Is it true, they don't make em like they used to?

[Al_g]

I currently drive a pretty tired 2005 BMW E46 330d Convertible, its been a great car and served me well for the last 8 years. It has covered just under 260K miles and is probably going to start costing some money to keep it on the road soon, so I thought maybe I'll look at replacing it? This is where the trouble starts.

First thing that hit me is the cost of second hand cars, to replace my car with its modern equivalent, a 430d about 8 years old and 60k miles seems to be about £20K 🤪

Next after coming to terms with that, it seems that according to the Internet I should expect my new car to be unreliable and expensive to fix 😮 it seems that modern BMW are made out of plastic including engine parts! And inherent issues with timing chains that cost >£1K to replace, really?!?

I looked at other brands (Merc, Audi, VW, Skoda) and they all seem to have their 'known' and potentially expensive issues.

So I'm thinking do they really not make em like they used to? My E46 has been pretty faultless until recently but it has done over 250k miles on original engine, gearbox, clutch, turbo, even the exhaust is the original one. Not bad for an 18 year old car.

Anyone recommend a car thats got a bit of go but good economy and comfortable (I do 20k motorway miles per year)? Or have I got it all wrong and the Internet is exagerating the reliability issues of modern cars and I'm worrying about nothing?

Opinions please

Al

[LordHaveMurci]

They still made E46’s in 2005?

[FMOB]

Modern cars are very different beasts to something from 2005.

More software/computer first, car second.

[5lab]

they've figured out how to make VANOS, engine bearing and rear subframes these days, so I guess they don't make them like they used to

old cars have known faults, new cars have known faults. the more research you do, the more you find thats going to explode on a given model.

electric cars have a lot less to go wrong, but may not be what you want/need

[Canon_Fodder]

How much was your old car when new OP - in real terms if poss?

[captain.scarlet]

LordHaveMurci said:

They still made E46’s in 2005?

There were a lot in 2005 from what I can remember and the E90 wasn't in showrooms until around summer that year, but like the OP's, I recall a lot of them being the sportier 330 etc.

I still remember the Top Gear review in which they seemingly grieved the end of the E46 and hailed the mk3 Mondeo. Jeremy Clarkson described the E90 as being bland and anonymous - what you bought if you just wanted to go out and just buy some bread. To quote him: if you wanted to "buy some car...it's just some car."

And the quip about the E90 they had in the studio looking like a it had castors as wheels. The alloys on that example were tiny!

[torqueofthedevil]

I know what you mean about cost of second hand cars, I had an e46 330d - £11k for a 5 yr old one at 80k miles in 2007, but seem about twice that for similar age and mileage now.

Got a 4 yr old m3 with 15k miles for £30k in 2015 but similar is probably 45k+ now?

Wouldn’t say newer cars are any less reliable though.

[HelldogBE]

Maybe it's a case that there is more known nowadays? As everyone posts on the internet whereas before more knowledge remained at the dealer and maybe owner clubs of certain cars? I'm sure certain cars were always expensive to run and many were ripe to throw away due to rust after 10yrs. Rebuilding an engine (or just components like a starter/alternator) is something reserved mostly for either oldtimers or race/rally cars.

But it's probably a fact that adding 4WD to most premium cars, auto boxes, placing timing chains on the rear of the engine (for pedestrian safety), DPFs and other more stringent emissions controls along with narrower tolerances due to more accurate models being used for decisions to do with cost and weight savings have probably perfected the art of making a car run perfectly for the first owner.

I'm afraid the E46, around the millenium came near the peak development for cars.

[Heathwood]

I think the mid to late noughties is potentially a bit of a sweet spot, where you’ll find a good balance of modern comforts and dependable engineering. Personally, I reckon if you stick with 6 cylinder engines, the bangle era cars are better than their predecessors.

[Al_g]

Canon_Fodder said:

How much was your old car when new OP - in real terms if poss?

I get your point, I paid £7k in 2014 but new was around 25-30k in 2005. I think I'm just an old git, still living in the past :-D

[McGee_22]

My daily drive is a 2001 E39, admittedly quite a nice one, an Alpina B10 V8 Touring, but I am sticking with it instead of buying anything to replace it.

I’ve been through some tough times with it but I’ve committed time and money and a bit of ingenuity to make it as good as new despite its 170k miles, and it drives as well as any new car after a suspension and steering link overhaul last year.

It has better AC than many newer cars (we have a 2015 435d Cab to compare) as well as every electric toy (there are lots) still working and useful conveniences such as bluetooth phone and streaming, sat nav, aux in, self levelling suspension, hydraulic powered tailgate, detachable tow hitch, roof bars and box, digital TV, DAB, HUD, auto dimming mirrors and an seemingly endless list of other stuff that I might struggle to find on any replacement.

The engine and gearbox pull like a train and I don’t want for anything quicker in the south east - the Alpina ride is still sublime so I cannot find anything that could replace it for the money I could put together from its sale and still feel as special as an Alpina like this does.

I know it’s faults and can after 12 years ownership check them ahead of time and even head them off with preventative maintenance or early replacement. It does 22mpg around town, 32 on a good run and even 37 if I drive Miss Daisy about - all with a NASCAR V8 growl on hand if needs be.

It still turns heads and my daughter delights in spotting who’s staring or pointing at it as we roll about in it. It gets used and sometimes abused, but it also gets cleaned, cared for and now cherished for being so damned good at what it does.

Edit. For a cost comparison the car was a highly specced Sytner demonstrator in 2001 and cost c£74,000 which equates to the cost of its latest generation B5 BiTurbo at c£150,000 today. I bought it in 2011 with c99k miles for £10,000.

Edited by McGee_22 on Monday 3rd July 22:51

[Al_g]

I guess my other option is to risk sinking a couple of grand into the old beamer and hopefully head towards the half million mile mark 🤣

[njw1]

LordHaveMurci said:

They still made E46’s in 2005?

They were still knocking out convertible and coupe e46's in 2006.