no, there IS shame in that! Dont value what a female thinks when she doesnt know the difference or a Honda and a Z!

Also, I dont own a M3, and for the money you can still beat the crap out of an m3 dollar for dollar, not power per liter. Also I can attest that BMW upkeep is truly more expensive. I own a 2001 BWM 330ci and a 2006 350Z.
Over time the money I can spend on the Z for upgrades works out better than cost of ownership on the BMW. The BMW 330ci being 5 years old now, is truly a nice car, safe, solid, dependable. Closer to "Cadillac or Mercedes" elegance. Im sure the M3 is fantastic. But I still consider the M3 in a higher league even though the Z may be right behind it, or sometimes in front. If you got 30-50 you can have a nice Z, it you go 45-65 you can have a nice M. If you got the dollar, stick with the M or get a newer one. The virtually null cost of maintenance Im sure is factored into its sale price.

 

biches aint sh*t but hoes and tricks...

 

+1

but i have to say i did like how the M5 drove the best(simply amazing),
M3 however did not quite feel like a sports car, felt like a over powered seden, sitting high. M3,5,Z not sure they are in the same catagory really, but all cool cars, never the less..

 

they suck on our nuts and lick our dicks

 

wrong words chachi!!!!!!!!!!

 

reverse that.... lol what was i thinking?

 

i was exaggerating, just a pain in the *** for that car.

 

Wow.....I'm not sure where to begin with the misinformation some of the members here are spewing.

The 350z is a great car - but its not near an M3.

That "crappy inline 6" turns 8200 rpm's stock. The shifter needs to be shortened, but otherwise the shifts are smooth and direct. The headlights are better, and with a couple hundred spent on a lip and skirts the M3 easily looks better than a 350z (my opinion of course).

As far as maintenance - I'll be biased to the BMW. I had a 1996 328i that I put a lot into ($$ wise). But I also DIY'd a lot. The alternator is at the top of the engine, the water pump requires 10 minutes of work to get to, another 5 to get out of the car. There thermostat is right there. All the necessary maintenance parts are easily accessible. I've yet to figure out how to even get to the alternator on the Z. The brakes are the same, maintenance wise. The clutch - same **** different box. The parts on the BMW are definitely better - more expensive no doubt, but my E36 almost never had parts failing, just bearings and wear items. I had 150k on it FWIW.

I want an M3, but can't afford one with <40k on it in decent condition so I'm going with an 07 Z. Dealerships almost drove me to buy my friends M3 (which I can't afford) just because its a gem and underpriced. There is not a single area the Z wins in a comparison.

The M3 barely weighs more, has a backseat, has more power (and torque). Has a higher redline, more aggressive gearing, gets the same mileage (approx) has better headlights, a MUCH nicer interior. It outruns the Z on a road course or a drag strip, and .... the downside. It costs 20 grand more new.

I wouldn't downgrade. Find a good independant shop. Change the shocks and slightly drop it in another 10-20k, get new RSM's and control arms. Change the entire cooling system around 80k. The car is pretty solid otherwise and if you plan ahead (find a shop that lets you bring in parts or DIY) and get parts online in group buys etc. you can REALLY save some money.

I hate FI - nitrous is one thing, but FI to compare to an NA car is stupid. I could buy the HPfreaks turbo kit and slap it on an M3 and rape almost anything on wheels - but that wouldn't be a fair comparison either.

 

You're comparing an older BMW which almost everyone would agree to be reliable and a good overall car, to the newer ones. This is akin to comparing Mercedes of yesteryear, which never broke down, to the ones today that always break down. I was soooo close to getting an M3, and really wanted one, but after having 2 people at work with new BMW's spending so much time with their cars in the shop, I figured I didn't want to have to deal with the new BMW's and all their little "quirks".


The Z doesn't win in comparison, but is very close. Add to the fact that I have never had a problem in 2 years, and 350z FTW!!! Oh ya, my one friend had to bring his new M3 in 6 times, during my none, and the other sold his after the 4th time, and said he'd never get another BMW.

 

To every example you have for people bringing in an M3 I have a 335i (newest) or E46 M3 that serves its owners trouble free. I have 5 friends with them here, all with 40k+ on them and haven't had issues in the last 2 years.

My car wasn't meant as a perfect comparison, but I've been around BMW's for a solid 3 years (good friends with a BMW mechanic) and even the design of them is thought out with longevity in mind.

Think about changing the oil on your Z - you have to take the whole underbody cover down, on an E46 there is a little "flap" that you open and you can get the drain bolt through it. The placement of wear items is thought out, the placement of everything is more....deliberate. The controls are all EXACTLY where your arm hits, and the engines have really really good management systems (combined with some of the best ABS and stability control systems in the industry).

What M3's go in the shop for is stupid - like failing window regulators, a bad crank position sensor, or a bad coil pack.

I could argue that 350z's are garbage because of the oil consumption (piston ring blow by) of 2006 models. I bet I could find correlation between break in procedure and oil consumption though, everyone I know personally who has an 06 broke it in properly and didn't have issues. My dealer has replaced engines only on non-enthusiast (people) owners (all female too, but irrelevant) who probably didn't know that anything special was needed for break in. I'm guessing the piston rings just never got seated right and thats part of the issue (also a main reason why I bought an 07...now the waiting game).

I think both are great cars - me ending up with a Z is evidence of that. The extra 4 grand for a used M3 wasn't worth it simply because the difference to me isn't that great.

 

Sounds a little worse then stupid. Its going to cause the car to need a tow.

 

But thats where it depends. I've seen 2 CPS failures in my friends cars (about 50 cars or so including non M3's) and both did require tows. A bad coil pack is nothing more than a misfire and the car remains completely drivable....

I'm not saying they don't have issues, but to write Z's off as perfect is in poor fashion as well. My best friends 06 had a failed cam position sensor very early on....sensors fail.

 

just keep the m3

 

it's too late guys i already got my Z, and i'm lovin it

 

I read your other thread.

Congrats on the car man - I don't think I could take the switch but they are definitely both great cars. I'm upgrading a lot coming from an E36, figure I'll wait until E60 M5's and E92 M3's are affordable to get back into a BMW.

 

Id trade my Z for an m3!

Have fun with ur Z!