2002 Boxster S vs. 2002-2005 BMW M3 - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

larryshomework · 02-14-2008, 03:25 PM

Advantages of the M3 include an outstanding power plant with plenty of acceleration and good power distribution across the rev range.

Real (usable) back seats.

Not as good of handling but better than most things out there.

Nice and functional interior - well made.

Bigger trunk space plus fold down rear seats compared to 911's. You can get a lot of stuff in an M3.

Overall, they are great cars. It will not be as viscerally connected to the road but it handles very well and has considerable more power (numbers and feeling). Put that thing in sport mode and it's a beast.

racer_d · 02-14-2008, 04:24 PM

What about a WRX STi? Or even an Evo? I know.. ricer

Maybe they are all over where you live (then again, if you live in Cali, M3s are all over the place too). Audi S4/RS4? MB Class AMG (C32?) could also be comparables. How about the previous generation M5? Thats larger

Ok.. So, you'd like to be able to haul, on occasion, more than one person.

What other things in your life would you need more space for? Why not just be the one who "gets a ride" instead of giving the rides?

My dad has a previous gen (E36) M3 sedan. It is a fantastic car. I would argue it to be equal or better than the Boxster (even an S) from an ease to drive and performance value. I would say even better steering feel than my Boxster had. E36 cars, even "excellent" ones, can be had for under 20K, with most in the $12-14K range. They are a great value and also worth considering. Heck, you could save some coin by going a bit older, and have a little nest egg for that 996/997 down the line.

I don't think either car is a bad one (E46 or E36 or Box S). A friend of mine recently traded his 1995 993 Coupe for an E46 M3 because he wanted room for his little kids. Loves the M3, but misses the 993 everyday.

Jeph · 02-14-2008, 05:02 PM

I guess it's a good move, since space is your main complaint.

For me though, it'd be hard to go to the e46 body style since the e92 version has been out for a while now. I'd probably take a 335i Coupe over the e46 M3. With the turbos, that car is about as fast, and fresher looking -not that the "vintage" Bimmer looks bad. Could you do something like that?

I'm still dying to drive an M Coupe. Have you considered that?

cbenitah · 02-14-2008, 05:39 PM

I guess as well here.. It feels like wanting to get rid of something more than just a car. But then again, it is more than just a car for me. I feel the E36 body style is a very strong one but a bit outdated in some way. I do like the E46.

What other car out there would you recommend if YOU were thinking of switching. I do not want to really sacrifice the sportiness if I can call it that.

I did look at the mini coopers too. as you can see, I'm a bit confused here on what to get that would make me satisfied and also something that would justify a swap.

cbenitah · 02-14-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdex

I am still going to vote against the M3... it will cost more then the Porsche to run, for a lesser performing car...

Marc

Curious how you see the M3 to be a lesser performing car? I would say its faster than ours, in many aspects, straight line and sometimes even on track (depends on the driver but still)

Back2DTM · 02-14-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbenitah

Curious how you see the M3 to be a lesser performing car? I would say its faster than ours, in many aspects, straight line and sometimes even on track (depends on the driver but still)

I owned a M3. It is NOT lesser performing car, period. That guy has no idea.

Benny986 · 02-15-2008, 12:38 AM

well if you need the space, then you need the space.

if it was me, i'd get an s4, or a c32. both those cars have lots of TQ.

before the boxster, I was going to get the e46M3. I was set on it. Then I drove it. In the SMG and manual. It honestly didn't feel much faster than my B6 A4 3.0QM. And my audi is not a fast car. The m3 just doesn't have the TQ. Top end its fine, but light to light it doesn't FEEL fast.

The exhaust note also wasn't my favorite either. I like the way my audi sounds way more.

I have driven both at autox, and I like my boxster more. The M3 is a bit on the heavy side. but then again, all cars seem to be gravitating that way.

is the m3 a bad choice? no. are you looking for some reassurance here? it sounds like it, and from the sounds of it, most of the people including me think that it isn't a bad idea. it just wasn't my cup of tea, so i got the boxster. and couldn't be happier.

FWIW, if you are into forums, and hanging out with fellow car owners, my buddy just got an e46 # series, and he likes the audi crowd more. Not sure if that means anything to you or not.

mdex · 02-15-2008, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Back2DTM

I owned a M3. It is NOT lesser performing car, period. That guy has no idea.

Performance not in the aspect of straight line acceleration. There are lots of cars that are quick in a straight line, but overall balance of the car... Few cars in the world can touch the balance of the Boxster. As far as an idea, I have been around the track since I was 6, but don't take my word for it many of the "Pro's" who teach at the PDE, BMW driving schools (including the head of the BMW program) all point to the Boxster as being a far better handling car then anything BMW produces.

xxxalexxxx · 02-14-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdex

it will cost more then the Porsche to run, for a lesser performing car...

Marc

I would have to disagree with both of those...the Porsche definitely costs slightly more to run/mod, etc. then a BMW M3 I know this for a fact because my brother did a ton of modifications and they all cost less then the stuff I did to my boxster or would like to do...

Second, I love Porsches and obviously my boxster but I wouldn't say that an M3 is a 'lesser" performing car. An M3 is about .1-.2 in front of the boxster S (let alone a boxster) on the track, let alone a modded M3 and they are very easy to mod.

larryshomework · 02-15-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdex

I am still going to vote against the M3... it will cost more then the Porsche to run, for a lesser performing car... Heck, at the track a Porsche CTT is just as quick as an M3 so if your going to step down in performance, why not get better functionality thrown in? Audi's are great street cars, and the quattro is a great safety feature to boot.

I would have to disagree with this assessment. The M3 performs better on some aspects and worse on others. It is short on handling but superior on overall power and power delivery (IMHO). Also, handling and feel is relative. It's not as good as the Box but it's better than just about everything else on the road.

I've owned and driven many Audi's. The are great cars with awesome interiors. However, they have even less handling feel than the BMW's. Quattro is nice but the steering feel is more numb than the BMW.

I loved the BMW's I've owned/own and the Box. The Box is more engaging to drive but the M3 is sweet as well - I'd like to have both.

renzop · 02-15-2008, 10:48 AM

Here's another approach that i have been doing for years. Get a second car. Buy a cheap second car (or pickup) and make it an automatic. The cost of insuring a cheap used car without collision is negligble.

Then you can use the Boxster for what it was intended (nice weather and open road) and drive the beater when you are going to be stuck in traffic, going to the mall or hauling extra bodies (live bodies that is:-).

If you like the Boxster don't get rid of it. You will regret it.

Regards,
Alan

cbenitah · 02-15-2008, 11:00 AM

I had that thought but I cannot have two cars, so I need to find a happy medium. I do like all the comments and they all seam to be the same if you look at it as a whole. We all love the boxster and try to find a good alternative incase we didn't have it..