Advise on E46

[rubes72]

Dear fellow Forummers, I had my e36 328 for five years now. Grown attached to it and love it . but a time for change is imminent. I hope I could get advise about the E46 perhaps 325i. What would be the difference in terms of handling and performance. Would I have concerns about the technology. Is it reliable, or would it kong out on me without warning. I've read most treads about the the e46, but there has not been a comparison between the e36 and e46. What would be the price range to look at? and what to look out for when selecting a car. Your input is most appreciated

 

[NKTOB]

Dear fellow Forummers,

I had my e36 328 for five years now. Grown attached to it and love it . but a time for change is imminent.

I hope I could get advise about the E46 perhaps 325i. What would be the difference in terms of handling and performance. Would I have concerns about the technology. Is it reliable, or would it kong out on me without warning.

I've read most treads about the the e46, but there has not been a comparison between the e36 and e46.

What would be the price range to look at? and what to look out for when selecting a car.

Your input is most appreciated

Hey there...

PM mwtang, he's done his research project on e46ers...

He's actually scouting for one good ride!

Quick reference : E46 325i - 6 cycyliders, approx 170bhp. Technicaly advanced, will definitely warn u b4 anything konks out!

 

[1+2=3]

Dear fellow Forummers,

I had my e36 328 for five years now. Grown attached to it and love it . but a time for change is imminent.

I hope I could get advise about the E46 perhaps 325i. What would be the difference in terms of handling and performance. Would I have concerns about the technology. Is it reliable, or would it kong out on me without warning.

I've read most treads about the the e46, but there has not been a comparison between the e36 and e46.

What would be the price range to look at? and what to look out for when selecting a car.

Your input is most appreciated

hi rubes, like yourself, i have an E36 328. I've driven several types of e46, from the 318, to the 330. firstly, the e46 is basically a newer car, i wouldnt say so much in terms of radical mechanical changes, but more so on the electronic side.
mechanically, its very similar to the e36. chassis stiffness is of course improved, as has crash safety...etc.

Build quality has of course been improved, refinement..etc. Basically, the e46 to me, has a softer feel about it. quieter, smoother, and feels somewhat, "lighter".
space wise, is only ever so slightly bigger than the e36.

handling and performance, shouldn't really differ much, but all that refinement seems to make the e46 seem easier to drive hard. coming from a 328, you'd probably want a 330 to get that same feeling of seamless torque. One big thing is of course drivetrain. the newer gearboxes are definitely superior. But for driving hard, i prefer the e36. anyways.. this is my personal opinions only

reliability?? well.. hard to say la.. you already own a bmw, you should know la, some people have horror stories, some people have nothing but praise. very difficult to say.

for prices, best go get yourself a copy of motortrader, and also look at the prices in thestar, there are always lots of bmw listings, especially 3 series.

remember, its a buyers market now, never pay sticker price

 

[sub8sec]

Quick reference : E46 325i - 6 cycyliders, approx 170bhp. Technicaly advanced, will definitely warn u b4 anything konks out!

NKTOB bro, small correction - E46 325i actually got 192 horses, only 1 horse lesser then 328i

 

[1+2=3]

NKTOB bro, small correction - E46 325i actually got 192 horses, only 1 horse lesser then 328i

328 has more torque, and its flat across the powerband.

 

[rubes72]

Thanks Guys. esp 1+2=3. You are right. you hear some horrow stuff and some praise, but in terms of performance, is there much difference between the 325 and 328, I'm asking because off only one reason.... the fuel. If performance is about the same then I'll go for the 325 also the resale value is much better. the E36 328 is a lovely car to drive and i don't think I can step down to a less performing car, if you know what i mean.

 

[BMdoubleU]

hi rubes, like yourself, i have an E36 328. I've driven several types of e46, from the 318, to the 330. firstly, the e46 is basically a newer car, i wouldnt say so much in terms of radical mechanical changes, but more so on the electronic side.
mechanically, its very similar to the e36. chassis stiffness is of course improved, as has crash safety...etc.

Build quality has of course been improved, refinement..etc. Basically, the e46 to me, has a softer feel about it. quieter, smoother, and feels somewhat, "lighter".
space wise, is only ever so slightly bigger than the e36.

handling and performance, shouldn't really differ much, but all that refinement seems to make the e46 seem easier to drive hard. coming from a 328, you'd probably want a 330 to get that same feeling of seamless torque. One big thing is of course drivetrain. the newer gearboxes are definitely superior. But for driving hard, i prefer the e36. anyways.. this is my personal opinions only

reliability?? well.. hard to say la.. you already own a bmw, you should know la, some people have horror stories, some people have nothing but praise. very difficult to say.

for prices, best go get yourself a copy of motortrader, and also look at the prices in thestar, there are always lots of bmw listings, especially 3 series.

remember, its a buyers market now, never pay sticker price

Hi guys, sorry to somewhat hijack this thread, but I think it's a bit relevant. It's true never to pay the sticker price, but from your experiences, just how much can one knock off? Prices are all over the place at the moment and you know how crappy it is to feel when you've overpaid something. Again, sorry for the hijack.

 

[chairoger]

should be a sweet car

 

[rubes72]

Well, you can pay the price if you really like the car. But then again there should be a cap to it right. I mean how good can a car be? I think the price you pay is subjective, but then again we all need some form of reference. correct me if I'm wrong. Also how desperate is the person trying to sell his car. From experience do not buy from them, unless the deal is really .. really good. Then again how bad can a 3 year old car be?

 

[Rosenmontag]

rubes72

As an owner of E36 and E46 this is my view.

E36 uses mainly old, mechanical technology. It is less comfy but a lot tougher, more reliable, cheaper to maintain and a better car to drive. It is also heavier hence better for highway driving and more stable at high speeds.

E46 is a bit of a sissy compared to E36. This is my current car but I do still miss my E36. It is more refined, more comfortable, slightly bigger, lighter and easier to drive. It is a lot more driver-friendly and the ladies will like it. Though it is a very well packaged and rounded car, it loses out to E36 in terms of dynamics and macho-ness.

Further E46 is more expensive to maintain. There are tons of sensors which are good to the driver until they start giving problems. These typically cost several hundred bucks to replace.

However, to be fair, these electronics though being rather cranky, generally been reliable (though less than E36).

I guess how do you view the E46 is depends on your needs and wants.

BTW, be careful in buying 2nd hand 325 and 328 versions, many of these cars have been used (or rather abused) by their previous owners.


This is just my view....

 

[anxious]

Yes that seems to be the genaral view as to 325s & 328s. U can pick up many well taken cared 318s owned by aunties/uncles and the sort but when it comes to 325/328 its a bit harder to come buy.

Generally stay away from modified cars as the more they are modified the more likely the owners have trashed them. Biggesr sports rims and body kits in my opinion are tell tale signs of owners who may abuse their cars.

Buying direct from owner is always better. Full service history is a must and it probably would be better to source for cars fully maintained by Auto Bavaria.

Good Luck.

 

[rubes72]

Rosen,

Well that is exactly my concern. I'm very confident driving my e36 right not. Just afraid might lose out on stability and overall performance, but upgrading is imminent. Well i guess the maintenance bill will go up, with all the high tech stuff in the car. I know I will miss my e36 once it's gone.

Anxious,

Thanks for the advise , point well put, but it's difficult to drive a 318 once you're used to driving a 328. Yes and looking for a good bimmer is no easy task, my current car had me looking for 6 months after several views only then i decided. I guess my nect step is to start looking for that one car. Another question though, which is the best year of manufacture to go for? My budget is about 160 - 170K? If anybody could advise would much appreciate it. thanks

 

[wglee]

I have a 2001 E46 325i, pre-facelift. Once my car had to go in the workshop for a few days. AB loaned me their courtesy car - a late-model E36 328i. Over a few days, I noticed its fuel consumption was higher than my car.

Which E46 325i model to pick? I'd say the facelifted version. It has goodies like stability control (DSC) and electric seats. The pre-FL model only has traction control (ASC+T) and manual seats. The FL models also have firmer suspension, and sharper as well as heavier steering. However, I heard from an AB mechanic that the FL model's power steering can be problematic.

 

[rubes72]

so that would be 2004 model? but how true is the streeing problem, anybody can to commment

 

[wglee]

I think the FL E46 325i was launched in Malaysia in 2002.

 

[anxious]

I think there is a difference b/w the 2002 model and the 2004 model.

In 2004 AB introduce the 325i sport with sports suspension etc and sold it for RM308k. Later in 2005 when the E90 came out it was cleared for RM260+k.

Correct me if mistaken.

 

[wglee]

In Malaysia, the pre-facelift E46 325i appeared in early 2001 at RM247k and was
available until the facelifted E46 325i was introduced in 2002 (early 2002, if I`m not mistaken).

There was only 1 version of the pre-FL E46 325i sold in Malaysia: bog-standard automatic.

As for the FL E46 325i, there were 4 variants available in Malaysia - standard automatic, Sport SMG (very short-lived), Exclusive automatic and Sport automatic.

The standard FL E46 325i at approx. RM265k was quite well equipped and should suffice for most folks. It came factory-fitted with reverse sensors. The pre-FL had reverse sensors available as a RM2000+ option. The FL E46 325i also had electric front driver's and passenger's seats whereas the pre-FL E46 325i has manual seats.

The FL E46 325i SMG was available briefly in Malaysia and came as a Sport model. It had xenon lights, 17" rims, bodykit, sport suspension, 3-spoke sports steering, sport seats/trim and a high level of equipment. Of course, it had an SMG gearbox (a.k.a. automated manual gearbox). I cannot remember its retail price.

As mentioned above, the FL E46 325i automatic came in 3 flavours - standard (approx. RM265k), Exclusive (approx. RM296k) and Sport (approx. 308k). If I`m not mistaken, I think the Exclusive and Sports versions were available from 2004 onwards. A notable feature in the Exclusive and Sport versions are xenon lights (like all E46s, only the low beams are xenon). Standard versions have 16" rims. Exclusive versions have 17" rims and higher equipment level. Sport versions have 18" rims, bodykit, sport suspension, 3-spoke sports steering, sport seats/trim and also a fairly high level of equipment.

Towards the end of its shelf life, and to make way for the E90, the E46 Exclusive and Sport models were sold at very attractive prices - I think the E46 Sport was in the region of RM260+k. By then, the standard model was already long out of production.

 

[anxious]

spot on wglee

 

[scin]

Actually some pre FL E46 328s have DSC
I reccomend a CBU unit.
Also, while the 325 has only 1 HP less than a 328, the torque is much less, and coming from a 328/36 you will feel the loss of pull at the low end of things. The 328 torque is closer to the 330s

 

[Vanquish]

Rubes,

Why not consider a late batch E39 at that budget ? I have nothing against the E46 (being a E36 owner myself) but frankly I've always considered it as a more grown up and smoothened out version of my ride. You've already heard more or less all that you need to know from fans and owners of the E46 alike.

I was also in the same situation as you are but one back to back test-drive in an E46 325i Sports and E39 525i M-Sports and I know exactly what to go for in a few months time. The E39 in many ways represents (to me) what my E36 wud have turned into if someone were to transform it into a proper mid sized saloon - the near perfect compromise between driving fun, ride/handling, comfort and reliability. And the prices of the late batch cars are dropping now!

Either way, all the best and hope you find your next ride soon.

Cheers,
VaN.