Which car should I buy? Mercedes-Benz W204 C63 AMG v BMW E90 M3

Bit of an odd one here. I have $60k to spend and I want something that's characterful, practical, fast and fun on weekends, but which will never lose me a cent in depreciation. Sorry, no Fords or Holdens - not my bag. - Alan T

Shame you’re knocking out the Aussie stuff, as an HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer would be a great call.

Other than that, I’d focus in on a couple of German V8s that were much loved and will only become more so as time passes.

3

It’s hard to split the BMW E90 M3 sedan and the W204-gen Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

If you want something lithe and communicative, go for the BMW. Prefer something with an even more charismatic engine and which feels as if it’s going to wake the dead? Choose AMG.

3

But you’ll need to be quick. Both vehicles are appreciating sharply at the moment, especially three-pedal M3s. Post-2011 AMG M156 engines are more bulletproof, but I’d find it hard to look past the manual M car. - AE

Mercedes-Benz W204 C63 AMG and BMW E90 M3 specifications