Check out the CPO and Maintenance Warranty packages that BMW offers or if you are lucky in finding an M3 from a seller with this extended maintenance warranty. This warranty is transferable and covers things like brake pads, rotors, oil, belts and inspection. When the warranty is purchased, BMW simply takes the customers money before they perform the services and probably puts it into an interest bearing account. Then they pay themselves when they perform the service; just speculating. This way service is cheaper and less hassle for the customer and better for BMW too. I ran this idea by my Infiniti service manager and it went into one ear and out the other with little resistance. I would not buy an M3 (any year) without this warranty unless you know a good garage, skilled with M3’s, which can help cut the costs of the service department. I am in the same boat, my friend. It is not if I am going to get an e46 M3. It is when.

 

There could be nothing worse than buying a car you can't really afford. Stick with the G35 it sounds like you could only just afford to buy the G. If you swap cars you will loose money on the swap, making the M3 even more expensive, since you couldn't really afford the M3 at the get go, then you definitely can't afford the M3 after you take the hit from selling the G. Save your money and use it for other things like saving for a rainy day. I would stick with the G35 until you have paid it off AND saved enough to buy your next car with cash. I imagine a 5 year loan adds atleast 25% to the cost of ownership.

 

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Financially, it makes more sense to buy an 02-04 M3 than an 06 G35, given price and depreciation rate for both are the same. You lose 5 grand the moment you drive your brand new '06 G off the lot and your car will depreciate the most during its first 2 years. Whereas the M3's initial depreciation has already leveled off...

From a car enthusiast perspective, it makes more sense to buy an M3 as well - it's clearly a better car with better engineering and more power. The difference between '03 and '06 G35 is HUGE, the difference between '03.5 and '06 M3 is NONE (except for mp3 and BT). So whether you're buying an '03 or an '06 M, it's all the same thing, you're not missing out on anything.

Trust me, I've been on both sides... Whatever you do, make sure the M3 is under factory or CPO warranty, you can extend the factory warranty, but if it's already expired it will be near impossible to get even an aftermarket one. If you're looking at the cheapest M3 you can find just to say you got an M3 - keep the G.

 

Agree 100%, I got the no hassle warranty with my e46 lease and they took care of EVERYTHING. Oil change, weird noises, buttons malfunctioning, fog lights out of commision, headlamp burn, pretty much anything... They will definately take care of you unless you get in an accident, then hopefully your insurance will take care of you.

That, my friend, is a major reason why I lease my G and my other cars.

 

the new m3s are on their way... wait abt 3-4 months till they are released it should drive down prices for the 02-03s .... also do your due diligence ...

also, as some have said here that getting into a used car could lead to buyers remorse more so than getting into a new... however tempting an m3 is i would say stick with the new G and then push yourself further and harder in life to go for your dream of a new m3...

 

Hmm... how about save the money first and try to get a property, an apartment/condo or whatever, and sell the property and gain profit from it and you can enjoy a M5 or M6 =)

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but if after I had graduated I had worked and saved every penny i had had for last three years and tried (used credit card fixed rate APR and loan and maybe some parental support) to get a $250,000 condo instead of my G and Armani clothes and expensive food, I would have had net profit $300,000 now. Although, there is no denying that having the G did give me some advantages on hooking up with girls for now, hehehe

Housing pricing is going down as interest rates incline. Now might be a good opportunity to save some money and wait for the right investment time; if you do loan it's going to be too expensive now anyway.

 

definitely not gonna see the profit we've seen last 4 years.

 

M3 has better "engineering"? LMAO

 

I would’ve agree with you on it, if someone was deciding to purchase either one of the cars from the offset, but if that someone had already purchased a brand new car and now is looking to switch to an similarly price used car like this thread starter did? not only he is going to take hit on the depreciation like you’ve stated but might have to pay full sale’s tax again on his next car, not sure what is the sale’s tax law in NY but as you have kindly point it out to me before, that some States do allow you to deduct the trade-in value onto next car so you might pay less sale’s tax but in Ca? they don’t allow such thing so we have to pay full sale’s tax which could be other 3k, with that on top of depreciation on his current car, from Financial point of view? to switch car now will make minimum sense at best, however that havent kept you from change cars as often as you did in the pass.

Well, the question at hand wasn’t really about which car is better, and we have plenty of that kind of discussions on here before and sure don’t want this thread turn into pissing contest, speaking of which, there is new thread about which car is faster…

I didn’t bring up the CPO or extend warranty cus I wasn’t sure if you can purchase extend warranty if you wasn’t the original owner or if you can get CPO’d from any used lot other than from BMW dealership …, Altho it isn’t scientific but older car are tend to have more problems than the new cars, sure, extend warranty/CPO are good for your pocket when something goes wrong and it do wonders for peace of mind and with influx of cell phones and likes of On Star/BMW assist, breaking down on the side of road become less of hassle but nevertheless still an hassle to wait for tow truck and if its after business hours? You have to figure out the way home and back to dealership or work next day and that’s on top of dealing with dealership regarding the repairs and we all have bad experience with it from dealership, that’s what I meant when I said “I prefer new car than old” and wasn’t base on car itself like G35 over M3...ect, I have said this before, I would take brand new Civic over 03 G35.

 

Ummmm...leased car do not depreciates?

 

Actually, yes, try reverse-engineering both, compare build and material quality, etc etc. That isn't to say the G35 is a badly engineered car - but I've seen both cars torn apart and I can tell you, BMW didn't put styrofoam behind the M3's grill.

Look who says that At least I drive my cars, someone's Element and G35 were bought to be garage queens But I'll agree, he's gonna eat a big chunk of depreciation at this point...

You think only old cars break down and not new ones? Spend a day at your dealer's service department and you'll be amazed at how many e60's and e90's get towed to the dealer everyday. Or go to M5board and count the Vanos line problems and SMG failures. Reliability has a lot more to do with how the car was made and how you take care of it than with age per se If you're one who must only drive the latest and the greatest, that's a different story

 

^^+1

a car's reliability has nothin (or almost nothing) to do with the car been new or old. a 1996 honda civic w/ 150 thousand miles will run the next 150 thousand w/ less problems than a G or a BMW (or combined) will for its first 150 thousand (wait, who knows if a G or a modern day BMW can even last till it's first 150 thousand miles.. :/).

I worked in a VW dealership for a lil while (part of my job) and i see plenty of brand new VWs coming in for various services and repairs. to me it was rediculous coming from owning hondas and NEVER had problems.

one thing i do have to agree though is that BMW is much better engineered than our G35s.. but then again, well-engineered cars dont mean "reliable" cars. they are two different things.
Porches have amazing engineerings, but they are not reliable and have NEVER been reliable vehicals (so are Ferraris and all the "exotics"). but i'll still trade my arm, leg, and left nut for an F430!!

 

i was in the same boat, but once i heard that the major service at 50k was nearly 2,000 bucks i backed out as well as paying more for an older car. i modded the G 6mt (sways, plenum, chip, flywheel, clutch, short shifter, intake, z tube, headers, pulley, highflow cats)and I keep up with the M's and get mad respect from them. i think the G is a much sexier car then the M3 that gets confused with 3 series not to mention the raspy exhaust compared to the sexy exhaust note from the G. If your talkin about handling if you look at the skidpad ratings from car and driver or raod and track i forgot which one, it rates the M at .91 and G at .89 add some sways and i think your there. If you can afford it, go for it, the M will be a classic, but in all fairness the G35 bites at the heel's of the M3.

 

[QUOTE=Finiti35]Actually, yes, try reverse-engineering both, compare build and material quality, etc etc. That isn't to say the G35 is a badly engineered car - but I've seen both cars torn apart and I can tell you, BMW didn't put styrofoam behind the M3's grill.

QUOTE]


You've reversed-engineered a G35 and M3? LMAO Are you an Engineer? German electronics are horrible. The BMW ought to have better material quality for the significantly higher cost of a M3 vs. a G35. Build quality? You mentioned in the same reply about the M5 problems, and how many E60's and E90's get towed to the dealer every day.