[Guest]

yes and no....more

several tests conclude that their 0-60 is almost identical. Remember that the tests were done by prof. drivers and to achieve the 4.8 0-60 in the M3, you have to be good shifting wise, be at the right RPM range before release among other factors compared to just slamming the gas pedal on the CLK. <p>Looks wise, I prefer the CLK, but that's just me. Those wide fenders, side gills really aren't my thing. The CLKs smooth lines, bundled with the comfort only MB can provide. <p>These cars are built mainly for high speed driving (Autobahn) and cannot be merely based on 0-60 stop light racing. I doubt the M3s price the be in the range you specified. BMW dealers have a reputation of bad service, too marked-up prices, etc. while MB has a no-haggle policy and the only way for dealers to jack up the price is to sell the car as a used car.<p>Driving feel, the steering response, I go for the M3. I'm not being biased here. I had an E36 M3 and it stuck to the road like glue. The latest review of the M3 (Car & Driver - December 2000) I read stated the new model understeers badly and had a really rough ride.<p>When do you really need this power ? Unless you plan on tracking your car, the M3 seems pretty useless to me. The CLK still seems to be the better buy, comfort and amenities wise, plus the power to boot.

 

[Guest]

Re: yes and no....more

alright i disagree with your last statement. the m3 has as much class if not more than a clk. thats a bias, a can name a dealer or two by mercedes thats terrible. what about the gearbox? the m3 doesn't need a giant v-8, rather its a silky smoothe pleasant sounding inine 6. anyway thats about it. what happend to your e 36 m3?<p><p><p><br>: several tests conclude that their 0-60 is almost identical. Remember that the tests were done by prof. drivers and to achieve the 4.8 0-60 in the M3, you have to be good shifting wise, be at the right RPM range before release among other factors compared to just slamming the gas pedal on the CLK. <p>Looks wise, I prefer the CLK, but that's just me. Those wide fenders, side gills really aren't my thing. The CLKs smooth lines, bundled with the comfort only MB can provide. <p>These cars are built mainly for high speed driving (Autobahn) and cannot be merely based on 0-60 stop light racing. I doubt the M3s price the be in the range you specified. BMW dealers have a reputation of bad service, too marked-up prices, etc. while MB has a no-haggle policy and the only way for dealers to jack up the price is to sell the car as a used car.<p>Driving feel, the steering response, I go for the M3. I'm not being biased here. I had an E36 M3 and it stuck to the road like glue. The latest review of the M3 (Car & Driver - December 2000) I read stated the new model understeers badly and had a really rough ride.<p>When do you really need this power ? Unless you plan on tracking your car, the M3 seems pretty useless to me. The CLK still seems to be the better buy, comfort and amenities wise, plus the power to boot.<p>

 

[Guest]

The M3, I sold it...more

I miss it a lot. Compared to my current CLK, the M3 handled like a dream. The new M3 may have as much class as the CLK but with class comes distinction. How can you expect a car that sold in the thousands (E36 M3) be distinct in any way? This is assuming that BMW will sell as much as the previous model. BMW is known for mass producing "limited" vehicles while MB keeps to its real meaning. Dealers, all of them have bad apples, it just so happened that BMW dealers in general are rip-offs and pricks (sorry for the language). I'm not saying all of them are bad. The M3's gearbox, is I might say, one of the best. Unfortunately, MB will release it's 6spd only in 2002 and I doubt it will be anything like the Bimmers. MT is really not the forte of MB. Have you ever heard of the CLKs V8 ? Now thats an engine. The inline six is dull by comparison. You should actually hear one and fall in love with its power.<p>BTW, what SLK do you have ?<p>: alright i disagree with your last statement. the m3 has as much class if not more than a clk. thats a bias, a can name a dealer or two by mercedes thats terrible. what about the gearbox? the m3 doesn't need a giant v-8, rather its a silky smoothe pleasant sounding inine 6. anyway thats about it. what happend to your e 36 m3?<br>

 

[Guest]

I have an E36 M3 and a 2000 E55. I think the new M3 is a better buy if you want the best bang for the buck horsepower and handling.<p>But the CLK will do the stoplight contest at its optimal speed of around 5.0 sec everytime, whereas the M3 will take a very good driver shifting and no hesitation in destroying the clutch in order to achieve its optimal time.<p>The M3 will probably win the race track contest, but the CLK will be much nicer in rush hour traffic or simply running around town.<p>That's based on my own experience with the E55, CLK55, and E36 M3. I am taking into consideration the new M3 will be faster then the old one.

 

[Guest]

Isn't the M3 vs. C32 the real comparison?

I know the CLK is based on the C, but it really is in a class of its own. E55 competes with M5 and C32 competes with M3.

 

[Guest]

No.

Although the C32 is closer in price to the M3, the C32 is a sedan. BMW doesn't plan to offer an M3 sedan in the near future (or so they've said). So the CLK55 is the closest thing M-B offers. The transmission choice and the price are the big differentiators.

 

[Guest]

Re: The M3, I sold it...more

Did you find that when selling your M3 that the market was really flooded with them...I have a 01 CLK430 and traded in my 96 M3...4 months on the market and no real attention on the car...I have a friend that still has his car on the market and it has lower miles than mine...no luck either. Overall, the MB seem to hold their value better. The E36 M3 is a great driving car and so is the new version...but the MB is meant to cruise with cache and comfort...I must be getting older...my boy racer days must be over.

 

[Guest]

Re: The M3, I sold it...more

I didn't really had a hard time selling it since it was mint condition and only had 23,000 miles on it. Besides this fact, it is one of the last OBD-I equipped M3s ever built (11/95) and the vast majority of BMW owners prefer this model since it's easier to tune and modify. Unlike that 'driver adapting auto-reset' OBD-II computer 96 and up models have. MB's do hold their value more and is over-all a better buy. Others might not agree with me but I believe this to be true. Given that this car has glitches here and there, the dealer has most of the time fixed it for me.<p>You are right about the comfort. Nothing beats MB luxury.<p>alex<p>: Did you find that when selling your M3 that the market was really flooded with them...I have a 01 CLK430 and traded in my 96 M3...4 months on the market and no real attention on the car...I have a friend that still has his car on the market and it has lower miles than mine...no luck either. Overall, the MB seem to hold their value better. The E36 M3 is a great driving car and so is the new version...but the MB is meant to cruise with cache and comfort...I must be getting older...my boy racer days must be over.<p>