First time car buyer

[Tomaz.R]

Hi guys

Im looking to buy an e46 bmw its going to be my first car. is this a good idea? if so which one is best? in a perfect world id love the 330i but i know if something goes wrong on it its going to bitch slap my wallet. Please guys i need your opinions and advice. Thanks a lot :ty:

 

[individj]

i would buy a good 1...they are pretty decent..i have 1 or 2 & i had small things replaced like waterpump & expansion tank etc. & wasnt bad at all...if the motor or 6 speed box goes though....:argh: but it is pretty well built

 

[RAArmstrong]

These cars are well built. If you find one that has been well cared for and well maintained it shouldnt cost you a fortune...

IIRC there is a member here with over 400 000km on an E46 :fencelook:

 

[samman325]

Hi Tomaz.R

the e46 is really a fantastic car with excellent build quality (like all Beemers) and despite popular belief, is really not very costly to maintain.

It is also fairly easy to carry out DIY work if you have a bit of technical savvy. Like most cars, there are a few weak points on the mechanicals to look out for (plastic expansion tanks, control arm bushes, diff bushes, Final stage resistor) but the engines are pretty much bullet proof, specifically the 6 cylinder models if regularly maintained.

Your choice of model will depend on what you are looking for from the vehicle i.e. fuel efficiency or power?

General consensus seems to be to stay away from the auto's as those boxes are known to be troublesome.

Overall i think its a good choice of car!:thumbs:

---

These cars are well built. If you find one that has been well cared for and well maintained it shouldnt cost you a fortune...

IIRC there is a member here with over 400 000km on an E46 :fencelook:

You are correct sir!

432000 and counting

 

[Tomaz.R]

im hoping to find a good one, im 19 and this will be my first car so i need to think smart because it needs to last me the next 2 or 3 years and im set on getting a bm. At what point do i start buying another guys problems? are there certain things to look out for or does it all come down to how well the car was looked after? How much should i be spending on this car? Ive seen a few 318 for sale but they have obviosly done some serious k's. Is that a problem or should i still expect the car to go well. I do quite a bit of driving so i need it to handle the pressure.

samman325, im hoping for a bit of both, a car that i can have fun with and make my own.

 

[CamZo]

im hoping to find a good one, im 19 and this will be my first car so i need to think smart because it needs to last me the next 2 or 3 years and im set on getting a bm. At what point do i start buying another guys problems? are there certain things to look out for or does it all come down to how well the car was looked after? How much should i be spending on this car? Ive seen a few 318 for sale but they have obviosly done some serious k's. Is that a problem or should i still expect the car to go well. I do quite a bit of driving so i need it to handle the pressure.

samman325, im hoping for a bit of both, a car that i can have fun with and make my own.

honestly as much as i love BMW but taking into consideration your situation... i suggest look at gettin a polo vivo. its your first car, its cheap to maintain, can rack up the kms. if you get a bmw now and stuff breaks its not cheap to fix and in the old end you will end up hating bmw for putting you in a situation. maybe if you gave us a budget we can recommend something...

 

[Nick]

+1 Camzo

I think to start off you will need a smaller, cheaper car.

Also what driving experience do you have?
A 330I can catch you off guard from time to time so you have to know you will be able to handle it.

If you must go BMW from the start, I would look at a something with a NA 4pot.

 

[andrewbuch]

E46 318i pre face

This is a trip I did this weekend

 

[tinovittee]

And at R13-R14/L of petrol, running a 330i is not cheap... especially if you do city driving, or driving in traffic.... I'm thinking of getting me a box 318i or something really cheap as a daily. If running cost isn't an issue... then it's another story! Although Nick is right... quite a powerful car if you don't have a lot of experience.

 

[RAArmstrong]

Diesel :fencelook:

Then again if stuff goes wrong.....

 

[Ash777]

hi Tomaz R
if you love bmw, i reccomend the 318i.
I drove mine from when i was 23 to 29 years old, and i would do it again.
The problem with the 330i, is parts cost more, eg the disk brake vs a 318i disk break. Also being your first car, the petrol on a 330i is gonna sap your cash. i would imagine a 330i is higher on insurance too, not sure.

 

[Tomaz.R]

Camzo, I'm looking at around 3k a month hopefully less but that's the most I'm willing to spend not most so I'm working off that to see what i can find. Ive considered looking at cars like a polo vivo or a ford fiesta, but i first want to see if i can do the bm, id rather get a 318 than a vivo. I'm sure you can relate.

nick, i hear where you coming from ive been told the 330i is not a toy and that i can really do myself and others an injury if im not careful and irresponsible with it thats why id be happy with a normal 318 or even 325. but im just looking at all the options. 330i though is one hell of a fun machine though ive been told. Ive been driving for around 3 years now, i was fortunate enough to have free access to my old mans e36 316 and since then been driving all sorts of cars.

 

[tinovittee]

hi Tomaz R
if you love bmw, i reccomend the 318i.
I drove mine from when i was 23 to 29 years old, and i would do it again.
The problem with the 330i, is parts cost more, eg the disk brake vs a 318i disk break. Also being your first car, the petrol on a 330i is gonna sap your cash. i would imagine a 330i is higher on insurance too, not sure.

+1 on the insurance... most insurers won't cover cars with engines bigger than 2L for people under 25. I made a plan through my parents'insurance for mine...

 

[Nick]

Im 26 and insurance on my 320 Msport is a killer.
19 with a 330I will be more than the car installments.

 

[individj]

look its your choice...if it were me & i had the money for the 330i i would buy it! get a good 1 & enjoy...you only live once.:joy:

 

[Tomaz.R]

ash777, ya i also need to becareful where insurance is concerned and parts are a worry. the e36 i drove ran smoothly and served the family well for many years. Then towards the end my old man was spending more time repairing the car than actually driving it and it wasnt becoming worth the cash. could also be because it was in 3 accidents through out its life but it was a warrior car and kept going :thumbs:

 

[danieljames]

330i!!!! Beeg boys toys. I bought an E36 325i 3rd car(first bmw).....also first rear wheel drive. 2weeks later I had rear suspension damage. The car was insured so it didn't cost me a cent. Wen I was 19 I was a hooligan on the road. They're great handlimg cars but don't underestimate the power. How's bout a motor that's not as powerful until u really know ur tail?

 

[CamZo]

Ok how about looking at a 116i E87? That would be a great start as well an all rounder.

Sent from the best phone in the world! Galaxy S3

 

[RAArmstrong]

Ok how about looking at a 116i E87? That would be a great start as well an all rounder.

Sent from the best phone in the world! Galaxy S3

116/118 would be an awesome start!

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

Who is paying the insurance? At 23 I was coughing it for my E90 320i MSport LCI - they classified it as a 'performance car' - no offence but that's madness on their behalf.. I waited for 25 to get a faster car as insurance would have killed me more.. :yuck:

A bit of history - my first car was a 95 Nissan Sentra 160GXI that I bought from a family member and it was quite strong, I once blew a head gasket and just kept going to the varsity with the temp needle in the red convinced the head was gone.. Replaced the gasket and all was well again! :idea:

Anyway back to my point - if a car breaks you financially while you are younger you might not be able to get into the car of your dreams as quickly as you had hoped. My take on it, take it or leave it - a car is not an investment it's a massive liability and you need the money to keep it on the road and to ultimately keep you safe.. :thumbs: