Honest (Unbiased....) opinion please!

[Angelus666]

If you're going to do low-ish miles in it, then it's probably as good a place to put the £9k cash as anything else....if you're taking a loan then maybe I'd stick with what you have. Worth noting most of them are £500 a year road tax, which for a 10 year old car is an annoyance...

It's a better car, but really it's all marginal...

[mr wilks]

As said the £500 VED is a kick in the nuts otherwise its a whole different buzz with the S54 ///ZMs
Had 2 Sis & they do it all with ease & are quick , competent cars but its not just the extra whoooomph which in my mind has to be worked out of the M whereas the Si revs much freer , for me the M is the sum of its parts & the whole package makes it special
The handling is a step up as is the overall ride ( mine was M roadster , MCs ride harder ) & the car really flatters you into thinking you are a great driver its probably the car 9 x out of 10
I'm now in a E89 but wouldn't rule out another ZM of either model
Buy wisely & if it doesn't work for you then move it on , now seems a great time to buy with £13k /£15k seeing great examples

[paulgs1000]

Now then Stupot - no doubt the M is a more capable Zed. Driving the M is a very different experience to driving the si. The handling and brakes are worth the difference in price. The engine is dependent upon what type of engine noise and characteristic you like. The M engine is raw and brutal, it sounds metallic and thrashy. In comparison the si is turbine smooth and quiet - a very different experience. The si is an easier drive in one sense - lighter clutch, gearbox and steering. I find the M so capable on corners at road speeds it can take away some of the enjoyment and thrill. I don't understand owners that find the ride is harsher than the 3.0si - for me the suspension is far more sophisticated on the M and both me and my wife much prefer the ride in the M to the si.
The performance of the si is strong and in third gear it pulls superbly. You have low down torque and a willingness to rev but in comparison to the M it runs out of the ultimate rush at the top end. The M has performance which is ultimately in another league. Hold onto revs in lower gears and it all happens very quickly and can get you into licence busting speeds in seconds. It simply covers the ground faster and more securely.
The dilemma for me was not whether the M was a better Zed but whether it was the right Zed for me? I loved my 3.0si and thoroughly enjoyed using lots of it's potential where possible on the road. It's very rare to get that opportunity in the M. The 3.0si is a relaxing drive as well - it took me some time to find a relaxing driving style which both suited me and the M. Finally, like you. I wondered if the increased costs were worth the returns.
And yet I've stayed with the M - why . . . . ?
Well for me it is a very special Zed and it has a cache and standing way above it's monetary value. Certainly the performance it offers is something I would not be able to access at such a relatively low cost. It's mine and my wifes' hobby and as such it's lovely to have something special and so capable. The 3.0si is an outstanding Zed but for me the M (for all it's down sides of extra maintenance and running costs) offers that ownership experience alongside a thrilling and challenging driving experience. That ownership experience has tipped the balance with the added bonus of sensing I have so much more to learn in the M.
Finally - it's taken me a few thousand miles and 3 months to get to this decision - a short test drive might not be enough for the M to get beneath your skin BUT like Bing you may be smitten in seconds. . . . I decided to upgrade from my 2.0 litre to 3.0 litre in 200 yards and two roundabouts Interestingly it's been a long process making the decision for the M but a fulfilling one in the end.
Good luck!

[Bing]

^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said

And the noise. It's the noise I love. You get so much more of it in the roadie than the coupe - roof down, hooning the lanes, the roar of the engine up front and the shriek of the exhausts behind bouncing off walls and hedgerows... It is aurally orgasmic surround sound bliss

I use mine as a daily as we only have two cars, though it doesn't get driven actually daily or as a commuter so much anymore - but I use it for going into town, or off to the shops - and it never gets old.

[srhutch]

^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said

And the noise. It's the noise I love. You get so much more of it in the roadie than the coupe - roof down, hooning the lanes, the roar of the engine up front and the shriek of the exhausts behind bouncing off walls and hedgerows... It is aurally orgasmic surround sound bliss

Esp if you fit a GruppeM

[Bing]

^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said

And the noise. It's the noise I love. You get so much more of it in the roadie than the coupe - roof down, hooning the lanes, the roar of the engine up front and the shriek of the exhausts behind bouncing off walls and hedgerows... It is aurally orgasmic surround sound bliss

Esp if you fit a GruppeM

I am saving for an Eventuri

[stupot67]

Now then Stupot - no doubt the M is a more capable Zed. Driving the M is a very different experience to driving the si. The handling and brakes are worth the difference in price. The engine is dependent upon what type of engine noise and characteristic you like. The M engine is raw and brutal, it sounds metallic and thrashy. In comparison the si is turbine smooth and quiet - a very different experience. The si is an easier drive in one sense - lighter clutch, gearbox and steering. I find the M so capable on corners at road speeds it can take away some of the enjoyment and thrill. I don't understand owners that find the ride is harsher than the 3.0si - for me the suspension is far more sophisticated on the M and both me and my wife much prefer the ride in the M to the si.
The performance of the si is strong and in third gear it pulls superbly. You have low down torque and a willingness to rev but in comparison to the M it runs out of the ultimate rush at the top end. The M has performance which is ultimately in another league. Hold onto revs in lower gears and it all happens very quickly and can get you into licence busting speeds in seconds. It simply covers the ground faster and more securely.
The dilemma for me was not whether the M was a better Zed but whether it was the right Zed for me? I loved my 3.0si and thoroughly enjoyed using lots of it's potential where possible on the road. It's very rare to get that opportunity in the M. The 3.0si is a relaxing drive as well - it took me some time to find a relaxing driving style which both suited me and the M. Finally, like you. I wondered if the increased costs were worth the returns.
And yet I've stayed with the M - why . . . . ?
Well for me it is a very special Zed and it has a cache and standing way above it's monetary value. Certainly the performance it offers is something I would not be able to access at such a relatively low cost. It's mine and my wifes' hobby and as such it's lovely to have something special and so capable. The 3.0si is an outstanding Zed but for me the M (for all it's down sides of extra maintenance and running costs) offers that ownership experience alongside a thrilling and challenging driving experience. That ownership experience has tipped the balance with the added bonus of sensing I have so much more to learn in the M.
Finally - it's taken me a few thousand miles and 3 months to get to this decision - a short test drive might not be enough for the M to get beneath your skin BUT like Bing you may be smitten in seconds. . . . I decided to upgrade from my 2.0 litre to 3.0 litre in 200 yards and two roundabouts Interestingly it's been a long process making the decision for the M but a fulfilling one in the end.
Good luck!

Thanks for that Paul,

I read your thread when you first got yours with interest, and enjoyed your balanced view of things. That's the trouble with a 30 min test drive, sure you will be listening out for unusual noises and seeing if everything works, but you seldom get a real feeling for a car. That said I think I'm going to have to take one for a spin.

Again thanks one and all for your input.....As per usual thr forum comes up trumps

[srhutch]

^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said

And the noise. It's the noise I love. You get so much more of it in the roadie than the coupe - roof down, hooning the lanes, the roar of the engine up front and the shriek of the exhausts behind bouncing off walls and hedgerows... It is aurally orgasmic surround sound bliss

Esp if you fit a GruppeM

I am saving for an Eventuri

Traitor

[Stuart Truman]

My advice - drive one, maybe a member near you will let you have a go. Stuart Truman let me drive his and I was hooked.

I remember us doing that and you driving up Cheddar Gorge. You were enjoying it and then I pressed the sport button...

[Bing]

My advice - drive one, maybe a member near you will let you have a go. Stuart Truman let me drive his and I was hooked.

I remember us doing that and you driving up Cheddar Gorge. You were enjoying it and then I pressed the sport button...

Yeah, that got exciting pretty quickly

I am still very grateful for that - and Mrs B knows it's all your fault

[Beedub]

the ///M platform is just so so so so suited to this car, even after all these year this thing still puts a smile on my face, the way it drives, feels, sounds, performs, looks, its small by todays standards ( my ST is bigger) , the chassis is so solid, but with that engine, the hydraulic steering , the m-diff.... this thing is just a bargain right now... mine is never going anywhere, if you've got a good one in your ownership, feel very smug imo! but the s54..... what an engine.

[paulgs1000]

the ///M platform is just so so so so suited to this car, even after all these year this thing still puts a smile on my face, the way it drives, feels, sounds, performs, looks, its small by todays standards ( my ST is bigger) , the chassis is so solid, but with that engine, the hydraulic steering , the m-diff.... this thing is just a bargain right now... mine is never going anywhere, if you've got a good one in your ownership, feel very smug imo! but the s54..... what an engine.

Enjoyed reading that post Beedub - put a smile on my face

[Bing]

the ///M platform is just so so so so suited to this car, even after all these year this thing still puts a smile on my face, the way it drives, feels, sounds, performs, looks, its small by todays standards ( my ST is bigger) , the chassis is so solid, but with that engine, the hydraulic steering , the m-diff.... this thing is just a bargain right now... mine is never going anywhere, if you've got a good one in your ownership, feel very smug imo! but the s54..... what an engine.

Enjoyed reading that post Beedub - put a smile on my face

Made me feel smug

[Taz]

If you have a good 3ltr tgen personnally I don't think an M is worth the extra money

[john-e89]

If you have a good 3ltr tgen personnally I don't think an M is worth the extra money

Without wanting to be controversial I wonder if any views are influenced by the M's reputation rather than pure un-biased opinion, a bit like nobody says they don't like the Beatles. There can't be just you and me that don't think they're worth the extra surely Taz?