I'm looking to buy a fun daily driver this spring and I'm torn between the E46 M3, Z3M Coupe, and the B5 S4. I live in MN and plan to stay in the Midwest after I graduate college in May. I'm perfectly capable of handling a rwd car in the snow, so 4wd isn't absolutely necessary, but whichever vehicle I get will be put through harsh MN winters. I'm giving myself a budget of about $23,000 here and I've found several of the above mentioned cars in that price range for sale already with mileage ranging from 30K - 90K. If I can find any of the above cars with less than 60K miles for around $20K, I'm all set. I've weighed some of the pros and cons and they ended up pretty equal.

M3
Pros:
exterior styling, more power and faster in stock form, better weight distribution

Cons:
pricier, same gas mileage as S4, interior not as nice (imo)

Z3M
Pros:
200 lbs lighter than M3 and S4, faster 0-60 time compared to M3, cooler interior compared to the others

Cons:
Looks sorta goofy, shorter wheelbase might be a bit trickier in the snow, S54-equipped Z3Ms are incredibly hard to come by and usually more expensive than comparable M3

S4
Pros:
Easiest to modify, best interior quality, arguably the most practical (not that I really care ), cheapest to buy

Cons:
Heaviest of group, poor weight distribution, handling not on par with BMWs

I only need to worry about carrying myself and occasionally another person, so 4 doors or 4 seats aren't necessary. I don't need a huge trunk, so all of the above cars are adequate in that category. I want something fun and engaging to drive, that will be relatively reliable 5 years down the road from now. I like the ability to get lots of power out of the S4 with just a chip and exhaust. Not sure if the same can be said of the M3 or Z3M...
I haven't driven any of the above cars yet, and don't know when I'll get a chance to do so, so I'm really looking for the collective experience on 6Speed to guide me in the right direction here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Get the M3.

 

Def M3

 

No contest, M3.

 

Though I am partial to Audis, the E46 M3 looks awfully dated to me, like it belongs in the early 90s, and the Z3M Coupe just looks bad. I always thought E46s should look more modern and curvy, less box-ish.The B6 S4 is much better than the B5, looks a lot lot better, on par with the B7 if not better.

If you can, B6 S4 would be my choice. It looks like you can get some nice ones around your budget too.

 

B5 S4 looks quite dated, though modification potential is high.

Would go for the M Coupe if you can find one with the S54.

Otherwise, get the E46....can't beat the looks, ride, fun.

Alternative.....you can get a nice E39 M5 w/ an extended warranty for your price range.......I think that'd be the most fun....but then again, I am biased.....

pak

 

Agree with above, little more money but you can find maybe an 01' M5. Classic looks, excellent interior especially with aluminum trim, more space, plenty of power etc

 

I looked at M5s too, and while I like the power and the looks, it's a bit on the heavy side for my liking. 3800 lbs seems like an awful lot of weight to be lugging around, I don't really need the extra space either. Thanks for the opinions guys!

Should I even get started with the SMG vs 6-speed comparison?!

 

Alex, Ill let you take my 6speed M3 for a spin after C&C. I was debating between the M3 and the S4 for my daily driver (The M coupe is cool as ****, but not a car that can be driven in MN winters) and after driving both back to back it was an easy choice. The S4 is still a really cool car IMO, but the BMW is more fun to drive. I did not want an SMG.

 

having owned both, i thought the S4 was way more fun...maybe not the first couple days...but once you got used to it IMO it was a much better car

 

Awesome! Thanks a ton Luis. I was actually looking for a ride to Stillwater for the photoshoot as well. Any chance I could ride with you or Tyler?

 

I'm partial to the B5 S4 as I own one now...but....

Based on where you live I'd say go for the S4 b/c you will enjoy it *more* all year round then the other two...regardless of being able to handle a rwd car in the snow (IMO).

With the right suspension I dont think you will be complaining about the handling in the S4.

Also, with a $23k budget you would be able to get a VERY well set up S4...at the price most likely stage3 which will make ~350-380whp all day...

My $0.02...

 

Yep, one of us will give you a ride.

 

Thanks a ton!

 

I threw the S4 into the mix because I do like the idea of AWD in the winters here, (not to mention twin turbos...) but I've also found that using a good set of snow tires can go a long way. Obviously proper snow tires are a benefit for any car, rwd or awd. Having driven a crappy 2wd, Ford Ranger for the last 5 winters, I'm confident I can handle the extra power of either vehicle in the snow because of the extra grip. You do bring up a good point about mods though, and ~350 hp and some coilovers does sound great! Sounds like I'll be test driving an M3 next weekend, so now I just need to track down an S4 before I make up my mind one way or the other. Thanks for the input!