e46 318 vs 323 fuel costs

soundb0y · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:06

Good morning guys. Slightly nervous about my first thread in motors but I would really appreciate some advice.

I'm going to go and look at a few e46s this weekend. Just wondering what the fuel costs difference between the 318 and the 323 is. My commute is 20 miles each way straight up the a49 - probably the worst road ever for lorries and tractors, no urban driving.

Which engine do you think would be preferential in this instance?

I'm really leaning towards the 323 as I think it would make overtaking tractors followed by lorries a bit easier and generally be more fun to drive. However if the costs are significantly more than the 318 then I guess I have to reconsider.

Thanks in advance for any replys.

iaind · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:14

The oft-quoted thing around here is that the 323/325 are pointless as the 330 costs the same to fuel and run.

I'd expect to be averaging about 30 from the 6 pots, maybe higher

soundb0y · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:18

Yeah I heard they are around the same running costs however the insurance difference between a 318 and 323 is only about 200 quid, the gap seems to be a lot more between the 323 and 325.

phi1 · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:19

My 323 on a run gets 40mpg around town high 20's

iaind · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:21

soundb0y said:
Yeah I heard they are around the same running costs however the insurance difference between a 318 and 323 is only about 200 quid, the gap seems to be a lot more between the 323 and 325.

That's a shame, the 330 really is superb

Wicksta · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:22

iaind said:
That's a shame, the 330 really is superb

The 330 is a newer model than the 323 and a lot more expensive.

I bet a 328 is similar to insure to a 323 though, maybe worth looking at those.

iaind · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:29

Ah, I always get confused with the generations and which engines came when

soundb0y · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:30

phi1 said:
My 323 on a run gets 40mpg around town high 20's

40 mpg sounds good to me.

iaind said:
That's a shame, the 330 really is superb

So I hear, maybe in a few years I shal find out.

Wicksta said:
The 330 is a newer model than the 323 and a lot more expensive.

I bet a 328 is similar to insure to a 323 though, maybe worth looking at those.

Unfortunately anything above a 323 insurance seems to rocket. So looks like im stuck with the decision between 323 and 318.

phi1 · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:34

soundb0y said:
40 mpg sounds good to me.

So I hear, maybe in a few years I shal find out.

Unfortunately anything above a 323 insurance seems to rocket. So looks like im stuck with the decision between 323 and 318.

I have driven both and recently bought my 323 e46. It's such an upgrade coming from a saxo. I am only 18 and the insurance is quite good. On my own policy with 1 year no claims it's 2k fully comp. The 318 felt underpowered compaired to the 323. If you do go for a 318 make sure you don't get one with an autobox very slow on the kickdown lots of revs and you don't actually feel like your going fast. For a 330i they wanted another 1300 to insure it which is crazy.

Scania · 11 Sep 2010 at 11:54

Ok, mines an e36 as opposed to the e46, but I get mid 20's around town and around 35mpg on a run.

Its a 328i and its an auto, so I'd expect a later e46 manual 323i to be a bit - but not that much - better.

Iirc, the e46 323i is a 170BHP 2.5 six pot, much nicer to drive than the 318i imo.

That said, my mums e46 318i averages around 38MPG, she's never been one for using her right foot mind you, her average MPG (as told by her on-board computer) is probably an exception rather than the norm.

soundb0y · 11 Sep 2010 at 12:05

Thanks for all the replys. It sounds like the mpg isn't going to be a massive difference then? Over a year how much do you think the difference in cost would be say at 13k miles.

Also its likely to be prefacelift, I heard these 318's are quite underpowered?

[TW]Fox · 11 Sep 2010 at 17:42

If you have to ask about the fuel costs of something like a 323i then really its not the right car. Especially as they are getting old now and the cost of maintaining them rises as parts wear out with age.

40mpg is not something you should ever bank on getting - you might when the conditions are right but it will be rare. Town will be low 20's, not high 20's.

soundb0y · 11 Sep 2010 at 18:33

It's not the be all and end all but if the gap between the two had been more significant I would have gone for the 318.

I've just started a new job and currently have no outgoings at all apart from a phone bill so it just depended on how much I really wanted to spend.
The commute has no urban driving and is literally just straight up an A road.

Anyway I have bought a 323ci this afternoon. Can't wait to pick it up next week.

Thanks for the input from all. Much appreciated

Duke · 11 Sep 2010 at 18:38

I used to get 36-39MPG on the motorway in my 323i. It really needed a sixth gear tbh.

Around town it was mid twenties.

The 6 cylinder engine is very smooth and nice to drive, so would always suggest a 323/328/330.

phi1 · 12 Sep 2010 at 11:17

soundb0y said:
It's not the be all and end all but if the gap between the two had been more significant I would have gone for the 318.

I've just started a new job and currently have no outgoings at all apart from a phone bill so it just depended on how much I really wanted to spend.
The commute has no urban driving and is literally just straight up an A road.

Anyway I have bought a 323ci this afternoon. Can't wait to pick it up next week.

Thanks for the input from all. Much appreciated

You made the right choice, what are the specs of it?

andrewdodd13 · 12 Sep 2010 at 13:28

I was in the same boat a while ago - I was looking at the 323Ci as they were going a price I could afford. Then I noticed the post-2002 318Ci had a 2 litre engine which was quoted as being far superior to the 1.9 in the pre-2002 model, in the end I would've went for that had I not stuck with what I had to save up a bit more.