Used BMW M3 Base for sale near Lake Barrington, IL

The M3 has gotten very luxurious while losing nothing in performance. Choices abound. the car starts in comfort/efficiency mode, if you are just going to the supermarket. But two "M" buttons on the steering wheel (you set them up yourself) can quickly change that. I have M1 set up for sporty and M2 for "to the max". The seats are a bit firm. I can ask the car to cool itself via a BMW app 10 minutes before I arrive. Many things like that. The manual transmission is standard BMW, similar to my 14 year old 1M. Many options are via virtual buttons, menus, and submenus, but I got used to it faster than I expected. Through the app I can check how much gas I have and what the tire pressure is and where I've driven (you can turn that off). It can connect to the dealer for regular maintenance. It's amazing! I'm not crazy over the electric clutch, but I'm getting used to it.

I fell in love with the E46 M3 back in the days of high school. The styling, the handling, the aggressive fenders -- it was something to drool over at the time and age. I could not be any more proud of happy to own this car.

The 2001-2006 BMW M3 (chassis code E46). This generation of M3, like others was and still is and icon of sport and spirited diving. When new, this set the bar and was the measuring stick by which other cars were evaluated. Sure, it doesn't have all the current tech, even seeming Spartan compared to all the comforts of a large high-end luxury sedan or SUV, but that's never been why we love M3s. Now the E46 M3 is between 14-19 years old and it's performance on paper is comparable to that of a new Civic Si, but it still has something that very few cars have. Dare I say it at the risk being cliche? Soul. The M3 wasn't supposed to be the fastest in a straight line but a well balanced alround touring car. Its the perfect balance of handling, power not too much power, and class while still reasonable enough to drive everyday or just on those nice spring Sundays. It does "fun" VERY well and that is why it still is one of the most pleasing cards to drive. The looks are before a lot of the more controversial later BMW designs. It has that work of art, screamer of an in-line 6 cylinder S54 motor (2001 engine of the year winner and winner of the 3-4 L category for six straight years in a row 2001-2006). Though SMG had begun to increase in popularity, some E46 M3s still came with an honest to goodness manual transmission. This is what makes the E46 M3 one of the best of what seems to be a dying bread of cars and values should hold (or even increase) through the years like most other M cars have done historically. Cost of ownership isn't cheap. It's a BMW, no surprise there. However, failure and repair costs increase when considering SMG equipped M3's. Another thing you should consider is how much money you'll spend washing and waxing it then time sitting there and staring. That's one of my hobbies too... when not driving it. The E46 M3 is in an icon in a lineage of special cars and had become an instant classic.

BMW's, specifically M series can sometimes get a bad rep for reliability and the markup in service cost if out of warranty. This couldn't be further from the truth...I've owned two f80 M3s and these things are extremely well-engineered and other than the random crankhub issues (typically caused by loose crankbolts from the factory or bad tunes that on-ramp torque too quickly) these cars are bullet-proof. I've put over 70,000 miles on this chassis and have had ZERO headaches, zero mechanical surprises and nothing but a xxxx eating grin from ear to ear each and every time I drive one. BMW did a knockout job mechanically and cosemetically with this generation F8X M3 and they've prooven to hold-up against the test of time. With petrol engines being phased out, this car is sure to continue to hold it's value!!!

I had the best experience at exclusive Autohaus bought a BMW 4 series from Exclusive Autohaus. It’s been six months since I bought the car no problems at all. Financing was really easy. Got the best interest rate. I am definitely going back in future to purchase another car. I did recommend the dealership to my father and he also bought a car from here.

Loved this car while I owned it. I’ve had a couple BMWs and this was by far the most reliable and fun vehicle thus far.

Had a wonderful experience buying by 2016 Mercedes AMG G63 from Chicago Motor Cars. Seraj “Raj”Abughoush was an amazing sales representative and cares for me start to finish. I was an out of town purchase and Raj walked the car with me twice, did a road test and even fixed an issue he saw with the windshield during our drive together. His manager was very great with his customer service and I will definitely be back to buy another car with Raj and the whole team at Chicago Motor Cars. Was an amazing experience!

Easy to upgrade (e.g. DINAN) and can actually fit 4 people. Strong motor from the famous E46 series and stays glued to the road. Though a smaller convertible, it is heavy and solid giving a very safe feeling. Also, you can actually have the top down with golf clubs or groceries in the trunk!

I would like to thanks Mel for nice smooth and quick transaction! Thumbs up @xchangemotors

I bought my M3 (e92) as a fun car for occasional use on track. It’s a project car really, and I’ll upgrade the car as I can afford to do so. So far I’ve had the car out on track twice, without any modifications apart from better pads and racing fluid for the brakes. The car handles extremely well, and performance in the high rev range is astonishingly good for a car that is so docile around town. The only areas requiring some attention are front brakes and exhaust. The front brakes are perfectly ok for normal driving, but for track use I’ll probably change the callipers and discs. The exhaust is ok, but a previous owner has done something with it to make it more noisy...sounds great but at 110db it fails most race circuit noise tests. There isn’t much about this car I don’t like. If I were to be picky maybe the interior is a bit bland, but it is a BMW, and after 78,000 miles there are no squeaks or rattles.

Recently bought a S580 from this dealership and I was blown away by their professionalism and their attention to detail. Chris made sure my experience was TOP NOTCH. They also made sure my purchase was to my liking and they had no issue in making sure my vehicle looked fresh off the showroom floor. The whole transaction was very smooth and I do intend on purchasing from there again very soon! So if you want a good experience and a good deal, definitely give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

In the last twenty years my Wife and I have owned about 15 BMW'S , but the M3 is a street legal Race car , and i love it.

BMW E46 M3.. while many cars can out perform the older M3, this is my favorite, for classic, gorgeous BMW coupe looks, the last of the non-tubo 6 cylinder, and elegant interior with more than enough technology underlying the simple cockpit and controls and yet outstanding performance when you want, and docile enough to enjoy around town. Really, just an all around sweet package!

In late September, my wife and I stopped to look at an Audi R8 and a Porsche 911 Targa 4S. We met Abed, Mir and Jimenez when we walked in and immediately felt like we could trust these guys. We test drove several cars and ended up trading ours for the Porsche. The experience was smooth, professional and really enjoyable. I would buy from these guys again in a heartbeat! Great experience. I had some questions post-purchase and they respond immediately and helped completely.

Beautiful animal on the road. High maintainence. Dont buy it for speed alone, plenty of turbo cars can beat it - but none can match the elegance and smoothness with which the m3 presents the speed.

Had a Great experience with Dorian Barbus as he was professional and everything was as promised when I picked up vehicle. The rest of the staff was just as pleasant as well! Thanks Again

Fantastic does everything car -- kids to school, been camping with it, cross-country drives, autocross / track racing, etc. Amazing sport exhaust sound and multiple personalities -- purring kitten in comfort mode or roaring tiger in Sport Plus!

Staff is very knowledgeable when it comes to specialty collectible vehicles. I ended up building a relationship and purchasing multiple cars they were able to ship them directly to my front door step. I own a business and consistently change out of cars. This company has been accommodating in helping me get the right cars for my collection they have sources and connections throughout the automotive industry.

Bought car to have fun on track days with the Porsche and BMW Clubs and it did not disappoint. It pulled hard on straights and cornered like it was on rails. Great brakes too but I did upgrade.

Great experience with John and Florin. They know their stuff which made this transaction stress free.

Great guys! Tab and staff is fun to talk to! We met at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale and I’ve bought 10 cars from him!

This mid 90's M3 is a true German instant classic! This 2003 coupe dressed out in German racing silver, interior wrapped in black leather. Generous sunroof. But what is fun is under the hood, one of the finest 3 liter screaming in line six's ever built without a turbo mated to a silky 6 speed manual transmission. Wonderful handling, thrilling to drive, 13 years of pure fun! I miss it already.

Julian was great he helped us get into the right car. getting there we weren't sure if this was the car for us until Julian showed us all the features the car had. it was everything we were looking for. I will definitely go back when it comes time to buy my next car

If you don’t own this far you should .. it has style , class , sporty look , good for the family and it is very comfortable

Very transparent group of guys! They showed me everything about the car and explained it in detail. The owner is a car collector and started this business over a decade ago just by collecting cool cars. I was new to Porsche and they were super patient with me when it came down to helping me get into the right car!

Great styling, excellent performance, a thrill to drive and you still have a back seat and a huge trunk. This car is a performance sport car that can be easily used as a daily driver.

Great experience! They listened to what I was looking for, and helped me to get it! The test drive was perfect, we must have driven it for 30 minutes for me to make sure it was what I liked. Easy transaction after I decided to pull the trigger. Trade in was easy, and was never "pushed" into buying anything. I think we were all done in a matter of 3 hours, which I've never had that experience at a car dealership!!

I fell in love with this car the first time I saw it. Arctic Silver over Black Leather , with the sunroof open I think it's the most beautiful car on the road. Threads into corners like a race car - engine note subtle but sweet- if you can find a well cared for low mileage example you won't be disappointed.

After looking for 4 months ,we bought a f150 and f250.Alex was awesome!!!! He helped us transport the cars from IL to Cali,paperwork was easy , he did everything for ! Wish we had dealers like this in San Diego! Will come again to buy another car! Thanks Alex!!!

Last year for the E36 body style just an awesome fun car to drive handles wonderful a lot of power and it's a drop top

Diamond Motorworks is truly a hidden gem! Rami and his team made the entire buying process an absolute pleasure! Their showroom is gorgeous and their selection of high end inventory is second to none! Thanks so much for making the first of many of my dreams come true 😊

The e46 m3 in one of the last of the real Bmws, classic bmw handling and a manual trans. Built like a rock and extremely easy to drive and enjoy. Maintanance is also classic Bmw so be prepared to feed its hunger.

Purchased a car from this dealer everything went smooth. Sales persons were polite no hassles would buy again from this dealer. Car was just as ad stated.

Car is typical BMW M, plenty of power great brakes high end interior, it was difficult to find one with a 3 pedal manual and sunroof, this M3 did NOT come with cockpit adjustable suspension and it was scary to drive at the limit, I put fully adjustable coil over suspension on which lowered the center of gravity, improved the stance and made it handle more like an e46M3, still not perfect but much better than stock!