E46 M3 daily

Lads I only have 1 question really..fuel and Mparts aside. .what way do ye swallow road tax..I've dreamed and agonised over an M3 but was not in a position to have one as a sole car all down to the price of tax..the simplest way I can break it down is 42e a week..42e a week before the cars even started..not been a cheap cunt but 500 odd every 3 months is noting to be sniffed at. .I currently run my 320d and a r53 at the same time which is a nice balance of 350 every 3 months tax and 22mpg along with 50+ in the derv.. I'm ranting a bit but is the M3 it worth it.. I'm really trying to convince myself cause this year might be my chance

I think if ye have to think about the price of the tax as a big worry then your not in a position to run one, it will only take away some of the enjoyment, I only had a 2.5 and the tax was too much and with the 20 mpg I was gettin and running a second car aswell it just wasn't practical.

To me the tax is the recurring problem..maintenance albit expensive wont be a constant like that. .yea it may throw up a bill of a good few hundred or on rare occasion into the 0000..but with circa 10k a year I wouldn't expect it to fall apart regularly..mpg not to be worried about ive ran worse and the mini is shite on fuel also

I think if you're going to buy one have a years tax saved for. Tax it for the year or not at all.

It's €200 extra to pay by the quarter. Just no sense to that.

The tax isn't really that bad, the difference is €25 per week, that's nothing really, it gets you into a car that just puts a smile on your face all the time. I would suggest keeping the 320 as well though, you appreciate an M a lot more when you can step away from it for a bit. I have a work vehicle and every time I climb into the M after driving it for a few days is like Nirvana.

You absolutely will not regret it and if you do, it's very easy to cash out, lose nothing and at least you can satisfy the itch. You won't regret it though, the reality of owning one isn't near as bad as the internet would lead you believe. Yes, everything consumable is nearly twice the price but you get used to it and it's worth every penny.

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Originally Posted by Ford 2

Lads I only have 1 question really..fuel and Mparts aside. .what way do ye swallow road tax..I've dreamed and agonised over an M3 but was not in a position to have one as a sole car all down to the price of tax..the simplest way I can break it down is 42e a week..42e a week before the cars even started..not been a cheap c*** but 500 odd every 3 months is noting to be sniffed at. .I currently run my 320d and a r53 at the same time which is a nice balance of 350 every 3 months tax and 22mpg along with 50+ in the derv.. I'm ranting a bit but is the M3 it worth it.. I'm really trying to convince myself cause this year might be my chance

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Good man :D carry on....

Can't see the reason to drive it every day ,just can't .never ending traffic ,no place to speed up ,terrible roads ,no room to feel the joy to drive it .keep it for track day ,and spend road tax money to build it better for U ! That's my thought
[hr]
Maybe 3 summer months ,or max half year

Tax it for 3 months at a go. Chances are you'll want to give it a break after 3 months and it's a good opportunity to do some maintenance work or mods. Just remember to declare it off the road or you'll get stung for back tax

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Fucking buy one Jason - case closed[emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Always good to have a spare car alongside an ///M, I drive mine everyday and it does get a bit tiring handing out wads of money for everything from tax to insurance to fuel to watching the CBS indicator in iDrive warning of impending wallet opening (like brake discs/pads, etc.).

They are great though when you yo want to drop the hammer! Any you'd never tire of a proper exhaust note. Another alternative is to just drive it for 6 months of the year and garage it for the winter.

A word of warning, I would not put too much of a stretch on your wallet for a car. It's just not worth it. You want to be able to enjoy the car without worrying about the next big bill.

Each to their own, I run mine during the summer months not because of tax etc but I just prefer to drive it on long runs instead of urban driving IMO I would not enjoy it as a daily as much, never fails to put a smile on my face getting behind the wheel after the winter months though.

Its very usable as a daily, never found much issue myself driving in traffic. Guess the point there is that if you're going to be stuck in traffic - whats the point. Might depend on what your daily commute entails. I did always love the occasions where you could give it a blast though.

I never found maintenance to be a huge cost - it was terrifically reliable. The road tax is a ballache though, and I now find myself refusing to spend that much again.

Being in the top motor tax bracket becomes a little easier to deal with
when you realise that you have exclusive rights to the outside lane.
I only discovered recently Bmw even fits a little lever under the steering
wheel you can pull to signal to drivers of inferior engine sizes that they've
mistakenly strayed into your lane.

I've been taking mine quarterly but only because I haven't kept a daily driver longer than 6 months in the last few years until now.

I use mine as a daily but don't drive at peak times so I get to enjoy it (within reason)

I prefer it to the e92 m3 as a daily and can't imagine what I'd change it for so I might well put 12 months on it when it's up in February.

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Too fast for him it's a licence loser [emoji1] [emoji1]

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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I think the build quality of the e46 is better, my e92 had over €5k in warranty claims in less than a year and 6,000 kms of use. I'm ok replacing wear and tear items, even before they go but I think such a level of issues isn't acceptable.

From a driving perspective overall I prefer the straight 6 over a v8 for what is predominantly an urban commute. While the e92 is faster overall, especially on the motorway I always felt there was a certain inertia to overcome from a standing start, whereas the straight 6 in the e46 feels like it has less and gets going quicker. As a result I think the e46 feels faster to drive around town.

I do miss the note of the v8 alright, especially on the last burst of my drive home up a hill, through the village but I'm not one for modifying in pursuit of more noise

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Originally Posted by Gar

Too fast for him it's a licence loser [emoji1] [emoji1]

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Ah no, I just put down C Healy as the driver's name when the points arrive in the post! [emoji3]

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Ah no, I just put down C Healy as the driver's name when the points arrive in the post! [emoji3]

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That's me, taking it for the team :D

I with John on this one, as I've always said, the build quality on all models after the E46/39 era just went downhill.

Well I can understand that given my warranty rally with the e63. I'm reaching over the €17k mark at this stage and I'm not 1 full year in to ownership. I think it has settled down now, that gives the 630i a chance to take some of my money for repairs.

I think the e39 was far better a build quality than the e6x generation.

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Originally Posted by healyc82

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Ah no, I just put down C Healy as the driver's name when the points arrive in the post! [emoji3]

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That's me, taking it for the team :D

I with John on this one, as I've always said, the build quality on all models after the E46/39 era just went downhill.

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Do you have 2 accounts on this? :huh:

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Originally Posted by Dave

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Originally Posted by healyc82

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Ah no, I just put down C Healy as the driver's name when the points arrive in the post! [emoji3]

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That's me, taking it for the team :D

I with John on this one, as I've always said, the build quality on all models after the E46/39 era just went downhill.

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Do you have 2 accounts on this? :huh:

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His Tapatalk is playing up, logging him into the forum under Tapatalk Id rather than forum username.

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by Dave

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Originally Posted by healyc82

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by rebel.ranter

Actually JohnH I've been meaning to ask why you prefer the e46 over the e92? The V8 note is fantastic.

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Ah no, I just put down C Healy as the driver's name when the points arrive in the post! [emoji3]

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That's me, taking it for the team :D

I with John on this one, as I've always said, the build quality on all models after the E46/39 era just went downhill.

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Do you have 2 accounts on this? :huh:

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His Tapatalk is playing up, logging him into the forum under Tapatalk Id rather than forum username.

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It's my alter ego :D

Stupid tapatalk!!!!

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Originally Posted by Ford 2

Lads I only have 1 question really..fuel and Mparts aside. .what way do ye swallow road tax..I've dreamed and agonised over an M3 but was not in a position to have one as a sole car all down to the price of tax..the simplest way I can break it down is 42e a week..42e a week before the cars even started..not been a cheap c*** but 500 odd every 3 months is noting to be sniffed at. .I currently run my 320d and a r53 at the same time which is a nice balance of 350 every 3 months tax and 22mpg along with 50+ in the derv.. I'm ranting a bit but is the M3 it worth it.. I'm really trying to convince myself cause this year might be my chance

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Sounds like we're in similar situations with the mix of cars. Since I picked up the R53 I've actually come to appreciate the 320d a lot more and I enjoy the comfort and ease at which you can make rapid progress - as an all around family car it's hard to beat. Then the R53 is perfect for when you want something a bit more raw and involved.

These days I care little for how fast a car is compared to other cars and get a kick out of how it feels to drive so with that in mind I have less of a need for something like an M3. That said, I'd still love to own one (E46 preferably) but in practical terms having driven the R53 for 8 weeks now I'd struggle to justify the M3 cost given how good the R53 has been. I also suspect due to my driving style/habits I personally would never really experience the full benefit of an M3 over and above something like the mini.

Maybe if I could afford to have it sit there as a 3rd car for select days I'd think different.:tounge:

I closed my eyes when I paid tax. Its a crippling fee so better not think about it. At least the price of petrol is somewhat reasonable now