Which is the most popular engine in the BMW M3?

The M3 has only been available with petrol engines, but they offer plenty of power and excitement. The 502bhp Competition M engine has been popular with drivers. It has the same power as the base Competition variant but with greater acceleration and fuel economy.

Which are the most popular model variants?

The standard M3 is the most popular variant, due to standard features such as three-zone climate control, parking sensors with rear parking camera, and sports seats. However, there are other variants. When browsing, you'll also see many used examples of the M3 Competition, which is the standard variant of newer models.

What optional extras should I look out for?

Customers should look out for the Competition Pack with its adaptive M suspension, 20-inch star alloy wheels, active M differential and M sport exhaust. It can also come with the BMW Advanced loudspeaker system and lightweight sports seats.

Is the BMW M3 a good family car?

Yes, the BMW M3 has enough room to hold four adults comfortably. There are also ISOFIX points for child seats included and a decent-sized boot for holding groceries or luggage. The only negative would be running costs in terms of lower fuel economy, and increased cost of maintenance items such as tyres, brakes and routine servicing.

Is there a hybrid version of the BMW M3?

No, BMW hasn't built an M3 with a hybrid engine yet.

Is the BMW M3 available as a manual in the UK?

Older generations of the M3 can be found on the used market with manual transmissions. However, since the latest generation was launched, only automatic gearbox examples came to the UK.

Is there a four-wheel drive version available?

Up until recently, the BMW M3 was only offered with rear-wheel drive. It wasn't until the 2020 lineup arrived that a four-wheel drive option was released. Since then, both have been available, so they can both be found among used M3s.

193 Used BMW M3 cars for sale

BMW M32002 (52) - 3.2i 2dr

Low Mileage

£18,495

Finance available £359 pm

3.2L
54.9K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

TC Car Sales LTD

02922672884 *

0/5 Stars

BMW M32002 - M3 2dr with hardtop good spec automatic

Reduced

£10,695

Finance available £217 pm

3.2L
107.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Y S Motors

01494928876 *

3.6/5 Stars

BMW M32022 (72) - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition M Saloon 4dr Petrol Steptronic xDrive Euro 6 (s/s)

Low Mileage

£69,995

Finance available £1,417 pm

3L
19.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

Romans of St Albans

01727221632 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW M32018 (18) - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition Saloon 4dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (450 ps)

Reduced

£28,995

3L
38.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

C & A Motors Ltd

01613887769 *

3.3/5 Stars

BMW M32021 - M3 xDrive Competition M 4dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£61,995

Finance available £1,253 pm

3L
15.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Saloon

DMC

01412601329 *

0/5 Stars

BMW M32004 - M3 2dr

Low Mileage

£21,995

Finance available £431 pm

3.2L
54.8K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Empire Autos NI

02890023547 *

BMW M32018 - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr

£29,788

Finance available £591 pm

3L
78.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

UP PRESTIGE LTD

01746331186 *

BMW M32008 (58) - 4.0 V8 Convertible 2dr Petrol DCT Euro 4 (420 ps)

Reduced

£16,495

Finance available £346 pm

4L
54.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Convertible

BM Automotive

01752427499 *

5/5 Stars

BMW M3(15) - 3.0 BiTurbo DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr

Reduced

£25,250

Finance available £498 pm

60.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Not Supplied

Acer Platinum Vehicle Ltd

01143086572 *

BMW M32012 (NR) - 4.0 M3 2d 415 BHP 2-Door

Low Mileage

£22,990

Finance available £452 pm

4L
59.1K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Coupe

Car City UK Catterick

01748900779 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW M32013 - 4.0 iV8 DCT Euro 5 2dr

Low Mileage

£20,995

Finance available £411 pm

4L
63.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Coupe

DMS Prestige Limited

01992661584 *

BMW M32022 - M3 xDrive Competition M 4dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£54,995

Finance available £1,109 pm

3L
22.4K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Saloon

BMW Bavarian

02895908116 *

BMW M31996 (98) - 3.2 M3 EVOLUTION 2d 316 BHP 2-Door

Low Mileage

£24,995

3.2L
112.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Coupe

Eclipse Car Sales Limited

02392006073 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW M31995 (M) - M3 3.0 Convetible 2dr [1995-M] DAYTONA VIOLET METALIC

Reduced

£14,995

Finance available £313 pm

3L
75.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

MK Motors

01494296041 *

BMW M32023 (73) - 3.0 BiTurbo CS Saloon 4dr Petrol Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (550 ps)

Low Mileage

£89,990

Finance available £1,828 pm

3L
5.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

Per4mance Cars Limited

01625468256 *

BMW M32017 (67) - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr

Low Mileage

£34,999

Finance available £698 pm

3L
46.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

TDC Collection LTD

02038928005 *

BMW M32024 (24) - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition Touring 5dr Petrol Steptronic M xDrive Euro 6 (s/s)

£74,950

3L
11.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Estate

Select Performance and Prestige

01628561621 *

BMW M32022 (22) - M3 Competition 4dr Step Auto

Reduced

£49,990

Finance available £1,006 pm

3L
30.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Saloon

Munich Performance LTD

01280733608 *

BMW M32018 (18) - 3.0 BiTurbo Competition Saloon 4dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (450 ps)

Low Mileage

£37,949

Finance available £759 pm

3L
35.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Saloon

A1 Ortos

01613887641 *

0/5 Stars

BMW M32021 - M3 Competition 4dr Step Auto

Reduced

£51,999

Finance available £1,048 pm

3L
25.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Saloon

NI Car Sales Ltd

02838447728 *

Why buy a used BMW M3?

If you're in the market for a saloon car that's extremely fast, premium and stylish, then a used BMW M3 is a great choice. With high-end performance, this four-door saloon offers incredible acceleration and speed. Based on the regular 3 Series, the M3 is inherently practical, even for a family, with a decent amount of space for passengers and a large boot to match.

Used BMW M3 snapshot review

Pros

Manual gearbox available
Aggressive looks and standing
Top-end performance

Cons

Noise isn’t that great
Poor economy
Interior design rather dull in old models

Read our BMW M3 review

BMW M3 video review

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Different generations of used BMW M3

The history of the M3 goes all the way back to 1986, with its original years spent as a coupé. Then, in 1994 (during the second generation), the four-door saloon was introduced. By 2013, BMW decided to split the M3 coupés and convertibles from the saloon lineup, creating the M4. Since then, the M3 has only been available as a high-performance saloon, now in its sixth generation. BMW continues releasing updates to the powertrain and new styling features that keep this model popular.

First Generation (2022 to 2018)

Fuel type:: Petrol
Engine Size:: 3
MPG:: 26 - 28
Acceleration:: 3.5 - 3.6 seconds
Boot space:: 500 L capacity
NCAP Safety rating:: stars

Greenest
M3 xDrive Competition M 5dr Step Auto
Cheapest
M3 xDrive Competition M 5dr Step Auto
Fastest
M3 CS xDrive 550 5dr Step Auto

Seventh Generation (2020 to 2022)

Fuel type:: Petrol
Engine Size:: 3
MPG:: 27 - 28
Acceleration:: 3.4 - 3.9 seconds
Boot space:: 480 L capacity
NCAP Safety rating:: stars

Greenest
M3 Competition 4dr Step Auto
Cheapest
M3 Competition 4dr Step Auto
Fastest
M3 CS 4dr Step Auto

Sixth Generation (2015 to 2018)

The main changes to the sixth generation were drivetrain updates. For the first time, the M3 was available with all-wheel drive, offering more capability. However, the manual gearbox was only paired with rear-wheel drive.

Tech enhancements were also released, including a head-up display, parking assistance, a professional driver-assist package and a heated steering wheel. Because the M3 is compatible with all M Performance Parts, some models may also have additional components, such as body kits and wings.

Fuel type:: Petrol
Engine Size:: 3
MPG:: 31 - 34
Acceleration:: 3.9 - 4.3 seconds
Boot space:: 480 L capacity
NCAP Safety rating:: stars

Greenest
M3 4dr DCT
Cheapest
M3 4dr
Fastest
M3 CS 4dr DCT

Fifth Generation (2014 to 2015)

BMW was able to reduce some of the M3's weight, which added to the performance. To do this, aluminium was used for the body panels and carbon fibre was added to the driveshaft and roof. Also, BMW improved the brake design by replacing its calipers with double-pistons and by offering an optional four-piston ceramic design. This was the first generation that was solely offered as a saloon model, with the M3 coupé and convertible now in their own lineup.

In 2016, BMW released a small design update with full LEDs added to the taillights and some new colours offered. Another update occurred in 2018 when BMW changed the lower front bumper on the M3.

Fuel type:: Petrol
Engine Size:: 3
MPG:: 32 - 34
Acceleration:: 4.1 - 4.3 seconds
Boot space:: 480 L capacity
NCAP Safety rating:: stars

Greenest
M3 4dr DCT
Cheapest
M3 4dr
Fastest
M3 4dr DCT

Fourth Generation (2007 to 2013)

Of all the M3 models, this generation was the heaviest, but it was also filled with many luxury touches. During these years, the M3 was available in all three bodystyles: a saloon, a coupé and a convertible. The convertible model featured a power-retractable hard top for instant open-air access.

During this generation, BMW released the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, improving the acceleration time because the paddle shifters shortened the pauses between shifts. Updates also occurred in 2011 when minor changes were made to the interior.

Fuel type:: Petrol
Engine Size:: 4
MPG:: 21 - 25
Acceleration:: 4.6 - 5.3 seconds
Boot space:: 210 - 450 L capacity
NCAP Safety rating:: stars

Greenest
M3 4dr DCT
Cheapest
M3 4dr
Fastest
M3 2dr DCT

Buying a used car checklist: what to look for

Buying a used car can be a daunting task, but with our checklist, you can make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

View guides

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Used BMW M3 snapshot review

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