M3 (2007-2014) Used Car Review

[LoudPipes]

With the demise of the local V8’s and limited alternatives available, these cars as their prices continue to come down in the second hand market will start to appeal more and more to some potential performance car buyers.

This model M3 like the C63 is available in sedan and coupe which also helps widen their appeal.

BMW M3 2007-2014 Used Car review

Date June 5, 2015
David Morley
Freelance Motoring Writer

German brand's V8-powered icon is becoming a bargain-priced collectible.


BMW M3 Pure edition

Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars



It happens pretty frequently; a car-maker makes a radical change to a model's specification and the buyers all gripe about it, claiming that the old way was better.

It happened when BMW took the M3 supercar from an inline six-cylinder engine to a V8 back in 2007.

And now, having just replaced the V8 model with the all-new M3 which has returned to a six-cylinder engine, BMW has the dubious pleasure of having those same enthusiasts complain that they now miss the V8 layout.

Sometimes you just can't win.

However, it has to be said that the latest M3 doesn't universally please everybody, bringing the superseded V8 model back into focus for some, especially as prices for early V8-powered M3s have fallen to about the same as a well-equipped, brand-new family car.

The M3 still looks like the 3-Series on which it was based, but there are some clues to alert the switched-on onlooker that the car before them is not a 318i.

The quad exhaust tips are one, so are the M3 specific wheels and tyres, and the whole car just sits 'right'.

The M3 has now been put into the old-school basket by virtue of its large capacity, normally aspirated engine.

In an age where small capacities and forced-induction are more or less the norm, the 4.0-litre V8 in the M3 will serve to remind us what we lost.

It's a proper supercar engine with a huge bellowing exhaust note and loads of thrust once you've revved it up and let it off the chain.

Revved it up? Yes, see although it's a V8, it's not the lazy old lugging type that most Australians are familiar with.

Instead, it's a high-stepping unit that revs to a stratospheric 8400rpm, the flip-side of which is that it doesn't make an awful lot of torque below about 3000rpom. So it needs to be driven hard to really deliver.

This model M3 was also notable for being the first to offer a four-door sedan version rather than just the two-door coupe.

The four-door arrived in November 2008 and suddenly made the M3 a potential reality for anybody who still needed to cart a couple of kids around.

Yes, the coupe had rear seats, but they weren't the roomiest or most accommodating.

But while you might have picked up a couple more useful seats, you lost the coupe's carbon-fibre roof panel when opting for the sedan. (That said, you lost the carbon roof on the coupe if you ordered your car with a sunroof.)

The big improvement over the old M3, however, was the move to a double-clutch gearbox (dubbed M-DCT) rather than the old single-clutch unit that BMW called SMG.

The difference is chalk and cheese with the later unit giving much more refined gearshifts and actually having an automatic mode worth bothering with.

Suddenly, a two-pedal M3 was a viable alternative although the six-speed manual would still be our pick.

The other first for this series of cars was a folding-metal-roof convertible in M3 trim, although the purists usually went for one of the two hardtops.

When shopping, you want to find an M3 that has been absolutely serviced by the book.

BMWs like this one have an on-board brain that looks at how the car has been driven (not just how far) and then calculates the correct service point.

Make sure those advisories have been followed.

An M3 that has been neglected can easily develop sludge in its engine oil which can block the oil pathways that feed the intricate (and expensive) Vanos variable valve-timing system. At which point you've got a big bill on your hands.

Keep an eye on the oil level on the dipstick, too.

These high-revving engines with big per-litre outputs can often consume a little oil between services, so a check of the level every week or two is good insurance.

Beyond that, the V8 seems pretty robust and uses a timing chain - good for the life of the vehicle - rather than a timing belt which needs periodic changes.

We'd steer clear of any modified M3 (how much performance does a person really need?) and watch out for examples wearing R-spec tyres which suggest they've been weekend track-day cars.

Take a close look at the bodywork.

Components such as the aluminium bonnet need specialist repairs if they've been damaged in a shunt.

And the front wings are actually made from plastic – to save weight – which means they're more likely to be replaced than repaired after a crash.

Finally, make sure you know exactly what options a particular car has fitted (or should have).

BMW's pricing on options has always been pretty aggressive, and the right options can drastically affect the asking price of one car over another.




Nuts and bolts

Engine/s: 4.0 V8

Transmissions: 7-DCT/6-man

Fuel economy (combined): 11.2 litres per 100km

Our rating: 4 stars


Likes:

·Performance is proper supercar stuff.

·Two-pedal layout finally makes sense.

·Sedan option broadens appeal.

·A modern classic if ever there was one.



Dislikes:

·Engine needs a good gee-up; might be a bit tiresome in town.

·Won't be cheap to run or insure.

·Watch out for thrashed examples.

·Metal-roofed convertible seems a bit superfluous.



Competitors:

·Mercedes AMG C63 – Old formula: Stick your biggest engine in one of your smallest cars. Voila; the AMG C63. Seriously good fun and highly regarded, this is one C-Class that carries a big stick. The biggest, in fact. 4.5 stars

·Audi RS4 Quattro – All-wheel-drive makes for added safety which is a good thing considering the performance potential from the 4.2-litre V8 which hits about as hard as the M3's V8. Brilliant front seats. 4 stars

·Lexus IS-F – Rear-drive, V8 engine; you can see Lexus had the M3 in its sights when it designed the IS-F. Not the most radical looking car, but beautifully made and will appeal to the technophiles out there. 3.5 stars



What to pay (courtesy of Glass's Guide):

Model........Year............New............Now

Coupe.........2007......$157,000......$42,700

Coupe.........2008......$162,900......$50,300

Sedan.........2008......$145,000......$59,200

Coupe.........2009......$162,901......$56,700

Sedan.........2009......$145,000......$62,900

Coupe.........2010......$162,901.....$63,100

Sedan.........2010......$145,000......$68,400

Coupe........2011......$155,000......$83,700

Sedan.........2011......$141,700......$76,500

Coupe........2012......$155,000......$93,800

Sedan.........2012......$141,700......$85,700

Coupe........2013......$155,100......$104,600

Coupe........2014......$155,100......$116,800

http://www.drive.com.au/used-car-rev...05-ghhejl.html