Anyone use a daily driver E36 M3?

[jdirecto]

Thinking of getting a sedan and use it as a daily driver.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Joey

71 2002

[1972fritz]

i have a 325is and i love it the power the handling the looks and the m3 is even better

[Nick]

yup got a 2 door, FUN!

[bobthomas]

I have a slightly modified '98 M3 sedan. I drive it a bit more than the M2. If I could own only 1 car it'd be a M3 sedan.

[jdirecto]

I'm trying to convince the better half that an E36 is just as reliable as a Honda and could be maintained as such without breaking the bank.

[Pierre]

She drives a 97 4-door. She takes the kids to school, goes to the market, goes to work etc. A real daily driver.

We've had it two years. It did blow a head gasket earlier this year, I did a coolant service/hoses/belts/tensioner last year. And it eats tires.

But she absolutely loves it.

She test drove an E46 325i a few weeks ago. Her reaction: "Flimsy, soft, weak, mushy brakes, clutch feels disconnected, steering is vague, seat is flat, this car sucks."

When we get into an argument, or she doesn't treat her car well, I threaten her to trade her M3 for a Camry or an Accord. Make that a 10-year old Camry.

[dubois]

I have one (2 dr) and it just sits. They are really bullet proof. Seen some with 300k miles! They share all the body parts, interior and some mechanicals with the rest of e36's. They are great daily drivers. I think the 4 dr came mostly with automatics. The 3.2 has more low end torque, you can drive in stop and go traffic without stalling. They all have lsd, and cr gearbox, they are ery capable, still. My only complain is that for them to truly be a sports car - they have to be modified. They are a nice compromise. My commute is very short and all the top end goes to waste. The chassis is soft, suspension, steering,shifting, seats are really geared for daily driving. If you want to drive this 20k/year, it is the car...a toy is not.

You can see a lot of them in CL, including mine!

[jgerry2002]

I've had one for over 8 years and it has about 120k+ on it now. I do have it set up for drivers schools as the Z link rear suspension is amazing, though my tii is actually cheaper to run at drivers schools but certainly not as fast (but I say who cares about driving fast in a straight line).

Yep, they are good daily drivers. Chassis is pretty good, and they have various weaknesses that are typical to most newer bmw's, such as horrible rear shock mounts, mushy suspension setup, and a weak cooling system. Like anything electronic, they tend to have issues from time to time, but the designs are fairly modular so I'm eventually able to figure out the various gremlins. My latest issue was a bad central locking actuator in the passenger side door.

[M3M3]

i have a 97 sedan ( 5spd, techno violet/mulberry). i have owned and used as daily driver since it was new. as someone else said, if you can only have one car, this is the car to have. fast, comfortable, 4drs, 30mpg highway, loves track days or driving to work. i don't ever plan on selling mine!

they only made the 4dr in 97 and 98. just over half were automatics. if live in a big city with lots of traffic and don't plan on doing trackc days, the automatic is an excellent option.

[mtriple]

Do your homework and check the car very well. Sedans were only 97/98 cars. There are certain things that break down around 80+k miles. Make sure the cooling issues are resolved (thermostat/water pump and Radiator) also check the rear shock tower area. Oil pump nut is famous for backing out on these cars so there is a preventative maintenance that need to be done.

There is also the electric challenge that you'll see every now and then : Climate control acting up + door lock actuators having minds of their own..etc

They are a blast to drive. Mine is Supercharged and it smokes stock/lightly modded e46 ms all day. I don't DD it, but I do not see a problem if I choose to. One of the things I like about it is the sedan factor. It completes the package.

Good luck and check Bimmerforums/e36 M3 section to get more info. I don't go there much anymore, but its a start.

Hamada

[RKS]

I had a '98 M3 convertible with automatic (the automatic was a five-speed). It was a daily driver for me and the ex. We never had any issues with it. I did replace the plastic cladding in the front undercarriage with sheet metal pieces; I forget what supplier made them. I liked the car a lot, but I traded it in on an E39 M5 that remains the only new BMW I ever bought.

E36s driven hard are known to rip out rear subframes from their weak floorpans.

[M3M3]

only the normal e36's, not the m's, have the rear subframe problem. the m's had that area reinforced at the factory.

[RKS]

You are correct. The M cars were built the way all E36s should have been.

[pbastyr]

I've got an e36 m3 automatic sedan that I've used as a daily driver for the last 5 or 6 years. I bought it with 105,000 miles and not it's got around 150k on the clock. It's a great car that I really enjoy driving. It's very easy to live with on a daily basis and really gets up and goes when you want it. It certainly has not been a cheap car to own. That's for sure. It's got lots of known problems, so familiarize yourself with them, I've replaced just about all of them - rear shock mounts, cooling system, belt tensioner pulleys, climate control unit, radio (my replacement is now on it's way out as well), etc, etc. WAY more fun than an accord though. Plus I think that the m3 sedan is absolutely beautiful. Much better looking than the coupe.

You should buy one, mine's for sale.... I need to buy something to tow my new race car next season. Silver over black with offset m double spokes. Magnificent.

[bmw_jeff]

My E46 M3 is my DD, but with a low-mile (20 round trip) commute. Its the ultimate DD and is especially handy for Home Depot runs with the fold-down rear seat.