Reliable everyday BMW?

[Nikhil]

If you in midrand give me a shout and I will take you for a spin in a Diesel E46 330d, just don’t hate me if you test drive a 320d after and think something is wrong with it :fencelook:

 

[Vicus]

If you in midrand give me a shout and I will take you for a spin in a Diesel E46 330d, just don’t hate me if you test drive a 320d after and think something is wrong with it :fencelook:

Hehehehe....I've been tempted to go the 330d road myself. For the moment I'm just happy to get in my car knowing I get 1000km+/tank , still having 135kW under the bonnet.

But.....who knows maybe next year when my ride is up for replacement....

 

[ginasulpriz]

Interesting.

howsit guys

ive been looking around for a daily drive car for a while now and came across a few options , was looking at cars like yaris. fiestas, corollas. sentras etc. and wasnt really happy with what you pay and what you get.

my uncle suggested a BMW 318ti to me. ive never owned a BMW and niether have my parents. so dont have true experience with them. i know everyone says exp maintanance but my uncle said that he had 2 and not a days trouble. basically i need a reliable fuel saving car that has decent space and more than 1.4 power so i can do long distance aswell, this will be my daily.

id like to know if im going the right route. i found a few with like 120kms on clock that are reasonable priced.

if not this option then its gona have to be a yaris 1,8 or something :bangdesk:

any comments and info will be appreciated.

 

[moranor@axis]

look an e46 or e39 is going to cost you a little more to keep on the road... you looking at cars over 10 years old now even if they dont feel that way :rollsmile: but compare what car you get for a similar price...

a Petrol 4 or 6 cyl will use around 10l per 100km going with a bigger engine does not make a huge difference to fuel consumption

Diesel will use less fuel but costly repairs can eat those savings if you unlucky...

 

[RAArmstrong]

look an e46 or e39 is going to cost you a little more to keep on the road... you looking at cars over 10 years old now even if they dont feel that way :rollsmile: but compare what car you get for a similar price...

a Petrol 4 or 6 cyl will use around 10l per 100km going with a bigger engine does not make a huge difference to fuel consumption

Diesel will use less fuel but costly repairs can eat those savings if you unlucky...

Very good points here...

IF you decide to go the diesel route look at lots and drive lots... You'll soon realise which are healthy and which arent...

 

[Vicus]

Diesel will use less fuel but costly repairs can eat those savings if you unlucky...

Yeah...huge diesel fan that I am, I must agree here, since we are talking old-ish cars here. If it is in fact to be diesel , you need to make sure it is very "clean" maybe get some of the pundits here to help you.

 

[Wes]

E46 320d Facelift Individual.

Its going to do everything you need it to do and more.

As with anything else not new, take your time and find the right one, keep some money aside to service the car when you get it and address any issues as you find them.

A car will look after you only if you look after it.

 

[DieselFan]

In my opinion you only have 1 option, and that's a e46 330d '03 - '05 they are 150kw (MUST BE MANUAL).

An E90 320d for R95 000, you are going to get a real shit car.

A e46 330i is going to drink fuel.

 

[Andy1GP]

E46 is lovely choice to go for, whether it's M54 petrol or M57 diesel. Being second hand they both will require some maintenance before they will run like they should.

As long as you avoid the E46 320d and 318i facelift you should be fine. The 318i has an eccentric shaft sensor issue which is pricey to fix and they're notorious for giving problems.

Both fuel types suffer from vacuum leaks. The 330d from turbo vacuum lines and the 320/325/330 from intake manifold vacuum leaks as well as disa flap.

Bottom line is if you're prepared to fix the odd thing then you'll enjoy the car. Condition always dictates sale. If you find a car that has been fantastically maintained at 150k km buy that over one with 90k km that hasn't been well maintained.

 

[need_4_speed]

I have a 04 320d for 70k if you are interested

 

[Del-Bosc]

Bud first thing first, can you afford a car that may break down remember this is bmw and no matter how well maintained it may still have issues, not saying they are bad cars but they are not cheap to run.

Read up on the forum of the various issues guys are having, and decide from their maybe save abit more and get something newer with an after market warranty.

Be wise with your cash bud as in the second hand car market it is King.

 

[samman325]

Bud first thing first, can you afford a car that may break down remember this is bmw and no matter how well maintained it may still have issues, not saying they are bad cars but they are not cheap to run.

Dont necessarily agree with the notion that because it is a bmw it may still have issues (thats the way i read your statement)

Any car will have issues if not properly maintained and looked after. In fact, my opinion is that of a bmw if properly maintained amd looked after, it is more reliable and cost efficient than most other car brands.

I can say this with some authority being the current owner of two high mileage bmw's, an e36 323i with 390k on the clock and an e46 325i with 443k on the clock.

The idea is to find a car with a known history and it wouldnt hurt to know the current/previous owner too.

 

[Andy1GP]

It is off topic but that is true. There are no bullet proof cars. Everything can go bang. However good care can produce gems even out of alfas :fencelook:

I bought a 1993 E34 M5 and it's the only car I haven't had to spend a sent on to keep in tip top running shape. The previous owner nursed the car to a miraculous health.

Point is you can own a BMW for the price of a little 4 pot car that has no features. Lots of bang for buck available in BMW. Just don't be impulsive. Get a feel for what a good BMW is before committing to one. Or have someone educated in Beemers go along with you.

When you do find one you will be over the moon with joy :joy:

 

[sly gxi]

:thumbs:

thanks everyone, thanks nikhil for offering me a ride. when im in the area we should meetup.

some real good information. also i see a valid loophole. if something breaks im not sure il be able to fix. i see bmw parts are pretty exp but ofcourse its good quality stuff.

ive been looking around and yesterday after work i decided to go have a look at the 318ti just to get a feel for bmw , i was impressed with the boot space , the seats were comfy too. car started one shot and sounded healthy . but to my disapointment the car is very slugish. i know i wasnt expecting power but i really thought the car would offer more in terms of drive. no offence to any 318ti driver, i just think i had high expectations.

but atleast i got a feel for bmw, and i like it. thinking i should maybe take the advice from the forum and save a little more to buy a decent bmw. i think i should save for that E90 330d , but if i find a e46 330d in great nick i think il go for it.

question regarding the interior of some bmw's , i see alot of them have that wood finish interior and unfortunately im not a big fan of it. can this be easily changed?

 

[Sendhur]

Goku you still cant find a cab boss :rollsmile:


please do yourself a favour and buy a E46 330d you can get one for around 70k and keep the rest of the money for maintenance and upgrades - I know you are a real petrol head, you love rear wheel drive and you love turbo power - this will also give you the desired low fuel consumption as a daily drive :thumbs:

Go for it you will have a luxury, powerful, fuel efficient sedan as a daily raise:

Good luck bro :thumbs:

 

[moranor@axis]

wood trim clips out you can paint it or get a different set from a scrap yard :rollsmile:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

yep, interior trim is a easy swop out

 

[sly gxi]

shot sen!!

yea im still looking lol. very hard to find a decent well taken care of car.

thanks bro.


thanks guys , i was wondering if it will be a mission.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

shot sen!!

yea im still looking lol. very hard to find a decent well taken care of car.

thanks bro.


thanks guys , i was wondering if it will be a mission.

take your time bru, the best one will come.

 

[Sendhur]

shot sen!!

yea im still looking lol. very hard to find a decent well taken care of car.

thanks bro.


thanks guys , i was wondering if it will be a mission.

take your time bru, the best one will come.

+1 Take your time bru :thumbs: