Hello everyone!
(I posted this in e46fanatics as well)

So I have finally paid off my BMW 330ci, but to be honest, I would like to sell it.

Now.. I love my car, but I want a different one soon.. a faster one.
I've narrowed my options down to two cars - The E46 M3 & Evo 8.

I plan on moving out with the next car that I get, so I want to spend my money wisely and get the right car.
It will be my daily driver/commuter.
I want a fast, practical, daily.
I don't want to worry about something breaking and having to spend a good chunk of money on repairs.
I'm looking for as low miles as possible, while staying within my budget.
I have the money for rent and a car.. I just want some opinions.

My price range for the car: 15-19k.

Evo 8 (5 spd) -
The Evo is really a sick car. AWD, turbo (boost<3), responds amazingly to bolt ons, 4 door, practical.. but I'd be losing the luxury if I went Evo. Although I love the Recaro's, it's no BMW interior. It's something I could live with and isn't really a big deal for me. If I decide on an Evo, I plan on getting it to 400hp within the year after purchase.. which would only cost me a few grand. A 400hp Evo as a daily? I'd absolutely love it. Like I mentioned earlier, I want a fast & practical daily.. I really think the Evo could do the job, it really is a great car, regardless of how much bashing people do on the interior. It doesn't bother me that much. It's pretty reliable, too. I love the fact that these cars are cheaper to upgrade, maintain, they respond very well to bolt ons, they're practical, and ready for the winter (not super important, but still). It'll be nicer to my wallet than an M3, I think.
An ETS exhaust and a few other bolt ons and I'm sitting at a solid number. Later down the road I could throw in a bigger turbo, injectors, up the boost, and throw in a couple more upgrades, something that wouldn't be done with an M3 (in my ownership).

E46 M3 (6 spd)
The M3 is without a doubt an absolutely great car, I love it and it will always be one of my favorite cars.
I won't be sacrificing anything going from a 330 to M3, besides my wallet..
The thing is, compared to the Evo, it'll be a lot more costly in maintenance, repairs, parts, insurance, and other financial aspects. I do love the more sophisticated look the M3 (or any BMW for that matter) has, it's definitely nicer car inside and out. If I do get an M3, I would keep the motor stock and just mod the exhaust, wheels, & suspension. I'd also love a CSL trunk and bumper w/ a one piece lip <3 Maybe a vert I could buy a hardtop for later?! Also gotta love the 50/50 weight distribution. The E46 M3 is an example of BMW's finest work.
I know I'd get plenty compliments on the car, I'd love the interior (as I already do in my 330), I'd love the wide and bulky fenders, and I'd love the fact that I'd actually be able to fit some wide wheels with beefy tires.. it'd look like a sexy beast..
At a solid 333hp, with a quality interior, the M3 is a strong option for me.It's a great overall car. I would love every bit of owning it.. The only thing that would hold me back is the maintenance cost. It scares me because I don't want all of my money to be going into repairs/fix-ups when I have rent to be paying. And, well.. it'll (unfortunately) be stuck at an n/a 333rwhp, though it's still a good amount of ponies for a daily.

I'd love some friendly feedback, comments, suggestions, questions, ideas..
I'll be saving up some cash for a bit, to have a solid down payment (if not pay cash).


Thanks!

 

Well what do you ultimately want to do with the car? It seems like you want to be just street fun , I would recommend M3, but if you want to autocross/track, I would go with evo hands down. The evo is so much easier to work on IMO, plus its roughly 300 lbs lighter and a 4 door so for when people **** their pants its easier for them to get out.

 

It's really hard to find a clean Evo, but in your budget you can find a mint VIII if you look. I think you will have to go older and / or higher mileage to find an M3 that is already more expensive to maintain to start with.

That said they're very different cars. I think you should drive a couple different examples of each as much as you can and figure out what you really want.

After driving an Evo, there's really not much else on the road that provides the same experience, so if you want that, I say get it.

If you end up liking the M3 better, maybe save a little more and get a really nice one.

 

I've had both cars, an 05 E46 M3 and 2 Evos... an 8 GSR and a 9 MR.

and I currently own a 335i... that I will likely be selling soon...

I will give you my 2 cents on my experience. It is not two cars that I would normally compare, but here it goes.

Granted this was in 2009 when I bought my first Evo and it was little easier to find one with low mileage and stock and not beaten to crap. It is still possible today but you are going to pay some money if that is what you are looking for.

The Evo hands down will be a better track car. Easier to find parts and less expensive to build up. But in terms of luxury compared to what you are used to then forget it. So do not expect a whole lot of luxury going to an EVO from a BMW.

The E46 M3 for some reason felt slow to me. It felt heavy but handled nicely even in stock form. I did not mod mine. I sold it after less than 2 years. Just didn't enjoy it much and sat in my garage the last 3 months.

Don't know if you work on your own 330 now but if you do not, then the M3 will set you back if something breaks on it. Parts are also more expensive and it is more expensive to build.

After having owned 2 STis, 2 Evos and 3 BMWs.... and after I sell my 335, I will likely go back to an EVO. Keep in mind none of these cars were ever my daily drivers. My Evo 8 was broke a couple of times but it was something the previous owner had neglected and I didn't pay much for the car... $16k. So my point is I didn't have to worry about driving it or something breaking as I always had a daily to get around.

So with this in mind, you can't really afford to have a broken down car for long.

I am not sure what your budget is but you can pick up a pre LCI 335 for almost the same price you are going to pay for a E46 M3. The 335 is boosted and also better bang for the buck... I think is nicer looking then the E46 M3 too but that is depends on the person.

If you have not done any research on the M3, then go to bimmerpost.com and start reading and comparing how much it will take you to maintain and build the BMW(if that is your goal) as opposed to the EVO.

I will probably not buy another BMW again... they are far too expensive to maintain, parts and mods are too much and I feel far more comfortable with an EVO... I guess because I had 2 of them. The Evo was also more fun to drive.

Well hope this helps. Good luck on your decision.

 

Id say keep your 330ci. They are good daily driver commuter cars. The ride on those are smoother than an M3 variant and even the evo. Since your moving out save your funds imo and not get any new car for now. Both of your choices are gonna be more expensive to maintain than your current car. That's the old guy in me talking.


If you must choose between the two Id rather pick the evo over an E46 for one main reason. Maintenance is still gonna be more expensive on the E46. Im also more partial to the E30 chassis, those are my favorite M3s.

 

by your words you already made your choice get that Evo 8. luxury I would gladly leave that and get the bareb-bones because as long as I got power windows,radio heat,a/c and h.I.D's it does me just fine. with the handling and potential of the Evo.

Maintenance has its perks you gotta pay to play. a BMW would cost helps more than and Evo to repair for just about anything.

 

M3's lack power, handling and it's not turbo , I too post on e46fanatics and have had M3's, M5 and e30's .

Evo's kill all day long like a walk in the park.

 

Luxury is overrated.

 

Your on a "evolution" forum. EVO ALL THE WAY! Ive never owned a luxury, but european cars expensive in general. I had a 87 Mercedes, and i gave on that car. this was when i was in high school. but to fix my 240, it was so much cheaper. and as stated above, luxury is overated. haha. Evolution for sure!

 

I just helped my friend install downpipes on his 335xi. After all that bull****, I will never own a BMW until I am 100% sure I do not want to mod it. Luxury is over rated. BMWs do ride nice but they are heavy and are a pain in the *** to work on.

Evo was alot easier to work on but the previous owner completely lied to me and sold me a "stock" car that had a built motor that ended up burning oil. That is the biggest turnoff to buying another Evo, they are usually beat on and a simple test drive will not reveal all the issues if it has any. I loved driving the Evo to the mountains to snowboard, even drove it from WY to FL and back. The only "luxury" it needs is cruise control, which can easily be added.

 

For most people a BMW makes the better daily driver. Do not get an M car though if you are concerned about maintenance costs.

Ergonomics of the Evo are any bit as good as the BMW. M3 is totally dialled in - no need to mod. Evo thrives on judicious mods.

Both M3 and Evo will make you want to drive hard all the time. The M3 is more satisfying going slow.

BMW is ultimately a sporty luxury car and the Evo is a tin box grenade.

My vote goes to a IX over an VIII as the MIVEC makes for better torque. ACD is a plus in the later cars as well as it allows tuning.

 

The 6 speed IX? Isn't that the tranny most people would like to stay away from?

 

The 6 speed is in the MR. GSR's have 5 speeds.

 

if you want the faster car than go evo and if you want luxury with sportiness go m3. I have owned 2 e30 m3's and a 4dr e36 m3 , they were all great drivers cars and pretty fast in there own right. But they are not modded evo fast. I also think that a BMW 335 is a nice option, you would get a nice luxury car thats boosted. I picked up 335 xi a couple years ago for my wife , modded it behind her back and she don't even know. I put in a cobb ap / intake/ and fmic and gained about 80-90 whp/ wtrq. Good luck with your decision you can't go wrong either way.

 

I daily my IX around 400 miles a week and I hate it as a daily...no cruise control and stiff suspension sucks. I'd get the M3, I'm sure its just 10x more comfortable and practical as a daily. I feel so relaxed when I get to drive the parent's lexus GS after being in the evo for a long day. But if it were a weekend car....evo hands down.