M car vs Non M Car (F3X vs F80)

[snipagang]

Hello everyone. Looking for the opinion of people who preferably have owned an F3X and F80/82.


I drive a N20 car (320i), and I am looking to tune it with bm3, do downpipes intercooler, better brakes whole 9 yards.. I want the car to liven up be a lot faster and handle better. However, everyone ive spoken to has said it isnt worth it and you are better off with a 335 or 340 or M car.

What are your opinions on this? Are M cars that much better than non M cars, and can the F3X ever be tuned to the point of being a good sports sedan?

I know it will never be an M car, but would it be worth it to just save up for an F80 ? Are they that much better?

[Mazen189]

I think you'll find a lot of people here who will say non m cars are better lol

Jk. Get an M

[Kilabyte]

I wouldn't do all those mods to a 320, a 335/340 yes. In the end the answer is always ///M

[swagon]

Originally Posted by snipagang

What are your opinions on this? Are M cars that much better than non M cars, and can the F3X ever be tuned to the point of being a good sports sedan?

I know it will never be an M car, but would it be worth it to just save up for an F80 ? Are they that much better?

Is the M3 better or worse, well, that depends on your needs, desires and actual use of the car, which you didn't disclose. Write down those points on a piece of paper and then go for a test drive in other variants of the F30, incl. F80.

But, seeing your profile info that states you have a 320i xDrive, I would say that no, it will never be as good of a sports sedan as the M3, given it's a mushy all-wheel drive daily driver powered by a vacuum cleaner.

No matter how much money you throw into any car, it is always better to start off with the best base example.

You can certainly improve the car in a lot ways - and I would start in the handling department rather than with the powertrain - but just enjoy the car for what it is.

[bsmf8x]

Don't do it.

I've spent a ton of time in modded f30's. The 340 would be worth it because of the b58 and it's a good platform but a 320 hell no.

I have a f82 m4 and i could write you paragraphs explaining why you're better off just waiting until you can get the better car. Even if it's. 335/340. But the M is 1000000% undeniably worth the money. The driving experience is literally completely different cars. Not even similar when tuned or whatever you do to the f30.

You can find a lot on these forums about why this is the case.

[snipagang]

Originally Posted by swagon

Is the M3 better or worse, well, that depends on your needs, desires and actual use of the car, which you didn't disclose. Write down those points on a piece of paper and then go for a test drive in other variants of the F30, incl. F80.

But, seeing your profile info that states you have a 320i xDrive, I would say that no, it will never be as good of a sports sedan as the M3, given it's a mushy all-wheel drive daily driver powered by a vacuum cleaner.

No matter how much money you throw into any car, it is always better to start off with the best base example.

You can certainly improve the car in a lot ways - and I would start in the handling department rather than with the powertrain - but just enjoy the car for what it is.

would need whatever sedan im in to be a good daily driver, but I also have a need for speed and love cars. Im just thinking for the future here what goals I want to set and what car I want to end up in. Part if me tries to justify with proper mods the 320 will satisfy me, but I also know I probably won’t ever be satisfied with the little vacuum cleaner they decided to throw in the engine bay.

This isnt to say I dont absolutely love my car, because I do. Just worried the M wouldnt be as reliable to drive around every day and accumulate miles on.

[bsmf8x]

Originally Posted by snipagang

would need whatever sedan im in to be a good daily driver, but I also have a need for speed and love cars. Im just thinking for the future here what goals I want to set and what car I want to end up in. Part if me tries to justify with proper mods the 320 will satisfy me, but I also know I probably won't ever be satisfied with the little vacuum cleaner they decided to throw in the engine bay.

This isnt to say I dont absolutely love my car, because I do. Just worried the M wouldnt be as reliable to drive around every day and accumulate miles on.

The F8x is very reliable.

Arguably as reliable as the f30. Minus the crank hub which shouldn't be an issue unless you're tuning it hard.

If anything, I know more f30's with issues than F8x lol. Minus crankhub stuff

[UBR3000]

Originally Posted by swagon

Is the M3 better or worse, well, that depends on your needs, desires and actual use of the car, which you didn't disclose. Write down those points on a piece of paper and then go for a test drive in other variants of the F30, incl. F80.

But, seeing your profile info that states you have a 320i xDrive, I would say that no, it will never be as good of a sports sedan as the M3, given it's a mushy all-wheel drive daily driver powered by a vacuum cleaner.

No matter how much money you throw into any car, it is always better to start off with the best base example.

You can certainly improve the car in a lot ways - and I would start in the handling department rather than with the powertrain - but just enjoy the car for what it is.

Agreed, I had an F30 for three years and really enjoyed it for what it was - quiet, smooth, comfortable but also balanced and engaging to drive. I decided I wanted something more aggressive and then moved to the M3. Definitely test drive to see the difference, for me it was a much bigger change than I thought it would be in terms of how the M3 drives and handles, not just the added power. There’s so many more options to modify and upgrade the M3 also.

[aliiin]

I think you'll get a biased opinion from all of us that have one, hah. I can just say when I drop my car off for service and they give me a base 3 series loaner, I instantly miss my car.

I wouldn't do that to a 320, but perhaps a 335/340. Just go test drive an M3 and see how you like it. At the end of the day, do whatever makes you happy and have no regrets.

[henrylee]

You can do all that but it still won’t be a M car. I’d rather have a stock M3/M4

[uncle ben]

I’ve sunken money into slow cars trying to make them fast and it’s a bad financial move. It’s fun, but at the end of the day you are driving a 320i that will sell for what other 320i’s with similar mileage are selling for. So that $5-10k you sink into the car on mods is money lost.

[RoundelM3]

I used to own an F30 335i with the original MPPK and MPE plus some mild additional tuning. Then I traded it in on my low-mileage used F80 - a complete and total world of difference in every aspect. Not only is it way more powerful (especially after a mild tune and exhaust mods), it handles better, looks better, stops quicker, and has a nicer interior. You could spend as much trying to mod an F30 as you would just buying an M to begin with.

[GURT]

I've had many cars over the years and modded most of them, I currently have a ZCP F80. One thing I learned is that you can make a car Faster but you still will never get the total package when compared to a higher end model of the same car. You can throw a laundry list of mods at an F30 and make it all kinds of fast but the majority of the car will still be an F30. Think about the interior, the body lines, the suspension, the drive modes etc. etc. So by the time you are done, you will be in a position where you have a nice car but the second you try to sell it and move on, you will be faced with a dilemma of spending time and money undoing all of your work on the car to recoup some of the money spent on it or selling it as is and taking a huge loss on the money you put into it. Financially saving for the right car the first time is the best move.

[behindthen0thing]

Originally Posted by snipagang

Hello everyone. Looking for the opinion of people who preferably have owned an F3X and F80/82.


I drive a N20 car (320i), and I am looking to tune it with bm3, do downpipes intercooler, better brakes whole 9 yards.. I want the car to liven up be a lot faster and handle better. However, everyone ive spoken to has said it isnt worth it and you are better off with a 335 or 340 or M car.

What are your opinions on this? Are M cars that much better than non M cars, and can the F3X ever be tuned to the point of being a good sports sedan?

I know it will never be an M car, but would it be worth it to just save up for an F80 ? Are they that much better?

Leave your car alone, or buy an m3.
They are perfectly reliable

[xxHRxx]

I previously drove a 14 F30. I wanted to have some mods to make the car look unique but ended up doing nothing except the three stripes on the grill(I get laughed by my friends a lot because of this). The main reason is that it is really not worth it. At the end of the day, it is a F30 that you see everywhere on the road.
F8X is totally a different story. I get mods without hesitation.

No hate on the F3x platform. They are solid, easy to drive, and excellent as a daily. But if you want to tune/mods or do other crazy stuff. Go for F8x.

[Suds]

OP. Go drive an M-car and see if it is for you.
I’ve done the whole upgrade thing on a non M-car, it was fast, it handled ok, but it really lacked the overall balance, overall it would have been cheaper to buy the M-car and have a car that that many people would purchase when I tired of it.

[tanmanbih]

So I wanted an M4 but decided to see if it's just me "wanting a new car" so I drove a 328i as a rental for a week to see if ill be satisfied with it. (Hesitant about getting M4 because I live in NY, it's just not practical for me since I have a beater car anyways). I loved the 328 but I am not looking to just buy a car and cant see my self paying for just a car and I dont really care about luxury shit to be honest.. a Mazda would work for my needs or whatever...

But Like everyone said:
Test drive one to see what you really are looking for..
To me..
320/28i is just another car
335/340 is a fast car
an M is a car with a soul.. sounds cheesy but honestly you will feel more connected to the car (if you get a chance to test drive it, try to drive it around twisties)., (Also kind of regret why I got the DCT.. but it's still pretty cool)

Wouldnt tell you what to do with your money but a 320 is just not built to be modded.. while a 335 could be

[sna66]

Test drive for sure, it's not for everyone. My wife for example, hates the hard ride. she has an f26 and it's much smoother. You will get much more attention/ compliments in an M than a regular 3/4 and the power gives you a lil adrenaline high

[jdgamble]

I came from an M-Lite (m240i) most recently, and the difference is astonishing. Real Ms are just so much more cohesive. You can make non-Ms fast (not sure about 320), and you can make the handle well, but the sum of the parts is just so much more with the real M.

[SCS55]

Don't waste money on the N20. Bypass the F30 335 too. Maybe the 340 because of the B58, but ultimately you're going to always want the M3. Ask me how I know... I've got both. 335i M Sport and the F80. The F30 is nice, but the M3 does it all and then some.
Good luck.

[ferrarifast]

Don't do it

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Someone's gotta be the voice of reason in here. Mod the shit out of that 320