M3 or C32 AMG

 

For all the M3 owners: why the heck didn't you just buy a Corvette ? Cheaper, Faster, looks better !!

For me the C32 is the best choice....dual role fighter:

Hi-performance sports car

4 door sedan for the kid to sit in the backseat where he belongs.

 

I agree with bagwell....C32 over M3 for practicality..can you use the word "practicality" with those 2 cars? 4 doors vs coupe. Only down side to C32...no manual transmission...but, then, that is an individual preference issue....the last R&T comparison of M3 and CLK43 had the M3 winner by a very small margin...the margin of victory due to CLK having no manual transmission, minimal performance differences, and higher price.

 

Shatc, I think you mean the CLK55.

IMO, I would rather have the M3, if you don't need to haul kids and you WANT a manual transmission. I think the new paddle shifting tranny on the M3 would be spectacular. And the road stance of the M3 is awesome. It would be alot of fun...not that the C32 is not fun to drive.

As far as practical goes, the C32 doesn't really have much back seat leg room for adults. The only thing 4drs do is let you get in and out more easily, and reduce the sportiness of the car.

 

i voted for the m3 too. i'm not saying that the c32 is a bad car (imho its a great car) but i want to own an m at least once. but after a few years, i'd get the AMGs from then on.

m5 and cl55 and sl55! oh yeah!

 

Good points hmrdwn. The C32 looks pretty tough too, but like you said no manny. I'd have to drive them back to back to be able to say which I really liked better, probably several times too.

 

The C32 and M3 are different cars for different markets, though BMW M-phites hate the comparison...the M3 is for Euro winding roads, where shifting is necessary and stiffer suspension is also critical for the crappy roads(except the A-bahn)...Note that since the C32 has been on the drawing board, BMW has since (finally) introduced the US customers to the Euro engine and coupe body...to be clear, you don't want any piece of a C32 in something less than an E46, or you will be sorry and sad...though I'll eat an E46 any day of the week...the driver makes the car when they are so close on the spec sheet, but I only have to hold my shifter to the left and stomp on the accelerator and vroom, no shifting, no gear selection just 295+ lb-ft of the smoothest Supercharged juice you've ever felt from launch to redline!
I also agree that if you wanted a track car I'd take the Z06 Vette and out handle about anything on the road...but I personally have never been a fan of the body style...I always think of that movie Corvette Summer...I just can't get it out of my mind! In the C32, I fear no car on the road...enough said.
BTW: For those who believe that the M3 is less expensive than the C32, just try to buy one...you'll be hit with a ridiculous "availability" mark-up, and the standard package doesn't compare with the Benz...the E46 is a great car, but not the one for me. I haven't had one scintilla of regret in my purchase. For those who are interested: the moderator of the C32 Life forum has clocked a 4.7s 0-60 with his G-Tech Pro and onther "Lifer" has posted a 1/4-mile time of 13.3-ish at 107+mph. AMG's get BETTER with mileage, while the M3(and the SMG II tranny) will only suffer with miles(as do all manny's).
For what it's worth I've had ttwo 6'2"-ish men in the back of my car, and they commented on how comfy it was "for a back seat."

 

I had to vote for the M3, for two main reasons:

1. With a Black interior on the BMW you get a matching headliner, not some ugly grey one.

2. The M3 just looks more sporty.

 

Single guy/girl with no kids or no intent on hauling more than 1 other person around, and sporty get the M3

Married with kids or like me just liking the C32 better, and wanting a two-faced rocket with country club class then get the C32


If I had the money I would get a C32, but seeing as how I just acquired a 2001 CLK55, it will work for now!

 

I choose the M3 for its more sporty appearance. Maybe I am biased because I have a more conservative looking beast in that of the E55 but I sat in both cars at the auto show and like the interior better in the M3. But there are alot of other things that one has to consider like reliability, fit and finish, resale, quality, and of course practicality. But these would be for people in the market and since I am not in the market and this is just a poll- the M3 is my current choice. Of course on this board you are getting to get a good arguement for the C32- but like many posters have stated its all about personal preference with the most important being the 4 doors and the manual tranny. With the SMG II now out- you can drive an M3 in a multitude of variations. I saw a pic of this M3 on Bimmer.Org the other day and was very impressed. Granted, with a few cosmetics mods you can make the C32 look even better too- but this of course is my take on things....

 

They are not in the same category. One is a two door, manual tranny... the other a four door, automatic. What about these two do you want to compare? If your looking for a car to shift all day and handle like its on rails, then go for that M3. But if you want a fast road worthy sedan, then do as I did and get the C32. I love this thang. Living in NYC, I cant be bothered with shifting constantly. And I much prefer the comfort of the Benz. What is that about the back seat? there is ample room in the back seat for two passengers to be comfortable. Not for a cross country jaunt, but certainly for a spirited run up the mountain. If you are looking for a all around car, but want to be able to handle your own in the maze of fast cars, get a C32. If you want to have a two door that goes fast, then go for the Z06... oh I mean the M3.