G35c v. M3

[CalRSX07]

So I'm asking this question knowing full well of the bias of my audience...

I'm looking into getting a G35c, but I guess you could say what I REALLY want is an M3. I'm only 21 and part of me says that coming from an RSX, the G35 is more appropriate, and maybe I should use the G35 as a stepping stone and get the M3 in a couple years or something. But you gotta admit, the M3 is a sick car. I'm asking you guys this because on ClubRSX, even with all the fan bois, everyone wants the G35 more than the RSX, and the M3 above all. So I wanted to see if that's true here too.

The G35s I'm looking at are 6MTs with navi and the spoiler, and I'm finding 03s and 04s, and the ones I'm really looking at are priced around $24,500-$25,500. They all seem to have AROUND 35k-45k, which is higher than I'd like, but whatever.

Then I found an 02 BMW M3 coupe for $28,750. It's in great shape, but it a) has 70,000 miles on it, and b) has a couple problems, including a messed up "driver's side door handle," although I'm not exactly sure what the problem is and an issue with the accelerator being jerky in sport mode on really bumpy roads during the 1-2 shift. Other than that, it seems really great. But the mileage is sorta high... and I'd be the third owner. I'm not sure how hard it is to sell an M3 when you're the third owner, and I guess I should consider that.

There's a big part of me that says the G35 will save me some money, give me a great car and a great value and something that's still in its earlier stages, and maybe it's less of a risk and I should go for it.

But there's another huge part of me that says the G35 is great, but why get a $35k car for $25k when I can have a $60k car for $29k.

Any thoughts?

[G35MC]

M3 is a better car, if you really want an M3, then you should go for it, no regrets done the road. I only see G35C owners upgrade to M3, not many vice vesa.

[CalRSX07]

Originally Posted by G35MC

M3 is a better car, if you really want an M3, then you should go for it, no regrets done the road. I only see G35C owners upgrade to M3, not many vice vesa.

but what about when you consider the mileage and minor problems with the M3 compared to the G35? Is the price on the M3 just so good that I should just take my chances?

[G35Gnome]

Originally Posted by G35MC

M3 is a better car, if you really want an M3, then you should go for it, no regrets done the road. I only see G35C owners upgrade to M3, not many vice vesa.

That is not true ... I have seen posts by more than a couple of people that went from m3 to g35. I am sure they havent done it for performance, but still.

CalRSX07 The M3 is definatelly a better sporty car stock, no doubt about it. But 70k is a lot of miles ... I would assume its out of warranty. There were 2 years I believe where the M had engine problems, not sure if 02 was one of them. If you go for a high milage m3 like that I would advise you find out about it as much as you possibly can, as paying 30k for 60k car doesnt sound bad, unless you end up spending a ton of $ fixing it after a while.

[Phil DeVtec]

M3's are awesome cars, trust me, but they do have a lot of problems. Also, i wouldn't advise getting an 02 with 70,000 miles on it...that's A LOT of miles!! You don't know what those miles were like and how they were driven. If I were you, I'd just save up more money and get a brand new G35C or SLIGHTLY used M3 with less miles. There are a ton of 02 M3's out there with 20K miles selling for $35K+. At my local dealership there is an 01 with 8K miles. Just my .02.

Also, if you want to get a used M3, get one that is still under warranty because you can buy an extension. You can only get that if it's still under warranty. Once it's out...it's out. Trust me, you WILL want that warranty.

[GP20]

If I were in your situation, I'd get the G35 coupe now, save up, and get the next generation M3 in a few years when you can afford a brand new one with warranty comfortably.

70k miles seems a little high for a BMW. And I meant "high" from a maintenance cost point and I didn't mean like "your engine is about to die" as the engine will easily last 200k miles. BMW's honeslty aren't that reliable to begin with and you WILL have some glitches here and there that will cost you $1k or $2k here and there just as well. Gas mileage is worse in the M3. And you'll have the famous 1-2 shift "M-clunk" that you'll have to get used to.

If you're able to afford an '03~'05 with less than 30k miles, I'd say go for it.

[jimmytango00]

insurance on an m3 is super high...and your 21 ..i say you go for the g35c

[MikeyMike]

Whatever car you get, make sure it's under warranty.

Also, consider the maintenance costs on the M3 vs. The G35. The m3 is quite a bit more expensive to maintain.

[Phil DeVtec]

Originally Posted by jimmytango00

insurance on an m3 is super high...and your 21 ..i say you go for the g35c

Tell me about it...$3500 a year for me!

[jimmytango00]

^see what i mean. just got witht he coupe, its sexy and a great car for the price.... the m3's will always be around so you can get one in the future.

[TylerM]

depending on where you live you should look into a 2000-2001.5 Audi S4. with less than 2k in mods a M3 or G35 could not touch it. AWD, 4 doors, large trunk, TT, i could go on and on. Plus you could get one with about 35K on the odo for 22-24K. also being 21 the insurance will be less on the audi, or at least it was when i called about 3 months ago.

[Finiti35]

Originally Posted by CalRSX07

and an issue with the accelerator being jerky in sport mode on really bumpy roads during the 1-2 shift.

Sport mode is supposed to be jerky. It was never meant for low speed city driving. It remaps the throttle, so the slightest blip of the gas will result in the car jerking. I would not call that an issue.

If you really want an M3, wait until you save up and buy a good, low mileage car that's still under warranty (so you can extend it).. like an 03 or an 02 with CPO for around $35K. Don't buy the cheapest M3 you can find just to say you have an M3. There are too many things that can go wrong with a 70k mile, 333hp car... anything from bad window seals to blown speakers to starter problems to dead alternator to oil leaks to suspension wear & tear. And let's not even go into possible issues if the car is SMG. Any aggressively driven car with that many miles will have some issues and you want a pristine one, be it a G or an M. Lastly, decide which car you want more and suits you best, then work towards your goal. They are 2 totally different cars and you shouldn't buy either with the feeling that you're "settling" for it.

Originally Posted by G35Gnome

That is not true ... I have seen posts by more than a couple of people that went from m3 to g35. I am sure they havent done it for performance, but still.

Name one? There was a guy that traded in his 03 Steel Gray for a Nissan Armada, hated the Armada so he traded it for a G as a compromise. There was another guy recently that said he got bored with cars very fast so he sold his 04 SMG because he didn't like the tranny. I do know of a couple of people on here who have a G as a daily and an M3 as a weekend car.. that's about it.

[CalRSX07]

I'm looking at 03 and 04 G35 coupes with navi... around 40k miles on em... any issues i should know about/anythings i should check for specifically? thanks...

[Finiti35]

Do a search... seriously this question gets asked every week. Stay away from early 03's, have the car inspected by the dealer.. that's all

[vasqo]

Originally Posted by Finiti35

...They are 2 totally different cars and you shouldn't buy either with the feeling that you're "settling" for it.

agreed...

BTW it doesnt matter what you get, you will never stop wanting more, be it a G, M, C6, what have you. Whatever car you pick, make sure you feel good in it! ... then you can start looking at stats and such!