- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 17 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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9 out of 11 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"CNET reviewers don't know their butt from their elbow, they got it all wrong"
Pros: It's a Porsche 911 with a real back seat and a real trunk, 'nuff said
Cons: Taken in context, none worth noting. Overall, the competition has caught up...
Summary: CNET reviewers got this all wrong. The cold start rev limiter issue IMO is one of the best features. It lets you know when it's safe to punch it without damaging the engine. Besides what person goes from a stone cold start to punching their car anyway? And no way does it take "a few minutes" to warm up. Even in a NY winter when its 32 degrees outside my M3 warms up in about 60-90 seconds. When the temp is normal outside, the 7000 rpm yellow light clicks off in 30 seconds.
As for the balkiness of the car at low speeds, chances are better than not that this is due to the reviewers limited experience with the SMG gearbox. Perhaps if they either 1) drove it properly or 2) got a proper manual gearbox they wouldn't have those problems.
Gas mileage wise, calling a 333HP autobahn stormer a gas guzzler is like calling the sky blue. All things considered the car actually gets pretty good mileage. As for the mileage the reviewers got, I do alot better than that. I average almost 23MPG and my right foot is made of lead. Granted alot of my driving is highway mileage, but you can obtain high mileage in the city if you drive the car properly by shifting earlier and keeping the car in a higher gear at low speeds. Save the breakneck acceleration for the highway.
I will admit the cost of admission is relatively high for what the lay person will see as just an ordinary BMW 3-series. But to the keen observer and to the person who want's a low compromise drivers car, there's few that are all around beasts such as the M3. And generally speaking, buying a brand new car is ill advisable and best and assanine at worst. New cars are meant to be leased, if you buy a low mileage used one you wind up getting a steller bargain.
I will also admit the ride is stiff for a stock setup, and you do receive a bone jaring ride on poor city roads, but that's a compromise you make for the corners-like-a-go-kart handling you get on smoother roads.
The interior is a bit on the dated side but I prefer it's clean lines and solid build quality. BMWs in general have been known to have somewhat plain interiors that put function before form, bordering on utilitarian and going to a newer model (say a new E90/92 3 series or E60 5 series) and you really don't see that huge of a difference in interior. Just simple refinements of what works.
The biggest fault with the CNET reviewers, they didn't keep the car in context. Calling the car's gas mileage an issue is silly at best. Performance cars have lower standards for gas mileage. Saying the engine being limited on the cold start is a fault is missing the point, for an engine that breaks the mythical 100hp/liter mark and can also go for over 150k, even 200k miles, proper use is essential, i.e. not revving the engine to the very high 7900rpm redline before the engine oil has had a chance to circulate for a moment, which is what the cold start warm up period is for.
Cars, and engineering in general, are about compromise. Usually you balance performance, saftey (reliability) and cost. Generally you can't maximize two without compromising the third. Taking that into consideration, the compromises the E46 BMW M3 makes allows it to be considered as one of the best overall sports cars period.
- 2 replies to this review
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you are so right! cnet doesnt know anything about cars. you should become one of their editors. -peace
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Extremely view cars have the ability to give full freedom to one's thoughts. Just like a Samurai's sword is an extension of his hands and mind, so is the M3 the EXTENSION of one who enjoys handling a performance car. All your top race drivers have a 6'th sense which is allocated only a couple of millimeters above the driver seat. It's the ability to know what's happening between your tire surface and the road. Without this sense and a car which understands this language, one doesn't have the ability to understand or rate cars like this. Saying the suspension is hard, is like the Samurai complaining about his sword being too sharp...
"balky when cold", get real! You don't just fire up a jet and open the throttle. BMW knew this peace of engineering-power might (unfortunately) fall under the hands of those whose minds are more limited and thus compromised for it, by protecting the "heart" of this performance car while warming to operating temperature, just like F1's does...
As for fuel consumption, please understand the simple science of power in = power out, and still, BMW manage to deliver economy. Most cars' consumption lies with the driver.
One shouldn't need to explain these things to those who rate them. This car speaks for itself. Explosive M-Power, only a couple of microseconds behind the drivers thoughts, brilliantly controlled by a "Sheer driving pleasure" suspension all neatly hidden under sexy, aggressive curves, delivered by reliable German Engineering and craftsmanship.
When she starts purring, you know you have about another 5000rpm to play with, and she makes all of this look so easy and sexy! 15 minutes with her will take you to places you've only dreamt of.
Wish there was more cars like the M3, and less unreliable Editor Reviews. This vehicle is no plastic simulation. It's a reality-extension for swift-minded drivers.
