Monday 4th January 2016

BMW 328Ci: PH Carpool

This BMW-loving PHer couldn't say no to a 328Ci at £2K and has been rather enjoying it since

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Name: Gareth Crowe
Car: BMW 328Ci (E46)
Owned since: 2013
Previously owned: Lotus Elise 111S S2, Land Rover Defender 90, BMW 740i E38, Mercedes C180 W202 (bought for £475) and numerous company cars

Colour combo a big plus point for Gareth

Why I bought it: "I've always had a thing for BMWs; one of the first cars I drove was my dad's K-plate 24v E34 520i. I still can't resist a glance at the badge on the back of every BMW I see. To my eyes the E46 coupe (pre-facelift at least) remains one of BMW's finest (as well as the original 6 Series, the 8 Series and the M4). I had a company 323i Coupe some time ago which was great, but needed more poke.

"I paid £2,300 for the car which represented sensational value for money. It had done 105,000 miles, but my brother had a 220K E39 528i so I knew this car would do another 100K without significant work. I bought the car from a local garage who had taken it in part exchange. It came with the usual Mickey Mouse warranty but thankfully I didn't need it. On that point, the warranty was for major mechanicals only (for that read 'engine') and had a £250 claim limit. Really!"

It's a well travelled 3 Series!

What I wish I'd known: "Not a great deal. It's clear that reading Internet forums can send hares running unnecessarily. The web is full of horror stories of rear sub-frame cracking on the six-cylinder E46s. However, it's now done 140K and going strong."

Things I love: "The looks, particularly in this colour combination. The fact it has not been molested - I particularly like the orange indicators. I bought a whole set of rear lights on eBay for 99p which were so cheap because everyone wants clear lenses; to me a car should be completely original. The first owner specced it almost to perfection with a CD changer, electric sunroof, and heated leather seats. The only thing missing is cruise control.

"More than anything I love the way it goes - the engine is so silky smooth and strong after 140K miles it feels as if it will go forever. The headline power is somewhat laughable these days (195hp) but it must be stronger than that, even now. It's fast enough to deal with overtaking, but not so fast you can't rev it out and enjoy it. I love the steering, handling and manual gearbox too. Memory seats on a 90s BMW are a beautiful thing.

140,000 miles in and still going strong

"Despite being a coupe, it's surprisingly practical as the rear seats fold down - it's amazing what you can fit in."

Things I hate: "I dislike the fact so few seem to appreciate it. To most people (even many petrolheads) it's nothing more than an old banger. I think many news cars now are getting a little boring but the average punter seems to cherish a new plate as much as what it's attached to.

"Like many old BMWs there is an occasional shimmy through the steering under brakes but it seems to come and go. One of the previous owners took the first aid kit and the spark plug removal tool. Unforgiveable. Finally, I'm not a massive fan of the private plate a previous owner left on either (it should be a V-plate)."

Costs: "The absence of depreciation makes it cheap, much cheaper than a new 60-70 mpg motor. So too does its reliability; little other than routine maintenance has been required. Continentals are £90 a corner and last well. Average fuel consumption in the low to mid 30s is fine, dropping to 25mpg in town. Many car adverts say it will do 40mpg. It won't. Insurance is £350 per year and my local garage does all the maintenance which is reasonable.

Costs are low and fun is high - win!

"I had a new radiator and the discs and pads have been done too.

"The airbag light came on shortly after I bought the car - I should have taken it back to the garage (who had clearly fiddled with it), but I was so smitten with the car I didn't. This is now an MOT failure so I had to have it fixed by an electrician. This is a very common fault on these cars, caused by the failure of the passenger occupancy sensor."

Where I've been: "It's my only car currently so is used every day. I've just spent three weeks driving 3,500 miles around Europe with the Austrian Grand Prix as the final destination [apologies for the delay Gareth! - MB]. We went down through Germany (including the Nurburgring and Porsche Museum) and Switzerland to the Italian Lakes and back up to Vienna via the Grand Prix. We did the Susten Pass in Switzerland which was spectacular.

"I've also done a few track days at Castle Combe in it."

What's next?: "I spend many hours pondering this. I have no intention of selling the BMW but a Porsche Boxster S (986) or Mercedes SL (R129) would go in my garage very nicely. I'd really like a 911 (which one?!) but the running costs are a little prohibitive for the time being. Straight-six Z3s are starting to look better with age too. Let's see!

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[quavey]

Nice to see a pre-facelift SE with orange corners! Its quite pleasing these days!

She looks good and long may it continue to give you driving pleasure. I've owned (and still own) many different BMW's but I've never had an E46, although driven plenty, and been tempted many more times! I keep eyeing up 330ci's to make into a track car. Your euro trip looks fantastic I cant wait till our little boy is older and we can get back to doing them again!

One modification I might suggest, totally reversible and undetectable until being driven enthusiastically is to fit a good quality induction kit with a proper heat shield etc. Although it won't give you a huge amount of power it will release the wonderful induction noise of that straight 6. I had one on my E36 323i and also on the M3 Evo and what a noise! Best thing is that at light throttle it can't be detected so there is no downside.

I do also recall the E46 328i having a vacuum controlled flap in the back box, there was once a mod to take that pipe of to give you "both barrels" all the time and put a cap over the end of the pipe to stop a vacuum leak. Please correct if that is from something else.