tarheel91

Seriously? So when his single experience goes against your claim it's an anomaly, but your single experience which supports it is indicative of a majority of cars? That's some awesome logic. Pro tip: Just because the "Problem" section of your favorite forum is full of people posting about issues with their cars does not mean every car is full of issues. The only reason for many people, car enthusiasts even, to join an online forum is if they need a question about their car answered. Most of those questions are going to be about handling a problem they're experiencing. It's just another example of a small vocal minority drowning out a silent majority.

My point is, the plural of anecdote is not data. Until you conduct a proper survey of thousands of E46 owners, you can't know anything about the reliability of the E46 cars in general.

omairtheman1

I agree that a certain car can be more problematic depending on how it was driven/maintained... or you can just have shitty luck...

but I am coming from a stand point of the OP and he has options before bitting the bullet.

The reason why my opinion matters is because I work on BMW's... it what i've been doing for the past 11 months... I've changed smg pumps to bad torque converters in ZF sourced 5 speeds... to cooling systems in many E36's and E46s. Me being a former 330i owner and having a best friend who has an M3 vert 2005 model year fully loaded with SMG with warranty still remaining... I fully understand and I think I am capable of giving the OP a fair point of view for what it takes to actually maintain a M3.

I love E46s and I realize the driving pleasure that comes from a S54 power plant because I have probably driven 10 E46 M3's in my lifetime.... I am good friends with Kelvin and Josh at located in Long Island BMW Alternative and frequently work on cars with them over at there shop it is located in franklin square and any further information you can get from the link below where people have been recommending them.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=411515

they don't have a website up and running but you can get the number through this thread and ask them about me... I am not a certified tech but that is only cause I wanted to be a Mechanical Engineer in hopes of working for BMW one day designing there engines...

I know E46s and I understand the S54 powerplant.

now the OP has a decision of whether to get a M3 or keep the s2k and I think judging by his other cars that he can afford the maintenance on and M3... which is probably going to be a good 300% more then that of his current S2k that is why I informed him about the costs beforehand.... But if he isn't willing to pay the maintenance that comes with an aged BMW then it is not worth it!

A few things to worry about (in no particular order and i am missing alot of items but i just came home kinda out of it so yeah...)

Costly inspections
Power steering leaks
Tires
Cooling system
Rear subframe being torn out (bmw NA will cover till september 2010 and a year after that, Meaning when you get the car... take it there without any mods and make sure the problem is caught early!)
SMG issues (if you are going that route) (6 speed issues if you are going the other route)
Rear trailing arm bushings
Front control arm bushings... (just installed powerflex polyurethane bushings in my friends M3 and it stiffened the front up)
Maintenance records
bolster wear....
and rear differential bushings

I am no internet goon... I am someone with experience... I don't argue with the likes of you... I back up what I say... any car can hit a 100K or 125k... its the amount of cost and headaches along the way to actually get it there is what matters champ...

To the OP... good luck! if you need any more help with your endeavors you can PM me and I'll be glad to help you

hellaSleepy

Seriously? you like to argue over the internet? No shit you dont need to tell me how a forum works. I never said he was wrong or that I didn't belive him, in fact my neighbors M5 has been trouble free for 100K+ miles. I'm not just basing it off my own experience, enough BMW owners have had the same problems to make it be known. I'm simply saying there IS a majority of other owners whos facing problems after problems. And e46's are known for these issues (cooling problems, torn subframes etc). Any further responses I will ignore, I don't like arguing behind a computer screen

[DT]

I think there's a bit of "sedan-ish" overlap with the M3 vs. the IS. Don't get me wrong, the M3 is a stellar performance car, but the S experience is a bit more minimal and visceral. Personally I like having more of a difference between the driving experiences.

I always liked (and have done it a few times) having a mild mannered, reliable, low operational cost daily combined with an "unlimited" weekend/fun ride. You can SC the S, maybe go higher output later, maybe go turbo? Have fun with suspension swaps, aesthetic tweaks, seats, etc., all at a pretty reasonable cost (vs. some other makes/models). One of my considerations when I bought the S was the cost and availability of aftermarket.

It's great way to go if you enjoying modifying a car and having a safe backup. I also like the mix of a sedan with a convertible, since - depending on your location - there are some "convertible unfriendly" days.

fdelement

ok, thanks everyone for the posts. The s2k is gone. Picking up an 04 M3 SMG vert next week. Its a rare blue exterior with what BMW calls a cinnamon nappa leather. I wanted a vert for sure because i already have a hardtop car, no reason to own two.

I weighed everyone's comments and I am financially able to handle the cost of owning an M3. The good thing is this M3 still have original factory extended maintainence warranty so its going straight back to BMW for full service as soon as I get it.

omairtheman1

good stuff man... just get the rear subframe checked before september of this year... it takes them 2 hours or so to check (depending on how busy dealership is) and after that JUST DRIVE! hope for the best and stay away from SES lights!

GT_NFR

DON"T get a vert M3...it defeats the purpose of the car.

fdelement

I'm not looking at taking the M3 to the track. Just trying to enjoy some socal sun.

GPWonTan

let us know how reliable the car is in the nxt couple of yrs

Chris S

It's counterproductive to pay extra $$$ for an M model, only to handicap it w/ a few hundred lbs. and a lot less chassis rigidity.