Car & Driver Long-Term M3

[Stevens21234]

Duplicate topic.

[sunnyboy]

Well, I cannot say the M3, but I do have an 2015 M4. I daily drive my car and I am still loving it.

To answer your questions:
Cold start - not at all, as long as you have your valve closed. It is actually not as terrible as they make it. If your valves are open, yeah, its like an earthquake. However, with valve closed, I think it is more than bearable.

Sounds inside the car - My car does not make any noise, other than my seat rubbing against the center console. That was quickly rectified by some felt on the center console. The sounds you may be referring to is the CF trims. I have friends who had commented that their CF trims does squeak. However, I think that is because CF trims is relatively new. If you order your car with their usual wood trim, I hear nothing even going over bumps.

Suspension - I did not get the adoptive suspension so I only know about the passive suspension. According to intel, the passive suspension is very similar to the adoptive in SPORT mode. Thus, with adoptive, you will have 1 softer mode for COMFORT driving and 1 stiffer mode for SPORT+ driving. In the passive, I found the suspension much better than the sport suspension I got in my 2008 335i. It is less stiff and gives a better ride, but still corners and handles great!!

From my perspective, I think it is a great daily driver that gives plenty of power and can easily be as good on the track. It is comfortable and stylish. At this price range, people say you have other choices... C63, RS5, etc. However, I think the F8x M has the best of all worlds ... price, power, comfort, handling, style, legacy, daily driver, track car...

What more can you want ...

[nonagon]

Seems like they got a bad one. The more I drive mine (6MT) the more I appreciate it. It's a brilliant car.

[Rik84]

I just purchased a 6mt manual, 2015 M3 and its my daily. 1 month in, 2,000km, and 1 600km road trip. I have no complaints about the car. I have heard a weird sound 3 times while on the highway, almost like something was rubbing on the tire or something. Who knows, could be something, could be nothing. Closest sound is if you have a lip on a car that is very low and it rubs on the pavement at highway speed because you hit a bump.

That aside - the car is great. Previous was a 2014 grand Cherokee SRT and I don't miss it at all.

Pay no attention to the comments on articles... Chances are that most of the commenters are 14 years old and living in their parents basement.

[Fast4d]

depends where you live and drive.

bad hood/urban and bad road surfaces are not F80 friendly.

It is not a bad daily driver.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

The problem with the suspension is it's rather stiff, but without stellar damping. I don't mind paying the "stiff" penalty if it's for performance, but the adaptive doesn't quite deliver there.

The damping is good, but not great.


Go drive a performance car with the magnetic suspension and see how much better they could do on the M.

+1 on magnetic susp... bmw uses outdated tech on damping and it shows

[paliknight]

Great car for daily, but horrible road/cabin noise while driving fast on the highway.

[HamsF80]

I have received a 335i service loaner to drive when I drop my M3 off for its service. The F30 335i rides a lot differently than the M3. It lacks the precision of the M3 and is quite a bit softer ride.

The M3 is stiffer, but in a responsive and positive way. I think this is a matter of perspective but I do not feel it is overly harsh. I drive my car in "sport" mode on the adaptive suspension setting.

My car does have rattles; I do not deny. They don't particularly bother me however. Honestly, just about every car you will ever own has something you can knit-pick. Get over it - that's my thought.

Cold start - it is loud and raspy and rattle-sounding for catalyst light-off. Honestly it doesn't bother me. I start the car up and let it idle for a few minutes in the morning before starting my commute. It's done with that racket within about 45 seconds to 1 minute of idling in the garage. It is loud but not in a way that is necessarily bad. However - I will not cold start my car after 9pm as it would wake up my children in the house, and my wife would be pretty upset with me.

The one and only critical item I have about my car is the range. My car averages around 18.5mpg with 93 octane gas. I typically see a range of around 250-260 miles. Frankly, that drives me nuts. I cannot make it a full week of my daily commute on a single tank of fuel. Conversely, my wife's 2015 X5d is averaging 28.3mpg with a city range that is pushing just over 600miles. I wouldn't expect 600 mile range, but something more like 350 miles range on a tank of fuel would have been nice. The tank seems really small; I believe it's 14-15 gallons. I honestly wish the car had a slightly bigger tank.

Other than that, I love the car. I have 5 cars total to choose from for my daily commute. I drive the M3 almost every day. When I don't; I miss it so much I immediately want to drive it again. It posesses an allure I cannot replace in any of my other cars. It is not perfect, but it's strengths far outweigh any of its weaknesses. It is a true pleasure to drive. You can drive it like a grandpa and it is perfectly comfortable to do so. You can hoon around in it like a pissed off lunatic and it is perfectly comfortable to do so. It's truly a Dr. Jekyl / Mr. Hyde car.

Ignore the comments on that article. I can assure you that you'd love this car.


- Chris.

[HamsF80]

Originally Posted by paliknight

Great car for daily, but horrible road/cabin noise while driving fast on the highway.

You know I've noticed the cabin noise is high. Curious - I wonder how the interior noise levels compare between the CF roof and the metal roof cars with sunroof? For some reason I have it in my mind that the metal roof cars are quieter on the road.

Any thoughts on this?

- Chris.

[Blksnowflake]

If it had a softer suspension they'd complain about body roll, if it had more insulation it would be heavier and they'd complain it was a pig, if they only offered a DCT they'd complain that they would want the manual....
Well on a track or back country road there's no body roll, the suspension behaves accordingly, they saved weight and cut corners from the standard 3 series, so it's the lightest car from its competitors but it's a bit noisy because of it, and they offer a manual to give you a choice and you bitch about changing gears in traffic....unbelievable.

The C63s is much heavier doesn't offer a manual or a DCT and everyone says it's too heavy...haven't read one review say - yeah the car is heavy but it's great because it's so much quite.

Reviewers are fickle, biased, and usually say things just to raise traffic on their page.
I have no issues with highway noise and the suspension is a bit stiff but it is an awesome car in the apex, but I knew what I wanted, performance with luxury. If I wanted mushy and quiet I'd bought a Lexus.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by fernande-bmw

I have seen videos demonstrating how loud the car is when starting from cold. Is it really that obnoxious that would drive you to hate the car?

I live in FL so maybe truly cold weather makes a difference, but I really struggle with this complaint. I think it sounds fine when starting, including in a garage, and can't understand why the sound of starting it would impact what someone thinks of driving it. Easy enough to see for yourself at a dealership or at a local meet.

Originally Posted by fernande-bmw

I assume the suspension is stiffer given than it is more of a sports car. However, is the ride really that much harsher than the 3 Series?

I had an Audi S4 (not a 3 series) before my M4 and it is definitely firmer but far from bone-jarring, particularly in comfort. Again, I am in FL so I don't have the same horrible roads as those in other parts of the country. When I come across a really bad road, it can be rough in my M4, my previous S4 or any other car with sport-oriented suspension. As others stated if the suspension wasn't stiff there would be complaints about body roll and the effect of the stiff suspension depends on the road you are on.

Originally Posted by fernande-bmw

The article also mentions a lot of annoying noises with the car that they have taken it to the dealer several times to rectify, and still are not satisfied.

Personally I have been fortunate to not experience these noises. Perhaps because roads are better where I live. There is a fair amount of road noise (which varies by road surface) but not enough that it interferes with a phone call via Bluetooth.

Originally Posted by fernande-bmw

They make it sound like the M3 is an overpriced piece of junk. Even the comments at the bottom of the article seem to agree.

In August 2014 the same magazine selected the M4 over a 911 in a comparison test. Without implying I agree with that conclusion, my observation is these magazines are often inconsistent with their reviews and commentaries. Comments from internet trolls below the article are mostly from people that have never driven the car, much less owned one, and generally should be disregarded. Basing a judgment about a car from a magazine review or comments on a review is no substitute for driving it yourself.

Originally Posted by fernande-bmw

What are people experiences of the M3 as a daily driver compared to the 3 series?

The M3 will be louder and will have a stiffer ride because it delivers a different driving experience. That is normal and should be expected. (A 911 is louder and stiffer than a Lexus too.). Focusing on those attributes in isolation isn't a fair comparison - it is the total driving experience that needs to be weighed. If you are very sensitive to stiffness and noise and live in a place with bad roads, anything more performance-/sports-oriented may not be the best choice. I think you should take a long test drive and then get in your 3-series immediately after that to compare for yourself.

[G8rGrl]

Originally Posted by HamsF80

I have received a 335i service loaner to drive when I drop my M3 off for its service. The F30 335i rides a lot differently than the M3. It lacks the precision of the M3 and is quite a bit softer ride.

The M3 is stiffer, but in a responsive and positive way. I think this is a matter of perspective but I do not feel it is overly harsh. I drive my car in "sport" mode on the adaptive suspension setting.

My car does have rattles; I do not deny. They don't particularly bother me however. Honestly, just about every car you will ever own has something you can knit-pick. Get over it - that's my thought.

Cold start - it is loud and raspy and rattle-sounding for catalyst light-off. Honestly it doesn't bother me. I start the car up and let it idle for a few minutes in the morning before starting my commute. It's done with that racket within about 45 seconds to 1 minute of idling in the garage. It is loud but not in a way that is necessarily bad. However - I will not cold start my car after 9pm as it would wake up my children in the house, and my wife would be pretty upset with me.

The one and only critical item I have about my car is the range. My car averages around 18.5mpg with 93 octane gas. I typically see a range of around 250-260 miles. Frankly, that drives me nuts. I cannot make it a full week of my daily commute on a single tank of fuel. Conversely, my wife's 2015 X5d is averaging 28.3mpg with a city range that is pushing just over 600miles. I wouldn't expect 600 mile range, but something more like 350 miles range on a tank of fuel would have been nice. The tank seems really small; I believe it's 14-15 gallons. I honestly wish the car had a slightly bigger tank.

Other than that, I love the car. I have 5 cars total to choose from for my daily commute. I drive the M3 almost every day. When I don't; I miss it so much I immediately want to drive it again. It posesses an allure I cannot replace in any of my other cars. It is not perfect, but it's strengths far outweigh any of its weaknesses. It is a true pleasure to drive. You can drive it like a grandpa and it is perfectly comfortable to do so. You can hoon around in it like a pissed off lunatic and it is perfectly comfortable to do so. It's truly a Dr. Jekyl / Mr. Hyde car.

Ignore the comments on that article. I can assure you that you'd love this car.


- Chris.

5 choices? Cool. What are the other 4?

[Rotherd31]

I have common ground in two areas with this article. Firstly, I live/drive on Michigan roads. I will agree, a lot of them suck. Second, my previous DD was a 2014 C-7 with Z-51 suspension. Understand that my DD is stored during the winter months. I have my X1 for the winters.

My M4 with adaptive suspension rides better than my C7, especially on the comfort setting. Much less road/tire noise too than the C7. Yes, cold start up sounds a little different, but it only lasts for about 45 seconds. Big deal.

I have no rattles/creaks at all on mine. Bottom line....no regrets whatsoever!

If the CD crew thinks the ride is harsh, they should get in a Mini S with runflats. Had one for a year and it was HARSH. First car ever that I could actually call harsh. And that's coming from someone that has loved the ride of a performance suspension his whole life.

Like others have said, take articles with a grain of salt. The only true test is for you to take a test drive in one and see what YOUR impressions are. Then make YOUR decision based on YOUR personal thoughts, not what others might say.

[JoeKixxon]

Originally Posted by G8rGrl

5 choices? Cool. What are the other 4?

I gotta admit I want to know too...

[Damasconian]

I'm firmly in the camp of who gives a damn. With so many outlets out there, you are bound to have something like this happen. I'm more upset with the whiny tone of the article, but got a taste of that when reading their Stingray cry fest. Would hate to be the dealer having to appease those children.

Car & Driver is a mag I get (hard to say no to $10/year) and I do enjoy their content more than the others. They have the best writers (Ezra!) and the best layout IMO. Anyone complaining about the quality on that site should check out what's going on at Road&Track to see real regression.

Regarding the trollish comments below. Those are the same people that walk up to me at a Starbucks and chat me up about the car for 10 minutes. Anonymous comments are the beer goggles of toughness.

[captainaudio]

I find that my M4 with adaptive M suspension is a much more comfortable daily driver than my 2007 335i Convertible with sport suspension and RFTs was. No comparison in the way the two cars handle poor road surfaces, potholes, construction plates, etc.

[hotrod2448]

I do agree about 6th being a bit short on the manual cars. It would be nice if 80mph in 6th fell around 2300-2500 RPM instead of @3000RPM.

I'm guessing it's that high because of where the boost threshold is but, for just cruising down the highway with a decently high compression 3.0 I6 I don't really care if I'm in boost or not if it means the car is a bit quieter and getting a few more MPGs.

[dmk08]

Originally Posted by hotrod2448

I do agree about 6th being a bit short on the manual cars. It would be nice if 80mph in 6th fell around 2300-2500 RPM instead of @3000RPM.

I'm guessing it's that high because of where the boost threshold is but, for just cruising down the highway with a decently high compression 3.0 I6 I don't really care if I'm in boost or not if it means the car is a bit quieter and getting a few more MPGs.

Yeah they should have made it a 7spd. Luckily I dont cruise on the HWY much but it would definitely be nice.

[Bimmer6]

Personally, I think these mags are foolish with reporting why you get a high performing sports car it will make noise. My M4 in my opinion has less noise than my last M5 F10, and I just take noise apart of the car quirkyness. If they don't want noise test a cushy Camry or Lexus .......when you pull out weight and sound material you will hear noise.

As to the start up my GT3 rattled the walls on a cold start so did the M5. Hell is over in 20 seconds so not sure of the reference. I find none of the comments to be from my ownership perspective, but could happen. I would also not by carbon brakes for a DD just because they look cool just my two cents. Enjoy your cars boys.

[F82bro]

The overall tone of the Car and Driver long-term review sounds like it's coming from a nit-picking, comfort-oriented retiree who should be driving a Lexus, not a high performance car. Yes, this car has some "raw" elements to it. Some of us look at these things as representing the personality of the car while they look at them as irritants. Complaining about the noise level of the exhaust on cold start is an example. How long exactly does the terrible 'garbage disposal' sound last before it dissipates - 20 seconds? Is that so bad that you want to trade the car in? In terms of the suspension, they raise the question: is it the local roads or the car? Yet they ding the car. In their view a high performance car should have a cushy ride over crappy roads. I agree with some of the other posters here about BMW having old suspension technology. After having had a car with magnetic ride I have to say it is superior to the BMW set up. I also agree with C/D's comment about ASD. This is a ridiculous feature and is a fail in my view - BMW should be embarrassed to include this on an M3. After unplugging the separate ASD amp in the trunk (a simple fix) I am enjoying the car much more.

[sunnyboy]

Originally Posted by HamsF80

You know I've noticed the cabin noise is high. Curious - I wonder how the interior noise levels compare between the CF roof and the metal roof cars with sunroof? For some reason I have it in my mind that the metal roof cars are quieter on the road.

Any thoughts on this?

- Chris.

Hmmm ... interesting thought because I don't have a problem with sound on the hwy and I have a metal roof with moonroof.

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I find that my M4 with adaptive M suspension is a much more comfortable daily driver than my 2007 335i Convertible with sport suspension and RFTs was. No comparison in the way the two cars handle poor road surfaces, potholes, construction plates, etc.

I had a similar previous car as well and definitely second your thoughts. My M4 rides better and handles better than my 2008 335i with sport suspension+RFT.

[HamsF80]

Originally Posted by sunnyboy

Hmmm ... interesting thought because I don't have a problem with sound on the hwy and I have a metal roof with moonroof.

Very cool. Personally I like the CF roof but given how thin it is I have to wonder if it increases interior cabin noise or not. Who knows!

- Chris.