What condition e46 can i get for 5k
Discussion
I have just put up a short thread in the Readers' Cars area.
They drive really well and feel solid. It all depends on how it has been looked after and they range from nigh on perfect to rough as old boots.
Mine is a convertible which, although not as refined as a saloon / coupe, is actually fine both roof up and down.
They a brisk rather than all out quick but very tractable pulling smoothly from under 1000 rpm in top gear for example. They sound great, still look great (especially in M Sport guise) and are a great blend of performance, economy, refinement and price.
They drive really well and feel solid. It all depends on how it has been looked after and they range from nigh on perfect to rough as old boots.
Mine is a convertible which, although not as refined as a saloon / coupe, is actually fine both roof up and down.
They a brisk rather than all out quick but very tractable pulling smoothly from under 1000 rpm in top gear for example. They sound great, still look great (especially in M Sport guise) and are a great blend of performance, economy, refinement and price.
They feel light and playful, you sit low in a driver focused position with simple and clear instruments and the manual box is light and a pleasure to use.
there's plenty of feedback through the steering, a little more than the next generation (I had a 335i) but a lot more than current / modern BMWs.
In the real world , for overtaking and a bit of traffic light racing
my 325 never felt wanting , the 330 is faster although not next level, but both are enough to have fun on B roads.
They do look good, in M Sport trim particularly as I said before in pre Facelift design , although they are starting to get a little dated now, I think. But the design is still so good that it works in most colours. With the E92 335i, it looked great but only in a few colours, black being my fave. I usually don't like red but my E46 really worked and turned heads in Immola red.
there's plenty of feedback through the steering, a little more than the next generation (I had a 335i) but a lot more than current / modern BMWs.
In the real world , for overtaking and a bit of traffic light racing
my 325 never felt wanting , the 330 is faster although not next level, but both are enough to have fun on B roads. They do look good, in M Sport trim particularly as I said before in pre Facelift design , although they are starting to get a little dated now, I think. But the design is still so good that it works in most colours. With the E92 335i, it looked great but only in a few colours, black being my fave. I usually don't like red but my E46 really worked and turned heads in Immola red.
Smuler said:
They feel light and playful, you sit low in a driver focused position with simple and clear instruments and the manual box is light and a pleasure to use.
there's plenty of feedback through the steering, a little more than the next generation (I had a 335i) but a lot more than current / modern BMWs.
In the real world , for overtaking and a bit of traffic light racing my 325 never felt wanting , the 330 is faster although not next level, but both are enough to have fun on B roads.
They do look good, in M Sport trim particularly as I said before in pre Facelift design , although they are starting to get a little dated now, I think. But the design is still so good that it works in most colours. With the E92 335i, it looked great but only in a few colours, black being my fave. I usually don't like red but my E46 really worked and turned heads in Immola red.
Well I think for the price the looks are spot on, and I am looking only at M sport versionsthere's plenty of feedback through the steering, a little more than the next generation (I had a 335i) but a lot more than current / modern BMWs.
In the real world , for overtaking and a bit of traffic light racing
my 325 never felt wanting , the 330 is faster although not next level, but both are enough to have fun on B roads. They do look good, in M Sport trim particularly as I said before in pre Facelift design , although they are starting to get a little dated now, I think. But the design is still so good that it works in most colours. With the E92 335i, it looked great but only in a few colours, black being my fave. I usually don't like red but my E46 really worked and turned heads in Immola red.
A 325Ci or 330Ci in nice condition should prove to be cheap motoring - prices for the best cars are firming up and are overtaking values of the E92 Coupe which is now entering it's Fast and Spurious council phase (aftermarket wheels, stupidly low ride height, carbon BMW roundels and predictable low rent crap like that).
The E46 is definitely still in the awful coilovers/drift tw@t phase but nice coupes are finding a new appreciative audience. That's nice as in completely standard, lots of invoices and not a highly polished turd with four different brands of budget tyre, owned by a tattooed pillock called Jake who likes drifting.
I would still go for low mileage such as 70/80k if you can . Clean the arches out regularly, keep on top of maintenance, keep it nice and standard and probably get your money back in 2 years time.
The E46 is definitely still in the awful coilovers/drift tw@t phase but nice coupes are finding a new appreciative audience. That's nice as in completely standard, lots of invoices and not a highly polished turd with four different brands of budget tyre, owned by a tattooed pillock called Jake who likes drifting.
I would still go for low mileage such as 70/80k if you can . Clean the arches out regularly, keep on top of maintenance, keep it nice and standard and probably get your money back in 2 years time.
I bought an E46 330Ci in November for £5k.
Overall it's in very good condition and with a very good spec which ticked all the boxes I wanted. It had 74k on the clock (76k now) and as with any older car there were a few snags to sort out, although mostly minor and fairly cheap. The main oil seal was sorted under the dealer's warranty as there was evidence of a leak and I've undertaken a refresh of the cooling system which is usually recommended on these as the mileage racks up. I've had a new expansion tank fitted, new thermostat & housing, replaced some of the push-fit pipes that connect it all up, the gearbox cooler thermostat (mine's an auto) and replaced the xenon bulbs.
The backrest heated seat pad wasn't working so that's been sorted and the headlight washers were weeping from the telescopic arms so I have replacements of those sat on my desk ready to be fitted next week. There are a couple more minor things to sort (a rattle from the parcel shelf, a clip on the passenger door trim needs replacing and I spotted a trim around the n/s foglight has disappeared so that's been ordered too) but I had a contingency fund in place in anticipation of getting any bits and pieces sorted.
Overall it's a lovely car and drives beautifully although if I'm honest it doesn't engage me in the same way the E36 328i I 'upgraded from' did. I'm planning to run this probably until the end of the year and then move on to something else.
Overall it's in very good condition and with a very good spec which ticked all the boxes I wanted. It had 74k on the clock (76k now) and as with any older car there were a few snags to sort out, although mostly minor and fairly cheap. The main oil seal was sorted under the dealer's warranty as there was evidence of a leak and I've undertaken a refresh of the cooling system which is usually recommended on these as the mileage racks up. I've had a new expansion tank fitted, new thermostat & housing, replaced some of the push-fit pipes that connect it all up, the gearbox cooler thermostat (mine's an auto) and replaced the xenon bulbs.
The backrest heated seat pad wasn't working so that's been sorted and the headlight washers were weeping from the telescopic arms so I have replacements of those sat on my desk ready to be fitted next week. There are a couple more minor things to sort (a rattle from the parcel shelf, a clip on the passenger door trim needs replacing and I spotted a trim around the n/s foglight has disappeared so that's been ordered too) but I had a contingency fund in place in anticipation of getting any bits and pieces sorted.
Overall it's a lovely car and drives beautifully although if I'm honest it doesn't engage me in the same way the E36 328i I 'upgraded from' did. I'm planning to run this probably until the end of the year and then move on to something else.
Edited by Funk on Friday 21st April 14:54
iSore said:
A 325Ci or 330Ci in nice condition should prove to be cheap motoring - prices for the best cars are firming up and are overtaking values of the E92 Coupe which is now entering it's Fast and Spurious council phase (aftermarket wheels, stupidly low ride height, carbon BMW roundels and predictable low rent crap like that).
The E46 is definitely still in the awful coilovers/drift tw@t phase but nice coupes are finding a new appreciative audience. That's nice as in completely standard, lots of invoices and not a highly polished turd with four different brands of budget tyre, owned by a tattooed pillock called Jake who likes drifting.
I would still go for low mileage such as 70/80k if you can . Clean the arches out regularly, keep on top of maintenance, keep it nice and standard and probably get your money back in 2 years time.
Yeah I would potentially add a few new parts to it for performance, but i don't want some council estate wagon haha! The E46 is definitely still in the awful coilovers/drift tw@t phase but nice coupes are finding a new appreciative audience. That's nice as in completely standard, lots of invoices and not a highly polished turd with four different brands of budget tyre, owned by a tattooed pillock called Jake who likes drifting.
I would still go for low mileage such as 70/80k if you can . Clean the arches out regularly, keep on top of maintenance, keep it nice and standard and probably get your money back in 2 years time.
I was wondering, do you think these are the type of cars worth investing in,in terms of a little project, or would you recommend saving up more cash and getting something elses?
Funk said:
I bought an E46 330Ci in November for £5k.
Overall it's in very good condition and with a very good spec which ticked all the boxes I wanted. It had 74k on the clock (76k now) and as with any older car there were a few snags to sort out, although mostly minor and fairly cheap. The main oil seal was sorted under the dealer's warranty as there was evidence of a leak and I've undertaken a refresh of the cooling system which is usually recommended on these as the mileage racks up. I've had a new expansion tank fitted, new thermostat & housing, replaced some of the push-fit pipes that connect it all up, the gearbox cooler thermostat (mine's an auto) and replaced the xenon bulbs.
The backrest heated seat pad wasn't working so that's been sorted and the headlight washers were weeping from the telescopic arms so I have replacements of those sat on my desk ready to be fitted next week. There are a couple more minor things to sort (a rattle from the parcel shelf, a clip on the passenger door trim needs replacing and I spotted a trim around the n/s foglight has disappeared so that's been ordered too) but I had a contingency fund in place in anticipation of getting any bits and pieces sorted.
Overall it's a lovely car and drives beautifully although if I'm honest it doesn't engage me in the same way the E36 328i I 'upgraded from' did. I'm planning to run this probably until the end of the year and then move on to something else.
Looks very nice, would rather a manual myself but that personal opinion. Overall it's in very good condition and with a very good spec which ticked all the boxes I wanted. It had 74k on the clock (76k now) and as with any older car there were a few snags to sort out, although mostly minor and fairly cheap. The main oil seal was sorted under the dealer's warranty as there was evidence of a leak and I've undertaken a refresh of the cooling system which is usually recommended on these as the mileage racks up. I've had a new expansion tank fitted, new thermostat & housing, replaced some of the push-fit pipes that connect it all up, the gearbox cooler thermostat (mine's an auto) and replaced the xenon bulbs.
The backrest heated seat pad wasn't working so that's been sorted and the headlight washers were weeping from the telescopic arms so I have replacements of those sat on my desk ready to be fitted next week. There are a couple more minor things to sort (a rattle from the parcel shelf, a clip on the passenger door trim needs replacing and I spotted a trim around the n/s foglight has disappeared so that's been ordered too) but I had a contingency fund in place in anticipation of getting any bits and pieces sorted.
Overall it's a lovely car and drives beautifully although if I'm honest it doesn't engage me in the same way the E36 328i I 'upgraded from' did. I'm planning to run this probably until the end of the year and then move on to something else.
Edited by Funk on Friday 21st April 14:54
What car you thinking of moving to?
CaveyH said:
Looks very nice, would rather a manual myself but that personal opinion.
What car you thinking of moving to?
Cheers. I wanted an auto because 95% of my driving is a commute and I was starting to hate constant crawling along in traffic in the E36. I do suspect that may be in part why I'm not as engaged, the auto isn't the sharpest of them and can often make the performance feel a little blunted. It's a trade-off I guess!What car you thinking of moving to?
I need to scratch a V8 itch and am in the process of building the savings up. I'll be looking at the Audi S5 or possibly an E9x M3 - haven't really decided yet and I'm sure others will catch my eye when I'm ready to start looking properly.
CaveyH said:
in an ideal world i would have an M3 but if i did all my money would be poured on it so seems stupid to do so.
Yeah i am still deciding on if i want facelift or not, and if i mind either or. Yeah i think i am setting 5k as max budget personally only being 21 i feel this is for the best haha, and yes it has to be manual gearbox, I am assuming the prices of sees 330ci are set in stone now and are unlikely to drop or rise?
You're in the same boat I was in - I went with the facelift (I prefer the looks and I really like the LED rears) but as I was looking at an auto I wanted the one with the later GM box ('03 onward). There's also a difference between the facelift coupé and the saloon headlights - compare with mine above:Yeah i am still deciding on if i want facelift or not, and if i mind either or. Yeah i think i am setting 5k as max budget personally only being 21 i feel this is for the best haha, and yes it has to be manual gearbox, I am assuming the prices of sees 330ci are set in stone now and are unlikely to drop or rise?
I prefer the pre-facelift saloon lights and the post-facelift coupé ones!
I also thought about an M3 at the £7-8k price point but it doesn't get you a decent one and the running costs need to be factored in as well. As mentioned I set a budget of around £5k in my head leaving a nice chunk for any work that ultimately needed doing.
I've noticed that prices seem to be holding pretty steady on these since I started looking in the middle of last year. A good unmolested and well-maintained one is key (and slightly easier when you're looking for an auto) - mine had two owners before me and came with a folder containing comprehensive invoices and receipts. I'm hoping I won't take much of a hit on mine when I come to change it.
If you're looking at the same sort of car as mine, check with your BMW dealer whether it's had the airbag recall carried out. Mine hadn't and was done FOC by BMW shortly after I purchased it.
Edited by Funk on Friday 21st April 16:51
Funk said:
Overall it's a lovely car and drives beautifully although if I'm honest it doesn't engage me in the same way the E36 328i I 'upgraded from' did. I'm planning to run this probably until the end of the year and then move on to something else.
Pretty much this although as with my e36, I shall keep it until some unobservant halfwit drives into it and writes it off. In my experience, it definitely feels better, more connected than the e92, current F whatever it is 3 series or the new 2 series that I have been using this week. Edited by Funk on Friday 21st April 14:54
ZX10R NIN said:
Yeah I have seen that on there already and if I had the money right now I would! Is there a difference between the 330ci and the 330i? Or are they the same thing? sorry for the dumb question
CaveyH said:
ZX10R NIN said:
Yeah I have seen that on there already and if I had the money right now I would! Is there a difference between the 330ci and the 330i? Or are they the same thing? sorry for the dumb question
The one in that ad is the 330i saloon (4 doors). I looked specifically for (and prefer) the coupé personally.
Funk said:
330Ci is the coupé/convertible and the 330i is the saloon/Touring.
The one in that ad is the 330i saloon (4 doors). I looked specifically for (and prefer) the coupé personally.
So it is just a looks that are different between the 2? Before I have just been looking at the Ci, but love the look of the 330iThe one in that ad is the 330i saloon (4 doors). I looked specifically for (and prefer) the coupé personally.
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