Posted by snowmants

the 4 door e90 m3 is really only comfortable with 4 people. 3 in the back gets tight.

It depends on the size of the passengers!
I'm 1.90m tall and when I can sit forward, just behind me, a child sitting with feet twisted ...

[MariettaGa]

I have a 2011 e90 M3. The backseat works fine for my two kids, but it clearly won't fit a third person in the middle. If you have car seats, even narrow ones, (which I suspect would be the case with young children), you won't be able to fit one in the middle. So my take is that an M3 won't work for you if you plan on driving all 3 kids around.