FRS vs BMW e46 M3. Which to buy?

[Dazza]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

I can agree here (also a former E46 M owner). FRS handles every bit as well as the E46M but without the weight. I do miss the power and sound of the M engine, though

The twins certainly don't have the same ultimate grip levels, but with better tyres I am sure they would be close

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Yo

I find the FRS steering feels a bit sharper and more direct. Mind you, my M3 was 650hp+ with full track suspension on sticky PS2's so it drove more like a german cruise missile.

People think I'm retarded when I say I have more fun in my FRS.

I agree re the steering and also that the twins are a whole lotta fun. More? not sure...but definately MORE accessible

[velin86]

I would like to confirm something. People say don't buy a bmw out of warranty because on expensive parts and maintinence. But they aren't saying that bmw's are not reliable right? Would an e46 but similarly reliable to other cars?

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by velin86

I would like to confirm something. People say don't buy a bmw out of warranty because on expensive parts and maintinence. But they aren't saying that bmw's are not reliable right? Would an e46 but similarly reliable to other cars?

If they are maintained properly and have some preventative maintenance done you should have no issues. I never did and neither do my friends who still own them. Look at spending $2000-$2500 a year in maintenance alone. Pretty realistic in most cases

[E46toFT86]

Originally Posted by velin86

I would like to confirm something. People say don't buy a bmw out of warranty because on expensive parts and maintinence. But they aren't saying that bmw's are not reliable right? Would an e46 but similarly reliable to other cars?

Depends if you buy a properly maintained e46 m3 or not. Now a days you'll have a VERY hard time finding one that hasn't been ran hard abused tracked etc... It's a car so just like every other car if you treat them well you'll be rewarded back although I can attest the e46 is def not as reliable as say a Japanese car.

In just 1 year I had to replace the alternator, differential, master/slave cylinder, clutch. Not for preventative mx but bc they crapped out on me which made the car a huge paperweight :P dont ask me how much that all cost to fix bc with even DIY repair and hook up prices on parts it was still retarded prices. Loved that car to death, still do I miss it everyday but I hated paying anything for it bc of the outrages costs of MX and parts. Drove my wallet and bank account to the ground. It was nearing 100K and that's just about when Most things needing fix/repair/replacement came. I was afraid of driving it at times bc I felt it was a ticking trime bomb

[Max Schnell]

Originally Posted by velin86

I would like to confirm something. People say don't buy a bmw out of warranty because on expensive parts and maintinence. But they aren't saying that bmw's are not reliable right? Would an e46 but similarly reliable to other cars?

My BMWs that I owned were reliable...but you must know that the parts within are designed for certain life span and fail at the end of expected lifespan like clockwork. The issue there is that many of these parts fail on shorter overall intervals than I would expect out of a typical car and are often located in locations that are a pain to get to and cost a lot of labor to replace. The other problem is that these failures can easily lead to other bigger and more expensive repairs. Letting BMW maintenance due dates run past is a bad idea.

Also, certain things on BMWs just seems to go bad regularly. Window regulators and certain gaskets are what my mechanic calls his guaranteed jobs.

All that being said if you want to own a used BMW I would go with the M division products. They are better than the average BMWs because of better parts design in many areas and can be more reliable compared to other used BMW models if not abused and well maintained.

[Mikem53]

Originally Posted by Max Schnell

My BMWs that I owned were reliable...but you must know that the parts within are designed for certain life span and fail at the end of expected lifespan like clockwork. The issue there is that many of these parts fail on shorter overall intervals than I would expect out of a typical car and are often located in locations that are a pain to get to and cost a lot of labor to replace. The other problem is that these failures can easily lead to other bigger and more expensive repairs. Letting BMW maintenance due dates run past is a bad idea.

Also, certain things on BMWs just seems to go bad regularly. Window regulators and certain gaskets are what my mechanic calls his guaranteed jobs.

All that being said if you want to own a used BMW I would go with the M division products. They are better than the average BMWs because of better parts design in many areas and can be more reliable compared to other used BMW models if not abused and well maintained.

Well said.. And my experiences matched yours.. My M3 held up well even with track time.. But there were items that were needing replaced that I didn't want to deal with. VANOS, steering rack, manifold gaskets.. So I decided to let it go in favor of something less complex and expensive .
German cars.... Fun to drive, not fun to own..

[Levi]

I'd go with a new FR-S, and this coming someone whoes favorite BMW is the M3 E46, especially as CSL.

BMW is used, FRS is new. I'd pick the old one only to be had as a garage queen. But if to drive, then new, and good that with the FRS there now exists such a car new.