This will be my dilemma in about 6 months.

E46 M3s have come into the low $30s with about 40k miles.
Both have ridiculous performance that's so similar it's not even an issue for me.

I'm primarily interested in maintenance cost and depreciation over the next 3 years. I know the M3 will cost more to mod, but I'm guessing it will have a huge resale advantage in 3 years.

2006 Evo in 2009 ~ $20k ?
2003 M3 in 2009 ~ $25k ?

But the M3's maintenance is probably significantly more than the evo.... someone get a calculator.

 

Evo beats M3's on track's easy. M3's maintenance are indeed a pain in the ***.

 

Why would you spend the money on a used car with 40,000 miles when you could buy a new EVO 9 without any miles on it for the same or less price?

Matinence on both is expensive, but when it comes to modding the EVO comes out on top with HP per dollar spent.

Both are nice cars, but I wouldn't spend that mcuh money on a used car with that many miles if I can buy a new car for the same money and also have a warranty.

 

it all depends what you want the car for.
Evo interior (except for seats) are basically wackkkkk
E46 is definitely a luxury sports car.
See how long of warranty you have for the E46.
I would choose the E46 but then again 40,000 miles on a car is a lil too much for the price.

 

IMO, the E46 is the best looking STOCK coupe under $100K, HOWEVER, the only one worth buying is the V8 powered M3 GTR. i say get the 9.


as far as value goes, the EVO's are doing well since there are only 6K sent to the US per year. if i were to trade in my '03 right now, i could get $23,700 (wholesale). not bad considering it's almost 2 years old (in car years) & i paid $28k out the door!!

 

This will be my daily driver and *might* see a track day or two per year. One or two seconds per lap won't effect my decision much.

I agree the M3 interior beats the Evo, but I do love the simplicity of the 3-spoke momo steering wheel and the Alcantara seats should be great.

I need to drive an e46 m3, I have lot's of experience with the e36 but have only sat in/drooled in the e46. Also thinking the release of the new E90 M3 should drop the prices even more.

I wonder how much an aftermarket warranty would cost on the m3?

It's literally a dead even comparison for me now.
Pure performer, mods, maintenance, drivetrain (AWD): Evo
Styling, resale, engine sound, interior: M3

fun to drive: ??? not sure yet ???

 

M3

 

Ok, heres a simple proof for your answer:

Are you going to mod your car? 1) yes 2) no

IFF answer is 1: EVO

IFF answer is 2: M3

 

The best thing about both of these cars is that they don't NEED mods to be quick.

Having said that, yeah I probably will mod.
Nothing outrageous, maybe intake/exhaust/reflash on both.

I have a stage 2 wrx now, with upgraded everything.
I'm powerless to the mod bug once he starts biting

 

Honestly man, you'll spend more on exhaust and intake for the bmw than you would for ALOT of mods for the evo. And you'll have alot better performance from the evo with the same amount of money.

 

I totally agree from the cost side, but I'd guess both cars would be at about 300whp after the basic mods.

Also, a lot of the used M3s have the basic mods already done.

 

I'm actually in a similar position as you. There are other, more luxurious cars out there which are surprisingly comparable to the Evo (e.g. E46 M3, S60R) and are around the same price. I'm still on the IX's side for now, mostly because it's more suited to a young man such as myself. I also want to be able to afford to take care of my car, and that's something I might not be able to do with the BMW, as it is a more expensive car than the Evo. The Volvo, however, is supposedly very reliable and safe (this is important to me, because I am a *****). This problem has no simple solution. I can not go inside of your mind and tell you what to chose because I don't know what you value. You need to weigh the good and the bad and decide for yourself.
Evo Pros:

1. 4G63, cheap for modding.
2. New, still has "warranty."
3. Doesn't make you look old.
4. Very nice AWD system.
5. Has a bit of space, which is good for normal driving.
6. Cheaper

M3 Pros:

1. Slightly quicker than the Evo in its stock state.
2. Great for your image.
3. IT's a beautiful coupe.
4. Very luxurious (push button start, nice leather seats, beautiful interior, nice exhaust. I was actually very impressed the first time I saw one.)

Evo Cons:

1. Some problems with the car (P0300 code, clutch is "weak," synchros can be a problem; mostly depends on how you drive it, though).
2. Warranty issues, even with the slightest mods.
3. Not cheap to maintain (still cheaper than the M3, I think).
4. Build quality is not on par with the M3.

M3 Cons:

1. Supposedly it's expensive to maintain.
2. Not as easy to mod as the Evo.
3. Insurance may cost a bit more.

As you can see, the M3 is all around a nicer car. This basically depends on your age (not physical, but mental). If you're young at heart and want a rice burning, 0-60 in too fast, big old honking wing, Japanese import supercar beater, then you definitely want an Evo. If you want a luxurious car which you feel good being seen in, then you want the M3.

Hope this helps.

 

A 6-year-old E46 M3 with say 90,000 miles on it will not be worth nearly $25K in 2009. My 8 year old '95 E36 M3 in great condition with 90,000 miles on it was worth about $12K when I traded it in early 2003 (that's what it was worth in a private party sale, I got even less because I traded it). I'd rather have a NEW EVO IX than a used E46 M3 with 40K miles.

 

according to forbes, the evo has the highest resale value of any cars

 

screw m3's, i was driving in LA and this m3 in front of me just braked and i almost crashed into him from behind. he drives again and i see this little bump in the road. saddens me to see how people with car's with a lot of potential just drive them for show, they dont really do anything with them.