2010 BMW M6 vs. 2011 BMW M3 6.9 Winner BMW M3 starting from $61,075 "The car was fine in the Comfort setting -- I felt bumps in the road and large potholes, but overall the ride was very good given the rough conditions of Chicago's roads. The stiffer Normal setting was just too firm, both on city streets and on the highway." chicagotribune.com | talking about the M3's ride quality "One of the few truly awesome cars I've driven, the M3 nails both the sport and the comfort ends of the spectrum." chicagotribune.com | talking about the M3's overall satisfaction Reasons to buy the BMW M3 Has auxiliary audio input Very inexpensive $61,075 Average number of airbags 5 Cramped back seats 37.2 ft3 6.5 Runner-up BMW M6 starting from $106,225 Reasons to buy the BMW M6 Paddle shifters Standard Quite powerful 500 HP @ 7,750 RPM More gears 7 Navigation system Standard

Cost 4.8 vs 6.8 Winner: M3 [details] The best price we've seen is $45,150 cheaper (more than 40% less), $61,075 vs $106,225 Gets around 30% more miles per gallon in the city, 14 mpg vs 11 mpg Entertainment System 4.1 vs 5.6 Winner: M3 [details] The M3 's auxiliary audio input jack lets you connect your MP3 player to the car's stereo Performance 10.0 vs 8.5 Winner: M6 [details] The M6 comes standard with paddle shifters for ultimate driving control; not available on the M3 More than 20% more powerful, 500 HP @ 7,750 RPM vs 414 HP @ 8,300 RPM The M6 has 1 more gear, which can improve performance, 7 vs 6 Safety Features 5.8 vs 6.5 Winner: M3 [details] The M3 has 1 more airbag (including Rear Curtain), 5 vs 4 Luxury Features 7.8 vs 7.1 Winner: M6 [details] Conveniently adjust your seat with the M6 's power seats; requires an optional upgrade on the M3 Crash Test Ratings - vs - Missing information [details] Practicality 6.4 vs - Missing information [details] Few seats Very limited highway range Neither offers power outlets Road Tests - vs 10.0 Missing information [details] Overall 6.5 vs 6.9

Cost

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	MSRP	$106,225	vs	$61,075	The M3 has a reasonable price, while the M6 is very expensive
	In-city gas mileage	11 mpg	vs	14 mpg	The M3 has OK city mileage, while the M6 is very inefficient
	basic warranty miles	50,000 mile	vs	50,000 mile	Average basic warranty
	basic warranty years	4 year	vs	4 year	Average lasting basic warranty

Entertainment System

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	Number of speakers	13	vs	10	The M6 has more speakers and the M3 is OK, too
	Has speed sensitive volume	No	vs	No	Neither offers speed-sensitive volume
	CD player	Standard	vs	Standard	CD player comes standard
	premium radio	Standard	vs	Optional	Have your pick of music from around the world with the M6 's satellite radio; in the M3 , too, but it'll cost
	Has auxiliary audio input	No	vs	Yes	The M3 can connect your personal music device to the stereo system
	Has subwoofer	No	vs	No	Neither has a subwoofer; audio won't have that deep thumping bass sound
	entertainment system	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers an entertainment system

Performance

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	Horsepower	500 HP @ 7,750 RPM	vs	414 HP @ 8,300 RPM	Both the M6 and M3 are quite powerful
	Number of gears	7	vs	6	The M6 has more gears and the M3 is OK, too
	Transmission	Manual transmission	vs	Manual transmission	Both offer a manual transmission, unlike most in this class
	paddle shifters	Standard	vs	Not Available	The M6 comes standard with paddle shifters for ultimate driving control; not available on the M3
	Air compressor	None	vs	None	Neither has an air compressor to maximize power output
	Power-to-weight ratio	7.8 lb/hp	vs	8.9 lb/hp	Both provide sporty handling
	Drivetrain type	rear-wheel drive	vs	rear-wheel drive	Both have the usual drivetrain for this class of vehicle
	Curb-to-curb turning radius	41.0 ft	vs	38.4 ft	The M3 is comparable to most other vehicles for turning, but the M6 is quite bad

Safety Features

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	antilock brakes	Standard	vs	Standard	Both come standard with ABS brakes
	Stability control system	Yes	vs	Yes	Both have electronic stability control
	Airbags	4	vs	5	The M3 has an OK number of airbags while the M6 has very few (missing Rear Curtain)
	Rear brakes	Disc	vs	Disc	Both have the usual brakes for this class of vehicle
	child door locks	Not Available	vs	Not Available
	Roadside assistance system	BMW Assist	vs	BMW Assist

Luxury Features

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	moon roof	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers a sun roof
	power seats	Standard	vs	Optional	Conveniently adjust your seat with the M6 's power seats; requires an optional upgrade on the M3
	keyless entry	Standard	vs	Standard	Both have keyless entry
	leather	Standard	vs	Standard	Both come standard with leather interiors

Crash Test Ratings

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	Rollover resistance	Unknown	vs	Unknown
	Front driver crash test	Unknown	vs	Unknown
	Driver side crash test	Unknown	vs	Unknown

Practicality

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	Passengers	4	vs	4	Few seats
	Highway driving range	315 miles	vs	332 miles	Very limited highway range
	Cargo space	13.0 ft3	vs	11.0 ft3	Both have OK cargo room
	front seats	51.5 ft3	vs	51.4 ft3	Both average size front seats
	folding rear seats	Not Available	vs	Standard	The M3 's standard folding rear seat will get you extra cargo room; not available on the M6
	power outlets	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers power outlets
	roof rails	Not Available	vs	Not Available	Neither offers roof rails
	navigation system	Standard	vs	Optional	The M6 's standard navigation system will ensure you never get lost again; optional upgrade required on the M3
	Cupholders	2	vs	Unknown
	front air conditioning	Standard	vs	Standard	A/C for hot summer days comes standard

Road Tests

	BMW M6			BMW M3
	0-60 mph	Unknown	vs	4.2 seconds
	Braking distance at 60mph	Unknown	vs	107 ft
	1/4 mile	Unknown	vs	12.6 s @ 113 mph
	Lateral acceleration	Unknown	vs	1 g
	Top speed	Unknown	vs	155 mph

Other Vehicles to Consider

M6 vs GranTurismo S M6 vs GT-R Black Edition M6 vs SLS AMG M6 vs R8 GT M6 vs Continental GT

M3 vs S4 M3 vs Boxster S M3 vs Corvette Z06 M3 vs Camaro SS M3 vs Mustang Shelby GT500

Comments Which car would you recommend, and why?