A lot of people here like myself are getting a Z, but i must admit that I have had serious trouble deciding between getting a new Z or a used 99 BMW M3 coupe. A CPO 99 M3 with very low miles is available for ~31k and is a really awesome car that has been proven.

Please let me know what you guys think

 

I dig the E36 M3 and love the E46 even more, but three things come to mind.

1. Outdated styling by three years.
2. Not completely problem-free.
3. You would have to deal with a BMW dealer (aka HUGE ******) if you needed service, otherwise finding a reputable third party might be a hassle depending upon location.

 

Not sure its exactly scientific, but I also think BMW dealers/service suck. Great cars but they tend to spend a lot of time at the dealers. At least in my limited experience.

If you want to talk about used you can look at a used NSX or 911. But Used has its own problems that's why you are talking about CPO, but you will pay more for this benifit.

 

I owned a 99 M3 coupe for a year and a half. Here are the pros and cons of that car from my viewpoint:

Pros:
Fantastic handling
Quick
Excellent shift feel
Precise steering
Solid feel to the body, doors, etc
Good styling for a coupe
Good race heritage (they beat the 911’s on the track during their peak)

Cons:
Styling not bold enough for a sports car.
Exhaust note not aggressive enough for a sports car.
Steering weighted a little on the heavy side for my taste.
Parts cost (my dealer charged me $22 for a tube of touch up paint).

 

Don't forget, the BMW aftermarket is E X P E N S I V E. And, think about warranty... IME, BMWs start breaking down as soon as the car is out of warranty, and a 99 probably would be.

In other words, the M3 might be the same price to buy, but it's probably going to be a lot more expensive to own.

 

Buy a BMW or Benz or Porsche here in Japan... figure at least 30-50% over selling prices in the USA... plus the maintenance (big yen for parts which seemingly are recommended more often than Japanese made cars) and you have for yourself one big buck-yen car to maintain.

Thought about buying a BMW or even a Porsche a few times .. and then got slapped back by the reality of ... the BIG after costs.

 

Why would you buy the M3? The Z is the same price and same weight and you get:

- 47 more hp
- 60 more ft-lbs of torque
- 0 miles on the clock, you know the car hasn't been beat up
- PERFECT inside and out, I'm sure a 3 yr old car will have some wear, rock chips, etc
- Sports car styling. Face it, the average person won't be able to tell a m3 from a 323i
- Warranty. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to maintain a German sports car out of pocket, especially when I'm already 31k in the hole

I thought the whole point of buying used was to get more stuff for less money, not less stuff for the same price.

How about $31k for a 2003 350z vs $20k for a '95 RX-7 TT, now that one's a little more difficult....

 

I think the whole post started with the certified pre owned (CPO) part. This gives you a warranty like a new car, but I bet there are all kinds of exclusions or deductibles to meet. read the fine print.

If I were going to spend $35K on a used car it would be a collectible like a ferrari. a 328 GTS can be had in the $30K's and they only made like 2800 total worldwide.

But the 350Z will be faster, better handeling, better brakes and have a warranty, safer, better daily driver. Also I would be scared to drop the clutch on the ferrari because I don't want to find out how much a clutch or tranny costs on a mid 80's ferrari.

 

BM-Trouble-You???

I have a Beamer right now. You know why you don't want the '99 M3?

1) If its used, the first owner has beat it to death. Trust me on this one.
2) Maintenance will eat your bank account alive. It is THOUSANDS of dollars a year even if nothing goes wrong. Those trips to Chevrolet to have the watchamacallit fixed at $130 cost you $1300 at BMW.
3) Its a 4-seater, so inherently its a different car.
4) USED! 'Nuff said!

 

I would've gotten an E36 if this was 1998 or so, and the E46 hadn't come out. Although, another thing it had on its side was practicality. The 350Z is pretty manageable, but I could do grocery shopping (theoretically) in an E36. Plus I didn't think it was logical to pay ~$24K for a car from 1998 when I could get a new, faster car for $27K.

 

why dont you buy a modded RSX-s that can do the 1/4 mile in 13.4 secs and has one of those cool kaminari aero kits..

..oh, wait. Theres this things called image. This is why we choose the things we do. None of us here wants a perfectly competent product that targets a complete different demographic.

The Z and the M3 are for two different types of people. When you choose one over the other, you have chosen diametricly opposite lives. Until you change cars again, you have purchased a rolling slogan of who you are.

If you say, "ha! I dont care what other people think." The reason people prefer things that offer very little more, for a premium, is because its got the better image. (e.g. leather vs. cloth, gold vs. silver, M3 vs. 350 )

 

That is the thing, if you look for a 911 in the $30K range it's going to be slower (1993 vintage). NSX 1992-3, ferrari 1986, M3 what have you. Those cars may have been extra fast in their time, but today a $27K car can be as fast.

I really was considering looking at a NSX 1996 or so, but I've found it is not much quicker than the Z. Also I drove an early version and had headroom issues, I'm not sure is this has changed any.

OK you can get a Supra tt or RX-7 that may be a little faster, as may a NSX, but it's a 5-10 year old car.

I am amazed that the Z is going to be as fast as it is, a few mods to put it at 315 hp should put it on par with the 290hp NSX in acceleration, maybe not top speed though.

 

Aint technology wonderful!

The future is NOW!

 

I have to say that one reason I like the Z is because of the way it looks. Sure, people have said it takes from the Boxster and the TT, but the car is still a very new and unique appearing automobile. There's a reason that sports cars are good looking, and it has nothing to do with aerodynamics. It has everything to do with image. A car says a lot about your personality, especially somewhere like LA. A used M3, assuming it was in decent condition, is a pretty awesome car. However, it doesn't look any different than a 323 to the average guy.

My roommate is trying to make the same argument to me, that I should spend my $35,000 (with tax) money on a used car and that I could get a pretty nice one for that money. It's true, but there's something about having something new.

 

why Not a M3? well lets see its almost three years old, not really faster than a z, its been USED, its expensive to fix, the handling is really good on the M3 but are you really sure its THAT much better than the Z (as far as i know none of us here have driven the z yet), to the average person it looks just like a 330 and have you seen all the 3-series driven around, oh yeah the Z is new and has a unique look unlike the M3, oh yeah and a 99 M3 has probably been USED. is anyone else tired of all the M3/ s2k threads that are being started?

 

Plus, you can't float a loan from any bank or credit union to buy a car more than 3 or 4 years old. Really got in the way of my getting an RX-7, Supra, or NSX.