Need some buying advice on e46 and e39 bimmers

[crixus]

Hi guys i'm thinking of buying a e46 or e39 for about R60000-00 or less. Is there anything i need to know about troublesome models in these 2 shapes. Most of the vehicles i have been looking at has 160k-200k, km what would be no no mileage?

e46- 318i are under powered so I'll avoid them.I've been looking at 320i, 320d, 323, 328, 330d all manual. which will be a good buy, any problems with certain models?

E39- mostly looking at 528i manual, any problems?

what be less maintenance between the 2 models? I know i will be looking for a luck but they are out there, i just missed a e46 320i 180k on the clock immac for R40 000 this morning

 

[gmmcdonald]

Well, here goes.... with the standard disclaimer of "The reader cannot holds the writer responsible for .....blah blah blah"

Ok, I have owned both the E39 and the e46... there are a few things you need to think about to help you narrow down your choices...

1) Do you have wide feet or wear boots? If so the pedals on the e46 can be a litle close together, but you get used to that and don;t notice it within hours.

2) Are you over 6' tall? If so the e39 may be a better fit of you are going to be four up in the car often.

3) Is fuel economy important to you? If so the best bang for buck here would be one of the Diesels - the 320d is awesome, 20km per litre easily.

4) Do you have a "savings" account for unforeseen problems or breakdowns? If not, the sad fact of the matter is you should perhaps be looking at a cheaper car to repair, such as a citigolf (R2,k to rebuild the whole engine, SCORE :thumbs ANY car, regardless of maintenance history can provide you with a nasty surprise.

All of that said, dependant on your requirements they are all AWESOME!!

The 528i is probably the best all rounder and is well respected for it lengevity and lack of problems.

I have a 740i for sale that would fit your budget :idea:

 

[Sankekur]

Well in general I would say if possible:
-Stay away from early (pre-f/l) 320d's (though I would extend this list to 320d's in general)
-stay away from autos (if you do get an auto you should budget a good R15k+ to rebuild the box when it breaks)
-Stay away from 318i's, the early ones tend to leak oil (other than this not a bad engine, pretty much as reliable as a wood burning stove), the later ones came with a valvetronic motor (the first one BMW made) so it is all kinds of issues, the last models came with the same engine that came in the e90 4 pots which is a lot better.

Choosing between the e39 and e46 (this is if you have test driven both and you would choose either) you are more likely to get a better condition e39 than e46 for the same money, because it being a 5 it is less likely to have been driven by a yob, it is also seen as an older car and are less sought after because they are perceived to be more expensive to maintain than a 3.
The e39 is also a generally built to a better quality than the e46, but there is nothing wrong with the e46 is is still very good quality.

If you go for a I6 motor get the biggest one you can get as the fuel consumption on the bigger motors are normally very close to the smaller ones, but they are just a lot better to drive.
If you go for the 30d make sure to get rid of the swirl flaps asap, other than than those motors seem to be pretty bullet proof.

In terms of mileage, there is not really a no go mileage, it all depends on the how the car is looked after, because these motors last a very long time if looked after properly (well oiled and cooled).

 

[msm]

Nicely summarised by Sank.

Just my additional 2c after owning both models (E39 525i, 530d and E46 330i). I think the E39 is a nicer, more relaxing car to drive, whereas the E46 feels slightly sportier. It's actually down to personal preference - go and drive both and see what you prefer.

 

[prado]

As Sankekur said!

We have E39s (525i Auto & 528i Manual) and have driven 318i and 320i E46s.

My personal favourite is the 528i Manual. I have two kids and use the car everyday.

I have replaced the water pump which I am told is a common thing to do if you are not sure about the previous maintenance on this part. My experience with this car has been 'sheer driving pleasure.'

Fuel consumption for the performance is brilliant. The drive and comfort is hard to fault. The looks of the car are amazing - these 5s have a presence. I find that they are more exclusive and there aren't cheap 'aftermarket' stuff for this car which ensures it stays classy. I find the interior dash layout and feel really complement the cars exterior looks.

A solid car that still looks great! If you take notice, the present 5 has many styling cues from the E39 - the vertical grille, the waist line and general profile (just my opinion).

Been wanting an E90 330i but can't bring myself to part with beautiful E39 just yet!

 

[crixus]

Wow, that is all the information needed

I have narrowed down the list to 325, 328, 330, 330d, 528 i like all of them plus its easy to hunt for a good buy if you looking for 5 types of cars instead of one. thanks to everyone for the info, especially sankeur:ty: