M3 Ownership costs

placeholder · 21 Apr 2013 at 10:59

wingman said:
Based on your last response I can't see that buying an M3 would be a good decision for you.

Thanks.

I WANT one. But i wont have one until i can do it properly.

If the bills make me hate it then its not worth having.

NickXX · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:00

I've had my m3 for nearly 4 years now. Only repair has been a £100 spring. Only real big costs are insurance and tyres. Servicing averages out at being very reasonable if you do less than 10k a year.

Jez · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:01

For a rounded opinion on this subject we need NickXX to post.

He has had an M3 for 3 years and will sum up how much they cost to run very accurately.

Maccy · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:06

There you go Jez

[TW]Fox · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:08

NickXX said:
I've had my m3 for nearly 4 years now. Only repair has been a £100 spring. Only real big costs are insurance and tyres. Servicing averages out at being very reasonable if you do less than 10k a year.

If you do very low mileage the big services are very infrequent. It's only the Inspection 1 (£600-700) and Inspection 2 (£800-900) which bite. The Oil Service is just £170. So, if you were to buy a car thats just had an Inspection 2, cover 5k miles a year and sell it after 3 years, your servicing costs would be a single oil service at £170 plus discs/pads if needed, but again, if they are fairly recent, they won't be needed either.

Buy smart and use sparingly and it's cheap. Buy one thats due an Inspection soon and do 15k+ a year and it's expensive.

Jez · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:08

IRC had a lot to do with that

placeholder · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:20

If Fox doesnt own an M3 or M5 then my immediate reaction is "why?"

If he doesnt deem it to be the smart move in car ownership then i struggle to see how i can justify it.

Lets be honest, Fox if the joy of ownership was greater than the running costs you would own either an M3 or an M5, the fact that you dont suggests that the running costs can take all the joy away.

Jez · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:22

That is an entirely subjective view and cannot be applied across different people

placeholder · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:33

Jez said:
That is an entirely subjective view and cannot be applied across different people

Of course it is, but as a rule it would be very relevant?

[TW]Fox · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:42

placeholder said:
If Fox doesnt own an M3 or M5 then my immediate reaction is "why?"

If he doesnt deem it to be the smart move in car ownership then i struggle to see how i can justify it.

Lets be honest, Fox if the joy of ownership was greater than the running costs you would own either an M3 or an M5, the fact that you dont suggests that the running costs can take all the joy away.

I can sort of see your point - but a lot of the reason I don't have an M5 is because I already have a 530i Sport. It looks the same as an M5, is the same inside as an M5 and I've had it for years and know every inch of it - and I've also kept it in the same condition it was in when I bought it at 4 years old. For 90% of the driving I do (sub 5 mile trips around town in 30 and 40 limits), it is indistinguishable from the M5.

This adds an extra layer of complication - not only does an M5 need to be good enough to justify its costs, but it also needs to be in sufficient condition and deliver sufficient additional satisfaction to justify getting rid of my 530i, which I feel it doesn't.

If somebody ran into the back of my 530i tommorrow and wrote it off, I'd replace it with either an F10 530 or an E39 M5. If I was buying a sub £15k car now and I didn't already have the 530i, I'd be far more tempted by the M3 or M5 given my ultra-low mileage.

Jez · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:52

placeholder said:
Of course it is, but as a rule it would be very relevant?

Not even slightly. Money has a different value to almost everybody, and almost everybody has different motoring preferences and usage profiles.

placeholder · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:55

[TW]Fox;24154718 said:
I can sort of see your point - but a lot of the reason I don't have an M5 is because I already have a 530i Sport. It looks the same as an M5, is the same inside as an M5 and I've had it for years and know every inch of it - and I've also kept it in the same condition it was in when I bought it at 4 years old. For 90% of the driving I do (sub 5 mile trips around town in 30 and 40 limits), it is indistinguishable from the M5.

This adds an extra layer of complication - not only does an M5 need to be good enough to justify its costs, but it also needs to be in sufficient condition and deliver sufficient additional satisfaction to justify getting rid of my 530i, which I feel it doesn't.

If somebody ran into the back of my 530i tommorrow and wrote it off, I'd replace it with either an F10 530 or an E39 M5. If I was buying a sub £15k car now and I didn't already have the 530i, I'd be far more tempted by the M3 or M5 given my ultra-low mileage.

Yup that makes a load of sense.

Im not sure what i can say at this point. I love the car, im quite sure that the cost to own would kill me but......

Meh, i said the same thing about the 350z.

panthro · 21 Apr 2013 at 13:40

I'd buy a 335i if I was in your position and cars weren't a hobby. An E46 without a warranty will cost you money. With a warranty the servicing costs are still higher than average.

infernox · 21 Apr 2013 at 13:43

If you don't do it you'll only think back at why you didn't.

Do it.

[TW]Fox · 21 Apr 2013 at 13:47

infernox said:
If you don't do it you'll only think back at why you didn't.

This has to be one of the most overplayed lines on car forums. It's a car not a life changing experience, I think some perspective might be neccesary

placeholder · 21 Apr 2013 at 13:52

infernox said:
If you don't do it you'll only think back at why you didn't.

Do it.

Well no i won't. Hence the thread.

placeholder · 28 Apr 2013 at 14:06

[TW]Fox;24155387 said:
This has to be one of the most overplayed lines on car forums. It's a car not a life changing experience, I think some perspective might be neccesary

If i could justifiably own an M3 it would be life-changing for me!

I live in a small place, when i got the 350Z it was said that it would get a bit of attention.

It did.

It doesnt attract women though, or even girls. It attracts people in raincoats who ask you about Bhp. Its a tragedy. I actually had someone come up and say "can i sit in it?" i was like "Its not a ****** ferrari you mad fool"

Clarkey · 28 Apr 2013 at 14:19

placeholder said:
If i could justifiably own an M3 it would be life-changing for me!

I live in a small place, when i got the 350Z it was said that it would get a bit of attention.

It did.

It doesnt attract women though, or even girls. It attracts people in raincoats who ask you about Bhp. Its a tragedy. I actually had someone come up and say "can i sit in it?" i was like "Its not a ****** ferrari you mad fool"

Do you think an M3 will be different?

Gibbo · 28 Apr 2013 at 14:27

Hi there

Hard to remember for sure, but I owned a CSL for a little over a year and it cost me very little money. I remember a big service at circa £600, dealership wanted £850, but they priced match another dealership to win business. Warped brake disc but Tax Evader on here sold me his spare set very cheap and along with pads was approx £300. Then a set of PS2's all round, about £900 I think. Had no warranty but it never let me down, fitted a Milltek system and drove it with a couple of track days.

All in all was not so expensive to run, but I was lucky as nothing broke but in general a well cared for example with FSH should be a pretty reliable car.

The E46 M3 really is an awesome car, certainly an upgrade on a 350Z in both power and handling without a doubt. CSL is just in another league, get it done as you wont regret it one bit, epic epic cars!

placeholder · 28 Apr 2013 at 14:28

Clarkey said:
Do you think an M3 will be different?

Not really

But it will be an M3.

I tend to just want to impress myself, not odd people in raincoats.