Greetings

[MotorHead79]

Good day. New to this forum. Have never owned a BMW myself, altho in the family we have had 2 e36's (316i) and an e30 (320i). I'm in the market for a car and the e46 is the shape I'm after. I've driven 6 cylinder cars for the last 17 years. Finally sold the last one (Sierra 3.0i RS) last year. I like the e36 325 and 328 models, but when considering km's on the clock and wear & tear, the e46 (being a later model) will be a better buy. I'm here for advice. What problems to look out for, are parts readily available etc. I'm looking for a combination of reliability and performance. I'm a car guy so buying a car that just gets me from A to B is not something I look forward to and I prefer RWD. The e46 is in my price range and I love it's lines.

Thanks guys.

 

[individj]

hi & welcome...what is the price range?

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even the e46's are going to need money spent on a few things so to be honest with you i would look at it from what your heart wants....the E46 is a solid car and a jump up from the E46 but can be a lovely, reliable daily too.

 

[MotorHead79]

hi & welcome...what is the price range?

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even the e46's are going to need money spent on a few things so to be honest with you i would look at it from what your heart wants....the E46 is a solid car and a jump up from the E46 but can be a lovely, reliable daily too.

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Hi. Price range around 60-65k

 

[individj]

i would then try to get a 328i and throw some money at it....you would want an E46 330i but that budget isn't going to get you a great one & then youll need to spend money after..

 

[MotorHead79]

i would then try to get a 328i and throw some money at it....you would want an E46 330i but that budget isn't going to get you a great one & then youll need to spend money after..

Do u mean the e36 328i?

 

[individj]

yes

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if i was in the market for one it would have to be a 6 cylinder e36 motorsport

 

[MotorHead79]

yes

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if i was in the market for one it would have to be a 6 cylinder e36 motorsport

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Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[v1p3r]

There are a few 325Ci's on Gumtree at the moment, in various conditions. They look good and sound good. Good, stylish cruisers.

Things worth having checked and keeping an eye on is the coolant systems, front suspension like control arms and pumps like the power steering pump, maybe the power window mechanisms.

Like @"individj" said, your budget isn't going to allow for buying a perfect one. You'll need to spend on getting some things up to standard and maintenance.

 

[individj]

compression test too.

 

[Raidillon]

Cant go wrong with the E36 328i but perhaps im biased :fencelook:

 

[MotorHead79]

There are a few 325Ci's on Gumtree at the moment, in various conditions. They look good and sound good. Good, stylish cruisers.

Things worth having checked and keeping an eye on is the coolant systems, front suspension like control arms and pumps like the power steering pump, maybe the power window mechanisms.

Like @"individj" said, your budget isn't going to allow for buying a perfect one. You'll need to spend on getting some things up to standard and maintenance.

Hi v1p3r. Thanx for the response. Being a family man, a 4 door will be more practical for me

 

[v1p3r]

Cool man. The E46 maintenance items are still valid for the sedan. I had an E46 330i and that is specific things I spent money on

 

[TurboLlew]

Welcome. Good luck in your search.

E36 328i gets my vote though getting much less common.
Be careful you don't pay a premium for a car that presents well but has a lot of deferred maintenance.
Even with seemingly well documented cars, don't assume this means they are honest...
When evaluating cars, don't underestimate the costs and extent of doing refreshes to the suspension, bushings, mounts, servicing axles and gearbox etc.
Don't underestimate the work required or difficulty/cost in sourcing cosmetic things. Missing cowls, ducts, plastic trims, wheel lug covers on certain styles etc. are easy to replace on a 10 year old car... but much more difficult on a 20 year old car. These cars have been around the block a few times and they are not always owned by people who really care about cars.

@"Nikhil" knows my search for E39s and E36s (albeit Ms) and how frustrating it can be to find good examples (at prices that make any kind of sense anyway). There are many that are presented as 'collectors' or 'mint' or even advertised with pictures from 5+ years ago... countless hours wasted on these because you show up and it is a pile of junk that needs 100K+ spent on it immediately (but the owner 'knows what he has' so sits with it for another year).

 

[MotorHead79]

Thanks for the comments guys.

I read a lot about sub-frame problems and the all of a sudden won't start issues. Upon viewing a car I can look underneath for cracks in the sub, but is there any way I can be "warned" about a possible no-start problem in a month or two after buying a certain model?

I'm leaning towards either e46 325i, 330i, e36 325i or 328i. I don't mind a car that needs stitching in the seats or a cubby hole (glove box) that needs a handle etc. I just don't wanna end up with a car that's going to drop me after a day at the mall with fam and then doesn't wanna start. That's usually an issue with performance models (reliability), but as I said I don't just want an A to B wagon and after Ford left their RWD fans with a bunch of city hatches with lawnmower engines and performance models (even 2nd hand ones) costing an arm & a leg, I and many others, turns to BMW to keep the passion alive. I've looked at other options in the 60-70k price range and nothing else comes close in terms of bang for buck than the beemers regarding market value. 1.4 Corolla with cloth seats and 6 cylinder fullhouse BMW (same year model) in the same price bracket. I know the Toy's service and parts are cheaper, but that's not all I'm after.