Should I buy an M3?
- Thread starter AWD330XI
- Start date
I would NOT recommend using an M3 as a daily driver in the winter, even with good snows. (I recommend Blizzak LM22s, which I currently run on my TL in size 225/50/17).
If you are going to be doing a lot of winter driving, RWD is not fun.
It can be done (I did it for years) and is not a huge problem with good snow tires. That said, why would you settle for an admitted compromise in traction and safety if you don't have to?
Yes, a well setup RWD car with good snows may be superior to the typical FWD car with average all-season tires. No argument with that.
However, a FWD or AWD car with good snows is far superior to a RWD car with the same setup. Trust me, I have owned both at the same time and there are a multitude of tests that have been done, including comparisons between RWD and AWD BMWs with a variety of rubber.
I love RWD and plan to always have at least one in the garage, but not in the snow.
Whether that means you should buy an M3 is up to you.
Quite frankly, if you have to ask the answer is probably No. Buying an M-car may not be for everyone, and the premium price is probably not worth it to someone who will not appreciate its virtues.
(If that statement offends you, maybe there is an M-car in your future.![[;)]](/images/smilies/wink.png "Wink [;)]")
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If you are going to be doing a lot of winter driving, RWD is not fun.
It can be done (I did it for years) and is not a huge problem with good snow tires. That said, why would you settle for an admitted compromise in traction and safety if you don't have to?
Yes, a well setup RWD car with good snows may be superior to the typical FWD car with average all-season tires. No argument with that.
However, a FWD or AWD car with good snows is far superior to a RWD car with the same setup. Trust me, I have owned both at the same time and there are a multitude of tests that have been done, including comparisons between RWD and AWD BMWs with a variety of rubber.
I love RWD and plan to always have at least one in the garage, but not in the snow.
Whether that means you should buy an M3 is up to you.
Quite frankly, if you have to ask the answer is probably No. Buying an M-car may not be for everyone, and the premium price is probably not worth it to someone who will not appreciate its virtues.
(If that statement offends you, maybe there is an M-car in your future.
)
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While I understand your concern, I don't necessarily agree that it's the "right thing" to not drive the M3 in the snow. First, its tire pressure chart lists 17-inch rims as a possible replacement for the 18- or 19-inch rims, and I assume it's for snow tires. Second, the beauty of a car like the M3 is that it _can_ be driven under many different conditions as a daily driver. I respect your opinion if you think the only virtue of the M3 is its dry-weather performance. I, on the other hand, believe the M3 will be an adequate vehicle for pretty much all kinds of weather. Just my thought.
Adequate? Yes. Good? No.
You can get away with driving an M-car in the snow, but why would you do that if you have the ability to have two cars?
I could have bought another NSX (or an M3) and slapped a set of Blizzaks on it for the winter. It would have changed the handling dynamics of the car, and it would have broken my heart to see an NSX covered in salt and sludge day in and day out. Where is the fun in that?
You can get away with driving an M-car in the snow, but why would you do that if you have the ability to have two cars?
I could have bought another NSX (or an M3) and slapped a set of Blizzaks on it for the winter. It would have changed the handling dynamics of the car, and it would have broken my heart to see an NSX covered in salt and sludge day in and day out. Where is the fun in that?
It may not be that much fun, but I believe driving a car in the snow will be better for the car than keeping it in the garage. Sure, the body may get dirt and rock chips. You may not be able to go very fast. But you get your motor running and other driving components moving every day, as opposed to shutting everything down in the cold garage all the time. Which would be better for the car as a machine? I'm no automotive engineer, but I have a feeling it's the former. What do you think?
I don't know, I never learned to speak rhetorical. ![[rofl]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_rofl.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
Speaking of rhetoric, a subtle change of the argument does make it much easier to score points, no? I thought I was arguing about whether it was a good idea to drive an M3 in the snow, not whether it was good for an M3 to store it over the winter.
In any event, it doesn't snow every day. In most places, you can still drive the car when the roads are clear. I am not saying park your M3 in the winter and never let it see the light of day.
All I am saying is that RWD is a compromise in the snow. You don't dispute that, so I don't know what more needs to be said. Some places get a fair amount of snow in the winter, not just rain.
If you had a M3 and a winter car and it snowed 7 inches, which one would you take to work?
Speaking of rhetoric, a subtle change of the argument does make it much easier to score points, no? I thought I was arguing about whether it was a good idea to drive an M3 in the snow, not whether it was good for an M3 to store it over the winter.
In any event, it doesn't snow every day. In most places, you can still drive the car when the roads are clear. I am not saying park your M3 in the winter and never let it see the light of day.
All I am saying is that RWD is a compromise in the snow. You don't dispute that, so I don't know what more needs to be said. Some places get a fair amount of snow in the winter, not just rain.
If you had a M3 and a winter car and it snowed 7 inches, which one would you take to work?
Uh... let me try again. You have a choice of driving your M3 in the snow and storing it in the winter. For the exterior, the latter is probably a better idea. For the drivetrain, the former is probably a better idea. I respect you if you consider the exterior more important than the drivetrain. I just happen to consider the drivetrain more important. I hope I'm clear enough now.
That's a lot better. OTOH, it becomes even more questionable whether it's worth getting a beater for the winter, doesn't it?
I agree with you completely.
I'd work from home.![[:D]](/images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin [:D]")
Seriously, f you already have another car that can handle snow better than the M3 does, then that'd be the best.
That's a lot better. OTOH, it becomes even more questionable whether it's worth getting a beater for the winter, doesn't it?
All I am saying is that RWD is a compromise in the snow. You don't dispute that, so I don't know what more needs to be said. Some places get a fair amount of snow in the winter, not just rain.
I'd work from home.
Seriously, f you already have another car that can handle snow better than the M3 does, then that'd be the best.
Look at the Audi S4 and the Subaru.. hell look at it this way, I drive my 2003 Tacoma as an everyday driver.. then on fri, sat, sun i scream in my M3. maybe you could get the subaru.. and the m3.. drive the subaru in snow times and M3 rest of time...
and fook anyone that has a problem with this dude getting his inheritance.. im going to get mine one day, and I sure as hell would not want to hear any hateful jealousy
and fook anyone that has a problem with this dude getting his inheritance.. im going to get mine one day, and I sure as hell would not want to hear any hateful jealousy
![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]"){kind=icon}
I just don't see it as an either or situation. It is not about whether I value the exterior more than the drivetrain, which of course depends upon which exterior and which drivetrain.
In most locations, the snow will be gone often enough that the M3 would not have to be stored to avoid the snow. It might sit idle for a week or two at a time at most, but the idea would be to take it out and get the exhaust nice and hot as much as the weather would permit. In most places, even Wisconsin, the winter is sporadic. I had my NSX on the road on 12/31.
In most locations, the snow will be gone often enough that the M3 would not have to be stored to avoid the snow. It might sit idle for a week or two at a time at most, but the idea would be to take it out and get the exhaust nice and hot as much as the weather would permit. In most places, even Wisconsin, the winter is sporadic. I had my NSX on the road on 12/31.
Let's say AWD330xi decides to get an M3...who said he has to get 17" snow tires? I would just get a set of 18" Blizzak LM-22's or Dunlop Wintersport M3's (which are designed to work with BMW's and Porsche's low-profile setup) for the winter. No need for down-sizing tire size for less performance and a less aggressive look when 18" snow tires are becoming much more common nowadays.
In any case, the M3 makes for a fine daily driver. Just be sure to warm it up properly every time you drive it and wash it once a week (particularly during the winter) and you shouldn't really have any problems keeping it clean and running smooth.
In any case, the M3 makes for a fine daily driver. Just be sure to warm it up properly every time you drive it and wash it once a week (particularly during the winter) and you shouldn't really have any problems keeping it clean and running smooth.
daihard said:
I'm not sure if ABS would help much on extremely low-traction surfaces, though. Anyway, the S4 would be an excellent choice, too. I've driven an A4 in the snow. I was nicely surprised at its stability. If only the S4 were as light as the M3...
I should have been clearer; I'm not saying the ABS doesn't work at all under any snow. However, depending upon the kind of snow, preventing wheel locking doesn't ALWAYS shorten the braking distance. In some situations such as new powder snow, locking the wheels can result in a shorter braking distance. On an extremely low-traction surface, the ABS may just keep "unlocking" the wheels, thereby not applying enough stopping power to the brakes.
http://www.abs-education.org/faqs/faqindex.htm
Besides, the primary function of the ABS is not to shorten the stopping distance. It is to allow the driver a full control fo the vehicle under extreme braking.
http://www.abs-education.org/faqs/faqindex.htm
Besides, the primary function of the ABS is not to shorten the stopping distance. It is to allow the driver a full control fo the vehicle under extreme braking.