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      08-23-2014, 06:05 PM   #1
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Test drove the M3. I am hooked :)

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Ok, so I have placed a deposit on a Macan Turbo in May. As I am unlucky to be in the UK, the Porsche allocation is a joke and I get quoted next May for delivery. Over these months I had one objective. DO NOT TEST DRIVE THE M3. Why? Well, because I already had an e92 330i (my first ever car) and it was amazing. Lovely in every way, but the interior rattles/creaks were killing me. And you see, every time I have heard one, I used to swear not to ever buy a BMW again. So, cross shopping the Porsche and M3 was not a big problem - just get the Porsche, forget the M3 and NEVER test drive the M3 because you may like it Well... as time went on, I got annoyed with the wait. Last week I called and booked my test drive for the M3.

So, today was the day. You know, I can probably bore you with all my impressions, etc. But at the end of the day I do not think you care - there have been so many reviews etc, so who cares what I think? But in short:

1) The car is LOUD. To lound when it starts up in my opinion. But then it calms down a little bit. Cruising in Comfort is not bad in terms of noise. The noise inside and outside may sound artificial, that is true. But I freaking love it I don't know why, but I do.

2) It is fast. Jail kind of fast. And yes, I am coming from a modded 330i, so its not a very representative opinion, but damn it is FAST Loved it.

3) The suspension is stiff. Seems much stiffer than my one with Eibach coilovers. Cornering is a joy though. The car feels so light.

4) I have a custom sound system in e92 and the HK sounds very average compared to it. Given the fact that my system looks completely stock, the HK is even more disappointing. However, given the price it is ok. A bit too much bass and the sound lacks detail. However, this particular car is fairly loud and really is not the best environment to listen to music, so I would not worry. But I would tick the HK option just to be on the "satisfactory" side just in case if I feel like listening to music.

5) The brakes are fantastic. Extremely sensitive as well.

6) The back seats are very spacious.

Ok. I have left the dealership and told them that I will come back if I will decide to go forward with the purchase. You know, leaving the dealership I have never realised just HOW HOOKED I WAS. I really was not sure whether I want it or not. But after 30-40 minutes I have realised that I am CRAVING the m3 more than a professional fighter craves ice cream after weight ins So, I have called Porsche, cancelled my deposit and will place an order with BMW on Tuesday.

A couple of questions for you guys. Regarding options primarily.

1) Is Internet and Online Entertainment worth it? Are there any functions in the new idrive which require that internet connection, or is it just purely for using the web?

2) Colour. I really REALLY want SO, but I am afraid that will make my car take a hit in terms of resale value. I know it is hard to tell, but I am worried. If not, I might go with MG.

3) How are people finding the quality of the interior? I have done my search and seen some complaints about rattles etc, but does it generally seems better than the f30, i.e. have BMW done their homework and made improvements in terms of sealants etc?

4) I have not found a lot of good quality real life pictures of full leather black interior. Most of the ones Ive seen have been photoshoped or are bad quality. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I have red interior in my e92, now I am debating about red vs black. I just think that full black will look very nice, dark and cosy.

Any help/advice welcome

Last edited by Der; 08-23-2014 at 06:16 PM..
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      08-23-2014, 06:46 PM   #2
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Yes the M3 is a car that makes you feel like that... I px my 4 month old M5 for one , lost shed loads of cash but to me it was worth every penny... The only thing I hate is being away from it a month at a time... But in 10 days time I will be home again and the first thing I will be doing after 15 hrs of flying.... Is going for a drive ... You will love it
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      08-23-2014, 06:57 PM   #3
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I have the SO/Black M4, and here are a few comments:

1. The interior is far superior to the F30. Now, I did order the full leather, but it really does feel upscale. Far superior to my previous E93 335i as well. If you want your interior to have a very premium feel to it, I would tick the full leather option.

2. I love the SO (and I was deciding between MG and SO as well). Not sure about the resale value hit, but in the end I decided not to take that particular factor into consideration. Another EDer was getting his MG M4 delivered at the same time as mine, and it made me quite glad I went to SO. Not that the MG is bad - it does look good and is quite stealth, but it doesn't bring out the lines of the M4/M3 as much in my opinion, and looks like a regular F3x. IMO the SO is the perfect balance between too loud (AY) and classy (MG). It got a lot of attention/turned heads, but looked classy even in the little understated Swiss towns.

3. I went with the black interior because it provides a good contrast to SO, and I prefer darker cabins. That, and it is easier to keep clean and maintain, unlike the lighter interior colors. Personally, the SO and SS interiors were a bit too bright for me. If they had a darker red or grey option, I may have gone with one of those. But I really do like the black full leather. The contrast stitching looks excellent as well.

I would get you some interior pictures, but my car is currently somewhere in Europe between Nice and Bremerhaven.
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      08-23-2014, 07:07 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fifth Echelon View Post
I have the SO/Black M4, and here are a few comments:

1. The interior is far superior to the F30. Now, I did order the full leather, but it really does feel upscale. Far superior to my previous E93 335i as well. If you want your interior to have a very premium feel to it, I would tick the full leather option.

2. I love the SO (and I was deciding between MG and SO as well). Not sure about the resale value hit, but in the end I decided not to take that particular factor into consideration. Another EDer was getting his MG M4 delivered at the same time as mine, and it made me quite glad I went to SO. Not that the MG is bad - it does look good and is quite stealth, but it doesn't bring out the lines of the M4/M3 as much in my opinion, and looks like a regular F3x. IMO the SO is the perfect balance between too loud (AY) and classy (MG). It got a lot of attention/turned heads, but looked classy even in the little understated Swiss towns.

3. I went with the black interior because it provides a good contrast to SO, and I prefer darker cabins. That, and it is easier to keep clean and maintain, unlike the lighter interior colors. Personally, the SO and SS interiors were a bit too bright for me. If they had a darker red or grey option, I may have gone with one of those. But I really do like the black full leather. The contrast stitching looks excellent as well.

I would get you some interior pictures, but my car is currently somewhere in Europe between Nice and Bremerhaven.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, very helpful. I was not doubting full leather at all - planned to go with it all along. What I was trying to say was that the full leather option will make the black interior look less "boring" than some would claim. Your point precisely supports my point of view Brilliant.

When I was comparing the interior of F30 and F80, I have other things in mind, i.e. the quality of it all together - how it is put together. Obviously the full leather is great, but I was more concerned with the overall feel, taking the leather quality/amount of leather out of the equation. I.e. rattles, squeaks, etc

And thanks for the pictures promise, I am sure it will be helpful!
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      08-23-2014, 07:19 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Axelf View Post
Yes the M3 is a car that makes you feel like that... I px my 4 month old M5 for one , lost shed loads of cash but to me it was worth every penny... The only thing I hate is being away from it a month at a time... But in 10 days time I will be home again and the first thing I will be doing after 15 hrs of flying.... Is going for a drive ... You will love it
Durham, NC?
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      08-23-2014, 07:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Der View Post
When I was comparing the interior of F30 and F80, I have other things in mind, i.e. the quality of it all together - how it is put together. Obviously the full leather is great, but I was more concerned with the overall feel, taking the leather quality/amount of leather out of the equation. I.e. rattles, squeaks, etc
Ah - in that case, I am not sure how they would compare. It is definitely an improvement on the E93 (which, being a convertible, was quite rattly and squeaky after a while). I have only driven F30s for brief periods as loaners.

That being said, this is a car with a very stiff chassis, so some rattles are to be expected. I did hear a few when driving over the rougher roads in Italy, or when blasting through hairpins and switchbacks on the Stelvio and Swiss mountain roads (banked roads and elevation changes), but never in regular city or highway driving. And in my experience, UK roads tend to be quite smooth (certainly smoother than American roads, and definitely Italian ones), so I think that unless you are incredibly sensitive, you will be fine. The engine noise piped into the cabin was definitely louder than any rattles or squeaks to me.
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      08-23-2014, 07:27 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fifth Echelon View Post
Ah - in that case, I am not sure how they would compare. It is definitely an improvement on the E93 (which, being a convertible, was quite rattly and squeaky after a while). I have only driven F30s for brief periods as loaners.

That being said, this is a car with a very stiff chassis, so some rattles are to be expected. I did hear a few when driving over the rougher roads in Italy, or when blasting through hairpins and switchbacks on the Stelvio and Swiss mountain roads (banked roads and elevation changes), but never in regular city or highway driving. And in my experience, UK roads tend to be quite smooth (certainly smoother than American roads, and definitely Italian ones), so I think that unless you are incredibly sensitive, you will be fine. The engine noise piped into the cabin was definitely louder than any rattles or squeaks to me.
Yes, actually you have a point with the last one...
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      08-23-2014, 10:03 PM   #8
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SO is beautiful. This color will not negatively affect resale. Get the color you like.
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      08-23-2014, 10:52 PM   #9
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I have SO on SS full leather. Full leather to me makes a big difference, it feels luxurious. I agree the M3/4 is fast, the in gear acceleration is fantastic. I've attached some pictures. SO is an interesting color because it changes depending on lighting and I love it for that reason.
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      08-24-2014, 12:16 AM   #10
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^ stunning
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      08-24-2014, 12:25 AM   #11
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I have SO and love it. I have only had the car for 3 days and cannot count how many people have commented what a great color it is. I really don't see that it will affect trade-in.

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      08-24-2014, 02:24 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by E92LNGCGY View Post
I have SO on SS full leather. Full leather to me makes a big difference, it feels luxurious. I agree the M3/4 is fast, the in gear acceleration is fantastic. I've attached some pictures. SO is an interesting color because it changes depending on lighting and I love it for that reason.
Hey E92, glad you are in Alberta, otherwise, when I get my car, we will look like twins because I got the SO/SS combo as well. lol. I wasn't sure at first but I love light interiors and I think this is an amazing complement to SO. Didn't want the usual BMW colors and AY / YMB will be most common for M3/4. So, SO it is. I used to have a 335i space gray and red interior. Kind of flipped it for my M4. hehe

Very happy to be "your twin from another scene". And Thanks again for your help tracking CN rails
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      08-24-2014, 02:24 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmcconn535 View Post
I have SO and love it. I have only had the car for 3 days and cannot count how many people have commented what a great color it is. I really don't see that it will affect trade-in.
Just wait until I get my M4 in and come down to Austin to steal your SO thunder.
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      08-24-2014, 03:11 AM   #14
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I hope to run into you guys when I get back from Korea next year.
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      08-24-2014, 04:52 AM   #15
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Ok, you have convinced me with all your beautiful pictures. Sakhir Orange it is. At the end of the day, buying an ///M3 especially in London, especially custom order is not a rational decision. What is the point of trying to rationalise it by choosing MG....? SO it is. Full black leather + carbon trim. Although I would still love the input on Internet/Online entertainment and some pictures of full black leather please
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      08-24-2014, 09:25 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunnyboy View Post
Hey E92, glad you are in Alberta, otherwise, when I get my car, we will look like twins because I got the SO/SS combo as well. lol. I wasn't sure at first but I love light interiors and I think this is an amazing complement to SO. Didn't want the usual BMW colors and AY / YMB will be most common for M3/4. So, SO it is. I used to have a 335i space gray and red interior. Kind of flipped it for my M4. hehe

Very happy to be "your twin from another scene". And Thanks again for your help tracking CN rails
That's awesome to hear from my understanding I was the only 1 so far in Canada to have that combo and I also believe our combo will be rare. I came from a Alpine White/Coral Red 335 E92. I think we have great taste
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      08-24-2014, 10:57 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fifth Echelon View Post
Just wait until I get my M4 in and come down to Austin to steal your SO thunder.

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      08-24-2014, 11:03 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Der View Post
Ok, you have convinced me with all your beautiful pictures. Sakhir Orange it is. At the end of the day, buying an ///M3 especially in London, especially custom order is not a rational decision. What is the point of trying to rationalise it by choosing MG....? SO it is. Full black leather + carbon trim. Although I would still love the input on Internet/Online entertainment and some pictures of full black leather please
Here is a picture of full black leather:

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      08-24-2014, 11:25 AM   #19
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Also, here is a comparison between the extended and full leather (extended on the left). Sorry for the quality as they were captured from BMW's web site. You can't really tell from the pictures how much better the full leather is. IMO it is well worth the money.

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      08-24-2014, 02:00 PM   #20
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Well, because I already had an e92 330i (my first ever car) and it was amazing. Lovely in every way, but the interior rattles/creaks were killing me.
This, so much this. The interior rattles/creaks may be the reason I will never ever buy another 3/4-series BMW, no matter what badge is on it. The fit and finish on these cars is simply not up to par. I've tracked down and eliminated close to a dozen rattles in my E92 M3, both of the F8X cars I've driven had a light creak and there, and there's a good half-dozen threads of people complaining about squeaks and creaks in their new cars as well.

I feel you on the complete fucking joke that is Porsche allocation. My dealer of choice got only 6 Macans (S or Turbo) total, and there are already 29 people on the waiting list. I'm hoping some of them flake and I can get a December delivery, but I'll probably be waiting until March.

Speaking of making a mistake of sitting in a car, I really shouldn't have sat in that Carrera GTS. I WANT IT! Only reason I didn't trade my car in on the spot is that I still feel the Carrera is a tad small to drive daily (I don't often have back seat passengers, but I appreciate the space for hauling stuff). My E92 still fits me like a glove, so it will stay the coupe in rotation for a few years longer. When I'm ready to spend Carrera GTS $$, I'll probably get an i8 or R8.

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      08-24-2014, 02:03 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmcconn535 View Post
Also, here is a comparison between the extended and full leather (extended on the left). Sorry for the quality as they were captured from BMW's web site. You can't really tell from the pictures how much better the full leather is. IMO it is well worth the money.

Attachment 1080763
Agreed on this as well. A number of posters have commented that with a black interior, it doesn't really matter. These posters are all completely wrong. The full leather dash option is, for me, the most significant upgrade of the new car over the old. If you don't get full leather, as far as I'm concerned, your new M3/M4 is a under-optioned piece of shit garbage and should die in a fire with you in it. Harsh? Yes. But that's how I feel! Gotta have leather everything! Everything? EVERYTHING!!!
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      08-24-2014, 02:35 PM   #22
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This, so much this. The interior rattles/creaks may be the reason I will never ever buy another 3/4-series BMW, no matter what badge is on it. The fit and finish on these cars is simply not up to par. I've tracked down and eliminated close to a dozen rattles in my E92 M3, both
I guess I have poor taste or am easy to please. I think the fit and finish on my M4 is way ABOVE par. Of course I thought the same thing about my 2006 M3 also. Just my opinion
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