I’m in the market for leasing a new performance car and thought this would be the perfect place to get some insights. My budget cap is $1500 per month($0 Down, 36 months, 10K), but if it’s a bit less, that’s even better.
Now, my dream car would be an M3/M4. But as luck would have it, there are no allocations available, so it’s like chasing a unicorn at this point.
I’ve been considering a few options, but nothing’s hitting the mark:
Macan GTS: The interior feels dated, and with the electric version coming out soon, it seems like a hard sell.
X3M/X4M: Also haven’t been updated in a while, so the interior feels a bit old. X5M/X6M is out of my budget.
RS5: Same issue as the M3, can’t find any allocations.
Taycan: As much as I’d love to go electric, it’s just way over budget.
BMW iX: Bad design
I’m leaning towards performance over luxury, so if anyone’s got any recommendations for a fun-to-drive car that fits within my budget, I’d love to hear them.
I loved my S5. Wasn’t as fun to drive as my M4 or 718s, but that car could handle anything I did. Everything from track days and drag strips to driving in blizzards (with winter tires).
M3 yes hard to get your hands on one, but for the M4 there are plenty.
The RS5 is available on the ground not sure about the allocation side unless you’d like to build one, though again as others mentioned if you’re looking for a modern interior then the RS5 ('23 MY) has definitely the most outdated interior of all the cars you listed.
Model S Plaid on a balloon is a decent option here. Looks ok and it’s a decent amount of fun to drive once lowered (though, not Porsche-level by any means).
I had one and test drove the Etron RS GT. Really love the styling, but it felt like an overgrown turtle compared to the S Plaid. The Plaid kinda ruined other EVs for me from a quickness perspective, it’s not the best handling and we know the interior is blah, but that acceleration is addictive.
X5 M60i is probably the move over the X3M. It has a real “M” Engine (s68). The suspension is softer so you can daily drive it. The x7 M60i with the same engine does 0-60 in 3.8 so it should be closer to 3.6 on the x5. It’s new for the 2024 model year as well. The ride on the x3 is a lot harder and less luxurious compared to the x5. You also get a better MPG since its a mild hybrid as well.
M3s were tough to find. Not anymore. Don’t let the dealers fool you. You can easily find an allocation within a month doing some legwork or using a broker. Discounts are still rare on the M3 but can be had on the M4.
It is, but a lot of people on reddit were saying “I will never get a M(240i,340i,40i, 60i, etc) , it doesn’t even have a real S engine!!111!! reeee!!1!!” The line between M lite and Full M has gotten smaller and smaller as the years pass. In fact, I think BMW has the smallest differences between Full Performance and lite performance now. IE: AMG still has handbuilt engines for their 63s but not their 43s.
I will say, at least back in 2020 when I had my X3M Comp, there was a huge difference, the X3M Comp was a LEGIT M car, it had an S engine, the suspension was TIGHT and harsh, just as I’d expect, it was basically a lifted M3.
A lot people complained the X3M back then was too stiff, but that was what I loved about it, it was clearly no compromise on handing for the sake of having an SUV. I never understood why those people complained, if you wanted a fast SUV, get an X3 M40i, if you wanted an M3 SUV, get the X3M, it should be stiff and a bit jarring, that’s kind of the point.
It was legitimately one of my absolute FAVORITE cars I’ve owned in the last 7 years. It also looked so good before the LCI refresh.
