e46 m sport

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VTR

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VTR

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Having secured a new job I'm looking for one of these in coupe or convertible. Had an immaculate 54 plate convertible 318 for a few weeks earlier in the year and loved it.

Not doing enough mileage for diesel really (<15k) so looking at a petrol. Not sure on which to go for though, want the best trade off of performance and reliability? Unfortunately my budget is £3000 max.

From my quick browse I've come across these -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-BMW-...0744406?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2ec7cf41d6

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-325-C...2453692?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cd179bb3c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-conve...2422856?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cd17942c8

Thoughts? Advise? Looking to buy this weekend.
 
Pedant time - none of those cars are M Sport's, they are all Sport. M Sport did not appear until 2005.

Every one of those 3 cars has been barry'd up in some way or another (Well the last one is okish, just a set of fake wheels with Accelera tyres). Can't you find a nice standard example not a chav'd up one?
 
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[TW]Fox;24248078 said:
Pedant time - none of those cars are M Sport's, they are all Sport. M Sport did not appear until 2005.

Every one of those 3 cars has been barry'd up in some way or another. Can't you find a nice standard example not a chav'd up one?
Click to expand...

Can you? :)

Literally just started looking... anything worth noting about the different engines, any to avoid?
 
All 3 6 cylinder engines (2.2, 2.5 and 3.0) are M54 engines and therefore cost the same to run, deliver largely the same fuel economy etc. Conventional wisdom states therefore that there is no resaon not to get a 330Ci.

Trouble is, Barry loves a 330Ci. He loves to buy one for under £3k, fit Accelera tyres to it, crap Ebay bulbs and generally chav around in it. Finding one that Barry hasn't got his hands on is getting very difficult these days.

I would say that Barry is less likely to want a 325Ci but sadly the links above suggest this isn't true either.

Personally I wouldn't bother unless you want to spend months looking for the diamond in the rough. By the time 330Ci Sport's have reached £3k its probably time to stop buying them really, unless you get lucky.

You will find an SE easier to find a good example of I would imagine. Barry doesn't like being seen without M badges everywhere.

Unless you spend disproportionately large money on a late one I think the 'Really nice E46' ship has sadly set sail these days :(

If you are absolutely set on it you CAN find nice ones - every so often somebody who paid a lot of money for one eventually lets one go - but it's probably going to be a long search.
 
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That actually looks really nice - it's a shame it's a 318Ci as the 6 pot engines are so much better, but its nice to see one that still looks in great condition.
 
Yeah shame about the engine, what's the fuel economy like on these compared to the M54 engines?
 
[TW]Fox;24248129 said:
Trouble is, Barry loves a 330Ci. He loves to buy one for under £3k, fit Accelera tyres to it, crap Ebay bulbs and generally chav around in it. Finding one that Barry hasn't got his hands on is getting very difficult these days.

I would say that Barry is less likely to want a 325Ci but sadly the links above suggest this isn't true either.
Click to expand...

I don't think Barry cares too much about which engine, as long as its a BMW sporty model innit.
 
VTR said:
Yeah shame about the engine, what's the fuel economy like on these compared to the M54 engines?
Click to expand...

I'm averaging 25mpg in the warmer weather, doing the same route I get 23 in winter, on a run i've seen 32 before. Bear in mind mine is an automatic though
 
If you're not too fussy about what engine is in the car then you should be able to find a decent one for £3k.

You will have to make compromises, though whilst you shouldn't expect an immaculate car don't even bother with one that's got anything other than very minor mechanical issues or that is rusting anywhere other than the front arches - even then you'll need to accept that the best solution is just to replace them and budget accordingly.

You'll realistically need to look a fair distance to find decent examples - this brings other issues as there are so many absolute dogs out there the potential for wasted trips is pretty high. I went to see a "fantastic example" 330ci at not much more than your budget at the weekend (suspected it would be but it was only 20 miles away so went to check) - the car was shocking, one of the worst examples i've ever seen inside, out and to drive.

It had two owners and a full history with stacks and stacks of receipts up until about 2011 - the owner was obviously very selective about what they actually fixed on the car thereafter or came into some serious financial hardship for the last year or two. Someone will buy it though, just because it's a 330ci sport.

I wouldn't personally let something like cheap tyres put me off the car completely (though I accept it's quite an indication of what has been spent on the car in general)- so long as that was the only issue it had. You will not be buying a pristine example after all - will just need to budget the £600 or so to bring it up to standard asap.
 
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My e46 325i sport (52 plate) can average 38 mpg on my 200 mile drive, all motorway tho. That's cruise control at 70... Cruise at 80 and she gets 32 if I'm lucky
Roughly 29 around villages and 22 having fun give or take 5 :p
 
Pre-Facelift, but with a £3k budget it leaves little options.

This looks clean and low millage.

Edit: Sold :(

Another clicky!
Higher miller but Full BMWSH, Looks original, Refurbed MV1's.


For a 12 year old car, I think they look great.
 
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That sold convertible actually didn't look so bad.

My 330ci was one of my favourite cars, wish I never parted with it really. Great looking car still, I prefer the E46 to the E90.
 
If you're a competent DIY'er then there aren't many big bills that the car is likely to throw at you. Clutch and full cooling system I guess are the biggest.

They do tend to suffer from lots of niggling faults though - individual cooling system components failing, rear brake pipes corroding (originally routed over the tank), lower arms, rear springs, oil breather, Hedgehog resistor thingy are a few off the top of my head
 
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Cooling system, Subframe issues, Vanos overhall (recomended) anywhere over 100,000, Rear tyres, Rust around around rear arches & front wings, M54 Engine Can like a sip of oil now and again :)

Generally though, they're pretty bullet proof.

I'm sure Fox will be along shortly with more details!
 
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