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First E46 is it a good deal? Or should I watch out?

4K views 35 replies 6 participants last post by  dcminiman_43 
#1 ·
Hey, New here to these forms and i am looking at my first E46 and BMW in general since I'm going into a BMW program at school, and a certified BMW and Volvo mechanic not to far from where I live has a black 2001 325xi with 68,889 on the odo and has everything but the sport and cold weather pkg on it and no HID and said he would let me have it for 8k the car is on beautiful shape inside and out and has a common little leak that he said he will fix and the pulley was done by the preivious owner which looks like they babied it....my question is, what are your guys opinions? Good deal or not? And should I watch out? If so what do I look for in these cars. (BTW I'm downgrading from an 03 galant GTZ) thanks :)


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#2 ·
Not a good deal. You can get a newer one with more miles but with cold weather and sport for the same or less. The E46 is such an old chassis that you might as well pick and choose from everything out there to find exactly what you want. As for what to watch out for, search around that question has been answered a million times.
 
#3 ·
Thanks!! Because there's also a 2005 mystic blue/tan 330 coupe with 78k for 7995 but haven't Looked into what maybe wrong with it

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#5 ·
the pulley was done by the preivious owner
Whoa, previous owner replaced "the pulley"? The pulley being the only weak spot on the car I would say you are good to go for another 200k miles...jump on it. If it wasn't for that dang pulley the e46 would be bulletproof. At least you know you won't have to shell out $30 for a new pulley and waste twenty minutes putting it. Did the previous owner do the belt too? If not, run away from this car it has been neglected!
 
#13 ·
The e46 is the best worst automotive purchase I ever made. This creaky old bitch has given me hundreds of hours of wrench time and a lot of fun along the way. I paid 4 grand for a perfect interior, good motor, bad clutch and a body that has been relentlessly dinged up. But for 4k who care, its my beater and I love her.

For 8k your dangerously close to being able to get something much much better, much more reliable, and no where near as pokey.

My next purchase I will make my XI the tow car, I really want to turbo an older 5 series (I forget the designation, the 88-94 style) or turbo a clean e30.

If you can handle the idea of doing your own work on a plasticy brittle money pit then go for it. If you dont like the idea of doing everything yourself, buying alot of tools and crying yourself to sleep while watching yourself in a shame mirror then skip it.
 
#14 ·
^ That depends on the car but if it was perfect and had the cold weather and premium packages then absolutely a good deal. You will need to get any car inspected and make sure it's in good working condition before you buy it. I can't tell you one car is better than the other over the internet but all things equal that's a good price. Auto or manual?
 
#19 ·
Yes, the price seems spot-on for a good deal in my region. Based on mileage and your description I'm thinking that baby has lots of useful and enjoyable life to be had. Forget the pulley and belt stuff going on up here, it's sarcasm from a couple guys playing around. It's funny as a pulley isn't exactly a major repair milestone to us. Cars would be machines and there are no magic cars requiring zero maintenance. They all need maintenance items and repairs. Even Toyota's and Subaru's visit the shop from time to time but the owners seem to cover up said adventures.

Here's the thing - you can drive an "entry level sport luxury sedan" that originally sold for 25-30 thousand dollars for $8K. It has all the amenities the original owner should be enjoying but you can snag all this goodness for 1/3 the price? Yeah, that's a good deal looking at bang for the buck. I converted to German cars several years ago and never looked back. Just look how nice they hold up (actually result of quality build and parts). I often get strange looks when people ask, hey, what year is that? They're sure it's much newer 'cause of the excellent design, lines and condition. I'd like to take credit for being a caring owner but it really goes to BMW 'cause I basically drive and maintain her. No excessive costs or maintenance issues have crossed my path. BTW, I spent $13K for my car with 70K miles at purchase - no regrets 5 years later.
 
#20 ·
That's something I needed to here :) haha as much as I want a sporty 330Ci I'm also looking at winter And that I'm a student in college still but I've always wanted an E46 since i was young but want to have one I can play with as well as daily drive but I don't see so much enthusiasm with the sedan tho I really never looked to much into the crowd with them, also I may add this doesn't have the sport, cold weather or HID pkg

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#21 ·
Well, mine has the HID and cold package which was not a must-have consideration, more of a bonus. The auto dimming mirror, rain sensing wipers, auto heat, auto headlights, electric everything were at first viewed as a "more to break" fear. But now I consider these luxuries a treat and they don't break. The problem with any of these forums (and I've been a member of many) is, they all read as endless problems and fixes. Sometimes enthusiastic comments show up but mostly you'll find troubles and remedies. That doesn't mean they're a problematic car, look at any fan forum - you'll see the same thing.

These cars are now becoming cheap enough to attract the younger buyer. They want to make 'em race cars, slam the suspension and stuff fat tires under rolled fenders. I guess that's fine but there are limitations. I suggest you look at your budget realistically and plan to spend maintenance cash going forward. To convert an XI into an M3 rocket is not realistic. Making it look like one may be some owners desire but there are concerns. First, the forged bottom end with twin cams with a timing chain based engine is factory maxed out. 180+ HP is all you're gonna get out of this baby. Is it fast? Well, fast enough for most of us. No chips or headers will wake up hidden ponies, you're basically stuck. Now look at the benefit of a 50/50 weight distributed car with all wheel drive that's rear drive biased. This yields summer fun tossing it around and winter safety and reliability. The thing goes like a snow cat in the slippery goo and ice. I'm a bit of a fuddy-duddy and leave the factory engineering intact as not to toy with what I contend is a well engineered car. Personalizing it is something I enjoy as the car is worthy to spend a little to make it unique. The auto trans is made by GM, is rock solid where the die-hard, 3-pedal guys will argue it's a bad option. I like the auto, really don't miss shifting all the time and don't really care about the die-hards.

It's all about what you desire and knowing the facts. With your interest in being a BMW mechanic you have spotted a great platform to play with. Should you become displeased later, you can always get out from under it without too much drama. To each his own and I hope you'll seek your choice through information not emotion.
 
#22 ·
Thanks White_Knuckles the cold weather pkg not really worrying about since o never had heated seats so not gonna be something I'll miss, I can always convert to HID they're are my kits out there haha. And I'm trying to get all the info I need cause I've always worked with the coupes and wanted a coupe but a sedan is nice to I just have that blood in me for speed sometimes I just don't wanna make the wrong choice or over pay for something cause I'm downgrading (year wise) form an 03 galant you've been a great help!!

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#24 ·
So the 2.5 in these cars can't be worked at all even though they're are parts out there for it? Or is it because of the AWD system?

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#25 ·
Where did you gather that from? They can for sure be worked on and are fairly easy to work on too but the fact is that you will HAVE to work on it and will have to CONTINUE to work on it quite a bit to keep it in good condition. It's by no means a change the oil and do recommended maintenance and it'll run forever kind of car.
 
#27 ·
you will get maybe 200hp out of it after dropping a lot of money (thousands) on any and all NA mods you can get (headers, exhaust, cams, etc). The only way to get a lot more power is a supercharger which will get you ~100hp and put you at ~280hp at the crank...that's less power than most 6 cylinder family sedans today and that's after dropping $5k on a supercharger to go into an $8k car.

If you want power or go fast, this is not the car for you. Don't invest a ton of money into an old car like an E46 unless you want to race it or track it and in which case you should be looking for a 330 and ripping out as much weight as you can instead of adding power. If you want a slower car with great handling and decent looks then you've found it.
 
#29 ·
I mean I'm not looking for a high performance sports car I just want something that has some kinda pep to it, can be enthusiastic about, and have fun on back roads with, have something to play around with that's unique in a way and good on gas somewhat

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#28 ·
These cars weigh a ton and have as much hp as a 99 camry v6. Its never going to be fast.

I saw a new toyota avalon run a 14.1 @ 101 at the track the other day, you will never go that fast. You will never be as fast as your grandma's car.
 
#31 ·
This whole discussion is subjective to what one considers "fast" or "peppy". This also applies to what a buyer considers "good on gas". My statement would be reasonable for both accounts. The car (with an auto trans) is neither a granny car or a neck-snapper. It's reasonable to where I've never been longing to supercharge it for daily driving. It accelerates predictably and with gusto where I often see econo-boxes getting smaller in my mirror on a inclined freeway ramp. Bye-bye Prius dogs. I have no intent to check a quarter mile ET as I just don't care. The gas mileage averages 20 something but requires premium which some cringe at. Is this the most amazing car ever? No. But there is a reason owners keep 'em. Maybe the blend of the good and not so bad keeps us around? Go drive one and make your own opinion.

Should anyone know of an amazingly fast car getting 30+ MPG that needs little to no maintenance, please post this wonder! I have a friend who desperately wants to dump his '07 WRX 'cause it keeps breaking.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Don't get the 2001!! That was the only year BMW used the horrible over assisted power steering.

For a tiny bit more money you can buy a 2002 330.
If you're already worrying about power, you'll regret getting the smaller engine.
2002 was also the first year of the facelift. Your car will look a lot more modern for years to come.

PS. Heated seats are amazing.
 
#33 ·
^^ wow, never knew this. The steering feedback is perfect in newer years. I'm so used to it, I have trouble adapting to old-time mush. I have a '67 Cutlass (A-body hotrod) that's getting a quick-steering box and positive castor added to feel anything. In those days, you'd feel absolutely nothing rolling the wheel around with one finger. Even creeping at idle the boat helms produced effortless steering. They thought they had defined the ultimate power-steering benchmark and were very pleased. Ugh, this went on for years with American mush buckets!!
 
#34 ·
My thing is I'm not really a fan of the facelifted look and I want something with low milage as well most the 330s in my area are in the high 100ks

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