![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Because people dont spend £35,000 on a car and then leave it parked in the garage for 7 years. Cars are made to be driven. People drive them, get over it.
BMW 330 e46 - Pics of Msport/Non Msport cars?
- Thread starter russ9898
- Start date
Because people dont spend £35,000 on a car and then leave it parked in the garage for 7 years. Cars are made to be driven. People drive them, get over it.
Man of Honour
BMWs are great motorway cruisers, fact =]
Associate
They just don't wear as nicely as some of their other german rivals, say VW/AUDI. You really have to watch for rust on E46's, around the wheel arches etc, its a real shame they are prone to it. Granted its down to how they are treated, or how they did those bigger miles.
And Fox, I think the "get over it" was a little uncalled for huh? Your point was made without the arsey comment at the end.
And Fox, I think the "get over it" was a little uncalled for huh? Your point was made without the arsey comment at the end.
Caporegime
Mine has 145500 miles, not a spot of rust, not an inch of interior wear.
Man of Honour
[TW]Fox;14835857 said:I begin my 2000 mile 3 weeks tommorrow
It's mainly because even on the bulk of it, when you come up behind someone they see Xenons and the wide grille and move in and you just waft on by
That never happened in previous cars!
Oh and the sports seats....oh yeah <3
Errr, what? They wear perfectly well if they are looked after - infact it's possible to have cars with many thousands of miles and very little wear.
Guess the mileage?
It's people bombing around town doing short trips getting in and out multiple times a day that causes harsh wear to the interior not doing long trips.
Why the link between rust and mileage? Steel can rust just as effectively when it's parked on a driveway?
Associate
I base my observation on the cars I see every day as an MOT tester. I must work on at least 5-6 e46's a week, with a wide variety of mileage on them, and usually, the ones with higher miles see the most problems with things like rust, or interor wear and tear. My comparison with Audi/VW is also based on what I see on a daily basis.
On a side note... had a personal record today, 56 plate vectra with 4 broken coil springs
thought you might enjoy that one Fox (46k miles btw)
And... MOT'd Honda Civic 'Jordan' car number 002! I wonder if old Eddie Jordan has number 001.
On a side note... had a personal record today, 56 plate vectra with 4 broken coil springs
thought you might enjoy that one Fox (46k miles btw)And... MOT'd Honda Civic 'Jordan' car number 002! I wonder if old Eddie Jordan has number 001.
Last edited:
Man of Honour
E36?
Fine...but E46 and rust is not common at all....
Fine...but E46 and rust is not common at all....
This is more down to how they are looked after than the mileage - as the mileage builds on a car its value reduces and often owners subconciously spend less effort and money maintaining them because they are worth less. Therefore the condition deteriates as a result.
Look after a 120k miler in the way you'd look after a 20k miler and you'd not find such a huge condition discrepency.
Don't fancy guessing the mileage on the car in those photographs then?
Generally speaking higher mileage cars tend to be older as well - are you sure the knackered ones are knackered because they have 100k or because they are on the 9th owner in their 14 years...
Caporegime
My e36 had 120,000 miles and no bodywork rust either! It had a touch on the boot floor, but that was cut out and re-welded. That was down to the rear subframe tearing issue rather than poor undersealing or bad paint finishes though.
Oh, and it had worn perfectly well on the interior too, most people commented on how it looked almost immaculate, incredible given that it was a 1992 car.
Oh, and it had worn perfectly well on the interior too, most people commented on how it looked almost immaculate, incredible given that it was a 1992 car.
Last edited:
Associate
True to an extent yes, but perhaps living in a costal region it's a little unfair to judge BMW alone soley on corrosion. I mean I've seen rust on 04 plate merc's a few times.
I just feel as if BMW have let their game slip a little in build quality. They are sitting right there with Ford and dare I say it, Vauxhall (well maybe not that bad!)
Another BMW gripe? Reverse gear... is it just me that finds it more akward than most cars to get? I mean I must drive 20-30 different cars a day and the BMW's almost always involve the most physical effort to engage reverse gear.
Another gripe? sure... oh why did you start using this lame "push button start" feature BMW... It's a royal pain in the ass, give me a key any day.
Does any of this stop me liking the E46 Ci's? no... but i'm just making my point, the build quality that Fox and others used to rave about, well.. i just find it a little unjustified.
I just feel as if BMW have let their game slip a little in build quality. They are sitting right there with Ford and dare I say it, Vauxhall (well maybe not that bad!)
Another BMW gripe? Reverse gear... is it just me that finds it more akward than most cars to get? I mean I must drive 20-30 different cars a day and the BMW's almost always involve the most physical effort to engage reverse gear.
Another gripe? sure... oh why did you start using this lame "push button start" feature BMW... It's a royal pain in the ass, give me a key any day.
Does any of this stop me liking the E46 Ci's? no... but i'm just making my point, the build quality that Fox and others used to rave about, well.. i just find it a little unjustified.
I'm not really sure you can make up your mind what you are talking about. You seem to contradict yourself, you talk about the slide in BMW quality but then you mention E36's a car which has been around for 19 years?
There are no build quality issues in the BMW's I've driven with the possible exception of the 1 Series. I live in a coastal area as well and I have no difficulties engaging reverse on my gearbox.
There are no build quality issues in the BMW's I've driven with the possible exception of the 1 Series. I live in a coastal area as well and I have no difficulties engaging reverse on my gearbox.
Caporegime
Did I mention my e36 was bought off a guy who lived in Blackpool, don't get much more coastal 
Associate
[TW]Fox;14836158 said:
Ok the E36 was a typo, which I already fixed. And maybe you have no issues with reverse because you drive one every day, but take someone that rarely or has never driven a bmw, I bet they take a few seconds longer to get into reverse than most cars that use for example the "pull up to select reverse" style gearboxes.
I find it hard to believe that i'm the only one who's seen quite a lot of rusty arches on 3 series bmw's.
Why is this a bad thing? It takes a little while to familiarise yourself with any new car.
No rusty arches on my E39 or indeed any E39 I have seen and I see no reason why an E46 would be radically different?
Associate
Well according to one of the mechanics I work with, and this is his opinion not fact. He said the 3 Series is ***T, it's the 5 Series I should get. I must admit I struggle to remember the last 5 Series of a similar age and mileage that had obvious signs of rust on the bodywork.
Caporegime
Well, given his in-depth analysis and reporting skills, I'd have to believe someone who must drive these cars all of 3ft forward and backward.
Are you telling me that they use different painting and bodywork prep facilities on the 5 compared to the 3?
Man of Honour
Probably because all the 3's he's seen are ones that turds bringing after a good old rag and all the arches littered with stone chips and need for speed drifting (VTEC YO!) hence rust.
The 5's often being bought and driven by more sensible people (occasional hedge meeting excluding)
The 5's often being bought and driven by more sensible people (occasional hedge meeting excluding
)