P128sniper

Yea i agree, the m3 is def the better car when it comes down to pure sports performance. But I am looking for a luxury daily driver that also has some power under the hood. Which is why the 350 is perfect for me. All comes down to what your looking for in a car. There is no way I would be able to use an m3 how it's meant to be used just using it as a daily driver. So why pay more in insurance, gas, and alot more for repairs and sacrifice the luxury for a car that I won't be able to even use half of its potential. If your looking for pure performance and plan on taking it to a track and race alot then Yea go for m3. But if ur like me and looking for comfort , reliability, and that has some horses under the hood that still gets decent mpg than can't go wrong with the Lexus is350.

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

this basically what it really boils down too. if you want a more sporty car and definately more fun i would say the E46 all day. but with that comes the maintenace hassle that all bmw seem to come with as well. but the 350 is nothing to shrug at and can hold its own amongst comparable cars, alot nicer ride and interior than most bmw too. so it really comes down to what you want from the car.

bruins678

Exactly. If e46 M3's were as reliable as our 350's I think there'd be quite a few of us looking into one...

garroids

M3 will always beat the 350

garroids

But it might lose to the is-F

garroids

I heard the IS350 is cool, anyone have one?

TomDac

I owned a 2004 e46 M3 convertible (6MT) for 6 years and it was my daily driver. I now own a 2014 IS350 convertible.

The M3 will eat the IS for lunch around a track all day long... Straight line performance may be close between the two, but I'd say that if you put the M3 in sport mode and it would win in a quarter mile against the IS.. especially if the M3 has the SMG trans and a good launch.

Both great cars, but cost of ownership is significantly higher with the M3, which is why I'm in the IS. It would be so great to have an IS with a MT.

oh yeah, and "tuning" an e46 M3?? Not something that can be done easily or inexpensively. The car is tuned to the gills when you buy it.... by German engineers...

Ramon

I think the M3 is just more difficult to drag well than the IS is. I'd wager with a competent driver, 0-60 would be quite close with the M3 pulling slightly ahead by 1/4 mile and pulling well away past that.

350gang

Without question. My buddy had a manual E92 with the V8 and I would beat him all the time from a dig

kenji211

I've owned both. Stock vs. stock the E46 M3 is just a better experience all around. Handling, acceleration, braking and anything other than reliability and the E46 comes out ahead all day.

Throw some F-Sport shocks/springs, F-Sport lower rear brace, ISF steering ECU, and a couple other braces on the IS350 and you have a contender to the E46 M3....other than reliability.

I love my IS350 for my daily. But, I would prefer a 6 speed E46 M3 for a weekend car.

This may hurt some feelings but, I have to call it like I have seen/driven it.

-Kenji