I test drove the M3 before getting the C63. Both have very different approaches, however they are built for the same purpose. FUN!
The C63 is nicer to drive, more spacious, has a much better quality interior, and more torque, and performance on road and city driving.
The M3 is much more precise, the car is very manuvearable and very easy to go hard on corners.

Another thing to take into account. I drove a P31 2010 C63 ( 2 weeks ago, I was planning on trading on an even older model to put even more money in my pocket) it had only 4,600 km, and comparing with the facelift one 2012 P31, I dare say the ride is a lot stiffer, although it was still comfortable, and the stability of the 2012 is way better. The tranny had a much worse, response, and was slower on the kickdowns. The interior also felt cheaper, with more plastic. I liked it a lot, but comparing to my jacked 2013 C63, felt it was not worth it, so I got a 2012 model instead. I hope this helps.

 

thanks for all of the responses, many of them were quite helpful.

one important thing to point out is that i am coming from an 09 which does not have the facelift nor the MCT. i know i could trade up to a brand new c63 but honestly id like to keep my monthly payment about the same and not have to finance for much more money. trading an 09 c63 for an 09/10 m3 with comparable miles, is really what im looking at.

from that standpoint, the m3 wins out for me given its interior is far better, it has more options, and has a more comfortable ride. the 09 p30 ride is harsh, the transmission is sluggish, and the interior is rather cheap feeling. anyone who disagrees has not driven a p30 back to back an m3.

i dont really care about what car is better or faster, its really more about enjoyment, fun, and the overall experience. lap times and stats are irrelevant for the most part considering i dont race and this is a daily driver. better or worse, is really a matter of personal preference and taste. that in combination with, who really cares about drag racing? im not in high school anymore and i dont drive with anything to prove or to compete with others. these cars are built for fun and driving pleasure and thats really what im considering and am interested in here.

 

i should also mention that today i drove an m3 and cayman s back to back with my c63. that really put things in perspective and i can vouch that the m3 is also a very fun, yet very different car. also the AMG is an absolute blast as well!

 

I eat M3's for breakfast. LOL

 

Sounds like your not comparing cars anymore... sounds like your shopping for a monthly payment. In that case, there are plenty of other "fun" cars that are way less expensive.

 

Just as an aside or a for your information:

They stopped making the M3 2 years ago and will not roll another one out and then, it will be labeled an M4, the new incarnation of the M3. So, if you are looking, you will have to chose a used M3, minimum of 2 years old, or wait until they roll out the new M3(M4) platform in another year. When IK totaled my last 2010 C63, I briefly went to BMW to look at the M3 and was given that very predicament. I guess it depends on what you want, but the M3(M4) is in a limbo stage and you cannot put your hands on one for about another year.

Just some things to consider. Since I didn't see any of that info in this post, thought I would share my knowledge. My 2 cents......................

Stay in the C63!!!

 

If you are going to move to an E9x just get a 335 and tune it. An M3 is 415hp with 365 lb ft (I believe). A 335 is 300/300 and with a medium intensity tune is 400/400. You'll never notice having 15 fewer hp than the M3 but you will notice the extra torque, the different powerband, and all the money you have left for dialing the suspension. Never mind the difference in lease/finance/depreciation rates!

Been there done that. If I was to go back, thats the only way.

 

I believe the torque in the M3 is 299 and the hp is 414. The difference between an M3 and a 335i is much more than just the engine.

 

you are the only person on the planet that thinks the original C63 gearbox is anything but awful, i can change way faster in any manual box. i came from an e46 M3 smg before i spent months trying to decide between e90 vs c63 and obviously chose the merc for its adictive engine. but to claim the gearbox is faster than a manaul or dct is ridiculous.

 

Yeah I'd have to agree, no offense intended but before the facelift in 2012 I wasn't a huge fan of the C63... I drove one back in 2010 and although the engine/sound was amazing the interior felt cheap and the transmission was a let down. Merc made some huge progress with the 2012+ models, both in terms of styling (front end/interior), transmission, and suspension.

If you've never owned an M3 why not for for it... sounds like you've had a few years in the C63 and are looking for a reason to change. I'll bet you find the experience somewhat disappointing though given the lack of torque in the M3... or at minimum it will take some time to adjust to the difference.

 

thanks! i agree with your thoughts! right now i have a deal to trade for a loaded M3, which compared to my current 09, feels like a nice upgrade. plus this is a car, so its not a forever decision. probably just something to hold me over until the new C63 comes out

i drove a 2011 M3 yesterday and if im honest, at no point did i feel like i wanted more torque or power. i really spent most of the day having to let off, slow down, or brake. i agree its not the same feel of the 6.2, its just a different take on a similar idea. revving out to 8200 RPM was in itself pretty addictive. i agree that in daily driving that wont be the norm, but i feel the same thing about my car down. most of the time im not able to get over 3000 due to other cars or traffic. that problem or situation is the issue anyone has when they own a performance or fun car.

the worst thing about owning a fun car....is other cars and drivers.

 

Whatever you do don't do this. Terrible advice. And I've owned 3 335's and two e9x M3's (in addition to prev chassis). The 335 with 600hp still wouldn't be half the car the M3 is. For the record the M3 has 295 ft-lbs.

I say if you've never had an M3 go for it. Both the C63 and the M3 are absolutely fantastic cars for different reasons. You really can't say one is better than the other… two different flavors of delicious

 

I agree. I own an e93 M3 as well as a 2013 P31 C63. '09 is a different story, though.

Can't go wrong on either for different reasons. However, the edge the M3 has in handling IMO is outweighed by the "all over the RPM range" crazy fun of the C63 and the beast engine. Interior vs. interior is a wash as they are both crappy. The rest is personal preference and whether you will track the car.

If you have any specific questions, shoot me a PM.

 

+1... the M3 is like a surgical scalpel... Is it better than a regular knife? Yes.. But how many times do you use a scalpel to eat? +1M on the exhaust note. BMW exhaust, in general, sound "tinny".

 

Owning both cars at a point I had the E92 Stick shift was an amazing car I liked it but I did not like the seats of it but otherwise interior quality was better. I like the pull so I liked the feel of the C63 more because of the torque. Also there was too many E9X M3's around me it was like everyone had one so I sold it and made investment elsewhere. Nevertheless the M3 is an amazing super fun car just wasnt really my kind, but you cant go wrong with it.
Good luck and post pics of what you get ^^

 

A. M3 is plentiful in my area, C63 is far more rare.
B. 3 day I had my car, I destroyed an M3 that decided it wanted to run.
C. I don't track my cars, nor am I professional enough to notices where the M3 may be quicker on the track if I were to track it.

C63 for me.

 

Im on a very similar situation. 09 w/ p90 but have a 3rd party extended warranty.

I see older C63s with around 50K plus that start popping up with headbolt issues.

Looking at backup plans and pricing of e63s and CLS63s

 

It is if you're a surgeon................

 

M3 - you have to rev up and have fun. Good for track.
C63 - the fun starts right when you crank the ignition. Meant for street.

I see 6-7 M3s every day.
I see 1-2 C63s once a week.


For all practical purposes, there are people, to whom an M3 makes more sense and there are people, like us all, who are addicted to C63's torque - exhaust note.

I drive mine at 5 in the morning on most days. The freeway is absolutely empty always in the morning. I have seen how it gets from 70-140 in a hurry. Ofcourse, my mog drops from an avg of 18 to an avg of 16 in those 2 seconds.

 

M3's are very common in Houston. That point was made to me when I pulled into a Starbucks near my home and I was the fourth Jet Black M3 coupe in the parking lot.

 

Yes.

My office has about 7 M3 (sedan/coupe / convertibles)
Any fine day, I can see bunch of them in Katy. CTS-V is another common beast.

 

SMG in the e46 was the worse tranny ever made

many reviewers have rated the C63 1st gen a great tranny for a torque convertor type

since 1980 I've owned nothing but manuals, for well over 700k miles
M3's, RS4, Porsches

the C63 engine is a perfect match for an auto, where as the lower torque and narrower torque band of the M3 fares better with mechanical gears

I don't know what 'faster' means but I do know there is no real difference at thr 'Ring between a 2009 C63 and DCT M3 and the time lost to gear transition is moot

there are advantages to both, but many drag racers like an auto

no tranny complaints really http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...c63-amg-page-3
The shift paddles are at three and nine o'clock, and they respond instantly. They're still connected to a traditional automatic, but the quick responses and the blipped-throttle downshifts make you forget.

Upshifts happen quickly, leaving just the smallest interruption in the surge of power on the way to a blazing 12.3-second quarter-mile at 116 mph

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ment-pack-test
Although the transmissions in the C63 and SLS boast seven forward ratios, the C63’s box is a conventional torque-converter automatic versus the SLS’s dual-clutch unit. The sedan’s gearbox works better, as toeing the throttle moves the C63 in the predictable, smooth fashion that only comes from whipping up transmission fluid in a torque converter. The SLS’s dual clutches may perform quicker shifts, but the electronic controls give this transmission a klutzy feel when it comes to pulling away from a stoplight and when changing out of reverse and into drive. The C63’s real automatic doesn’t ever trip or stumble, although we do wish the paddle shifters would accept requests for multiple gearchanges.

http://www.edmunds.com/mercedes-benz...road-test.html
Even in full-auto, the transmission upshifts crisply on hard acceleration and downshifts smartly — with throttle blips — on braking. Love it.

 

i dont know bro...i have friends with skyline GTRs with over 500HP and they've modded them to the **** and they even say my benz shifts quicker then they can...these are guys who've been driving manual for 10 years..they aren't idiots..and they both have dual clutch in their cars...they say they maybe can LAUNCH faster then the C63 but duh no ****...Twin turbo AWD rapes about anything at launch..it's all about what you like...but to claim the C63 7 speed is "slow" or "sloppy"...WHAT???? have you ever driven a crappy car??? it shifts faster then any car I've been in or driven and that's quite a wide range of cars..im not saying its the best..but im also saying its not the worst

 

well, the deal is done! i picked up my jet black m3 today and i love it! it was far more comfortable on the highway and i had a lot of more rocking it out on the back yards. i agree, both cars are excellent and amazing, just in different ways. so in that regard, a matter of preference!

 

Oh really? Wow. Never knew that.

Next thing you know you'll be saying that the difference between the C300 and the C63 is more than the motor. Hope you have evidence to back that up.


Terrible advice? Consider these prices where I live:

335 $55,000
C63 507 Edition $73,000
M3 $94,000 Thats right. NINETY GAWDAMM FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS.

265 lb ft. 295 lb ft. Whatevah. A tune will give you some where between 100 and 120 lb ft MORE than an M3. M3 is a great car, if you can keep it up around, oh I dont know, 14000 rpm. OK I exaggerate but still......I had a 335 and could straight line M3's all. day. long. If you want to hit the curves, the M3 is a beautiful dance partner but if you cant dial the suspension with the $39,000 you have left over you should be designing Black Bison editions over at Wald. And that is for the few people who can and do drive an M to 9.5/10.
Not trying to be argumentative but I'll stand by my original advice.*

*Based on pricing where I live. No idea what the gap is where you live. But there is no way in H E double hockey sticks the M is worth 30% more than a 507 or damn near twice as much as a 335.