Talk to me about E46 coupes

[Chris71]

I had the chance to drive an E46 330 Ci Sport this morning. And now I'm wondering if that might be the answer to my current car buying dilemma! I wondered if I could pick your brains for second?

• Do all E46 Coupes have the same suspension setup? I wasn't sure if Sport was a trim spec or if it was like the M-Sport suspension on later BMWs.
• Which engine should you go for? Fuel economy isn't a particular issue for me, so I'm tempted by the 330 Ci.
• There's a 330 Ci Clubsport advertised near me. Is that as exciting as it sounds or is it a glorified trim spec? Any other special editions to look out for?
• Having said that, what are they like in terms of running costs? What's reliability like in general and would you consider a high miler?
• Do they all have ISOFIX? It wouldn't be a regular family car, but the ability to use it for occasional toddler transport would be a bonus.
• What are the main things to watch out for? I seem to remember bushes are a common issue on E46s? Is rust a major worry? I'm not too fussed about running repairs, but I want to avoid anything potentially terminal!

Many thanks.

ETA One other question. Aside from the extra doors, how different is the saloon?

Edited by Chris71 on Sunday 3rd September 17:43

[Chris71]

Thanks gents.

iSore said:

A mate of mine - a BMW dealer tech - has a stunning silver 330Ci Sport for sale, facelift 5 speed manual model with black leather. Absolutely lovely and £2500. It's a 2002 car but he converted it to a facelift a few years back with new genuine wings, bonnet and boot plus paintwork, LED rear lights and so on.

Got a link?

Out of interest, what would people recommend as an alternative? I've yet to do the sums, but I don't think I have E92 money (that said, a mate of mine does have an E92 335i for sale )

I presume the E36 will be at least as problematic to run as an E46 these days?

How many gearbox options are there? I've seen some regular E46s listed as semi-automatic, is that different to the regular auto? Normally I'd go for a manual every time, but I have to do quite a lot of long motorway journies at peak times, so an auto might have its plus points in traffic.

Pls feel free to PM if anyone else has or knows of one in good mechanical/structural condition.

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 4th September 11:50

[Chris71]

Cledus Snow said:

Also, if the E46 isn't worth the hassle, what is the alternative? Surely any 12-15 year old car is going to need some attention.

Indeed. The one I drove yesterday was a speculative visit to a local car dealership on the way back from seeing an Alfa 156 V6 that I had my heart set on. The E46 was outwardly in a much rougher state yet it drove infinitely better. I'd still be tempted by the Alfa if I could find a good one, but I'd say 330s outnumber them about 10:1, so even if there are a few dogs out there my chances of finding a good one are far higher. Plus, as a long-suffering TVR owner, I have a fairly philosophical take on maintenance requirements.

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 4th September 17:22

[Chris71]

Could I get your thoughts on a couple I've spotted? Feel free to PM if you'd prefer.

This one is 'only' a 325, but it seems to have had most of the right bits replaced and (at the risk of sounding like a bit of a girl...) I like the fact it's a less sombre colour combination than a lot of them:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

This one seems a touch pricey, and it's a saloon rather than a coupe, but full suspension refresh by the sound of it:
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

[Chris71]

SebringMan said:

But be warned. Some cars described as having semi-autos are actually true automatics, like this one:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Ah, now that is interesting! I quite liked the look of that one, but discounted it based on what I'd heard about the SSG elsewhere (by sheer coincidence a mate came to visit this afternoon ... I forgot he started in the motor trade and currently owns an E46 saloon!)

So what do we reckon to that one?

Like I say, I used to be vehemently anti-auto, but after the hundredth time creeping through the traffic on the way up to Stonehenge on the A303 I'm coming round to the idea of someone shuffling the torque for me.

[Chris71]

iSore said:

Chris71 said:

Got a link?

No, as it's not advertised yet.

But you're highly unlikely to find a nicer one. For example it had four new dampers last year - genuine parts from Sytners along with top mounts and bump stops. Over £800 alone in parts. That's what separates the good cars from the rubbish.

If you're genuinely interested you can P.M me.

Yep, I'd be interested to find out more, see some pics and find out where the car is based (I'm prepared to travel for the right one... but maybe not if it's in Orkney!) Dropped you a PM.

On a different note, had a bit of a Google and the overwhelming consensus seems to be that there's no point getting a 325 if you can afford a 330. Shame, that blue one looked rather nice.

Edited by Chris71 on Tuesday 5th September 10:27

[Chris71]

SebringMan said:

Chris71 said:

Ah, now that is interesting! I quite liked the look of that one, but discounted it based on what I'd heard about the SSG elsewhere (by sheer coincidence a mate came to visit this afternoon ... I forgot he started in the motor trade and currently owns an E46 saloon!)

So what do we reckon to that one?

Like I say, I used to be vehemently anti-auto, but after the hundredth time creeping through the traffic on the way up to Stonehenge on the A303 I'm coming round to the idea of someone shuffling the torque for me.

IMO that looks pretty good but as always I'd want to see it in the flesh. If it's near Warwick I'm happy to assist with that .

Alas, it appears to be sold. Shame, I've got a bit of a thing for bright interiors.

The auto thing for me entirely comes down to the usage. I would always go for a manual for a Sunday afternoon fun car. Even if you get something where the actual shift is pretty horrid, the extra engagement can be priceless if you're blipping your way down the gearbox with a good engine. But, while I'd never describe changing gear as especially taxing, there is something more relaxing about letting the car do the work if you're just going about the daily grind. I don't think I've ever crawled along on the M25 wishing I was doing my own clutch work.

[Chris71]

Thanks gents, some really good information.

matthias73 said:

Also I see you drive down the a303/Stonehenge.

I live in Tidworth if you want to take mine for a spin.

May well take you up on that. I'm actually on the far side of Somerset, but every few weeks I have to venture up the '303 or the M4 for work. The blue 325 was for sale in Basingstoke, so I was meant to view that on my way back from Millbrook last night, but it had sold by the time I set off.

s m said:

Let us know whether you get the Alfa or a BMW!

It's a tricky one. I suspect someone with the right knowledge will still be able to pick up a decent E46 for sensible money in a few years' time, whereas the Alfas are already starting to polarise into cheap rusty sheds and expensive show cars. If, by some chance, I find a 156 V6 that bucks that trend I'd probably grab it as I could revisit the BMW idea later on. But the chances of that happening? There are 20 or 30 E46s for every 156 V6 and I don't have six months to track one down.

ETA I think I've got a good idea what to look for in terms of bills (new wishbones etc.) Aside from rust, is there anything else a relatively inexpert person like me could look for when they go to view an E46?

Edited by Chris71 on Saturday 9th September 16:08

[Chris71]

Why is it that any time I identify a type of car as a potential purchase the good ones suddenly dry up? I could swear there was a recently-refreshed E46 sat on every street corner before I began actively looking for one.

ETA What do you think of this one? It does need a little money spent. The MOT history has no mention of rust or brake issues, but front wishbone bushes have been flagged up a couple of times and it has a couple of tyre advisories. I presume we're looking at about a grand to fix those (if you put fresh tyres on all round)? Could be quite a nice low-mileage car for £3k in total.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 11th September 09:29

[Chris71]

Smuler said:

I thought it had a vile interior

Condition-wise or just the colour?

I'm afraid I have a very un-Germanic preference for bright colours. I'd go for red or blue with a cream interior ideally.

[Chris71]

Smuler said:

Chris71 said:

Condition-wise or just the colour?

I'm afraid I have a very un-Germanic preference for bright colours. I'd go for red or blue with a cream interior ideally.

That interior color, always looks tired at best. I guess that accentuates the lack of cleanliness when pictures took.

Red is German, surely, the famous Imola. Brilliant color. I had a pre facelift model, purely as a runaround to compliment my M3.

The summer I got it, no one took any notice of the M3, everyone just used to come over and look at Red

To be fair, I would contemplate a black interior on an E46. There's enough different shades and textures going on that it works quite well. Some of the older cars look very dark and depressing in grey/black to my eye. The VW Corrado with its great slab of plastic dash springs to mind...

[Chris71]

iSore said:

Chris71 said:

To be fair, I would contemplate a black interior on an E46. There's enough different shades and textures going on that it works quite well. Some of the older cars look very dark and depressing in grey/black to my eye. The VW Corrado with its great slab of plastic dash springs to mind...

You need to pester Chris to sell you his silver one. It really is lovely and needs nothing doing at all, rare for an E46!

I may well do so.

He's almost as far away from me as it's possible to get within the confines of England, though, and I could do with something sooner than his will be free. That said, I'm not having a huge amount of luck elsewhere at the moment, so I may well still be in the market. Spoke to him the other day and he does like exactly the sort of person you'd want to buy one of these from.

[Chris71]

This one is relatively local to me. Allegedly rust free and FSH. Brand tyres (the last one I saw had Sunny tyres on all four corners ... never a good sign). Any thoughts?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bmw-330ci-Msport/3024501...

[Chris71]

What do you think of this one?
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Top dollar for an E46, and I plan to use/abuse it daily, so the 'future classic' schtick is perhaps less relevant to me.

Based on what I've read elsewhere, I also get the impression you'd be better off going for a six-speed if you wanted a manual? Don't seem to be many about, admittedly.

[Chris71]

StuTheGrouch said:

It's pre-facelift, 5-speed on MV1 wheels. That is quite over-priced to be honest. For that price you would get a good facelifted model- I was selling mine for half that price.

Indeed. I initially assumed it would be a six-speed for 2003 (and I was a bit distracted by the colour combination, if I'm honest). There would have to be more to it than stated in the ad to justify the price, I think.

Also chatting to a mate this morning who apprenticed as a mechanic. He reckoned the five-speed was a better, stronger gearbox, so maybe that is the one to go for. And, as discussed, I know where there will be a good one coming up in a while.

[Chris71]

So, finally conceded that I was going to die of old age before I found a good E46 locally, so I messaged the owner of the immaculate silver one, with the intention of arranging a deposit. Turns out it's sold. I didn't realise he had it up for sale yet, otherwise I'd have got in there with a deposit sooner. Back to square one.

[Chris71]

Smuler said:

Chris71 said:

So, finally conceded that I was going to die of old age before I found a good E46 locally, so I messaged the owner of the immaculate silver one, with the intention of arranging a deposit. Turns out it's sold. I didn't realise he had it up for sale yet, otherwise I'd have got in there with a deposit sooner. Back to square one.

There's an Imola Red one with beige interior, but 127k miles, manual gearbox up for auction.
probably too high a mileage?

From what I hear that sort of mileage isn't an issue if it's been looked after?

[Chris71]

Johnny5hoods said:

Just be wary of automatics. They'll be about ready to throw some VERY big nasty bills at you at around 127k. Manual is fine.

That's interesting. I thought torque converters were usually better than manual boxes for high mileages? I'm open to the idea of either. The whole reason I'm drawn to a 3-Series is that it should blend motorway cruising with a bit of B-road ability. Not too fussed which way the balance tips; manual might be a bit more fun when you're in the mood (same for the Compact...) while the auto should be a bit more wafty.

[Chris71]

Random question ... well, questions.

Do all 330i SE's have cruise control? I've got the VIN print out for one I'm interested in and there's no mention of it. Similarly, is the 'Business' hifi any good? Is there any point holding out for an H&K system when I might just put a more recent head unit in it?

Here's what it's got:
S210A Dynamic stability control
S249A Multifunction f steering wheel
S255A Sports leather steering wheel
S302A Alarm system
S351A BMW LA wheel, star spoke 89
S428A Warning triangle and first aid kit
S431A Interior mirror with automatic-dip
S435A Fine wood trim
S441A Smoker package
S459A Seat adjuster, electric, with memory
S470A Isofix-System
S473A Armrest front
S502A Headlight cleaning system
S508A Park Distance Control (PDC)
S520A Fog lights
S521A Rain sensor
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic air conditioning
S550A On-board computer
S662A Radio BMW Business CD
S692A Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
S785A White direction indicator lights
S832A Battery in luggage compartment
S850A Dummy-SALAPA
S853A Language version English
S863A Retailer Directory Europe
S877A Delete cross-pattern operation
S880A On-board vehicle literature English

[Chris71]

Hmm. Sounds like the one I was looking at has a pretty stingy spec. Also discovered its SORN - presumably it's tricky to gauge its mechanical health while sat on the drive?