IwannaSportSedan Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 E46 M3 > 996 Ahhh, Not buying that one. Maybe close, but not having driven either one, (way too rich for my blood right now, and not common in the midwest) but knowing what I know about them... I would pick the Porsche every time, especially if you start considering the Carrera 4S, let alone a Turbo, Turbo S, GT3 or GT2. (which are all technically 996s.) I was very sad when I really liked the LGT today, because I am such a BMW person, I never thought the scoobie would be so nice. Interesting sentiment. I really like the Legacy GT because it is so close to the shape and power, and near to the quality of an E36 328 or favorite M3 4-door. I think the E46 is getting too big, and too expensive, let alone a new E90. I am not looking to spend quite that much, outright, nor in upkeep after the warranty expires. The E36 is getting older, good used cars are getting a little rarer with more miles and wear, and are out of warranty, and probably more expensive to work on than a Subaru. BMW's RWD, which I like, doesn't have the ultimate chops in the snow-belt that AWD has. All signs point me to Legacy GT. I still like E36 M3s, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmarch Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Drive a 996 and an M3 side by side and get back to me. The M3 has a better feel. Plus everything costs 1/2 as much as a 996. Maintanance is free to 50,000 miles, opposed to a Porsche warranty where they won't cover much of anything. Insurance is a lot less. You get a lot more room. And you can hold your own against 996s. People only buy Porsches because they don't know or they dont' care. I've driven 2 E46 M3's, and a good friend traded his E46 M3 for a 996 C4s, then traded the 996 for an E46 M3. We have very similar tastes and impressions of cars, and he said the 996 was a significantly better car, but ultimatey not worth the extra money to him. If you're worried about price, insurance and parts costs, so am I. that's why I have an STi, not a 996 or an E46 M3. I like the E46 M3, don't get me wrong. People don't only buy porsches because they don't know or don't car, they often buy them because they're better. Also, anytime you're in MD with a 996 and an E46 M3, I'd be glad to take you up on your offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmarch Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 The brake feel on the M3 is more linear, its a lot more predictable. I have driven a 996 6 speed extensively, a few hundred miles at least. And I have never gotten used to the rock solid feel of the brake. It honestly is a little scary. The M3 has a better steering radius, and a lot fewer blind spots. An M3 also doesn’t cost 300 bucks to change the oil. And lets just say its a good thing that tows are free with the Porsche warranty. I'm not just saying this because I love bimmers too. I could have never dreamed that the M3 would be such a great car. I thought that the 996 would leave it in its dust. When I first drove the E46 M3 I litterally stepped out of my mom's 996 6 speed, and into my boyfriend's cousin's new E46 M3. I was very surprised at how well the E46 M3 did. When you get into price comparo, its such a better car too. I would love an M3. And I do enjoy driving the Porsche. Even though a used M3 can be had almost for the price of a new Legacy. I need a car that I can trust for longer than an E46 M3 or a 996. sounds like you prefer a "GT" to a more sporting car. Nothing wrong with that. For performance driving, though, I think most people would choose the 996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 e46 M3 back seat> 996 back seat I would agree with this statement. Otherwise, they're different animals. Sure, the 996 has it's share of expensive problems (RMS leaks) many of which were hopefully fixed with the 997 (haven't had a chance to drive one. . . yet) but I think you'll find it hard for a lot of people to agree with you. As a daily driver, I'd agree with you, the M3 is more comfortable. But as a third or fourth car and if you can afford it, I'd take the Porsche every time. "Porsche, there is no substitute" Further off topic, I'd actually like a 993 just as a piece of Porsche history. I think it will be more popular than the 996 over time. To get back on topic, I'm glad our Subies are being compared to Bimmers, even little ones. Of course, with AWD they are better than Bimmers if you live in bad climates- so it's not really a fair comparison. tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Pimp Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Even though a used M3 can be had almost for the price of a new Legacy New Legacy GT + at least 5K = lowest price used E46 M3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbeam Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Don't go that far Jedi, high mileage ones go for high 20s now days. A clean one can be had for low 30s. Autotrader has a ton of them for under 33,000 with between 45-75 thousand miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiffySRQ Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 I have to give credit to BMW, the E46 was a STUNNING looking car, even the stock measley little 325i was beautiful. I seriously considered the BMW option before buying my LGT, I nearly signed on a 330ci....and then I thought about it. The only effective way to add lots of power to a 330 would require about 8 grand and a weeks stay in Miami (With my Fiances parents....eek. scary stuff right there)...The potential of this motor in my opnion is > to the 3.0L BMW I6 ... dollar for dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Actually, it would be about $5K for Dinan S1. S2 adds no power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunderkind Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 well the new E90 is out and it will date the E46... get over it. Eventhough the rear of the e90 is quite Kia-like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Pimp Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Don't go that far Jedi, high mileage ones go for high 20s now days. A clean one can be had for low 30s. Autotrader has a ton of them for under 33,000 with between 45-75 thousand miles. Guess you haven't seen the Legacy prices on fitzmall.com yet..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbeam Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 well the new E90 is out and it will date the E46... get over it. Eventhough the rear of the e90 is quite Kia-like. I parked my E46 besides a new E90 while I waited for a sales guy to let me test drive the E90. Alone, the E46 (IMO) is absolutely stunning, so elegant, simple, and beautiful. but beside the E90 it looks so outdated and old. I like both of them. Jedi, I was comparing used M3 prices to new LGT prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsyGT Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Don't even get me started on Bangle-ized bimmers. But I must admit, the 3 series is the best done of the bunch (or least offensive). I think Hyundai has done a nicer job on it's newer cars! The new 3 is a little on the large side, though. I saw one and I thought it was a 5. tom tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiffySRQ Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Actually, it would be about $5K for Dinan S1. S2 adds no power. I was talking more like AA, which seems to be the authority for 3-series forced induction and tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbeam Posted June 11, 2005 Author Share Posted June 11, 2005 Don't even get me started on Bangle-ized bimmers. But I must admit, the 3 series is the best done of the bunch (or least offensive). I think Hyundai has done a nicer job on it's newer cars! The new 3 is a little on the large side, though. I saw one and I thought it was a 5. tom The whole group is getting bigger. Have you seen how much the A4 has grown? People demand more room, more storage, bigger engines, better suspension, more electronic gizmos, and it all takes space. That is why the A3 and the 1 series have been introduced, to be what the 3 series used to be. I blame the consumer for making the 3 grow. One of the reviews I read critisized it for not having enough room inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needforsleep Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 yeah, cars are becoming so big. I think that the new 6series is quite large, but still it is still a very nice car and with the right mods it is incredible. I've seen the new A4, since i had planned on getting the older generation A4, but i didn't think it was that much larger. i think that the e46 is a tad small compared to other cars now and so a bigger model was necessary, but i still like the e46 better. oh, i spend a lot of time at e46fanatics.com and those guys have amazing looking cars. silverbeam, i've never seen your car though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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