A lease in an M3 around 2003 was around 750 with 0 down I recall
ya man - the e46 M3 was an amazing bang for its buck. a new m4 is like $80k to $90k? WTF! Plus they arent as fun as the e36 m3 or e46 m3. the older M3 were drivers car and rode hard.
i had an e46 m3 convertible. i swapped out for after market CSL style wheels. those were in back in the day. everyone wanted Dinan or CSL parts. i never modded mine.. just rims.
but the m3 was an affordable bad ass machine - an all around modern marvel of a car. coupe, SMG, 6 speed, convertible, CSL, tracked car, Super charger options, turbo options. the M3 was pre Bangle design era too.
I sold cars at a Honda Dealership and an Infiniti dealership way back in the early 2000s and cars were more in line with income.
today? the cost of living/auto's are outrageous based on personal income. as a consumer you need to make prudent decisions and don't like marketing or the neighbors influence you. like others have said, before careful on options
leasing will become very common as time goes on... its simply cheaper on a monthly basis for consumers then standard financing.
pics of my M3 - loved this car

bought it semi pre -owned. i used to burn oil and clutches all the time - 6 speed manual. douchey plates of course

the 2001-2006 bmw line up peaked (BMW M5, 740i sport, 3 series) just clean lines, solid options, drove well.
