E46 owners

"dec" (purpled) 10/07/2013 at 23:30 • Filed to: Bmw, e46, 3series

1

19

I'm looking into possibly getting one for driving to work and around town. Nothing too extreme but I want to step up from my TDI passat and I feel like it's a logical next step. So I'm want to hear from an past or present owners on the reliability and maintenance. I feel like it can't be as underpowered as my current car 0-60 like 12 seconds. My price range is up to 7,000 and I'm no longer commuting 90 miles a day so MPG isn't super important. So basically something that's a little older but still good looking. If you want to throw out any other suggestions.

twinturbobmw > dec 10/07/2013 at 23:43

1

Just remember even the older E46s require lots of money for maintenance.

Party-vi > dec 10/07/2013 at 23:47

1

I've had an '02 330Ci (3.0L, 225hp) for 7 months and have had no issues except a burned-out sunroof motor. At 111,800 I flushed the transmission and replaced the water pump with a metal-impellered unit (plastic impeller pumps tend to disintegrate into little bits). It's unfortunately an automatic but did come standard with the sport package (lower ride height, sport seats/steering wheel). It has adequate power and you should see 60mph between 6-7 seconds. It's a nice smooth torquey motor and the car handles great. Normally I see 24-25mpg in mixed driving; city takes me to 21-22mpg and on my last long trip I averaged 27mpg on the highway. The aftermarket is very well supported and E46 Fanatics forum is a great source for information. I'd stay away from the earlier '00 and '01 models, plus after '02 all the coupes had the sport package and Harmon Kardon stereo standard. For $7,000 you should be able to find a nice example from a private seller. I'd look for a low-mileage 325Ci or well cared for 330i for $6k and spend the other $7,000 on immediate maintenance to resolve any issues that crop up.

Party-vi > dec 10/07/2013 at 23:53

0

Also you need to set aside about $100/month for maintenance on an E46. Not that it'll use it, but you'll need a small fund for repairs.

twinturbobmw > twinturbobmw 10/07/2013 at 23:54

0

Also, Magnaflow exhaust sounds REALLY good on the E46.

911e46z06 > dec 10/07/2013 at 23:55

1

They're awesome man. If you find a good one and take really good care of it, it will be pretty reliable for you. But when something does go wrong, and eventually something will, it will be expensive to fix. If you can deal, I say go for it.

You can probably find a 330 in your price range, which is a wonderful vehicle. That's the one you want. But if reliability is the primary concern, just get a low mileage example and make sure to have a mechanic check it out before you buy it. They're all good, you can't go wrong.

dec > 911e46z06 10/08/2013 at 00:03

0

This might sound stupid, but when you say get a mechanic to check it out. How do you do that. Have the seller meet you at euro mechanic shop and just pay a fee to have it inspected or what. I got my current car from a family member so this would be the first time actually purchasing one myself.

dec > Party-vi 10/08/2013 at 00:06

0

Thanks for taking the time to write all of that out I really appreciate it. Is there anything I should be looking for when I go to check them out. Like common things that could be wrong or anything like that.

911e46z06 > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:13

0

Yeah, exactly. Just find a good place near you. Maybe ask a forum, e46fanatics being the one that comes to mind. No parts or anything, so you usually just have to pay whatever the shop's hourly rate is.

It's super important. I just bough an e46 M3 a couple months ago. I know a little more about bimmers than the average bear and I still brought two absolute dogs into my mechanic before I found a good one. I probably would have bought both of them if I hadn't had them checked out. Having someone who knows what they're doing put the car on a lift and point out all the problems is priceless, especially when you're dealing with bimmers.

dec > 911e46z06 10/08/2013 at 00:21

0

Thanks again. Ill join tonight see what's going on in south florida

Party-vi > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:22

0

Oil residue around the power steering reservoir is normal, but check for dried coolant around the radiator and expansion take, examine the trunk area for rust, obviously tire tread wear, dash lights, etc. The coupes made before '02 had issues with the rear subframe stressing the body and fatiguing the metal at the mounting points. Ask the owner how often they go through a quart of oil. I think BMW stated 700-1000 miles is acceptable (the M54 burns oil FYI). Mine does about 1,200 miles per quart. On the 330 check for an exhaust flap in the right exhaust tip - it should be open when the car is off and closed when at idle. These are usually stuck open or closed. Check the interior for water damage and inspect the door seals for leaks. On a test drive check for excessive wind noise (frameless windows on coupes). If the car is approaching or over 100k miles ask if the plugs have been replaced. You'll want as much history as possible with these cars to document previous maintenance. If a car seems like a good deal ask about the maintenance history and be prepared to walk away if the seller isn't forthcoming. I immediately dumped $2,000 into mine after I purchased it on preventative maintenance.

911e46z06 > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:24

0

No problem man. If you're in Miami, stay away from German Car Care on US1. Those guys gouged the shit out of me for four years while I was at UM.

Also, be wary of rust. Maybe think about a fly-out-drive-back to the West Coast.

dec > 911e46z06 10/08/2013 at 00:28

0

What's your username on the site

dec > Party-vi 10/08/2013 at 00:30

0

You're the man. Thanks so much for all of this.

911e46z06 > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:30

0

Don't have one

Party-vi > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:33

0

You should re-post your question in the morning - there are a few other E46 owners in Oppo :)

Manuél Ferrari > 911e46z06 10/08/2013 at 00:44

0

This is great advice. They are good cars and you can find them for good prices now. But they will be expensive to maintain.

I think the key is to make SURE you love the car you are buying. That way it won't piss you off too bad if you have to dump some money into maintaining it, as you'll want to keep it long term.

Since maintenance is expensive my advice is to spend more up front. Find the best and cleanest car you can find. Find one with the least amount of miles and with a good maintenance history. Make sure you like the exterior and interior color. If you love it you'll baby it and be happy for years.

Manuél Ferrari > dec 10/08/2013 at 00:55

1

I bought a 2004 E46 M3 Coupe with SMG and about 30,000 miles on it earlier this year. It was one of the lowest mileage E46 M3s in the country. It probably still is even though it has 35,000 miles on it now. Here are my pros and cons of the E46 platform so far:

+Amazing handling. I love how neutral the car is. I also have a 2010 Porsche 997 coupe and a 2011 E90 M3 and I prefer the handling of the E46 M3 over the other cars. The car is just so predictable.

+Great size and proportions. The E46 cars, whether 2 door or 4 door, are not too big and not too small. It literally feels like my 911 and E90 M3 mated and produced a child. The E46 is small enough to be nimble yet has a very nice size trunk and a good size interior. I find the coupe's back seats to be fairly decent size for being a small-ish coupe.

+While these cars are not light you can make them lighter, if you want to. They have a ton of sound deadening material and heavy seats. If you ever wanted to do AutoX or light track days you could strip the interior and put in lighter seats.

+Lots of aftermarket parts for these cars.

-The maintenance costs. The AT and SMG transmissions are expensive to maintain or replace. Go MT for sure if you want to ensure minimum running costs.

-The interior design wasn't great. A lot of the surfaces scratch easy so it's hard to find a clean car. The owner of a local German car parts shop told me the interiors of the E46 were made with materials that tend to disintegrate over time. Not an issue if you plan on stripping the interior and putting in Recaros :)

Good luck!

dec > Manuél Ferrari 10/08/2013 at 01:30

0

Thank you

Manuél Ferrari > dec 10/08/2013 at 02:01

0

You're welcome. One thing I just remembered - while it might go above your budget a little bit you may want to check out the ZHP edition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_3_Ser…