RE: Shed Of The Week: BMW 325i (E46)

[Nik Gnashers]

What a great shed !
Shed of the week is one of the highlights of the site, and I visit without fail every Friday to see what this week's post is.
The only criticism I could make, is the constant reference to 'Mrs shed' which is cornier than the cereal shelf at Tesco's.
Good work though, I would buy this myself if I had room on the drive.

[Oilchange]

Funny, I was just wondering why I'd buy one of these over a 6cyl 156. They have rust issues, suspension issues, engine neglect issues and air conditioning issues. Much the same as my car, only it's 4 years older.
The thing that makes the two cars stand apart, though, is the BMW is described as 'dull' which can't be levelled at the Alfa...

alfabeat said:

I had an E46 328 Touring and didn't get on with it at all. A very accomplished car, but very dull. It was pretty reliable (apart from rear subframe issue). In the end gave to my wife when I got an Alfa 156 GTA Sportwagon. Night and day. That's what a 6 cylinder engine should sound like.

[tomic]

Always been tempted by a 156 V6. One thing that puts me off getting one at shed money is the cambelt change cost/interval as I kind of imagine that at some point you're going to have a bill of more than the cars worth to do it.

[the_hood]

PetrolAholic said:

My Mum drove away from a BMW dealer in one of these, 325, in that colour, with them wheels except it was a touring. Got it brand new.

TWOC?

[GTIMAN2]

Looks great for a grand,I won't insult it by calling it a 'shed'. Lots of people seem to regret selling theirs,it is a different level of engineering from their newer average cars.Have worked at BMW Bracknell for 20 years,we get the cars that the dealers can't fix(some incredible stories,won't go there now.....).The E46 was the first 3 series built to (almost) the standard of the 5 and 7 series,though I have to say their pinnacle was the E39. The sixes are bomb proof if you service them properly,and the E46 does not have much complicated technology on it to go wrong.Today I spend my days fixing bluetooth,recalibrating active systems and plugging in laptops! check rust around the arches(they were 70% hot dip galvanized rather than 100% on the 5/7 for some reason),and get as much history as you can.Cracking sub frames only affected the M3,ball joints wear out quickly and the best one's are unmolested standard cars owned by mature owners.This one will be gone soon.......................

[GTIMAN2]

Bladedancer said:

Where are all the E36 gone? Just a few years UK was awash with them and now you can hardly spot one.
Have they all been crashed or crushed?

The 'Gary' brigade have got hold of them.Still a few about.They aren't fully galvanized unlike the E39/E38 and they aren't worth much now.We still get a few M3's in here in Bracknell.

[Clivey]

That's too nice to abuse or neglect. - The same reason I sold my last E46; my OCD was kicking-in and I couldn't stand to not have it immaculate but as it was "only" a 320i, I couldn't justify the expenditure to make it so.

[helix402]

GTIMAN2 said:

Looks great for a grand,I won't insult it by calling it a 'shed'. Lots of people seem to regret selling theirs,it is a different level of engineering from their newer average cars.Have worked at BMW Bracknell for 20 years,we get the cars that the dealers can't fix(some incredible stories,won't go there now.....).The E46 was the first 3 series built to (almost) the standard of the 5 and 7 series,though I have to say their pinnacle was the E39. The sixes are bomb proof if you service them properly,and the E46 does not have much complicated technology on it to go wrong.Today I spend my days fixing bluetooth,recalibrating active systems and plugging in laptops! check rust around the arches(they were 70% hot dip galvanized rather than 100% on the 5/7 for some reason),and get as much history as you can.Cracking sub frames only affected the M3,ball joints wear out quickly and the best one's are unmolested standard cars owned by mature owners.This one will be gone soon.......................

All E46s suffer from cracked floors. I even a had a free bonus cracked rear suspension turret. Still love them.

[MJ85]

Indeed. I cracked a floor of a 328i E46.

[njw1]

alfabeat said:

I had an E46 328 Touring and didn't get on with it at all. A very accomplished car, but very dull..

As I mentioned earlier I felt the same about my 330d, just couldn't get on with it for some reason.

[njw1]

GTIMAN2 said:

The E46 was the first 3 series built to (almost) the standard of the 5 and 7 series,though I have to say their pinnacle was the E39. ......................

I'm glad you put that (almost) in there! As mentioned I had an e46 after two e39's and it was good but wasn't on the same level as an e39.

[ambuletz]

seems like alot of car for the money. premium badge, RWD and leather seeats.

[greenarrow]

GTIMAN2 said:

Looks great for a grand,I won't insult it by calling it a 'shed'. Lots of people seem to regret selling theirs,it is a different level of engineering from their newer average cars.Have worked at BMW Bracknell for 20 years,we get the cars that the dealers can't fix(some incredible stories,won't go there now.....).The E46 was the first 3 series built to (almost) the standard of the 5 and 7 series,though I have to say their pinnacle was the E39. The sixes are bomb proof if you service them properly,and the E46 does not have much complicated technology on it to go wrong.Today I spend my days fixing bluetooth,recalibrating active systems and plugging in laptops! check rust around the arches(they were 70% hot dip galvanized rather than 100% on the 5/7 for some reason),and get as much history as you can.Cracking sub frames only affected the M3,ball joints wear out quickly and the best one's are unmolested standard cars owned by mature owners.This one will be gone soon.......................

Interesting post indeed and what you say backs up what I've been thinking for a while, which is that the late 90s and early naughties might be seen as the pinnacle of reliable motoring before electronics ramped up. Not just the 3 series, but stuff like the early petrol Focus, Mondeo Mk3, VW Passat B5, Golf Mk4 and so on, all seem to be going on for ever and ever, giving less trouble to owners than their grandchildren do !!!

I digress, this 325i must surely be shed of the year so far?! What's not to like.

[GTIMAN2]

helix402 said:

All E46s suffer from cracked floors. I even a had a free bonus cracked rear suspension turret. Still love them.

I stand corrected.Only ever done M3 floors,but then I suppose that is all we get in.Fastidious owners bypass the dealers and come here. M3 CSL's and mainly E30 M3's as well now,probably because they are worth so much!

[GTIMAN2]

Oilchange said:

Don't forget BMW have to build cars for the masses,Alfa more for enthusiasts.One of the nutters here has a GTV V6 from the eighties,he is forever fixing it,but it has a glorious V6 engine and transaxle for great weight distribution.He has just fitted a clutch/flywheel assembly here,we all chipped in to fit in.Too complicated and expensive to produce today I fear.

[bitcrusher]

helix402 said:

All E46s suffer from cracked floors. I even a had a free bonus cracked rear suspension turret. Still love them.

I don't think it's accurate to say they all do. I think it's more the higher powered variants and I suspect enthusiastically driven ones suffer more.

[helix402]

bitcrusher said:

I don't think it's accurate to say they all do. I think it's more the higher powered variants and I suspect enthusiastically driven ones suffer more.

I agree, I should have said all can crack. As you say it's more common in 328s, 330s and M3s.

[PetrolAholic]

the_hood said:

PetrolAholic said:

My Mum drove away from a BMW dealer in one of these, 325, in that colour, with them wheels except it was a touring. Got it brand new.

TWOC?

I just read that back and it reads as if my Mum stole the car... she didn't. And I still hated it.

Never have I travelled in such a boring car as an E46 BM..zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[RG02GEE]

Loved my 325i M Sport Saloon manual, once all the issues were ironed out, such a strong car. If there's no rust on it then it's a definite winner.

[giggity]

Done the E46 shed with a 330i *facelift*.

It was expensive, the car was thirsty, and it was a pain in the ass.

Quite a few niggles:

VANOS
PCV / Crankcase breather
The *Entire* cooling system is chocolate

End result was HGF. Fortunately I purchased a late facelift at near shed money so only lost a minimal sum.

Mine was probably leggy and quite fked at 170K but irrespective you should go with your eyes open that these can still throw easy bills.

DISA, VANOS, Cooling System, (Pre-facelift) sub-frame, probably some other st I can't remember. But I am more biased towards Mercedes and prefer the CLK, my existing CLK was solid and utterly reliable!