E90 to E46 - Will I regret It
Discussion
So I currently have a 2009 N54 335i E90 LCi.
I had this for 3 years now and due to car sharing to work, my annual mileage has never been above 3k (This last year was just over 2)
This annoys my wife and she has suggested that having a 15k car sat in the garage was a waste of money.
I was thinking of selling the E90 and "downgrading" to a E46 330i (Auto Tourer)
I'm just concerned that I'll regret selling the E90.
Thought anyone?
I had this for 3 years now and due to car sharing to work, my annual mileage has never been above 3k (This last year was just over 2)
This annoys my wife and she has suggested that having a 15k car sat in the garage was a waste of money.
I was thinking of selling the E90 and "downgrading" to a E46 330i (Auto Tourer)
I'm just concerned that I'll regret selling the E90.
Thought anyone?
IME the E90s were built far better than the E46s but I preferred the handling of the E46s.
Have you considered an E46 330Ci Clubsport? I’ve always fancied one in either Estoril blue or that beautiful purple they did them in.
Or an E46 M3, they’re sub £10k now if you can find a good one
Have you considered an E46 330Ci Clubsport? I’ve always fancied one in either Estoril blue or that beautiful purple they did them in.
Or an E46 M3, they’re sub £10k now if you can find a good one
Dannbodge said:
So I currently have a 2009 N54 335i E90 LCi.
I had this for 3 years now and due to car sharing to work, my annual mileage has never been above 3k (This last year was just over 2)
This annoys my wife and she has suggested that having a 15k car sat in the garage was a waste of money.
I was thinking of selling the E90 and "downgrading" to a E46 330i (Auto Tourer)
I'm just concerned that I'll regret selling the E90.
Thought anyone?
I'd say divorce but it's too costly. I had this for 3 years now and due to car sharing to work, my annual mileage has never been above 3k (This last year was just over 2)
This annoys my wife and she has suggested that having a 15k car sat in the garage was a waste of money.
I was thinking of selling the E90 and "downgrading" to a E46 330i (Auto Tourer)
I'm just concerned that I'll regret selling the E90.
Thought anyone?
I went from a 335i coupe ; owned for 19 months and done 25k miles to a E46 325 coupe albeit a 5 speed manual as my daily ;it was bought because I didn't want to daily the M3 I'd just bought.
Pre facelift so 0-60 was 7.2 so I reckon congruent with a 330i in auto / tourer guise.
My annual mileage is 7 times yours so factor that it, but :-
Cons :- less comfortable, no heated seats in this one and it was 18s and I'd put 17s on my 335i coupe, plus no Nav. There was a sizeable drop in performance, so that's a con. BUT as a daily in normal traffic it more than held it's own and cos they're light they do feel fast.
Pros :- there is more steering feel/ feedback, whatever you call it in the old E46s. There are no brilliant driving roads around me, so sometimes I took the 325 on the okay back-roads for fun saving the M3 for the longer runs. I didn't do that with the 335i.
I'm sure I read you say you regretted selling an E36, because it was raw or something like that? You can easily overcome most of the cons apart from power, so if your 335i hasn't encouraged you to do more than 3k miles p/a, I'm doubting you're really in love with it so I'd say go for it.
You could opt for an E46 M3, but I'm assuming part of the advantage of the sale is cash your way and keeping Mrs. Bodge happy.
I did something similar recently, sold an N54 E91 335i and bought an E46 330Ci Clubsport (although it wasn't directly replacing it).
The E46 isn't anywhere near as quick obviously but perfectly adequate for my needs as a town car. There's nothing I really miss about the E90, including the iDrive as I never used the satnav and only really used it to change radio channels.
I would highly recommend a Clubsport as they're only a couple of £k more but come with lots of kit as standard, rarer, nice looks (yes I like the spoiler!) and both Estoril and Velvet Blue are stunning colours.
The E46 isn't anywhere near as quick obviously but perfectly adequate for my needs as a town car. There's nothing I really miss about the E90, including the iDrive as I never used the satnav and only really used it to change radio channels.
I would highly recommend a Clubsport as they're only a couple of £k more but come with lots of kit as standard, rarer, nice looks (yes I like the spoiler!) and both Estoril and Velvet Blue are stunning colours.
R1 Dave said:
IME the E90s were built far better than the E46s but I preferred the handling of the E46s.
Have you considered an E46 330Ci Clubsport? I’ve always fancied one in either Estoril blue or that beautiful purple they did them in.
Or an E46 M3, they’re sub £10k now if you can find a good one
Have you considered an E46 330Ci Clubsport? I’ve always fancied one in either Estoril blue or that beautiful purple they did them in.
Or an E46 M3, they’re sub £10k now if you can find a good one
So that rules out Clubsports and M3s.
Smuler said:
I'd say divorce but it's too costly.
I went from a 335i coupe ; owned for 19 months and done 25k miles to a E46 325 coupe albeit a 5 speed manual as my daily ;it was bought because I didn't want to daily the M3 I'd just bought.
Pre facelift so 0-60 was 7.2 so I reckon congruent with a 330i in auto / tourer guise.
My annual mileage is 7 times yours so factor that it, but :-
Cons :- less comfortable, no heated seats in this one and it was 18s and I'd put 17s on my 335i coupe, plus no Nav. There was a sizeable drop in performance, so that's a con. BUT as a daily in normal traffic it more than held it's own and cos they're light they do feel fast.
Pros :- there is more steering feel/ feedback, whatever you call it in the old E46s. There are no brilliant driving roads around me, so sometimes I took the 325 on the okay back-roads for fun saving the M3 for the longer runs. I didn't do that with the 335i.
I'm sure I read you say you regretted selling an E36, because it was raw or something like that? You can easily overcome most of the cons apart from power, so if your 335i hasn't encouraged you to do more than 3k miles p/a, I'm doubting you're really in love with it so I'd say go for it.
You could opt for an E46 M3, but I'm assuming part of the advantage of the sale is cash your way and keeping Mrs. Bodge happy.
Divorce isn't certainly not an option I went from a 335i coupe ; owned for 19 months and done 25k miles to a E46 325 coupe albeit a 5 speed manual as my daily ;it was bought because I didn't want to daily the M3 I'd just bought.
Pre facelift so 0-60 was 7.2 so I reckon congruent with a 330i in auto / tourer guise.
My annual mileage is 7 times yours so factor that it, but :-
Cons :- less comfortable, no heated seats in this one and it was 18s and I'd put 17s on my 335i coupe, plus no Nav. There was a sizeable drop in performance, so that's a con. BUT as a daily in normal traffic it more than held it's own and cos they're light they do feel fast.
Pros :- there is more steering feel/ feedback, whatever you call it in the old E46s. There are no brilliant driving roads around me, so sometimes I took the 325 on the okay back-roads for fun saving the M3 for the longer runs. I didn't do that with the 335i.
I'm sure I read you say you regretted selling an E36, because it was raw or something like that? You can easily overcome most of the cons apart from power, so if your 335i hasn't encouraged you to do more than 3k miles p/a, I'm doubting you're really in love with it so I'd say go for it.
You could opt for an E46 M3, but I'm assuming part of the advantage of the sale is cash your way and keeping Mrs. Bodge happy.
It's not that the 335i hasn't made me want to do more miles, I just don't need to.
Work is 6 miles each way and the wife works 1 mile further away, so she drives 99% of the time. I only drive my car on a Friday (Lunchtime finish) or if we go to visit my parents. There aren't any roads round here for "fun" and I spend more time cycling now than anything else.
I do miss my E36, but then there were parts of the E36 I didn't like that the E90 has (my heart says I regret selling it by my head says it was the right thing to do)
The E36 was raw and really good fun, but then not great for motorway trips.
It's a difficult situation tbh.
I'd love a M3 but they aren't practical enough and I really want a tourer.
Shaoxter said:
I did something similar recently, sold an N54 E91 335i and bought an E46 330Ci Clubsport (although it wasn't directly replacing it).
The E46 isn't anywhere near as quick obviously but perfectly adequate for my needs as a town car. There's nothing I really miss about the E90, including the iDrive as I never used the satnav and only really used it to change radio channels.
I would highly recommend a Clubsport as they're only a couple of £k more but come with lots of kit as standard, rarer, nice looks (yes I like the spoiler!) and both Estoril and Velvet Blue are stunning colours.
I can't believe you sold a E91 335i The E46 isn't anywhere near as quick obviously but perfectly adequate for my needs as a town car. There's nothing I really miss about the E90, including the iDrive as I never used the satnav and only really used it to change radio channels.
I would highly recommend a Clubsport as they're only a couple of £k more but come with lots of kit as standard, rarer, nice looks (yes I like the spoiler!) and both Estoril and Velvet Blue are stunning colours.
I might look at buying one anyway and seeing how I like it. At least then I could sell it for what I paid if I don't like it.
Edited by Dannbodge on Wednesday 7th March 10:21
Is your e90 really worth 15k?
Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
bmwmike said:
Is your e90 really worth 15k?
Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
Yeah. It's been valued online at 14k and that doesn't take into account its history or how rare it is (N54 Manual with 63k, Facelift with every option available including all the Individual ones, full service history, new turbos, waterpump, thermostat, injectors, valve cover, hpfp and recently walnut blasted).Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
I was budgeting 5k for a car and most decent E46s are £2-3k so that would leave teh same again for costs, plus I'd save £50pm from warranty payments.
I don't need a touring. I would just rather have one over the saloon (saloon to saloon is silly, saloon to tourer is better)
Edited by Dannbodge on Wednesday 7th March 11:57
I went from E90 325D LCI (n57 with stage 2) to E92 320d LCI to E46 330Cd facelift and regretted every second of it.
Everything about the E46 felt very ancient and aged.
- General electronics stuff like: unlocking the car where no (fancy LED) lights light up, no LED in door handle, CIC iDrive to the old unit, ...
- Engine wise: unrefined sound of the M57 3L which is worse than N47 2L (and worlds behind the N57), worse mpg for less performance, ...
- Ride and handling wise: very raw ride (despite new shocks) which some 'prefer'. It's fun for 15 minutes but it was a pain to live with,
I did a stage 2 remap on the E46 330Cd, the drivetrain is basically unable to deal with the torque, while an E9X 335d has more torque standard.
Not to mention suspension of E46, or rather E46 in general, feels like it's made in China.
Suspension wise: broken rear springs, front control arms falling apart every 100.000 km, bushings of those worn every 50.000 km, 100.000 km in the rear, subframe, ...
Other general stuff: Window mechanism failures, front cat flexible, rust in wheel arches, rust in brake lines, rear lights cables at coupe, broken odometer knob when pressed too hard, weak autoboxes, ...
I could probably go on if I think harder.
But naturally, the M54 engine (if it doesn't consume oil) is far more reliable than N54.
Everything about the E46 felt very ancient and aged.
- General electronics stuff like: unlocking the car where no (fancy LED) lights light up, no LED in door handle, CIC iDrive to the old unit, ...
- Engine wise: unrefined sound of the M57 3L which is worse than N47 2L (and worlds behind the N57), worse mpg for less performance, ...
- Ride and handling wise: very raw ride (despite new shocks) which some 'prefer'. It's fun for 15 minutes but it was a pain to live with,
I did a stage 2 remap on the E46 330Cd, the drivetrain is basically unable to deal with the torque, while an E9X 335d has more torque standard.
Not to mention suspension of E46, or rather E46 in general, feels like it's made in China.
Suspension wise: broken rear springs, front control arms falling apart every 100.000 km, bushings of those worn every 50.000 km, 100.000 km in the rear, subframe, ...
Other general stuff: Window mechanism failures, front cat flexible, rust in wheel arches, rust in brake lines, rear lights cables at coupe, broken odometer knob when pressed too hard, weak autoboxes, ...
I could probably go on if I think harder.
But naturally, the M54 engine (if it doesn't consume oil) is far more reliable than N54.
Edited by Hyy on Wednesday 7th March 12:19
Edited by Hyy on Wednesday 7th March 12:21
Dannbodge said:
bmwmike said:
Is your e90 really worth 15k?
Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
Yeah. It's been valued online at 14k and that doesn't take into account its history or how rare it is (N54 Manual with 63k, Facelift with every option available including all the Individual ones, full service history, new turbos, waterpump, thermostat, injectors, valve cover, hpfp and recently walnut blasted).Worth checking that the maths stacks up first IMO. Buying a cheaper BMW doesn't always mean you won't have to spend £ on it after which means you might not free up as much as you might think.
Although if you need a touring that's somewhat of a different problem to solve than freeing up cash..
I was budgeting 5k for a car and most decent E46s are £2-3k so that would leave teh same again for costs, plus I'd save £50pm from warranty payments.
I don't need a touring. I would just rather have one over the saloon (saloon to saloon is silly, saloon to tourer is better)
Edited by Dannbodge on Wednesday 7th March 11:57
I went the other way and at first the E90 felt a bit flimsy by comparison. But I think it's actually a bit better put together, just constructed from cheaper materials.
My E46 was a sport and I never found a seat position I was happy with. I don't have long legs, and I like to sit up straight, close to the wheel, and this meant not being able to see the top of the speedo. The seat in the E90 goes a bit lower, and/or the wheel goes a bit higher, so it was much easier to make this work.
One thing I have missed is that the E46 windscreen demister blows as hot as it can, indefinitely, so when it's really cold or wet, the car ends up hot and dry like a sauna. The E90 one just seems to blow air at the screen at the set temperature, which does the job in terms of demisting but never really properly heats up the interior.
My E46 was a sport and I never found a seat position I was happy with. I don't have long legs, and I like to sit up straight, close to the wheel, and this meant not being able to see the top of the speedo. The seat in the E90 goes a bit lower, and/or the wheel goes a bit higher, so it was much easier to make this work.
One thing I have missed is that the E46 windscreen demister blows as hot as it can, indefinitely, so when it's really cold or wet, the car ends up hot and dry like a sauna. The E90 one just seems to blow air at the screen at the set temperature, which does the job in terms of demisting but never really properly heats up the interior.
I’d say it depends on what you’re planning on doing with the cash it would free up. If the answer is nothing then stick with what you have. If it’s in good condition it won’t be depreciating much, if at all.
Your 335 is a known quantity, so if you don’t think it’s going to throw up any big bills it’s the safe option. An E46 is going to be 13+ years old, so wouldn’t be surprised if it needs some preventative maintainance.
Based on my (limited) experience, the E90 is less prone to rust as well.
Your 335 is a known quantity, so if you don’t think it’s going to throw up any big bills it’s the safe option. An E46 is going to be 13+ years old, so wouldn’t be surprised if it needs some preventative maintainance.
Based on my (limited) experience, the E90 is less prone to rust as well.
I've just done the opposite too!
Went from an E46 325ti Sport Compact to an E91 325i Touring.
As my E91 is an early one with the N52 engine it still has hydraulic PAS - a good thing IMO!
Compacts don't seem to have the same rust issues as other E46s, but mine was starting to show some crustiness on one front wheel-arch.
On the plus side my E91 seems so much more "grown-up", but then mine is an SE! And it's so high geared I can never hear the engine!
Whereas my E46 was a bit more hooligan - shorter gearing, tighter suspension, more noise!
But I prefer my E91 - maybe because I've got an E86 for hooligan duty.
Then again I think you may need to P/Ex the Mrs first - then you can do whatever you like!
Went from an E46 325ti Sport Compact to an E91 325i Touring.
As my E91 is an early one with the N52 engine it still has hydraulic PAS - a good thing IMO!
Compacts don't seem to have the same rust issues as other E46s, but mine was starting to show some crustiness on one front wheel-arch.
On the plus side my E91 seems so much more "grown-up", but then mine is an SE! And it's so high geared I can never hear the engine!
Whereas my E46 was a bit more hooligan - shorter gearing, tighter suspension, more noise!
But I prefer my E91 - maybe because I've got an E86 for hooligan duty.
Then again I think you may need to P/Ex the Mrs first - then you can do whatever you like!
Edited by Mr Tidy on Thursday 8th March 00:07
clubsport & m3 coupes not practical you say, dont want another saloon?
E46 325ti Compact is the answer! Little rockets, so much fun & being a hatchback very practical especially w/ storage pack.
Best part is they can be had for peanuts for what they are. You may have to wait a while to find a good one though.
Whats to stop you from car sharing in the E90?
E46 325ti Compact is the answer! Little rockets, so much fun & being a hatchback very practical especially w/ storage pack.
Best part is they can be had for peanuts for what they are. You may have to wait a while to find a good one though.
Whats to stop you from car sharing in the E90?
The money that it freed up would be used to pay a bit of the mortgage off (that's about it)
As much as I think it makes sense to go back to an old one for this reason, I don't think I will end up doing it.
When I switched from the E36 to E90, I wanted to do it and actually felt like I wanted to do it (I had no feelings of regret etc) however with this one, the doubt makes me think I don't actually want to do it.
As much as I think it makes sense to go back to an old one for this reason, I don't think I will end up doing it.
When I switched from the E36 to E90, I wanted to do it and actually felt like I wanted to do it (I had no feelings of regret etc) however with this one, the doubt makes me think I don't actually want to do it.
Mr Whippy said:
£15k for an 09 335i?
After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
Sorry but good luck getting £15k for an '09 one. After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
My 2014 7,000 miles 330d Convertible is only worth that so I think you're living in dreamland....
Stick with what you've got!
I have a 2005 E90 330I as a daily and have an E46 330i touring as a weekend car.
The E90 is a nice car to use as a daily for sure - its owes me very little and touch wood has been pretty reliable - its the N52 manual 6 speed. I changed out the run flats and its an SE spec but with an M-sport body kit - so isn't as crashy as it could be but it just doesn't feel as connected to the road - could well be my specific E90 but its cracking to daily but to push on other than in a straight line just feels a little distant.
I had an E46 330ci auto about 8 years ago (probably the best car ive had) and had an E36 M3 which I had to get rid of due to a wonderful daughter arriving and my wife saying she would never be allowed in the M3!
My current weekend car is an AC Schnitzer ACS3 - effectively a 330i touring which has been supercharged with blingy wheels - I've grown to love it since the M3 left a hole but it really is a nice place to be as a weekend car. The ride and the drive are much improved on the E90 at slower speeds and on the motorway - the only place the E90 wins is the E46 could do with a 6th gear - its only a 5 speed and really does want for a 6th just to drop those motorway revs inline with the E90. But everything else I would take the E46 over the E90 if I'm honest - I actually browse around for E46s but the pricing of good ones can surprise to be honest.
Yes E46s rust and have issues, which the E90 may not have but all cars break and engine wise pretty much every BMW I have had has only wanted regular oil changes which are hardly expensive at an independent or do it yourself and air filters are cheap as well and consumables...
Plus your 335i is still going one way financially - E46s have started to go the other way so if you were to find a good example with good miles - with the mileage you do it could well end up appreciating in value?
You would miss the performance for sure but some could argue that an E46 330i is less of a time bomb than a 335i and possibly a lot more connected to the road?
The E90 is a nice car to use as a daily for sure - its owes me very little and touch wood has been pretty reliable - its the N52 manual 6 speed. I changed out the run flats and its an SE spec but with an M-sport body kit - so isn't as crashy as it could be but it just doesn't feel as connected to the road - could well be my specific E90 but its cracking to daily but to push on other than in a straight line just feels a little distant.
I had an E46 330ci auto about 8 years ago (probably the best car ive had) and had an E36 M3 which I had to get rid of due to a wonderful daughter arriving and my wife saying she would never be allowed in the M3!
My current weekend car is an AC Schnitzer ACS3 - effectively a 330i touring which has been supercharged with blingy wheels - I've grown to love it since the M3 left a hole but it really is a nice place to be as a weekend car. The ride and the drive are much improved on the E90 at slower speeds and on the motorway - the only place the E90 wins is the E46 could do with a 6th gear - its only a 5 speed and really does want for a 6th just to drop those motorway revs inline with the E90. But everything else I would take the E46 over the E90 if I'm honest - I actually browse around for E46s but the pricing of good ones can surprise to be honest.
Yes E46s rust and have issues, which the E90 may not have but all cars break and engine wise pretty much every BMW I have had has only wanted regular oil changes which are hardly expensive at an independent or do it yourself and air filters are cheap as well and consumables...
Plus your 335i is still going one way financially - E46s have started to go the other way so if you were to find a good example with good miles - with the mileage you do it could well end up appreciating in value?
You would miss the performance for sure but some could argue that an E46 330i is less of a time bomb than a 335i and possibly a lot more connected to the road?
GTEYE said:
Mr Whippy said:
£15k for an 09 335i?
After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
Sorry but good luck getting £15k for an '09 one. After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
My 2014 7,000 miles 330d Convertible is only worth that so I think you're living in dreamland....
Stick with what you've got!
There are always people within the 35i circles looking for an E90 with N54.
They are completely different cars
Dannbodge said:
GTEYE said:
Mr Whippy said:
£15k for an 09 335i?
After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
Sorry but good luck getting £15k for an '09 one. After selling and finding a suitable alternative and getting it up to scratch how much are you really going to 'save' paying a small chunk off the mortgage?
Not to say there is owt wrong with an E46 but they're at the age that they use up £££ to keep nice now.
My 2014 7,000 miles 330d Convertible is only worth that so I think you're living in dreamland....
Stick with what you've got!
There are always people within the 35i circles looking for an E90 with N54.
They are completely different cars
For £15-16k (asking price) you can buy a 335i from 2012 or 2013 from a dealer with a warranty with less miles than yours....that was my point....2009's are in the £11-12k range - yes mostly with autos, but it's not likely to be a £3k premium for a manual.
And if they are retailing at those prices, private sale prices will be probably at least £1k lower than those...
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