330D - Low-mileage E46 vs High-mileage E90

[Mazdarese]

Good Morning

I know, you should always buy on condition and not mileage, but there's generally a correlation between the two. A car with over 100k on it is usually going to be a little bit more 'worn' than one with 35k on, for example.

I'm spending a lot of money on fuel at the moment in the Mazda, and every now and then I find myself browsing classifieds like I'm sure we all do. If I had to move to the dark side (diesel) I'd really like a Merc CLS but they're still a bit expensive and I think maybe a bit wafty for me. I've always liked the E46 and I quite like the E90 with a good spec.

So, for the same money, would you go for a nice low-mileage 2004 (for example) E46 or a 2007 model E90 with stellar mileage?

I will probably be adding about 20k miles a year to it myself, and my long-term goal to keep me happy would be to get a Caterfield of sorts for the summer at some point too.

Oh, and is the engine the same in both cars? I know the earlier E46 330d's had less power than the newer ones.

Cheers all

[Mazdarese]

Cheers Chaps

So two votes for the E90 (Why didn't I do a poll?!).

I must admit I was surprised to see that you can get a decent spec E90 for around £9k, obviously with high mileage.

Time to do one of my famous total cost of ownership spreadsheets I think

[Mazdarese]

soda said:

The E46 will be 204bhp, E90 is a bit more but not sure on exact figures.

That E46 is overpriced IMO, you could pick a decent example up for half that money.

I think the earlier E46's are 204bhp but the newer ones are 231bhp?

I wouldn't actually consider that particular E46, it was just the first one I saw.

hornetrider said:

DannyVTS said:

Why not look at the 325D as an option? 60 in 7ish seconds and maybe a bit more economical/cheaper? One of them showed my Saxo up!

I could show your Saxo up on my pushbike

Yep, I'm open to suggestions on which diesel engine to go for. I didn't want too much of a come-down in terms of power though, so would probably (dare I say it) get the diesel remapped.

[Mazdarese]

Chrisw666 said:

The E90 325d should be a little cheaper but AFAIK is the same as the 330d with milder mapping.

If it is cheaper to buy and insure then it could be a good option if the E90 is the one you choose.

That's a good call. There doesn't seem to be many of them around though.

[Mazdarese]

Caulkhead said:

Mazdarese said:

I must admit I was surprised to see that you can get a decent spec E90 for around £9k, obviously with high mileage.

Why are you surprised? The owners want to off-load them before the turbo, the injectors, the DMF and the DPF need replacing. . . . . .

This is what I'm concerned about! Saying that though, I think a lot of these cars are ex-lease so should have a decent maintenance history with them.

[Mazdarese]

soda said:

Early E46 with 2926cc is 184bhp, 2993cc E46 is 204bhp. 231bhp must be the E90.

I'd go E46 personally, nice cabin to spend time in and very handy on the B roads in SE spec

E90 is a bit more refined, better choice for motorway work although I haven't driven the 330d variant to comment on that aspect.

If you are considering a remap avoid the 25d, no point spending money to get it to 330d performance when you can get the 330d and enjoy even more grunt

FWIW I cover around 20k in my E46, consistently mid 40's mpg although it drops to around 40 in very cold weather. I do like to make progress as well.

Cheers for that. I suppose I could get an E46 for around £5k with average miles? This looks nice.

Caulkhead said:

Buy one, but stick £3k in a slush fund to fix it when it goes. Or keep your 6 and spend the £3k and cost to change on a Remus exhaust, a Sanspeed remap and many tankfulls of V-Power. . . . .

You're not helping! I was that close to ordering an induction kit and Hypertech module at the weekend. 300bhp in the click of a button.

[Mazdarese]

Vladimir said:

To the OP - 300bhp with a remap and induction kit? Possibly a wee bit optimistic!

The car is around 260bhp as standard, so 40bhp more isn't that optimistic really. I was also planning a cat replacement pipe which is supposed to help.

Thanks for all the advice Gents. Depending on how my work situation changes in the next few weeks I'll be making a decision.

[Mazdarese]

Vladimir said:

Mazdarese said:

The car is around 260bhp as standard, so 40bhp more isn't that optimistic really. I was also planning a cat replacement pipe which is supposed to help.

Thanks for all the advice Gents. Depending on how my work situation changes in the next few weeks I'll be making a decision.

No 330d is 260bhp as standard.

Current version is 241bhp although some may kick out more (mine kicks out 15bhp more than quoted for example). A 59bhp increase is a fair bit.

I was talking about my Mazda.

[Mazdarese]

Caulkhead said:

Just remember, as soon as you swap your AWD for BMW rear drive,it will snow all winter!

Guaranteed! My next-door neighbour, bless her, had an E90 320d for a year and sold it because she couldn't control it in the snow.