E39 530i or E46 330i tourings – which to get?
Discussion
My E39 530i sport (manual) has just been written off.
Pondering its replacement – definitely going to stick to BMW. I was very happy with the E39 and the quality of its build but was wondering if I should also consider the E46.
The E39 was plenty big enough but it really annoyed me that the seats didn’t fold down to allow me to get my bike in – frustrating after I could get them in my small 172.
Chances of me finding a mint 530i sport saloon with folding seats is minimal so I reckon I will be looking at tourings.
Prefer the look of the E46 touring but the E39 was a great car! I rarely have people in the back seats so the smaller seats on the E46 is not so much an issue.
Price will also play a part – the E39s are cheaper.
My questions:
- How is the build quality of the E46 vs the E39?
- Is the E46 a better drive being 300kg lighter?
- Does the E46 ‘feel’ faster?
- Is the E46 a decent motorway mile muncher? As refined as the E39?
- Either of them better/cheaper to maintain (will be doing some DIY)
Pondering its replacement – definitely going to stick to BMW. I was very happy with the E39 and the quality of its build but was wondering if I should also consider the E46.
The E39 was plenty big enough but it really annoyed me that the seats didn’t fold down to allow me to get my bike in – frustrating after I could get them in my small 172.
Chances of me finding a mint 530i sport saloon with folding seats is minimal so I reckon I will be looking at tourings.
Prefer the look of the E46 touring but the E39 was a great car! I rarely have people in the back seats so the smaller seats on the E46 is not so much an issue.
Price will also play a part – the E39s are cheaper.
My questions:
- How is the build quality of the E46 vs the E39?
- Is the E46 a better drive being 300kg lighter?
- Does the E46 ‘feel’ faster?
- Is the E46 a decent motorway mile muncher? As refined as the E39?
- Either of them better/cheaper to maintain (will be doing some DIY)
My personal experience of E46 vs E39.
E39 feels special, E46 just feels like 'a car'. Yes, the E39 is heavier, but for the better IMHO. You can feel it in all the panels/surfaces/materials. Ride of the E39 is much better too. Of course, this is all personal preference.
E39 touring will swallow bikes with wheels on no problem. Huge flat loading area. E46 touring has suspension turrets that rob the loading area of needed space.
E46 touring is 'prettier' to look at in the right spec. I'd rather have the bonus of a practical load bay (E39) for when a touring/estate is needed than a 'pretend' one.
E39 feels special, E46 just feels like 'a car'. Yes, the E39 is heavier, but for the better IMHO. You can feel it in all the panels/surfaces/materials. Ride of the E39 is much better too. Of course, this is all personal preference.
E39 touring will swallow bikes with wheels on no problem. Huge flat loading area. E46 touring has suspension turrets that rob the loading area of needed space.
E46 touring is 'prettier' to look at in the right spec. I'd rather have the bonus of a practical load bay (E39) for when a touring/estate is needed than a 'pretend' one.
I loved my E39 540i Touring. I now have an E46 330i Touring, having gone through an E61 545i Touring in between.
The E39 and E46 are both preferable to the E61 in my opinion; I know they're older but the values reflect that, and the E61 feels a bit de-contented in comparison.
As for E39 v E46, I'm glad I had the E39 but the E46 has better steering (bear in mind my E39, being a V8, had the vague recirculating ball; the 530i would be better here), is much more fun when you're driving it spiritedly, has a similar interior ambience (dash shape etc) to the E39 and feels just as solid a car. It also feels a little bit updated over the E39; newer style of exterior doorhandles, that sort of thing.
The E39's got its own well documented problems, likewise the E46; neither are sufficient to choose one over the other, IMO, though I would be wary of any shimmying E39 because that's bloody hard to get to the bottom of without replacing absolutely *everything* in the suspension. Which, as I found, is costly.
I don't get much better fuel economy from the 330i than the 540i (the 545i was better than both, clever sod), wind noise and engine noise are greater in the E46, but it was still perfectly relaxing after a quick 300 mile drive to Edinburgh and a similar return journey last week.
Currently, I remain enamoured of the E46, but I'd have had another E39 had it not been for the fact that I've been there, done that. My biggest caveat: I haven't tried a 530i so am not sure whether it might feel underpowered (particularly in my preferred spec, auto Touring).
ETA: while my E39 was an SE (because there was no Sport Touring pre-facelift) it had the sport option pack, so 17" alloys, sport steering wheel, MTech suspension, etc. So it drove exactly as a Sport version would.
The E39 and E46 are both preferable to the E61 in my opinion; I know they're older but the values reflect that, and the E61 feels a bit de-contented in comparison.
As for E39 v E46, I'm glad I had the E39 but the E46 has better steering (bear in mind my E39, being a V8, had the vague recirculating ball; the 530i would be better here), is much more fun when you're driving it spiritedly, has a similar interior ambience (dash shape etc) to the E39 and feels just as solid a car. It also feels a little bit updated over the E39; newer style of exterior doorhandles, that sort of thing.
The E39's got its own well documented problems, likewise the E46; neither are sufficient to choose one over the other, IMO, though I would be wary of any shimmying E39 because that's bloody hard to get to the bottom of without replacing absolutely *everything* in the suspension. Which, as I found, is costly.
I don't get much better fuel economy from the 330i than the 540i (the 545i was better than both, clever sod), wind noise and engine noise are greater in the E46, but it was still perfectly relaxing after a quick 300 mile drive to Edinburgh and a similar return journey last week.
Currently, I remain enamoured of the E46, but I'd have had another E39 had it not been for the fact that I've been there, done that. My biggest caveat: I haven't tried a 530i so am not sure whether it might feel underpowered (particularly in my preferred spec, auto Touring).
ETA: while my E39 was an SE (because there was no Sport Touring pre-facelift) it had the sport option pack, so 17" alloys, sport steering wheel, MTech suspension, etc. So it drove exactly as a Sport version would.
Edited by Jobbo on Friday 4th February 16:02
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