Thoughts from a 3 month E93 noob...

[plasar]

Hi M3Posters, I just wanted to check in at the 3 month period to let everyone know how my M3 ownership adventure is going.

I really appreciate all the posts and support that I found on this forum - you guys and gals are awesome. Without this, I would be really paranoid about a lot of things!


Plusses:

+ Sound of engine: rumble on startup, 8400 RPM, 8 trumpet symphony, especially with top down.
+ Steering: feels like you can plant it exactly where you want.
+ Brakes: so progressive, you get exactly the stopping power you want.
+ Comfort: if you stay relaxed and below half throttle, you could be driving a 335i.
+ Space: 4 seats and a good trunk in a 414 HP rocket sled.
+ Stereo: Individual stereo has great fidelity and sound stage - sometimes startles me, I think someone hit my door, but it’s just a tom tom strike! –nice subs for small under seats, iPod integration good.
+ Mileage: 19-20 MPG around city & a little highway, better than my 135i 16-17 MPG, Z4 3.0i was 22-23 MPG.
+ M button: convenient way to get into “watch this” (a.k.a “famous last words”) mode.
+ Nav: even though 2008 vintage, basic , DVD based, a little clunky input, frustrating sometimes – overall really good – gets you there, live traffic updates.
+ Quality: seems fine, everything works, everything wearing well or like new, certainly sturdier than my E36 M3 vert – things fell off of that.


Minuses:

x Rigidity: some cowl shake – Z4 was rock solid.
x Weight: +450 pounds more than coupe, the vert is porky.
x Maintenance: expensive, this car drinks top-shelf liquids, everyone should do additional maintenance not specified (ex. change diff/gearbox fluids), definitely not turnkey, fearing if/when something expensive breaks or wears out that I should have “maintained” differently.
x iDrive: interface is infuriating sometimes, they should have just let Apple do it for them.


Neither here nor there:

= Cost: not cheap, but used prices getting very reasonable – I paid about $35K for an every option 2008 vert, 70K miles, spotless – however still less than a 911.
= Personality: engine is grouchy, thrashy, and stubles when cold, lots of raw noises like power steering whine when parking, chipmunk sound in dash, sometimes 1st to 2nd gear shift grinds – this car is not just a dull appliance – if I didn’t have M3Post, I’d be worried about all this. Now I’m getting to like it.
= EDC: I really can’t tell any difference in the 3 settings.
= Voice commands: gotta play with it more, some work/some don’t – ex. Display Off” command is handy, but I can’t get any sort of “Play Music” command to work.

Conclusion:

> If you have a 1-series, 3-series, Z, or non-BMW that’s a bit bland and are looking for something more special, the M3 is the bomb!


And because every post is better with pics, here’s two:

> A snap of the Bimmer on a rainy Portlandia day.
> A pic of a soul brother to our E93s, a Chrysler something-or-other… why we are related: 1) striking looks, 2) power bulge on hood, 3) we both have woodies - his outside the car, mine inside the car!
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[///M Power-Belgium]

Congrats & Welcome !
One thing...
About the EDC,you don't feel any difference between the 3 settings ?
This is "NOT" normal ! I feel the difference of every setting !
So personal i think your EDC is nok .

[///WeissBisBlau]

Which one's the M3?

[Petros]

Drive in a corner aggressively or over potholes and speed bumps and you will notice the edc modes

[nicebraces]

Nice write-up and thanks for sharing your thoughts!!! I still remember when you first got your car ...

[plasar]

Thx for the responses... I will get the EDC checked... I forgot that my "rain sensor" doesn't seem to work either... More business for Pacific Motorsports!

[zamboni]

I'll take the Lebaron version.LOL

[mjposner]

Great gas mileage, I average 17 mpg...12 if I hit the M button (all maxed).
Why complain about the weight as a con, if you are concerned about the weight why by an E93?

[zamboni]

Originally Posted by mjposner

Great gas mileage, I average 17 mpg...12 if I hit the M button (all maxed).
Why complain about the weight as a con, if you are concerned about the weight why by an E93?

[jaehshim]

[plasar]

OMG, great vid, stupendiferous Ch-english narration, classic car love story!

[MrPrena]

Originally Posted by plasar

OMG, great vid, stupendiferous Ch-english narration, classic car love story!

So, I assume Racist Supremacist English would be splendiferous?

[plasar]

Yes, you are right, sorry about the non-native English speaking dig... I speak French and Japanese myself, and mine must come across horrendiferous sometimes too.

[grantmax]

Originally Posted by zamboni

I'll take the Lebron version.LOL

Same. Looks like the bomb with 3 other bros!

[Edward]

Originally Posted by plasar

... you guys and gals are awesome...

BULLSHIT. WHERE.

[G80indy]

termite inspection! ROFLMAO

[MrPrena]

Originally Posted by Edward

BULLSHIT. WHERE.

Originally Posted by 330indy

termite inspection! ROFLMAO

ROFL!

[rangerfan94]

Nice OP. I'm at the 2 month mark and I pretty much agree with most of what the OP has to say, except that I can tell the difference in the EDC settings, and my gas mileage is horrible and I don't care!

The way I see it, the more often I fill it up, the more I am enjoying it!!

The thing I love is the granularity of the settings. I drive my son to the school bus early in the am, and I just want to drive, so the DCT in auto and everything on 'comfort' gets us there as we wake up. I hit the M button on the way home and/or getting to work, and drive the car the way it was meant to be driven. Like the beast that it is....

[plasar]

Thx Rangerfan94...

* Rangerfan94 and MJPosner: regarding gas mileage, I don't know what I am doing "wrong" - I used to get horrible mileage from my E36 M3 vert (16-17 mpg), my 135i vert with Dinan Stage 2 (16-17 mpg)' and Z4 3.0i (21-22). I should clearly be getting less with this porky V8 powered beast (19-20). I am mostly short drives, Portlandia city and suburban, and at least 1 redline per drive. I was never the mileage champ, always jealous of other's mileage claims, can't believe my luck!

* MJPosner: yes, your point about weight is well taken - I knew it was a porker before I got it - but I'll just mention it as a negative coming from other Bimmer fabric tops which felt lighter. However, I do sleep A LOT more soundly with the metal top knowing that it will not get ripped and torn out in the wild.