I on my 2nd E46 M3 SMG as a daily driver with no problem whatsoever.

 

Very reliable. I had 3 of them and will be getting another one when the new one drops.

 

I had an 02 m3 that was horrible, structural issues etc. I think the only original part was the engine
so far my 06 m3 is doing fairly well. I put 6k miles on it since may 26th and it has not fellen apart yet. However, my service engine soon light came on about a month ago, the upgraded software and it went away for a while. The light is back on...

 

No issues w/ my 02 smg. But to answer your question, I'd say that a standard 6sp is likely to have less issues than an smg b/c there are obviously less electronics going on. (dont forget, same tranny/clutch as 6spd though).

 

Just got a 06 ILB ZCP M3, Its awesome

 

Bought an 03 M3 SMG with 14k miles and have put another 16. Would marry it if I could. I agree, sometimes out of the starting gate it is a little jerky, as someone described above...maybe too much gas when it's cold. Never figured it out. But totally love it. The downshifting is awesome. Very reliable car. And feisty.

 

I think M3 is one of the best 2dr coupe under 60K.
And yeah all E46 and E65/66 have 100K Eng/Tran warranty

 

The M3 is a very cool car.

 

my service engine soon light and EML light came on. couldnt get any power. took me 30 seconds to get up to 40mph with full throttle.

took it to a dealer this morning at 8am. as of right now, they told me they dont know if they can finish working on my car by the end of today. not sure whats wrong with it.

 

cars are fairly solid, differentials seem to be the weaklink of the car -- otherwise, definately a good balance between practicality/speed/comfort.

GO FOR IT!

 

My '01 did the same... dealer couldn't find the problem for three days. Then I found out the fuel filter was clogged...replaced it and everything was fine. Try that if you run out of luck with the dealer.

 

In fact the 01's proved to be one of the least problem free production years and were excluded from the rod bearing recall as well.

 

I have an '04 for sale... just thought I would ask

 

Extremely reliable, I dare say bulletproof. You'll notice guys running serious boost on aftermarket superchargers have yet to blow the engine. No squeaks, rattles or issues on either of the E46 M3's I owned. All time favorite all around car.

 

what does the ZCP package include? dare I ask how it compared to a 996 GT3?