Why is the E46 compact so overlooked?

[ExPat2B]

300bhp/ton said:

kambites said:

was8v said:

Its seems nuts that they are off the average petrolheads radar purely because it has a slightly better looking and more powerful sibling.

In my case, they'd be off the radar because they don't seem to offer anything over the estate version, except a fairly small saving in initial purchase price.

Smaller and cheaper?

Not sure I understand the estate reference. In that sense what does a Focus hatch offer over a Focus Estate?

For me it's looks and image. If you're a family man and need an estate, then fair do's. But it ain't a cool image. And being young and single in an estate is just odd or weird, or maybe declaring that they've already given up and will be getting an MPV next

I'm not really a hatchback fan. But if you are a young 20 something and don't really need more than 2 proper seats, then I think the Compact is far more key. You'd want a pipe and slippers if you went with the estate.

Crikey ! I agree with 300BHP !

I drove hatches/coupes all the way through my twenties. I have a saloon car now, but I rarely use the back seats...I similarly fail to understand why *all* people would need or prefer an estate............

I have to say this thread has opened my eyes about the E46 compact - never having researched it, I kind of assumed it would use the earlier E36 rear suspension the same way the orignal used the E30 rear suspension. One of my friends paid 8000£ for his fully optioned 330 CI Sport, which is undoubtedly the "ultimate" choice, and very, very nice it looks too with its low stance and big wheels.

However........You can get a Compact for half the price of the Coupe. Its 80% of the car for half the price, I don't think you can argue that it is anything other a bargain, and overlooked for no good reason other than prejudice. Looking at the prices on autotrader for more comparable models, it appears that you could get a compact that is a year newer and about 30,000 miles less than a saloon or estate. Thanks pistonheads for bringing this to my attention.

[Smike]

ExPat2B said:

I have to say this thread has opened my eyes about the E46 compact - never having researched it, I kind of assumed it would use the earlier E36 rear suspension the same way the orignal used the E30 rear suspension.

Effectively, it practically does Pat

I quite enjoyed the one I drove for a while



Could have done with the 2.5 ( or even BM plonking the 3 litre in ) in but felt quite a wieldy little car compared to the saloon. The looks don't bother me really but then I like the 309Gti, Alfa 75 and SZ to look at which are all a bit of an 'acquired' taste and a bit 'slabby' at the rear

[vsonix]

I'm a bit biased; I drive a late e36 318ti and love it to bits - as a driver's car it's great fun. I would definitely consider an e46 Compact although they are very challenging to like aesthetically. The later facelifted models are just about OK, since they toned down the 'Lexus' look tails to a more sedate smoked/red affair, but the headlights just aren't consistent with any other BMW so the car ends up looking like something brand engineered a la GM. This actually could hold some water - at the time BMW launched the e46 Compact they owned Rover - and if you look at the e46/5's headlights they do have a big flavour of contemporary Rover design. possibly indicating that at the time they were looking at a platform share between the marques.

[Kentish]

vsonix said:

I'm a bit biased; I drive a late e36 318ti and love it to bits - as a driver's car it's great fun. I would definitely consider an e46 Compact although they are very challenging to like aesthetically. The later facelifted models are just about OK, since they toned down the 'Lexus' look tails to a more sedate smoked/red affair, but the headlights just aren't consistent with any other BMW so the car ends up looking like something brand engineered a la GM. This actually could hold some water - at the time BMW launched the e46 Compact they owned Rover - and if you look at the e46/5's headlights they do have a big flavour of contemporary Rover design. possibly indicating that at the time they were looking at a platform share between the marques.

I think the front end styling harks back to a more traditional and distinctive BMW look and that BMW injected that look into some of the Rover range when they bought out Rover.

[vsonix]

Kentish said:

vsonix said:

I'm a bit biased; I drive a late e36 318ti and love it to bits - as a driver's car it's great fun. I would definitely consider an e46 Compact although they are very challenging to like aesthetically. The later facelifted models are just about OK, since they toned down the 'Lexus' look tails to a more sedate smoked/red affair, but the headlights just aren't consistent with any other BMW so the car ends up looking like something brand engineered a la GM. This actually could hold some water - at the time BMW launched the e46 Compact they owned Rover - and if you look at the e46/5's headlights they do have a big flavour of contemporary Rover design. possibly indicating that at the time they were looking at a platform share between the marques.

I think the front end styling harks back to a more traditional and distinctive BMW look and that BMW injected that look into some of the Rover range when they bought out Rover.

Could have gone either way I suppose; ultimately I think the fact that the front and rear ends were not consistent with the design language used on the other e46 3xx models hurt its appeal. If it had been released as a 2 series or something like that it probably would have made a bit more sense. At least the e36ti looked like part of the same family.