MSport or M3?

[Rmv42158]

Good Morning. I’m looking to possibly get an M3 for my wife as a daily. Am I wasting money on reliability/ maintainability/ value etc on not buying an M Sport ? I know the earlier M3’s had rod bearing issues and others however not sure about this generation. She will be putting about 15k miles a year on it. Our M5 and 911 are garage queens but she really wants a 6spd as a daily and not a Honda. As much as I would like to get her an M3 I’m struggling. Can someone convince me an MSport is fine or are these M3’s not as bad as the older ones? Thanks.

[b_w.]

F80 is super reliable

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by Rmv42158

Good Morning. I’m looking to possibly get an M3 for my wife as a daily. Am I wasting money on reliability/ maintainability/ value etc on not buying an M Sport ? I know the earlier M3’s had rod bearing issues and others however not sure about this generation. She will be putting about 15k miles a year on it. Our M5 and 911 are garage queens but she really wants a 6spd as a daily and not a Honda. As much as I would like to get her an M3 I’m struggling. Can someone convince me an MSport is fine or are these M3’s not as bad as the older ones? Thanks.

I have no experience with M Sport, but my '15 M4 has been dead nuts reliable for almost 9 years and 50k miles. Some maintenance and repairs are going to be more expensive on the M3/4 (e.g. L-Ion battery). If your wife is cognoscente of the difference it might be worth it.

[SYT_Shadow]

The F8X generation m3s have proven very reliable, I would not be concerned. No reason to think G8X should be any less reliable than a non-M. Heck, even E9X's rod bearing issues are very easily correctable, I wrote the DIY!

If she wants a 6sp, she needs to get an M3

I don't know why you are worried about your wife having a 6sp m3, most guys would consider that heaven on earth.

An 'msport' is absolutely nothing. Nicer steering wheel, seats and bumpers but no mechanical upgrades. The 'm lite' cars, like the M340, seek to correct this situation and really are a step in between a real M and a normal BMW. But the M340 does not have a 6sp option, it is auto only.

[Pittz1]

My wife daily drives her 18 Comp DCT. Loves it and she looks good driving it.

[Rmv42158]

Thank you !!!

[N55Msport]

I essentially gave my F80 six speed to my wife as her daily (it’s paid off and I’m looking for something else) For her, driving it to tennis and occasional grocery runs it’s been perfect. No issues at 90,000 miles and she loves driving it.
)

[dezzracer]

Get your cool wife a real M. She deserves it.

[Rmv42158]

Awesome thx fellas. More I read on it more I see it’s much more reliable than the past.

[DeezBluBallz]

M-Sport I'd imagine can be had in AWD, versus RWD of the F8X. Depends on your needs. New Jersey gets snow.

[TopJimmy]

Get her a G80 x-drive. You’re in NJ so it can be driven in bad weather, and the true M holds better value.

[cotmfk]

One of the methods I use to "test" how reliable a car is (outside of reviews, friends, forums, owner experiences, etc.) is to search for the car used. Sort that search by highest mileage. If you're seeing a bunch with over 100k miles - it's reliable. (Obviously the car has to have been out for long enough to have owners with that amount of mileage, and it can't be super rare.)

(On the G80 Drive suggestion above - aren't the X Drives only automatic?)

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

One of the methods I use to "test" how reliable a car is (outside of reviews, friends, forums, owner experiences, etc.) is to search for the car used. Sort that search by highest mileage. If you're seeing a bunch with over 100k miles - it's reliable. (Obviously the car has to have been out for long enough to have owners with that amount of mileage, and it can't be super rare.)

(On the G80 Drive suggestion above - aren't the X Drives only automatic?)

Yes, xdrive is auto only. Which is another reason for me to not buy it vs the 6mt version.

I've driven enough rwd m3s with winter tires through blizzards and such to know it's perfectly fine.

[cotmfk]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Yes, xdrive is auto only. Which is another reason for me to not buy it vs the 6mt version.

I've driven enough rwd m3s with winter tires through blizzards and such to know it's perfectly fine.

100%! It's amazing what winter tires can do. I've been through a bunch of snow with dedicated winter tires and powerful rwd cars. Conditions where you see a bunch of SUVs in the snow bc the owners don't think about the fact that just bc you can get going doesn't mean you can stop and turn just as well. lol

[gunsmoker]

My wife would be totally unhappy if I got her a 6mt M3 - "can't get this f-ing car up the driveway with barely any snow, makes too much noise, drive is rough, have to change gears, waste of money for another set of wheels that don't do much in winter, and this flashy color, do people really like it?" She did not speak to me for two days when I bought mine. At the same time my daughter is like, "Yo, Dad, all the boys in school talk about your car!" Which car is better can be very subjective.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

100%! It's amazing what winter tires can do. I've been through a bunch of snow with dedicated winter tires and powerful rwd cars. Conditions where you see a bunch of SUVs in the snow bc the owners don't think about the fact that just bc you can get going doesn't mean you can stop and turn just as well. lol

Exactly. Awd helps you get going, but usually you crash when you couldn't turn or stop, not when you couldn't accelerate quickly. Rwd+snows also remind you of how much grip you have. Awd cars lull you into a sense of false security.

So many suvs and pickups stranded when theres a major storm and the m3 with winter tires just keeps going.
Whenever I own a x3/x5 I also have full winters for them.