WRX STi or BMW E36 M3

  • Thread starter Thread starter MMMPWR
  • 42 comments
  • 3,911 views
M

MMMPWR

Messages
52
Which do you think is the better car? Performance Wise the STi wins it, the STi can take down the 993 C2s which is something to be proud of since not even the E46 M3 can beat that. But is there anything besides the performance that i should look into?
 
Cost of the vehicle, reliability, repair costs, what you think would make you happy.

A STi would make me wet in the pants. So I would go with the STi all the way, but BMWs are very nice too.
 
Personally I like bmws, its kinda obvious with my username, but they have class, muscle and look sexy. But it all boils down to which one makes you "wet your pants" like Goomba CLEARLY shared with us. :lol:
 
Originally posted by Goomba
Cost of the vehicle, reliability, repair costs, what you think would make you happy.

A STi would make me wet in the pants. So I would go with the STi all the way, but BMWs are very nice too.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I would go for the Subaru Impreza STi too. I have the exact feeling. BMWs are so NICE!! STi fits me better.
 
well the BMW for me (surprise surprise) perfect 50/50 weight distribution, beautiful straight - 6 power plant, great looks, rear wheel drive and built like a tank. but there both good cars so it comes down to personal taste really. you thinking of getting one of them or just comparing?
 
M3, it's such a slick and sexy car. inside and out. i'd go with it, just my choice tho.

but the STi wouldn't be a bad choice, it's also pretty nice under the hood.
 
Are we talking US Spec E36 M3 (~240 hp) or everywhere-else spec E36 M3 (~321 hp)?

A Euro E36 would put up a pretty good fight with an STi. If it was wet, it'd get spanked, but in the dry its a straight up driver's race.

A US E36 is pretty badly outgunned in stock form: no contest. However, if you add price to the equation it's a tougher call. A good, clean '99 M3 Coupe should run you about 20 large. It will have about 50-70k on it. For the 10 grand you save over the STi, you can add any number of FI kits such as AA's centrifigal supercharger based on a Vortech or the forth-coming Eurosport twin-screw kit.

The Eurosport twin-screw "low pressure" kit (doesn't require aftercooler or water injection) is testing about 340 hp... to the wheels. That's more than an E46 M3 in a much lighter car.

When you're done, you'll have an E36 M3 that will run mid 12s... if you have the clutchwork to make it happen. It also makes for a total sleeper... an old M3 that'll run with a Z06. :trouble: Probably won't handle as well as a Z06 or the STi with stock suspension and it's also a 5 year old car with no warranty, etc. However, a few more grand into suspension mods and you make up the gap.



///M-Spec
 
How about the Euro E36 M3 vs say a 97 Sti?

I'd have a hard time choosing between the two. Infact I can't make up my mind at the moment. Maybe i'll do an AutoTrader and look up some car prices.
 
Originally posted by Fenrir51
Yeah but then put that much money into an STi.
Click to expand...

Put 10 grand into a new STi and you'd have a car that costs twice as much as a stock 99 US M3. The comparision was for the sake of price being the same. :dunce:


///M-Spec
 
:grumpy:

To be fair, in SA you can pick up an E36 M3 for about $20000. A 22B goes for about $50000.

:mad:
 
Originally posted by ///M-Spec
Don't know. We didn't get either car in the US! :banghead:


///M-Spec
Click to expand...

That isn't my fault. :D

I did a search on E36 M3's a while a go, allot of them were high mileage 100K and up. Most of the older 2 door Sti's are Grey imports. Impreza P1's for sale are rare and i'm pretty sure a 22b goes for about £30,000 odd.
 
Originally posted by Race Idiot
I did a search on E36 M3's a while a go, allot of them were high mileage 100K and up. Most of the older 2 door Sti's are Grey imports. Impreza P1's for sale are rare and i'm pretty sure a 22b goes for about £30,000 odd.
Click to expand...

Here in the States, the E36 sold very, very well throughout its model run. There are plenty of 98 and 99 coupes on the used market, many with under 50k miles on the clock. The car also has one of the strongest euro-import aftermarkets around. Very strong following here for the M3. The car is something of a German Mustang.

'04 is our first year of the STi. '02 was the first year of our WRX. Our choices here are quite limited with regards to the cars. Over time, this will change.


///M-Spec
 
Originally posted by ///M-Spec
Here in the States, the E36 sold very, very well throughout its model run. There are plenty of 98 and 99 coupes on the used market, many with under 50k miles on the clock. The car also has one of the strongest euro-import aftermarkets around. Very strong following here for the M3. The car is something of a German Mustang.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they sold well here, it seems people are hanging on to the low mileage cars, bastiges. E46 M3's are common as muck, but I don't really like the E46 that much. Mind you this is coming from a guy who owns a 1982 Ford escort and want's to own an AW11 MR-2.
 
The STi wins in a landslide. Only because you can buy almost two WRXs for the price of one M3. A new M3 costs more than $55K while a new STi costs about $35K. It's ridiculous to compare cars that are in such different price ranges.
 
Originally posted by Klostrophobic
The STi wins in a landslide. Only because you can buy almost two WRXs for the price of one M3. A new M3 costs more than $55K while a new STi costs about $35K. It's ridiculous to compare cars that are in such different price ranges.
Click to expand...

Klos... this thread is comparing the E36 M3 (1994-1999). Even a '99 M3 can be had for 10k less than a new STi. Read my post.


///M-Spec
 
top gear recently showed an EVO 8 being destroyed by a 996 GT3 on the track. (gt3 was in the wet, evo on the dry, and it still got beaten by a few seconds!! :D) sure the gt3 is an awesome car. but dont think so much of the evo or imprezzas. yes they are good but put a turbo on any car, 4wd and close up the gear ratios and u'll be approaching something similar.

i have seen m3s move off the line at the lights and don't be fooled by the fact that the chassis looks fairly stock. the m3 is SERIOUSLY fast. unless you are a professional F1 driver, i seriously doubt you will be disappointed.

the m3 (esp the e36) looks beautiful so u're sure to pick up more chicks in it too. or impress any u have right now :P

if u master it and it's too slow for you, then get urself a skyline. :)
 
Wow, what a stupid comparison. A GT3 and an Evolution. Haha.

Let's compare a McLaren to an Audi TT next.

///M-Spec: How much did E36 M3s cost brand new? The only fair way to compare the STi and M3 is to compare them brand new. I assume the E36 was comparable in price to to current E46 M3, no?
 
Originally posted by Nightmage82
top gear recently showed an EVO 8 being destroyed by a 996 GT3 on the track. (gt3 was in the wet, evo on the dry, and it still got beaten by a few seconds!! :D)
Click to expand...

A new GT3 goes for about £70,000. A new EVO 8 FQ300 goes for about £29,000. That's more than double the price, so it's a stupid comparison. I'd rather have the practicallity of the Lancer.

But dont think so much of the evo or imprezzas. yes they are good but put a turbo on any car, 4wd and close up the gear ratios and u'll be approaching something similar.
Click to expand...

Well lets see how many 4wd turbocharged rally inspired vehicles that are available for purchase at the moment.

Mitsubishi EVO 8 = Yup
Subaru Impreza WRX sti = Yup
Peugeot 206 190 = Nope
Citeroen Xzara = Nope
Ford Focus RS = Nope and no sign of a cossie version on the horizon
Skoda Fabia/Octavia = Nope
Hyundai Accent = Nope

So if it's as easy as you've said, how come only two of the current WRC manufacturers are making cars that fit your criteria? Can you show me any other manufacturers that make simmilar cars at the moment that are in the same price range?

i have seen m3s move off the line at the lights and don't be fooled by the fact that the chassis looks fairly stock. the m3 is SERIOUSLY fast. unless you are a professional F1 driver, i seriously doubt you will be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Why would I be fooled? I know the outline specs of an M3 and I know it's a quick car.

the m3 (esp the e36) looks beautiful so u're sure to pick up more chicks in it too. or impress any u have right now :P
Click to expand...

If you can find a decent E36 M3 with low mileage that is.They look nice, but you should know that the 3 series shape is nothing special. Seeing as how many people own 3 series in the uk. And a car is not an extention of your penis, no matter how much max power tells you that it is.

if u master it and it's too slow for you, then get urself a skyline. :)
Click to expand...

I doubt there is much difference in performance of a stock R33 and a stock E36 M3. Infact, the R33 is probably heavier and slower because of all the AWD 4 wheel steering and computer gubbins.
 
Originally posted by Race Idiot

I doubt there is much difference in performance of a stock R33 and a stock E36 M3. Infact, the R33 is probably heavier and slower because of all the AWD 4 wheel steering and computer gubbins.
Click to expand...

yeah right it may be heavier but

R33 GTR 280hp, AWD and Turbo
E36 M3 240hp

big difference in performance
 
omg how i hate it when people pick apart posts like race idiot just did. you are the kind of people that make me (semi) think about every sentence i write.

i wont offer you the same disgrace but i'll defend some of the things i said.

what i meant about the imprezas and evos is that they don't have any particularly exquisite technology that provides constant power levels throughout the rev range allowing for amazing control in drifts or good exit speeds out of corners. a turbo is just some extra power. if you have a 300hp NA and a 300hp turbo, the NA is gonna be a MUCH better, more exciting and easier to use engine. that's one of the reasons why a mclaren F1 could still smoke a 700hp supra around a track despite having less horsepower.

as for the 3 series shape being ordinary... perhaps. but the coupe version is different (im currently looking to buy one since i discovered it WAS actually different from the 4 door version). there are few of them around, and even fewer in good colours. eg black/purple.

and as for the skyline, NO ONE believes that a stock skyline has 280hp. its much closer to 350, and if u dont know why then go read some books.

so a 350hp AWD car is hardly an equal oponent to a 240hp FR car.
 
Originally posted by Nightmage82
omg how i hate it when people pick apart posts like race idiot just did. you are the kind of people that make me (semi) think about every sentence i write.
Click to expand...

You otherwise don't think about what you write?
 

Latest Posts

Back