E36 M3 Evo or E46 CI ?

[andy_coupe]

Hi Beemer sifus! Like to check with you guys on the above. I am planning to get another car to play with and this time, I like to get something that is more reliable than the Fiat Coop and perhaps more fun than the Camry. Cars go for a song here in UK (well, continental ones at the very least) and I have had no real experiences with Beemer, save for the occasional drives in my friends' E36 and E39 back in Malaysia. This is going to be a personal car so maintenance will be on myself rather than charging it on the company; so I like to tap on your experiences.Used car prices have been dropping like crazy with the current economic conditions- I have checked at the local garages and online, and saw that I could generally get a 1999 E36 M3 or a 2002 E46 coop for approximately RM28k. My friend tells me that the E36 engine is more old-fashioned and therefore, easier to maintain and is reliable. The growl of the M3 is pretty sweet though I supposed it should guzzle oil like water. The E46 CI looks nice and feels more modern; and of course is much newer to the touch.Which would be a better buy? The ones that I have shortlisted all have the piles of bills to substantiate their condition and the relevant MOTs. Also, any physical conditions that I should look out for? Car salesmen being car salesmen, I would be better off asking the wall than to ask them if the car is in a feasible condition to buy.Cheers, Andy

 

[Lionel_Koh]

If u looking for performance ......

E36 M3 Evo 6 speed manual is a better choice ......

 

[mizhan]

if you need to use the car daily, the e46 will provide adequate comfort for those long days. if it is going to be a weekend toy, you'll have more fun with an e36 m3..

 

[andy_coupe]

Bearing in mind that cars are cheap here, maintenance and fuel ain't. The E36 is a 3.2 while the E46 is a 2.3 (if I am not mistaken). But either way, I think both cars would cost less in maintenance than the Fiat, if I read correctly from the Beemer forums in UK. I think the car may be more engaging to drive than the Camry; so if that's the case, I may make it a daily drive.

 

[mizhan]

Bearing in mind that cars are cheap here, maintenance and fuel ain't. The E36 is a 3.2 while the E46 is a 2.3 (if I am not mistaken). But either way, I think both cars would cost less in maintenance than the Fiat, if I read correctly from the Beemer forums in UK. I think the car may be more engaging to drive than the Camry; so if that's the case, I may make it a daily drive.

what about a late model e46 330ci? you won't be lacking much in outright performance compared to e36 m3.

 

[loafer]

I think insurance is higher as well for cars with bigger engine capacity.

Personally I'd go for the E36 M3 Evo Nothing beats the growl of the ITBs at full throttle.

 

[B33mEr]

^^^ i'm with him ... E36 M3 pls

 

[cempaka]

Heh weren't you the one who posted here a while ago saying you'd always go for a Camry over a BMW because of reliability? What's changed?

Anyways, enthusiasts will always take the E36 M3. Maintenance will probably be higher than a vanilla e46, especially if you inherit a problematic vanos. M parts command a premium, for instance compare the price of a set of Motorsport floating rotors to a set of E46 blanks. FC will be higher, insurance group will be higher.

Whether it's worth it or not is up to you, maybe the e46 is more suitable for you. Or another camry

The E36 will have fixed VED/road tax under the new emissions-based scheme, which is also a nice bonus.

 

[535i]

Hi Beemer sifus! Like to check with you guys on the above. I am planning to get another car to play with and this time, I like to get something that is more reliable than the Fiat Coop and perhaps more fun than the Camry. Cars go for a song here in UK (well, continental ones at the very least) and I have had no real experiences with Beemer, save for the occasional drives in my friends' E36 and E39 back in Malaysia. This is going to be a personal car so maintenance will be on myself rather than charging it on the company; so I like to tap on your experiences.

Used car prices have been dropping like crazy with the current economic conditions- I have checked at the local garages and online, and saw that I could generally get a 1999 E36 M3 or a 2002 E46 coop for approximately RM28k. My friend tells me that the E36 engine is more old-fashioned and therefore, easier to maintain and is reliable. The growl of the M3 is pretty sweet though I supposed it should guzzle oil like water. The E46 CI looks nice and feels more modern; and of course is much newer to the touch.

Which would be a better buy? The ones that I have shortlisted all have the piles of bills to substantiate their condition and the relevant MOTs. Also, any physical conditions that I should look out for? Car salesmen being car salesmen, I would be better off asking the wall than to ask them if the car is in a feasible condition to buy.

Cheers, Andy

28K ? i hope it's a typo ..

 

[loafer]

28K ? i hope it's a typo ..

No bro it's correct. At the current exchange rate you can get a E36 M3 Evo for around that price in the UK.

I saw one in an advert (UK Magazine, can't remember which one but it was Dec 2008 issue) for £7000.

 

[fabianyee]

The growl of the M3 is pretty sweet though I supposed it should guzzle oil like water. The E46 CI looks nice and feels more modern; and of course is much newer to the touch.

Actually, you may be surprised at the FC for cars like that.. If you whack it at every opportunity, of cos FC would be higher.. But if drive normally, it may be more efficient hence can be quite frugal...

 

[M.Directspares]

£4.5k should get u an evo e36 m3 & 2001/2002 m3 around £9-10k

 

[535i]

No bro it's correct. At the current exchange rate you can get a E36 M3 Evo for around that price in the UK.

I saw one in an advert (UK Magazine, can't remember which one but it was Dec 2008 issue) for £7000.

wow - if that's the case - go for the ///M..:top:

 

[andy_coupe]

Heh weren't you the one who posted here a while ago saying you'd always go for a Camry over a BMW because of reliability? What's changed?

Haha, well, I would be quite thick-headed to said that in this forum, wouldn't I? :listen: But nope, I already have a Camry then- I remember wanting to trade-in my Camry with a Beemer member here before, many moons ago. The Camry's a fine car; but well, it's really cheap getting a Conti car in UK (opposite of Malaysia) so I thought I'll just have some fun with the Beemer here. If it sticks, I'll get another one in Malaysia next time :love:

 

[andy_coupe]

28K ? i hope it's a typo ..

Nope, no typo there- well, this is UK and there's no AP or Proton protectionism here, just pure market supply and demand. Contis are cheap here, Japanese cars hold their market value slightly better. I probably could trade-in the FC for £1k or so (many dealers avoid such trade-in) and top-up a few k's for the E36 M3 Evo or E46CI.

 

[cempaka]

Yeah I got offered an E36 M3 Evo through a friend last time I was there for 4k sterling, top condition, fresh vanos overhaul + all service records. That's like what, RM 20k? Was very tempting, if only I had storage there...The way things are going there I imagine you'd be heading towards 3k soon if not too picky or willing to settle for the 3.0 M3, which should still be plenty of fun.

Interestingly, good E30s are actually becoming worth more than E36s in the UK these days due to relative rarity and cult status.

 

[andy_coupe]

Interestingly, good E30s are actually becoming worth more than E36s in the UK these days due to relative rarity and cult status.

Yup, I read a few Beemer mags here and the E30s are becomingly more popular platforms for mods and restorations compared to the E36. I like the E30s too (minus the restoration works as parts are cheap but labour is costly by the man-hours) but for a normal ride, I'll just stick to the easier route of my earlier choices.

 

[Hellraiser]

since they are so cheap..you should buy all instead of cracking your head thinking which one...!!

 

[BimmerK]

bro, I'd go for the E46 CI, the traffic in HK would jam like crazy, but not as bad as M'asia la. In a traffic jam, I would prefer to be in a car thats really comfortable and quiet.

Also, I saw some Wah Lai Toi drama shows uses the same silver BMW E46 cabriolet, sweet looking ride. but the last time I saw it was in a episode where the main guy flipped and crashed the car while avoiding a taxi.. tong sham feng bou ar (heart of greed)??

 

[hitman]

buy the e39 m5...worth every sen of the stupid road tax plus it's a family sedan. he he he
a second hand one here - that is if any is up for sale - is hovering around rm300k.