3.0 coupe to M

Yes exactly ... Probably a little less to be fair when combined with the weekend.

It's kind of a rhetorical thread this ... Or is it just me? If you can afford to run an M as a daily then simply you would, wouldn't you? If you can't afford to run an M as a daily, then ... You won't ? Surely simple if you're a petrol head and are certain for what your wallet can or can't stretch for.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
-Tom- said:
If you can afford to run an M as a daily then simply you would, wouldn't you?
Click to expand...

There is a difference between being able to afford to, and being willing to spend the extra cash.

So the question here is "Does the M warrant the extra expense"?

I'm guessing Dan (as am I) is interested to hear opinions of those who have driven/ owned both, to better understand the differences in performance and costs. I'm also guessing that Dan's decision (as will mine) may well be based on the perceived advantages/ expenses he will gain from upgrading.

So not really a rhetoric question, no.
 
I used to run 3.0si coupe as a daily driver, I had the car for 18 months and did about 21k miles in that time, the final few months in the car I was doing an 80 mile motorway commute each day. I averaged about 28mpg overall. I now have a Z4MC as a second car and on weekend drives I get about 21mpg.

For me the M does feel more special, certainly the engine dominates the experience more than in the 3.0. As has already been said the extra expense of the M will be in the overall running costs.

As an everyday driver I would go for a 3.0si as costs would be less and you would get the same driving experience a lot of the time.

Having a second car for weekends is great but I would only have a second car if the car I was driving everyday was also a car I liked to drive. There is a lot to be said for having the car under you to enjoy driving everyday.
 
StevenH72 said:
-Tom- said:
If you can afford to run an M as a daily then simply you would, wouldn't you?
Click to expand...

There is a difference between being able to afford to, and being willing to spend the extra cash.

So the question here is "Does the M warrant the extra expense"?

I'm guessing Dan (as am I) is interested to hear opinions of those who have driven/ owned both, to better understand the differences in performance and costs. I'm also guessing that Dan's decision (as will mine) may well be based on the perceived advantages/ expenses he will gain from upgrading.

So not really a rhetoric question, no.
Click to expand...

Have you test driven both? As surely that will begin to answer some questions you have with regards to the justification of the extra costs involved.
 
I think it depends on how heavy your foot is really. I like to sit at 75 on the motorway (kph obv ;)), and only speed up to overtake.

On hoons like the cumbria meet mine was hitting about 8mpg. But well it was worth it! What a weekend of motoring! Cant wait for this year!

For those weekends... The M is worth it 100% every time. I think being on the forum helps as you are much more likely to go to the meets and enjoy the car more. The two I went to last year were awesome, and will be going to as many as I can this year.
 
-Tom- said:
Have you test driven both? As surely that will begin to answer some questions you have with regards to the justification of the extra costs involved.
Click to expand...

I have, yes, and it did give me a good idea, but there is a big difference between test driving and living with a car for 3+ years. I don't think there is any harm in asking the opinions of others, those who have "been there, done that and got the T-shirt".

For many of us a car will be one of our priciest purchases and hearing what others have to say is only a benefit in my opinion.
 
StevenH72 said:
-Tom- said:
Have you test driven both? As surely that will begin to answer some questions you have with regards to the justification of the extra costs involved.
Click to expand...

I have, yes, and it did give me a good idea, but there is a big difference between test driving and living with a car for 3+ years. I don't think there is any harm in asking the opinions of others, those who have "been there, done that and got the T-shirt".

For many of us a car will be one of our priciest purchases and hearing what others have to say is only a benefit in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yes I totally agree ... I don't mean to come across like a tool there towards you. It is just they are cars built for two pretty different purposes, of which are documented all over the net and forum with their associated costings. Good luck either way, I'm sure you cant go wrong with whatever zed you go for!! :grin:

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
Just to throw in my two penneth as a 3.0Si Sport Coupe owner!

I personally am thinking about swapping to an ///M because I don't do a lot of miles and I feel that an ///M will retain the value a lot better. Just look at what is happening with the Z3 M Coupe, prices are going up if anything!

It all started when a mate asked me if I was ready to change my car (I've never kept a car this long - 3 years). I told him that I reckon I could happily keep this car until it becomes a classic! It was him that pointed out that it might be worth swapping it for an ///M and keeping hold of it............
 
If you're looking around after 4 months of ownership it sounds to me like you bought the wrong car initially!

This is why I think it's a mistake when people go for lower spec models based on cost... because it works out more expensive if you end up buying both!

Dreamer said:
One thing people forget to mention is how frustratingly boring it is to own a car that you hardly touch. Its crap. Theres defo something to be said for owning a great car that costs less, is not overshadowed that much by the flagship and you can enjoy 7 days of the week.
Click to expand...

Spot on imo, this is why I'd rather have the one car.

tomscott said:
Really the 3.0 only hits 28mpg? over 6.5k my Z4M has managed 23.3 which is what its quoted but regularly see 30mpg on motorway runs. But I have seen 3.0SI owners quoting 35-45mpg? Thought they were pretty frugal?
Click to expand...

Agreed on mpg figures Tom... Mainly low/ mid 30's over a tank of mixed driving.
 
Dan - Get an M

Steve - I've already told you what to do!!

As the benefits of the S54 engine have been discussed along with other mechanicals, the other thing I like on the M is:

Visual upgrades! Quad exhaust, M bumper with brake ducts, M bulge bonnet, M seats etc etc. It's very very handsome and is more beefed up than the si, as vain as it is that was one of the real attractions to the M for me, it's nice to have a head turning motor (I'm sure the si has this effect too though..) but next to each other, I think we all know which ones looks more meaty!

Guys it's really not that much more ££, I wish I I could explain more but there isn't enough hours in the day to go over and over this! I'm in Bristol and travel up to (near) Loughborough so you're welcome to come for a spin... :)

EDIT: I bought a 3.0i (albeit a roadster) and within weeks regretted not buying a coupe after coming on here. Then I thought, I won't be happy knowing there was just one better than the si and didn't wanna go through that same regret and searching classifieds thinking 'oh I wish I'd got an M' and going through the hassle of selling/buying again and losing more £££ in the long run...so bought my MC and haven't looked back!
 
Initially my ///M was my daily driver and my Westfield my weekend toy. I work in a different hospital each year so when I found myself facing a commute of 50 miles a day travelling through town from SW London to Kent, or 100 miles a day if I went around the M25, I decided to get a daily beater to avoid piling miles on the ///M. I bought an E46 320d for peanuts and this easily returns 45-50mpg with mixed town / motorway driving. It's pleasant to drive with all the usual BMW refinements and has enough torque to surprise hot hatches. Furthermore, when I moved to King's College Hospital (which is near Brixton) my 320d was still parked outside when I finished work each day, something I suspect would not be true of the ///M. Best of all, when I drive my ///MC the contrast reminds me of how amazing a car it really is. Without a diesel tractor to use every day it would be easy to become accustomed to the "event" that is every journey in the ///M.
My advice is buy an ///M if finances allow, and get something cheap that suits your daily commute - either a diesel motorway cruiser or a small, frugal petrol town car. You'll have the joys of ///M ownership without the huge expense of daily use, and have a practical car you're happy to drive and park anywhere...
 
BMWZ4MC - Ya see thats what i did, and its driving me mad/boring me to tears. Having a car that sits doing nothing for up to two weeks at a time just doesn't seem to suit me. I love my M, its the best car ive ever owned but spending so little time in it just frustrates.
Also, In one of my other posts i mentioned it costs me £140 a month before i move it of the drive. It saddens me but i'm on the verge of changing it for something else as this seems madness.
I want a car i can drive every day, a medium solution. I think i would rather 7 mini 'occasions' a week than one big one i guess. God knows what to buy though! :D
 
Dreamer, you need to get out more at weekends :D I cover 6-10k miles pa in my ///M, divided between socialising in London, visiting friends and family further afield, European road trips, a dozen or so track days a year, hooning, and the occasional journey to work when I can't force myself to take the 320d. My Westfield almost exclusively sees track use these days as it's hard to justify a weekend hoon in that then a hoon in the ///M as well. In fact my Westfield has been on SORN over winter the last couple of years.

Sadly, my ///M will cover almost zero miles this year as it will be stored whilst I'm in Oz :(
 
As a chap in the BMW garage once told me - the ///M stands for Money- cos you'll need a lot of it to run the thing!

Personally, you only live once, if you can afford it, have it, live for the moment because you never know what tomorrow will throw at you.
 
I have my 3.0si Sport Coupe - which I adore dearly and have had for almost a year now.

I dream of an ///M, I really do. And I can afford one and the cost of running one too.....but, I don't think it's the right time to have one for me. I currently am living in a rented house which has a garage but such an obnoxiously subsided drive that I can't even get the 3.0si (on Eibach's but not ridiculous) up and into the garage. If I really wanted an M then I would have to garage the car. I try to cycle to work most days and keep the mileage off the Zed (and the pounds of me!!!) so the car would just be left on the drive for a lot of the time, which isn't the treatment I'd want to give it!!

In terms of MPG, I track my mpg using an app on the iPhone and I have averaged 27.5mpg over the last 11,500 miles. High of 36mpg (long old run up the M6 on a quiet Sunday) and low of 14mpg (having too much fun on an airfield).

I've found that now I drive the car more infrequently my MPG has declined (and no doubt this contributes to part of the reason M owners have lower mpg!!) because I enjoy giving it some when I do get to drive it!!

Overall great car, would love the M. And to be honest, I think I will scratch the itch one day! But not yet....
 
Thought I would throw in my thoughts...
I love my ///M and bought it for various reasons and one being that I thought I'd just go for it rather than buy something that wasn't quite what I wanted (but more sensible) and then feeling that I missed out and be continually thinking about it. However, I am pleased that I kept my Polo for town driving and driving to places where the parking may be tight/not secure enough and also for the fact that I realise now that I would get pretty exhausted and frustrated driving my ///M in stop start traffic or indeed everyday. I generally use the Polo for daily commuting/chores but this occasionally fluctuates depending on my mood. I love using the //M for longer weekend runs and in my 9 months of ownership I have put on 8,500 miles in it even with a daily. Yes it is expensive and my MPG is 21-22 but it puts a smile on my face. I also love the feeling if I haven't driven it for a while and take it out or the contrast to the Polo which really makes me appreciate it more. I accepted that I may lose a lot of money when/if I come to sell but then I took that into account. I wouldn't have bought it as my only car and if I was really having to scrimp in other areas of my life to afford it. These are things you may want to consider.
 
Never got near that mpg with my e85 3.0 ... 24 average kicking around the city... 38 perhaps driving at motorway speeds like a granny (the latter rarely happened). Not bad for a 3.0 engine by any stretch, but not exactly frugal either.

I've tried my best on the motorway to get over 40 in my 35i, no chance... well.. downhill or with the wind behind me at 50mph perhaps.. again, doesn't happen.
 
I've gone from a Z4C to a Z4MC. Owned the Z4C for about a year, I've now owned the ///M for about 4 months. Both used as a daily driver.

In a nut shell, get the M if you can afford it, worth every penny extra you pay for it. The engine, the brakes, the LSD, the looks. These are all little things that to me, add up to make a big difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom