Salt
///Member
Same here...never thought I'd even be thinking about one. I'm just considering all factors and comparing all the cars inside and out.
-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
discussion Advice on a non daily BMW, something M or M Light
- Thread starter Salt
- Start date
jayaynikkal
Member
M340i?
UwaisPatel
Member
I daily drove a diesel SUV and a Lexus IS 250 but found myself eager for something that was nippy, fun and fast.
I test drove a RS3 and S3 but when i found a mint F80 M3 for a few thousand rand more I couldn’t pass the opportunity.
As a first time high performance car owner I was highly impressed, the non comp version excited me and kept me on my toes.
Don’t overthink the transition into an F80, you’ll never regret it.
I learnt that the M3 can be used as a daily driver provided you commute on decent roads or it can be the weekend warrior that makes you feel like a child
Consider a 2016/2017 vehicle with few months of plan active and extend it.
Adaptive dampers and adaptive headlights are options to look out for.
Definitely consider the M Performance Exhaust.
Get yourself behind the wheel of an M3, there’s a reason why journalists use it as a benchmark
If you have any other queries regarding an F80 you are more than welcome to inbox me
I’m curious to find out from others how does an M2 competition compare to a non comp F80 M3
MR_Y
Well-known member
For peace of mind, try to get a Porsche approved used car. May not be totally without latent issues, but the extended maintenance plan will give peace of mind.
Interior wise, they are decently built, but not as comfy or high tech as BMW M cars.
50/50.
Trust me here the prices for Tobys beetles and the horrid interiors does make one think twice.
Salt
///Member
Had a look at them...but falls outside my budget. But thanks for the suggestion though.
Appreciate the feedback. No decision made but I have started giving the 'must have' options list some thought already so will remember those two.
Noted - have also been reading your thread.
Salt what is your budget if I may ask? (Unless I may have missed it)
I think it would also assist the guys here in giving you a better informed suggestion.
At the end of the day, go drive everything, only YOU will know the right vehicle once you have driven them all.
Goodluck
I think it would also assist the guys here in giving you a better informed suggestion.
At the end of the day, go drive everything, only YOU will know the right vehicle once you have driven them all.
Goodluck
Salt
///Member
Budget is in the first post. And yes, adding cars to the list as per the recommendations. I'm also sure I'll know when I've driven it.
r0ckf1re
Well-known member
May be heavy on fuel for a daily. Uncertain about the new ones though. Maybe improved but highly doubtful.
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
Salt
///Member
I know its rather (and probably my list totality is off course from the original brief of strictly a non daily) but the car just crossed my mind and thought worst asking right
I know Subaru has in recent years always scored highly in terms of customer satisfaction relating to service. Their interiors I've always felt lacked a bit.
Salt
///Member
So a few things I thought I'd share/document with regards to the thinking process. Right now I am faced with the following decisions:
Weekend car VS daily (replace the 320d)
4 cylinder VS 6 cylinder VS V8
RWD VS AWD
Older interior VS newer interior VS newest interior
Sedan VS coupe
Its funny how the scope has widened - the brief initially was a solid 'non daily'. However the conversations here have made me consider a performance car as a daily. I was dead set on a sedan...however the thought of a coupe has def grown on me - but only as a weekend car of course. Now I need to consider - if a weekend car - what am I willing to spend on a weekend car and have it stand in the garage. Perhaps a car closer to the top end of my budget should be driven more - or should that be the one you keep the mileage low on. I think perhaps this idea has caused me to look at the E90/92 M3 - which can be had for less that the F80/82, and can then also be a coupe as it will be a weekend car. The idea of the M135i has also interested me more - and I think the one reason is the awesome interior - have not driven the car yet. I have been looking at the F80/82 a lot too...what a great car - higher price and perhaps then a daily but not so sure on the reliability if I would change my F30 320d for that as a daily - from what I have read the S55 engine looks to be pretty reliable once the crank hub upgrade has been done. If the M140i is the car...the price must come down - great engine or not - I cannot fathom paying nearly the same for an M140i and an F80/82M or the new M135i Xdrive - same goes for the M240i. The M140i would also have to be a daily...after much thought the M140i just doesn't make sense as a weekend car - I can see more and more that folks have been saying on this topic - the M240i would make sense as a weekender purely cause its a coupe - I am getting the idea OK. The F10 M5...to me, and inline with the evolved thought process I currently have cannot be a weekend car either - just too big - its a performance family car. I really like the interior - yet to drive it - but will try.
Weekend car VS daily (replace the 320d)
4 cylinder VS 6 cylinder VS V8
RWD VS AWD
Older interior VS newer interior VS newest interior
Sedan VS coupe
Its funny how the scope has widened - the brief initially was a solid 'non daily'. However the conversations here have made me consider a performance car as a daily. I was dead set on a sedan...however the thought of a coupe has def grown on me - but only as a weekend car of course. Now I need to consider - if a weekend car - what am I willing to spend on a weekend car and have it stand in the garage. Perhaps a car closer to the top end of my budget should be driven more - or should that be the one you keep the mileage low on. I think perhaps this idea has caused me to look at the E90/92 M3 - which can be had for less that the F80/82, and can then also be a coupe as it will be a weekend car. The idea of the M135i has also interested me more - and I think the one reason is the awesome interior - have not driven the car yet. I have been looking at the F80/82 a lot too...what a great car - higher price and perhaps then a daily but not so sure on the reliability if I would change my F30 320d for that as a daily - from what I have read the S55 engine looks to be pretty reliable once the crank hub upgrade has been done. If the M140i is the car...the price must come down - great engine or not - I cannot fathom paying nearly the same for an M140i and an F80/82M or the new M135i Xdrive - same goes for the M240i. The M140i would also have to be a daily...after much thought the M140i just doesn't make sense as a weekend car - I can see more and more that folks have been saying on this topic - the M240i would make sense as a weekender purely cause its a coupe - I am getting the idea OK. The F10 M5...to me, and inline with the evolved thought process I currently have cannot be a weekend car either - just too big - its a performance family car. I really like the interior - yet to drive it - but will try.
- E90/92 M3 (added as per advice) - Attractive pricing compared to F80/82 and makes more sense as a weekender. The shape never really caught my eye so much, but been looking at it more now and staring to understand it better. The E92 is the one I actually prefer. Don't know much about what preventative maintenance was/is key here or how reliable the motor is. Research needed. Still need to look at and test drive.
- F80 M3 - Great car, great looking. Higher price, makes a little more difficult justifying it to be a weekender - not saying it can't be. S55 motor seems reliable once the crank hub upgrade has been done. Def on the short list. Must say it surprises me how much the interior is same same as my F30 320d... Still need to look at and test drive.
- F82 M4 (added as per advice) The coupe idea def growing on me (ya'll Jedi mind tricks lol ). Same as the F80 really. Def on the short list. Same comment on the interior as the F80. Still need to look at and test drive.
- M140i - great motor, lots of room for visual mods - mad power - and even more so with just a few performance mods. Have moved this to the daily car stable so would mean replacing the F30 320d. Also pretty much the same interior as my F30. Still need to look at and test drive. Falls in the higher end of the budget at current prices but should have lower to mid mileage and a year or two plan left still compared to an F80/82 or E90/92 M.
- M135i (new to the list) - interior is a yes. This car will definitely fall in the daily car stable as well meaning bye bye F30 320d. Drive to be confirmed. Falls almost outside the high end of the budget but will come with lower mileage and about 2 or 3 years of motor plan.
- M240i (added as per advice) Added this one as I don't want to ignore advice. Just really not fond of the front end specifically. Bottom end of the short list and doubt it will stay.
- F10 M5 (added as per advice) - do I want a performance family car - great interior. Still to look at and test drive.
Salt
///Member
Super nice...but adding R100k to that and you can buy an F80. There are even E92 M3's going for R699k. @TurboLlew was right when he said he is glad is he not currently shopping in the current 2nd hand car market climate cause its so overpriced imo. But I keep looking...there are some better priced E92 M3's around...but that said I am in no way set on that car yet...still lots of testing and thinking to do.
On that note - I want to ask what the feeling is on an E46 M3? Never driven one - performance, handling?
TBP88
Well-known member
Don't own an E46, but do have a Z4M so feel confident enough to say that it's really *not* a particularly fast car. A 135i will show it gaps. It's not a car for robot to robot racing, or even high speed runs. It is a car for enjoying on a twisty road when you can shift at the right moments, rev match yourself and so on. S54s are a bit finnicky but the rest of the package is pretty well put together. But you're talking about 20yr old tech really, and it feels that - no satnav, no modern infotainment shit. It's a car. And that's all it is. A fun weekend runabout, but definitely not something you'd want to sit in for the daily commute.
Becomes really hard to compare when your budget is this wide though, I see clean E46M3s for around the R500k+ mark now? At that money it's a dumb car to buy in my mind. You can access superior experiences objectively (hell a clean E46M3 now costs the same as a clean 996C4S), say a decent 997C2S, for similar money. Z4Ms remain a bit undervalued relative to the rest of this market, I think a really clean one shouldn't run you much over R300-350k...
But there are plenty of all of these cars for sale. At the very least go and have a seat in some of them. Spend a saturday AM just visiting dealers, sitting in cars, feeling their interiors, working out what can and cannot be upgraded and whether you like the look of the car in the metal. Then start working out what you want to test drive. I suspect, from what you've said above, that something like an E46M3, Z4M or older 911s will just feel too dated for your needs and desires. But I am just inferring from how you've spoken.
I must reiterate that getting a 235i/M5 or something of that ilk as a "weekend only car" seems really silly. Those are cars explicitly designed to do a lot in one package, it's fast, comfy, well equipped etc. etc. It's very much *not* a weekend car.
Dees_13
Active member
PsyCLown
Well-known member
The whole daily vs weekend thing.So a few things I thought I'd share/document with regards to the thinking process. Right now I am faced with the following decisions:
Weekend car VS daily (replace the 320d)
4 cylinder VS 6 cylinder VS V8
RWD VS AWD
Older interior VS newer interior VS newest interior
Sedan VS coupe
Its funny how the scope has widened - the brief initially was a solid 'non daily'. However the conversations here have made me consider a performance car as a daily. I was dead set on a sedan...however the thought of a coupe has def grown on me - but only as a weekend car of course. Now I need to consider - if a weekend car - what am I willing to spend on a weekend car and have it stand in the garage. Perhaps a car closer to the top end of my budget should be driven more - or should that be the one you keep the mileage low on. I think perhaps this idea has caused me to look at the E90/92 M3 - which can be had for less that the F80/82, and can then also be a coupe as it will be a weekend car. The idea of the M135i has also interested me more - and I think the one reason is the awesome interior - have not driven the car yet. I have been looking at the F80/82 a lot too...what a great car - higher price and perhaps then a daily but not so sure on the reliability if I would change my F30 320d for that as a daily - from what I have read the S55 engine looks to be pretty reliable once the crank hub upgrade has been done. If the M140i is the car...the price must come down - great engine or not - I cannot fathom paying nearly the same for an M140i and an F80/82M or the new M135i Xdrive - same goes for the M240i. The M140i would also have to be a daily...after much thought the M140i just doesn't make sense as a weekend car - I can see more and more that folks have been saying on this topic - the M240i would make sense as a weekender purely cause its a coupe - I am getting the idea OK. The F10 M5...to me, and inline with the evolved thought process I currently have cannot be a weekend car either - just too big - its a performance family car. I really like the interior - yet to drive it - but will try.
I must say the idea of getting rid of the F30 320d is not one I am fond of. I've put so much time, money and effort in to the car and car has been great and still is. Plus I still have a list of to do's on the car lol. And right now the idea of the E92 is starting to interest me more and more - the lower price two door M car makes more sense along with keeping the 320d as a daily. But with none of the cars on the list actually driven - I cannot in any way even think of coming to a decision. I am hoping in sharing my thoughts as I go that it might help someone else later on again. Who knows where my thought process will be after looking and driving some...
- E90/92 M3 (added as per advice) - Attractive pricing compared to F80/82 and makes more sense as a weekender. The shape never really caught my eye so much, but been looking at it more now and staring to understand it better. The E92 is the one I actually prefer. Don't know much about what preventative maintenance was/is key here or how reliable the motor is. Research needed. Still need to look at and test drive.
- F80 M3 - Great car, great looking. Higher price, makes a little more difficult justifying it to be a weekender - not saying it can't be. S55 motor seems reliable once the crank hub upgrade has been done. Def on the short list. Must say it surprises me how much the interior is same same as my F30 320d... Still need to look at and test drive.
- F82 M4 (added as per advice) The coupe idea def growing on me (ya'll Jedi mind tricks lol
- M140i - great motor, lots of room for visual mods - mad power - and even more so with just a few performance mods. Have moved this to the daily car stable so would mean replacing the F30 320d. Also pretty much the same interior as my F30. Still need to look at and test drive. Falls in the higher end of the budget at current prices but should have lower to mid mileage and a year or two plan left still compared to an F80/82 or E90/92 M.
- M135i (new to the list) - interior is a yes. This car will definitely fall in the daily car stable as well meaning bye bye F30 320d. Drive to be confirmed. Falls almost outside the high end of the budget but will come with lower mileage and about 2 or 3 years of motor plan.
- M240i (added as per advice) Added this one as I don't want to ignore advice. Just really not fond of the front end specifically. Bottom end of the short list and doubt it will stay.
- F10 M5 (added as per advice) - do I want a performance family car - great interior. Still to look at and test drive.
If you're spending all this money on a vehicle, surely you want to enjoy it and drive it. Not just let it sit in the garage and drive it occasionally only?
That is just me though, I know some people like collecting cars and have them sitting around just looking pretty... For me, a car is more about the enjoyment you get out of driving it. If I just wanted to look at a nice car I could simply look at photos. It is not exciting for me.
The M3 and M5 I feel are great options as they are the right combination of daily driver comfort, yet when you want to hoon it and have fun on a weekend (or during the week, when in the mood) you can do so... Kinda like superman, all plain and normal - you whack it into sport mode, press on the accelerator and it is like he has changed outfits and is ready to take whatever he does (I last watched Superman when I was a kid, so may not be the best analogy. lol)
I think you get the idea though.
The M5 you may be taking a step up in terms of creature comforts compared to the 320d, where the M3 and 320d I think are extremely similar in terms of the comforts they come with.
M3 and 3 series in general are more common and popular and you see more boy racers driving them, compared to a 5 series or M5 as mentioned earlier in this thread.
To me the appeal behind the M3 and M5 is the fact that they are soo versatile. It's not a lambo which is super wide, hard suspension, gull wing doors which make it challenging to park in certain spots, super low which means you cannot easily take use the drive through at KFC etc.
Yet they have some serious performance behind them too. They're more than comfortable enough to drive daily as well.
Imagine going to work one day, and on the way home you feel like having a bit of fun. Although you're in your 320d, while the 135KW is reasonable it can't compare to what an M3 or M5 can put out... Now you're stuck in your slower, more economical car... which is comfortable, but isn't bringing a smile to your face anymore.
If you got rid of the 320d the above situation would be avoided and you can have fun all day everyday, when you feel like it. Never need to worry about missing a moment where your vehicle can bring a smile to your face
I think you might as well remove the m240i from your list. Does not sound as if it is the car for you. If you do not like the way it looks, do not buy it. Especially as a weekend car. All that money on a car which you are not 100% happy with is a waste IMO. I think you may regret it.
Is the M135i the new one which is either xDrive or FWD (F40?)
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Salt
///Member
Appreciate the feedback. I will bank the advice and take it in to account. The finances is def something to take in to account...I am willing to spend the money but need to be OK with/accept what is in the garage is costing money. The 320d will be difficult to get rid of - I really enjoy it and still after 3 years look back at it when walking away. Also, not stock so enough power for me for the daily commute and an awesome long distance holiday car. Anyway - so much to take in to account and I've received so much food for thought here so far. Yes - I am referring to the F40 135i.The whole daily vs weekend thing.
If you're spending all this money on a vehicle, surely you want to enjoy it and drive it. Not just let it sit in the garage and drive it occasionally only?
That is just me though, I know some people like collecting cars and have them sitting around just looking pretty... For me, a car is more about the enjoyment you get out of driving it. If I just wanted to look at a nice car I could simply look at photos. It is not exciting for me.
The M3 and M5 I feel are great options as they are the right combination of daily driver comfort, yet when you want to hoon it and have fun on a weekend (or during the week, when in the mood) you can do so... Kinda like superman, all plain and normal - you whack it into sport mode, press on the accelerator and it is like he has changed outfits and is ready to take whatever he does (I last watched Superman when I was a kid, so may not be the best analogy. lol)
I think you get the idea though.
The M5 you may be taking a step up in terms of creature comforts compared to the 320d, where the M3 and 320d I think are extremely similar in terms of the comforts they come with.
M3 and 3 series in general are more common and popular and you see more boy racers driving them, compared to a 5 series or M5 as mentioned earlier in this thread.
To me the appeal behind the M3 and M5 is the fact that they are soo versatile. It's not a lambo which is super wide, hard suspension, gull wing doors which make it challenging to park in certain spots, super low which means you cannot easily take use the drive through at KFC etc.
Yet they have some serious performance behind them too. They're more than comfortable enough to drive daily as well.
Imagine going to work one day, and on the way home you feel like having a bit of fun. Although you're in your 320d, while the 135KW is reasonable it can't compare to what an M3 or M5 can put out... Now you're stuck in your slower, more economical car... which is comfortable, but isn't bringing a smile to your face anymore.
If you got rid of the 320d the above situation would be avoided and you can have fun all day everyday, when you feel like it. Never need to worry about missing a moment where your vehicle can bring a smile to your face
I think you might as well remove the m240i from your list. Does not sound as if it is the car for you. If you do not like the way it looks, do not buy it. Especially as a weekend car. All that money on a car which you are not 100% happy with is a waste IMO. I think you may regret it.
Is the M135i the new one which is either xDrive or FWD (F40?)
Salt
///Member
I like the car very much...was quite a bit outside my budget when I started on this mission. Must say though...I am really leaning towards the coupe idea since the lot here have suggested it.
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