[investmentbanker]

I love my 2006 325i Sedan and I put a lot of work into it.

I been losing sleep over trading it in plus cash for a 2006 BMW M6 with an SMG. The M6 has a low 6476 miles and RPi Exhaust.

My fear is the SMG transmission and the iDrive. Not sure if I should do it.

[ddk632]

I would do that trade all day long, man.

Test drive it if you're not sure about the SMG.
iDrive was apparently not that great back then but ... it's an M6, who cares!

[investmentbanker]

Originally Posted by ddk632

I would do that trade all day long, man.

Test drive it if you're not sure about the SMG.
iDrive was apparently not that great back then but ... it's an M6, who cares!

Thanks. I want to do it but I keep thinking what is the worst that could happen. I'm scared of the SMG tranny dying on me $$$$

[P1]

I would not think twice about that. Going from a 325i to an M6?

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by investmentbanker

Thanks. I want to do it but I keep thinking what is the worst that could happen. I'm scared of the SMG tranny dying on me $$$$

Oh ok, I thought you meant you're not sure about driving with it. Maintenance wise, if you're concerned about money, don't buy an out of warranty M6, lol.

I don't know how reliable the SMG is or isn't, but out of warranty Bimmers are never cheap to maintain even a 3 series. An M6 will be that much more costly.

I would still do it though, hehe.

[ddk632]

Also a note, you might already be aware of this, but worth a mention:

Incredibly low miles isn't always an awesome thing. If the car has spent most of its life sitting, depending on how well the guy serviced it (some service items are time based or mileage based, whichever comes first), it may need a good once over and service.

[P1]

Originally Posted by ddk632

Oh ok, I thought you meant you're not sure about driving with it. Maintenance wise, if you're concerned about money, don't buy an out of warranty M6, lol.

I don't know how reliable the SMG is or isn't, but out of warranty Bimmers are never cheap to maintain even a 3 series. An M6 will be that much more costly.

I would still do it though, hehe.

He's an investment banker though, so he's got plenty of money for repairing an eight year old car I assume...

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by P1et

He's an investment banker though, so he's got plenty of money for repairing an eight year old car I assume...

I don't make any such assumptions. I go by what is stated in his posts. He has voiced a concern about the reliability and out of warranty maintenance cost of the transmission. This is a valid concern.

Having, or not having, plenty of money is not at issue with regard to such a concern.

[investmentbanker]

Originally Posted by P1et

He's an investment banker though, so he's got plenty of money for repairing an eight year old car I assume...

I'm a cheap bastard. Thats why I drive a Honda Fit and BMW 325i. But I never had a super BMW car like an M6 so tranny is my concern. I've read mix reviews of the tranny and how some dealers just replace an entire transmission for $14K when replace the hydraulic pump and some relay doesn't fix the tranny.

I want to do this but I'm scared LOL. #firstworldproblems

[investmentbanker]

I have test drove it. Shifts are no where near the smoothness of the E90 automatic tranny. From 3 to 4 the shift was harsh like a stick shift.

iDrive drove me nuts I don't know how to turn off the radio besides turning the volume all the way down.

Here is the car
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...W&cardist=6564

[ddk632]

Just press the volume knob and it mutes the sound.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by investmentbanker

I have test drove it. Shifts are no where near the smoothness of the E90 automatic tranny. From 3 to 4 the shift was harsh like a stick shift.

iDrive drove me nuts I don't know how to turn off the radio besides turning the volume all the way down.

Here is the car
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...W&cardist=6564

No, these cars are utter crap. Once the nostalgia of a roaring V10 goes away and 4 digit maintenance and repair bills come into play... you will see what I am talking about. SMG is beyond garbage and I drive pre 2009 is a joke. My recommendation would be to try and find an e92 m3 instead if these type of cars r your thing. I am just warning you that I know quite a few people with these cars and the sob story is always the same.

[jlstyle]

That's a hell of a jump.
And yes, I do agree getting concerned of 06 M6 with SMG.
To be honest, I would pick something else because you might spend alot more money than on your 325i.

[adobeee]

Those low miles could also be track miles. Track miles obviously put more wear and tear on the car than normal miles..

[investmentbanker]

THANKS!!! For everyone's honest and thoughtful opinions. I decided to go against the M6. The thought of an amazing V10 is nice but its probably not worth the maint cost.

My Honda Fit Sport VTEC SOHC Type R is my daily driver and my pretend truck.

My 2006 325i is my weekend toy. Its definitely much better on gas than an M6 and a lot smoother to drive. I actually love the car a lot because I put in a lot of hours working on it, fixing minor issues and I learned a lot about working on cars with this car and the DIY guides on this forum. I also replaced the belts, pulleys, all ignition coils, spark plugs, complete brake job, and etc thanks to this forum. I just hit 50K miles two or three weeks ago. Its not fast but for a cheap man its a good looking affordable car. I almost traded it in for a 2010 E63 AMG but I backed out of that one too..

[Whostheboss]

I think it's a good idea you decided to go against the M6.

- Not worth the hassle or stress of something ever going wrong with Seq. gear box
- To think of it, we all want bad ass power cars but seriously how often are you gonna enjoy all that power?
- Probably higher insurance payments.

Goodluck

[F1Venom]

Just get an M235i or a used M3 sedan.

[P1]

Originally Posted by Whostheboss

I think it's a good idea you decided to go against the M6.

- Not worth the hassle or stress of something ever going wrong with Seq. gear box
- To think of it, we all want bad ass power cars but seriously how often are you gonna enjoy all that power?
- Probably higher insurance payments.

Goodluck

I agree with this 100%. I usually laugh at my friends who buy insanely powerful cars. Unless you take it to the track (one friend does), there is little to no point buying these powerful cars.

[Billup]

I'm sure you could find a 911 with IMSB service done for the same price range the M6 would have fetched? Then again, it wouldn't be so savy on maintenance either if something did arise.

M3?

[JasonCSU]

If you are still thinking of changing cars, why not look for an '06 M3 with the Competition Package and a 6MT? It would be much less of a maintenance nightmare compared to the M6.

[John 070]

You definitely don't want SMG, never. There's no such thing as, "Got a great deal on a SMG!" There is no SMG that is good to drive, not one. Heaven forbid you ever have trouble and need the dealership to look at it. Wife's cousin took in a M3 and they wanted 11k to repair it. He DIY for under $200. But we all don't own lifts, have the expertise, and are not able to use our own dually with trailer to pick up the car where it breaks down.

[Myrder]

Get the AMG.