So I'm going to be buying a new car soon. My dream car has always been an E46 M3. I know the best time to buy one will be a year from now because the new ones will be out and it will be winter so the market will be completely flooded. However, Porsche's have always intrigued me, everything from the 944 to the 996/7 911 turbo. (I'm not old enough to know much about anything before the 944 like the 968 etc.) We're gonna leave the boxster out of it because I have no desire to own one of those. The new Cayman looks awesome. I know it will be difficult not to be biased, but what would you guys rather drive? 993/6 911 or E46 M3? And take into account that this will be a daily driver.

So I'm going to be buying a new car soon. My dream car has always been an E46 M3. I know the best time to buy one will be a year from now because the new ones will be out and it will be winter so the market will be completely flooded. However, Porsche's have always intrigued me, everything from the 944 to the 996/7 911 turbo. (I'm not old enough to know much about anything before the 944 like the 968 etc.) We're gonna leave the boxster out of it because I have no desire to own one of those. The new Cayman looks awesome. I know it will be difficult not to be biased, but what would you guys rather drive? 993/6 911 or E46 M3? And take into account that this will be a daily driver.
Man, I'm posting all over today.

You are asking in a BMW forum, I'm guessing the response will be overwhelmingly 'M3'. Between your choices and money is no object and comfort/back seats is no object, then I would still pick the M3. If you included the 997, then I might lean towards that.
If money was an object, then M3 all the way. From my research, the P-cars are far more expensive to maintain.
Is this going to be a track car daily driven or just a spiritedly driven car? P-cars need far less mods to track unlike M3's which need quite a few 'upgrades' to be a fast trackworthy car.
Having said all that, I still think 993's and 996's are awesome cars but I still like my car better.
For reference, I grew up driving all non-Exotic cars available as my dad was a test driver for local mags and newspapers from the 80's on. BMW's were the most memorable, in all senses, cars to drive. Hence, this is my third BMW.

yeah I expect a lot of people to say M3, but I've seen a lot of BMW drivers who also own other german cars, thus Porshce. But this is going to be a daily driven street car, no tracking sadly since the only track near me is 3 hours away and I dont have a racing license anyways. How expensive are the 997 911's compared to the M3's? I dont think they've come down enough in price yet for me to be able to afford one. I would like to spend somewhere in the ballpark of $35-$40,000. Maintenance is gonna be expensive with either one so I just have to suck it up. What other car offers the same bang for the buck as an M3?

Daily driver = M3
Weekend/track = 993/996

Porsche would be an awesome car. But then again so would the ///M. Although the M does have a back seat.

yeah I expect a lot of people to say M3, but I've seen a lot of BMW drivers who also own other german cars, thus Porshce. But this is going to be a daily driven street car, no tracking sadly since the only track near me is 3 hours away and I dont have a racing license anyways. How expensive are the 997 911's compared to the M3's? I dont think they've come down enough in price yet for me to be able to afford one. I would like to spend somewhere in the ballpark of $35-$40,000. Maintenance is gonna be expensive with either one so I just have to suck it up. What other car offers the same bang for the buck as an M3?
3 hours, that's not far and you don't have to have a racing license to go to driving schools/drivers ed. I have been to Sebring(world renowned track), VIR(awesome track) and Moroso and none required a license.
997's are still way out of your(and mine) range, in the 60+ range used.
If you are looking for 'bang' for the buck, get a corvette or EVO or Subie STI or even a Pontiac GTO.
I assume bang means performance but if you include luxury/feel/style, I would stick with a M3 or even 330i with the performance package for that matter.

I love my M! I love driving Porsches of any sort.

I always laugh when I think of my friends putting a small cooler in the front trunk of their 911! Nothing else would go and they are sitting there and scratching their heads, like maybe they should stick the rest in the back behind their seats, but nothing goes back there easily. Especially not folding chairs! That 911 is uncomfortable, but fabulous. If you think about it, the front trunk really is laughable!

They both are cool, but buy the M and take the rest of the money and save for your next M. I really do like my car better than my friends 911. Especially when I consider how much money I saved. We both bought them new at the same time. Mine was a great deal cheaper to begin with and then it comes with the warranty! My fiends last trip to the dealer cost him $1000. My last trip was free including the loaner. How can you beat that?

I have two P cars, a 99 911 and an 88 911. My M3 is an 01. First off, the Porsche cars are not more expensive to maintain. At least with the 996, the valves don't have to be adjusted like the M3 (which is very expensive if you have someone do it for you).

The 996 can be a very good daily driver - though not as comfortable as the M3. It also stands out of the crowd more, which can be a bad thing if you're not in the mood for jacka$$es messing with you. M3 definately gets the nod if practicality is considered. Performance wise, the 996 is the better car. At barely over 2900 lbs (1999 model) and 300 hp, it is the quicker, more nimble car.

There is a lot of undeserved internet generated hysteria over the 996 right now. RMS issues, engines grenading, etc. That with the fact that so many are available have dropped the prices to M3 territory.

Bottom line, if I could only have one car, the M3 would be my choice. If it is a second car, I don't think you can beat the 996.

As the previous poster stated, I don't know if the RMS issues are blown out of portion or not, but I would definitely read up on it before plunging for a non-turbo 996.

On the other hand what I'm going to do is continue saving for a 996 TT =).

I've been going through the same thought processes as you for a while. For a long time I wanted an E46 M3, but a late model E46 will set you back 45 and you can get a slightly older but still pretty low miles 996TT for 65. That's a significant difference (almost 50%!), but the tt has much better performance, much better prestige, awd, and you don't get the RMS engine issues when you go with the GT1 derived turbo engine. Not to mention I have yet to see threads about people money shifting a 996tt =P.

Your sig doesn't indicate modding as something your into, but from what I've read the 996tt also takes to modding much more readily than the e46 m3.

Its a completely impractical suggestion, and really drifts from your initial query, but I started out in the exact same position as you, and after reading a pretty significant amount on both bmw forums and porsche forums, I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to continue saving until I can afford the 996 turbo. For my mind, the m3 is by far the more practical, sensible car. But if I bought one I know I would eventually be looking at what to get next. With the 996tt I can't see myself looking for that next step up.

yeah dont get me wrong I would take a 996 turbo over just about anything else on the market. the only problem is it has to be a solid daily driver as I drive about 15-20,000 miles/year so comfort is a huge priority. I've been torn as to what to get for so long now. I still have about a year to decide as I just started penny pinching. What else would you guys recommend? Something with class, 4 seats, manual, fun to drive, yet comfy? It's a tough order to fill but if I can find something to fill it I will be thrilled.

There was an article a while ago about a guy who used his 996 turbo as a daily driver. Through all sorts of weather including pretty heavy now. It was great because he provided some good reasons why it made sense for him. And the pics of his car covered in snow were priceless. Unfortunately that still doesn't make it a practical solution for most people.

No idea what prices will be like for a used rs4 in a year, but that is definitely one I would add to the list and investigate when it comes closer to buying time. Audi has famously well put together interiors and the reviews so far have been very positive as far as performance.

yeah the new RS4 is sick. Top gear did a comparison to the E46 M3 and it just ate it up both in a straight line and on the track. That would be the most practical because of the 4 doors. I wonder how the gas mileage is on a 420+ horsepower V8 sedan w/ quattro? lol. A 996TT would be a dream come true. It just seems more like a toy to me than a daily driver, though I guess it can be done.

Why anybody wants a car with the engine in the back is beyond me. Really! To me it seems that Porsche has spent the past 40 some years trying to make the most out of a bad idea. My fav P-cars are 944's and 928's. I like the Boxster (really a mid engine) but it really is ugly.

If all you will do with the car is be stuck in traffic or have the cruise control on while on the highway, i'll sell you my 325 xit. You can pretend your in an M3 as long as you don't look in the rear view mirrors and see that it is a wagon.

I've had two E46 M3's since 2001, having sold my second one yesterday. During those years of driving, tracking, and maintaining the cars, I've learned a good bit about them. If a sports sedan is your goal, I don't think you can find a better car.

I replaced my M3 with an '06 997S. In terms of driving near the limit, it is a better car stock, than was the M3 after $4K in mods. But that's not meant as an M3 criticism. After $4K in mods, you're still far from the cost of a 997S. Some folks are critical of the rear-engine layout of the 911; most of them have not driven one. And some Porsche folks would say the M3 is a pig that handles like a '75 Buick. Well, the M3 is a heavier, higher car, so it's not going to handle like a lighter, lower sports car. Both are marvelous cars in their own right, and that's how they have to be judged.

Given your budget, my guess, you will probably find a more pleasing M3. But, drive them both. If the Porsche is then your preference, find someone who really knows the cars to help you shop for one.

I'm a huge Porsche fan - I've owned 3 - but I'd still take the M3 as a daily driver, unless you're single and live somewhere it's always warm. People often seem to have if backwards - I see people using 911s as a high performance snow plow when it's really more a sunny-day/weekend car. And the raison d'etre of the M3 is to be a high performance daily driver, and people turn them into low-mileage garage queens. Talk about unclear on the concept!

i dont really think the prices will drop too much, at least i hope not