I need some advise, and figured this would be a good place to ask. The M guys are always a bit biased. I have a deposit on the E92 M3, and axpect it to be available in Jan/Feb. I've found an outstanding deal on a 04 LBB with very low miles that I can pickup for in the low to mid 50's. I currently drive an S2000, and have wanted an NSX since I was able to drive. I'm afraid that if I don't buy this car, I'll regret it forever. Logic tells me that the new M will be a superior car, not only performance wise (420 hp V8), but comfort wise as well. It will also be much more usable beings as that it has a back seat, although neither car would be a daily driver. I had played with the idea of buying the NSX and keeping it until the M is available, and then selling it. I'm concerned that I may get stuck with both payments if the M ends up coming out earlier then expected. I guess I'm just looking for some words of encouragement lol. I really don't know what to do. If I just wait for the M, I'll continue to sink money into my S2k for the next year. This was the original plan. Someone talk some sense into me!
I'm so torn
- Thread starter sinner
- Start date
Get the NSX, its a rarer car, if you decide after owning it for several months that you would rather have the E92, you can go get an E92. Might not be so easy the other way round. Also you won't lose much money, if any at all, on the NSX because its rare.
I see the E46 M3 all day long, coming and going once the initial onslaught demand for the new M3 goes away, you will be able to pick one up without too much of a problem I am sure and probably without so much initial gouging by the dealer.
At the very least just go drive the NSX before you write it off just because of magazine numbers, yes the new M3 will have more hp but its also heavier than an NSX, not saying the NA2 NSX will be faster,just don't underestimate its 290 hp in a ~3000lb car, you may find its a beautiful thing to drive, mid engine car with very precise steering inputs, its no slouch either. Just my $.02
Another thing, I would be wary of the new E92, until its proven, remember the E46 con rod issue, I am sure that was a PITA for many BMW owners and they got treated like crap by BMW NA(IMHO). Even after they, BMW, finally admitted fault, you still had a car with less than ~10K miles with a new motor in it. That can't be good for resale. You might want to wait until the new M3 proves itself as a reliable car.
Armando
Just wait and get the M. You'll be so much happier.
http://www.argonautolab.com/showroom.html
Follow this link to the partial list of car's I've owned in the past 2 years as my brother and I have owner our dealership. I think my brother and I have had 14 M3's (owned/driven/tested every option/color/model)... some M5's... the new M5... some hopped up vettes... Anyway... hands down.. no questions asked BUY THE NSX and DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!... I haven't missed an M yet. I was dying without my NSX and just bought another one to repalce it after being forced to sell it b/c of temporary financial reasons. The M3 feels like a hopped up 3 series... wait it is. It handles well... it's quick... but at the end of the day it's a 3 series on steriods... not really all that special. It's not as much fun to drive as the NSX. I like the SMG
But at the end of the day it feels much like a 3 series. It just feels like a normal daily driver. It doesn't get much attention (not that this matters) but it jsut isn't that exotic. It feels heavy... it feels more like a 3 series and less like a performance car. It rolls more than the NSX... in turns... just side to side swaying etc. while the NSX feels low/nimble/tight... like a kart YUM! Hands down it is the more fun to own/more fun to drive/more attention getting car that inspires one to drive
All that aside... the M WILL DEPRECIATE MORE. Look at the older M's and see what they are going for and check out what a 91 NSX sells for.
Also... Of the 4 or so NSXes we've sold... I think the longest to sell took 3 or 4 weeks. I've had M3's and M5's for sale for longer than 18 months! On average they take 6 months or more to sell. They are not easy cars to sell! Don't get white for sure as it is the hardest color to sell. The 2 toned interior is hit or miss... sometimes it keeps a car from selling... other times it sells the car b/c there is one person in the world wanting the 2 toned.... So keep that in mind... If you do buy it go ahead and get pics and post it for sale... that way you have offers etc. by the time you are ready to move on.
Follow this link to the partial list of car's I've owned in the past 2 years as my brother and I have owner our dealership. I think my brother and I have had 14 M3's (owned/driven/tested every option/color/model)... some M5's... the new M5... some hopped up vettes... Anyway... hands down.. no questions asked BUY THE NSX and DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!... I haven't missed an M yet. I was dying without my NSX and just bought another one to repalce it after being forced to sell it b/c of temporary financial reasons. The M3 feels like a hopped up 3 series... wait it is. It handles well... it's quick... but at the end of the day it's a 3 series on steriods... not really all that special. It's not as much fun to drive as the NSX. I like the SMG
But at the end of the day it feels much like a 3 series. It just feels like a normal daily driver. It doesn't get much attention (not that this matters) but it jsut isn't that exotic. It feels heavy... it feels more like a 3 series and less like a performance car. It rolls more than the NSX... in turns... just side to side swaying etc. while the NSX feels low/nimble/tight... like a kart YUM! Hands down it is the more fun to own/more fun to drive/more attention getting car that inspires one to drive All that aside... the M WILL DEPRECIATE MORE. Look at the older M's and see what they are going for and check out what a 91 NSX sells for.
Also... Of the 4 or so NSXes we've sold... I think the longest to sell took 3 or 4 weeks. I've had M3's and M5's for sale for longer than 18 months! On average they take 6 months or more to sell. They are not easy cars to sell! Don't get white for sure as it is the hardest color to sell. The 2 toned interior is hit or miss... sometimes it keeps a car from selling... other times it sells the car b/c there is one person in the world wanting the 2 toned.... So keep that in mind... If you do buy it go ahead and get pics and post it for sale... that way you have offers etc. by the time you are ready to move on.
Well, if you want the faster/latest, of course, get the M3. But if you always want a NSX, buy the NSX. If you take the NSX, you will be dealing with lower depreciation rate, so if you ever change your mind, you will loose less $$$.
NSX is no slug, but I'm afraid when compare to a 420 hp V8 M3, it will not be able to match the raw power.
http://www.argonautolab.com/showroom.html
Follow this link to the partial list of car's I've owned in the past 2 years as my brother and I have owner our dealership. I think my brother and I have had 14 M3's (owned/driven/tested every option/color/model)... some M5's... the new M5... some hopped up vettes... Anyway... hands down.. no questions asked BUY THE NSX and DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!... I haven't missed an M yet. I was dying without my NSX and just bought another one to repalce it after being forced to sell it b/c of temporary financial reasons. The M3 feels like a hopped up 3 series... wait it is. It handles well... it's quick... but at the end of the day it's a 3 series on steriods... not really all that special. It's not as much fun to drive as the NSX. I like the SMG But at the end of the day it feels much like a 3 series. It just feels like a normal daily driver. It doesn't get much attention (not that this matters) but it jsut isn't that exotic. It feels heavy... it feels more like a 3 series and less like a performance car. It rolls more than the NSX... in turns... just side to side swaying etc. while the NSX feels low/nimble/tight... like a kart YUM! Hands down it is the more fun to own/more fun to drive/more attention getting car that inspires one to drive
All that aside... It's a bad time to buy the M... as it WILL DEPRECIATE MORE. Look at the older M's and see what they are going for and check out what a 91 NSX sells for. I thought about buying an MCOUPE... I think the prices are nuts... not sure if askers are fetching what they ask for but I could buy a new one for a tad more than what they are asking for used ones... I think the old M's will drop alot when the new ones come out. So you might pay 50 something now and wake up in a few years and find out the car is worth far less.
Also... Of the 4 or so NSXes we've sold... I think the longest to sell took 3 or 4 weeks. I've had M3's and M5's for sale for longer than 18 months! On average they take 6 months or more to sell. They are not easy cars to sell! Don't get white for sure as it is the hardest color to sell. The 2 toned interior is hit or miss... sometimes it keeps a car from selling... other times it sells the car b/c there is one person in the world wanting the 2 toned.... So keep that in mind... If you do buy it go ahead and get pics and post it for sale... that way you have offers etc. by the time you are ready to move on.
My complaints about the M3 are far reaching... but it really is all the details adding up that kill it in IMHO... you sit in the M3... you're high off the ground... the dash is high/flat... the shifter is low... the view over the long hood is not nearly as exciting as the NSX... you don't have a better view of the street... The seat feels less sporty/more upright/less buckety/more flat... your posture/everything about it feels more like a 3 series and less like a sports car... That is just the way you sit... There isjust something about the way the NSX moves and handles... they way you sit... things that add up and make it feel/look more exotic.
I think the NSX would be less practical though if you need the trunk space and the 4 seater. It really depends on what you are after. If I were to consider buying an M3 I'd check out the competition package. I saw a low mileage one sell the other day for 42.
If your budget is in the 50s... you can get a nice CTSC NSX
At the end of the day consider what everyone says but try both and pick what YOU LIKE! BUY IT, DRIVE IT AND ENJOY IT!
Follow this link to the partial list of car's I've owned in the past 2 years as my brother and I have owner our dealership. I think my brother and I have had 14 M3's (owned/driven/tested every option/color/model)... some M5's... the new M5... some hopped up vettes... Anyway... hands down.. no questions asked BUY THE NSX and DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!... I haven't missed an M yet. I was dying without my NSX and just bought another one to repalce it after being forced to sell it b/c of temporary financial reasons. The M3 feels like a hopped up 3 series... wait it is. It handles well... it's quick... but at the end of the day it's a 3 series on steriods... not really all that special. It's not as much fun to drive as the NSX. I like the SMG
But at the end of the day it feels much like a 3 series. It just feels like a normal daily driver. It doesn't get much attention (not that this matters) but it jsut isn't that exotic. It feels heavy... it feels more like a 3 series and less like a performance car. It rolls more than the NSX... in turns... just side to side swaying etc. while the NSX feels low/nimble/tight... like a kart YUM! Hands down it is the more fun to own/more fun to drive/more attention getting car that inspires one to drive All that aside... It's a bad time to buy the M... as it WILL DEPRECIATE MORE. Look at the older M's and see what they are going for and check out what a 91 NSX sells for. I thought about buying an MCOUPE... I think the prices are nuts... not sure if askers are fetching what they ask for but I could buy a new one for a tad more than what they are asking for used ones... I think the old M's will drop alot when the new ones come out. So you might pay 50 something now and wake up in a few years and find out the car is worth far less.
Also... Of the 4 or so NSXes we've sold... I think the longest to sell took 3 or 4 weeks. I've had M3's and M5's for sale for longer than 18 months! On average they take 6 months or more to sell. They are not easy cars to sell! Don't get white for sure as it is the hardest color to sell. The 2 toned interior is hit or miss... sometimes it keeps a car from selling... other times it sells the car b/c there is one person in the world wanting the 2 toned.... So keep that in mind... If you do buy it go ahead and get pics and post it for sale... that way you have offers etc. by the time you are ready to move on.
My complaints about the M3 are far reaching... but it really is all the details adding up that kill it in IMHO... you sit in the M3... you're high off the ground... the dash is high/flat... the shifter is low... the view over the long hood is not nearly as exciting as the NSX... you don't have a better view of the street... The seat feels less sporty/more upright/less buckety/more flat... your posture/everything about it feels more like a 3 series and less like a sports car... That is just the way you sit... There isjust something about the way the NSX moves and handles... they way you sit... things that add up and make it feel/look more exotic.
I think the NSX would be less practical though if you need the trunk space and the 4 seater. It really depends on what you are after. If I were to consider buying an M3 I'd check out the competition package. I saw a low mileage one sell the other day for 42.
If your budget is in the 50s... you can get a nice CTSC NSX
At the end of the day consider what everyone says but try both and pick what YOU LIKE! BUY IT, DRIVE IT AND ENJOY IT!
http://www.argonautolab.com/showroom.html
Follow this link to the partial list of car's I've owned in the past 2 years as my brother and I have owner our dealership. I think my brother and I have had 14 M3's (owned/driven/tested every option/color/model)... some M5's... the new M5... some hopped up vettes... Anyway... hands down.. no questions asked BUY THE NSX and DON'T LOOK BACK!!!!!!!!... I haven't missed an M yet. I was dying without my NSX and just bought another one to repalce it after being forced to sell it b/c of temporary financial reasons. The M3 feels like a hopped up 3 series... wait it is. It handles well... it's quick... but at the end of the day it's a 3 series on steriods... not really all that special. It's not as much fun to drive as the NSX. I like the SMG
All that aside... the M WILL DEPRECIATE MORE. Look at the older M's and see what they are going for and check out what a 91 NSX sells for.
Also... Of the 4 or so NSXes we've sold... I think the longest to sell took 3 or 4 weeks. I've had M3's and M5's for sale for longer than 18 months! On average they take 6 months or more to sell. They are not easy cars to sell! Don't get white for sure as it is the hardest color to sell. The 2 toned interior is hit or miss... sometimes it keeps a car from selling... other times it sells the car b/c there is one person in the world wanting the 2 toned.... So keep that in mind... If you do buy it go ahead and get pics and post it for sale... that way you have offers etc. by the time you are ready to move on.
Maybe you just listed your M cars too high?
argon_nsx said it all about the NSX but if you mainly care about HP then buy the best turbo kit in the market today for the NSX. This way you can have both world.:wink:
I would be careful of an 04 in the mid fifties that sounds like a salvage price. I just checked kelly bluebook to be certain and trade-in isn't even in the mid fifties. So before you go deciding on that NSX have it checked out first. So many people think they maybe getting into an NSX at a super good price only to find the car has been salvaged.
I agree with others that you don't want a first year M. The E46 wasn't even a brand new engine and they still had two to three years teething problems. I plan on getting the E92 down the line myself probably a 2010 model year.
I agree with others that you don't want a first year M. The E46 wasn't even a brand new engine and they still had two to three years teething problems. I plan on getting the E92 down the line myself probably a 2010 model year.
I would bet dollars to pesos that this is he one Ryan's dealer wrecked a couple years ago. OP- search on the VIN to find out.
Amen.
I'll make it simple for you. You have another car, right? your daily driver? the focus of your "other" car should be one thing only. FUN. Now... will the M3 give you more fun than an NSX? no way. Not even close. Trust me on this one. Add in the depreciation factor and its a no-brainer. As much as the new M3 is nice, it will never give you the pleasure of an 04 NSX. If you buy the M3, you will always wonder. If you buy the NSX, you will *KNOW* you made the right decision. The new M3 will be the talk of town and get some looks from boy racers the next year or so... then you are pretty much driving a 3 series. Not what I would consider an exotic.
Go with the nsx. So many people contemplate to get an nsx or a zo6 etc...
The price ranges are vastly different and of course z06 is much faster. Of course many people still go with the nsx, why? It's just the ultimate car and so rare.
The price ranges are vastly different and of course z06 is much faster. Of course many people still go with the nsx, why? It's just the ultimate car and so rare.
I used to own an e36 M3, actually 2. Thinking about it, what's a 97 M3 go for nowadays? Less than $10k? What's a 97 NSX go for nowadays? A tad below $40k at best? I know I know, the NSX cost more. Just thinking out loud... :smile:
I have thought about picking up a old E36 as a daily, but avoid them because of the maintenance. I would have no problem buying a NSX with miles.
I have thought about picking up a old E36 as a daily, but avoid them because of the maintenance. I would have no problem buying a NSX with miles.
I'm with Steve on this one. I was comparing the NSX with new 911C2 and C4's, Aston Martin Vantage V8 coupe, Maserati Grandsport spyder or even a used 360 Modena... 100+K cars... and I chose the NSX over those. That's how good this car is to me. I like the M3, but you'd have to shoot me to get me to change my NSX for an M3. Its rare as hell, a mid engine all-aluminum hand built car with accord reliability, Ferrari looks and no depreciation. What else could you want.
Hey Steve, nice to see you back!
Here is the whole story on that car:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49389&highlight=JH4NA21634T000028
