austin350z Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I love my ZEd but after i sold my lotus elise i was also looking for M3's 00-06 and now are wondering if i have made the wrong decision 2 seats and the poor boot in the Zed is making me wish i'd maybe bought an M3 now Has anyone had both that could give their opinion on the M3 for me so i can either forget the notion or look to maybe sell the Zed already, i'm a nightmare when it comes to cars never keep them long !!! Aust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Ask Sarnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M350ZB Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Pretty sure Sarnie has One, and one of Andys mates does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MITZ@CougarStore Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 As above, Sarnie is a current E46 M3 owner... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srobrien Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I love my ZEd but after i sold my lotus elise i was also looking for M3's 00-06 and now are wondering if i have made the wrong decision 2 seats and the poor boot in the Zed is making me wish i'd maybe bought an M3 now Has anyone had both that could give their opinion on the M3 for me so i can either forget the notion or look to maybe sell the Zed already, i'm a nightmare when it comes to cars never keep them long !!! Aust I was going to buy a M3 prior to the Zed and I made my decision purely down to the place I live, you find alot of pretty well off people in Aberdeen and their brand of choice is the BMW, more precicely the M3, they are absoultly everywhere. If a (E46)M3 passes you on the street people tend not to even notice, however I still find folk staring at the zed as it goes by even though there are a few up here. Also I am finding that alot of the (E46)M3 drivers are young offshore workers (like myself) but tend to come from Subaru, dissapointed with the new STi they are turning to the M3's, so you see alot of young guys with beanie hats driving them which kind of destroys the exclusive image of the M brand. I have driven quite a few of them whilst I was in to remapping and they are VERY capable machines, but if you compare the whole experience, including servicing costs I recon the zed is a better all rounder. Don't get me wrong, my last car was a BM and I pined after the M3 something rotten, but unless someone was going to swap me a CSL or E92 varient I wouldn't have it. R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M350ZB Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 If nto as said Andy's mate has one , pretty sure he has taken it for a spin or two as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndWood Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 My best mate has a E46 M3 his last service was £1100 and the tyres £250 each he is not that fussed about cars but does not stop going on how nice the Z is when ever we meet up. Forgot to say he has had two M3's from new and both of them blew engines in the first six months although BMW did give him a brand new car the second time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M350ZB Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Forgot to say he has had two M3's from new and both of them blew engines in the first six months quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 M3 is the better car, but then it's also £20K more expensive from new so you'd expect it to be. Whilst I'm not sure I'd particularly take a standard one over the Zed, show me the CSL or even the CS and I'd be all over it like a shot. Go drive one and see what you think. Personally I love them, although the brakes are a little grabby at first and the transmission tunnel a bit too wide for me as I kept catching the bottom of teh clutch when coming off the footrest. That noise and that power more than make up for it though All E46 btw, never driven the current one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 M3 is the better car, but then it's also £20K more expensive from new so you'd expect it to be. thats it down to the tee IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BladesGrant Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I love my ZEd but after i sold my lotus elise i was also looking for M3's 00-06 and now are wondering if i have made the wrong decision 2 seats and the poor boot in the Zed is making me wish i'd maybe bought an M3 now Has anyone had both that could give their opinion on the M3 for me so i can either forget the notion or look to maybe sell the Zed already, i'm a nightmare when it comes to cars never keep them long !!! Aust M3 is miles better, you should definitely buy one..................................dibs on your spacers and exhaust!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRF4N Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 before i bought my zed i narrowed my list down to 2 cars, the m3 and the zed. went for a drive in the m3 1st and as much as i love bmws i just and adore the way the m3 looks when i sat in it i realised it just wasnt for me. something didnt feel right about it and im not a fan of the noise it makes. i was really lookin fwd to driving it and couldnt be more disappointed but i couldnt put my finger on wot i didnt like with the zed i knew after about 3 seconds it was the one for me, i just fell in love with it lol. 2 seats and a small boot are a very small price to pay but thats my situation not urs. as said the best thing to do is drive one. ul know urself which is for u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I love my ZEd but after i sold my lotus elise i was also looking for M3's 00-06 and now are wondering if i have made the wrong decision 2 seats and the poor boot in the Zed is making me wish i'd maybe bought an M3 now Has anyone had both that could give their opinion on the M3 for me so i can either forget the notion or look to maybe sell the Zed already, i'm a nightmare when it comes to cars never keep them long !!! Aust I have one, and it may very well be for sale soon The only way to really compare it, is to work out what you really need from your car. if you really need the extra seats and boot space then its a no brainer. The zed was perfect for me when I didn't need the extra seats or boot space, but the M3 is ideal for my needs now. Spec wise, the SMG II is awesome and the extra power is very noticeable imo. The only thing that I'm not keen on is the noise, very tinny (not a real word ) and raspy, not as addictive as the V6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 The CSL is something else but it's still fetching 30k. A mate of mine has had two and they are amazing. A few mates (a couple young offshore workers with beanie hats) have M3s and I must say they are very normal here. Very good but not a patch on the CSL. They are very practical though but then they are based on a rep mobile so should have a big boot to squeeze in the carpet samples..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magrillz Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 One of my best mates also has a 52 Plate M3 with SMG and all the toys. It's a lovely car and that engine is fantastic but also quite a different car (not actually driven it). As mentioned earlier the running costs can be extremely high if you take it to a BMW Dealer. Think he had a full service and a few bits put right (not covered under the £1800 a year Beemer warranty) and ended up with a bill of around £1700. I would guess you would be able to run a Porsche 911 for much the same? I bought a 350z this April and have been loving every minute of it. For me it feels more special, I like the fact is has 2 seats and although I agree the boot is not great it doesn’t really cause me any issues. I guess it depends on your requirements. If you do go for an M3 and decide to go SMG I have been told by a BMW Specialist in Earlswood that its best to get the Beemer warranty as if that goes it could cost a fortune and it’s a Dealer only job. You could get it serviced with him though. His name is Nole Buttler at NCB Autokraft. Friend of my Dad’s and used to get my BMW Serviced there. I reckon you should keep the Z though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSensible Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 In terms of speed the E46 M3 and 350Z posted the same times around the Top Gear test track so equally capable. I also considered an M3 instead fo a Zed, but they are waaaaay to common. I prefer something a bit more exclusive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FIDDYZ Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Got to agree with Sarnie on the Noise.... Couldnt live with the one I had for a few months, used to get on my thrupneys when it "screamed"! But even if they put a v6 in it would it the look and the sound match? Its like a V8 conversion in a 350z, a 350z dosnt look like it should have a v8 rumble!! (Off topic, but I saw and heard an audi s5 v8... I heard the v8 first and looked around for something interesting nice! took me a few moments to associate that it was the s5!!) I liked the performance but I didnt like the fact it was a saloon that was turned into a performance car. Cab was nice but still felt like there was too much room in it! I think if I was looking for 4 seats and a boot I would be looking at the Audi's now or trying to find something a little alternative! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 In terms of speed the E46 M3 and 350Z posted the same times around the Top Gear test track so equally capable. TG track times are pretty much irrelevent, different drivers on different days with different weather conditions and all that. I would expect the M3 to be quicker round a given circuit, but the Zed to be more fun whilst doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 People keep pointing out the the more expensive servicing of the M3 but that only really comes into play if you take it to a BM Stealer. I went into the big one on the Stratford road when I was looking for one and the saleman told me that he wouldn't bring his own car there as they were such a rip off. There are lots of reasonable independants about. Also, the M3 doesn't have annual servicing like the zed. Its based on how the car is driven. The computer shows you how many miles you have until the next service. If you thrash it from cold and have lots of short journeys the service comes around quicker. We have done 3k in ours since january but the service indicator has only come down 1.5k to 11.5k so on that basis it won't need servicing for a at least another 12 months....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N1SM0350z Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I love my ZEd but after i sold my lotus elise i was also looking for M3's 00-06 and now are wondering if i have made the wrong decision 2 seats and the poor boot in the Zed is making me wish i'd maybe bought an M3 now Has anyone had both that could give their opinion on the M3 for me so i can either forget the notion or look to maybe sell the Zed already, i'm a nightmare when it comes to cars never keep them long !!! Aust I was going to buy a M3 prior to the Zed and I made my decision purely down to the place I live, you find alot of pretty well off people in Aberdeen and their brand of choice is the BMW, more precicely the M3, they are absoultly everywhere. If a (E46)M3 passes you on the street people tend not to even notice, however I still find folk staring at the zed as it goes by even though there are a few up here. Also I am finding that alot of the (E46)M3 drivers are young offshore workers (like myself) but tend to come from Subaru, dissapointed with the new STi they are turning to the M3's, so you see alot of young guys with beanie hats driving them which kind of destroys the exclusive image of the M brand.I have driven quite a few of them whilst I was in to remapping and they are VERY capable machines, but if you compare the whole experience, including servicing costs I recon the zed is a better all rounder. Don't get me wrong, my last car was a BM and I pined after the M3 something rotten, but unless someone was going to swap me a CSL or E92 varient I wouldn't have it. R +1! Which is what ruined the e36's also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 says you in a 318 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 See, I was thinking much the same about the Zed, as it really doesn't have as good an image as we'd all like to think. It's actually quite a cheap chavvy car now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Yep and will get worse the cheaper it gets.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I know, I'm already getting my Burberry outfit ready for when it's the only thing you're allowed to wear when behind the wheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 moved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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