Great styling, loads of power, mind-bending handling, 4-door practicality

Ride can be a bit harsh in the city; outside mirrors are too small; a bit noisy at high speeds; interior is a bit boring; certian "options" really should be standard for $40K+

Paid $42K with all options except navigation and phone and I got a non-std. set of M-spec wheels included.
This car is stupid-fun and scary-fast. The auto-box does not take much away in performance, and the taller 4th and 5th gears make highway driving more comfortable. There is so much power and the engine is so rev-happy that the M3-auto combination makes for true stomp-and-go fun that is near impossible to match. The handling is fantastic. The car is so stable that you can do some pretty crazy stuff and not worry that you are about to go off the road. In all, the `98 M3 is quite possibly the best balanced automobile (ie. is tops in almost every aspect) ever made. A word of warning, though. All this power and performance makes the car a blast in the dry and wet, but it turns into an absolute nightmare in the snow. If you must drive in snowy conditions, get a set of good snow tires. But even then, I would not recommend using this car. Get a Jeep for the snow.

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Audi S4 is the only comparable car. It has a bit more power, but it is heavier and the steering is not as precise.

What can I say?....EVERYTHING!!! Engine, Brakes, Handling, Cornering, Acceleration, Overall Looks, You name it and this car has it...

I have yet to find one.

Paid $39,400, If you are tired of those run of the mill wanna-be sprots cars, definitely this is the car for you, it is not for the faint of heart (especially when you just HAVE to take that sharp cornered exit ramp off of I-95 at 90 miles and hour).

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Corvette, too hard to climb in and out...horrible ride.
Dodge Stealth RT, ha! a joke...
Ford Mustang GT, (Whatever!)
Chevy Camaro Z28, this one's ok for the price, but did'nt like the handling
Bmw M5, this is the M3's big Brother, more room, more horsies, more EVERYTHING!!!

Well everything on this car is just incredible!
You get to have 321 hp with this car,
its more power than many of you are able to handle.
And because its the special Limousine version (4 doors), its even more exclusive.

The car has a small boot, but what do you expect, its a sportscar!!!

This car is just for everybody... who can afford it... I bought it in Switzerland trough a friend of mine. Here it was 60'000 Sfr. (~$97000).

Its the answer to every family-father than needs a car for both,
the family and himself...

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Lotus Esprit V8

Basicly everything on this car is a strength. It looks great, moves great and feels great. When you are in this car you feel seperated to the world and connected to the road. I have never driven a car quite like this one

The only weakness is the amount of back seat space.

This car is for anyone who loves to drive. I know that a new M3 is coming this year but it will be hard for anycar to surpass the love for a car that the e36 M3 has bestowed upon me!!!!

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There aren't really any cars out there worth comparing it to except the audi s4, but i still think the the m3 out shines it also

engine, brakes, looks, comfort, 321 bhp ...

you've gotta be kidding

Can't really imagine better car for the money. Don't know about 240bhp model (usa) but 321 is hard to fault.

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97 boxter, slower, smaller, f355 better but less practical

Speed, handling, comfort, speed, ergonomics, practicality (4 person road trips not a problem), speed, exhaust note, shifter action, 8-10K mile oil changes, and last but not least, speed

Maintenance... this is a costly and frequent expense for this car (watch those electronics fail!), winter driving (OK call me a fool for driving with bald summer tyres without traction control)

US$19,500 paid for a 1995 model (pre-9/95 production, with 3.0L engine): hard to beat price, but insurance premiums and maintenace have taken their toll already and will be my downfall, I am sure.

This is an excellent "supercar" that is tamed for the street. Handling is by far the tightest of any car I've driven, and the torque is ample, even without VANOS that the Euro models have. The brakes are ABS-assisted and have amazing stopping power (not to mention engaging the seat belt pretensioners!) There are lots of useful gadgets like the onboard computer with mileage and trip statistics, express up and down windows (no express sunroof though), dual-zone climate control and a 6 disc trunk-loaded CD changer with a so-so stereo system. The car comes with a service interval that checks the level of fluids, inspection, and oil service. All of which contribute to give the driver maximum pleasure.

BUT. its got quirks. Some electronics have failed and had to be costly repaired. Winter driving is not recommended, unless you have traction control and winter tyres and manual transmission. Also, the front air dam is very very low. It's only 6 inches off the ground, so watch out for slopes, parking places, and kerbs.

This is a luxury-sport car. It may not have the flashy looks that some others have, but it doesn't attract the cops either. It's got seating for 5 (4 for long trips), a great engine, and great satisfaction (even after all those maintenance bills).

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'94 BMW 325 - slower; 2000 Celica GT/GTS - smaller and slower, cramped back seat; '98 Firebird T/A - smaller back but more muscular sound and accel.; '99 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS - smaller and less powerful; 2000 Mazda Miata - nimble but claustrophobic; '97 Ford Mustang GT - muscular but less comfy interior; '89 Grand Am LE - not similar but my previous vehicle

The 4 doors, the seats and the great looks!

Nothing, there are a few things expected of a sports car like wear ansd tear.

Paid list price. Buy this car if you are in the range for a fun and fast little convertible!

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None

This car drives different from any other cars out there. I drove Audi, Lexus and Mercedes, they drive nice but not like a BMW. I have read that there is nothing drives like a BMW, I didn't belive it, untill I bought one. You can use this car as your everday car, I drove it in the snow (ofcourse with Snow tires) but the traction control works great, the only time I had a hard time driving it when the roads were icey , it handles great, it have one of the best brakes on the market, and the best thing about it, its not like those other sports cars, it have VONS unit which control the engine which let you have more control of car, not like other sports cars, belive me when I say this, when I drive it, it feels like I am communicating with it, there is not a car out there that drives like it,it is a racing car but I can drive everyday

Few things, I didn't like about this car, first it needs a six speed for relaxed hwy driving (More miles per gallon, but who cares if you payed $45,000 for a car), those michellen tires that comes with the car, are noisy and harsh, the car have 30k on it now and it still have the original tires that came with the car, but BMW should pick a differet tires

Well, I paid about $45,000 for it, I can say this if you can afford M3 go ahead and buy it, but if you can't, you want to drive another exiciting car, you can down grade and buy a 328is or 323is they are really nice cars, I bought it becuase the way it drives, this is my third BMW I use to have 92 325i, when I sold it it had 140k miles on it, how many problems I had with it beside wear items, not alot just little things, but no major repair at all

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NONE

Everything, and it's a 4-door so the kids can come along for the ride. Nothing will beat it in it's price range. Fast, great handling, outstanding brakes, sticks to the road, great fun to drive.

Nothing worth discussing. You should expect lots of tire wear and high insurance in a sports car.

Paid $44k, would buy it again. Only buy it if you really want the ultimate sports car and the few trade offs that come with it. It drives like a race car, so only drivers need apply. The auto transmission should be avoided, engine is to peaky.

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C43 is about as fast, but costs much more and doesn't handle as well.

The smooth power that is available at any speed and the amazing 24mpg I got with a 240hp engine. And it did not attract any attention from the police. I have driven 10-15 mph over the speed limit past several cops and they didn't even look. Finally, I bought the car for $38,500 and the insurance company paid $38,400 for the car 19 months later after it was totaled. It holds its value extremely well.

The tires need replaced every 20K miles and the tires cost between $600 and $1200 for a set depending on the type.

The car ended up costing me $325 a month including extra cost of insurance, tires, and interest on $40K it took to buy it. It is one of the best and cheapest cars I've ever owned.