[Msportdays]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I have searching the web and found the Big Motoring World very funny but I do want to buy an M3 for around 25k.

My only concerns are buying a car which I will be forever servicing and petrol. I race caterhams and had a new Subaru sti but wasn't sure if anyone could give some honest day to day costs.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

[rickyjones1209]

Originally Posted by Msportdays

Hi all,

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I have searching the web and found the Big Motoring World very funny but I do want to buy an M3 for around 25k.

My only concerns are buying a car which I will be forever servicing and petrol. I race caterhams and had a new Subaru sti but wasn't sure if anyone could give some honest day to day costs.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

Haven't got one but will be expensive. But depends what your comparing against. Fuel I imagine won't be much much than scooby, well maybe a bit more.

Tyres are a lot. As is road tax I think. And insurance.

I'm sure someone will give you more definitive answers since I reckon you probably guessed as much as above

[mistryn]

Put it like this when I had a E92 M3 as a loaner while mine was in the bodyshop. My daily fuel bill equated to 10 pound per day and that was only 15 mile each way.

be prepared for deep pockets when it comes to fuel. I think the reason why mine was a bit high was just loved putting my foot down and listening to the engine hehe

[Msportdays]

Thanks guys,

I guess it's like any car, the harder you drive it the more fuel, tyres etc it eats up.

To be honest the Audi we have now is great on petrol until you put your foot down but I drive like an old ladie these days. However I know an m3 would be different but it's hard to work out a little bit of the costs.

I know if your buying a car like this it shouldn't be a concern but everyone mentions it.

[creepy coupe]

Tyres about £1200 a set
Tax £470

Most insurance companies require a Tracker to be installed, a couple don't but the premiums are higher.

Fuel is to biggest hit.

[niikme]

I've recently gone from an e92 DCT M3 to a 330d. My first ever diesel actually. Twice a month I was driving the M3 to manchester from hampshire, and it required one fill up before I left home and one fill up up there. After a while it started to grate on me that one trip was costing me £170 in fuel. Its an awesome car but I have to say my 330d feels its equal to 70/80mph and has never moved off 41MPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the question is do you want to fuel up twice a week or twice a month?

[Neil McRae]

there is a guy who has posted a M3 for sale in the UK M3post.com forum.

[Msportdays]

Exactly, but probably like you I would to own one even if it means I'm broke for a bit.

But what I would like to know is the difference in fuel compare to my A3. I know it’s not the same animal but I would be interesting to compare my drive to work. At the moment I drive 300 miles a week of country roads which costs me around £70 for the A3 (no idea the MPG)

If I can work out the MPG on that the I would can roughly work out what the M3 would be. Again, I know it’s not a major thing but then I might be more persuaded to go for a 335i or diesel.

[rickyjones1209]

Originally Posted by Msportdays

Exactly, but probably like you I would to own one even if it means I'm broke for a bit.

But what I would like to know is the difference in fuel compare to my A3. I know it’s not the same animal but I would be interesting to compare my drive to work. At the moment I drive 300 miles a week of country roads which costs me around £70 for the A3 (no idea the MPG)

If I can work out the MPG on that the I would can roughly work out what the M3 would be. Again, I know it’s not a major thing but then I might be more persuaded to go for a 335i or diesel.

it sounds like your doing about 25mpg. on country roads youll be doing less than 20mpg in an m3.

at an educated guess id say you'd be looking at about £90 on fuel for the same 300 mile a week.

Insurance will probably be double. Tyres and road tax is double too.

But its an m3!!

[Msportdays]

Thats perfect rickyjones1209, I can live with that.

All this would explain why I drive past a new M3 (mat black which looks awesome) every day driving about 40mph.

[rickyjones1209]

Originally Posted by rickyjones1209

it sounds like your doing about 25mpg. on country roads youll be doing less than 20mpg in an m3.

at an educated guess id say you'd be looking at about £90 on fuel for the same 300 mile a week.

Insurance will probably be double. Tyres and road tax is double too.

But its an m3!!

with more spirited driving (which could be likely in a m3) it might be more than £90... but not much more.

I think if you can spend £25k on a car it a may as well be good one! Cars are very rarely an investment so if you can afford it then sometimes heart needs to rule over head. There will come a time when we all need to start considering electric cars etc....imagine having to do that and never having had a v8 m3 that you could of had.

[Msportdays]

I think I would go if that happened

[niikme]

I could never be arsed to do the MPG maths unless the onboard was telling me the number, but real world I was getting 220 miles from a tank on the M3, costing about £82 to fill up. The 330d takes closer to £90 of diesel and does 520 miles no matter how I drive it. Hope that helps you. They are a great car but beware the wallet !!!!!!!!!!!
PS. 335i is not much better than m3 for economy, only a few mpgs in it.

[nicktyler]

The bottom line is that it will cost you money and lots of it. certainly lots more than your A3.

Although a M3 is an awsome car and I would love to have one the only time you should buy one is if you are not bothered to the point of even looking at the MPG or considering the fuel costs.

From this thread it is obvious that these things do concern you even if you can afford for them not to. You might end up begrudging the car for it and not getting full enjoyment out of it.

My advice is to concider a 335d and have it mapped and maybe lightly modified. Granted it is not an M3 but by your own admission "I drive like an old ladie these days"

[rickyjones1209]

whatever you do....you dont want a 335i....not until I get one at least!

[JJD]

Originally Posted by niikme

PS. 335i is not much better than m3 for economy, only a few mpgs in it.

Nooooo!!! Don't give me more justification for an M3..


Must resist, must resist....

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by niikme

I could never be arsed to do the MPG maths unless the onboard was telling me the number, but real world I was getting 220 miles from a tank on the M3, costing about £82 to fill up. The 330d takes closer to £90 of diesel and does 520 miles no matter how I drive it. Hope that helps you. They are a great car but beware the wallet !!!!!!!!!!!
PS. 335i is not much better than m3 for economy, only a few mpgs in it.

People with M3s seem to be quoting around 20MPG.

People with the 335i normally work out an average 27MPG and 335d drivers quote about 32MPG.

Obviously it will depend a lot on how and where you drive the car but there is a bigger difference between the M3 than a 335i than there is a 335i to a 335d.

I'm sure if you offered an M3 driver a 35% better fuel economy he would bite your hand off.

It is a great car, but never going to be run cheaply.

Having had a Subaru Sti you will know what the insurance and fuel costs will be like.

[niikme]

Fair enough but its not so much a financial concern as is the jump in tyre cost, oil service cost, tax, and insurance. All of those things add up. I write this having just bought my 2nd m3 so who cares!
If you can afford it OP, buy one.

[Guvernator]

Originally Posted by niikme

Fair enough but its not so much a financial concern as is the jump in tyre cost, oil service cost, tax, and insurance. All of those things add up. I write this having just bought my 2nd m3 so who cares!
If you can afford it OP, buy one.

^^^^ This, it always puzzles me when people consider buying a car like an M3 and then worry about fuels costs. Unless you do galactic mileage i.e. more than 20K a year, fuel costs will be the least of your worries.

[Msportdays]

Thanks for everyone’s comments so far.

Just to add, I am only concerned about the fuel as everyone seems to mention it. But so far I would say it’s not far off my old STI which definitely had a whole in the tank and tyres made of chocolate.

I really can’t wait to get one soon and get shares in Shell

[ChubbsBmth]

Originally Posted by niikme

I could never be arsed to do the MPG maths unless the onboard was telling me the number, but real world I was getting 220 miles from a tank on the M3, costing about £82 to fill up. The 330d takes closer to £90 of diesel and does 520 miles no matter how I drive it. Hope that helps you. They are a great car but beware the wallet !!!!!!!!!!!
PS. 335i is not much better than m3 for economy, only a few mpgs in it.

I have a 335i and on motorways journeys you can easily average 34-35mpg....my average for day to day is never lower than 25mpg and I would say averages out overall at 28-29mpg....

If your saying an M3 isnt that much different....this changes everything.....must resist the temptation!

[niikme]

Haha, so there's quite a few M3 tempters on here and to be honest I don't know what you are waiting for!! They are such good value right now, and the last of the straight V8s! Whatever you do don't test drive one.
My second will be a manual this time in saloon - cannot wait for collection day.