[FC]

Originally Posted by Sharp11

You might want to drive a current M3 - it's a really nice GT, but unless you plan to track it, it'll feel like a techy luxo-cruiser around town.

I wouldn't kick one out of the garage, but I wouldn't pay the kind of money they're asking for it either.

Your call.

I did drive one in Sept 2015. Excerpts of my review below:

Unfortunately there was some traffic and the car they gave me was the "GM's executive demo" so sales guy riding shotgun seemed very apprehensive about me being aggressive. Car had a bout 40 miles.

Anyhow, I'm a BMW guy and have had 3ers before, so the car, as expected, fit me like a glove and I was quickly very comfortable. It's quiet at low rpms, which is nice for driving around town with the family, but at 3-4krpm in the hwy the engine/exhaust was surprisingly loud. Perhaps that can be adjusted so as to not annoy my wife?

Given the kind of driving that I do, the car felt surprisingly nimble and handled very well. The standard brakes felt excellent. It felt well-built and made you feel special. It is also a fast car. I immediately got back in the TT and realized that while it is certainly faster, it isn't actually faster by as much as I thought, but the TT just makes it feel more dramatic and fun. The TT is also more responsive (I used sport+ on everything). I did like the M4 throttle response (S+), which allowed me to do manual rev-matching as I am used to. But on 2nd gear at 3krpm, at 50-75% throttle the car didn't react or accelerate as quickly as I am used to. The sales guy kept making noises and giggles when I accelerated at rates that are totally commonplace on the TT and seemed nervous. Perhaps, there was more to be wrung out and perhaps I am being a jerk by comparing it to a TT, but in my case it's a relevant thing to do.

The exhaust note was better than expected, but still not something I would set as my ringtone.

Overall, very nice car, and it's hard to imagine getting a sedan other than an M3. I wish I had a chance to wind it out to redline.