Reliability

Throughout 12 months of daily driving, the mechanical reliability has been faultless. I have not experienced a single warning light or strange noise throughout my time owning the car. Unfortunately, I cannot provide the same high praise for the electrical components and vast array of technology.

The main culprit has been the appalling lane-keep assist. This system regularly misreads the road and aggressively jerks the steering wheel. On many occasions, the car has attempted to steer itself into oncoming traffic. Luckily, the M mode button provides a quick shortcut to turn off the lane keep assist.

The central display has been another weak point of the vehicle. This display has on occasion completely shut off, locking me out of all air conditioning controls and leaving me sitting in a hot car with no music.

Not exactly what I had envisioned the M3 driving experience to be. A potential fix to this issue is holding the power button for 30 seconds. If this doesn’t work, you will need to turn the vehicle off and have it off for at least 30 minutes so the residual power can stop being supplied to the car.

How it drives

The 2024 BMW M3 is a near-perfect car to drive; unfortunately, it does suffer from one major flaw, and I’m not sure if I can forgive it

BMW have clearly invested heavily in the chassis and drivetrain of this vehicle. The M3 provides outstanding balance on the limit. This is an extremely controllable car, providing a level of mid-corner control and confidence which competitors have struggled to match.

The M3 has a silky smooth 510 HP 6-cylinder turbo engine which launches the car from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds. This masterpiece of an engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed transmission, which can provide both smooth around-town shifts and a lovely harsh mechanical jolt depending on which mode the gearbox is set to.

The gearbox has been calibrated very well, however if you do stretch its legs on public roads, the long gearing means you will not have the opportunity to change up more than once before approaching “I’m going to jail” speeds. It seems to me that BMW has sacrificed daily driving fun to win the 0-100km/h game of top trumps which many of the German super saloons have been playing over recent years.

By far, the most prominent issue with this car is its electronic steering. While the car provides superb mid-corner communication, the on-centre steering feel is dead as a door nail. I don’t think I’m being overly harsh here either, I’m not meaning in comparison to an other competing German super saloons.

I am meaning compared to the 2021 Honda Civic, which I also regularly drive. Unfortunately, the excessive on-centre steering play means that around town and on the motorway, the car does not feel anywhere near as special as a car of this calibre should.

The BMW M3 is a car with big shoes to fill. The G80 generation provides a vehicle which is more customisable and has more tech than ever before. Unfortunately, this technology’s interference with the driving dynamics has detracted from the raw experience that previous M3s had.

Ownership experience

Let’s be honest, if you are purchasing a BMW M3 and the cost of parts and servicing is high on your list of concerns, then potentially it may be best to look elsewhere.

The BMW M3, like many German super saloons, asks a premium for parts and servicing. A basic oil and filter change at your local BMW dealer will set you back almost $900.

Don’t be fooled by BMW’s claimed servicing cost either. Over 12 months, BMW service intervals are set at an astonishing 25,000km! While this can keep short-term servicing costs down, the long-term reliability costs of following the recommended schedule will far outweigh the savings and as any mechanic will tell you, this will significantly shorten the life of the engine.

I recommend servicing no more than every 10,000km

Dealer service has been fairly average. With the pre-delivery clean on the car creating so much damage to the paintwork that I have paid $1,000 in paint correction to amend this, to servicing loan cars being booked out 3 months in advance year-round! Not exactly a premium experience.

While the S58 engine in the 2024 BMW M3 is gaining traction as a very reliable engine, you need to treat it as what it is. A highly strung 510hp engine.

This means regular servicing and treating it with mechanical sympathy by practising things like letting the engine complete its cold start procedure before setting off. Most importantly, though, it means keeping a few thousand dollars aside for the day when the car decides it needs it.

This is a very reliable engine for what it is, but it’s no Camry. If you are expecting it to be, you will be disappointed.

Features and practicality

The BMW M3 benefits from the same basic body style as the BMW 3 Series; this means you have a spacious interior with high-quality materials throughout. Back seats with plenty of legroom and a boot with enough space for some golf clubs.

As somebody who has owned multiple 3 Series BMWs, I think this is the perfect size car. Large enough to fit the whole family, and small enough to still have some genuine dynamic ability.

The interior is well laid out. With plenty of storage, a spot-on driving position, plenty of adjustability in the seat and steering wheel and cup holders which can accommodate coffees ranging from a large caramel iced latte like I drink, down to a piccolo. I’m sure nobody knows anybody who’s a big enough coffee wanker to drink that though.

Any other thoughts?

The BMW M3 has been a car that can do it all. A comfortable motorway cruiser with supercar speed and on-track performance to match some of the best sports cars you can buy. There aren’t many cars with such big boots to fill.

The G80 generation meets the standards of its predecessors in almost all areas. This new generation is more comfortable, more practical, has more features and is faster than it has ever been.

Unfortunately, the electric steering system is a let down. This, combined with the large central screen and electronic nanny fitted to the vehicle, really detracts from the vehicle.

If you can look past the technological interference and numb on-centre steering feel, you will, in return, be provided with one of the most impressive daily-drivable cars you can buy.

Is it worthy of the M3 badge? I think yes. But only just.

MORE: Check out our BMW reviews