Buying used E92 M3 as daily driver

[one-m3post]

Being new to the M3 world I must say I always lusted after the mighty V8 of the E9x the moment I saw the first BMW video of it ariound the Ascari track. Now that used car prices of the E92 are down a bit and the mileages are around 75k km for these 2007 models I became increasingly interested... However it sems it is too early at best, as only the later models after 2010 (?) got the revised rod bearings (FWIW I don't care for the newer iDrive or LED tail lights). At worst it won't be a good idea at all since problems with the trottle actuators seem to persist until the very last E9x models ever made...

Am I seeing things too pessimistic? I don't mind the additional M tax in running costs but would want the car as daily driver, no track driving, so no blown engine please in this usage scenario... I've owned a E85 Z4 3.0i I still miss and currently drive a E61 535d with 230k km on the clock (170k km during my ownership) so a 335i could prove more reliable and relaxing to own...

[Jonzny]

There were still issues with the updated Rod Bearings.
So If you don't care about the LCI taillights and newer iDrive. Year won't matter.

I daily mine, my only complaint is fuel consumption and the incredibly small tank. If I can fill up just once a week I consider that a good week....

[R3dliner]

I DD mine. Granted I only do 18 miles roundtrip. Only thing it does is put a big fat smile on my face. It's one thirsty gal though, doesn't let up LOL
You don't want a 335. You will have buyers remorse everytime you see a M3. Not to mention the lack of diff on the 335 blows.

[ajee622]

I drive about 800 miles max a month. about 400 of that is my monthly commute to work. If I had to drive anymore than this I probably wouldn't want a m3 as a daily.

[TWiTCHY]

I do 2000 miles a month. Fill up every three days.


I don't regret it one bit

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by TWiTCHY

I do 2000 miles a month. Fill up every three days.


I don't regret it one bit

Woot same

[starkfu]

I do 120 miles a day - my e46 M3 couldn't handle it, but I am hoping that my e90 will! Should arrive here tomorrow or Thursday morning!

[kaede]

Hi OP, i previously owned 335i both modded and tracked, and just stock for DD. I really don't think the 335i is more "reliable" than the E9x M3. If anything, they are worst. (had the n54 engine though. Had tons of electrical issues for my DD'ed one for some reason...) Also there is a risk in blowing your turbos which is hefty to fix.

The M3 makes a great DD. if you keep up with maintenance it should be fine. As for Rod Bearings and Throttle Body Actuators they will go regardless of the year. Rod Bearings TBH isnt THAT bad, you may do it as preventative maintenance every 75-100k km if you wish to, but many have NOT experienced a failure (maybe it is still too soon to know for many M3... i don't know). Actuators are known to go, and they do cost quite a bit too (at around $1k USD per bank).

besides those, and M tax in both fuel and regular maintenance, the M3 is a solid DD and super fun. Cheers!

[one-m3post]

You sound like a bunch of addicts! No wonder I get these positive answers considering the place I chose for asking... LOL.

Can I as part of a PPI read out all control units to see whether airbag has deployed or how many hours / km they were powered up? What about over rev's with manual transmissions?

[BimmerRookie]

You just have to understand a few things:

1. 2008/2009 models are old, they will show signs of wear including the interior, exterior, and engine (obvious, but important to understand)
2. with #1 being said, older models have older technology (iDrive sucks, no LED Tails, no BT Audio, etc.)
3. RBs, TAs, AC Evap, etc. are very expensive (relatively) repairs, just gotta live with it
4. If the engine blows (and it can, not just under heavy load, tracking) its the risk you take with the S65.
5. Your wallet/fiance/wife/gf will hate that you, because you're always out of money because you spend them all on M mods.

If you can get over these 5 things, get the M! If you're not ready for the responsibilities, then WAIT! With the way BMW/ M-division is going these days, the S65 is something special you will want to own. Every time I want to sell my 9 year old, unreliable, grenade-engine M3, I just put the top down and stomp on the gas....and smile!

But be clear, if nothing above speaks to you and you prefer comfort over performance, then the 335 might be for you. It's not a bad thing, but don't compromise and get an M3 just because the price is right and it's higher in the model line-up. The M3 and 335 are truly different cars for different styles/purposes.

[M3Bimmer77]

Is there such thing as NEW E92? Just busting your balls.

I drive mine very little just because....I which I could drive her more. Expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes at least to me. Would I do another M? Yes if money permits.

I think that the biggest issues of M3s is that people think they are racing cars and that they will last forever. Yes it's true, they are BMWs and they are made much better than many cars. They are out there cars without any issues and with high mileage and viceversa. This cars are not meant to be reved up all the time and if you are planning to do then be prepare to spend loooots of $$$$$. Racing cars are expensive. You can push the car but the closer you get to that red mark the closer you are to start pouring $$$$ into her. The car is very reliable. As all cars there are issues i.e. Rod bearings, gremlins, throttle actuators....but it's a very nice car for the money. This cars are no longer cars that you can fix with a screwdriver and some pliers. Of course the higher mileage cars will require more maintanance but also have a lower price tag. I would stretch the budget and try to get one with 50k max and be prepare to do some Maintanance. Also you could buy an extended warranty. They are expensive but might give you some sleep. Good luck finding the queen.

[pbonsalb]

I think the E9xM3 are very reliable. I have had my 08 E90M3 for 6 years and 45k miles -- it has 75k on it now.

Almost all cars have some issues, and it makes sense that the higher performance or more complex cars will have issues that cost a more to resolve. Have some preventative maintenance money in your budget and have some future repair money in your budget. Can't say you were not warned.

Rod bearings have affected only a small percentage of cars, but when they fail, the result is catastrophic. A used engine is at least $8k and labor at least $2k. Much more for a rebuilt engine. For the risk averse, consider doing a rod bearing change. I changed mine once I was out of warranty at 6 years and 60k miles. Mine were not as bad as some -- I had copper showing only around the parting lines. The vast majority of the bearings that have come out for preventative maintenance appear excessively worn and many show wear right down to the copper on some of the bearings. A rod bearing change is $500 to $1000 in parts and $1000 to $1500 in labor. Some buy aftermarket extended warranties to hedge against the bearing risk instead of changing the bearings. The warranty would cost more than a bearing change, but would cover other potential failures as well.

Throttle actuators are a likely failure point. There are two and they cost $800-$1000 each and take a couple of hours of labor to install. I have had one actuator fail.

Thermostats, AC condensers, fuel pressure sensors, motor mounts, and other issues are also reported. I had one fuel pressure sensor fail.

I really like the car. To me it is a comfortable cruiser, and with all the bolt on mods it is fast enough to be entertaining. I'd really like a supercharger, but it is not in the budget.

[cmo_93]

Originally Posted by TWiTCHY

I do 2000 miles a month. Fill up every three days.


I don't regret it one bit

This

[xxxian08]

I got my 2008 e90 about two months ago and it seems to be working as a DD just as well as the 2005 TL. Except the fuel economy. But I knew that going in. Averaging 18.6mpg right now mostly highway miles.

[Elwolfe]

Have you had an opportunity to drive an E9X M yet? For me it's like crack/meth/heroin all rolled into one - super addictive. When I laid eyes on the '13 E93 and drove it for the first time, objectivity went out the window. Also, the mod bug is a real thing, there should be some sort of 12 step program... it's a slippery slope for sure.

I bought mine in November and I DD it unless there's snow on the road. It's my favorite material possession of all time, and it's not even summer yet! So much fun to drive. The 6MT in stop/go traffic doesn't even bother me. The giant quad of steel on my left leg is an added bonus, and my wife is happy because I stopped griping about trips to the grocery store to pick up some milk...

Hi, my name's Erik and I'm an M3aholic. Good luck with your decision!

[Nihilation]

I think the E92 M3 is every bit as good of a daily driver as any other two door coupe - except maybe a Bentley, but c'mon. It's well engineered, has great seats and materials, ergonomics are fine, all year HiFi stereos sound great, can fit large adults in the back seat and fair amount of luggage in the trunk. We don't even have to mention handling and if you get an 09+ the technology is still okay even by today's standards.

Don't get caught up on MPGs because that's not what the M3 is about. Once you're out driving you'll quickly forget about it. That said, I do use Fuelly to log every fill up and you can also see what other M3 owners are getting. http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/m3/2008/nihilation/414518

[pooyab]

I've had mine for a year and a half and put almost 35k miles on it. It's goes everywhere with me. Only complaint as others have said is tiny fuel tank and milage, so I fill up every 3 days or so.

[skyw4lker808]

Mine is my daily when it's not winter, I love it. Much like above me, only complaint is the gas mileage. But I knew that was going to be part of the deal before I made the move.

[pbonsalb]

I drive mine all winter in NH. With snow wheels of course.

[///mawana]

Originally Posted by xxxian08

I got my 2008 e90 about two months ago and it seems to be working as a DD just as well as the 2005 TL. Except the fuel economy. But I knew that going in. Averaging 18.6mpg right now mostly highway miles.

It will come down!

[one-m3post]

Originally Posted by BimmerRookie

You just have to understand a few things:

1. 2008/2009 models are old, they will show signs of wear including the interior, exterior, and engine (obvious, but important to understand)
2. with #1 being said, older models have older technology (iDrive sucks, no LED Tails, no BT Audio, etc.)
3. RBs, TAs, AC Evap, etc. are very expensive (relatively) repairs, just gotta live with it
4. If the engine blows (and it can, not just under heavy load, tracking) its the risk you take with the S65.
5. Your wallet/fiance/wife/gf will hate that you, because you're always out of money because you spend them all on M mods.

If you can get over these 5 things, get the M! If you're not ready for the responsibilities, then WAIT! With the way BMW/ M-division is going these days, the S65 is something special you will want to own. Every time I want to sell my 9 year old, unreliable, grenade-engine M3, I just put the top down and stomp on the gas....and smile!

But be clear, if nothing above speaks to you and you prefer comfort over performance, then the 335 might be for you. It's not a bad thing, but don't compromise and get an M3 just because the price is right and it's higher in the model line-up. The M3 and 335 are truly different cars for different styles/purposes.

Biggest point here is number 5, my wife tells everbody who wants to know (or not, she doesn't mind) my two BMW I had (E85 Z4 3.0i and currently E61 535d) were so f*king fragile and needed countless costly repairs. Consequence is every time the gong sounds we get the heebie jeebies... The most expensive repairs with the Z4 were body work (I can't neither park nor set back properly and with the 5 series the main issue is it's so full of options (ACC, dynamic drive, active steering, nightview, HUD, soft close doors, level control bla bla bla) it's just statistics one of them fails and in sum mor often. However both cars are/were driven hard when warmed up and looked after, so I sold the Z4 with 140k km and the 5 series still running well at 221k km - both without any major engine problems... So if I'll buy my wife an M3 (isn't that a great idea?) it won't be a replacement for our long runners but an addition to our existing cars I fear...

[one-m3post]

Originally Posted by Elwolfe

Have you had an opportunity to drive an E9X M yet? For me it's like crack/meth/heroin all rolled into one - super addictive. When I laid eyes on the '13 E93 and drove it for the first time, objectivity went out the window. Also, the mod bug is a real thing, there should be some sort of 12 step program... it's a slippery slope for sure.

I bought mine in November and I DD it unless there's snow on the road. It's my favorite material possession of all time, and it's not even summer yet! So much fun to drive. The 6MT in stop/go traffic doesn't even bother me. The giant quad of steel on my left leg is an added bonus, and my wife is happy because I stopped griping about trips to the grocery store to pick up some milk...

Hi, my name's Erik and I'm an M3aholic. Good luck with your decision!

Actually driving an E92 M3 could be my breaking point. I might catch the bug... Last year same time around objectivity went out the window already. Since then we have a 997.2 that ticks all boxes except it's not a DD for me (way too special). I need a BMW I can drive hard, everyday (at least when there's no snow).