e46... but which one??

[somnv]

Hi

I'm thinking of buying a BMW e46, a 6 cylinder model but am not sure which engine to go for. Which one is generally regarded as the best engine option overall, 323, 325, 328 or 330?

Also, which is generally the most reliable model?

I guess I would be looking to spend between £3k and £4.5k

Thanks

[Luca Brasi]

323 and 328 are pre-facelift and use the older M52 engine. The other 2 are facelift models with the newer M54. Apart from the known E46 faults (bushes, cooling system, rear subframe (especially PFL) etc.) they are very reliable (or at least mine is).

I have a 325 but only because it's cheaper tax and insurance wise over here; it's more than quick enough for daily use but a 330 is definitely the one I'd go for. Not sure you're going to find one for that money though.

[rich85uk]

330 but then i would say that

as the other poster said not sure you would find one on your budget, and if you do it would probably be abit of a dog and will more than likely have all the common faults

personally on that budget i would rather a tidy e36 328 coupe and keep the change

[Welshbeef]

I'd go for the 3.2m3

[Nedz]

Welshbeef said:

I'd go for the 3.2m3

Not with £4.5k!

[Fox-]

Welshbeef said:

I'd go for the 3.2m3

Excellent, please find us one for £4k.

[taylor86]

If your after a 6 cylinder then the 330 is the one to go for costs are more or less identical to the lower sized 6 cylinders.

At your budget your looking at 100,000 miles 2001/2002 era assuming you want a sport version.

I have seen a few nice 50,000 mile pre facelifts knocking about for 5.5 to 6k sure you can't up your budget slightly? It would make sense in the long run with lower (potentially of course) maintenance costs.

[Gad-Westy]

I pondered the same question a few months ago (in fact I'm sure I posted on here about it). I rapidly came to the conclusion that I may as well go for a 330 as there weren't really any benefits to going for a smaller engined model. MPG is similar across the board, tax is the same and in my case insurance was barely any more for a 330 than a 323. They're decently quick too.

I paid £2200 for a 92k mile 00 X-plate 330 manual Touring with a pretty decent spec, leather, sat nav etc, climate, cruise, sport wheels, auto wipers etc...(though I think some of these are standard fit anyway). It wasn't perfect and I've spent a bit of money sorting out the cooling system, a couple of suspension bushes, a major service and a couple of dents pulled out. All in it stands me at about £3000 which I think is a bargain and don't regret it for a second.

[somnv]

Thanks for the replies. If they are all about the same in terms of reliability, it sounds like the 330 might be the best one to go for then, though I may have to save up a bit more to get a good one. I quite fancy a coupe.

[Jw Vw]

330 would be the best of the bunch, £3000 may not get you an nice example though. As a previous poster said an E36 328 Coupe may be a better bet? You can get a good one for £3000, under 100,000, leather, etc. A good E46 330 would probably be £5-6K.