Hi everyone, I am new to this forum.

I am looking to purchase a coupe as a daily driver. I live in California where I transition from a lot of winding roads to driving in the city. I'm considering either a Infiniti G35 Coupe or a BMW E36 M3.

I was wondering how would you guys compare the two in terms of overall performance/handling and overall comfort/practicality, as it will be used as a daily driver. I know that the E36 would certainly out-handle anything in it's time. But I am looking for your opinion on the cars overall driving experience without any heavy mods.

Thanks

 

E36 does drive like no other but the G35 is just a better car all around. You will not be disipointed w/ the G

 

How much money do you have to spend and do you have extra money beyond the initial purchase price for maintenance? Am I correct that an E36 M3 OBD1 car would be a 1995 model year?

 

E36 is the red headed step child of the M3s...E30 or E46 I would consider one of those but not the E36. They look like an early 90s design, just not my thing at all they look to dated and not classic like the E30.

The best thing you can do is drive them back to back and see which you prefer.

 

My friend drives an e36 m3 with the 3.2L engine and a few Dinan upgrades. I can say that without a doubt, his car is faster than mine (I'm stock). BUT I wouldn't trade my G for one because his has 170k miles on it and everything is falling apart from the trim on the inside to the side moldings on the doors.

Get the G. You won't be disappointed.

 

i was in a similar jam before purchasing my g.. and although i truly do love my car i kinda wish i went for the e36 or e46. im not sure but i can predict that gas will be much better than the g and also out handle it for starters. With all the small issues of the g35, and also the infamous oil consumption issue, it feels like infiniti pretty much screwed everyone over. Ive owned two bmws in my life and i can honestly say they are very well engineered cars that are meant to last.

 

What models of BMWs have you owned? How many miles did they have on them and what years were they when you bought each. Also how much did you pay for each and how long did you keep each and how many miles did you drive each? Thanks!

 

First one was an '94 e34 525i for round 3000, bought it with about 160k miles, drove the hell out of it in 2.5 years and sold it around 200k. I can honstly say it NEVER left me stranded or stuck cept once with a flat tire. Older bmws have a history of having bad cooling systems also but as long as i checked the coolant and performed regular oil changes and vanos check, that thing did not stop running.

Second was a '97 e36 318i round 3500. Bought it with close to 120k and drove it till around 135k. This one was a little more rough as far as cosmetics go but ran flawlessly. Again, i had absolutely no problem my entire ownership besides interior peices falling apart and radio. Keep in mind i bought both these carswell before knowing at all on how to maintain a car properly.

depending on what your budget is, if you really do some research you can find a very decent e34,e36, or even e39 for under 5500. Like everyone else has said, you wont be dissapointed in a g35 either but just keep in mind everything that comes with it. gas mileage, recalls, known issues, insurance, etc.
best of luck

 

Performance wise not so sure what the E36 can do but cosmetic wise i wouldnt get anything older than a E46. The E36 just looks really old and outdated imo... but since this is a (performance/handling and overall comfort/practicality) question i guess none of that matters

 

[QUOTE=OmarG35;6424220]i was in a similar jam before purchasing my g.. and although i truly do love my car i kinda wish i went for the e36 or e46. im not sure but i can predict that gas will be much better than the g and also out handle it for starters.
So you have buyers remorse...I shoulda done this , I shouda done that...well I bought the BMW 6 cyl 5 speed with 61000 mi...what a beautiful car..gas mileage 31-33 mpg...handled like no other....BUT......It actually BROKE on the way home the first day...axle bearing....and so to include, front bearing...heater went out, then AC went out. they want $1000 estimate to fix EACH one of those.. then the car started to LEAK, everywhere. all the rubber seals were dried out, cracked, brittle. each seal cost $50. and up.. then the climate control went out. rubber intake connectors, cracked burst open left stranded on the road...WELL its your choice, its YOUR Money...I now drive a G35 for years now...and NOTHING has broken..it is like new...best car I have ever bought...I hope you make the right decision otherwise keep $6000 handy your locat mechinic will just luv you.....

 

I think the e36 definitely would be a ton more fun to drive, you just can't beat the bmw steering feel. The G definitely isn't bad though for a daily driver. It's a newer car, more amenities. It all depends on luck of the draw, but I think you'd definitely have less maintenance issues with the g35, if for nothing else than the years/miles.

That's not saying the g35's performance is terrible. It is pretty quick and has pretty driver friendly tendencies at the limit. I think it compares well with just about any other sports car... but you're comparing it to an m3.

 

I would never buy anything German, I don't care how fast or how good it looks, especialy a USED German. Once they break, be very afraid.

 

Your asking the opinions of a bunch of people on a G35 forum................

 

I had the same problem when trying to decide between and e46 M3 and a g35.

I obviously chose the g35 since I am on here, but let me tell you why!

-G35 cheaper intially, less maintenance, less cost of maintenance were the big 3

also, i wanted to spend money upgrading my car, not fixing it. If you buy an e46 everyone is going to look at you and say baller on a budget, honestly if you can't afford a brand new one I would not get a BMW.

When i first bought my G i had buyers remorse, it was slow! and i was like *&^^%%%, BUT after thrwoing in my spacer z tube exhaust its much faster, and considering i am putting art pipes and 3.5 diff, its only going to get faster.





basically for a DD get the G35, you might have buyers remorse, actually i bet you will! but in the long wrong its the smarter thing to do and no one can deny that.

 

this



the hare and turtle race bro, you might start out faster in an audi or bmw, but what one is more likley going to be there at 200k miles with less up keep cost


edit: if you are going to track and have this as your fun car, get the bmw