[D.yi]

should i sell my 335i and get a LOW milage e46 m3? im thinking of reducing my payments... i can get a m3 with like 20-30k (uncle has a used car dealer license so he can go to auction) miles for low 20's. my car currently is worth nearly 30k.

just kinda tossing the idea around.

what do you guys think? will i be shunned for going backwards to a e46

they seem to be a tad bit more reliable.

[Noc57]

If you can get into a low mileage M3 and still manage to put $10K in your pocket I'd say you're nuts not to do it.

I'd jump on this in a heartbeat.

More reliable? ...Maybe but I will say that the //M maintenance will be costly.

[noro]

Reliable they maybe, but M engines over a long haul need more attention. I think E46 M3 is a fine car but for daily driving 335i is better.

[noro]

Originally Posted by Noc57

More reliable? ...Maybe but I will say that the //M maintenance will be costly.

Haha, we said the same thing in different ways

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by noro

Haha, we said the same thing in different ways

[PaulBailey@ltbmw]

If you're doing it to save/make some money then thats cool, do it.
But if you're doing it for performance then definitely not.
Modded 335 owns E46 M3

[D.yi]

yeah its not out of performance... i know what modded 335's can do.

[I335]

What about all the money you'll be losing on your 335? You'll be selling at the worst point from a depreciation perspective - i.e. tossing about $20k out the window. How will this be saving you money?

[D.yi]

the thing is i bought the car used so i am not loosing 20k. i also can get whole sale price cause i can directly purchase through the auction with no commission.

[Bulldog 6]

Originally Posted by I335

What about all the money you'll be losing on your 335? You'll be selling at the worst point from a depreciation perspective - i.e. tossing about $20k out the window. How will this be saving you money?

I agree just hold what you got.

[Craig@SupremePower]

i wouldn't do it but thats me...

[EuroTrip]

its really tough to drive an E46 after driving an E90. Even if it is an M3.

[cotmfk]

I would not do it, but it's your car, your life.

Having a connection to someone with a dealer's license would be dangerous for me. I would be in a new used car every month!

[DnA Diesel]

Performance is almost a wash, so if you're talking about payment reduction, don't forget to take into account maintenance and other factors such as parts as well. M's aren't cheap to look after, particularly engine and EDC suspension goodies. Have a friend with an '02 M3 coupe and I think he's silently coveting my car...he was never the, "gotta row through the gears listing to an engine revving to 7,000" kind of guy.

If you do it, I'd say it had to be for the love/desire of driving an M, not payment difference that, on the whole, may not be significantly different.

E46 M3 over a E90 335i anyday much more to a car then straightline performance, the e46 is much more fun to drive, I laugh at the 335i owns a e46 m3 guys.

[gary88]

Personally I'd stick with the 335i. I was between an E46 M3 and 335i back when I was shopping around. To me it seems the 335i does 90% of what the M3 does, but more comfortably and subtly.

[Lee Rambler]

I contemplated the same thing at the end of my 335 lease (e92 not e90)... I prefer the looks of the old e46 as well as interior ergonomics. But the powertrain isn't as nice (it has it's attributes for sure though), especially with tuning. It's also not as reliable/inexpensive to maintain. Also consider the subframe and RTAB issues. Weigh in the fact that you don't have any warranty and finance rates are much worse on a e46 (if that matters to you, it did to me as it makes a huge difference in payment). If you factor in a budget for repairs/maintenance you'll be about the same out of pocket. At least that's how it worked out for me, and utlimately the e92 was more enticing to me, so I bought mine out as a CPO. If you want to upgrade performance too, 335's aren't that expensive to do, and have great results. Good luck on a e46 M3 short of a ridiculously expensive turbo or supercharger setup. Most other things are very expensive with minimal to detrimental performace gains. E46 m3 are really really cool looking though, in my opinion the nicest looking BMW ever.

[Figure807]

The e46 is dead sexy but I would hold what I got .