What do guys think?
A friend of mine (28 years old) got sick of the enormous repair bills and constantly
borrowing his parents car because the 1999 BMW M3 was in the shop more than
it was out of the shop. The last repair was a major engine problem that cost him
over $3000. He decided he wanted a new car with a warranty.

He's very much into performance and ended up choosing the Mitsubishi Lancer
Evolution because it's the most stock performance for the dollar right now. His M3
was worth about $20,000 on the trade so he still had to pay about 9 grand. I think
these cars are pretty sweet but it's hard to get past the fact that it's based on a
$15,000 car and the price doubles with the factory performance mods.

Considering all the quality issues of the Bimmer I have to say it wasn't such a bad
decision. He was never able to drive it anyway with it being in the shop for weeks at
a time.

Anyway, the Evo is actually a good amount quicker so he's probably having just as much
fun but sacrificing luxury.

Would you guys trade an M3 for an Evo? Remember where not talking about the
current M3.

 

well, im 19, and yes, i would definitely trade in an m3 for an evo 8 if it was me.......but if i were older, i don't kno.....it depends.....in a few years, ima get an evo.....so yea, i would trade an m3 for the evo

 

I think it depends on how you take care of a particular car.

My Bimmer hasn't given me any major problem yet. On the other hand, my SC4's tranismission just went out of my a few months ago.

FYI: It's actually spelled as Bimmer, not Beamer. The word Beamer refers to bikes made by BMW.

Jon

 

no chance. horrible trade IMO.

sounds like he didn't do maintenance, or got a lemon, but one thing is for sure.....

after you replace everything, it's time for the mountains

he got it all strait, and missed his call.

 

I'm a part-time auto consultant.........I agree with your friend's M3-Evo trade. I think it was a good move......for several reasons.
First, M cars have very low depreciation, so he/she probably got back a lot of what was originally put into it, unless a lot of expensive mods were made. They are in great demand in spite of BMW's dropping quality. We'll have to wait and see what the future Chris Bangle M3's look like before we can predict what the current ones will be worth, though.
Second, even though the Evo has many rally and racing parts that are not on the standard Mitsubishi Lancer, it will probably be substantially cheaper to service and replace those parts than on BMWs. The Evo's turbo likely will be the weakest point.....but your friend can prolong its life by using a GOOD turbo-approved or synthetic oil and idling the engine a minute or so before shut-off and by keeping the RPM down when cold. Try not to hit anything on the road, either.....the Evo's turbo intercooler is very low, right behind the front air dam.
Third, BMW dealers can be notoriously arrogant both in sales and service. Mitsubishi dealers, in general, are really hurting for customers ( though I wouldn't look for any giveaway deals on limited-production Evos ), so your friend was probably treated well in the showroom....especially with the competition from the Subaru STi.
Neither car, though, is really suited for use on bumpy or bad roads.... both the M3 and Evo are ultra-firmly sprung and will really let you know when you are not on a glass-smooth surface.

I hope your friend got one of the new Mitsubishi 10 year/100,000 mile drivetrain warranty deals....they are copying the Koreans now.

 

I hope your friend got one of the new Mitsubishi 10 year/100,000 mile drivetrain warranty deals

for the turbo evo as well ? wow.

 

I'd trade the E36 for the Evo.

 

i am 19 and i would tarde E36 M for S2000 but not EVO. I need a tiny bit of luxury.

 

So what are you going to do with the s2000?

 

Hmm, not me at all. I would keep an E36 M3 way way way before I sold it for an S2000. The E36 is basically the perfect BMW design to me, and with the option for (relatively safe) FI on the E36 I would keep it indefinately. The S2000 needs to be rung out to get any real power out of it and low torque, high compression ratio cars like the S aren't really my thing. I would keep the M3 overall, but if it was really giving him that many problems, then I see him moving to the EVO after being fed up.

James

 

I couldn't give up a bimmer for a mitsu. the thought makes me sick at my stomach. I had a chance to sell one of my E36's last week and didn't. I have one to fall back on and still couldn't do it. My 325i has hollow cams, full intake, chip, etc... suspension has been taken care of by Eibach and Koni yellow adjustable race shocks and it STILL doesn't run like an M3 and i have never had so much fun in my life as i did the other day after i got it back from having the whole front suspension rebuilt and wheel bearings replaced.

Sure it cost me a few grand, but when it's right, it's tight. these are regular maintenance issues, not stranded on the side of the road issues. I dare any mitsu product to run half as long as an E36 without major repairs. My point, my car still isn't built up to an M3 and it is by far the best of the two as i have sat in the "drastic plastic" mitsu's and was very unimpressed.

No love for plastic cars.



2 pennies left on the table.

 

O.L.T., I certainly agree.

Althought the Evolution is a blast to drive, there's a lot of sacrifices when comparing
to an M3. As fast as the Evo is, the M3 is still a much more enjoyable ride and when
you factor in the luxury, style, and prestige, it's an easy choice (for most people).

I think my friend should've kept it especially after investing in all those repairs. It's
kind of funny that he traded it in immediately after the $3000 repair.

 

I guess it depends on what you mean by an "enjoyable ride". As I mentioned in my post, both cars are way too stiff for my tastes and are best suited for glass-smooth roads. But I agree that the BMW has a nicer, more luxury-oriented cabin as far as trim and equipment are concerned. The Evo was not meant to be plush inside....and it sure isn't. It's a boy racer in every sense of the word.

 

im still in that phase, thats why im gettn an evo soon....i still have my SC for the luxury, but i want to go fast.....

but yea, i do agree that the M series is far superior to the mitsu's but i guess it depends on driver preference

 

99M3 any ****ing day!!!