M3!

 

I've recently bought my car Impreza, a 2004 STI PPP, after very nearly buying an e46 M3.

I drove the SMG and the manual and was really really underwhelmed with box in the manual. The gear throw on the manual is so long it feels unsporty as it takes too long to change gear. The SMG feel more fun because of the novelty of the paddles.

I drove two Imprezas, first was rougher than Tarzan's feet but the second one was in excellent condition. Once I drove it I had to buy it. It's just so much more fun than the M3. And, the STI is now our new family car, 4 doors, decent sized boot and isofix for the car seat, perfect.

I sold an E90 BMW to buy the Impreza and for me the M3 just felt like a quick BMW. The gap between my E90 and E46 just wasn't enough, unless you drive the M3 with a heavy right foot it drives just like any other new BMW, which is fine if you want a BMW but not if you want to feel like your driving a special car.

 

Had 2 M3s. The 3 main areas that are highly reported with them are

1 . Rear sub frame carrier failure . They use the same carrier as the 1.6 . The torque transferred through the rear of the car causes the mounts to stress the spot welds holding the two skins together . The metal fatigues and the spot welds split. This then progresses to the crack lengthening and eventually rear carrier separation.
Bmw are highly aware of it and replace the carrier for free upto 10 years old , at a cost of £4600 to them . Redline motorsport do repair plates/ reinforcement plates fitted from £1600 as long as it's not bad and caught early.
They all do it . It's just when .said From the bmw main dealer repair centre in Nottingham.

2 smg pump failure . The cog light comes on and all gear selection is lost. Usually down to the pump no longer being able to create pressure .
Very common too. Mine was replaced . £1200 fix

3 head gasket failure between cylinders. The 3.2 is a 3.0 bored out . This gives about 2/3 mm between the cylinders . They tend to go between 3 and 4 and it gives a random misfire code at first . It progresses to a flat spot at low revs . All the time you thing plugs , coil pack as it's so light and it's bmw 's best . A leak down test and a compression test confirms . Had this on the first one . £1000 to fix as it's a 14 hr job

Join m3 cutters and all of these are highly talked about . Or Google and they'll come up .

In honesty once you know about the potential issues it stops you enjoying it and I ended selling . The first one went back to the dealer and I bought a second hoping I'd get away with it .

Now own a 2.1 forged 51k p1 and wouldn't go back .

If you want reliable go the sti 8 ppp
305 bhp and the best engine subaru made