Long-Term Road Tests
2002 BMW M3
August 28, 2008
So, last night I had an opportunity to drive our 2002 BMW M3. Normally, The Man doesn't let me near the nicer, more performance oriented cars in our long term fleet. Something about him being worried about me cutting the exhaust off the car and running straight pipes. Just because I did that on my personal car, doesn't mean I'd do it to the M3. Even if I did, I'd totally put it back...
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- Posted by: Kurt Niebuhr August 28, 2008, 10:46 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
August 20, 2008
Tomorrow we will have owned our long-term 2002 BMW M3 exactly 9 months. In that time we've driven it a few clicks past 11,000 miles and I think everyone here will tell you it has been a positive experience. Even with 60,000 miles on its odometer the M3 feels new.
Sure we've just put some new, larger Stoptech brakes on it (which feel great by the way), and we splurged for some sticky Yokohama tires from www.tirerack.com, but those were both purchased because of want not need. We could have gone cheaper with factory replacement brakes and rock hard Pep Boys specials, but what fun would that have been?
None is the answer for all you haters out there.
When we bought the car it had just been serviced and its engine freshly lubricated, so we knew it was going to be a while before we'd have to pay for an oil change. Well the time is creaping up. Car says it will want fresh oil in 850 miles everytime you fire it up.
Meanwhile, the low oil light is on again, so we're just going to kill two birds with one stone. But where should we get the oil changed? The local BMW dealer? An independent shop? Jiffylube? Our own driveway?
You tell us. We might even listen.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 60,158 miles
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- Posted by: August 20, 2008, 12:23 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
August 4, 2008
I drove the M3 this past weekend and it wasn't until I was about the leave the office when I read Riswicks' blog about the failed A/C fan. CRAP! This thing has a dark leather interior, it gets hot quick and retains the heat. It was going to be an oven on wheels!
Not being completely aware of the afore mentioned problem I was cursing myself for picking the M3. Thankfully, as I left the garage, the fan sputtered back to life. Good thing too since it was fairly hot around town. It wasn't blowing super cold, but what I got out of it I was mighty thankful for.
But later that night the oil light came on. The tank was nearly empty anyways so I checked the the levels I filled up. The dip stick registered in the lower quarter of the normal range. I didn't add anything and the light was off as I drove away from the station.
But on Sunday it came back on. This light was getting annoying, but I'd rather resolve it than ignore it. I figured the level was getting low anyways and the sensor was probably picking up under spec levels as the oil sloshed about. A little top off wouldn't hurt, right?
A quarter quart did the trick. No light, plenty of cool air and I was a happy driver.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer
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- Posted by: August 4, 2008, 11:14 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
August 1, 2008
No seriously, our M3 literally does not blow. As I typically do when driving the M3, I immediately shut off the A/C, put back the sunroof, rolled down the windows and popped open the rear vents -- perfect nice-weather motoring. When the stereo started being drowned out by a nearby truck in traffic, I rolled everything back up and hit the "Auto" button to bring the HVAC system to life. Nothing happened. I overrode Auto by turning up the fan to max. Nothing. I turned off and on the A/C button. Nothing. I pressed the airflow direction button and felt around for air. Nothing. The BMW HVAC controls aren't the simplest in the world, but I knew I wasn't screwing it up. Also, it was working the night before.
When I drove in this morning, it still wasn't working. I think it's just the fan, however, as I could feel A/C coming out of the vents when I was driving at high enough speeds for the natural air flow to come through. I hope nobody's planning a Death Valley adventure in the M3 this weekend.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 59,450 miles
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- Posted by: JRiz August 1, 2008, 9:19 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 28, 2008
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the strengths of a big brake kit like this one lie not in its ability to reduce a car's single-stop distance from 60 miles per hour, but rather in its ability to endure sustained high-temperature operation by adding thermal capacity and maintaining consistent pedal feel.
Stoptech's brakes do exactly that. Even so, 60-to-0 stopping tests are a standard around here and both our previous M3 brake tests we performed from this speed. So, if for no other reason than to have an apples-to-apples comparison, we repeated this test with the new brakes.
And, what do you know, there wasn't a huge improvement. The M3 stopped from 60 mph in a previous test on these tires (Yokohama Advan Neova AD07s) in 109 ft. Last week it recorded a best stop of 107.6 feet and settled consistently at 108 feet. More importantly it could have repeated this test all day. Repeated stops from 60 mph don't approach overheating the system. In fact, it takes a few runs to get the pads up to temperature so the first few stops were longer than stock -- a compromise made by high-temperature pad material.
This result does speak to the fact that Stoptech's brakes maintain the M3's stock front-to-rear brake proportioning -- something which is commonly overlooked in many aftermarket kits. This balancing act is crucial to proper brake performance.
The real test will be during aggressive street driving which is what the Axxis Ultimate pads we're using were designed for. Look for further updates after we've had the M3 in the mountains.
Also, the M3's brake pad wear warning light is still on because the installer thought the aftermarket pads wouldn't work with the stock sensor. We've since been told that it will and are planning to reinstall the sensor later this week. Check back here for updates.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor @ 59,202 miles
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet July 28, 2008, 1:36 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 25, 2008
Before hammering on our new brake set up, Stoptech requires a relatively simple bed-in procedure. Pad-bedding demands a minimum of two series of ten partial braking events from 60 to 10 miles per hour. Each series is performed without letting the brakes cool between braking events. Then, after ten partial stops, the system is cooled to ambient temperature. After cooling another series is repeated. We performed two series of braking events.
This achieves two goals. First, it conditions the pad material by driving manufacturing resins out of the pads. Second, it creates material transfer to the rotor, which is essential in achieving proper friction characteristics for optimal performance.
In practice, this is a smelly, but necessary, procedure. About half-way through the first series of stops the pads begin to smoke something awful. Here's what they look like:
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet July 25, 2008, 9:22 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3, Add category
July 24, 2008
A more accurate title for this blog is: Having the Big Brakes Installed. We hired Lucent Motors to do this job for us. This West L.A. shop specializes in high-end German hardware. In fact, while on site, our M3 kept some excellent company:
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet July 24, 2008, 12:40 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 23, 2008
Here are most of the Stoptech parts needed for the brake upgrade we've got planned. Not pictured are the stainless steel lines for all four corners. The rotors on the left are the company's patented Aerorotors(TM) which use an aluminum hat and are part of the front big brake kit. The stiff four-piston calipers and steel lines should reduce compliance and improve pedal feel. The rotors on the right are Stoptech's slotted Sportstop(TM) rotors (purchased individually with lines). Motul Racing Brake fluid will further the system's heat tolerance. Grand total: $2,640.
As I mentioned last time, we'll be using Axxis Ultimate pads which Stoptech recommends for "aggressive street" use. If we plan extensive track time for the car, we'll likely need pads designed for higher temperatures. Still, this system will substantially increase our brake system's total heat capacity over stock and should be more than capable of handling any hard street driving the car will see. In other words, this should solve our fade problem.
As several readers already mentioned, we aren't anticipating a substantial decrease in single-stop distance from 60 mph (our usual brake test). Distance reduction in single-stop tests from this speed is more likely achieved through stickier tires or weight reduction.
Look for details on installation tomorrow.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor @ 58,933 miles.
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet July 23, 2008, 2:43 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 21, 2008
You might remember Chris Walton's post early last month about our M3's brake pad wear warning lamp appearing on the instrument panel. Turns out, this problem hasn't fixed itself. In fact, we knew long before the lamp came on that the M3's pads (and probably rotors) were on their last legs. The first signs of wear began to show when we compared the M3 to its newer cousins at a racetrack earlier this year. As the day progressed and the laps piled up, the M3's middle pedal became less and less confidence inspiring. But driving the car on the street doesn't seem to create any drama. Still, the light has been on for too long and we've decided to act.
We're getting nuts. Ok, maybe not nuts, but we're going to install big brakes on our M3. After visiting a local dealer for unrelated service several months ago, we know that simply replacing the M3's front pads and rotors is a $1,041 job. Stoptech's 332mm four-piston brake kit for the E46 M3 cost $2,195 and comes with bitchin' red calipers and two-piece rotors which use aluminum hats. Also included in the kit are Axxis Ultimate pads, stainless steel lines and fluid. It's an investment, but the more capable brake system should keep us from having to worry about brakes at the track (or anywhere else) again.
Look for a test of the Stoptech system in this space later this week or early next week.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet July 21, 2008, 1:47 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
While driving our long-term M3 in the past, I've used the tape deck to play my iPod or portable XM radio. However, the sound quality is so craptacular, I decided to take a trip down memory lane. I dug out my mammoth CD collection book, popped the M3's trunk, then pre-selected the six discs I wanted to listen to on the journey. Given the '90s nature of this exercise, I decided to sample from CDs left over from the Clinton era: Oasis, Dave Matthews, Coldplay's Parachutes, Collective Soul, Ben Folds, Eve 6.
Having had a 2000 Jetta with a similar six-CD changer, I was used to this trunk-mounted song and dance -- I never thought of it as that big of a deal. In retrospect, though, it's just a massive pain in the ass. On road trips, I'd often make pit stops to change CDs even if the gas tank and my bladder were A-OK. Using the M3's changer has an added pain with a magazine that features six individual trays that must each be popped out to switch a CD. My Jetta's magazine had a little switch that would eject all the discs from the magazine at once -- much quicker.
I remember being quite impressed by my buddy's 1997 Volvo 850 that had an in-dash three-CD changer. The thing would pop in and out of the radio faceplate when switching discs and made a bit of a racket, but dang it was cool. How things quickly change. Considering that the M3's trunk-mounted changer and equally ye-olde navigation interface seem oh-so-quaint now, I can only imagine what today's selection of iPod connections and iDrives is going to seem like in 10 years. I'll report back in 2018.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
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- Posted by: JRiz July 21, 2008, 1:10 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 11, 2008
I'm not one to criticize our beautiful, fast, comfortable, ageless and affordable M3, but I will. It's the shifter that's bugging me. I remember driving this generation M3 when it was new and the stick felt nearly flawless. Easy to move through the gates, yet solid when notched into gear.
The stick in our long termer is still fluid form gear to gear, but the engagement feels a little too rubbery. You can find the gates, but when you're locked into gear there's too much give in the stick. It's a small price to pay for a car that's so great everywhere else, but if it were mine I might look into an aftermarket piece to stiffen things up a little.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 58,421 miles
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig July 11, 2008, 12:36 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
July 8, 2008
Ummmm....
Well, I wish it had the optional 19-inch wheels-- I don't think those 18s do the car justice.
And I wish it had the model year 2004-and-up tail lights -- I just can't get down with the awkward-looking backup lights on our '02. It's like an early version of the X3 mismatching tail light syndrome (credit goes to Automotive Editor John DiPietro for pointing this out and thereby causing my permanent obsession with e46 M3 tail lights).
And...ummmm...
Did I mention that I lust after this car?
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 58,309 miles
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- Posted by: SadButTrue July 8, 2008, 9:26 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 30, 2008
Here's an observation I had in our long-term 2002 BMW M3 over the weekend.
The fan delivers air to the cabin with a peculiar whooOOSH.... whooOOOSH... whooshwhooshwhoosh...
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- Posted by: Jay Kavanagh June 30, 2008, 12:45 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 24, 2008
I don't often get the chance to drive our long term M3, so when the slot became vacant to a bottom feeder on the chain such as myself, I jumped at the chance.
I was running to a photo shoot last night. I quickly hopped in and got running into East LA. My mind was focused on the traffic and what I want to do with my assignment that night. It wasn't until I got back into the car did I notice how time has flown by. No, not because it was 10pm or that I had multiple missed calls, it was the nav system graphics.
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- Posted by: June 24, 2008, 11:06 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 23, 2008
I had occasion to transport my daughter in the M3 this weekend. No surprise here: coupe-u-lar body styles make inserting and extracting a child seat and said child more difficult. At least the M3 has a couple tricks up its sleeve.
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- Posted by: Cee-Dubya June 23, 2008, 9:14 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 19, 2008
As I drove our long-term M3 last week with the windows down and sunroof back, I reveled in the luscious engine sounds amidst a beautiful Southern California day. As I pulled into the Edmunds garage and briefly considered going back out just for the hell of it, it dawned on me how much of a wise buying decision this M3 was. Here is a car that with the right care will be a classic someday, a car that is more fun at six years old than most cars are at mile 1 -- and we bought it for less than 30 large.
In between spouts of doing actual work (if you can really call what I do "work"), one of my favorite diversions is to trawl eBay motors for used cars that fit into the M3's bargain future classic category. I'll spend time looking at mid-80s Porsche 911s or first-gen Boxsters, or checking out BMW M Coupes or old Aston Martins (not so much bargains here). I'm not sure why I think it's fun, maybe it's my great desire to have a Leno-sized garage someday...
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- Posted by: JRiz June 19, 2008, 9:38 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 18, 2008
Thanks in part to the fan-freaking-tastic driving experience (Al Austria's post is completely wrong) there hasn't been much mention of the bits of the car that don't have an M preceded by three stripes on 'em
This weekend, with temperatures hovering in the low-mid 90's, the only things I was happier to have in this car on my jaunt through the canyons than, of course, the screaming inline-6 and ultra-grippy Yokohama Advan Neovas were the power-operated rear vent windows.
Giving the otherwise trapped air a place to go with the windows down, utilizing these little guys instantly cools the interior and reduces that nasty wind buffeting caused by an open sunroof.
It's a handy feature that I wish was available on more cars. Things like this --and sliding doors -- shouldn't be relegated to the land of the mini van...
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 57,000 miles
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath June 18, 2008, 4:15 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 5, 2008
After Herr Österreich's instantly infamous Twilight Zone post about our long-term M3, I started to wonder about my unstinting infatuation with the car. Was I just another hoodwinked journalist who reflexively associates the blue and white propeller -- and the M badge in particular -- with automotive excellence? It was a burning question, so I grabbed the keys last night and gave our black Bimmer a good 60 miles' worth of enthusiastic exercise. Here's what I found: (1) the Austrian must not have been driving the M3 hard, and (2) my infatuation has if anything intensified, for reasons discussed below.
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- Posted by: SadButTrue June 5, 2008, 11:29 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
June 4, 2008
Al forgot to mention in his M3 post which is totally misguided an interesting difference of opinion, that a little warning lamp appeared on the dashboard yesterday. I couldn't get a decent photo of it, but it looks something like (O) that. The owner's manual says only to have the brake pads checked out, but we've
suspected the brakes have been close to the end of their useful life
since we drove the tar out of it in Josh's brilliant comparison test against a current 135i and 335i.
It turns out it's the brake pad wear warning lamp that is connected at the other end to that little sensor you see pictured above...
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- Posted by: Cee-Dubya June 4, 2008, 1:54 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
Remember the Twilight Zone episode ("The Eye of the Beholder") where this woman is in the hospital awaiting plastic surgery to fix her heinous face? At one point in this episode the woman's mug is all bandaged up, and the surgeon is calming her, telling her he believes he has corrected her appearance to look normal -- like everyone else. But when the surgeon removes the bandages, he and the nurses recoil in horror -- the procedure is a total failure. She has retained her pre-operative appearance.
The camera then exposes her face -- she's a gorgeous blond! The camera pans over to the surgeon and the nurses -- they're hideous, porcine freaks.
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- Posted by: Snake Doctor June 4, 2008, 11:18 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
May 29, 2008
We’re well aware of the fact that dealer service isn’t cheap, but getting our BMW M3 fixed was still a shocker. We took it in for a sticking door lock on the driver’s side door and after a once over by the dealer we got the bad news.
The door lock actuator motor needed to be replaced. It was going to be roughly $300 for the motor and $400 for labor. Apparently BMW’s technicians were going to use chopsticks to disassemble the door panel before replacing the world’s most complex door lock motors...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig May 29, 2008, 3:08 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
May 27, 2008
We expected a few problems when we bought our used BMW M3. Not major issues, but the kind of little things that wear out, break off or otherwise stop working from normal wear and tear. This weekend the driver’s side door lock started to stick, a situation which required the indignity of having to reach in and open the door from the passenger side. I made sure to do this out of sight from any bystanders in order to maintain the M3’s reputation, but by the end of the weekend I was leaving it unlocked to save the trouble...
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig May 27, 2008, 1:40 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
May 2, 2008
When I opened our long-term 2002 BMW M3's trunk to fetch my man-purse gym bag filled with chainsaws, the handy handle decided to come with. Repeated use has apparently taken its toll. Squint at the little image above and you can see the floppy result of a retaining screw which has pulled through the plastic.
Here's how that piece of plastic should fit:
Should be an easy fix, and the trunk is still accessible...
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- Posted by: Jay Kavanagh May 2, 2008, 10:39 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 29, 2008
Call me lazy or even paranoid, but I like the fact that the M3’s passenger side mirror tilts down when you throw it into reverse. It takes all the fear out of curbing those beautiful deep dish wheels. And judging by the pristine condition of our 18s, the little extra help has worked.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 55,843 miles
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- Posted by: Ed Hellwig April 29, 2008, 10:12 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 23, 2008
In the 5,000+ miles we’ve driven the M3 since we bought it late last year, we have yet to give you an update on the fuel economy. And while you generally don’t buy an M3 for its fuel economy, we thought somebody still might be curious about it.
Best tank: 22.4mpg
Worst tank: 13.0mpg
Lifetime average: 17.9mpg
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 55,341 miles
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- Posted by: Bryn MacKinnon April 23, 2008, 10:10 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 22, 2008
Count me in the seeming minority of those who prefer the new M3 to the last-generation model. I'll leave direct comparisons between the generations to the forthcoming Inside Line comparo, but there is one area where my preferences are clear. I drove our '02 M3 home for the first time last night, which meant a typical slog through traffic. While the M3's stiff, relatively short travel clutch is a treat in free-flowing traffic and in aggressive driving, it feels like a rubbery SoloFlex setting in stop-and-go...
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- Posted by: JRiz April 22, 2008, 10:01 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 21, 2008
We bought our black 2002 BMW M3 exactly five months ago. We paid exactly $30,000 for it on 11/21/07. And since that day we've driven the car almost exactly 6,000 miles. The day we drove her home from the Santa Barbara, California BMW dealer the odometer read 49,042 and just the other day it crossed the 55,000 mile mark...
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- Posted by: April 21, 2008, 3:43 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
After a long weekend with the 2002 BMW M3, I can join the chorus of voices praising this car for its stunning capability in any situation. So many aspects of this car are so commonplace now that we almost take them for granted, like a tire pressure monitoring system or a sport button for the throttle, or defeatable stability control, but they were still relatively new at the time, and make this car such a wildly capable machine.
And they serve so many purposes. Feel like canyon-carving?..
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd April 21, 2008, 3:38 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 14, 2008
Oh boy, does red leather get hot. I had the M3 parked in my driveway instead of my garage yesterday. I went to hop in around 1:00 PM and when I opened the door I felt a wave of heat hit me. Heat and that lovely older car fragrance of slightly dusty leather...
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- Posted by: Donna Derosa April 14, 2008, 11:18 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 10, 2008
The contrast of these two M3s in the Inside Line garage couldn't be ignored. Our long-term 2002 BMW E46 in black, and the 2008 BMW E92 M3 in white. The infamous Spy vs. Spy conflict had come to the automotive realm. Is this a great place to work, or what?
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- Posted by: Cee-Dubya April 10, 2008, 8:56 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
April 9, 2008
After replacing the worn ContisportContact rubber on our long-term M3 with four new Yokohama Advan AD07 tires (225/45R18 front and 255/40R18 rear) from the Tire Rack we headed back to the track for a retest.
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet April 9, 2008, 3:34 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
So the long-term BMW M3 scared the hell out of me this morning. But it's supposed to be a "thrilling" car, so maybe I'm just an old stick in the mud. Regardless, when I looked down and saw the oil light on next to the speedo my blood pressure shot up considerably. My first instinct was to reach up and turn off the key, but at 40 mph on the heavily-trafficked, narrow and twisting Malibu Canyon Road -- with no pull off space in sight -- I didn't see that as my best immediate option. Instead I quickly lifted off the throttle and pushed in the clutch pedal. As luck would have it I'd just passed the highest point on this route through the Santa Monica Mountains, which meant I could realistically coast for the next 3-5 minutes (depending on traffic speed).
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- Posted by: Karl Brauer April 9, 2008, 3:15 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
March 28, 2008
I don't know what I did. I must have saved an entire class of quadraplegic kids from a burning schoolhouse, because the Gods smiled, took on the benevolent form of Deputy Managing Editor Caroline Pardilla, and handed me the keys to our 2002 BMW M3 last night. Good God!
There does not exist a word or phrase of such otherworldly grandeur to describe how this car feels. I have always been a BMW guy, from my 2002 tii to my current 535i, but I always forget how incredibly good they feel, the stunning competence in which every part of the steering, shift action, clutch, brakes, and loud pedal work so seamlessly...
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd March 28, 2008, 10:14 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
March 18, 2008
Recently I found myself in Pahrump, Nevada. It's about an hour north of Vegas. I had stayed late for a photo shoot and was leaving the next morning before dawn to make it back to LA by noon.
Coming out of Pahrump, you drive through the southeastern edge of Death Valley...
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- Posted by: March 18, 2008, 9:36 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
March 13, 2008
Driving our Long Term BMW M3 the other night, a warning flashed across the pixelated display. It was the M3 after all, so naturally my brain assumed it was the traction control giving me a stern warning. It wasn't, low oil -- not low traction-- was the culprit.
M3's are known to burn a little oil, especially if you really drive 'em so it was no real surprise...
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath March 13, 2008, 3:39 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
March 3, 2008
Here's something I really love about our 2002 BMW M3: I could afford it.
I've long been a fan of buying used cars. But never have I felt stronger about how it maximizes your dollar than when you buy an older performance car. We paid $30,000 for this car, roughly half of what a new one costs. While it is half the price it is almost as much fun as a brand new one. Sure it's a little loose in the transmission and suspension. And the beautiful red leather has been worn smooth. But five minutes behind the wheel and all regrets melt away.
I spent the weekend in the M3 pretending I was a different person, someone who has rarefied taste (perhaps a wine swirler) a man who knows quality when he sees it and demands the best, dammit. The M3 was the perfect costume for me. I had to go to a fancy OC raquet club (not a "racket club" mind you) and I was careful to park near the front door. As I pulled out of the parking lot I let the German engineering growl disdainfully at lesser vehicles around me.
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- Posted by: Philip Reed March 3, 2008, 12:20 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
February 25, 2008
When you really like the car you're driving, it's natural to feel protective of it. And so it is with our 2002 BMW M3. I took extra care when parking it in this Culver City garage, centering it within a compact space. You can imagine my dismay when I returned from dinner to find this sloppily parked Eclipse Spyder GS beside it...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches February 25, 2008, 10:52 AM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
February 21, 2008
By some amazing stroke of luck, I ended up with our 2002 BMW M3 last night instead of the Honda Fit that I was scheduled to drive. Wee! (OK, the above picture isn't the best picture of the BMW but I thought it was pretty cool that it had the Ferrari, our other used long-termer, in its sight.)
Anyhow, as a play on Brian Moody's analogy between a cute girl and the G35 on his G35 post yesterday, I found our luxurious and very fast M3 to be like that extremely good-looking guy who seems to have lived a charmed life and who, in turn, is wayyy out of my league. It's not that I'm down on myself, it's that it's sort of intimidating and I wouldn't be able to appreciate it the way it SHOULD be appreciated...
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- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla February 21, 2008, 12:11 PM
- Categories: 2002 BMW M3
February 15, 2008
I've spent the better part of two days writing Edmunds.com vehicle reviews for the various iterations of Bentley Continental GT. It offers no less than 17 different leather color
