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!

 

M3 is clearly head and shoulders the best option. The B5 S4 is a pos (that's why it's so cheap cuz no one wants them).

 

The M Coupe shoe will always be a special car to me, personally love the unique look, curvy lines and driver's ****pit, but I would agree it will likely be the worst in the snow from among those choices.

When picking up an S54 engine car (not sure what years you are looking for) it wouldn't hurt to have the oil tested and get a download to check for over-revs from a dealer if you can, bet there are still cars out there with the potential to spin a bearing. Check the popular BMW forums for more info on that and other stuff to look for. Fun cars though, the M Coupe and M3

 

M3...

The M coupe is nice, but after a while (for a DD) you will get tired of it.

 

e46 m3

 

23k would get you a 450hp S4 with suspension mods. Plenty enough to eat a C5 Z06.

A nicely modded B5 S4 won Sport Compact Car magazine Ultimate Street Car Challenge in 2007 against some heady competition.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/us...ers/index.html

They can handle just fine in spite of the weight distribution. especially with Penske or Ohlins upgrade. Much like a FWD car, but with more grip to put down the torque and power through corners for incredible exit speed.

E46 M3 is not the end all be all handling machine, but it is a great choice.

In spite of my love for Audi, I would nod toward the M3 for the better feel that it provides, and the more true-to-sports car experience that it provides.

 

I am about 90% sure that is Silversurfers (member here) car.

 

Is there any reason why I shouldn't consider looking for cars well outside of MN? I found some great deals on M3s in CA, FL, NY, and NC and while each car is at least 1000 miles away, I'm very tempted to use the money I save from buying out of state to put towards a plane ticket to go pick up the car in person and enjoy driving the car back home to MN. In MN, most of the cars in my price range all have 90K+ miles, but looking outside the Midwest, I was able to find at least a dozen cars in my price range with 50K-70K miles for around $22.5K or less. I realize there is more risk buying a car sight unseen, but I'd be getting a nicer, lower mileage car for the same price, or less it would seem. Anybody have any input on driving a car across the country as opposed to having it shipped?

 

of those three, the m3.

 

E46 M3!

 

E46 M3 is one of the best all around cars you can get. I don't see myself driving any other BMW's other than an M3.

 

When i had my M3, there was a time when i contemplated trading it in for an audi... and then i drove the audi

The M3 was special in many many ways, and audi (as usual... boring) didn't have the quality - Needless to say, the M3 stayed with me for a couple more years after that

The audi may be easy to modify, but it still will never compare to an e46 M3... not then, nor will it now, and in the future

I'm not a huge fan of BMW's current styling, nor BMW in general these days, but in terms of driving experience, audi's lack immensly against BMW, something i doubt will change as well

 

E46 M3...easy. I think there are few who have owned an M3 that would ever disagree, and there are tons of reasons why. Everyday you own it, you will understand and be happy with your choice.

 

I think I just found my dream M3... It's well within my price range, about 10K miles more than I'd like, but it's got individual paint (Estoril blue). I just wish I could buy it now, instead of waiting til the spring.

Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___02-RARE-M3-Coupe-Individual-Navigation-One-Of-A-Kind_W0QQitemZ160291436422QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20Truck sQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160291436422&_t rkparms=72%3A727|39%3A1|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid =p4506.c0.m245

No affiliation with the seller, just a gorgeous car!

 

For me..M3 is the among the three of them.