BMW e46 M3 Vs e92 M3 - Years of owning both I give the breakdown on the ownership of the generations 

Great comparison, I owned an SMG E46 & manual E92 M3 together for a year, I recently sold the E92. I pretty much agree with everything you said. The E92 is the better all rounder and much easier to live with as a daily. But with 3 young kids neither of them were practical enough for me, so one had to make way for something more practical and the E92 lost out, its a great car and the S65 is phenomenal. But I just love the E46, it always felt that bit more special on a spirited drive.

Great video. I owned an E46 back in 2008 and it was a great car. I always loved the raspy sound of the exhaust.

Absolutely love these two cars. I wanted to see such comparison for ages and you made it perfect. I am a big NA fan and the way you cut them against each other with the great sound quality is awesome. Really enjoyed it, wish I had the space for both :)

Great video mate. Ran a manual E46 (standard) for 9 years & 138k miles. Now run a manual E92 Monte Carlo for 12 y & 118k miles. Both amazing cars. Will never sell the E92.

Great video. Really nice to see the differences from someone who owns both long term. I’d have either, but the E92 is my favourite. 2 amazing cars, with great mods!

This video is brilliant mate. Could listen to you talk through this stuff all day. Well done.

Thanks for this - great video. I owned two E46 M3s back in the day and now on to an E92 DCT. Love the dual purpose of the E92. It really ‘does it all’

Enjoyed the watch! Thanks for doing it

Seen a million of the M3 videos by now (being a E90M3 owner since years) but still enjoyed this one very much, good job mate!

I own and love my e46 m3 now already for 12 years! I just can’t stop loving it. It’s a dart in slow corners!

Fellow e46 m3 owner here, really enjoyed the video and detailed explanation, a huge effort must have went in to recording and editing it, fantastic 👏🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍🏻

Great comparison. I was in the market for a E46 but got bored of issues with everyone I saw (about 10). Decided to look at the E92 and bought the first one I saw. Love it,. particularly the carbon plenum. Cheers for the great vid 🙂

Epic video mate and great camera work! Such a good honest owners review of both cars. I feel very similar to you about both but I could never really every fall in love with my E46 M3 so it was sold for a 1M. Along with my manual E92 M3 the 1M makes a great partner. Would love to see you make a video of those 2 together one day! Who needs kids when you got 2 toys!

really enjoyed that James, great enthusiast commentary. glad with the outcome for my sake too haha

That's a really great piece of film. Always better to get a long term owner's honest perspective with real life experience of both cars.

Awesome analysis. Nice work man. Thank you

Very simple and to the point review...Well done

Obviously opinions vary and I find myself on the outer normally but I much prefer the look of the E92 to the E46...and yours looks amazing! Just to add, I really appreciate what you spoke about leaving the exhaust standard on your E46. Its engine and induction noise that is sorely missing from most cars today and we compensate with noisy exhausts. I drive an F87 M2 (N55) and whilst its one of the better sounding turbo engines, those NA engines in both your cars are where its at.

Love this video. Good job mate! I have had my 2010 e90 M3 for years. Don’t plan on selling mines.

What a great pair! Unfortunately when I was in the market I could only get one or the other, I chose the E46 and I’m very happy with it 4 years later

Great comparison! I sold my cls to get an e92 back just loved the styling and aggressive xx

Another fantastic video James. Both are fantastic cars for sure. Great to hear you’re honest review of them having had the pleasure of owning both at the same time. I always loved the E46 M3’s, and that induction bark is just epic. However, as an E92 M3 owner myself I fully agree with all you’ve said. It’s such a Jekyll and Hyde car, and I love that about it. We have two young sons, and we can all go out and enjoy the M3 as a family in comfort on long journeys, but with the flick of the M-button the car becomes a beast capable of putting huge smiles on your face when blasting along a decent road. I have the almost identical mods on my car as you have on yours . The rev-matched downshifts never fail to brighten up your day and put a smile on your face. The E92 M3 is simply an epic car that does everything you could want from a weekend “fun” car so incredibly well. I love mine 👌 It’s a good job I watched your earlier videos on your E92 as they were what made me seriously look into buying one myself. For that I thank you 👍

A pair of beauties! If done good the e46 M3 with aftermarket exhaust sounds so good without rasp or a very little bit. Just done a custom exhaust on my e46 M3. Im back in love after 9 years of ownership.

Beautiful video. Well done, man.

That freaking CSL intake sound is so sick. Remember when I 1st heard that sound on Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson was driving a gray CSL and I was instantly in love.

Mate, awesome review, love the level of detail into points that matter. Cheers

Both of your cars are beautiful! Great taste!

Spot on SMG explanation 👌and i love it all the way for what it is not what could be❤

Another superb video. I've owned an E46 M3 for several years and now the E92 M3 Comp Pack, wasn't in the position to be able to hang onto the E46, but I would have if I could. No regrets though, the E92 as you say is better day to day and of course, can turn into an animal at the press of a (correctly set up) M button and of course a primary cat delete. I've had the Stage 2 done on mine and a GTS DCT flash and the car is just a joy to drive when you open it up, yet comfortable as a family saloon when pottering around town... will say it again. but great video mate, really enjoyed it, lways telling it like it is warts n all, we're lucky to be able to own these kind of cars, in a few years nothing like them will ever be made again.

This guys is such a good car reviewer wow so I’m depth and so true!

Great video. 2 beautiful looking/sounding cars..

Great quality video. This is the dream car for me, hopefully one day 🤞

Great comparison video and nice to be able to do it with your own cars back to back 👌🏻

loved the vid, totally what i needed to watch and think about !!!

Great informative video. In Aus, both of these are roughly similar in price (low mileage e46 being obviously a bit rare and expensive tho). Legitimately helped a lot to see the day-to-day differences explained in one single vid.

A good watch that James , 2 amazing drivers cars , I prefer the E46 for looks but that V8 is a masterpiece , good luck to you Cheers 👍.

Nice video, I went and bought a Pinnacle MSport undertray cos of your other video. Cheers 👍

These are the only 2 cars I ever want in my life!

Great video, subscribed!

Car history right here, you have some beautiful Ms right there

just bought a 2009 BMW E92 M3 in spacegrey metallic over black novillo leather and LET ME TELL YOU! the E92 M3 IS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER preformance wise, handling and sound from the e46 m3! but we cant forgot the earlier models paved the way nice video Stoner Auto

30:35 thank you man. The first man to admit the auto is better. Not in general but for the car he likes if that makes sense

I've never driven the E92, but I did own an E46 M3 that still holds a special place in my heart, much like my first girlfriend does. Every time I got behind the wheel, the experience was visceral. Many people miss what the E46 M3 is really about. Most of the time, it's pent up like a caged animal behind an SUV pulling into the supermarket because you don't get to run backroads every day. But when you do get the chance to let it loose, it's like unleashing a beast. I think your Jekyll and Hyde reference sums up what I loved about it perfectly. We could go out for dinner, and on the way home, I could enjoy the exhaust and intake noise that corresponded to the attitude of my right foot instantly. It inspired the confidence to do things you probably shouldn't do. The E46 made all the right noises while going slower than the E92, as far as I can tell. From a legal perspective, it might be better to stick with the slower, more visceral experience, but as someone who has experienced M and loved it, that V8 makes sense. I'm not one to modify the exhaust, so that's a hesitation. The earlier version did have it right out of the box.

The e46 all day long! What a beast!!

Nice to see you took it to Dave down at NAD he does my corner weighting too ;)

Good comparison and review, think you have it spot on. I have both an e92 comp dct and e46 m3 manual which has clubsport mods (coil overs, half cage, f80 brakes) both get looks but the e46 attracts lots of attention every time I take it out! Driving review I agree with, e46 feels savage, especially with mods but the e92 is more refined, faster and more supercar, engine is a masterpiece. E92 interior and HK superior. E92 is a lifer, I’ve owned from new. Been interesting following your e46 👍🏻

I’m very fortunate to have a manual, Laguna seca 405 bhp m3 sitting on 21 inch low profile rims with custom stainless steel exhaust and k & n cold induction, this and a few more extras gets the most out of the car and makes it definitely not overrated. That being said love your honest review as always

Got an e92 m3 and an e46 300Ci, same colours as yours (white and silvergrey). Great cars, love the facelifted front of the e46 but in total, the e92 is a masterpiece of design and engineering (got an e92 335i with N55 before, had been the perfect daily driver). Greetings from germany

Epic video man!! I absolutely adore my E92 M3 manual, especially after sorting it properly. I also have a Z4M coupe, would you ever consider adding that to your collection? In my opinion it’s the most special M car to drive, and I’ve had 5 different M cars

Great video

Can't wait to own one of those

I’ve had my E92 for 4 years with no mechanical issues, though it’s currently having the rod bearings replaced as a precaution, I absolutely love the car. I could never daily it though because it takes so long to come up to temperature. I’m glad you specifically mentioned the gauge clusters in the video because I’m 100% with you. Nice gauge clusters are like nice watches so I’m so disappointed how every manufacturer is going digital. Btw; If you enjoy HK sound sit in one with the enhanced premium audio.

I loved this video. I have an e92 m3, but I just love the look of the e46. If I had infinite cash, I'd absolutely have an e46. I'm going to change my e92 in a year. I'll probably get an f80, but if cash wasn't an issue, I'd get a manual e46 also. I just love how the e46 looks. In 20 years, it'll still look beautiful.

I miss my e92 and e46 m3 , now currently have the f80 m3 in my car collection. I can say that my e46 m3 was very reliable and solid , I didn’t have one mechanical issue with it for the couple of years that I’ve owned it. The e92 m3 on the other hand was a love hate relationship, meaning , when it ran right you loved it but when something went wrong you hated it , and things went wrong quite often with that car . The car sounds amazing but didn’t have the torque . I can definitely say it was a gorgeous car with a crazy sound in the high rpms.

Great video 👍

Both great cars.

Have owned E46 M3 and enjoyed years of driving it. Currently own E92 as well as an F12 M6. E92 wins my heart with that sound. But both cars are great and will be classics.

the throttle response on the E9x M3 is insane. LOVE the E46 M3 though. What a tough choice.

I think you'll like the SCZA exhaust for the E46. I live in the States, and installed CSL headers, the euro cat, and the SCZA mufflers on mine. It sounds fantastic without being too loud and too raspy. All I'm missing is the CSL intake, but I'm focusing on my other car at the moment. Cool video. Both M3s are money.

Great video, descriptive.

Awesome video, on my e46 I have the eventuri intake which isn't as nice as yours but definitely improves the sound and the eissenmann backbox like yourself I'm not the biggest fan of the tinny rasp that they have, however the eissenmann has fantastic results it really deepens the exhaust tone

currently have the opportunity to purchase my dream car...but can't seem to decide... this video has helped me figure out how to weight the differences..but its still so hard to decide. e46 m3 or e92 m3. I wish I could do what you did and own Both and put m4 seats in them...hahah.. such an awesome video!! I will have to rewatch a few times to help me decide...

E46 M3 CSL is the greatest M car ever made. E90 M3 with a manual is a cool car.

SIR - U r the only person on RU-vid that clearly explains the SMG...... My mate had his converted to a manual because he listened to the boy racers that think they know everything or should we really say they bought high kms cars on the cheap and couldn't afford the price to fix an SMG..... My mate now wished he never did it ( especially when he's in my M3 ) as if u know how to set the settings and drive with a SMG the gears are quicker than a manual...... Lets not forget you can eat ur fish n chips and have a drink much easier driving with a SMG.....

A superb and well put together video many thanks. I’ve still got the E46 M3 CS - which is very similar to yours as a CSL rep. in silver grey. Just had a Karbonius cf roof fitted. Is that the next mod. for yours? Cheers

Agree in bad traffic manual is a pain, but you won't look back at SMG after having manual

I've never owned an E46, but I own an E36 and E92 currently. I love the raw feel of the E36 that the E92 doesn't have. But other than that I'm happy with my E92.

I personally don't like the majority of aftermarket exhaust systems on the E46 M3. Too many aftermarket exhausts owners choose turn the E46 M3 from a nice, elegant car, to a rice mobile. After visiting Status Gruppe's shop in my hometown of San Diego, CA, they allowed me to listen to their supercharged E46 M3 with their headers and full SCZA exhaust, I was honestly blown away from how good it sounded. Mean and aggressive, but not too "rice-raspy". So I bought their SCZA muffler, and supercharged my E46 M3. Sounds so good! Headers and sec 1 would make it too loud for my taste for a daily/weekend car, but I can always add those in the future if desired. The exhaust sound mixed with the ESS525 superchargers intake design (routes directly to the CSL front bumper hole just like the CSL) and the blow-off valve is just orgasms to the ear!

Such a great video. I’m 32 and I’m at a point where new cara don’t excite me due to regulations. So I’d rather spend 50k between two cars E92 being one of them. Then buy one new car

Bro my personal favourite is the e46. The sound of the carbon intake just wakes up the monster inside a car enthusiast...

True I trust my e92 for high speeds more than my e46, it just feels steadier and more stable on ups and downs. But the e46 feels a bit lighter and more energetic when you're just driving on low speeds and making fast turns, just gives you the amount of adrenaline you want. The e92 is a bit steadier on turns but decreases the fun. I love both cars really, but I'm selling my e46 now, I don't drive it that much since I bought an e70.

20:45 is just magical!!

I enjoyed your comparison. Personally I agree 100%. The e46 is legendary but the e9x chassis is a better daily. Plus I feel it was better engineered. Planning on getting more done to the e92?

Great video, current have a E46 M3 would love to know what spacers and shocks / coilover specs you are running to get it looking so well, looks perfect

Awesome vid buddy Got a manual e92 myself and I’ve got a set of front f80 m3 discs and callipers for sale if yor interested The callipers have been machined to bolt up to the e92 hub. The discs are low mileage gen bmw items 😎

Sweet review!! If you want to drive a sorted 46m3 manual your more than welcome to come drive mine. All the bits done to is as your one, but no csl airbox. It is supercharged though running 500hp. 😊

Very good mate enjoyed that… what size spacers do you have on the E46? And are they CM CSL reps? Cheers

I am also fortunate to own an E92 and an E46 however a convertible. E46 for me is the go cart, E92 for longer drives her in Australia, For example I would pick that over the e46 for a 800 klm trip from melb to Sydney. In summary though, my go to most days would be the e46, probably drive it 10 times a month compred to the e92 gets driven once a month. Ive had the e92 since brand new, 2012 build and now just turning 60k klms in the 10 years owned. My daily driver is a CLK 63, and to be fair probably the easiest car to use as a daily; its not demanding in anyway like the daul clutch and SMG transmissions tend to be.

My tip. If you can get one with the individual sound system buy it. Omg it's amazing. It's the best system bmw have ever put in any M3. It kicks out 800 Watts!!

The induction roar on your e92 sounds f***ing awesome! 😁😁 Both lovely cars you have, could never stand the exhaust noise of the e46 though! They sound like they have loose baffles! lol (I'm sure they don't have any btw). You can get aftermarket exhausts for them that don't make that excessive raspy noise, sadly I don't know the make of them, but I have heard them, and they make the straight 6 sound awesome, just like they should! Was never seriously tempted by the e46 M3s myself, great and lovely cars as they are, I just couldn't be arsed to shim the tappets when it comes to it! Lol (or deal with boot floor issues, or rust!). Happy with my (white with black wheels) e92 M3 🙂, which is pretty much standard aside from a modded rear silencer, a short shift gearstick and soon DS2500 brake pads all round for track days (already done the rears). Btw I've seen BMW literature that confirms what the wiki says about the S65 being lighter.

Great video both awesome cars if I had to pick one it’ll be the V8❤

I think E92 is definitely better for a daily driver, but I personally like the E46, specifically the straight 6 xd

Awesome video! Question. What size spacers are you running on the E46 M3?

Hey man if you have the smg box you need to put the m5/m6 shifter go look in RU-vid.... is just a nice touch!!!

Always an E46 for me!😊😊😊

👌 own zcp m3 smg and e92 comp dct + M e36 5spd … sound of e92 ❤ handling of e46, and fun sliding of e36 🎯👌

E46 M3 is the Best

I had the E45 m3 for many years, nothing like it, the throttle response was amazing, Now I have the Nissan GTR R35 the 09. but I always did want that v8 m3 back in the day. Im thinking of selling my GTR for a E92M3

Damn both M3s are beautiful The e46 sounds like a bad ass Motorbike!!

I love the e46 looks but the interior is dated and engine is great but the v8 is just another level! E92 is more aggressive to look at but e46 is elegant is a way the e92 can’t be Love both! Lucky man to have two very sorted cars!

Good video comparison. So... Will the E46 make room for the C GT4? That's what enquiring minds want to know.

Not sure what year your E46 is but mine was 2004.5 model and the CSL SMG software came with M mode for the traction control which was excellent and much less intrusive than standard traction control

I feel exactly the opposite about the build quality, ie the E46 to me feels better put together. Good review.

I had both of these cars once upon a time in very similar colors too. This entire video was very nastaligic. Nothing sounds better than a N/A high revving motor. I've had the plesure of owning cars with the s54, s64 , and the s85 motored cars. I just love the noise, but hate the maintinance and reliability issues.

I have a Bav sound kit for my e46 def worth it for anyone looking for better audio without a bunch of electrical work.

Awe man these 2 are my favorite M3 cars next to my M2 CS. It's hard to choose the comparisons between the 2 even though the E92 is a bit better in driving.

I don't know if i missed it or not but is your e46 steel blue color? I always loved that color you have.

This is my dilemma right now. I have a ‘22 X3 m40i but I don’t need the space of an SUV because my daily is a ‘24 Silverado 2500 and the kids car seats go in the truck due to the rear space being so massive, so I don’t really use my X3 much anymore. I am looking to sell it and I am torn between a 6 speed E46 M3 convertible and a 6 speed E93. It will just be a fun weekend toy and be stored in my warehouse when not in use. This video was great and really went over everything. I’m still torn though!

I ended up getting evolve straight pipe on my e92 m3.

You need both. All said