DeanoBlado
Member
DiVinci said:
Decisions decisions, waiting for the owner to get back to me.
-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Help me decide e46 318i - New member
- Thread starter DeanoBlado
- Start date
Decisions decisions, waiting for the owner to get back to me.
///Marksman
New member
haha, good luck:thumbsup:
DeanoBlado
Member
So i decided against the BM with the 154 000 kilos on th clock. I was not entirely happy.
I am looking at another one 318i exclusive, Xenons and PDC 126k on the clock and the dealer wants 95K. price was originally 105K but managed to bring him down. Car seems very clean BUT
The service history seems a bit doggy. The car was in motorplan but was serviced every 40 thousand kilo's. This makes me a bit nervous.
No one can tell me why it was serviced every 40k instead of the normal 25k. Trying to get hold of the previous owner to hear their story.
I am looking at another one 318i exclusive, Xenons and PDC 126k on the clock and the dealer wants 95K. price was originally 105K but managed to bring him down. Car seems very clean BUT
The service history seems a bit doggy. The car was in motorplan but was serviced every 40 thousand kilo's. This makes me a bit nervous.
No one can tell me why it was serviced every 40k instead of the normal 25k. Trying to get hold of the previous owner to hear their story.
Gizmo
Banned
Get hold of a Junk Mail and start looking for 330i's. I found the one I'm driving now in the first junk mail I picked up.
This time 2 years ago I was in the market for a replacement bmw to my e36 325i which was sideswiped by a truck and hit a tree at 50km, but thats another story...
I had R100 000 to spend but I did my homework before I went shopping, E46FANATICS.COM gave me a good insight into what to expect. Then I did an excel spreadsheet for the whole range of E46's with power, torque, fuel economy and the works. I then test drove a '01 330i and my mind was made up, I will not settle for anything less!!!
That first Junk Mail I picked up had 2 330i manuals, an '01 without a sunroof and an '02 with a sunroof, both were in my price range. The '01 looked a little dodgy 'cos it had a police aerial drilled into the bootlid... But the '02 was in a much better condition and had 148K on the clock, plus it was a facelift model which looks so much better. I drove it and knew this is the one, I took the VIN down and went to Auto Glen BMW for a background check, got a two page printout, no major accidents and all service items were replaced at their given intervals. The next day my father came with me to see the car and he approved. The PO was asking R110 neg and I offered R100 which they took.
Overall the car was in excellent condition but once I got home I jacked it up and found it needed new brake pads and control arm bushes. I gave it an oil service for peace of mind too.
Just let you know, the 330i is the only e46 to have bigger brakes than the others. They are 325mm dia discs in the front as opposed to the 285mm discs on the 318i, the rears are much bigger too. Trust me, you can never have enough braking force, the brakes on the 330i are awesome in comparison to a 318i.
Another thing that swayed me to the 330i was that it is better to have power/torque and not need it than to not have it and need it. It makes overtaking so much quicker and safer to do.
As far as the 330i being heavy on juice compaired to a 318i, thats bullshit! You don't need to rev the crap out of a 330i to get going, unlike a 318i. I get on average 620-650km on every tank which is town and highway driving combined. On the open road I get it down to 7.8lt/100km.
Hope my experience in buying an E46 has helped.
This time 2 years ago I was in the market for a replacement bmw to my e36 325i which was sideswiped by a truck and hit a tree at 50km, but thats another story...
I had R100 000 to spend but I did my homework before I went shopping, E46FANATICS.COM gave me a good insight into what to expect. Then I did an excel spreadsheet for the whole range of E46's with power, torque, fuel economy and the works. I then test drove a '01 330i and my mind was made up, I will not settle for anything less!!!
That first Junk Mail I picked up had 2 330i manuals, an '01 without a sunroof and an '02 with a sunroof, both were in my price range. The '01 looked a little dodgy 'cos it had a police aerial drilled into the bootlid... But the '02 was in a much better condition and had 148K on the clock, plus it was a facelift model which looks so much better. I drove it and knew this is the one, I took the VIN down and went to Auto Glen BMW for a background check, got a two page printout, no major accidents and all service items were replaced at their given intervals. The next day my father came with me to see the car and he approved. The PO was asking R110 neg and I offered R100 which they took.
Overall the car was in excellent condition but once I got home I jacked it up and found it needed new brake pads and control arm bushes. I gave it an oil service for peace of mind too.
Just let you know, the 330i is the only e46 to have bigger brakes than the others. They are 325mm dia discs in the front as opposed to the 285mm discs on the 318i, the rears are much bigger too. Trust me, you can never have enough braking force, the brakes on the 330i are awesome in comparison to a 318i.
Another thing that swayed me to the 330i was that it is better to have power/torque and not need it than to not have it and need it. It makes overtaking so much quicker and safer to do.
As far as the 330i being heavy on juice compaired to a 318i, thats bullshit! You don't need to rev the crap out of a 330i to get going, unlike a 318i. I get on average 620-650km on every tank which is town and highway driving combined. On the open road I get it down to 7.8lt/100km.
Hope my experience in buying an E46 has helped.
M
///M_POW
Guest
Gizmo said:
nice write up Gizmo...
On my trip down to durbs with the M i got 7.6l/100km, following the speed limit with 4 ppl in the car packed with bags, used the speedo cruise most of the time. I was shocked :dropjaw:
I'll keep the 330i on my shopping list if the M has to go, but it need to be a Auto for traffic.
M
///M_POW
Guest
HELLAS said:
Grrrr...
1 way to settle this.. bring that tractor and come...
Lets race :excited:
M
///M_POW
Guest
hehe... was only joking...
we need to stop jacking now ...:nono:
we need to stop jacking now ...:nono:
DeanoBlado
Member
Ok guys, back to the topic.
I just got someone at BMW to get me the service history of the BM and the results are shocking.
Apparentley the car was in an accident in 2006
suspension
airbag (front left)
and the roof lining.
Sho, glad i did the checkup. Was so close to make the deal. I even took the car for a test drive today.
I just got someone at BMW to get me the service history of the BM and the results are shocking.
Apparentley the car was in an accident in 2006
suspension
airbag (front left)
and the roof lining.
Sho, glad i did the checkup. Was so close to make the deal. I even took the car for a test drive today.
Nic_s
///Member
You should also look on www.Gumtree.co.za - Sometimes dealerships advertise their cars on there.
I’m also in a fix to make up my mind over buying a used 2006 E46 M3 with 45000km on the clock. I’m thinking of trading my E90 323 (2006 65 000km) which I bought brand new in for it. I always wanted an e46 shape but needed a new car also hence the 323. Now!!!!! My heart is rushing me back to the e46 specifically the M3. Not sure if it make sense. Also the one I’m interested in costs R369k. Not sure if this is a good price. Few chips in front though. PLEASE GIVE ADVICE DEAR FRIENDS.
The M3 I referred to in my early thread posting is:
E46 M3 SMG 2006 model with 45000km on the clock going for R369k. Has a few chips in front bumper/ spoiler and bonnet. Re-spray may result in whole bonnet being re-sprayed. Do you guys think its a good buy or are there better offers out there. I'm dying for an E46 with "vhuma".
The M3 I referred to in my early thread posting is:
E46 M3 SMG 2006 model with 45000km on the clock going for R369k. Has a few chips in front bumper/ spoiler and bonnet. Re-spray may result in whole bonnet being re-sprayed. Do you guys think its a good buy or are there better offers out there. I'm dying for an E46 with "vhuma".
The M3 I referred to in my early thread posting is:
E46 M3 SMG 2006 model with 45000km on the clock going for R369k. Has a few chips in front bumper/ spoiler and bonnet. Re-spray may result in whole bonnet being re-sprayed. Do you guys think its a good buy or are there better offers out there. I'm dying for an E46 with "vhuma".
The M3 I referred to in my early thread posting is:
E46 M3 SMG 2006 model with 45000km on the clock going for R369k. Has a few chips in front bumper/ spoiler and bonnet. Re-spray may result in whole bonnet being re-sprayed. Do you guys think its a good buy or are there better offers out there. I'm dying for an E46 with "vhuma".
DeanoBlado
Member
32fiver said:
Just contact the BMW dealer where the car was serviced and tell them you want to buy the car in question and want the servive history.
unsecluded
New member
Just wanted to say hi first, I’m new here :wave:
Don’t worry DeanoBlado, I’m in the same position as you. So to prevent starting a new thread, maybe my questions will assist you as well.
I’m from Cape Town but it will be my wife (26), driving 5 years, who will be buying the car.
It will be our first car so excuse any dumbass questions
We’re budgeting in the region of 70 – 100k, but can push to 110k if it really value for money.
While looks are nice, value for money is what we seek. We’re thinking BMW because of build quality and thinking less wear & tear, are we on the right track?
What are your guys thoughts on the Ti range.
Will parts and repairs be on the same costs as a sedan?
Will ease of resale be similar considering it’s a compact 2-door?
Is build quality and safety identical to the sedan?
Then concerning the sedans:
Should we stay away from the pre-facelift models?
Are repairs and maintenance a killer, say compared to a Polo.
What’s a mileage we should avoid?
Considering someone mentioning that their 330i can be economical, is that in terms of other engines of that capacity, or you saying its not much more than a 318i. (I do understand it is dependant on driving style. Fuel is a factor for us)
Would the 325i be a good second best to the 330i or is their a bigger reason the 330i is mentioned?
We initially looked for a 318i, but are open to suggestions. Definitely looking for petrol.
Transmission isn’t an issue, though I won’t say no to steptronic. Lol
What insurance roughly going to cost us on the models and do they differ according to whether it’s a Ti or sedan and engine capacity.
Regarding someone mentioning testing the car before, just to clarify im understanding correctly. You recommend that we either send it to AA, somewhere to do a ‘PPI’, or pay a good BMW mechanic to thoroughly check the car out. I like the sound of the last option.
Ok, apologies for the long post, want to prevent badgering back and forth. But ultimately I hope I’ve given a fair indication of what we looking for, which I think can be summed up as ‘best value for money’. We would like to obviously spend as little as possible but wouldn’t want make a ‘stupid buy’ either.
I’ve attached some links to private sales I’ve been considering, and have been thinking of staying away from dealers. Am I on the right track?
Thanks in advance and any input is appreciated.
318 #1
318 #2
318 #3
318 #4
318 #5
318 #6
320 #1
320 #2
Don’t worry DeanoBlado, I’m in the same position as you. So to prevent starting a new thread, maybe my questions will assist you as well.
I’m from Cape Town but it will be my wife (26), driving 5 years, who will be buying the car.
It will be our first car so excuse any dumbass questions
We’re budgeting in the region of 70 – 100k, but can push to 110k if it really value for money.
While looks are nice, value for money is what we seek. We’re thinking BMW because of build quality and thinking less wear & tear, are we on the right track?
What are your guys thoughts on the Ti range.
Will parts and repairs be on the same costs as a sedan?
Will ease of resale be similar considering it’s a compact 2-door?
Is build quality and safety identical to the sedan?
Then concerning the sedans:
Should we stay away from the pre-facelift models?
Are repairs and maintenance a killer, say compared to a Polo.
What’s a mileage we should avoid?
Considering someone mentioning that their 330i can be economical, is that in terms of other engines of that capacity, or you saying its not much more than a 318i. (I do understand it is dependant on driving style. Fuel is a factor for us)
Would the 325i be a good second best to the 330i or is their a bigger reason the 330i is mentioned?
We initially looked for a 318i, but are open to suggestions. Definitely looking for petrol.
Transmission isn’t an issue, though I won’t say no to steptronic. Lol
What insurance roughly going to cost us on the models and do they differ according to whether it’s a Ti or sedan and engine capacity.
Regarding someone mentioning testing the car before, just to clarify im understanding correctly. You recommend that we either send it to AA, somewhere to do a ‘PPI’, or pay a good BMW mechanic to thoroughly check the car out. I like the sound of the last option.
Ok, apologies for the long post, want to prevent badgering back and forth. But ultimately I hope I’ve given a fair indication of what we looking for, which I think can be summed up as ‘best value for money’. We would like to obviously spend as little as possible but wouldn’t want make a ‘stupid buy’ either.
I’ve attached some links to private sales I’ve been considering, and have been thinking of staying away from dealers. Am I on the right track?
Thanks in advance and any input is appreciated.
318 #1
318 #2
318 #3
318 #4
318 #5
318 #6
320 #1
320 #2
Jacques Motorem
New member
Hi
We break BMW's here in Cape Town and our experience is if you are buying a used BMW then get a sixer and avoid the four pots - (esp diesels). The two 320's you found look good but the 2001 model is confusing since it should be a pre/facelift model it its 2001. The 2.2 motors are good and performance is close to the 325 of the same era - I've had both. Sold my 320 2001 (2.2) to my bro in law who is averaging 7litres per 100 km. Watch out for chancers selling-accident-damaged-and-repaired cars on Gumtree - there are plenty.
Good luck
Jacques
We break BMW's here in Cape Town and our experience is if you are buying a used BMW then get a sixer and avoid the four pots - (esp diesels). The two 320's you found look good but the 2001 model is confusing since it should be a pre/facelift model it its 2001. The 2.2 motors are good and performance is close to the 325 of the same era - I've had both. Sold my 320 2001 (2.2) to my bro in law who is averaging 7litres per 100 km. Watch out for chancers selling-accident-damaged-and-repaired cars on Gumtree - there are plenty.
Good luck
Jacques
DeanoBlado
Member
Wow dude. There is some good deals right there. I'm sure i'll be able to pick one from these deals. Damn Cape Town has all the cars i'm looking for.
Good luck bro...
What do you mean you break BMW's?
Good luck bro...
Jacques Motorem said:
What do you mean you break BMW's?
