£9000 E46 M3 - Trouble?

[Sonofabeesting]

Hi

So I am looking for a new car and I was looking at E92 330 coupe at the weekend. They seemed a bit ropey for my budget (around £12000).

So I started looking at E46 M3. I see there about £9000 for a 2002/3 model with about 60,000 on the clock. I only do about 8000 miles a year. Would these cars be big bill central considering the age they at now?

Thanks

[andy43]

My BMW indie swears the E92 is a complete nightmare - engine bay packaging, alloy-to-steel corrosion on the suspension just for starters. 330 turbo - 2 days labour. Shock absorber - 2+ hours as everything's all corroded together. E46 much easier to work on.
A tidy E46 M3 vs tired E92 330 - I'd risk the //M tax and go with the older car.

[redgriff500]

It should be fine.

Obviously it'll cost more to run than a Focus but compared to similar cars they are a very sensible choice.

[_Neal_]

M3 sounds like a good call if you get a good one - there's lots available, but do your research before buying, and ideally get an independent pre-purchase inspection (especially of the rear subframe). Get on M3cutters and start reading!

[nottyash]

I paid 9 grand for mine last year. I stuck a clutch and a couple of tyres on it along with an inspection 1 service and it stood me at £10200.
I sold it at £8000, and it could of done with front discs as they were starting to judder at speed.
I would say keep a grand back just in case, but they are great cars.

[Sidewindow]

Not necessarily trouble at all - as usual buy on condition not mileage. Look for a standard car that's had the boot floor/subframe mounts checked and repaired if needed. Brakes and tyres are expensive, servicing isn't too bad if you use a specialist, fuel economy is impressive considering the banzai performance (mine averaged 27mpg). The 1200 mile running in check is essential so check for the service stamp, very important for re-sale. I had mine 2 years and it was faultless. It's a buyer's market so you should find a good one!

[johnnyBv8]

That sounds quite a high price for a 2002/3 E46 I think, though the low mileage will help I guess. I know a couple of people that have bought decent ones with 80-90l for about £6500....huge amount of car for the money.

[danp]

the 52 plate with 1 owner and 74k doesn't look bad? (up for 8k)

http://www.sovereign-trading.co.uk/

[Baz Tench]

I paid £7.5k for my 126000 mile 2003 example about 6months ago and it's absolutely brilliant! Ok, it's not mint, but mechanically it has wanted for nothing over the years and it shows.

Maybe I've been lucky, but I would say go for it!

Mine is a manual btw, I've never driven an SMG2 version, although I have heard lots of for and against opinions on it.

[m444ttb]

Assuming it passes all the usual inspection of the car and history the only thing I'd do is try to stash a rear subframe fund away. My friend runs a BMW specialist and the number he's doing is just going up and up. I'd risk it though.

[Zwolf]

andy43 said:

My BMW indie swears the E92 is a complete nightmare - engine bay packaging, alloy-to-steel corrosion on the suspension just for starters. 330 turbo - 2 days labour. Shock absorber - 2+ hours as everything's all corroded together. E46 much easier to work on.
A tidy E46 M3 vs tired E92 330 - I'd risk the //M tax and go with the older car.

I'd have reservations about a specialist that has issues with the 330's turbo. 335 of course is a different matter.

Of the two the OP is considering, I'd be going for the E46 M3 too. A regular 330 just doesn't compare to the S54's considerable charms.

Other factors that can only be answered by trying them out are manual vs. SMG (I'm one of few who are equally happy with either) or 18 vs. 19 inch wheels - and if 19s, original double spokes, genuine CS/CSLs or fake ones - it's the weight of them that changes the feel of the car noticeably. The convertible and coupé drive differently enough too.

A manual on 18s in Phoenix Yellow, Imola Red or Laguna Seca Blue with the matching interiors would be perfect, but used car availability is rarely as simple as that. If you're prepared to wait a bit though, there are so many of them in the marketplace, that you will find what you're looking for eventually as there were more E46 M3s built than all the previous generations of M3 added together, around 20,000 of all UK E46 M3 variants combined.

[andy43]

Zwolf said:

I'd have reservations about a specialist that has issues with the 330's turbo. 335 of course is a different matter.

M'kay, could have been a 335.
Suspension dropped, subframe and brakes as well from memory. Half the induction stuff off and out of the way. On a manual you just pull the whole engine and 'box out, but this was an auto - apparently the 'lectrics are much more complex so they were just raising the engine up a bit to see if they could get clearance. Looked an absolute bloody nightmare. Then they showed me the mess a road atlas left on the plastic shelf at the side of the boot on a metal-roofed E92 convertible can do
Patching up the ripped arse of an E46 M3 with some angle iron and an arc welder would be a walk in the park in comparison.