Trade 530i for e46 M3?
10-10-2013, 06:13 PM
#1
New Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 BMW 530i
Trade 530i for e46 M3?
Hi,
So I've been contemplating selling me '04 530i with 80k miles and buying a '02 M3 with 60k miles off craigslist. The 530i is a M54 engine so it's a bit underpowered and is pretty much stock besides the Orion v2's. I was wondering if it was worth it and if anyone else has done this before. I know maintenance for the M3 will be more but the one on craigslist seems pretty well maintained. Any opinions?
So I've been contemplating selling me '04 530i with 80k miles and buying a '02 M3 with 60k miles off craigslist. The 530i is a M54 engine so it's a bit underpowered and is pretty much stock besides the Orion v2's. I was wondering if it was worth it and if anyone else has done this before. I know maintenance for the M3 will be more but the one on craigslist seems pretty well maintained. Any opinions?
10-10-2013, 11:07 PM
#2
Members
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Czech republic
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: E60 530iA
why to have any doubts, when you made such sweet swap. From "heavy" 5er to beautiful E46 ///M3. C'mon man - except more expensive maintenance - I would be happy as small kid 
10-11-2013, 01:13 AM
#3
New Members
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: E60 ///M5
UNLESS you have a family and need a 4 door sedan, go with the E46 M3. It's an AMAZING car. My all time favorite M3 hands down. Just classic BMW. I highly suggest you go drive one and you'll be sold without a question. The looks, handling, acceleration, etc. Everything is so balanced and feels fantastic.
Your 04 530i is a very nice car. Definitely more grown up and would be the better ride to take people out to dinner, movies, and your clients around town. But if those things aren't that important to you, the M3 is a far more fun ride.
Your 04 530i is a very nice car. Definitely more grown up and would be the better ride to take people out to dinner, movies, and your clients around town. But if those things aren't that important to you, the M3 is a far more fun ride.
10-11-2013, 06:13 AM
#4
New Members
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 BMW 530i
Heres the craigslist ad: BMW 2002 E46 M3 Coupe - Rare Only 63,000 miles
I thought it seemed fishy that it had only 60k miles and was selling for so low. Anything I should be on the look out for in terms of repairs or problems on an m3 with 60k miles?
I thought it seemed fishy that it had only 60k miles and was selling for so low. Anything I should be on the look out for in terms of repairs or problems on an m3 with 60k miles?
10-11-2013, 10:58 AM
#5
Members
Senior Members
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 692
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: E60
Model Year: 2005
That M3 looks pretty clean, but I would opt to go for the 2003.5 and up, and get a stick if you know how to drive one.
2003.5 and up has the LED tail lights, shark fin antenna, rod bearing issue addressed and some other updates.
The SMG gearbox is really nice when it works, but they are troublesome once it starts to fail on you. It's just another item on the car waiting to fail, not sure when, but it will somewhere down the line.
Also you want to lift up the rear spare tire cover, and check on the rear subframe, there's a recall on that.
That's just my thoughts.
2003.5 and up has the LED tail lights, shark fin antenna, rod bearing issue addressed and some other updates.
The SMG gearbox is really nice when it works, but they are troublesome once it starts to fail on you. It's just another item on the car waiting to fail, not sure when, but it will somewhere down the line.
Also you want to lift up the rear spare tire cover, and check on the rear subframe, there's a recall on that.
That's just my thoughts.
10-11-2013, 05:23 PM
#9
New Members
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: E60 ///M5
That M3 looks pretty clean, but I would opt to go for the 2003.5 and up, and get a stick if you know how to drive one.
2003.5 and up has the LED tail lights, shark fin antenna, rod bearing issue addressed and some other updates.
The SMG gearbox is really nice when it works, but they are troublesome once it starts to fail on you. It's just another item on the car waiting to fail, not sure when, but it will somewhere down the line.
Also you want to lift up the rear spare tire cover, and check on the rear subframe, there's a recall on that.
That's just my thoughts.
2003.5 and up has the LED tail lights, shark fin antenna, rod bearing issue addressed and some other updates.
The SMG gearbox is really nice when it works, but they are troublesome once it starts to fail on you. It's just another item on the car waiting to fail, not sure when, but it will somewhere down the line.
Also you want to lift up the rear spare tire cover, and check on the rear subframe, there's a recall on that.
That's just my thoughts.
The car looks very clean.
10-13-2013, 09:43 PM
#10
New Members
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: E60 530dA
I will only use argument number 2 from this article. :-)
7 Reasons Why You Might Not Want To Own An E46 M3 (Part 2) - Car Throttle
7 Reasons Why You Might Not Want To Own An E46 M3 (Part 2) - Car Throttle
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
myfiveserie1818
Private Member Classifieds
12
02-20-2016 07:56 PM
