Shocka

friends lookin for a new convertable
which do u guys think is the better option.

yeah the price is a lil off but thats not an issue to him, he likes the SL500 but i felt the M3 was a better buy

Magic8

SL500 hands down. I have thing for hard top convertibles not to mention that it's avery beautiful car.

tpryor

The Merc if all you care about is looking good - the M if you care about going good WHILE looking good!!

RotorManiac

although the M is one of the greatest cars out there, the mere beauty of the SL is just too much for the BMW. The hard top is like having 2 in 1! tell him to go for the SL55 AMG :D

chinx

sl is a beauty, but i'd never own one (even if i win the lottery and can afford it) 'cuz it's too much of a showing-off-one's-money car

m3, however, is the ultimate driving machine's ultimate driving machine :D so there's more justification

KC_Prelude

M3 no question.

jtimbck2

That's a tough choice... I think I'd personally take the M3 because it's a driver's car, but the SL500 is a gorgeous machine!

cueball

Just as jtimbck2 said, the M3 is a drivers car while the SL is a luxo cruiser. If your friend is more into looks than performance then the SL is the way to go, but if he actually like to drive his cars then the M is the winner.

mikeb

thats a win win situation

I say sl

scorp76

M3, all the way. Looks better, drives better, just all around better.

Shocka

well since the wait for an m3 was about 7 months ( i really dont understand BMW for this) meaning the car would come in Jan my friend is going for the SL. HE will be checkin out dealers this week to see if there is a waitin period or not.. he said if he doesnt get the car by august he aint getting a new car. make sense who wants a new car as the winter approaches

cbehney

I believe you can pretty much get an SL any time you want one, if you don't need an exact set of options. Also, I test drove one 2 nights ago, and while it may not be the equal of an M3 in raw driving feel, it sounds very cool, has good torque, and the 7 speed shiftable automatic is very nice. Plus just watching the top go up and down is an experience...!!

Mikelikes2drive

usually they always have the convert m3s in stock and not the hardtop. the wait shouldnt be 7months... he might have heard wrong. maybe go to another bmw dealer... every dealer has m3s in stock... its one of the most desired and sought after cars.

ypwpat

M3!!! WHY? Because it can take more people than 2 Seater SL500 :D

shelleys_man_06

Get the M3 if you want the hood rats. Get the SL500 if you want the really ugly hood rats.

shelleys_man_06

I went with the M3 convertible; regular hood rats have less STDs .

cbehney

Hmm. Interesting that you're familiar with that piece of info...
(I just bought an SL500, so I'm hoping you're wrong! :o )

shelleys_man_06

Haha. Prepare to go to the free clinic.

cbehney

:D LMAO... Got some of those in Arlington VA! "hey, kid, keep an eye on my car while I pop in the clinic..."

(sorry for the post hijacking, RX8ers!)

shelleys_man_06

A spoonful of penecillin keeps the syphillis away .

djantlive

SL500 is one of the best looking cars in a while. M3 looks great too but it's a hopped up 3 series. Also, M3 is starting to look dated and will be replaced by the new 3 series in 2-3 of years. SL on the other hand, just went through a make over that has a typical model life of 10 years.

Bottom line, SL if you have the money. M3 if you need 4 seats. Also consider C2 Cab. Nice to have the money to spend!

cbehney

Plus with the SL500 you can check the oil using your steering wheel, raise and lower the car for parking lot dips, get air-conditioned seats, 339 torque availabel thru most of the band, and get a very nice exhaust rumble... Otoh even though you can shift manually, I miss the clutch......... FYI to RX8 owners.. if there's a new black one in Arlington that was on 26th Street today, I wasn't stalking you, I live near there (we made all same turns). Your car is really great looking in black.