E46 advice please
Discussion
Search being what it is, I've not really found what I'm looking for - sorry if this gets asked every week in here...
Previously I've tended towards traditional sports cars but my commute has changed and I now spend most of my time doing stop/start driving around town. I was thinking of changing to an E46 so I could at least do the journey in relative comfort.
I've never bought a car like the E46 and the array of options & specs is a bit confusing. I'm also slightly concerned about scare stories involving rear subframes, disintegrating springs, etc. The (relative) complexity of the cars is also something I've not experienced before. Does all the technology simply work, or would I be plagued with warning lights and failures of obscure sensors, etc?
Could anyone give me a brief overview of the 6 cylinder range? Currently I'm thinking of a 320ci or 325ci (manual) but in terms of mpg there doesn't seem to be much difference across the range - should I just get a 330ci instead? How common are these 'common' problems?
Is SE/Sport etc just a matter of preference or are there certain options that are must haves?
Thanks in advance!
Previously I've tended towards traditional sports cars but my commute has changed and I now spend most of my time doing stop/start driving around town. I was thinking of changing to an E46 so I could at least do the journey in relative comfort.
I've never bought a car like the E46 and the array of options & specs is a bit confusing. I'm also slightly concerned about scare stories involving rear subframes, disintegrating springs, etc. The (relative) complexity of the cars is also something I've not experienced before. Does all the technology simply work, or would I be plagued with warning lights and failures of obscure sensors, etc?
Could anyone give me a brief overview of the 6 cylinder range? Currently I'm thinking of a 320ci or 325ci (manual) but in terms of mpg there doesn't seem to be much difference across the range - should I just get a 330ci instead? How common are these 'common' problems?
Is SE/Sport etc just a matter of preference or are there certain options that are must haves?
Thanks in advance!
Went through similar myself a few months ago. I did know that I wanted an E46 coupe and preferably a six cylinder one. You will soon notice from the replies that most will say if you're going for a 'six' you may as well go for the 330 (like I did). The engine is the same, just larger capacity. The fuel consumption is very similar and the servicing costs the same. Insurance is likely to be a little higher on a 330 over a 320 I guess.
Rear subframe tears happen mostly on early E46's I believe (<2000). Someone will corect me if I'm wrong. Spring failures do happen, as they do on many cother cars, but they're not particularly expensive to replace. Front wishbone bushes deteriorate and will need replacing, but again, the cost isn't silly.
Generally these cars are very reliable. Servicing costs, especially if you have a good independent specialist nearby, are ok.
As for Sport or SE. Well it is all down to personal taste. I went for the Sport (external body styling, sport seats, sport suspension). The ride is very firm and the wide tyres on 18" wheels can lead to some tramlining. If you want a softer ride then go for the SE.
Get the best specification you can. Harmon Kardon stereo, Sat-Nav/TV xenons, etc are all worth having. I love my six speed manual and would not have bought an auto - but again, this is personal.
Good luck hunting down the right car. If you get one you will not regret it.
Rear subframe tears happen mostly on early E46's I believe (<2000). Someone will corect me if I'm wrong. Spring failures do happen, as they do on many cother cars, but they're not particularly expensive to replace. Front wishbone bushes deteriorate and will need replacing, but again, the cost isn't silly.
Generally these cars are very reliable. Servicing costs, especially if you have a good independent specialist nearby, are ok.
As for Sport or SE. Well it is all down to personal taste. I went for the Sport (external body styling, sport seats, sport suspension). The ride is very firm and the wide tyres on 18" wheels can lead to some tramlining. If you want a softer ride then go for the SE.
Get the best specification you can. Harmon Kardon stereo, Sat-Nav/TV xenons, etc are all worth having. I love my six speed manual and would not have bought an auto - but again, this is personal.
Good luck hunting down the right car. If you get one you will not regret it.
I bought my 330ci sport about 4 years ago and have done almost 70k miles since then.
The only warning lights I've seen are the low oil light (she does like a litre once every 2000 miles now), tyre pressure light (yellow for low pressure and red for very low or puncture) and traction control when I'm playing around.
When I first got it, the battery kept dying which caused the alarm to go off incessantly. It was tracked down to the Motorola car phone draining the battery and it's been fine since.
The oil pressure sensor went wrong at about 105k and cost £150ish to get fixed.
I had a cracked rear alloy at last MOT and that was £400.
MPG has been around 28mpg on average.
The 330ci especially is prone to a bit of tramlining (due to wide tyres and heavy engine) but you do get used to it after a while.
Everything else has worked very well and I'd be keeping mine if I didn't have money burning a hole in my pocket and a hankering after a Z or M BMW.
The only warning lights I've seen are the low oil light (she does like a litre once every 2000 miles now), tyre pressure light (yellow for low pressure and red for very low or puncture) and traction control when I'm playing around.
When I first got it, the battery kept dying which caused the alarm to go off incessantly. It was tracked down to the Motorola car phone draining the battery and it's been fine since.
The oil pressure sensor went wrong at about 105k and cost £150ish to get fixed.
I had a cracked rear alloy at last MOT and that was £400.
MPG has been around 28mpg on average.
The 330ci especially is prone to a bit of tramlining (due to wide tyres and heavy engine) but you do get used to it after a while.
Everything else has worked very well and I'd be keeping mine if I didn't have money burning a hole in my pocket and a hankering after a Z or M BMW.
My 320Ci was doing 31MPG on a mix of town driving and majory A roads. Now i'm on the motorway for 75% of my commute, I'm touching 35.5MPG on average. I've heard 330's shouldn't be much less economical than that.
A little hungry on oil I've found, but this is a common issue with the 6 cylinders I have heard.
A little hungry on oil I've found, but this is a common issue with the 6 cylinders I have heard.
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