E36 M3 or E46 330Ci

Skellz · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:13

Sold my WRX Scoob a few weeks ago and now I'm looking at getting an e46 330ci sport 03/04, Or perhaps an E36 M3 Evo. Or the other alternative being a V6 A3 Quattro. Not sure how they would compare to the scoob? Always been a fan of bimmers in particular the E46, but the V6 A3's are going cheaper these days and i guess are esentially an R32.

Been looking around but there's not a lot about that are manual, there's also a tonne of converts too

. A clubsport e46 would be nice but most are higher milers. I love the design of the E36 M3's and would love to own one but not sure on their reliability vs the 3.0l SS. I gather bushes and mounts are common problems on both E36 and E46.

I'm thinking around £5,000 should be enough to find one thats circa 85k miles or below with a nice FSH and low owners?

rodenal · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:24

What kind of appetite do you have for spending money maintaining the car? The M3 is a cracker but it needs to be looked after, both BMW's are getting old now but the E36 really does need lots of tlc nowadays. The e46 will give you 75% or so of the performance without the M tax on parts so it depends what you're willing to compromise on really.

The v6 A3 is a nice drive but it doesn't really compare to either BMW for me (apart from the sound)

acemastr · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:27

A 330Ci is nothing like an M3, it's just a lot nicer looking and a better place to be

rodenal · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:35

Tbh I wouldn't even say the e46 was a measurably better place to be than the E36 - better/a bit more modern looking yes but it's not significantly more refined than its predecessor I wouldn't say

Skellz · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:42

Yeah im looking for some luxury come /fun, I understood that the e36 m3 would be more of a money pit. I dont mind paying for maintenance, not too large though thats why I think the E46 might be more suited to what I want. A mate of mine has an R32 and its a cracking car, handles ok and sounds delicious thats why i was also having a look at the V6 A3 quattro's.

Ideally i'd like something i can enjoy and keep for a good while, thats reliable whilst also not getting bored with the handling and power. To me the E36 and E46 are sort of a classic as they were one of the cars I liked when I was young.

rodenal · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:46

Best thing to do is drive all three - you won't really go wrong with any of them but the M3 is in a performance league (and feel) of its own.

The A3 and 330 will both give you a quick, refined car that shouldn't break the bank to run or maintain but neither are all that "special" feeling (though I love my 330 to be fair)

Ev0 · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:47

Recently bought an A3 v6, I was also on the lookout for a 330 of some description.

End of the day it largely came down to what was available at the time as I needed a car asap, but have to say as good as the 3 series is I think I prefer the Audi, but plenty others will say the opposite.

Also think I was very lucky, right place right time for the deal and spec. Only downside is the paint is looking a bit flat and has a lot of surface scratches, but hopefully a good polish will help things there.

I'd go drive both and see which you like most

[TW]Fox · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:50

rodenal said:
Tbh I wouldn't even say the e46 was a measurably better place to be than the E36 - better/a bit more modern looking yes but it's not significantly more refined than its predecessor I wouldn't say

I would. The E36 looks and feels like a much older car.

rodenal · 26 Aug 2013 at 11:53

Oh it absolutely does look an older car inside and out but I don't think the e46 is significantly more refined despite the lighter controls etc - I haven't driven one since I had the 328 a couple of years ago now mind you and to be honest it's apples and oranges with 330 vs m3 anyway

geekman · 26 Aug 2013 at 12:06

Skellz said:
Yeah im looking for some luxury come /fun, I understood that the e36 m3 would be more of a money pit. I dont mind paying for maintenance, not too large though thats why I think the E46 might be more suited to what I want. A mate of mine has an R32 and its a cracking car, handles ok and sounds delicious thats why i was also having a look at the V6 A3 quattro's.

Ideally i'd like something i can enjoy and keep for a good while, thats reliable whilst also not getting bored with the handling and power. To me the E36 and E46 are sort of a classic as they were one of the cars I liked when I was young.

Personally, if I was offered the choice of an E36 M3 or E46 330CI, I'd go for the M3 every time. However, given your requirements I'd actually recommend the 330CI - get a decent one and it'll be a lot more reliable and they are undoubtedly a much nicer place to be: despite being over 10 years old, the interior doesn't feel dated to me at all.

I'd say the M3 is suited to someone who puts performance and driving experience above all else, the 330CI is more a compromise - you get reasonable running costs and reliability, a decent interior and solid performance.

Skellz · 26 Aug 2013 at 12:17

Cheers for the replies. Yeah i plan on going to test drive some soon, sounds like the e46 would prob be my best bet and i do love the interior on them, though i may also look at the audi as i still like the perk of AWD.

Scania · 26 Aug 2013 at 14:18

Back to back, an e36 and e46 are a world apart, the e36 is and does feel older although in M3 guise, the e36 is by far (imo) the better "drivers car" if your happy to pay the premium in both buying a decent e36 M3 in the first place and then running it properly which won't be cheap.

9 times out of 10 though, the 330i would be by far the more sensible choice.

M cars are hard to judge against the more common variants though,for good reason, they are very different beasts.

RedvGreenOLD · 26 Aug 2013 at 14:25

I have been in a friend's E36 M3 a few years ago now, but even then, it was dated. This was a car show where you could check the supercars of the time, and even then, the Ferrari 355s look incredibly dated too.

I would agree that the 330i be the intelligent choice for creature comforts and affordability. However, if you just have to scratch that itch, the psychosomatic experience of owning the M3 will be the only way to do it.