Insurance - 20 year old, E36 M3
Discussion
Oh for goodness sake! 'Don't get the best you can afford because you can't go any higher from there' and 'don't peak to soon'?!
What are people on about?
Sounds a little jealous and defeatist to me.
Like boxster's are the peak of anyone's motoring career?
If you love your cars then get the best you possibly can and enjoy it while you're young.
I had an e36 m3 cab at 24 and absolutely loved it, despite the £2k insurance.
I would give this advice though: Don't even think about it if it will be your first RWD car, or you generally don't feel too confident with RWD yet. M3s (in fact most BMWs) are very tale-happy and without experience you will crash it. Period. I had a 316 for a little while followed by a 325 before my m3 and was grateful for the opportunity to cut my teeth in something a bit less lethal.
Get something RWD but with a few less horses first, find some wet car parks, then roundabouts, then b roads, once your knowledge of weight transfer and opposite-lock etc. is basically second nature, then jump into an M-car.
Going for a classic first might be a way to insure something half-decent with a bit of character too.
How about an e30 325 sport, porsche 944 etc?
Try Lancaster insurance - always best for me.
What are people on about?
Sounds a little jealous and defeatist to me.
Like boxster's are the peak of anyone's motoring career?
If you love your cars then get the best you possibly can and enjoy it while you're young.
I had an e36 m3 cab at 24 and absolutely loved it, despite the £2k insurance.
I would give this advice though: Don't even think about it if it will be your first RWD car, or you generally don't feel too confident with RWD yet. M3s (in fact most BMWs) are very tale-happy and without experience you will crash it. Period. I had a 316 for a little while followed by a 325 before my m3 and was grateful for the opportunity to cut my teeth in something a bit less lethal.
Get something RWD but with a few less horses first, find some wet car parks, then roundabouts, then b roads, once your knowledge of weight transfer and opposite-lock etc. is basically second nature, then jump into an M-car.
Going for a classic first might be a way to insure something half-decent with a bit of character too.
How about an e30 325 sport, porsche 944 etc?
Try Lancaster insurance - always best for me.
Hello, sorry I haven't seen the replies until now.
Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
MiniMadMike said:
Hello, sorry I haven't seen the replies until now.
Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
That's a really good call mate, and with traction control and active yaw control will be much safer and more predictable than an M3.Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
If you do move onto an e36 m3 next though, remember they don't have any such driver aids except abs.
I'd say that's a very good thing, but something you need to remember if your previos car was 'helping you out' a bit.
MiniMadMike said:
Hello, sorry I haven't seen the replies until now.
Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
good call, i know where your coming from getting away from hatchbacks, im not a lover of small cars.....except an original mini. smallest car i have owned was a pug 306 TD. now im in a 250hp saab, granted its FWD which i would rather have rear but thats gonna be my next toy Taken all comments on board - good advice but regarding keeping with hatchbacks until I'm older - I've had a couple of hatchbacks, then a couple of company BMWs which this car will be replacing, I don't really want to take a backwards step. After much investigation I have now decided on an E46 330ci. They are fairly high mileage examples, but I should be able to get a decent SE model with fewer than 100k miles for my budget. Insurance is £1600 which i think is very reasonable. Should be a good motor for a few years until I can get into an M3, or maybe a Boxster or something. Thanks for the useful info though guys, much appreciated.
you looked at the e36 328i? still very quick (probably quicker than a 330 due to weight, especialy if you change the inlet manifold and remap) and still a very nice comftable car, just abit more raw than the e46.
Iv been looking at the exact same cars as you recently and am only a couple of years older at 22, i love the E36 M3 for its performance, looks and driver feedback, SO much fun to drive, but i love the e46 looks just that bit more, looks alot more modern BUT seemed a little less involving whilst driving, parts bit more to buy and less easy to work on so just couldnt decide!
so iv decided to get a TVR instead
good luck with whatever you get!
Iv been looking at the exact same cars as you recently and am only a couple of years older at 22, i love the E36 M3 for its performance, looks and driver feedback, SO much fun to drive, but i love the e46 looks just that bit more, looks alot more modern BUT seemed a little less involving whilst driving, parts bit more to buy and less easy to work on so just couldnt decide!
so iv decided to get a TVR instead
good luck with whatever you get!
Can you get it on limited mileage classic insurance?
Failing that, if I was you I would look around for a none M BMW. You could buy a top notch 328 or a damn good 330 and probably insure it as well, and in my (admittedly limited) experience it's a better car. I don't expect everyone to agree with that but I found my 328 more torquey and drivable than the M3 I drove, and while not as all out fast on a track, probably just as quick and enjoyable on any public road.
Failing that, if I was you I would look around for a none M BMW. You could buy a top notch 328 or a damn good 330 and probably insure it as well, and in my (admittedly limited) experience it's a better car. I don't expect everyone to agree with that but I found my 328 more torquey and drivable than the M3 I drove, and while not as all out fast on a track, probably just as quick and enjoyable on any public road.
AJS- said:
Can you get it on limited mileage classic insurance?
Failing that, if I was you I would look around for a none M BMW. You could buy a top notch 328 or a damn good 330 and probably insure it as well, and in my (admittedly limited) experience it's a better car. I don't expect everyone to agree with that but I found my 328 more torquey and drivable than the M3 I drove, and while not as all out fast on a track, probably just as quick and enjoyable on any public road.
That M3 must have been poorly mate. Failing that, if I was you I would look around for a none M BMW. You could buy a top notch 328 or a damn good 330 and probably insure it as well, and in my (admittedly limited) experience it's a better car. I don't expect everyone to agree with that but I found my 328 more torquey and drivable than the M3 I drove, and while not as all out fast on a track, probably just as quick and enjoyable on any public road.
I've owned and driven 316s 320s 325s 328s 330s M3s, and consider the M3 to be in a different league to be honest, especially in the low down torque stakes. I always found that with a really hard launch from standstill, the 325s are a bit lacking low-down and need to be launched around 3500rpm, but they pull well right upto the redline. The 328s are better from low revs but noticably breathless over 5500rpm. M3s pull like a train whatever the revs, it's impossible to launch them badly as they pull hard from like 1500rpm, all the way into the red at 7500. I'd say it's the flexibility and width of the powerband that really makes the M3 worthwhile.
I wonder if M3s are a little temperamental or very susceptable to a dip in performance due to very minor faults? I say this as there really do seem to be good ones and bad ones and they can drive quite differently.
ment to also say, as 22 i couldnt get classic insurance anywhere due to my age, once your past 25 your ok.
my money personaly would be on somthing like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1758752.htm
though obviosuly with a manual box, mint e36 328i sport, still looks the biz, wont depreciate any further if kept tidy and still very quick!
my money personaly would be on somthing like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1758752.htm
though obviosuly with a manual box, mint e36 328i sport, still looks the biz, wont depreciate any further if kept tidy and still very quick!
JonyPI said:
ment to also say, as 22 i couldnt get classic insurance anywhere due to my age, once your past 25 your ok.
my money personaly would be on somthing like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1758752.htm
though obviosuly with a manual box, mint e36 328i sport, still looks the biz, wont depreciate any further if kept tidy and still very quick!
I hate looking at UK car ads. That seems expensive to me but still, if it was here in Thailand it would probably be triple that.my money personaly would be on somthing like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1758752.htm
though obviosuly with a manual box, mint e36 328i sport, still looks the biz, wont depreciate any further if kept tidy and still very quick!
Why do people think that any car they can afford to buy is fair game to run?
£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
Fox- said:
Why do people think that any car they can afford to buy is fair game to run?
£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
Maybe he's budgeted for running costs and worked out what he can afford?£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
Besides, he only asked if we knew any tricks to get cheaper insurance...
ETA: Is a clutch considered a consumable now? You've been hit with a couple of bills back to back, but that's not going to happen every month. Inspection 2 for £300 sounds like a fault to me?
Edited by MSTRBKR on Sunday 20th June 18:08
MSTRBKR said:
Maybe he's budgeted for running costs and worked out what he can afford?
Maybe he has but I'd wager he probably hasn't!MSTRBKR said:
ETA: Is a clutch considered a consumable now?
Of course its a consumsable, it doesnt last for ever? It's also why a clutch isn't covered by a manufacturers warranty for example unless it fails very early on. It's a consumsable in the same way disks and pads are.MSTRBKR said:
Inspection 2 for £300 sounds like a fault to me?
How did you work that out, it's a routine service.Fox- said:
Why do people think that any car they can afford to buy is fair game to run?
£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
Would a clutch be much cheaper on anything else? Though if you did the work yourself it would be much cheaper. I used to get part worn tyres, you can get a damn good branded tyre for £20. You can get tons of stuff from scrap yards for next to nothing too, especially for cars that age. If it's only a fun car that doesn't do high miles you don't need to spend a fortune to run it. But yes, if you run it as per a new car and take it to a garage for everything then an old, high mileage car will cost you a fortune, and the more high performance and fun it is the more it will cost you.£4k 330Ci's are going to be a money sucking pit of annoyance, all cars like this at the bottom of the market are. A 330Ci or an M3 is not a car you buy for £4k if you have £4k to spend on a car, its a car you buy for £4k if you have £5k to spend on a car, or better still, a car you buy for £6-7k if you have £7-8k to spend on a car.
I'm getting a bit bored of the recent relentless expense on my 530i lately, £500ish for a clutch last month, 4 new tyres and allignment at £500 this month, Inspection 2 at £300 next month, and thats on a car I've owned and looked after very well for years and its all on consumables, not even breakdowns! So I can't see a £4k 330Ci being any less relentless, infact it'd probably be worse given the almost certain string of increasingly less than careful owners you'll find at this pricepoint.
It seems to be a bit like me running out and buying a 120k mile 996 Turbo becuase its 'in budget'.
A 10 year old 330 with around 100K on the clock should still have a good few years of life in it.
Fox- said:
MSTRBKR said:
Maybe he's budgeted for running costs and worked out what he can afford?
Maybe he has but I'd wager he probably hasn't!MSTRBKR said:
ETA: Is a clutch considered a consumable now?
Of course its a consumsable, it doesnt last for ever? It's also why a clutch isn't covered by a manufacturers warranty for example unless it fails very early on. It's a consumsable in the same way disks and pads are.MSTRBKR said:
Inspection 2 for £300 sounds like a fault to me?
How did you work that out, it's a routine service.'Inspection' is the sort of thing you say when a fault needed inspecting. It's defintely not the same as a service!
MSTRBKR said:
'Inspection' is the sort of thing you say when a fault needed inspecting. It's defintely not the same as a service!
I'm not going to argue with you about it - its the official name for the BMW servicing system on E39 and E46. The servicing scheme goes like this:Oil Service
Inspection 1
Oil Service
Inspection 2
Oil Service
etc.
If you dont like the name I suggest you take it up with Munich.
I'm aware that you dont always get this sort of cost every month, my point is that you never know when you will, though, and that you shouldn't buy this sort of car at this sort of pricepoint without having a grand or so in a warchest for when it inevitably will chuck bills at you.
And as for the guy who thinks you can buy a tyre for 20 quid!?! For a 230bhp BMW 330i?! Good idea.. not. If its even possible.
Fox- said:
MSTRBKR said:
'Inspection' is the sort of thing you say when a fault needed inspecting. It's defintely not the same as a service!
I'm not going to argue with you about it - its the official name for the BMW servicing system on E39 and E46.Fox- said:
And as for the guy who thinks you can buy a tyre for 20 quid!?! For a 230bhp BMW 330i?! Good idea.. not. If its even possible.
And why not? There are tons of perfectly good tyres on cars that are scrapped, crashed or just replaced because someone bought a different sized set of wheels. Why not use them? All tyres are part worn as soon as you drive them out of the fitters.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff