Replace E46 330i with.....?

[Tjoppies]

Sup fellas 

Have my 330i m-sport now for 3 yrs.

During 2020 she came to that point in her life where she digged into the piggybank....considering the wife was diagnosed with cancer and had to quit her job it was tough on the piggy bank.

We've  done
2 tyres
Battery 
Water pump
Alternator 
Radiator 
2 services 
Expansion tank

After 231 000km guess the old ladies need some tlc and money, she needs a bit more....front bumper respray , new bonnet , rear bumper diffusor (mtech 2) so after this has been done i might decide to let let somebody else enjoy her...

My budget is about 150-180k and considering the following 
C55
C32
E90 330i
E90 330d
E90 335i 

I'm a account manager and do quite a bit of traveling,  +-4000km pm with fuel card.

I included the Merc's for their extra power and more "gentleman's comfort" as im  not into racing my cars or need serious sporty suspension - but do like some oomph when i want to overtake or do some spirited driving

I added the 330d for fuel consumption and power but dred the tractor sound 

The 335 is in there because , well its a turbocharged inline straight 6 ? but i guess overall reliability and running costs is higher 

Which leaves the E90 330i which is a overall upgrade to my 330i 


Your thoughts and opinions if I was to change cars...

---

Oh and the E92 325i also needs to be included in the replacement list

 

[Dewald Basson]

Why not consider a 5 series?

Luxury and power.

 

[VinceM]

Whatever you decide, let it be a diesel motor
3 liters if you can


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[///Avi]

Sorry to hear about your wife man. I am hoping things turn out positive for you guys.

I would say take the 335i out of the list because as you say the extra maintenance will become costly. I would say 330d or 530d would be great choices for the open road. I also think the Mercs are great contenders.

 

[GoCart]

530d, thank you, and have a good night.

 

[rodga]

530d, thank you, and have a good night.

This.

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[Wes]

I've had 2 C55's and the lines and the noise keep bringing me back, but living with that gearbox is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, especially not daily. Maintenance isn't bad, but they are old cars now and will need you to keep a hand on them, more so than the E46.

You will get a whole lot of versions of how reliable each person's 335i was, and. I will include mine here. Daily driven N55, mostly stock (xhp flash and a downpipe) and I kept up on the maintenance (you need to go into it knowing it will want constant care) but even still it was on a flatbed 4 times in 2020 and on the side of the road twice.

And that car had FSH and the previous owner was in here as well.


As a lot of members here will probably say, consider a 330d or 530d. It can be as quiet or loud as you want it to be.

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[///M Individual]

Sup fellas 

Have my 330i m-sport now for 3 yrs.

During 2020 she came to that point in her life where she digged into the piggybank....considering the wife was diagnosed with cancer and had to quit her job it was tough on the piggy bank.

We've  done
2 tyres
Battery 
Water pump
Alternator 
Radiator 
2 services 
Expansion tank

After 231 000km guess the old ladies need some tlc and money, she needs a bit more....front bumper respray , new bonnet , rear bumper diffusor (mtech 2) so after this has been done i might decide to let let somebody else enjoy her...

My budget is about 150-180k and considering the following 
C55
C32
E90 330i
E90 330d
E90 335i 

I'm a account manager and do quite a bit of traveling,  +-4000km pm with fuel card.

I included the Merc's for their extra power and more "gentleman's comfort" as im  not into racing my cars or need serious sporty suspension - but do like some oomph when i want to overtake or do some spirited driving

I added the 330d for fuel consumption and power but dred the tractor sound 

The 335 is in there because , well its a turbocharged inline straight 6 ? but i guess overall reliability and running costs is higher 

Which leaves the E90 330i which is a overall upgrade to my 330i 


Your thoughts and opinions if I was to change cars...

---

Oh and the E92 325i also needs to be included  in the replacement list

---

Hey bud,

Sorry about your wife's diagnosis and hope she makes a speedy recovery and gets well soon! 

Regarding a replacement car, I think the Merc's would also be heavy on maintenance like the 335i. 

The E90 330i or 330d would be great, although coming from the E46 330i and seeing that fuel is not a concern, the 330i would be the way to go. They are very rare and hope you can find a good one that it not ridiculously priced. I think stay away from the E92 325i which you may feel underpowered compared to the 330i.

The F10 520d (test drive to see if you happy with the power first) or 530d would also be good options but not sure if you can find one within budget. 

Good luck with your search!

 

[Tinuva]

You listed the following for the E46:

1. front bumper respray
2. new bonnet
3. rear bumper diffusor (mtech 2)

Is that all?
What else does the car really need to be a solid reliable daily?

I personally do not see a car needing some TLC as a requirement to upgrade or change cars. Will the TLC cost more than the new 2nd hand car to get equal reliability?

If you needed a different type vehicle like an SUV or offroad or 4x4 or minibus car as reasons, I could understand changing but just changing because current car need TLC and you don't want to spend funds on it makes me question the reason.

Not saying you shouldn't, but have to ask at least.

 

[KarshS]

E46 330i Msport....if manual....is a winner for me...

I wont even think of selling it for an E90 330i.... (If you get an LCI Msport in Manual then that might change my mind) 

Any N/A car should be a manual....not of fan of them in Auto... 

I would get the e90 330d in auto 
Key item here is the gearbox, be prepared for a 30 - 40k rebuild (Its a matter of when will it go, even if oil services have been done which many have not and its too late to change the oil) , 10k crank pulley and suspension refurb (+-15 to 20k) 

335i would be a good toy but maintenance items will probably cost what your e46 is worth alone. (Brilliant cars once the maintenance is out the way) 

Cant comment on the Merc's...no experience on them

Sometimes its best to settle for the devil you know, if you know what needs to be done on the e46 to get it to where it needs to be then stick with it. 
They are still awesome cars and getting scares to find them in good nick. 

Best of luck to the wife on her road to recovery

 

[TBP88]

I think the above advice is sound - your mileage is high, and while you might have fuel costs covered, maintaining those AMG mercs/ n54 bmws won't be cheap - keep in mind these are now near 20yr old cars. There'll be plenty wrong with them and wracking up 40 000km a year + will just accelerate whatever degradation they already have.

Get some quotes on fixing the 330i and see if you can get it done reasonably. Hope your wife recovers well and good luck!

 

[yush1]

Hi, I would suggest the E90 330d LCI. You wont go wrong with it. Many will attest to this. Maintenance cost is reasonable and reliability it great. With a DP you it certainly wont sound like a diesel. You could face huge bills for the other petrol vehicles mentioned.

 

[Steph745]

Sorry to hear about your wife, best to you and her.

Your e46 doesn't sound like it's doing anything too out of the ordinary with it's issues, although annoying costs are relatively manageable. If it had overheated or something like that then yeah maybe best to get out of it. So I'm not sure how+/- 15 year old AMG Mercs put you in a better position. The diesel options mentioned by most seem the best way to go, although I think any N52 powered variant will do as well.

 

[maleven-GP]

Sorry to hear about your spouse's condition.. wishing you and the family strength!

I drove my 335i as a daily for 4 years, I now use it sparingly and I think it belongs there since it's quite temperamental! It's a lot of fun to drive, but it is a money pit even without major fixes!

I got a 330d e90 last year and I can't stop smiling... power plus economy.. if I had to sell, the 335i would go!

My vote is with the 30d..

 

[Tjoppies]

thanks for the input guys , i think the Merc's and 335i should be scrapped and if the time should come a E90 330i or 330d will be the way to go.

cheers

 

[Rotinaj]

You are looking at old cars and old cars while reliable will age out on you as your 330i now has done while the engine might still be superbly reliable the rest will start letting go.

I would strongly suggest you look at a Lexus GS/IS350 variant if it's in budget. Superbly reliable and punchy and at constant speed quite economical.

E90's if you can find a nice 330i hell yes, 330d nope not for a man on a budget. Turbo's cost money and will fail eventually, how it fails can either break your bank or just a 15k bill. Then also it will probably be a auto so there you have the grenading gearbox inpotentia thanks to sealed for life. Again fine for some, but if those minor bills on your 330i made you want to sell it stay well clear.

Mercedes's stuff 2010 and up C300/C350 should be quite reliable albeit a bit dull compared to a E90 but would you rather just be a bit dulled or next to the road waiting for the AA while your 335i is having a hissyfit. Again rather avoid diesels unless you understand there can be big bills simply as you pile on the millage and turbocharges do eventually need replacement.

Audi's walk away.

Jaguar's far to many little english charm i mean problems and almost only OEM backup.

Infinifi is really something worth looking at reliable as F, cheap as F to buy but it's a bit like a french car once in it you will stuggle to move it. the M30 with the 3.7l or perhaps the v9X diesel is something worth looking at since i trust a Jap Diesel far more than a German one when it comes to costs.

Other than that it's now mostly a choice of horrible underpowered faux roaders made for mommies with inferiority complexes.

 

[AshG108]

Dont scrap the Mercs just yet, the W204 models are not bad at all.

In fact, the diesel models are as frugal and low on maintenance and costs as a BW diesel...talking from experience of owning them.

If you do, I think go for C220 CDi, C250 CDi, 320d or 330d.

Dont even bother with any petrol models because all of them need maintenance more than the diesels.

 

[evnmopwr]

My opinion for what its worth ( although very biased )

If you not replacing the E46 330 with a new vehicle, you could possibly be buying another mans ticking timebomb
or could costing you more in maintenance in cases. the cars you listed Are not new cars either.

If you  needed a bakkie or an SUV then i would understand

But you know your E46 inside and out. and you know whats been replaced and what not
its a 50/50 replacing an old car that you know well to another old car which you dont know for sure.

I would say stick to what you have for now unless you getting a Brand new car with Motorplan etc etc. thats a proper upgrade

 

[Bazza]

In my opinion, having owned both... the E90 330i is a downgrade from the E46 330i. I would go for an E60 530d or an E90 330d. That 330d is a special piece of kit and you have no tractor sound inside the car so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[Solo Man]

I am selling my 2005/6 E60 530d six speed manual with 204k kms in very good condition for R92k . White with tan interior. Extras include m/s 18 inch wheels and M5 steering wheel. New shocks fitted all round at about 170k kms. New front discs and pads at about 180k kms. Only selling because i want to get a newer model E30 320d and i have a serious itch. I had the ceiling material replaced in December after the lining started hanging down. No sunroof or pdc unfortunately. Cruise, a/c, electric w/ws and six cd changer. Can send pics if interested.