I need some help weighing my options.

Sorry to say, I think I'm about to venture away from Honda for the first time in my life. Although I love my car, I would love to have some of the luxuries we Honda guys aren't accustomed to having. I think I am prepared for the difference in reliability for the pursuit of good old fashioned torque, but I guess we'll see.

Here is my problem. My office is 38 miles from my house. I drive about 25,000 miles a year. My commute to work is pretty rural with traffic lights about every 5 miles. I drive 55-65 miles an hour, so I'll be able to get near maximum highway mpg for most of the 25,000 miles.

I want an M3. I've always wanted an M3, but a 335is would obviously be a more practical choice for the amount of driving I do. I would rather buy new but may consider a used M3.

This is what I'm thinking:

I'm not prepared to spend, nor would my wife allow, a $70,000 car purchase. I will try and find a used E90 M3 sedan. If I can find, say, an '09 with less than 10,000 miles in the neighborhood $50,000, this would make me overlook that fact that someone else owned the car. Plus, a large percentage of the initial depreciation has been realized and that will soften the blow on my total cost per mile. I really like the look of the sedan. It would also be nice to be able to put a child seat in the back or take a few clients to lunch.

The other option is that I order a 2011 335is. I'm guessing it's going to cost me about $55,000 to buy the one I want. I don't like the 335 sedan, so I would lose some cargo practically versus the M3. I would love to order the car brand new and do a Performance Delivery to enjoy the experience. To me, this is a huge plus. There is something to be said about picking up your brand new car, especially my first BMW. The cost to maintain the 335 will be about the same if I order it with 19's like the M3 would have.

I think the biggest difference will be the fuel cost. I get about 28mpg in my S2000. I'm guessing I will get 18-20mpg in the M3 and 26-28mpg in the 335is. This is on my commute, obviously not during spirited driving.

What am I missing? Am I crazy to buy a V-8 M3 and drive it that much?

Thanks for your input in advance.

 

335i + turboback/flash = win

 

If you can spend 55 grand on a vehicle, you shouldn't worry about the gas, haha!

(I accidentally quoted the wrong post, oops)

 

I thought about trading for a 335i but after research they had fuel pump and overheating issues.

 

Test drive. Then decide if the maintnace on the M is worth it to you.

 

I no longer drive my co-workers to lunch, they drive me now, which saves me gas money and wear and tear on my car. S2000 FTW.

If you want an M3... I don't think you'll be happy unless you get the M3. So just get it.

 

I HIGHLY recommend not buying an M3 if you plan on putting a 25,000 miles on a year. That is a lot. You will blow past that oh-so-valuable warranty in no time. If you must, I would look into a CPO that would extend it to 100k. Expect to average around 16-17mpg in the M3 and mid to low 20's in the 335is.

Once again, you are absolutely crazy for buying the V8 and driving it that much. I say wait a little bit longer and get something you dont mind driving/beating along with the M3.

The bill for your tires will be outrageous. With that said, it is truly in my top 3 tangible cars I will own one day. Sick, sick sick car!

 

Here's a thought: used 330i with low miles for like $20k and save $35,000.

No way I'd be spending $50-55k on a brand-new 335is or year-old M3 only to depreciate the bejeezus out of them in no time at all. Yikes.

Just a thought...

 

my dad has a dinan 335i. its a quick car now. will beat a M3. He averages 23.5 mpg. he drives the car about 7k a year though. Mostly to cars and coffee, and his moms house. lol. (hes retired). but the car handles surprisingly well.

 

get the m3 and a beater