Need advice for my first car

[Staaldraad]

Hey everyone

I am new here, and I am amazed that there are a community for Bimmers :coolShake:

As the thread subject suggests, I need advice for buying my first car.
Currently I am in the process for finding a bmw 320i e46
I just want to know a few things: How reliable are these cars? Do they need lots of maintenance, and what can I expect to pay annually?( I know it is hard to predict, but I don't have a good paying job) is the fuel economy good, and what do you guys get?

What advice can you guys give me?

I really hope someone can help me out here

 

[Dewald Basson]

The 320, has bad fuel consumption. If you want a 6 pot get a 330, if want something light on fuel get the 318(i think there std issues) with that motor. Google it and read.

If you want an idea of maintenance you can look at my thread, I have replaced almost all the common failure parts.

 

[SylisM]

Welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place, you will receive all the info here.

 

[ChefDJ]

You really want a diesel though...

 

[GoCart]

Welcome.

Why 320? money is better spent on 325i or 330i

 

[Donovan2412]

Hey everyone

I am new here, and I am amazed that there are a community for Bimmers :coolShake:

As the thread subject suggests, I need advice for buying my first car.
Currently I am in the process for finding a bmw 320i e46
I just want to know a few things: How reliable are these cars? Do they need lots of maintenance, and what can I expect to pay annually?( I know it is hard to predict, but I don't have a good paying job) is the fuel economy good, and what do you guys get?

What advice can you guys give me?

I really hope someone can help me out here

E46 330D - Powerful yet efficient

If that's too high for the budget then E36 318iS

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

This is all you need, buy it and be done with it.

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=75381

 

[GoCart]

This is all you need, buy it and be done with it.

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=75381

:withStu: :clapper:

 

[Nick]

This is all you need, buy it and be done with it.

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=75381

:withStu: :clapper:

plz just buy that one

Welcome!!

 

[Yuben]

Depends what your budget

 

[Zound]

The 320, has bad fuel consumption. If you want a 6 pot get a 330, if want something light on fuel get the 318(i think there std issues) with that motor. Google it and read.

If you want an idea of maintenance you can look at my thread, I have replaced almost all the common failure parts.

I don't concur. My friend has a beautiful 04' Estoril Blue 320i in Manual and travels the same distance, same route to university daily that I do. He consistently achieves an average of 8.8L/100Km while I struggle to beat 9.6L/100Km in my Manual 330i.
Just don't get it in auto.

 

[waylander42]

Depends entirely on your budget. Any second hand BMW will cost a lot in comparison to most Jap cars for eg, simply because when even the little stuff goes wrong parts prices will be so much more. I started out in a Mazda MX5 and it was the best decision ever because it was cheap as chips to maintain and run while I found my feet financially. Now I'm in a Z4M and loving it, but that's because I can also afford to run it There's nothing that kills your love for a car quicker than being terrified of something breaking and you simply cant afford to fix it.

 

[Yuben]

The 320, has bad fuel consumption. If you want a 6 pot get a 330, if want something light on fuel get the 318(i think there std issues) with that motor. Google it and read.

If you want an idea of maintenance you can look at my thread, I have replaced almost all the common failure parts.

I don't concur. My friend has a beautiful 04' Estoril Blue 320i in Manual and travels the same distance, same route to university daily that I do. He consistently achieves an average of 8.8L/100Km while I struggle to beat 9.6L/100Km in my Manual 330i.
Just don't get it in auto.

Agree here. Thiren (Spiro) gets phenomenal consumption on his 320i.

Calling Spiro:cartel:

 

[Pho3niX90]

Stay away from an auto as that might bankrupt you, this is not a theory but a fact, so do not settle.

Secondly, a 318 is not much lighter on juice compared to a 330 (Withing reason, same driving habits). My 318 use to consume petrol hectically, but my 330 after cats were removed and with a shorter diff gave me around 7L/100 on highway cruising (Shorter diff usually ups fuel consumption).

I would stay away from a 4cyl bmw in E46, however with my 318 I never had a days problem, was extremely reliable. So was the 330 however general common issue maintenance items were considerably more expensive, if I were you I would opt for a 325/330 since the price diff would not be that much of a difference and will bring a smile to your face. I still miss my 330.

 

[AdiS]

My suggestion is to hop on to the U.S. forums and read up on the common E46 issues. I'll give a brief overview:

Cooling System - these are weak points and if the engine overheats, mostly likely the head gasket will blow and possible warp the head. The expansion tank tends to crack or explode, and other components in the cooling system (thermostat, waterpump, pipes) can also fail. My personal advice on a car with more than 150 000km is to replace the expansion tank and waterpump and keep a close eye on the rest.

Suspension - E46s are older cars generally with higher mileage. Front lower control arm bushings are a weak point and will most likely need replacement. The rest of the suspension could possibly need work as well.

Engines - the 6 cylinder engines are generally less problematic than the 4 cylinders. The N42/6 from the 318i will need valve stem seals, and is known for multiple oil leaks.

The auto gearboxes are known to fail as well, so a manual is the preferred option. Take note of how the clutch behaves before buying though.

Normal servicing, brakes, etc is not too bad with many aftermarket options for parts.

E46 are wonderful cars, but they are quite old now so don't expect to buy a car that doesn't need some work. Having said that, they are relatively simple cars and if you stay on top of maintenance they can be extremely reliable.

Good luck.

 

[Blert]

My suggestion is to hop on to the U.S. forums and read up on the common E46 issues. I'll give a brief overview:

Cooling System - these are weak points and if the engine overheats, mostly likely the head gasket will blow and possible warp the head. The expansion tank tends to crack or explode, and other components in the cooling system (thermostat, waterpump, pipes) can also fail. My personal advice on a car with more than 150 000km is to replace the expansion tank and waterpump and keep a close eye on the rest.

Suspension - E46s are older cars generally with higher mileage. Front lower control arm bushings are a weak point and will most likely need replacement. The rest of the suspension could possibly need work as well.

Engines - the 6 cylinder engines are generally less problematic than the 4 cylinders. The N42/6 from the 318i will need valve stem seals, and is known for multiple oil leaks.

The auto gearboxes are known to fail as well, so a manual is the preferred option. Take note of how the clutch behaves before buying though.

Normal servicing, brakes, etc is not too bad with many aftermarket options for parts.

E46 are wonderful cars, but they are quite old now so don't expect to buy a car that doesn't need some work. Having said that, they are relatively simple cars and if you stay on top of maintenance they can be extremely reliable.

Good luck.

:withStu: most possible points across the range to look at, diesel to petrol derivatives, 6 and 4 cylinders

just one point to add window mechs also a weak point on a e46.

 

[MDE]

My first was a 330i manual. Best decision I've ever made. Gem of a motor and reliable. When testing alternatives I found everything below the 325i to be injustice to the overall BMW driving experience. Built the same or similar however lacking in that wonderful linear power delivery of a bigger 6.

As other have said, cooling and allround suspension bushes are key areas. For the most part they'll never leave you stranded. Manual e46 is a no-brainer.

 

[Woodies]

This is all you need, buy it and be done with it.

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=75381

Great advice from everyone really. Main thing is budget.
BMW will be more expensive to maintain than cheap Jap cars etc. But you get sooooooo much more for your money. The above example is a great car! 330 in manual, thats been looked after and cared for. For that kind of money you can get a cheaper to maintain Polo or Golf, but why? Don't spend every cent you have on the car and leave nothing for proper maintenance.

 

[Spiro]

if you are going for an e46 320i, just make sure facelift


i get very decent mileage on mine, the best i got out over the tank was about 900km's, yes you read that correctly, however this could have been greater on my 1 durban trip, relaxed drive

now i'm thinking if putting a Full Tank and doing a Range Test... Hmmmm....



currently i use the car for all my running around, and get about 750+ to the tank(mainly highway, and almost no traffic for the times i travel)

if the car is above 120km/h it's gets thirsty, but not bad, if you keep it at 100km/h for some reason, it get's very very light...


i've had the car now for 8 years, and it's still stock as anything... the biggest fuel saver for me was changing the rear tyre's from 225 to 205... the footprint drop was very noticeable on the fuel range...


service wise... usual stuff, very easy to service, just get a new Waterpump and Expansion tank..

i've only been through over 8 years..

1 set of brake discs ( front ) ( rears are currently due )
2 sets of pads front ( one set rear )
1 Set plugs ( i think R80 each from BMW )
2 or 3 Airfilters...
a few oil changes every 12500km's
1 Expansion tank ( R800 )
1 Water Pump ( R500 )
1 Powersteering pump ( R1500 )
A lot of speakers ( insert value here )
1 full set Tyre's ( using 16's 205/55/16 - 895 per Tyre )
Polish and Wheel Cleaner ( a lot )






.

 

[Xeqtr]

If you worried about money buy a polo.... if you really want the 320i, there is good advice above.

Don't get yourself into financial poo poo.