Hey guys im new at the forum and im thinking about purchasing an M3 in the next five to six months. But im not sure whether or not i want an E36 or an E46..... theres this dealer in suwanee georgia that says he could get me 01 M3's for 17 thousand and im thinking to myself thats way underpriced. If i decide to buy from him im going to take the car down to Auto Fab with my friend shawn and get it checked out from the bottom up. but if you guys have any suggestions on what car i should go with that would be greatly appreciated.

Seems underpriced. All of the usual comments:

1. Clean title?
2. Carfax check?
3. Prepurchase inspection performed?
4. Rod bearing recall status? (e46 M3)
5. Maintenance records?
6. Get the VIN and ask a BMW dealer about service history?
7. Correct wheels (saw one M3 with the wrong rear wheel size, red flag...)?
8. Number of owners
9. Owner locations? (NE with salt, cars seems to go for less $, than a Cali car).
10. Status of brakes, tires, RTABs, other consumables?
11. Cracks in any body panels? (Look underneath)

im gonna get it all checked out when i go to Auto Fab, and i'll def check about the owners and where the car is coming from. what kind of M3 do you think i should get?

Hard for me to recommend one over the other as I've never driven an e36 M3.

I will say, I'm enjoying the e46 M3 immensely. For the price, looks, performance, comfort, roominess, the whole package, it's hard to beat.

It all depends on your driving experience and the needs from the car. An 01 E46 M3 for $17k should be inspected very good. If you are looking for a car for $17k I would say go with the E36.

Depends on your needs and wallet. I have an e46 m and love it but had I known I was going to enjoy tracking the car as much as I do, I definitely would have gone the e36m route. They are much cheaper, cheaper to maintain, doesn't have the super expensive engine in it and can easily be made faster(on a road course) than the e46m for not much money.

Depends on your needs and wallet. I have an e46 m and love it but had I known I was going to enjoy tracking the car as much as I do, I definitely would have gone the e36m route. They are much cheaper, cheaper to maintain, doesn't have the super expensive engine in it and can easily be made faster(on a road course) than the e46m for not much money.

Two cars? :devillook

Two cars? :devillook

No Joke! If the E46 checks out get it and pick up a 95 E36 M for around $12k!! That way you have a nice daily driver!!!:buttrock

It's a decision only you can make. I had a '99 E36 M3 that I loved... a lot. But everytime I drove by an E46 M, I was filled with envy. The E46 M is just a sexy beast. Add on 333hp and I knew one day I'd have one. And I do. Do I miss my E36? Sometimes, but it's few and far between. The E36 felt much more tossable than the 46...but that is about the only thing I really miss. Someday I'll own another...maybe a sedan (if I can find one).
Choose what appeals to you (and your wallet).

Who here that owns or has owned an E46 M3 has thought, "damn I made a big mistake"? Anyone?

Drive both and pick your poison.

Who here that owns or has owned an E46 M3 has thought, "damn I made a big mistake"? Anyone?

I do not think you can find them here on an E46 M3 forum. :rolleyes

Did you check the car's mileage, if over 100,000 that could be one of the main reason's why he could be selling it so cheap, not to mention that it is a 2001 model on top of that

damn, thanks for all the great comments, and thanks for the warm welcome. im gonna make sure the rod bearing recall is done and if its above 100k i shouldent get it right? is there any way i can get an extended warranty?

Watch out dude - just because you can afford the (scarily low) $17k price, maintenance is still killer. Maintenance doesn't depreciate :(

Service will probably be double (in some cases triple?) what you're used to paying at Honda.

yeah maintenance is gonna be a bitch but after six months or so i'll have enough saved to take care of my car and most of my other expenses. Also is there an extended warrenty on the m3's?

I bought an extended warranty for mine, but there was a catch. The catch was there needed to be at least one month an 1K miles remaining on the OEM warranty. For me, that was not an issue ('03 with 29K miles). For an '01, might be.

No Joke! If the E46 checks out get it and pick up a 95 E36 M for around $12k!! That way you have a nice daily driver!!!:buttrock

3 M3s. One of each. Jeez. Best of all worlds. You're my idol. :)

HAD AN E36 M FOR 6 OR 7 YEARS AND NEVER ONCE HAD TO TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP...NEVER, UNLESS IT WAS REGULAR MAINTENANCE STUFF, BUT OVERALL I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST BMW'S EVER MADE.
I NOW HAVE BEEN THE PROUD OWNER OF AN 04 JET BLACK E46 M FOR 2 WEEKS NOW AND SO FAR IVE BEEN IMPRESSED. MY ONLY PROBLEM IS IVE ONLY DRIVEN LIKE 200 MILES IN THAT TIME, WERE STILL STRANGERS :shifty

Two cars? :devillookI've already invested too much into my current ride. No turning back now, in my current financial situation.

$17 is too low. Engine may have issues or most likely a salvage title. CHECK CAREFULLY.

I have owned both E36 and E46 (both M3s). My personal opinion is that E36 handles much better. BUT E46 has more engine muscle besides the creature comforts (and stuff like door panels not separating etc.)

Buy a clean E36 and spend money on souping up the engine = A LOT OF FUN!

Test drive both. They are very different animals. Obviously the E46 is a bit more updated all around, but the E36 is very fun and raw.

I just bought an e36 m3 5 months ago and Im currently in the process of trying to figure out if I can afford an e46 (which generally means that I cant/shouldnt). Like Dave Dunbar said everytime I get passed by a e46 I get the envy. That, coupled with the 2k Ive spent on maintenance, has me looking elsewhere.

just bought a 04" alpine white /black 34,000miles for $40,000 last month,
in san francisco
including everythings tax and stuff, out the door $43,000 somethings
got the auto load from wellsfargo, privte to privte,
$0 down, $900/m somethings payment for 5 yrs =)

Hey guys im new at the forum and im thinking about purchasing an M3 in the next five to six months. But im not sure whether or not i want an E36 or an E46..... theres this dealer in suwanee georgia that says he could get me 01 M3's for 17 thousand and im thinking to myself thats way underpriced. If i decide to buy from him im going to take the car down to Auto Fab with my friend shawn and get it checked out from the bottom up. but if you guys have any suggestions on what car i should go with that would be greatly appreciated.

Based on your first statement that you are looking for an E46 M3 for 17K, you need to buy the E36.

This is not really a suggestion but a requirement considering your budget unless you actually have thousands of dollars in cash (5K or more guys?) you will be able to put back into the car if it needs it, and at 17K chances are it will. Buying a used car is enough of a risk, buying a REALLY used car with a price that low should set off a red flag or three. It is your money, who knows you could just be getting a hell of a deal on a car that doesn't need major maintenance work within the next 6 months, so good luck :)

I just talked to the dealer and asked him why he was selling the car for way less then its worth and he told me that he gets them from police auctions at new york and the auction is only asking for the money thats owed on the car, plus a few thousand for the dealer. The E46 M3's that he sells have less then 50k miles on it and has had the rod bearing recall done to it, and no salvaged titles. Im still a little sketched out about the whole sale though so im gonna go get it checked out by Auto Fab " i heard there really good on bmw's" , get a carfax report on it, and look over all the maintenance done on the car, and get one of my friends on the forum to go and check out the car with me, because i still have alot to learn about bimmers. Guys i really appreciate all this helpfull info you guys have to contribute!

I just talked to the dealer and asked him why he was selling the car for way less then its worth and he told me that he gets them from police auctions at new york and the auction is only asking for the money thats owed on the car, plus a few thousand for the dealer. The E46 M3's that he sells have less then 50k miles on it and has had the rod bearing recall done to it, and no salvaged titles. Im still a little sketched out about the whole sale though so im gonna go get it checked out by Auto Fab " i heard there really good on bmw's" , get a carfax report on it, and look over all the maintenance done on the car, and get one of my friends on the forum to go and check out the car with me, because i still have alot to learn about bimmers. Guys i really appreciate all this helpfull info you guys have to contribute!

I see your car listing still says looking for an M3, did you not get one yet?

Update on the situation?