Long-Term Road Test Update
WHAT WE LIKE: Driving the M3 on great, twisty, traffic-free roads with high speed limits on the way to the track for an all-day lapping session.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: That the above scenario never, ever happens, at least not for us. Instead, living with the M3 means enduring the drama of its carbon-ceramic brakes, which repeatedly frighten us when they get wet and pedal feel vanishes, even as BMW is adamant that they are working properly. It also means suffering a loud, bone-jarring ride that cannot be ameliorated, even by switching the adjustable suspension into Comfort mode. It means listening to the muffler do its best impersonation of a garbage disposal filled with rocks when we start the car in the morning, even after multiple visits to service. It means that by this time in our test, some editors are as tired of the car as the car is tired, even if we all still love the way it looks and performs.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Much creaking and groaning and other perplexing noises have yielded few solutions. We’ve had the muffler worked on three times now, trying to get the exhaust flaps and actuators to function properly. It may be fixed or it may not; we’re not really sure what an M3 should sound like on cold startup, but if this is it, it’s too loud and unpleasant. The service department hasn’t been able to troubleshoot a howling noise we’ve been hearing intermittently when turning to the left at lower speeds. It sounds like Chewbacca is trapped under the hood, and different staffers have ascribed it to the steering rack, the brakes, or the suspension. The dealer did successfully cure a ticking noise we experienced under hard cornering by replacing both front wheel bearings.
WHERE WE WENT: The M3 ferried some staffers to Joliet, Illinois, one weekend to drive in a LeMons race, but otherwise it’s been relegated to commuter duty. Note that we have not exactly been passing over the M3 in favor of even more exciting long-term vehicles for traveling. Other smaller, less studly cars in the fleet—our Volkswagen Golf and GTI and our Mazda 3 come to mind—have been regularly signed out for road trips ahead of the M3. See comments above about the flinty ride.
Months in Fleet: 13 months
Current Mileage: 30,299 miles Average Fuel Economy: 22 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 15.8 gal Fuel Range: 350 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
