I was changing careers so my old vehicle a '94 Toyota pick-up truck didn't suit the image I needed. I made my move into the Real estate arena and needed almost a tool to get me in the door steps. I chose the M3. This car wasn't foreign to me since my wife already had a 325i that I drove ocassionaly. I had a real tough choice when I chose the M3. I promised myself I would never support BMW again because the 325i my wife had gave us such a headache. It had an idling problem that the dealer couldn't solve for the longest time. I had to get an attorney involved and he still didn't help. Finally after a whole year and 4 attempts the problem was resolved.

I was so bitter with BMW of NA that I swear I would never support a company that didn't back-up their products. But that all went to hell when I tried other manufactures vehicles. I found it so hard to find another car that fit me so well. My first criteria was the size. I looked at the Acura TL, Audi A4, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, None of these cars felt as comfortable as the M3. I wanted a car that said I was sucessful, but not stuffy like a mercedes would say. I honestly should have bought the 5 series for the room but I got selfish. Who knows how long I will be in the business, right?
The M3 has almost perfect ergonomics, everything is in your reach without you having to get your back off the seat. I think Honda's have the worst ergonomics when it comes to this category. Not only are knobs out of your reach, some are actually hidden by the steering wheels view. Another key point about the M3 is the Styling. It has the "race car" look all over it. Reminds me of those old muscle cars with the fat tires in the back that just says: "Squeal" all over it!

It's kinda strange but this cars reminds me of a suit. Ever put of a expensive suit? It just feels like your wearing a T-shirt. Very comfortable. That's how I feel about the M3 it just fits. It feels like a glove when you drive it. When you want to go it goes, when you want to stop it stops, and when you want to avoid that huge pot hole it just floats over it.

The only drawback is of course the price, but then again it isn't that much if you compare it to the SUV's that everyone seems to have. All my friends says WOW you can afford a M3!?? I always say: What are you talking about! Your car cost more than mines! They have 4 runners, Grand cherokees, etc.
All at about the same if not more with the options. So is the M3 really that expensive? For the quality compared to the others, I would say NOT!
When you close the door or hood of an M3 you can tell how solid this car is built. The other day I was trying to close the gas lid on one of those older baby benz. Well I usually flick the lid close but on this car the metal was so skimpy that it seemed the "atmosphere's" friction was enough to slow it enough to not have it close. It was like trying to throw a feather! No matter how hard you throw it it isn't going anywhere!

I have to say this though, BMW dealers are the worst dealers around. They really treat people poorly. I own two BMWs now and I dread going to the dealers. Not because I know I'm going to walk out with my wallet a lot lighter but they really seem to not care about you. I always owned Toyota's before and I think they are Top rated when it comes to customer service.

So in short, only buy this car if you can afford it because up keep is not cheap. The tires are going to be more expensive, the gas has to be premium, the services are going to be on a regular routine, but here's something to know. I originally didn't consider the M3 when I got my 325i because I thought the insurance would be higher. Surprisingly! It is actually cheaper for me with the M3. Turns out insurance base their prices with statistics. M3 are less likely to get stolen, crash, vandalized, etc. Simply because there are fewer of them and most people who drive M3 really take good care of their cars. Therefore less claims. Whereas the 325i is one of the most expensive cars to insure the the opposite reasons. There are so many that it cost the insurance companies a fortune to keep them on the roads. Don't quote me but next time ask your insurance agent and see if it's actually cheaper to insure. I used this excuse on my wife when I bought mines:)