Help deciding on E46 model - M3/330ci/325ci

[E46-Dream]

Hi all,

Finally at a point where I am able to purchase the dream car - E46, was hoping to get some help/advice around the specific model to purchase and general information on prices, they seem to be incredible varied!

Important to note: I do not expect to sell/trade car at any time, buying for keep

Questions:
1. Which model would you suggest for my use case?
2. What are your thoughts on the current market prices below?
3. Are there any newer alternatives you would suggest? (Any brand/model is helpful) I obviously want an E46, but answering this question would be helpful to weigh up the opportunity cost.

Car usage

1. Weekend car (c. 3-5k miles/year)
2. Odd track day here and there (maybe 5x a year)
3. Learn more about DIY car maintenance and care

Must haves

1. Manual transmissions
2. Convertible

I have narrowed down the selection to: M3, 330ci (Less performance but significantly cheaper than M3), 320ci (possible to find extremely low mileage versions)

Rough prices - M3

1. Low Mileage - 20-40k mileage = £29k - £15k (53/54 plate 2004)
2. High Mileage - 100k+ mileage = £12k - £10k (04 plate 2004)

Rough prices - 330ci

1. Low Mileage - 70k mileage = £6k (54 plate 2004)
2. High Mileage - 140k mileage = £2.5k (55 plate 2005)

Rough prices - 325ci

1. Low Mileage - 50k mileage = £6k (54 plate 2004)
2. High Mileage - 108k-115k mileage = £3k (04 plate 2004)

In summary, without further information on specific repairs/fixes that have gone in to each listing:

1. M3 is 71%+ (up to 485%) more expensive than the 330ci/325ci
2. Not much price difference between the 330/325 the main difference is mileage - how important is this on a like for like example? I am guessing not hugely given other research and reading other forum threads
3. The 325ci examples look visually better kept than the 330ci

Thanks for the help!

[TerryHarman]

Has to be the m3 .... was looking myself before the covid outbreak set me back a bit financially....just one thing I wouldn’t be doing track days in a convertible

[mat205125]

M3 will be more to buy, to fuel, and to maintain, however will hold its value far better than any vanilla 3 series.

It will be a joy to drive, with a huge following and abundance to legitimate aftermarket options for improvement.

Purely personal preference, however I'd always go for a coupe over a convertible. The penalty for weight and rigidity isn't worth it. Maybe try and find a sunroof car if you can.

I've had three generations of M3, and keep coming back for more ...... depending on how far the budget can stretch, maybe consider an E92 V8 Manual coupe too. There are deals to be had in these strange times, where people might want to release capital from their toy collections.

[RobM77]

The M3 is obviously the best choice from a driving point of view, as it was designed for what you've listed, but it can be a money pit when old, so personally I'd find a clean non-M model and modify it slightly, probably with different suspension and better brakes. The only trouble is how those non-M cars drive - I had a 2000 model 330ci (bought at 28k miles from a BMW dealer in 2003) and the delay on the drive by wire throttle was just over a second, which made it frustrating and impossible to control properly at speed. Not only that, if you even thought about triggering the TC, even for a split second, it would kill all power for what seemed like an age, and when it gave you back control, without any feedback your right foot could be anywhere, so if it was too far down that would trigger it all again. I've been racing 20 years in all sorts of cars and am very comfortable on track, but there's no way on this earth I'd want to take an early E46 on track for this reason alone, and I'd be wary of a later one. The later cars were better, but they were still never great. My early car also had very imprecise steering; there was about an inch of play at the steering wheel. Awful thing. The M3, which I've also driven, felt much like the 330ci unless you were pressing on, but it still had a small throttle delay. I loved my two E36s and my two E90s but my E46 was a lemon, and I've yet to drive one I liked.

I will now prepare to be told I'm wrong by all the people I've upset.

[anonymous-user]

Have you thought about an Alpina B3?

3.3 E46 Cabs are out there and whilst they're pricey they're also rare and numbered so should maintain that value, perhaps more than an M3.

Yes, they're auto, but it's a switch tronic unit so you have some control.

Otherwise it would be the M3. But you're right the 330 is a relative bargain, just more subdued.

[g3org3y]

If it's a dream and you're buying to keep - M3.

[Hungrymc]

I ran an E46M3 cab for a few years. Isn't a light car (although I did spend a couple of days at the ring with it).

The engine was lovely although needs revs to feel fast. The handling was brilliant, the most predictable oversteery car that I've ever owned.

[ZX10R NIN]

The convertible isn't as agile as the coupe & you feel the weight penalty on all models with trackdays in mind it has to be the M3 the slower depreciation will help offset the extra fuel/maintenance costs.

[StuTheGrouch]

g3org3y said:

If it's a dream and you're buying to keep - M3.

This.

I've had a manual 330Ci and loved it (longest I ever kept a car too). They are great cars, but the M3 will be far more special.

Anything less than a 330 simply won't be worth looking at. I test drove a 325 before buying my 330, owned a 323 before the 330 and have driven an M3 too. The difference in power is quite obvious between the three, with the 325 being mediocre at best.

I did a lot of work on my 330 too over the years- CVV (long job), entire cooling system, multiple oil gaskets (they like to leak), brake calipers, discs and pads etc etc. The e46s are nice to work on, generally speaking (though that CVV job was a bd!).

[PurpleTurtle]

I had an E46 330 Ci Cab from new for 2 years, then a few other cars, now I've got an SMG E46 M3 Cab which I've had as my daily for 13 years, but only do about 4k miles a year these days.

The M3 engine noise and response is fabulous, I never tire of it. However, parts and servicing are all more expensive. My driver's side front wing has just rusted on the top of the arch - they all do that Sir. The cost of a replacement genuine M wing is eye-watering, pattern panels are not available. It would be a relatively cheap fix on the non-M car but genuine panel + paint is going to be approaching a four figure bill. If buying one of this age check those arches.

The 330Ci was a lovely car for daily driving, I had a lot of fun in it. The M3 needs to be revved a lot more to eke out its performance. On balance I would probably go for a nice sorted, low mileage 330 and spend the considerable difference on something else.

[Mr Tidy]

If it is a dream that is affordable OP then it has to be the M3. But be prepared for literally everything to cost more!

I fulfilled a dream when I bought a Z4M Coupe in December (same engine as the E46 M3) to replace a 3 litre Z4 Coupe and it got an Inspection 2 service last week. Even at an ex-Sytner Indy it was £500 with me supplying the engine oil! I'm not sure an M3 is a good choice for learning DIY though.

As others have said, if you plan to track it a Coupe is a better idea as the shell is stiffer. But whichever M3 model the boot floor needs checking as they are known to crack.

Having said all that what you have been used to before may have a bearing - if you haven't yet had anything particularly quick you'd probably find a 330i would feel pretty fast. But I wouldn't bother with a 325i - they cost the same to run as the 330i so you might as well get the bigger one!

Good luck anyway.