E46 323 coupé

[pbarlow0032]

Hi All,

Just looking for some advice about the above car please. I've seen a 323 coupe manual, X reg with private plate, leather, 18" wheels, 71k miles, for £3700. Doesn't seem like a bad price to me compared to other similar cars, although i'm struggling to find many similar cars. I started looking at 330's, but still over my budget at the minute. Max budget is probably £4k.

I'm looking to replace our second car, a W reg Corsa, as i don't feel it is safe enough for our 3-month old daughter to travel in, should the unthinkable happen, i want her in something which has some kind of impact protection!

So, questions are:-
Is there anything to look out for on the car i've mentioned above e.g. is it likely to be due a major service, and how much would that cost?!?!

Does the price seem reasonable, or should i be looking somewhere other than Autotrader?

Are there any owners on here who have managed with the E46 coupe with a baby i.e. can you fit a rear-facing car seat in the back, or deactivate the front passenger airbag?

Any general comments/advice that would be useful to a BMW newbie?

I'll just add that i am assuming the 318 and 320 are a bit slow, and not much more economical? I've had quickish cars in the past (R56 Cooper S, Audi TT 3.2 V6) so i want something that i can have a bit of a blast in when i'm on my way to work

Paul

[Vee]

My wife used a 330ci until my son was just under 2.
Rear facing seat fits in the back easily - get one with a base as it makes life much easier. Maxi Cosi do one.

BMW coupes at the age you're looking at have issues with the rear subframe mounts. The boot floor tears and the repair is pretty expensive. BME normally meet the cost of this though.

Does it have to be a coupe ? What about a 330 or 325 but a saloon ?

[pbarlow0032]

Thanks for the responses! I've never been a fan of the saloon shape, and I presumed (maybe mistakenly) that the coupe would be higher specced. I want a car with less than 100k miles on it as this seems to be the psychological point at which it becomes "old".
Leather interior is a must, and I can't seem to find any 328's within budget? Does anyone have any tips on where to look?
We have a company car for the practical stuff, so as long as we can fit the seat in from time to time, that would be good. Does anyone know if the airbag can be deactivated?