E46 M3? Should I buy?
Discussion
Wondering about reliability, running costs, mpg and any input PH members can provide on the E46 M3.
I'm currently driving a Toyota Celica (2002) and put 160,000 on the clock and she purrs like a kitten! Amazed how good this car's been but I've never had a BMW or German car.
See them listed in the classifieds for between £7k-£10k but with mileage around 80k-ish.
If it could run anything like my Celica, that mileage isn't going to be any kind of issue but I'm unsure what I could expect & hoped to have some light shed on this.
I'm currently driving a Toyota Celica (2002) and put 160,000 on the clock and she purrs like a kitten! Amazed how good this car's been but I've never had a BMW or German car.
See them listed in the classifieds for between £7k-£10k but with mileage around 80k-ish.
If it could run anything like my Celica, that mileage isn't going to be any kind of issue but I'm unsure what I could expect & hoped to have some light shed on this.
Hamster69 said:
If you are looking for a reliable BMW, the E46 really isn't the one to go for.
Mine have all been pretty reliable, just at the age they're at now they need a bit of preventative maintenance. OP loads of threads on here and elsewhere already for you to investigate. Subframe & oval mirror leakLeins said:
Mine have all been pretty reliable, just at the age they're at now they need a bit of preventative maintenance. OP loads of threads on here and elsewhere already for you to investigate. Subframe & oval mirror leak
What's the repair price of the subframe and mirror that's the safest bet assume its broken now or will fail so budget for it. Welshbeef said:
What's the repair price of the subframe and mirror that's the safest bet assume its broken now or will fail so budget for it.
No idea on repair, mine was preventative maintenance. MProve did the subframe (no cracks found) with plates & epoxy resin a couple of years ago for £1100. Had the gel replaced in my mirror and resealed by Radar Mirror in the US, which cost $110 returnedLeins said:
Hamster69 said:
If you are looking for a reliable BMW, the E46 really isn't the one to go for.
Mine have all been pretty reliable, just at the age they're at now they need a bit of preventative maintenance. OP loads of threads on here and elsewhere already for you to investigate. Subframe & oval mirror leakFor example, we scrapped my sisters e46 back in 2009 with 79,000 miles on it. The engine was tapping, the gearbox was droning, it was using oil at an incredible rate. Both rear springs were broken. The O/S/R brake seized on while she was driving so spectacularly that the driveshaft gaiter melted. The steering rack was leaking from both ends and the subframe was rotten.
On the other hand my E36 has now done 139,000 miles, has no real issues and drives lovely.
Hamster69 said:
I wasn't just being pessimistic. The E46, just like the W203, W211, 986, 996, was built around the turn of the century in the middle of the largest cost cutting programme Germany has seen since the war. All of these cars are known in the trade to be the black sheep in their respective families. Nothing against looks or styling. They were made cheap with cheap materials.
For example, we scrapped my sisters e46 back in 2009 with 79,000 miles on it. The engine was tapping, the gearbox was droning, it was using oil at an incredible rate. Both rear springs were broken. The O/S/R brake seized on while she was driving so spectacularly that the driveshaft gaiter melted. The steering rack was leaking from both ends and the subframe was rotten.
On the other hand my E36 has now done 139,000 miles, has no real issues and drives lovely.
Well the E90 is hugely well built IMHO from a reliability and longevity perspective. For example, we scrapped my sisters e46 back in 2009 with 79,000 miles on it. The engine was tapping, the gearbox was droning, it was using oil at an incredible rate. Both rear springs were broken. The O/S/R brake seized on while she was driving so spectacularly that the driveshaft gaiter melted. The steering rack was leaking from both ends and the subframe was rotten.
On the other hand my E36 has now done 139,000 miles, has no real issues and drives lovely.
The E46 M3 I drove had >>100k on it and it was in fine working order. I'd say you may have a point but due to the credit boom too many new to BMW buyers bought one and thought they could skimp on servicing... How many M3's etc do you see with ditch finders on them for example or those who DIY service a £60k car ... Nuts.
Mike22233 said:
rb5er said:
£900 for a new set of michelins and expensove services. Parts are expensive and it eats through them quickly.
No quicker than any other similar carClearly I'm generalising but the point stands an E46/36 M3 is very cheap to get into but servicing it isn't cheap and sadly some either cannot afford it or simply ignore it and pass the then ticking time bomb onto the next owner or suffer issues all down to servicing.
My cars have never wanted for anything even if Im chopping them I lots do the same - plenty do not.
So really buying on condition is even more important unless you are after concourse.
Welshbeef said:
Well the E90 is hugely well built IMHO from a reliability and longevity perspective.
The E46 M3 I drove had >>100k on it and it was in fine working order. I'd say you may have a point but due to the credit boom too many new to BMW buyers bought one and thought they could skimp on servicing... How many M3's etc do you see with ditch finders on them for example or those who DIY service a £60k car ... Nuts.
Why is DIY servicing an e46 M3 today.... nuts? The E46 M3 I drove had >>100k on it and it was in fine working order. I'd say you may have a point but due to the credit boom too many new to BMW buyers bought one and thought they could skimp on servicing... How many M3's etc do you see with ditch finders on them for example or those who DIY service a £60k car ... Nuts.
Hamster69 said:
I wasn't just being pessimistic. The E46, just like the W203, W211, 986, 996, was built around the turn of the century in the middle of the largest cost cutting programme Germany has seen since the war. All of these cars are known in the trade to be the black sheep in their respective families. Nothing against looks or styling. They were made cheap with cheap materials.
For example, we scrapped my sisters e46 back in 2009 with 79,000 miles on it. The engine was tapping, the gearbox was droning, it was using oil at an incredible rate. Both rear springs were broken. The O/S/R brake seized on while she was driving so spectacularly that the driveshaft gaiter melted. The steering rack was leaking from both ends and the subframe was rotten.
On the other hand my E36 has now done 139,000 miles, has no real issues and drives lovely.
Your sister had a cack one, I've owned mine over 5 years and it's been 100% reliable, better than the E36 328 it replaced.For example, we scrapped my sisters e46 back in 2009 with 79,000 miles on it. The engine was tapping, the gearbox was droning, it was using oil at an incredible rate. Both rear springs were broken. The O/S/R brake seized on while she was driving so spectacularly that the driveshaft gaiter melted. The steering rack was leaking from both ends and the subframe was rotten.
On the other hand my E36 has now done 139,000 miles, has no real issues and drives lovely.
Mike22233 said:
mark.c said:
Why is DIY servicing an e46 M3 today.... nuts?
YH....don't get thatI know guys who DIY their lambos
There are plenty of owners who are doing complete engine/gearbox rebuilds on their Ferrari's too!
Welshbeef said:
.......How many M3's etc do you see with ditch finders on them for example or those who DIY service a £60k car ... Nuts.
It's not a £60K car anymore though is it? - It's now a £5K ~ £15K car.Added to which, it's a car made pretty much exactly the same way as any other car, held together with nuts, bolts, screws, clips, clamps etc., etc.
The car has not been assembled using unique methods that no other vehicle has ever used, Hell, it's wasn't even totally handbuilt as the original M-cars were! - It was assembled on the exact same production lines as the bog standard E46's, by the exact same production operators!
Any talented mechanic would be easily capable of working on an E46 M3, be they professionally qualified or not.
selym said:
mark.c said:
Why is DIY servicing an e46 M3 today.... nuts?
What do they say about a fool and his money?
agreed, granted some people don't like tinkering or can be arsed but to send an E46 M3 into a dealership or garage just because it was 60k new is just a plain waste of money. I get annoyed because my CSL has to go to a garage for servicing since its under BMW's warranty, if it wasn't it would definitely get diy'd like the rest do. Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff