Summary:
The best car I've ever owned
Faults:
The CD changer shorted out and reads "error" and will not eject to return my CDs. There have been minor electrical problems, including burnt out bulbs in the odometer and the right bulb in the instrument cluster. Like all BMWs, this one lips brake rotors, but I found an inexpensive conversion to slotted rotors that fixed the problem completely, costing me only $410.00 for rotors, pads and sensors.
General Comments:
This car is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It actually took me a little while to get used to the power band, which starts off relatively tame, but kicks hard around 3000. It feels somewhat similar to a turbo setup. The handling is incrdibly balanced and with the brake mod, stopping is excellent. Actually, stopping is excellent on the stock brakes, you just have to replace them as they get lipped. Operating costs are not that bad at around 26MPG highway and the real time fuel consumption meter under the tach really lets you know how the gas goes when you turn the car loose. All in all, this is probably one of the most reliable and inexpensive sports cars to own and maintain. It's also forgiving enough to accept novice drivers; I've taught more than one person to drive stick in it and they had no problems. The only real drawback is that parts are not cheap, or at least M3 SPECIFIC parts are not cheap. Many of the systems are shared with the standard 3 series allowing you to interchange parts as you find them.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th March, 2006
21st Dec 2006, 10:52
I am looking for an M3 and yesterday I found one. It is a rebuild title. It was hit in the back, but the car looks very good. They asking $5k, do you think it's worth it?
21st Dec 2006, 18:27
How old is the car and is it repaired properly? I don't know how good a deal $5k is as I live in the UK.
21st Dec 2006, 22:40
5K for a 98 M3 is a steal. As long as the car's frame was not damaged I would recommend it as I see 98 M3's selling for much more than that.
22nd Dec 2006, 10:26
I would have the car checked thoroughly and then rechecked. This price is way too low for an M3, even for one with the "faults" listed. The engine alone I believe would cost something like $5K or more to replace.
That said, there are always bargains in this world, and it may be the sellers simply don't realize the value of the car.
If it checks out okay, you've got one of the best deals I've ever heard of!
22nd Dec 2006, 12:07
I firmly believe in the old saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and when it comes to cars, it almost always is.
Nobody would sell an M3 without knowing what it was, or what it was worth. If it's "unbelievably" cheap, there's a reason for it.
5th Feb 2008, 18:40
I found one for $9800 at 110k. In the description the seller writes: "This car was a theft recovery and has a salvage-marked title. A lot of work's been put into it, but it still has a few loose odds and ends, nearly all of which are cosmetic."
If I take it to a mechanic and it checks out is this a good deal for the mileage?