E46 330ci convertible - auto
Discussion
Starting to very seriously consider purchasing a convertible E46 330ci as a daily.
I'll be travelling roughly 180-200 miles per week and need some solid advice if I'm being an idiot or not... Its a mix of B roads and a short stretch (8 miles) on the M40.
For context, we've got a reliable, small car that will do us for longer journeys but no drive or garage for either. I've wanted a car that I can enjoy rather than something practical to get me from A-B. Budget is around £5k.
Would greatly appreciate any advice on; maintenance, what to look out for, and any potential leads on suitable cars.
Thanks in advance.
I'll be travelling roughly 180-200 miles per week and need some solid advice if I'm being an idiot or not... Its a mix of B roads and a short stretch (8 miles) on the M40.
For context, we've got a reliable, small car that will do us for longer journeys but no drive or garage for either. I've wanted a car that I can enjoy rather than something practical to get me from A-B. Budget is around £5k.
Would greatly appreciate any advice on; maintenance, what to look out for, and any potential leads on suitable cars.
Thanks in advance.
They are getting on a bit and finding a decent one can be a challenge, they are fairly robust but will likely need lots of deferred maintenance doing and ongoing attention as BMW have a habit of making things out of plastic rather than metal, they are pretty straightforward to work on though.
I had one recently, and tbh the auto gearbox spoils the car, its in reality no quicker than a modern Astra or similar unless you use all the revs as the 'box saps so much power, fine for cruising around in but very much of its time and it’s not remotely sporty as such, you should average around 30mpg if you drive sensibly.
Tax is fairly cheap in comparison to other similar cars, decent size cabin and accommodation for 4, still feels quite premium today.
I'd have another but it'd have to be a manual (and probably a coupe tbh)
I had one recently, and tbh the auto gearbox spoils the car, its in reality no quicker than a modern Astra or similar unless you use all the revs as the 'box saps so much power, fine for cruising around in but very much of its time and it’s not remotely sporty as such, you should average around 30mpg if you drive sensibly.
Tax is fairly cheap in comparison to other similar cars, decent size cabin and accommodation for 4, still feels quite premium today.
I'd have another but it'd have to be a manual (and probably a coupe tbh)
Edited by Jazoli on Tuesday 20th August 18:58
I've got two (both manual or I'd be trying to sell you one) but mine have been strictly weekend cars, so this isn't based on dailying them.
On the positive side they're great cars, excellent engine, handle nicely, reasonably sensible 28ish mpg. Generally easy to work on, both in terms of doing the jobs and access to videos and advice. Parts availability isn't bad, loads are now at breakers.
On the other hand they're 20 years old now, and basically anything that's not been replaced is end-of-life. Intake system, cooling system, suspension parts are all going to be pretty tired even if it's been fully serviced. Get a decent one, service it properly and you could well be fine, but I'd expect things to break, so get a diagnostic setup and a smoke tester. Rust is the main killer of these, so try to get underneath it and have a good look at subframes etc. Any rust you can see on the body is usually the tip of the iceberg.
As a daily I'd say get the SE/ non-Sport, you get softer suspension and 17s not 18s, noticeably smoother on bad roads and also seems to result in less rattles from the roof and interior so nicer to drive with the roof up.
On the positive side they're great cars, excellent engine, handle nicely, reasonably sensible 28ish mpg. Generally easy to work on, both in terms of doing the jobs and access to videos and advice. Parts availability isn't bad, loads are now at breakers.
On the other hand they're 20 years old now, and basically anything that's not been replaced is end-of-life. Intake system, cooling system, suspension parts are all going to be pretty tired even if it's been fully serviced. Get a decent one, service it properly and you could well be fine, but I'd expect things to break, so get a diagnostic setup and a smoke tester. Rust is the main killer of these, so try to get underneath it and have a good look at subframes etc. Any rust you can see on the body is usually the tip of the iceberg.
As a daily I'd say get the SE/ non-Sport, you get softer suspension and 17s not 18s, noticeably smoother on bad roads and also seems to result in less rattles from the roof and interior so nicer to drive with the roof up.
Jazoli said:
Tax is fairly cheap in comparison to other similar cars, decent size cabin and accommodation for 4, still feels quite premium today.
e46 coupes and convertibles carried on in production for a while after the e90 saloon was launched.My 330ci coupe was registered in May '06, and the tax is £700+
E63eeeeee... said:
forsure said:
e46 coupes and convertibles carried on in production for a while after the e90 saloon was launched.
My 330ci coupe was registered in May '06, and the tax is £700+
Yeah, avoid anything April 2006 or later. Earlier ones are pretty normal. My 330ci coupe was registered in May '06, and the tax is £700+
I had an E46 325ti Compact for a few years, but it was getting a bit crusty at 16 years old, and I think that probably applies to most E46s now.
For the last 5 years I've had an E90 330i and been very pleased with it generally, but particularly in terms of performance and lack of rust!
So you might want to consider an E93 330i as an alternative that may be cheaper now E46 prices seem to be climbing. If you do try to find an early one with the N52 engine as the later N53 can suffer from a few more issues.
Mr Tidy said:
So you might want to consider an E93 330i as an alternative that may be cheaper now E46 prices seem to be climbing. If you do try to find an early one with the N52 engine as the later N53 can suffer from a few more issues.
You're just trading one set of old BMW problems for another.E93's leak water in like a sieve, the metal folding roof is a disaster plus you have the usual 15 year old E90 stuff to deal with.
Plus they look a bit council now.
Frying pan/fire.
E46's: buy on condition and miles, not on spec. A nice 325Ci is much better than a leggy old 330i. Don't buy a 318Ci or a diesel. 320Ci's are a waste of time. Manuals are much better. You'll get a much better SE for a set budget than a Sport.
Nine years in an '03 330ci Sport as a daily. At 115k miles it was starting to need replacement parts: suspension, gearbox out to fix gear stick centralising issue.
If they made them again I'd have one as it was the last of the driver's cars before Bangle.
But they're old now and even a low mileage one is likely to be rusty. Having said that, mine was garaged and rust free at 11years old. But that was sold in 2014 and we're ten years on...
If they made them again I'd have one as it was the last of the driver's cars before Bangle.
But they're old now and even a low mileage one is likely to be rusty. Having said that, mine was garaged and rust free at 11years old. But that was sold in 2014 and we're ten years on...
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