raidersfan

OK, so here is the situation. I currently own a YMB M4, 6MT, 10k miles. Pristine condition, I picked it up last fall at wholesale (wrong time of year to sell a car like this). I should be able to sell it for the $57k I paid here in a couple of months.

This is going to be somewhat of a DD for my wife, and she loves the M. But, with that said, I know that M cars do not hold their value well. Not to mention our current 2011 335is has been unreliable. Seems like something breaks every other day. With the 997 GTS 6MT models coming down into the mid 60's these days, am I going to save money by moving the m4 on and getting a well cared for GTS with 30-40k on the clock? We will likely keep it till it hits 100k or so.

Other issues in the GTS's favor: the M4 needs coilovers, and a decent exhaust just to come alive. That is an additional $5k. The GTS needs nothing, of course.

As far as cosmetics, she prefers the "masculinity" of the M cars over the more "feminine" 911 body style. I think both look great; M cars are much more rare in these parts, I have only see 3 of the F80/F82 platforms here in town, while I will see 2 or 3 911's (991 or 997) each day in the summer. She does love the way that 911's sound and drive however, and is fine with whatever I choose.

For me, it is more about cost of ownership. I can see the M losing $8-10k a year, and the GTS likely much less than that. Even with 100k on the clock, it seems like a well cared for GTS is worth $35-40k in the future. Pretty much a classic; last of the 6MT, NA engine, tight 997 body style.

nwGTS

Do you do your own maintenance or no?

Para82

Dump the BMW asap and get the 997. You'll be rewarded in both driving experience and value. I'm also pretty sure the 997 will be cheaper to maintain.

If you want to add something more hulking to the garage I recommend the new Shelby GT350. 526hp Flat Plane Crank V8, 8,250RPM, MagneRide suspension - far more exotic specs than the competition M cars (though not as comfortable).

Fined

I wasn't too enthused by the suspension of the non-GTS Carrera I've driven, neither 991/s or 997.2/s/4s. Still felt the suspension wasn't tight enough not to need attention. I opted for the Sport PASM on my GTS to keep me from messing with coilovers for at least a year. A year later I'm still satisfied with the SPASM but will likely move up to a different suspension setup this year. As far as the exhaust.. it needs attention on the GTS as well. I was thoroughly underwhelmed with the exhaust note having come from my fairly built TTRS. I had the Sharkwerks bypass on order the day I got the GTS. So if you get a car with Sport PASM and throw in the bypass that's just the few hundred for the center muffler bypass. Of course the standard suspension is fine I'm sure, I looked at it more as insurance to keep me from wanting to get into suspension right away to get the kind of response I want from the car.

Just wanted to make those couple of points since you are placing that stuff in the "plusses" section on the GTS.

As far as the wife goes.. I got the same thing regarding the "more feminine" shape of the 911 and preference towards more "masculine" shaped cars. My wife humorously teases that its "cute"

GTS Sully

Just curious on what exactly breaks every other day on the 335is? I bought one new in March of 2011 and will own it 6 years next month. 56K miles and the only thing that has broke is a turbo pipe. $600 to replace. It's my wifes daily driver and we've not had a single other issue with the car, and even put a Stage 3 Dinan kit on it at the 40K mile mark.

sclemmons

My 997.1 has needed very little maintenance. Everything has been minor. Not so my BMW. If the 997 ever needs anything major, God help us.

JuanK20

Compared to many cars out there, I feel like M cars do hold their value pretty well. A clean E46 can still go for $30k. Not bad for a 15 year old car.

Sounds to me like the 911 is what you're looking for tho.

kellen

I had an E92 but a 328xi. Great car, no issues with it during my 4 years of owning it.

The 335 model has issues with fuel pumps, turbos, carbon buildup from my research prior to buying the 335.

php

Get the 997.2 GTS. M4 is a joke. Except for the straight line performance it has nothing even close to the GTS.

Ok I'm biased, but not because I have a 911, it's more that I had multiple BMWs and will never go that route again. Obviously many are satisfied with their BMWs, but I had bad experiences on both. Not only are the cars problematic all the time, but it's the dealership experience/attitudes that really killed it for me. BMW dealers really have the attitude like they make the finest driving machines out there. Service, sales, everything. No more, no thanks.

Their cars are nice when working. To be fair their non turbo I6/v8s were some of the best engines, and relatively trouble free. The best M3 in my opinion was the E46, and then the E92. M division is not the same as before no matter what performance says. My friend's new M5 pumps fake exhaust noises into the cabin through speakers....what?

andy92782

As your E90 ages past 50K miles, you will be 100% guaranteed to experience the following issues:
- Water pump failure. This is about $1K, even at an indy.
- Oil Filter Housing Gasket. Expect oil leaks.
- Valve cover gasket leaks.

Less than 100% failure rate, but high probability:
- Starter failure.
- Carbon deposits on intake values. ~$600 to media blast them.
- Do you have an N55? Valvetronic eccentric shaft sensor. The part alone is about $400 (this failed on my GF's N52 328i)

EDIT: FYI, I owned an '07 335i for almost 8 years. Despite the problems I experienced, it was arguably the best car I've ever owned. The E90 was an amazing combination of luxury/quality and performance. The newer F30 cars lost the "magic".

vbb

On the whole, Porsche tends to "rank" higher than BMW in every Consumer Reports or other article that I've personally seen with respect to reliability. And the oil changes on a 997.2 NA car are the easiest DIY oil changes I've ever done myself, so at least some of the maintenance can be done if you are even remotely handy (I'm certainly no mechanic). Just like with BMWs, you'll probably want to find a qualified Indy shop rather than take your car to the service dept of your dealership when it comes to anything you can't do yourself. By and large though, I would not expect a Porsche to cost you more than your M4 to maintain, and it will probably be less.

For me, a used 997 GTS is far and away more desirable than a newish M4. I'm not here to hate on BMWs, I've also owned a 335i in the past and my wife has a Z4 now. BMW makes a great driver's car. Porsche makes the best driver's cars I've ever driven. That's the difference. And yes, if you go buy a 2011 or 2012 911 GTS, it's going to hold its value better than the M4 that you have now, especially when you compare the purchase price of each. 5 years in, the GTS has taken the most substantial depreciation hits already. The M4 is still in the midst of its most substantial hit years. And if you try to sell a 100K mile GTS you'll get more down the road for one than a 100K mile M4.

Better car, better retained value. Get the GTS.

Curious... since you said this is going to be a DD for your wife, what do you drive?

Airbag997

Forget which is cheaper. The new F80 platform is numb and boring. Really, BMW has lost it's way. Porsche all the way.

Petza914

997 GTS hands down. I hear nothing but problems with BMWs all the way back to those in the early 2000s, which are supposedly the better cars. My brother has an M5 that he bought expecting to spend about $3,000 / year in ongoing maintenance, which I thought was a pretty realistic estimate, and it hasn't been anywhere close to that. One year, he was hit with a $9,000 repair bill for various items related to the engine & drivetrain.

With my 2 997.1 cars, one I've put about 15,000 miles on 1 over 4 years, but the other about 40,000 miles over 3 years and from a maintenance perspective have only done tires, plugs & coil packs (1 set due to misfires / 1 set preventative), water pumps (1 due to a leak and the other preventative) and belts (preventative), inner door handle plastic piece, and maybe a couple other items. The one is driven every day.

Unless you mod the crap out of a BMW, it doesn't look special at all - the 911 shape is timeless and beautiful in all iterations (regular, aero kits, etc) and the shape looking effeminate - not - that comment only applies to the pre-981 Boxsters and Caymans.

ZCPSnob

Had an F80 M3 ZCP. Sold it after a month. Now have a 997.2 C4S and it is worlds more special. Slower no doubt, but I couldn't care less.

jsalah

Had an e46 M3 cab, low mile, manual, very nice example. Great car, a little stiff, but fast and comfortable... sold it to a friend several years ago, got the 997.2 C4S in late '15... have never looked back, never missed the M... I have little actual basis to "trash" the M so I won't do that, I will simply say there's really very little that is as good of an all-around package as a 911. It's just in a league of its own.