I'll preface this with some background. I'm 25 and have owned...well a lot of cars. I typically only own anything for a year. Here's my car list in order:

1995 Honda del Sol S
1996 Acura Integra GSR
1994 Honda del Sol VTEC (missed the targa)
2001 Honda s2000 (was in school and had the opportunity to own one of my dream cars)
1999 Acura Integra GSR (wanted to not have a car payment, but ended up spending a ton on repairs)
2009 Honda Civic Si Sedan (wanted to never deal with repairs)
2006 Honda s2000 (missed the s2000)

Now, I LOVE my car. I went back to it because it was the 1 car I always regretted getting rid of. But there are some things I now don't really like. When I had my last one I was in school and really didn't drive it much. My GF at the time had a nice car (04 330i) that we took most places. When I got this one I had only been on 1 date with my now girlfriend and was in the mindset of being single and not needing any real room in a car. Now that I'm in a long term relationship, the lack of room is an issue sometimes. She has a 05 Mazda 3 wagon, but I end up driving a lot right now when we go out because she lives on the other side of town and has to drive pretty far just to come see me. When we pick up food or buy anything, it's tough to fit it all in the trunk since we don't have room in the car itself for large items.

+ It is AMAZING to drive, I love that car.
+ It is small/compact/no bullshit
+ It's a Honda and currently covered by a warranty
- My soft top has a few tears that can bet patched, but the top will need replacing at some point soon.
- there are small squeaks and creeks due to the soft top.
- NO room.

Now I know the lack of room argument is weak, and I'm thinking it's going to be less of an issue after this month. I'm moving in with my girl this month so we'll have better/more convenient access to her car when running errands and the like. I'll also say this, I realize I could have made her drive more all along, but I make a good bit more than her and can afford to drive us around more than she can. Since she's always driving to come see me I don't want to make her drive around after that. She's starting a new job this week (making more $) and our new apartment is ~5mins to either of our jobs so she's said she would drive more when needed.

I've been thinking about what I could possibly replace the s2000 with, and had no luck really. I need whatever I would sell it for to fit a few criteria:

- Fun to drive, I can't drive anything boring.
- Have some room, but still be a small car.
- Be recent (02+)
- Cost less than 20k (I'm paying the most I'm willing to pay a month for the s2000 and won't go higher)
- Needs to be nice enough stock. (if I'm doing this I won't have much left over for mods)

I hadn't found anything and had decided to stick with the s2000 until a friend informed me that E46 M3's are now in the $17-20k range for 02-04 models. This car fits everything I'd want out of a possible replacement but introduces the gamble of owning a BMW out of warranty. My dad works in the service department of a local BMW dealer now and could get me a deal on any work I need, but he's also aware of how many potential problems there can be.

M3:
+ Fits all criteria I'd want out of a car to replace the s2k with
- could be a maintenance nightmare for my wallet.
- I've never owned a non-Honda. I know them inside and out so I'm a bit scared to move away from that.

This ended up longer than I thought, but I'm asking for a bit of advice here. My current plan is to do my research on the M3 to figure out how solid a car they really are and see how it goes once I move in with my girlfriend. Does anyone here have experience with E46 M3's? It would be a daily and my only car.

 

I have said it before and will say it again a thousand times! Keep the S for fun and get a beater to do errands . Get a used Civic for gas mileage or used Subaru wagon for winter and or utility !

 

My brother in-law drives a 2003 E46 M3 which he picked up used. I have drive the car before, and I have to say it was kind of a beautiful drive... Unfortunately I do not have enough seat time to give a comprehensive review but I love the way the car looks...

He does complain a whole lot about the cost for repairs and maintenance. I think the oil change alone is a few hundred dollars

I suppose if u have a small commute to and from work then it'd be alright...

 

Buy an M3 and repeat this post in 9 months in your quest for attention.

Unless you are picking up a whole calf, I cannot imagine not being able to fit the groceries you and your girlfriend require for a night (or even a week) in your trunk.

 

Trust me, that's not bad. I'm on #4 S and like 17th vehicle in 4-5 years ... This S is gonna be unpractical for my needs since I'm moving away, but this time I'm gonna just part out the extras and leave it parked. No point in searching for #5 because I've accepted that I'm drawn to them. If I have one at home, I won't be surfing craigslist/ebay/s2ki for another one. In the mean time I'll leave it parked until I can turn it into the highway terror I've always envisioned.

The only time I see it practical to get rid of the S is if there's a car that's similar but does everything better in every way (thus making the S obsolete). One of the cars I would probably drop the S for is an E92 M3 or GTR because that would render my S useless. But at any rate, good luck haha...

 

In reply to the title:

NEVER~!

in all seriousness, the cost of ownership isn't as bad as what everyone says, esp when you have your father working at BMW.

You can do basic maintenances yourself and there should be some M3 owners around your area that will help you out.

BUT, the interval of fixing things on the M3 will be a lot often than any of the Honda you've owned, along with some electric bugs.

You should also think of the gas mileage it gets. I averaged about 16~21MPG (70% city driving over the period of 3 years on my 2004.5) I got tired of feathering the throttle after a while to save $$. LOL

Just because of it's a BMW, don't think it is squeeks-free. it has plenty squeeks and rattles.

but overall, it is a beautiful car, drives nice and fast with 4 people. I remember doing 145MPH with 4 people in the car with each of us drinking a nice cup of coffee, thinking i was doing at most 110mph.

good luck in searching!

 

Maintenence cost is more of a worry to me than having room, since as I stated I will have easier access to her car this month if we need it.

Thank you for your oh so helpful reply. This is obviously just a ploy for attention and not me weighing potential options and hoping some people with more experience with the possible replacement can chime in with some advice.

Normal grocery shopping is fine, but when we make Target runs or anything that might involve a big purchase (size wise) it can be an issue. I've already said that we'll be able to use her car more here soon so the space thing may not even be an issue. It's also annoying if we go pickup drive-through food and it has to sit in her lap on the drive home. I realize that's no reason to get rid of a car, and it's not the only/main reason.

Even if I'm getting a discount, if it's frequent costs it's going to negate any positives I have with the car. I have a warranty on the s2000 that'll last the next few years so anything aside from wear items is handled for me, which is really nice to have.

My plan right now is to keep the s2000, as 17-20k M3's are the bottom of the price range and that means they could be beatup or have high mileage/need work. I'll keep doing some research but I think I'll end up spending less money by just keeping the car I have.

 

You can get a nice STi with a lot of power and room for your needs. 04-07's are pretty solid, with the 04-05 having the better factory tune.

The RX8 would also fit your description a little better and is more akin to the S2000. The only gripes I ever hear about the RX8 are the gas mileage.

I would also consider an R32 if I were to be in your shoes again. I loved my S2000 and went to an 04 STi, which I also love. but the R32's are just so sweet! The only thing with the R32, since I have two kids I can't fit their huge double stroller in the back of that thing!

 

I sold my ap1 for an R32. Thought it would be more 'practical'.
Sold the R32 in 5 months because it was boring and I missed the S2000.
Now I have an AP2. As a second car, the R32 would be awesome but as my only car it wasn't as fun. The AWD and interior was awesome, the power was a little lacking and the mpg's weren't as good as I expected but I would buy another one if I needed a 2nd car.

Keep the car and get a beater.

 

I have an E90 M3, and have driven a couple of GT-R's, and IMO neither renders the S useless. I'd love to be able to get rid of the S w/o missing it, but as great as the M3 is, it just can't impersonate a 1000 lb. lighter 2 seat convertible sports car. Plus punching it on public streets gets you to "go to jail" speeds way too quick!