I have recently found myself in the new car market and have spent a great deal of time researching several cars, two of which are the Audi S6 and the M3. I live in Minnesota, so the AWD appeals to me, but I drove my Nissan 300ZX Turbo for two years there, enjoying every smirk from the big offroaders, with few problems. I guess my questions are these:
1.) The Audi S6 is almost $10,000 cheaper and still a pretty good drive, what separates the M3 by 10-grand?
2.) What experience do you have with driving the M3 in snowy conditions? I don't have the luxury of having a "good" weather car and a winter car.
3.) What's the M3 like day-to-day? Do two adults fit comfortably in the back? What about luggage space for two people? Any everyday thoughts you might have are great.
Finally, will I really need to wait a YEAR? to drive my M3 and still pay over MSRP? Not that I need the car today, but...is it worth it http://m3forum.com/ubb/smile.gif

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wow, is the s6 that much cheaper? the recent audi do look much better then the past but the performance is no comparison. m3 is a much more driver's car. if you opt the four door, two in back should be no problem. i also hear that you can find them at list now.....a lot of recent layoffs. get the m3 and slap on some snow tires. good luck w/ decision.

BMW M cars and Audi S vehicles are quite different in conception and execution, intended for different audiences, but first a couple of questions:
Do you mean the Audi S6 or the S4? The smaller S4 is much more comparable to an M3. The S6 will be available only as a wagon.
Are you referring to the latest (E46) M3 or an earlier version? The E46 M3 does not, and apparently will not, come in a 4-door model.
I drive an E36 M3 4-door (1998) and have previously driven several Audis. I took a test drive in an S4 Avant. I prefer the M cars; they're lighter, have more performance-oriented handling dynamics, and generally provide more road feel. On the other hand, they're less powerful and more expensive.There's also the snow issue. I live in an area where snow is a rarity, but if you read the boards, you'll find lots of people who fit snow tires and/or wheels to their M3s and keep on going. If you're looking at a new M3, you won't have to pay over sticker, but you will wait a long time. I'm on the waiting list for a new M and I don't expect to be able to order it for at least a year.

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