Moving to M3

So I have an 01 330cic now, looking at an 08 M3. It's a beautiful vehicle, but I wonder about daily driving and long drives. I mostly work at home, but can expect trips of up to 500 miles at a time. Test driving doesn't tell me much...seems harsher but way more fun. All of you M guys out there...can you live with a long trip in an M?

Thx

most i drove my 05 m3 was about 3hours which wasn't bad at all. i have all the comforts though. I don't think I would have the slightest problem driving any distance with it. Very smooth ride just gas mileage isn't the greatest.

Have you considered a 550 or an M5? They'll both be more comfortable for long drives than any 3-series.

I have no experience with the 5 series. I also realized that this is probably more suited to newer E90 forum since it's an 08 that I'm considering. Since you brought it up tho - enlighten me about the 5s. I've only ever owned the 330 and have no real world knowledge of the M series or the 5s.

We took our E46 M on a long journey a couple of months ago, Atlanta to Connecticut, then across to Pittsburgh then back to ATL. It was pretty comfortable and the gas mileage was about 21.5-22 mpg, not too bad.

I drove mine from calgary to vancouver, 12 hours or so....didnt have any issues other then a speeding ticket.

Originally Posted by saholm

I have no experience with the 5 series. I also realized that this is probably more suited to newer E90 forum since it's an 08 that I'm considering. Since you brought it up tho - enlighten me about the 5s. I've only ever owned the 330 and have no real world knowledge of the M series or the 5s.

Well it depends on where your priorities are. The 5-series is much superior to the 3-series (any 3-series) for cruising. I don't have experience with the high-end 5ers like the 550i M-Sport or the M5 itself, but I do have experience with my father's E60 535. With my 330i the drives do start getting to me a once I cross that 4 hour point. With the 5-series I've driven (and other high-end BMWs like the 7-series and X5) I still feel fresh after driving that entire distance. The 5ers definitely offer a much more relaxing drive (but can still be quite exciting if you open up the throttle a bit).

The advantage to the 3er is that they are more of driver's cars. They're simply more exciting to drive, with things like their road feedback and better tossability. But I suppose these same qualities become tiring on longer trips. Now I don't have experience with the E9x M3, but I've driven the E36 M3 and E46 M3. They're not terrible, but I'd definitely prefer the 5-series when making a lot of long trips. (And that's not to say the 5-series is a dull drive either; it's probably the best handling mid-size sedan you can get.)

If you want to have something comfortable for long trips, while also having a car that's great for canyon carving, maybe you should consider getting two cars? Perhaps an E60 550i as your daily driver, and then an E85 or E86 Z4M for weekends... I'd imagine the overall cost for getting both cars would be similar to buying a new M3.

A good friend of mine recently got himself an E60 550i M-sport with a 6MT; if I get a chance to drive that, I will definitely let you know how it is. I should also have my M3 (E46 for me) by then, so the excess power of the 550 shouldn't skew my perception.

Thanks for the feedback fellas...esp. Terra. I'm going to look at some 5 series here in the next week. Local deal has a pretty M5, but 98k is a bit to think about. Not being a young man anymore, I'm not so interested in tossing the car around anymore...more comfort with the ability if I want it.

Maybe I should keep my 3 and just grab a 5.

Originally Posted by saholm

Thanks for the feedback fellas...esp. Terra. I'm going to look at some 5 series here in the next week. Local deal has a pretty M5, but 98k is a bit to think about. Not being a young man anymore, I'm not so interested in tossing the car around anymore...more comfort with the ability if I want it.

Maybe I should keep my 3 and just grab a 5.

The five series cars are much larger than thre series cars, I own both.
I would not buy an M5 with 98K miles on it period.
The M3 is fine for me on long trips 280 miles each way once monthly.
The five series probably will be more comfortable for heavier & taller drivers.
Hope this helps.

"harsh" is relative. The E46 M3 can be pretty harsh, the E90/92 not so much. Doesn't sound like you would benefit much from an M car anyway if you just wanna go on trips.