Jim;256912 wrote:
Bubba are you serious?

E46 > E36

and E30 M3 evolution > all...

A lot of E36s there.

m3forum.net sometimes has good deals for E46 M3s.

kktvr4;256918 wrote:
A clean E36 M3 with fairly high miles will run about $14000.

A clean E46 M3 with fairly high miles will run about $17000.

Which one would you choose?

you can find clean e36 m3s with like 50k for around 12k

i havent seen very many clean e46 m3s for much under 20k...but then again i havent been searching very long

Jim;256912 wrote:
Bubba are you serious?

E46 > E36

End thread

I was looking for an E46 when I started looking for a new car, I was not able to find one new enough that I could afford to finance but that's what I wanted and still do. There really is not much in the US market that offers decent performance, gorgeous lines, four doors, and a goddamn manual transmission. The E46 does, I'm not hating on the E36 but its definitely seen its day. The E46 is what 10 years old but a clean one would look right at home on any new car lot.

PSiedTSi;256945 wrote:
Because you're an idiot:

Way to call him out AFTER he's already said he was just fuckin around...
no shit... someone should learn to read...

bubba;256905 wrote:
well why not, it's a little better to compare 2 cars on the same level than a shitty version compared to a good one...

Because you're an idiot:

Jim;256865 wrote:
Thrash, I'm just giving you shit... I posted dirty lookin pictures of E36 compared to what I see as some of the cleanest E46's

Way to call him out AFTER he's already said he was just fuckin around...

Jim;256912 wrote:
Bubba are you serious?

E46 > E36
im lovin the 8B8B8B8 plates...

Here's one on ebaymotors for $14k http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___2000-BMW-M5-XENON-NAVIGATION-CARFAX-CERTIFIED-STOCK_W0QQitemZ260349104952QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item260349104952&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A317|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1308

kktvr4;256918 wrote:
a clean e36 m3 with fairly high miles will run about $14000.

A clean e46 m3 with fairly high miles will run about $17000.

Which one would you choose?

thats pretty obvious for me at least. I really dislike the body style of the e36

A clean E46 M3 with fairly high miles will run about $17000.

Which one would you choose?

jim;256912 wrote:
bubba are you serious?

E46 > e36

ugh ugh, drool

E46 > E36

SPANISH-RICE;256894 wrote:
That first m3 that jim posted is pure sex. I cant believe it

PSiedTSi;256899 wrote:
Wow, are you serious?

well why not, it's a little better to compare 2 cars on the same level than a shitty version compared to a good one...

bubba;256893 wrote:
Here's an idea, post nice clean modded E36 M3 coupes (like how you did with the E46), instead of dirty and ratty ones that aren't even M3s... It would make things a little nicer to compare...

Wow, are you serious?

Jim;256838 wrote:
By the way:

E46:

vs.

Yes. Please ignore my advice.

Here's an idea, post nice clean modded E36 M3 coupes (like how you did with the E46), instead of dirty and ratty ones that aren't even M3s... It would make things a little nicer to compare...

IMO E30 M3 > E36 M3 > E46 M3... especially in looks

i think what i am going to do is if i end up getting a bimmer, its going to be a m3 for sure, and i think for now i will get a e36, just because this is my first bimmer and i want to have something to copare to if/when i do upgrade to a e46. the car will prolly never see a race track, maybe a drag strip once or a auto-x once, but thats it. mostly just a dd.

but i am seriously considering that silver e46 in that link that i posted, its here in phoenix!

There's no doubt about it, if you want to track the car, E36 is going to be much cheaper and way more accessible then an E46...

But for street driving, with the added factor of comfort / luxury the E46 is def. the way to go.

thrash;256857 wrote:
Out of the box, the E36 M3 is faster than any non-M E46. Including the ZHP. Faster in a straight line, faster around the track.

I'm not knocking the E46 and especially not the ZHP. Between an M car and a non-M car, it's just a different experience.

Are there any E46 M3s you'd actually want to buy under 20k? If not, they're at least twice as expensive as an E36.

There has always been a difference in the M and non-M versions of the cars. A sport model E46, even with ZHP, isn't going to give you the same driving experience as the E36 M3.

Obviously the E46 M3 is going to be faster than any of these, but you're going to pay for it. And maintenance IS going to cost more than the E36.

There's a good reason the E36 M3 is one of the most tracked cars in the US (tracked as in "taken to the race track"). It's really the sweet spot in a lot of ways.

I guess all I can say is to drive a few different cars and see what you like.

If I were going to go to the track a lot, there'd be no question -- I'd get an E36 M3. If i wanted the extra 93hp the US model is missing vs the E46, I could get it for less than the cost difference of getting an E46. And I'd start out 400 lbs lighter, with a better developed aftermarket, and where wheels, tires, brakes, and everything else is cheaper.

(actually, I bought an E30 325is and gutted it to go to the track, because that's another factor of 10 cheaper, and track cars should be cheap because they get hurt)

thrash;256860 wrote:
Also Jim, none of the E36's you posted were M3s, unless they did down-grade bumper swaps

Of course I agree with you that the E46 looks newer and nicer. My point was always and continues to be that if you care about the way the car feels and drives, that the E36 M3 is going to be superior to the non-M E46 cars. The E46 M3 will be faster but will cost much more to acquire and to maintain.

I apologize for suggesting people "ignore Jim's advice" as that is overly argumentative and presumably contributed to your defensive/derisive response.

I'd hope that you might be willing to concede some of the points I make. I don't know how much track experience you have in various BMWs. I'll assume that you have no DIY experience on multi-throttle BMW engines and the costs involved.

Thras, I'm just messing around 99% of the time on the internet... don't worry about offending me.

thrash;256860 wrote:
Also Jim, none of the E36's you posted were M3s, unless they did down-grade bumper swaps

Of course I agree with you that the E46 looks newer and nicer. My point was always and continues to be that if you care about the way the car feels and drives, that the E36 M3 is going to be superior to the non-M E46 cars. The E46 M3 will be faster but will cost much more to acquire and to maintain.

I apologize for suggesting people "ignore Jim's advice" as that is overly argumentative and presumably contributed to your defensive/derisive response.

I'd hope that you might be willing to concede some of the points I make. I don't know how much track experience you have in various BMWs. I'll assume that you have no DIY experience on multi-throttle BMW engines and the costs involved.

Thrash, I'm just giving you shit... I posted dirty lookin pictures of E36 compared to what I see as some of the cleanest E46's

thrash;256863 wrote:
An Audi B6 or B7 S4 (2002ish -> present) might be worth considering. It's a 340hp V8, manual gearbox available, more rear leg room than the E46 M3, and of course, AWD.

The E46 is a faster car, but the S4 is "adequate", AWD, and a more practical daily driver.

I was surprised at how affordable they have become.
haha.... im looking at one right now....