im looking for a second car with four seats and thought an M3 would be a nice compromise between space and performance. i test drove an '03 coupe with the 6 speed manual this morning -- man was it a clunker compared to the S. im not convinced i could ever get comfortable driving the thing after being spoilt with the S. imo, the M3 transmission is absolutely terrible compared to the S and really takes the enjoyment out of an otherwise very nice car.

anyone here own both the M3 and the S?

for giggles i also took out an '03 M5, and was actually pleasantly surprised. it was much much more comfortable than the M3 - not as cramped and the driver seat position seemed much deeper, like the S - compared to the M3 it has a lot more room in the front and the back -- M3 was too small to function as a real four seater. the M5 had 40K miles and listed at $42K. also preferred the transmission in the M5 over the M3.

it was nice to have all the power down low, but driving these sporty german sedans made me appreciate the S a thousand times more. i enjoyed my ride home with the top down much more than the test drives -- you just cant beat this car in terms of everyday driving enjoyment, imo.

anyone driven a 997s back-to-back with the S? wud be interested to hear how they compare in terms of daily driving enjoyment.

 

My roommate drives a M3 and I agree about the transmissions, they are not that smooth or nice shifting at all. His beater Audi 90 has a much better feel to it.

I was out test driving stuff today to replace my current winter car and was really impressed with the Audi A4 so I think I might get one of those.

 

PM Rick (S4Play) or Pointdexter. Rick has both, and Pointdexter had an s2000, and now has an m3. I also agree about the M3 tranny. 2 of my friends have M3s, and the tranny is pretty crappy as it is, and when compared to the s2000, its just a piece of sh!t (in comparison). If I were you, the m5 would be a MUCH better choice. You already have a sports car, and a fast 4 door would be ideal. Comfortable, looks good, pretty reliable (Much more than the m3), and overall, a much better car.

 

[QUOTE=mikey stone,Feb 11 2007, 02:27 AM]im looking for a second car with four seats and thought an M3 would be a nice compromise between space and performance.

 

i've driven a 997 c4 and was not that impressed.

to be brief:

-car was too quiet
-not that quick
-too luxerious
-too soft

 

every tranny feels like crap after driving the S2000.

Even the supposedly ''great'' tranny in the TSX feels like $hit to me!

 

would a short shifter imrpove the feel enough for you to be happy with purchasing the car?

 

also, have you tried the SMG? at first i thought it would feel lame, but it is actually pretty awesome. and i promise you that you will never drive another car with a shorter shifter throw. lol.

p.s. i dont own one. i've just driven a ton of them

 

Not really, Miata has been the benchmark for almost 2 decades..

 

I'm on the same ropes too... Been toying with the idea of trading in the S for a M3, but with the SMG package.

Is it just the way it shifts that you don't like? The S compare to a M3 is more of true sports car... I see the M3 as a sport luxury car.