Despite the rise of crossovers, there fundamentally isn’t much wrong about the family sedan’s form factor. It has a rear seat and doors for rear passengers to get in and out of, there’s almost always enough room for a stroller in the trunk, that low silhouette contributes to decent driving dynamics and sensible highway cruising efficiency, and there’s almost always a price benefit in going with a car over a crossover. However, what if you need a family sedan but don’t want to drive something normal? Well, you could buy a second-hand BMW M3.
For much of the past 39 years, the BMW M3 has pretty much been the answer for a fast car that can do it all. On the one hand, it’s a normal small executive car, one with rear seats big enough for people and air conditioning and a roomy trunk and a badge that wouldn’t stand out in an office car park. On the other, it’s a machine with the pace and agility to keep up with dedicated sports cars.
While a fierce string of naturally aspirated models built the legend of the M3, the force-fed 2015 to 2018 F80 M3 took the model into the modern era, and you can now pick one up for the price of a new Honda Accord. Weirdly tempting, isn’t it?
What Are We Looking At?
For the 2015 model year, a seismic shift occurred in Bavaria that heard ’round the world: The M3 went turbocharged. Like Dylan going electric or video killing the radio star, it was once unfathomable but set things up for another arc of fame and enjoyment. Under the hood sat a three-liter twin-turbocharged S55 inline-six, replacing atmospheric V8 drama with 425 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque, 101 more lb.-ft. than the old V8 M3. Elsewhere, weight was down, a carbon fiber roof joined the four-door party, and the power steering went electric. Alright, so that last point definitely wasn’t an upgrade, but the resulting figures from the F80 M3 were enough to cement a spot in the pantheon of sports sedans. As Car and Driver wrote:
The numbers are indeed astonishing. Sixty mph from a rest? Dispatched in 3.8 seconds. Zero to 100 mph? Consider it done in 8.5. The quarter-mile? Twelve flat at a scorching 119 mph. Stopping? It’s a master at that, too, decelerating from 70 mph in a tidy 153 feet. The M3 also grips a skidpad like Shel Silverstein’s Yipiyuk, holding on for 0.99 g. These numbers, it must be noted, are just one rung down from those of cars costing three to four times as much, and the 1.9-second 30-to-50-mph passing time actually ties the figure we recorded with the Lamborghini Huracán. Midrange grunt: The M3 has it.
So, the first boosted M3 was weapons-grade quick, and it was well-equipped with options including a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats, and it looked great with its wildly flared rear fenders and still moderately-sized kidney grilles, and the buckets of torque aided real world usability, and it didn’t need special 10w60 oil, and the hard-mounted rear subframe was surprisingly communicative, even if the steering wasn’t. What we have here is a potent, practical, and pretty modern M car on the more sensible-to-run end of the spectrum, and you can now pick one up for the price of a new Honda Accord.
How Much Are We Talking?
If you want an Accord, you’re probably looking at the hybrid, so let’s start with the middle of that pack: a $36,525 Accord Sport-L Hybrid. Can you buy an F80 BMW M3 for that sort of money? Yeah, if you’re okay with one that isn’t perfect. Check out this 2018 M3 Competition that sold for $35,250 on Bring A Trailer. Sure, it might have 119,000 miles on the clock, but not only is it a Competition trim with special seats, 444 horsepower, a revised chassis setup, and those great-looking wheels, it’s also new enough to get Apple CarPlay and updated LED lighting. Okay, it does have a minor hit on the Carfax, but it’s a carbon roof, euro-delivery six-speed manual M3 Competition for Accord money.
Alright, maybe that mileage is a bit scary to you, or maybe you just want an actual color. Whatever the reason, how about this Tanzanite Blue 2016 BMW M3 that sold on Bring A Trailer back in December? It’s a well-specced six-speed manual car with heated rear seats, a head up display, and a sunroof for feeling the breeze. While this example sports a reasonable 78,000 miles on the clock, it does have two damage entries on its Carfax, but it still seems like a solid driver-condition car for $34,250.
Don’t want to wait for the right auction to come up? You aren’t exactly short on choice if you want to go trawling through the used car classifieds. This 2017 BMW M3 with a six-speed manual transmission is up for sale in Georgia, and it’s going quite cheap. Sure, it’s a lightly-specced car with a damage claim in its history, and the odometer displays 100,607 miles, but it’s also listed for $33,995 for a facelift car.
What Could Go Wrong On An F80 BMW M3?
The F80 M3 hailed from a time when the M division stopped messing around with too-tight bearing clearances and other weird M-specific issues. Believe it or not, this is a more reliable car than an F30 328i, especially on account of the base 3 Series’ timing chain issues. However, the M3 is still susceptible to a handful of typical BMW problems. Let’s start with leaks, because there’s one that could spell bad news if left to worsen. Should the oil filter housing gasket fail badly enough to leak oil onto the serpentine belt, the belt can slip off, wrap around the crankshaft, and get ingested into the engine. That’s a real wallet-ruiner, so if you pop the hood and see any seepage from the oil filter housing, have the car booked it at a specialist sharp.
The other really annoying potential leak that can strand you is the possibility of the expansion tank failing, although it is fairly cheap to sort. A new one is $212.99 from FCP Euro, and replacement is quite easy. Otherwise, keep an eye out for general used car wear-and-tear, including bushings. These cars do like to consume diff mounts.
But wait, what about the crank hub? Fair question. The crank hub on the S55 engine in the F80 M3 is friction-fit, meaning it doesn’t have traditional keyways. This is a perfectly fine and reliable setup at stock power levels, but some owners who’ve modified their M3s and M4s have reported instances of the crank hub spinning and the engine jumping timing. As it stands, it’s not something to worry about on an unmodified car.
Should You Buy An F80 BMW M3 For The Price Of A New Honda Accord?
There are two answers to this big question. If you’re the typical Honda Accord buyer, do not buy a BMW M3, just sign on the dotted line for that Accord Hybrid and enjoy a decade or two without having to worry about shopping for another car. However, if you’re an enthusiast who’s willing to spend some money on maintenance to drive a fun car, why not? If you find one that hasn’t been modified or abused, the F80 BMW M3 is an almost sensible way to get into a really quick sedan. These cars have been shown to be stout enough to last hundreds of thousands of miles, so if you’re down to do some wrenching in exchange for a properly capable daily, this might actually be a solid pick.
Top graphic image: Bring A Trailer
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