Ci vs M3?

[brandonbmw]

Guys what’s happeninnnnnn

So I’d love to know what you guys rate between a 325ci, a 330ci and the e46 m3?

I drove the 330ci but haven’t gotten the chance to drive the m3. What are your thoughts and opinions?

The 325ci would be manual but the 330ci probably auto and the m3 would be smg.

All of your opinions are welcomed and appreciated


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[Nukleuz]

GO and drive an m3.
It will answer all the questions you don't even know that you have yet.


P.S Good luck finding an m3 that you would be proud to own.

 

[M135i]

Opinion regarding what exactly?

 

[brandonbmw]

Opinion regarding what exactly?

Sorry lol that was vague of me


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Opinion regarding what exactly?

Opinions of if it’s worth buying a ci. Issues with the motors etc. (not sure what info I’m looking for exactly lol. Just anything you guys have to say really) nice to know what you guys think of the ci’s and the m3


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[tman]

cant really compare a ci to an m3, thats like comparing a RV to a convertible.

Sure, they might look similar, but thats where the comparison stops. They are vastly different vehicles.

 

[NAS325ci]

Two very different cars bro e46 M3 is on another level than the ci.. the ci is a nice car but not a fun car depends what u want out of it bro...

 

[TBP88]

What is (1) your purchase budget, and (2) your immediate maintenance budget.

If (1) < 250k, forget an M3, OR if (2) < 75k, forget an M3.

The 330ci we got was the convertible as well, no coupe 330's here, we did get the 325i and 323i coupes though.

 

[brandonbmw]

Oh snap I’m sorry guys lmao what I actually wanted to ask was that I’m getting the m3 lol but I also like a ci but if the difference isn’t all that big then I won’t bother with a ci I’ll get a mk5 gti or something (as in getting an m3 as well as whatever else) to use as my daily


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[Nick]

CI would be a good daily.
I'v driven a e46 SMG m3, it was like nothing else iv handled before.

 

[TBP88]

Would personally get something more practical and simple as a daily than another BMW, G5TDI or a 320d (e46/e90) would be better bets than another performance-ey car.

 

[Bernard///M3]

I wouldn’t daily the e46 M3, merely for the fact they becoming so scarce and appreciating in value. I would keep it as a weekend car
Then if u go for an e46 M3 get a Manual
But as mentioned above if you want a relatively decent M3 it’s going to cost over R250k also bear in mind maintenance, so depends on your budget

 

[AdiS]

Oh snap I’m sorry guys lmao what I actually wanted to ask was that I’m getting the m3 lol but I also like a ci but if the difference isn’t all that big then I won’t bother with a ci I’ll get a mk5 gti or something (as in getting an m3 as well as whatever else) to use as my daily


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I own a 330i as my daily as well as an m3. Both are manual.

I daily drove my m3 for a year.

I far prefer the 330i as a daily simply because my daily commute isn’t all that exciting and therefore I wasn’t having any more fun in an m3. The 330 is more comfortable, more fuel efficient and far less intimidating from a maintenance point of view.

The 330i, is however, kind of boring compared to the m3 if you’re looking for an exciting drive. But it’s perfect for the daily slog. The m3 is just a bit more tiresome on a daily basis. It does depend on what kind of routes you drive though.

Oh, and take the budget numbers that Thomas is suggesting seriously. If you want to daily drive an m3 then you need to de risk it properly.
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[brandonbmw]

Oh snap I’m sorry guys lmao what I actually wanted to ask was that I’m getting the m3 lol but I also like a ci but if the difference isn’t all that big then I won’t bother with a ci I’ll get a mk5 gti or something (as in getting an m3 as well as whatever else) to use as my daily


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I own a 330i as my daily as well as an m3. Both are manual.

I daily drove my m3 for a year.

I far prefer the 330i as a daily simply because my daily commute isn’t all that exciting and therefore I wasn’t having any more fun in an m3. The 330 is more comfortable, more fuel efficient and far less intimidating from a maintenance point of view.

The 330i, is however, kind of boring compared to the m3 if you’re looking for an exciting drive. But it’s perfect for the daily slog. The m3 is just a bit more tiresome on a daily basis. It does depend on what kind of routes you drive though.

Oh, and take the budget numbers that Thomas is suggesting seriously. If you want to daily drive an m3 then you need to de risk it properly.
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Sweet, yeah my daily driving literally is nothing lol I do like 8000kms a year I hardly go anywhere, so maybe the 330 as a daily would be decent. Especially coming from you who has the 2 lol.

What is the consumption like on the 330?

But it sounds sweet though if it’s comfortable and a decent drive as a daily then I may as well especially because the car isn’t too pricey

 

[Preshen14]

If I understand correctly, You buying a 46 M and want to know if it is worth buying a CI as a daily along with the M?

A CI obviously lacks a lot when it comes to performance compared to the M3, even the 330ci is no match to the M3, although they both have 3 litre motors, it is an entirely different engine.

I guess you can daily a 325/330CI but why would you buy two E46's at the same time? And even though you can daily a CI, they are not the "cheapest" cars to use as a daily in terms of petrol. They are very good cars though.

If you already own a E46 M3 and wanted to buy a CI, yeah ... But at the same time, Never heard someone doing that. Lol

I have a 330i, and wouldn't mind buying an M3 plus keeping my current car.

What is your requirements as a daily? Let's start with that.

Since you mentioned CI, does it have to be a two door or convertible? Lol

If so, go for an E36 328i vert.

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Sweet, yeah my daily driving literally is nothing lol I do like 8000kms a year I hardly go anywhere, so maybe the 330 as a daily would be decent. Especially coming from you who has the 2 lol.

What is the consumption like on the 330?

But it sounds sweet though if it’s comfortable and a decent drive as a daily then I may as well especially because the car isn’t too pricey
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I average about 10l/100KM with mixed driving, traffic etc.

And mine is an auto, so it is more heavy.

In simpler terms - I get about 500-600km on a tank of fuel that costs R840 to fill.

Long distance is where I see good mileage if driven properly. (even though they good daily's, it is not economical cars)

 

[AdiS]

Something I forgot the mention, which is something that hardly anyone ever talks about is the difference in character. Often I hear people describe the 330i as the 'poor man's M3'. If you take character into account, nothing could be further from the truth. That is not to say that the 330i is a bad (or slow) car, but the way it feels overall is just so different to the M3.

The easiest example I can use is how the engine responds. On the M3, the throttle is razor sharp, and the power delivery is urgent with a real sense of occasion. The S54 makes a glorious noise under full load, and really screams to redline. You really are well rewarded for driving the car hard.

The 330i, on the other hand, delivers good performance but with so much less drama. The throttling on the M54 is quite lethargic, and the power delivery is smooth and torquey, but it doesn't really feel all that exciting when reaching redline. The sound is also quite muted. This all contributes to a refined and pleasant experience, but it's really not all that exciting. The car actually feels a little slower than it actually is because it's so smooth and refined.

 

[telegamer]

I owned a 325ci and M3 SMG at the same time, the ci was sedate with enough power on tap to get it going,the m3 is a drivers car, use it on weekends for a Saturday morning blast or Sunday drive, terrible to use daily, I find M cars tiresome on a daily basis...that being said, it’s one of the best M cars out there, and That’s why I’m in the market for another one , hard to find clean examples at a good price...

 

[TBP88]

Also, just for clarity I have never owned or driven an E46M3 (or a ci for that matter, just driven 320ds and 325i 4 door e46s before).

But I do daily my S54 engined Z4M, it's not easy to drive and on the rare occasions when I am forced to sit in traffic it is extremely unpleasant.

But most of my driving is open and gives the car time to stretch it's legs. I do think these guys are underrating the cars appeal as a cruiser as well, certainly traffic and stop start is horrible, but cruising at 120-130 in 6th and then slotting it down a cog to fly past trucks and the slowbies is an immense pleasure... And if anything I'd guess the M3 is even better for this given it's a bigger car than the Z.

 

[Woodies]

If I could only have 1 car for the rest of my life it would be my e46 M3. But as the others above have said it ain’t the perfect daily. I feel I’m wasting the cars mileage using it in traffic. I’ll happily have a little polo/i10 etc for daily traffic and then get to enjoy and appreciate the M3 on weekends.
I had an auto e46 325ci and it was a smooth, comfortable car, but no real enjoyment when pushing it. M3 rewards massive when revving it out


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[zippy320]

One thing I have learnt about daily commute cars , It does not matter how much power the car has , or how it looks , or how it performs at the limit as long as its comfortable , reliable, peaceful and quiet while your stuck in traffic . You don't want to be constantly fighting with your car on your daily commutes , its to stressful . I drove up to Jhb a while back with my friends 420d grand coup M-Sport on a normal weekday and, within the second day of driving around Johannesburg , I longed for the comfort of my E46 and F30 , the 420d suspension was a bit stiff but not that bad , it was the sports seats that killed me .
Also daily cars are generally more practical cars . Having two , two door cars , well for me isn't that practical . But that also depends on your own personal needs. .

 

[Schalk94]

One thing I have learnt about daily commute cars , It does not matter how much power the car has , or how it looks , or how it performs at the limit as long as its comfortable , reliable, peaceful and quiet while your stuck in traffic . You don't want to be constantly fighting with your car on your daily commutes , its to stressful . I drove up to Jhb a while back with my friends 420d grand coup M-Sport on a normal weekday and, within the second day of driving around Johannesburg , I longed for the comfort of my E46 and F30 , the 420d suspension was a bit stiff but not that bad , it was the sports seats that killed me .
Also daily cars are generally more practical cars . Having two , two door cars , well for me isn't that practical . But that also depends on your own personal needs. .

I agree with most of your post,but you are probably the first person 'i have even come across that complains about the f-series sport seats. To me they are absolutely amazing and spending 12 hours in those to CPT and back was a pleasure.

Horses for courses I suppose.