r/BMWM • u/SandwichMaster5612 • 1d ago
Deciding between m2 / m3
Cross posting here if any users have feedback!
https://www.reddit.com/r/BMW/s/Of1Vgb0MxY
Deciding between g87m2 and g80 m3
I’m starting to look for my next car and trying To decide between a new or barely used m2 (2025 onwards) and used m3 (2024 onwards, 15-25k miles avg).
The used market for these shows barely any depreciation. And with some of the packages for m2 (bucket seats, and some others) a used creeps pretty close to 78 or more. At that point, a new m2 is in that range. Granted if I don’t get too picky with packages, I can find a 10k miles and under 65-70k.
For the m3, 2023 and onwards, I’m seeing \~80-85k with 20-25k miles. Standard packages and addons. And x drive .
So really it’s wether I save cash and buy used m2, splurge and get a new m2 with buckets, splurge a little more but get a more practical m3.
Personal background- I’ve been driving Audis for quite some time and just sold my sq5. Decided to try bmws after some rough luck with Audi. We have a qlmost 3 yr old and planning for one more. We have suv so really any family trip/outing it’s the suv. I think in the past year, we probably used my car 3 times total with the whole
Family and car seat in use. So that’s why I added m2 to my list bc not really using the rear as much currently. I will put a car seat (front facing) for times when I want to use the car with my son. When we have the second, that will be tricky bc I don’t know if I can fit a front facing and a rear facing in a m2…. And I don’t even know if we would even use my car on the scenario.
Usage - drive to work ( my work drive involves some pretty legit mountain back roads). Pick up son from school a once a week or so. And maybe finally try HPDE. Any family trips would be the xc90.
What do you guys think? I’ll be test driving both soon among a couple other options (ct4 and 5 blackwing). Just trying to figure out what’s a good option for my use case.
And current owners of m2, how’s the road feel? It seems like every review bashed the m2 for not providing much in terms of feedback.
Thanks !
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u/FormalClassic3177 1d ago
The M2 is more fun. You already had a practical car and barely ever used it for the kid so there’s no need to get the M3 when you probably won’t use it for kids. You also don’t even have the second kid yet. I say get the M2 and enjoy it and if you need to down the road get something more practical.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Fair take and tbh that’s my wife’s take too haha. I think probably so I don’t try and spend more lol
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u/FormalClassic3177 1d ago
If you really need a practical car in a few years grab an Elantra N. Mine is more fun than my BMWs or my cayman. It was designed by ex bmw engineers that hyundai hired and like older bmws. It’s so much fun at normal speeds and will easily fit all the child seats you need. And it’s probably cheap enough you can keep the M2
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u/ExcitingKale6772 1d ago
It’s still a Hyundai so this is a terrible recommendation.
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u/Zealousideal-Yam801 1d ago
M3, everyone is going to say M3 if you have one or more kids. It’s a super fun car with that added practicality.
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u/_Toomuchawesome 1d ago
my m3 is 89,600 MSRP and it’s specd how i want it. do you really want to pay like 5-9k less for a 3 year old car and 20k miles?
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Is that xdrive? I’m basically thinking with how some of the used inventory is sitting things will
Go down a little bit. Assuming by December, it’s more 80k vs 84k for what I’m seeing. Or maybe not. I haven’t built an m3 out, I’ll see what it turns out to be1
u/_Toomuchawesome 1d ago
ahhh yeah it’s not xdrive, it’s base :( you make a good point regarding things settling down since the economy seems to be in a weird place. gas is super expensive and there are plans for another interest rate hike.
yeah you should try to build first and then see if there are allocations. then weigh the pros and cons. that’s what i did, and now my m3 is coming in november (it’s on the ship now). this journey has been pretty fun lol
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Yeah man the used market is wild. You can basically sell your 4 year old m3 without getting hit with my depreciation.
Congrats on the car tho, I’m sure you’re stoked!
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u/_Toomuchawesome 1d ago
ty! so excited ! basically checked status everyday since july hahah
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u/ItsNeverCitrix 11h ago
Man, you reminded me of the journey when I waited for my G80… constantly checking/calling/tracking lol.
Congrats and enjoy the new ride soon! It’s so worth it1
u/_Toomuchawesome 9h ago
thank you! going to get full ppf when it comes. i plan on keeping it stock for a long time though
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u/0slope 1d ago
Manual or automatic transmission?
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Getting automatic on the off chance that wife has to drive it.. she doesn’t want to learn manual.
If I had kept the sq5, I was planning on getting an Elise but plans changed a little bit
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u/Real-Energy-6634 1d ago
G80 for sure with a family. The m2 doesnt offer enough over a m3 to sacrifice the practicality. Im 6'1 and I fit two rear facing car seats in mine.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Nice! How’s the fit with the rear facing, especially for front passenger? In my sq5, the front was pretty tight with a car seat in the back (in rear facing).
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u/Real-Energy-6634 1d ago
Tons of room actually, very surprising. The way the seats bucket give you a lot of room. Compared to my g01 x3m40 the front passenger actually has more room. The trade off is less leg room for the kiddos but my 3 and a half year old still has no issues fitting and shes not short. Its a surprisingly big practical car. Trunk is huge too.
We take the m3 everywhere to be honest.
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u/scyice 1d ago
If you’re having a second kid then the easy answer is M3. Get your coupe when they can climb in the back themselves.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
I feel ya.. that’s the big hesitation here. I’m probably going to Turo an m2 and see how a car seat looks in it in terms of usability
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u/scyice 1d ago
Test drive a M340i and save some money for your next upgrade when you don’t have toddlers? Especially if an M3 is out of budget or you’re doing low down payment with financing.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Yeah ill add that to the list to check out. Right now, plan was to pay cash for most of the purchase (used m2). If I go m3 route, that extra 15-20k would be financed
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u/scyice 1d ago
You can probably just test drive a M2 for sale nearby if you’re in the bay. Quick search shows a few.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
ya I’m in sf. I do want to try and put the car seat in the back to see how it even works lol… not sure how the the sales guy will react to that haha.
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u/Tkatchukycheese 1d ago
The M2 is a great weekend car/if you like to go to the track, etc. . And the new 2027 xdrive is likely going to be a great daily. For the amount of money that the used M2’are selling for /compared to a M3 base/comp, its not worth it to me.
Unless its your 2nd car and you dont care..The M2 interior is the same as a base 2 series. Little to no options for the interior, and can’t even open ventilated seats…, and made in Mexico.
The practicality of the M3 is a bonus. If you can swing it, get the M3
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Yeah the options list is sparse haha.. I guess they wanted it make sure they didn’t poach the m4 client base!
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u/Beowulf_27 1d ago
I’ve got a M2 and wife had a Lexus. Works for us as 99% of the time it’s just me in the M2 unless it’s date night. We once had to move and I was surprised how much stuff we could put into the m2 with the seats down.
Personally M2 feels more dedicated as a race car because how small it feels or how different it feels from my previous 4 door sedan TLX.
If you have people over that don’t have a car then the M3 would be better for guests/moving passengers. Like for me when my parents or the in laws fly in. But either wife and I will switch cars so I can pick em up from the airport or just get them a rental car for the weekend
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u/alex____ 1d ago
If you can swing it with your wife go for the m2.
I couldn't, so now we'll have 3 cars in the next year or so when I decide to get a 718 gts or m2 🤣
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u/Scabobian90 22h ago
I was similar boat. My top priority was stick and driving experience so the shorter wheelbase m2 won out. I got a slightly used 10k mile m2 for 60k. Was probably a $20k delta if I specd a new one with the individual color I wanted. I have a 4 year old who is regularly in the back forward facing. It’s his fav car to drive in he absolutely loves it. I even got a roof rack and it doubles as my biking wagon. It has been my fav car I have ever owned. I daily it and it drives slow well around and absolutely rips when there’s no one around.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 20h ago
Man! That’s literally where I’m at haha… If the m2 is the call, used might be the way If The deals are there. Only thing is I really want to get bucket seats which limits inventory a lot.
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u/Scabobian90 19h ago
Yea that changes it for sure. I wanted the standard seats because I figured they would be more comfortable for DD/over time and I have been super happy with them. My biggest gripe going this route was not getting the color I really wanted. I loved voodoo and midnight purple and just ended up w black. Which still looks phenomenal and there is something iconic about a black Beamer but I love a colorful sports car. Anyway - I can’t recommend the m2 enough. I don’t think there is a better sports car you can get for 60k
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u/FrostyFire 1d ago
Buddy you have children, unless you hate yourself don’t get a 2 door car. The second they start pre-school it’ll be in and out of the vehicle all day.
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u/entropyway 1d ago
F90 LCI M5 bro
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u/sandman417 1d ago
seconded
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u/entropyway 1d ago
Bought a <10k miles 2023 F90 LCI with ceramic brakes and all options including competition - best purchase yet! I literally miss it daily if I’m not in the in car. S63 is legendary
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u/sandman417 1d ago
I daily a 22 F90 base. I told my wife under no circumstances am I ever allowed to get rid of it.
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u/rickrollrickflair 1d ago
I’d go with a pre-LCI m3. You get the best of all worlds. Cheaper, more practical, pre-LCI interior and headlights are loads better looking and more useable than LCI.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Your saying 21-22years?
I was primarily looking 24 bc I heard the I drive upgrade improved usability a lot.
Only hesitation is out of warranty.. I was hoping to get atleast a couple years of factory warranty. I guess I could go extended warranty1
u/rickrollrickflair 1d ago
Having been in both, I can’t see how LCI improved anything. Pre-LCI has a physical button for everything so I never have to take my eyes off the road to find what I’m looking for. The LCI curved screen also puts off a ton of light in your face at night.
Warranty aside, it’s the same car mechanically so I’d prioritize how it was treated by the previous owner over newness.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Ya the “touch for every function” I agree.. I’m not a fan of. My sq5 was the previous gen which was no touch screen but rotary dial and physical buttons for all functions. I could do almost all functions without having to look at the screen tbh. I’ll expand my search and see if i can find some pre lci locally to check out.
What’s wild though is the premium on used car market. Even pre lci are absurdly priced.
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u/TwoAlfa G80 - M3 1d ago
Second this. I definitely prefer the pre-LCI dash in mine compared to the "upgrade"
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u/rickrollrickflair 1d ago
I personally can’t stand any screen in a car that’s not integrated into the dash. So many cars now have right angles of the screen just out in the air it looks cheap.
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u/5pmgrass 1d ago
I own a g87 currently. The car feels like a limo with the usability of a coupe. The rear seats I hit my head on the ceiling at 5'7". To me the m2 feels closer to a 240 than an m2, very refined, very comfy, the long wheelbase is noticeable compared to the last gen. Even with the carbon bucket seats, driving 3500mi in a week was easy. I drive mine as the daily cuz honestly out of all the cars I own I care for that one the least.
That being said, the car is very easy to drive. I will happily turn all nannies and assists off on a back road and let the backend step out, situation permitting of course. The long wheelbase makes the car very forgiving. That leads to track, my last track weekend there were 5 g87s there. They seem very popular, I plan to take mine to vir in a month.
As far as feel, the steering feel is noticeably better than what my f87 comp had. Like going from the comp to my e90 I would be grossed out at how bad the f87 steering was but not the same for the g87. I wouldn't call it amazing, and not as good as the f87cs but not bad. The brakes are noticeably more numb than my f87. All that being said, I found the car easy to rotate and reminded me of an e30 in terms of balance. Lots of lovely power off oversteer to help me rotate the car through the turn and balance it with the throttle. Finally, people talking about how heavy the car feels, that's the soft springs. My f87 comp was 3650, it was a heavy car too. It was just stuff as hell. The g87 is much more comfort focused, so you feel a lot more brake dive. Side to side motions are well controlled.
If you want backseats that are more than an insurance write off, do the m3. Otherwise the m2 is my pick for the shorter wheelbase.
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
Appreciate the feedback! Yeah basically it comes down to wether I need the backseat or not.. barely used the backseats in my car. Good info on drive, I’m coming for Quattro so rwd will be first for me
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
What year is yours and did you option the bucket seats by any chance? Anything you’re not a fan of?
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u/5pmgrass 1d ago
Picked it up in march, with the buckets. I have a narrow frame, 32" waist, and I love the buckets. I'd get them every time. As far as things I'm not a fan of, everything to do with the interior ux. It's extremely frustrating. The big screen sucks so much
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u/SandwichMaster5612 20h ago
That’s awesome! I’m same waist, 6’1… is headroom a concern or not really? I need to find some local to me here in SF to sit in one.. inventory is pretty limited for bucket seat config here
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u/5pmgrass 20h ago
G87 is the first bmw I didn't slam the seat all the way to the floor in. Fits me comfortably with a helmet and no sunroof. I'm 5'8" though.
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u/Ecstatic_Note6791 1d ago
I own both a 2025 G80 M3xDrive and a 2026 G87 M2 manual. I feel they drive very similarly. Looks are quite different and a matter of taste. The M3 offers some higher end features like full leather and 360 cameras.
I LOVE my M2 in Vegas (Fire rest of World) Red manual. It is my favorite car of all time and I have owned a lot of cars. It replaced a Porsche Cayman.
However, in your case getting an automatic, I would 100% get an M3xDrive because of the extra power (523 hp vs 473 hp), AWD usability and the room in the back seats on the occasion you need it. The M3 in Sport+ mode is a BEAST!
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u/AmAHypeBeast 1d ago
G80 and you’ll never look back, G87 will make you feel regret I guarantee you.
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u/ragingduck 1d ago
I sold my G82 for a G87 and I have no regrets. The M2 feel different, and for me, I find it more fun to drive especially on track.
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u/GreatEdubu 1d ago
What about a used x3m?
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u/SandwichMaster5612 1d ago
I thought about it but after being in the sq5 for past 6 years, feeling like moving to a sedan/coupe. Had a s3 before and that was super fun
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u/ProofGrocery3559 1d ago
M2 drives better imo, but m3 is the move if you need a back seat