Finally back in an ///M car (sold my STi)

[KPop]

I've been on bimmerpost for a while, starting over on 1addicts when I had my '08 135i and then at zpost when I had my beloved '06 Z4MR. I suppose I could see the writing on the wall that I'd one day own an M3, but they're very hard to find in the unicorn combination I wanted (6MT, sedan, slicktop, cloth seats, no nav, no mods, low mileage). I also had a very lovely 2004 Subaru WRX STi. I loved how raw and dialed-in the car was and it drove and looked (and smelled) like a brand new car.

Long story short, I decided to sell it because I never drove it due to the mileage and it being a "collector car." When a local buyer came along and offered me a good bit more than I paid, I sold it and decided to test the M3 waters which brings me to today.

Two weeks ago I picked up a 2009 E90 M3 with just over 22k miles. Out of the things I wanted, I got the 6MT (must-have), aluminum trim, well sorted mechanical and exterior, and low miles. I "sacrificed" on the nav, leather seats, exterior and interior color, and sunroof. Oh well...could be worse This one was blessed with a Megan Racing axle-back exhaust which sounds the business. I've got the OEM exhaust in the garage, and might try the OEM Exhaust mod for fun to compare the sound and see what's better. Anyone here switch between the MR and OEM exhaust mod?

I'm preaching to the choir here, but the car is incredibly well balanced between handing, power, braking, it's the perfect partner for a challenging back road, but equally at home puttering around town. I love the S65's Jekyll and Hyde personality, where it's docile when driven at modest speeds, but gets angry and screams when driven hard. The V8 is such a drama queen and I mean that in the most endearing of ways! Oh BMW, these were some of the best engines you ever built and fuel-economy CAFE regulations bid them farewell. Sad...but I'm keeping mine! Seriously, where else can you find a compact V8-powered sedan with a manual transmission that still preserves a "mechanical" feel to keep you engaged and costs under $35k or even $40k? Aside from the B7 Audi RS4 (which are even more rare than the E90 M3 and don't offer quite the same dynamics), they don't exist!

[chicagob5]

Congrats on the pick up. I made a similar move about a month ago. Let go of my 05 STI with 55k on it for a '11 E92 zcp. The sti was fun however it was a daily for me and eventually the NVH was too much for me. The really great thing about the m3 is how well it can be a comfortable daily yet still hold its own as a sports car. One month in and I love it.

[timothy2001]

Welcome back and really nice find!

[KPop]

Originally Posted by chicagob5

Congrats on the pick up. I made a similar move about a month ago. Let go of my 05 STI with 55k on it for a '11 E92 zcp. The sti was fun however it was a daily for me and eventually the NVH was too much for me. The really great thing about the m3 is how well it can be a comfortable daily yet still hold its own as a sports car. One month in and I love it.

Funny you mention NVH. In the original STi brochure, Subaru admits that they prioritized performance over comfort, so NVH will be greater than other cars. Thankfully mine was only a "weekend toy," so never had to deal with DD duties. 55k miles is still very low for an '05 STi, but you're right they definitely can't pull off the "business in the front, party in the back" personality change like the M3.

[Helmsman]

Welcome KPop and congrats to the find! M3 Sedan can't go wrong. Enjoy mine the same way as when I bought i 4 years ago..

[chicagob5]

Originally Posted by KPop

Funny you mention NVH. In the original STi brochure, Subaru admits that they prioritized performance over comfort, so NVH will be greater than other cars. Thankfully mine was only a "weekend toy," so never had to deal with DD duties. 55k miles is still very low for an '05 STi, but you're right they definitely can't pull off the "business in the front, party in the back" personality change like the M3.

I've owned a few (mainly European) cars and the STi was definitely the most raw car I've ever owned. It was obvious the car was a performance car first and foremost with comfort ( or atleast what little comfort it had ) was an afterthought.

Unfortunately, I got into the STI after experiencing and owning various BMW/M cars and a few Audi's and knew I can get into something with less compromise. I am curious to see what the 2020 STI has to offer, it seems like with the latest gen they're starting to make moves toward a more refined driving experience. They need to update that EJ motor as well, its been around far to long.

[Sephiroth]

Welcome to the club!

-another ex-Z4MR and STI owner

[KPop]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Welcome to the club!

-another ex-Z4MR and STI owner

Thanks! It's been nearly exactly 10 years since my first BMW, a humble well used 2006 Z4 3.0i that no one wanted on a used car dealer lot. That was the spark that started my enthusiast "disease" and while I've owned many different cars outside BMW, there's something special about the way this generation of BMW's drives that feels just right. Sometimes all you need is a hit of S54 and S65 to get you going in the morning

[6ixSpd]

Welcome! And thus begins your never-ending obsession with this car. Have a seat

[SYT_Shadow]

welcome to the forum!

[jdamore]

"6MT as god intended". Finally, something religious I agree with!

Enjoy your beautiful car.!

[DSilk]

Welcome back!

[Mr. BMW]

2004 Subaru WRX STi is a "collector car"?

[KPop]

Originally Posted by Mr. BMW

2004 Subaru WRX STi is a "collector car"?

I'd say the low-mile unicorns are holding value well and will appreciate well over time similar to low-mile Evo 7,8,9's. My STi was pretty damn near "showroom condition," full maintenance documentation, and light performance mods (Cobb intake, exhaust, tune etc.).

[///Mbitions]

That interior...
I think you made the right choice all day, buuut it is a BMW forum

[Foggins]

Congrats and welcome back!!

[srmast1]

I also came from a sti, but it was a limited ed. 2011 which I lightly modded; Tomei equal length headers, cobb short shift kit, full cobb exhaust and intake as well as a tune from Mike @ GST in Heyward, Ca. It was a beast. However, the wing never grew on me and the car had a very taught suspension. I felt every teeth jarring crack in the road and it had the worst stock stereo setup ever. My wife hated it, and complained she felt embarrassed to be seen in it because of the wing and that it was a bit of an ugly duckling. It did however, eat rain and snow for breakfast and had a glorious, mean as hell, torque monster living under the hood linked to a pretty decent shifter. I so miss it sometimes. With that being said, my mostly stock 2011.5 e90 6mt is quite an upgrade from the sti. It is comfier, sounds better, and has an easier to live with suspension. It's not my daily, but it's awesome and I love it. The transmission is a tad notchy, but quite enjoyable once you start getting good at it. Getting an "Ultimate clutch pedal" and a zcp shift knob changes the way the shifting feels almost dramatically, but for the better. Enjoy!!

[Eloy]

Crazy, I own an 04 WRB STi (now my winter car) and bought a e92 M3 a year ago. I’m actually thinking about trading in the M3 and getting another STi. Just not what I thought it would be.

[chicagob5]

Originally Posted by Eloy

Crazy, I own an 04 WRB STi (now my winter car) and bought a e92 M3 a year ago. I’m actually thinking about trading in the M3 and getting another STi. Just not what I thought it would be.

What did you think it would be?

[LVI]

Originally Posted by chicagob5

What did you think it would be?

Curious as well.

[K-M3]

Congratulations!! Enjoy the M3 in good health

[KPop]

Originally Posted by srmast1

I also came from a sti, but it was a limited ed. 2011 which I lightly modded; Tomei equal length headers, cobb short shift kit, full cobb exhaust and intake as well as a tune from Mike @ GST in Heyward, Ca. It was a beast. However, the wing never grew on me and the car had a very taught suspension. I felt every teeth jarring crack in the road and it had the worst stock stereo setup ever. My wife hated it, and complained she felt embarrassed to be seen in it because of the wing and that it was a bit of an ugly duckling. It did however, eat rain and snow for breakfast and had a glorious, mean as hell, torque monster living under the hood linked to a pretty decent shifter. I so miss it sometimes. With that being said, my mostly stock 2011.5 e90 6mt is quite an upgrade from the sti. It is comfier, sounds better, and has an easier to live with suspension. It's not my daily, but it's awesome and I love it. The transmission is a tad notchy, but quite enjoyable once you start getting good at it. Getting an "Ultimate clutch pedal" and a zcp shift knob changes the way the shifting feels almost dramatically, but for the better. Enjoy!!

Yeah, I found the STi to be loaded with "character" but I had the itch to get back into an ///M car. I do miss that mid-range torque, though, but now have a great excuse to rev out the S65 V8 And while the boxer-4 and turbo "whoosh" sounds were very nice thanks to a Cobb aftermarket intake/exhaust, there's nothing that comes close to the drama you get from 8 ITBs singing a WOT tune at 8400 RPM.