Which would you get 05 E90 330i or 05 E46 M3?

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raiyu

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My lease on my 2000 328Ci is up on April 5th, 2005 and I have to make the difficult decision of what to get next. Originally I was going to get the 545i but my brother just picked up a 2004, so I can always borrow his, so now its up to the E46 M3 or the new E90 330i.

Personally I think the E46 is the pinnacle of BMW design, but I dont know if I want to get stuck driving a dated car, especially for the hefty price tag, meanwhile the new E90 does look very appealing, also has a bit of a hp jump to 255 which should shave a second off my current car's 0-60 so I will be getting better performance. Unfortunately I cant even get the E90 coupe since thats coming out later than the sedan I heard.

So what's a guy to do, any suggestions? Is it really that big of a deal driving a dated car? Maybe someone has experience with an E36 M3 that might wanna share or the E39 M5?
 
Average Jae

Average Jae

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since i love the way the e46 m3 looks, esp over the pictures of what e90s will look like, if you can spring for it, i'd get the m. i think your choice mostly depends on how sporty a car you'd want to get.

w/ the new engine, the e90 330i will be pretty fast, supposed to be on par w/ the performance package specs.. (altho i figure it'll be faster.) but it's still no match for the m imo. besides, w/ the M you'll at least be part of the "few of a kind" rather than dime a dozen e90 drivers, ones mostly sporting the 325i imo.

altho i love my car, i still miss the "tare it up at will" power 100 more horses in the m3 will give me. and my m package looks less agressive than the one found in the M. BUT i do have the "practicality" of a sedan.. yes, i'll keep telling myself that [:)]

car shopping is always fun, hope you can get what you really want.
 
MrElussive

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The E90 330i boasts more horsepower but it also boasts more weight. I think the 0-60 time posted for the new 330i is a low 6-second time (6.3 or 6.4??).
I think you should get a 545i 6-Speed. Your brother may have a 545i, but you don't and it's a really great car. I always love those 5-series. The 3 is more sport and the 7 is more luxury, and the 5 is exactly in between, you just can't lose with a kickass 545i 6-speed.
 
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raiyu

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MrElussive said:
The E90 330i boasts more horsepower but it also boasts more weight. I think the 0-60 time posted for the new 330i is a low 6-second time (6.3 or 6.4??).
I think you should get a 545i 6-Speed. Your brother may have a 545i, but you don't and it's a really great car. I always love those 5-series. The 3 is more sport and the 7 is more luxury, and the 5 is exactly in between, you just can't lose with a kickass 545i 6-speed.
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The numbers for the E90 that I heard were pretty much a flat 6.0 on the 330i.

The 545i is definitely a fun car, but it isnt too practical to have both, we work together so the commute to work we usually share, so it would be more fun to have two different cars. Again, its rare that we both need the space of the 545i or its comfort on the same day, so it would be cool to have an M to use as well, or maybe a smaller 330i which you can drive a bit more aggresively because it isnt such a road hog.
 
Tom

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The E90 330i is still at least another year's wait. If you really like the looks of the current 3-Series then I would go for the E46 M3.
 
DrPierceMD

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I would definitely have to go with the e46 M3. I am still not a big fan of the new body styling. My next bmw will probably be an e46 M3. Although that may not come for a couple of years.
 
MrElussive

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raiyu said:
The numbers for the E90 that I heard were pretty much a flat 6.0 on the 330i.

The 545i is definitely a fun car, but it isnt too practical to have both, we work together so the commute to work we usually share, so it would be more fun to have two different cars. Again, its rare that we both need the space of the 545i or its comfort on the same day, so it would be cool to have an M to use as well, or maybe a smaller 330i which you can drive a bit more aggresively because it isnt such a road hog.
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Looks like Tom and Raiyu are still up. Seriously though, the 545i isn't as big as you think and it performs mad nice. I guess if I were in your shoes and I were leasing the car right now, I would go with an M3 with the new Competition Package. That's the only way to live.
 
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raiyu

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Tom said:
The E90 330i is still at least another year's wait. If you really like the looks of the current 3-Series then I would go for the E46 M3.
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Wont it be available for Summer 2005, or will it only be on the roads Fall/Winter 2005. If its Fall/Winter 2005 maybe I should go with the M3, then I would have one year with the car new, one year sorta mixed, and the last year it would be dated, but I would already love it.

My car, the more beat up it gets the more I love it lol, I guess it grows on you more and more, I'm almost sad to see it go in a few months. If it werent for the mechanical problems I was having (as a result of my brother crashing it a couple of times [:(] ) I might have even considered buying it out.
 
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raiyu

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MrElussive said:
Looks like Tom and Raiyu are still up. Seriously though, the 545i isn't as big as you think and it performs mad nice. I guess if I were in your shoes and I were leasing the car right now, I would go with an M3 with the new Competition Package. That's the only way to live.
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The 545i is definitely a great car, but my brother already has one, so I can borrow it pretty much on a daily basis, especially if I had an M3 waiting for him in exchange, but it is bigger. There is no way I could drive the 5 the same way I do my E46, I really get in some tight spots. Plus I have almost no blind spots with my mirror setup which is impossible to do with the 5 and the way it has its door pillars.
 
MrElussive

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It's cool, it's all about how you feel about the car. My friend has an E39 530i and it's absolutely amazing to whip around. Looks like M3 Competition Package is the way you should go man. But you have to man up to get that car....19" wheels, bigger brakes, thicker Alcantara steering wheel. Real men drive M3 Competition Package.
 
3

330i and like it

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Remember that if you get one of the new style you may also getting some of the problems they have not fixed yet. It usually takes a year before they fix the issues that occur when any auto maker produces a new car. Having said that the value of the new style will make the E46 drop when it comes to resale. Either car you get is going to be great!
 
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bimmer52

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M3 my man! Don't worry about being outdated! You'll smoke that e90 330i at the light and you won't feel outdated then. M3 with SMG all the way. When they see that badge you're going to be THE MAN! Like comparing Marshall Fields to WalMart!
 
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Steve176

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I have a similar situation. What I plan on doing is getting the 2005 e46 - but lease it for a couple years. This will let them get the bugs out of the new e90. If the E90 is a big hit it will be easy to switch coming off a lease. If the value drops and you like the E46 you will be able to pick it up at great price. This theory sounds good, we will see what reality brings. I like the new design, just dont want to wait for the car, as the old design certainly is nice too.
 
MrElussive

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raiyu, at the very least you should just get something very cool. Because if we ever line up at a red light in NYC, at least you'll still be driving a cool car after I totally embarrass you. [hah]
 
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