Hey Thai...hows the BMW doing??more?

[4x4Runner09]

Hows the BMW...

Not much word on it here even tho its a Toyota forum.

Are you still loving it?
Is the Bimmer your daily driver or the runner?

Any speeding tickets and how do like the SMG....ive heard rumors that its known to stall out or shift into neutral.


Anyways...just a change of pace....

 

[Thai]

4x4,

Here's some info on the M3:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=435

I switch between the 4runner and M3 as my daily driver...but, mostly, it's my 4runner that does the daily work.

My M3 has been remarkably well-made from a mechanical point of view. It has not had one problem yet. I have not lost a single drop of oil (common among high performance cars, including M3) after 11,800 miles. My first oil change is coming up soon in about 500 miles.

However, i have had a little bit of problem with door lock and speaker rattle. The latter problem costs me about $300 out of my own pocket to fix. BMW service sucks royally! It's easy being a BMW serviceman: just claim that everything is normal or "part of the design" and sit on your ass all day. BMW is seriously lagging behind Lexus in this area...as does Mercedes from what i hear.

SMG is pretty reliable. I have not had one problem with it. It is great...i will go as far as saying that my next sports car MUST have SMG!! It's that good. :thumb: :driving:

If you want to read more about M3, check this forum out:

http://216.118.86.224/m3forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=9

I have not heard of many people having any problems with SMG...as a matter of fact, i have heard the opposite that it is pretty much bulletproof (it is still a manual tranny afterall).

It is nearly impossible for SMG to stall out...i have not done it once yet. I think that if you were in reverse and then put it in gear and then slam on the gas pedal, you MAY stall out. It has not happened to me yet.

It will only shift into neutral if you accidentally knock the stick lever over to neutral while driving (as would happen in a manual also).

I really like my M3 despite the small problems above.

Thai.

 

[BURNIN M]

I too have an '03 M3, however I got the old fashioned 6 speed - as the 'pros' claim about 2/10ths of a second performance increase over the SMG.

I love my M3, and it's my second BMW, I had a 330i before. The best thing about BMW's is the bumper to bumper maintenance and service, they cover everything from brake pads to wiper blades.

However, as with Thai's experience, the service people can be really snotty, and they don't give you another BMW to drive as do Mercedez or Porche.

The only issue I've had with my M3 (7500 miles) is the similar speaker rattle Thai mentioned. My dealership fixed it, under warranty. Evidently it appears that the speakers are often not properly seated in the doors, and sometimes even extra insulation is required.

For my daily driver, I try to drive the 4 runner more - I just hate piling up the miles on the M3. But there's nothing quite like driving around on a Friday with the sun roof open, radio blasting and smoking Mustangs, Porsches, Camaros, Vettes. (For all you flamers - I know there are Mustangs, Porches, Camaros & Vettes that can hand me my lunch...)


So, for what it's worth, I thought I'd add my 2 cents experience with the M3...