The BMW M3 is truly a driver's car. Everything about, from the seat to the climate controls, tells you it is somehow tailored to being a "driver's car."

Here's my usual breakup for a car review.

The Drive:
This car simply drives like a dream. The 5 speed manual shifter feels smooth and precise. (Please don't buy an automatic M3!) The engine has a tremendous amount of power it is constantly ready to unleash. The first time I drove this car on the freeway, I was just driving along on a nearly empty road, and before I knew it, I was going over 100. The car is definately built for speed. Handling is also superb. The car feels as though it's glued to the road. Even when pressed to its handling limits, the car begs for more. It's an absolute thrill to drive this car through mountainous roads. Stopping ability is also phenomenal. The pedal is very linear and precise, and the car can quickly come to a stop in the event of an emergency.
Essentially, this is a fun car to drive. It will do anything you want it to, and it will beg for more.

The Interior:
The seats are well contoured, very supportive, and very comfortable. The seats do a phenomenal job of preventing the driver and passenger from sliding out of their seat under "spirited driving conditions." The controls for the radio and climate control can be confusing at first, but once mastered, they're easy enough to use. The trip computer is surely a nice feature to have, as it can be programmed to alert you when you've exceeded a certain speed, definately a good feature to have on this car!
The standard sound system is capable of high volumes, and generally sounds crisp and clean.

The Exterior:
This car is generally conservative. It has many "boxy" edges, however it still does not look out-dated, and it certainly looks aggressive. The front and rear bumpers are modified on the M3 (from the standard 3 series) and the massive wheels and tires (245s in the rear, 225s in the front) fit perfectly on the frame and body of this car. At the same time, this car looks elegant and refined.

Quality & Durability: This car seems to well built and does not exhibit a significant amount of shuddering when going over bumps, however some interior components feel a bit cheap and out of place in a car this expensive. The door handles, for example, feel plasticy. Also, the plastic lenses on the headlights are prone to scratches and can easily become opaque over time from sun-fading or road-debris. (Clear plastic can "fade" to no longer being entirely clear, and is not very resistant to scratching.) Mechanically, however, it seems as though the car can go on forever. The particular M3 I drove had over 62000 miles on it and still felt brand new, and has experienced no mechanical problems for the duration of its life.

In general, if you enjoy spirited driving, and want a car that's both fast and looks great, and seems to be built well, then this is certainly the car for you, if you can afford it.
Amount Paid (US$): 31000
Model Year: 1996