If you had to do it all over again what option, color, upgrade would you look for or purchase with your M3. Im asking the people who bought a used E46 M3!
Im trying to see what people would do differently if they had to purchase a preowned M3.

In addition are 01 owners happy with their M3's as far as the durability and maintenance is concerned?

Thanks guys!

Edit- I didn't realize you wrote pre-owned.

I guess you guys wouldnt change a thing then.

I don't see why you're just asking preowned; those of us that bought new might also have opinions...

i bought an '02 preowned. I love the car but next time i'm buying new and 1 or 2 options not fully loaded like i got.

My car is going on 72,000 miles strong... loving every minutes of it.

i bought an '02 preowned. I love the car but next time i'm buying new and 1 or 2 options not fully loaded like i got.

what options have you found no use for?

My car is going on 72,000 miles strong... loving every minutes of it.

wow thats the kind of feedback ive been waiting for thanks

Don't have an E46, but I'll add that White E46's are sick!!!

what options have you found no use for?

i wouldnt get nav and the sunroof. i would save on some weight. dont use the sunroof too much, use the nav alot.But i fell in love with the car when i saw her and no regrets.:D

If you had to do it all over again what option, color, upgrade would you look for or purchase with your M3. Im asking the people who bought a used E46 M3!
Im trying to see what people would do differently if they had to purchase a preowned M3.

In addition are 01 owners happy with their M3's as far as the durability and maintenance is concerned?

Thanks guys!

I had some hard requirements:

2002 or newer
< 30k miles
<$40k

and I had some soft requirements:

grey/silver/white exterior (preferred grey)
red/black interior (preferred red would NOT take grey int)
6 sp (would settle for SMG)
no sunroof

I wound up with an '02 steel grey 6sp with 27k miles for ~$38k
no sunroof, no premium pack (so manual seats), no nav, no park distance.

The only options were black leather and HK.

The ONLY thing I still sit on the fence about is the imola interior....I still think I would have liked to have it. That being said, I have not ONE single regret about buying my car.

I would've gotten the Cinnamon interior with my Carbon Black M3. It just looks more luxurious...and the leather is nice and soft, so it would really complement that. Black leather just looks a lot more plain and ordinary.

I have a sunroof and have debated whether I would do that again...but in the end, not really worth fretting about the weight, as it's not that much weight. Neither are the power seats (5# per). I use the sunroof a lot, mostly just for venting. If you skip these options, I would do it because it's cheaper to do so and if you're going to tear up the interior anyway.

Borla E46 M3 Exhaust for sale (http://bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=448619&highlight=Borla+Exhaust)

thanks guys keep them coming. Very good info.

Im in love with LSB but almost all of them come with grey interior so that kind of turns me off. Thats why I think Carbon Black on BLK or Cinn. Or red interior is the way to go

I had the option of a LSB/gray, silver black, or the Carbon Black/Black with SMG. I love the smg, wouldnt have it any other way. Truthfully it has everything on it I wanted. The only thing i might have done different is get it in Silver/red.

I had the option of a LSB/gray, silver black, or the Carbon Black/Black with SMG. I love the smg, wouldnt have it any other way. Truthfully it has everything on it I wanted. The only thing i might have done different is get it in Silver/red.

Interesting, yeah i love laguna but that grey interior turns me off!

Even though I dont like the way the 18s look I would have gone with them because the 19s are too expensive on tires. Navi to me is an overpriced option that is heavy for no reason. You can pick up a pda and it will do the same thing no problem.

I would get one without the sunroof. I don't use it that much and the ceiling height would be better.

Im in love with LSB but almost all of them come with grey interior so that kind of turns me off.

If you keep looking you might get lucky. I found my LSB locally... I didn't really have any color requirements when I was looking, but as soon as I saw the cinnamon interior I was SOLD!

http://www.ssl.physics.ncsu.edu/matt/interior_side.jpg

http://www.ssl.physics.ncsu.edu/matt/IMG_3093_1.jpg

If you keep looking you might get lucky. I found my LSB locally... I didn't really have any color requirements when I was looking, but as soon as I saw the cinnamon interior I was SOLD!

http://www.ssl.physics.ncsu.edu/matt/interior_side.jpg

http://www.ssl.physics.ncsu.edu/matt/IMG_3093_1.jpg

If i could my build my own dream car it would be your car bro. I Envy you!:buttrock :eek:

Now why cant i find one like this?

I have a gray/on black 03' and it came fully loaded. I guess I use everything, but I always wanted to see what it would be like having an SMG. I live in Chicago and all the rush hours pissed me off having to deal with manual. But I love going on back roads and taking M3 to its limits, I wonder if SMG does the same or if I'm fine with manual

I am very happy with mine, maybe i would have got stock 19's, but i love the options and color, lsb/black

I shopped long and got what I wanted. No changes for me.

I got my 02 with 22k on the clock. Its silver. 6 speed. Fully loaded minus winter package and navi.
If I had to do it all over again I would get one WITH the heated seats.
Black on Black.
thats about it

My '01 was driven hard by the previous owners, so I'm heading down the road of maintenance problems. But if you can find one well taken care of you'll be ok.

As far as if I would do it all over, Imola Red on Grey Leather. 2002 or newer, CPO or still under factory warranty. 6spd, sunroof, cold weather package, xenons, 19's. Nav would be nice but is not really necessary.

Well thats my dream E46 M. Good Luck

I got an '01 LSB 28K for $35K...

Car currently has 47K and just had an Inspection II. No major problems that were not convered by CPO.

It had HK, Cold Weather Package, & Power Memory(DS) seats.

If I had to do it all over I would go new "Individual Program" Estoril Blue; two tone leather interior Cold Weather Packaged (Heated Seats are awesome) HK, NAV, Park Distance Control, (Pretty much loaded).

I got an '01 LSB 28K for $35K...

Car currently has 47K and just had an Inspection II. No major problems that were not convered by CPO.

It had HK, Cold Weather Package, & Power Memory(DS) seats.

If I had to do it all over I would go new "Individual Program" Estoril Blue; two tone leather interior Cold Weather Packaged (Heated Seats are awesome) HK, NAV, Park Distance Control, (Pretty much loaded).

Does CPO cover maintenance, oil changes Brakes?

Does CPO cover maintenance, oil changes Brakes?

no

Does CPO cover maintenance, oil changes Brakes?

Depends on if the service guy likes you or not. I got a bunch of stuff under CPO example: changed clutch, rotors, break pads, and oil, and it didn't cost me a dime.

I bought a silver '03, red interior with mostly everything but Nav and heated seats. Today my car is in the shop for inspection I (32k miles) and I'm driving a loaner X5 with heated seats. Man oh man do I wish I had heated seats every day.

We don't have long winters here but that is the one thing I would like to add.

Also, the previous owner put a sub-woofer in the trunk. I took the offer to include it in the deal (it removes with just one easy to reach plug). I have found I really like the improved sound. It doesn't quite fit my age demographics but... it's the bomb.

Thanks for all your feedbacks guys after thinking long and hard Ive decided to wait and not settle for something Ill regret (hard to imagine). Keep them coming.

any e46 M would be amazing..but if were going to pick and the MONEZY to pick i would get carbon black on cinny buns for sure..o and comp package.
koa
btw i envy all of you

My cousin just got an 04 CB/ cinammon:eyecrazy . What a beautiful and classy combo. Looking at his car makes me shy away from Laguna on GREY. God I hate GREY interior!

I bought my car used, actually I traded my ZHP for it, it is an 02 M with SMG, cloth seats, no sunroof, no nav, and not very many options. I have manual seats as well. For me the car is perfect. I use it as my daily driver and enjoy my drive to work everyday, winter and snow included.

If I bought another one, I wouldnt change anything.

Another question guys.......If the maintenance warranty is up on the car but the factory warranty is still in effect can you purchase the maintenance part when you decide to extend your factory warranty? Kind of confusing hope you understand what im asking:shifty

Does CPO cover maintenance, oil changes Brakes?

Huh... I wish... It extends the factory waranty to 7 Years or 100K.

-Chad

i would have gotten the competition package

I have a 2005 M3 in Jet Black, with the black M Cloth interior. I could have other colors, but I like the cloth and leather combo too much to change the interior color (M Cloth only comes in black).

My car has a standard manual transmission (previous M3 had SMG), sunroof, heated seats.... thats all. I have no need for power seats - I'm single and no one drives my car, so why would I need to change the seat position? Also, thats just something else that could break a couple years after the warranty runs out.
I didn't get NAV because I know how to read a map, and I don't care for electronic displays in vehicles in any case. The Harman Kardon stereo, for any 3 series coupe, is not the best you can get. I think the standard stereo sounds better. The sedans have an extra pair of rear speakers and a better sub that really improves the sound.

I'd get my car almost exactly the same, with the exception of adding PDC. I really miss that from my last M3. Not that I can't back the car up without help, but the little beep was reassuring.

I'll get the options list just right when I order my E90 M3 :D

As I understand it you have to renew the maintenance contract before the current one runs out. Perhaps under CPO they allow you to do so anyway, but if bought from a private party you cannot. Also, unless you are the original owner you cannot extend the BMW warranty, though many dealers will sell you a 3rd party warranty that covers virtually the same stuff. If you're buying a 01 or 02 I'd definitely get a CPO if possible or at least warranty coverage. Normally I think CPO is a ripoff, but not on the M3--just too many expensive things that can go wrong. These years had a lot of problems. My '02 has had all kinds of trim issues, bad coils, etc. If you got the dough I'd go for an '03 up.

Another question guys.......If the maintenance warranty is up on the car but the factory warranty is still in effect can you purchase the maintenance part when you decide to extend your factory warranty? Kind of confusing hope you understand what im asking:shifty