I Actually Drove the M3 a Good Amount This Weekend

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 02/22/2015 at 22:17 • Filed to: Steno's M3

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And have some observations, but first, picture of snowy M from a few nights ago.

Okay, now, observations.

It rides really rough. Like damn son I know it's a sports sedan but com'on. New front shocks may help with this.

Really need new tie-rods. My steering does strange things over bumps. Good thing those come this week.

Needs an alignment. Pulls slightly right.

Loud inside. Not wind noise, but engine and exhaust drone.

The arm rest and shifter are just far enough apart for me not to rest my hand on it and have my elbow on the arm rest.

Warms up inside superquick. Seat heaters work wonderfully as well.

Even with needing new shocks and tie-rods, it handles like nothing else I've driven. Holy hell no wonder this was THE sports sedan of the 90s.

Seats are super comfortable, even with needing a new lower left bolster on my driver's seat.

My OBC still isn't giving me my average consumption and speed. I guess my emission stuff still isn't activated.

I really need to get myself a head unit. Like really, really badly. Squeaks and awkward silence are aplenty. Good thing I have a bluetooth speaker to subside for now.

The cup holders SUCK. I can't even get a regular soda bottle in there. Totally pointless.

Acceleration is SO EFFORTLESS. Quarter throttle and I'm breaking speed limits without trying.

Excellent highway MPG, at least compared to the GMC.

I have this horrible feeling this is going to be a bad car for my mostly highway commute. I'm really hoping some new front struts help the ride, or else I'm going to be wishing for an old Cadillac. I just want to get the damn thing licensed so I can stop driving around in constant fear of getting pulled over.

AM3R shamefully returns > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:25

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refresh the suspension a little and it'll be a much smoother ride. Also, get a proper exhaust and the sound will be godly.. If you find the right balance between inline six scream but not too loud, you'll have an amazing sounding E36.

bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:29

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germans in general have very stiff suspensions. took a friend whos fam always had am cars (a impala at the time)

him: man, i LOVE our new car. it handles SO well. makes your audi look like junk
me: tosses A3 through a quick series of corners that would have left that pala in the bushes
him: I take it back. I would probably die in the impala

thought so.

PS9 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:32

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I'm really hoping some new front struts help the ride, or else I'm going to be wishing for an old Cadillac.

Ahhhhhhh yes, and a kernel of regret sets in. Not too keen on that 'connected to the road' feeling you get from a european sports sedan when said road is all potholes and train tracks, hmm? You were lured away...but you don't belong over there in deutschland, and deep down in your soul you know it.

That knowledge, that feeling of home, safety, security, and all that is familiar. It's absence now will claw at the back of your mind like Chinese water torture. You're gone for now... but you will be back.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:34

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I'm pretty sure small, almost useless cupholders are standard for 1990's import cars. Most of the large cups with the smaller bottoms will fit, as in 44oz ones from gas stations, etc.

Manuél Ferrari > bob and john 02/22/2015 at 22:36

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i dunno man. my E46 M3 is bone stock and has an amazingly supple ride. it's downright comfortable!

Manuél Ferrari > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:38

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Your ride quality doesn't sound right. Pre-991 Porsche 911s are stiff. M3s are not that stiff when the suspension is stock and in good shape. My E46 M3 is stock and nearly as comfortable as the Mercedes E350 I used to have.

bob and john > Manuél Ferrari 02/22/2015 at 22:40

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(relatively speaking) americans are used to straigh roads and lots of pot holes. so they want something big and cushy

euros have good roads and lots of corners. so for them, something firmer works.

in our household, there is an A3 TDI and an IS250. its border line, but I can tell the audi is a bit stiff then the lexus.

Manuél Ferrari > bob and john 02/22/2015 at 22:45

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oh i see what you mean. you just mean relatively speaking

yeah that's true

i just meant not all german cars are too stiff to be comfortable on american roads

some are much more stiff than others

until the current generation of 911 they were crazy stiff! bimmers and audis weren't that bad in comparison. and mercs are not stiff at all (unless AMG)

TheAutoRules > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 22:45

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Struts control spring oscillation, not spring tension. If the suspension is stock, the ride will not be so stiff that you can't get used to it, but it will never be floaty. You wouldn't want it that way.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > PS9 02/22/2015 at 23:19

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It wouldn't be that old, I was thinking more along the lines of this.

I honestly questioned my decision for a sporty car for a few moments today. My driving is mostly highway and this thing right now just isn't that comfortable. Of course, then I tossed it through some corners and felt a bit better.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Manuél Ferrari 02/22/2015 at 23:21

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I have no idea what's making it so stiff. the only things that I need to still replace that I know are bad and messing with ride quality are the front struts and maybe my shock mounts on the front and rear. I don't think my springs or anything are performance oriented aftermarket stuff. Right now it rides like my dad's Silverado does.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AM3R shamefully returns 02/22/2015 at 23:22

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We're in the process of refreshing it right now. The only things left that we still need to replace and the front struts and the shock mounts.

I'm pretty sure the exhaust is stock, which makes me surprised as to how droney it is.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/22/2015 at 23:24

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These are quite literally the worst cup holders I've experienced. Even the ones in the GMC that sit under the radio and can't have anything taller than a soda can in them are more useful than these.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > bob and john 02/22/2015 at 23:25

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Debatable. My aunt's E9x 328i convertible rides better than a lot of cars I've ridden in.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 23:27

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Mine will only fit 12-16oz cans and the 44oz drinks with the small bottoms. Luckily my window sills are thin enough to be able to fit these:

Manuél Ferrari > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 23:31

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I think the struts could be making a huge difference if they are shot.

I have only test driven one E36 M3. It didn't seem very stiff. But it was a short test drive so it's hard to know for sure.

I owned a couple E36 325is cars. One was stock and one I did suspension mods to. I wanted to make it handle as well as an M3. That car didn't seem very stiff over potholes. My stock 997 seems stiffer in comparison.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Manuél Ferrari 02/22/2015 at 23:35

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I wouldn't call them completely shot, but they're definitely in need of replacing to match the brand-new rear shocks.

I didn't think it seemed stiff the first time I drove it home after we bought it with bad rear shocks, but today on the highway it just seemed like I was constantly bouncing around. Maybe I'm just judging it harshly because I had been driving my girlfriend's Taurus the night before and that's a wonderful highway cruiser.

AM3R shamefully returns > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/22/2015 at 23:43

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Nice, I'm still looking forward to a review whenever you decide to write one.

For some reason I thought your E36 had some random aftermarket exhaust. I've heard a few stock E36's and they weren't TOO raspy. The E46 M3 is really raspy though.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > AM3R shamefully returns 02/22/2015 at 23:44

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As soon as we get the suspension sorted and I've genuinely put it to the test (which shouldn't take long at all after that) I'll have one written up.

BLCKSTRM > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/23/2015 at 00:13

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The bouncing means your front struts are further gone than you think.

My wife has a 2010 Escalade that just crossed the 100k mark. It was riding so bad she wanted to sell it. Hated it. HATED IT!

She started driving my car when I was home because it was so much better.

Let me repeat. She went from a 2010 Escalade to a 1998 M3 with poly motor mounts because the BMW was smoother.

Your new front struts should fix the problem.

Manuél Ferrari > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/23/2015 at 00:28

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I bet the imbalance between the new and old shocks is messing up the overall ride

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Manuél Ferrari 02/23/2015 at 00:32

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You know, now that you say that it makes sense. The back ones are rebounding back into place while the front ones are still hopping up and down and it's sending movements through the entire car making it feel insanely stiff.

Manuél Ferrari > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/23/2015 at 13:50

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It was a lucky guess. I haven't had that situation where I replaced one set of shocks before the other but just guessed that it would cause an imbalance that throws off the whole suspension.

Shocks are so important. The OEM dampers in my 997 are still good cause I only have 54000 miles on the car. But I'm thinking of replacing them with Koni FSDs to get better ride quality.