e46 or e36 328i

[JonX2C]

Hi All Need some help.

Im looking to pick something fun up this year.

I have started looking at the 328i BMW's and cant decide to go for an e36 or an e46.

I am looking to use the car for the following:

Weekend driver for me and the missus to use, do the shopping, go out, see friends and family, so must be reliable, comfortable and a non smoker, must run perfect, I dont want to pick something up that is going to cause problems.

However I also want to use the car as a fun track day car, not a serious track day, but something that I can drive up and down the country in every few months and also make 1 or 2 ring trips over the nexxt 12 months.

From speaking to friends the e36 is more of a drivers car, but most are well over 100,000 miles and dont look very tidy.

Compare this to the e46 which look a lot cleaner, lower miles and look more reliable.

So what are your thoughts.

is the 46 heavier and not so much fun on the track??

Pros and cons would be apprecaited.

Ta

[bluetone]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

HTH

[Shropshiremike]

JonX2C said:

is the 46 heavier and not so much fun on the track??


Ta

The E46 is a bit heavier according to the Autocar road tests - also a bit slower for both the examples they tested ( Touring and coupe ) compared to the E36 variants they tested. In reality there won't be much in it so best to go for whatever you prefer the 'feel' of to drive.
Had an E46 330i and currently got an older e36 328i. The E36 feels a bit less refined but a bit more 'alive' in the bends imo - still goes well though. I personally didn't like the steering feel on the early E46s....but then I found my E36 steering too slow as well. Both versions are easily rectified

[daveco]

I'd rather have a later sorted version of the E36 than an earlier verison of the E46. I had an E46 330ci; one of the earliest examples. It went well but its steering was shocking. The rear doesn't seem as planted as the facelift model as well. Go for the E36.

[Shropshiremike]

daveco said:

I'd rather have a later sorted version of the E36 than an earlier verison of the E46. I had an E46 330ci; one of the earliest examples. It went well but its steering was shocking. The rear doesn't seem as planted as the facelift model as well. Go for the E36.

Also, if it is a track car and you perhaps would like a LSD in it for some fun and stuff, it will work out a fair bit cheaper to get a std BMW one in an E36, either a 328i one or non-evo M3 one.
£300 - job done if you swap it yourself with the help of a mate

I think you'll either have to go for a Quaife ATB or aftermarket LSD one in an E46 ....and then get it built into the diff itself. Unless you happen upon one already done, it will cost a fair bit more

Just a thought

[nick1275]

id go e36, if you can get a sport as it will come with a lsd a slighty tweaked suspension. get on e36coupe.com and have a look around loads of info and cars for sale

[croyde]

Dunno about 100,000 milers but my E36 323 has 75 thou on the clock and drives like new.

[Shropshiremike]

nick1275 said:

id go e36, if you can get a sport as it will come with a lsd a slighty tweaked suspension. get on e36coupe.com and have a look around loads of info and cars for sale

Bear in mind it will have to be an early 328 Sport though to get a LSD - later E36s such as he was looking at will just have ASC ( unless they've been modded and had a LSD fitted )

[a_bread]

Shropshiremike said:

JonX2C said:

is the 46 heavier and not so much fun on the track??


Ta

The E46 is a bit heavier according to the Autocar road tests - also a bit slower for both the examples they tested ( Touring and coupe ) compared to the E36 variants they tested. In reality there won't be much in it so best to go for whatever you prefer the 'feel' of to drive.
Had an E46 330i and currently got an older e36 328i. The E36 feels a bit less refined but a bit more 'alive' in the bends imo - still goes well though. I personally didn't like the steering feel on the early E46s....but then I found my E36 steering too slow as well. Both versions are easily rectified

I have an E46 330Ci Sport from after the suspension / steering mods but before the facelift. It feels more meaty and connected in the steering, and more taut generally, than my friend's E36 323i coupe (not a 'sport' - I don't think they made a 323 sport), and they both have around 70k on the clock.

[Shropshiremike]

a_bread said:

Shropshiremike said:

JonX2C said:

is the 46 heavier and not so much fun on the track??


Ta

The E46 is a bit heavier according to the Autocar road tests - also a bit slower for both the examples they tested ( Touring and coupe ) compared to the E36 variants they tested. In reality there won't be much in it so best to go for whatever you prefer the 'feel' of to drive.
Had an E46 330i and currently got an older e36 328i. The E36 feels a bit less refined but a bit more 'alive' in the bends imo - still goes well though. I personally didn't like the steering feel on the early E46s....but then I found my E36 steering too slow as well. Both versions are easily rectified

I have an E46 330Ci Sport from after the suspension / steering mods but before the facelift. It feels more meaty and connected in the steering, and more taut generally, than my friend's E36 323i coupe (not a 'sport' - I don't think they made a 323 sport), and they both have around 70k on the clock.

Yep the altered suspension and steering came in with the Compact, not the facelift of the E46. They're all quicker racks than the E36 standard.....but not as fast a ratio as the Z3 which is the rack I've got on my E36

[clonmult]

Shropshiremike said:

JonX2C said:

is the 46 heavier and not so much fun on the track??


Ta

The E46 is a bit heavier according to the Autocar road tests - also a bit slower for both the examples they tested ( Touring and coupe ) compared to the E36 variants they tested. In reality there won't be much in it so best to go for whatever you prefer the 'feel' of to drive.
Had an E46 330i and currently got an older e36 328i. The E36 feels a bit less refined but a bit more 'alive' in the bends imo - still goes well though. I personally didn't like the steering feel on the early E46s....but then I found my E36 steering too slow as well. Both versions are easily rectified

That echoes my experiences - had an E46 318Ci as a hire car for a day (obviously it was caned), and compared to the E36 318iS I owned a little later, the E46 was definitely more refined, the E36 was slightly smaller and definitely more alive in the corners.

[A S P]

Had/have tourings of both. 1st was an E46 328, sold with 100k, replaced with an E36 328 that's just about to turn 200k. The E46 feels significantly more refined, better for day-to-day driving but get even just a little bit of twisty road and the E36 just feels much more nimble around you. It feels a lot smaller, lighter & vocal - almost a different class down in size. The E46 can be used occasionally as a 5 seater, the E36 is lousy for carrying people in the back.

Given the choice again it'd have to be the E36 if I had to have a 328, but a well sorted E46 330 over all others.

[Shropshiremike]

A S P said:

Had/have tourings of both. 1st was an E46 328, sold with 100k, replaced with an E36 328 that's just about to turn 200k. The E46 feels significantly more refined, better for day-to-day driving but get even just a little bit of twisty road and the E36 just feels much more nimble around you. It feels a lot smaller, lighter & vocal - almost a different class down in size. The E46 can be used occasionally as a 5 seater, the E36 is lousy for carrying people in the back.

Given the choice again it'd have to be the E36 if I had to have a 328, but a well sorted E46 330 over all others.

Yes, if you believe the Autocar test weights the E46 Coupe was about 110kg heavier than the E36 version.
The E46 328i Touring was 150kg heavier than the E36 version.
Obviously it depends on spec and equipment but that is the same as having an extra 1.5 people on board nearly.

From my own experience at the local weighbridge my E36 328i SE is 145kg lighter than the 330i saloon we had.

[nick1275]

Shropshiremike said:

nick1275 said:

id go e36, if you can get a sport as it will come with a lsd a slighty tweaked suspension. get on e36coupe.com and have a look around loads of info and cars for sale

Bear in mind it will have to be an early 328 Sport though to get a LSD - later E36s such as he was looking at will just have ASC ( unless they've been modded and had a LSD fitted )

true forgot that!

[clonmult]

Shropshiremike said:

nick1275 said:

id go e36, if you can get a sport as it will come with a lsd a slighty tweaked suspension. get on e36coupe.com and have a look around loads of info and cars for sale

Bear in mind it will have to be an early 328 Sport though to get a LSD - later E36s such as he was looking at will just have ASC ( unless they've been modded and had a LSD fitted )

ASC should be switched off or removed at the first opportunity. Its a complete waste of time, especially in the wet. If the 318iS ever started to kick its back out in the wet I was correcting it before the ASC light started to blink at me.

[Shropshiremike]

clonmult said:

Shropshiremike said:

nick1275 said:

id go e36, if you can get a sport as it will come with a lsd a slighty tweaked suspension. get on e36coupe.com and have a look around loads of info and cars for sale

Bear in mind it will have to be an early 328 Sport though to get a LSD - later E36s such as he was looking at will just have ASC ( unless they've been modded and had a LSD fitted )

ASC should be switched off or removed at the first opportunity. Its a complete waste of time, especially in the wet. If the 318iS ever started to kick its back out in the wet I was correcting it before the ASC light started to blink at me.

The E36 system is quite basic compared to the later systems but you do have the option to switch it off via the centre console switch. It works via a combination of ignition timing/shutting air to the engine and rear brake application