USED BMW M3 Convertible (01 - 07)

My car

I have recently purchased my 2002 M3 convertible and all I can say is...WOW! Im not adverse to BMW's seeing as I have owned a 318Is Coupe, 325i,328i coupe and convertible, 330ci M sport but I have to say none of these cars even come close to the M3. This car is simply awesome. I dont care what the running costs are of this amazing car because simply stated, if you cant afford the costs that come with this great car then its not for you. But its a great investment because what you get in return for your money is incomparible. I would suggest the manual simply for pure driving pleasure, if you can get one with all the spec (sat nav, TV, Hardtop) then I would honestly say, its the best coupe/convertible on the market for £17-£20k. Rick from Leighton Buzzard, Beds

My car

Bought from new in 2003, this car is absolutely superb, better now than ever before. The engine is nicely run in now at 46K miles and is really quick with the skid control turned off. But beware this may invalidate your insurance if you lose it so ALWAYS keep DSC on in the wet!

BMW have been fantastic in honoring warranty claims even outside of the initial three years and I've had quite a lot of repairs, but this is a high performance car and you should expect that. The car has a noisy exhaust note and eats up rear tyres over 10k miles. The handling is typical of a convertible: my earlier Porsche 944S2 was better on the track, but for pure road enjoyment the M3 convertible is a dream.

It has plenty of luggage space, but a shorter chassis length would improve cornering.

I have had the two rear springs replaced because of speed bump damage, and this is a common problem. The only major fault has been a split battery and the leaked acid destroyed the main electrical leads in the boot, causing complete electrical failure. It was all fixed by BMW under warranty.

There are some rattles from the roof but these have all disappeared over time, or I have got used to them!. Runs well on 18" wheels and I'm pleased I opted for the manual box. Pure driving fun.

My car

This is an excellent car - I just love the noise of the engine and exhaust note especially with the roof off.

It looks great, handles really well and goes like a rocket, although watch out for the SMG II gearbox in full mode with the sport button on - it can be quite savage.

I have an 03 plate with 25,000 miles on it. I have had no real problems with it, although I had to replace the two back springs (probably because of speed bumps). The suspension is a bit hard, but that’s the compromise you get for cornering like a house fly.

Fuel consumption is what I expected - 22mpg combined. I got 34mpg on a long journey at 70mph.

Boot space is OK, even with the roof down, and I easily got two of my friends in the back seats.

This is a great car and I look forward to driving it every day.

My car

I purchased the SMGII convertible in December. What a ride - I have had many high performance cars over the years, but this has to be the biggest rush.

Every time I get in the car it will give me the same rush even three months on. Knowing its power and the grip that it delivers, being confident when needing its abilities proves to be sucessful all the time.

I must say that it is even better turning the radio off and listening to it punch through each gear. I highly recommend having the F1 shift paddles, as it makes a massive difference.

Although it is heavy on gas and insurance is high, it's worth every penny.