E46 models to avoid

monkey_boy · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:24

I was wondering which models are the ones to avoid and why, for both petrol and diesel.

I know that there's a lot of talk about a bmw not being worth it unless its a 6-pot, but is that just down to performance or is it related to reliability?

Also, what is the target price for the following jobs from a BMW dealer: Oil Check, Inspection 1, Inspection 2, Brake Discs, Brake Pads and other common problems that can be pre-empted(sp?) (like Fox has said about the e39 cooling system.)

What sort of premium is added to those costs for the 6-cyl models?

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:26

E46's which are pointless:

316i
318i
320i
325i
318d

It's purely performance, really. Why buy a slow BMW? Why buy a 320i with 330i running costs but without the 330i performance?

Oil service: £140ish
Inspection 1: £200-£250
Inspection 2: £250-£350
Discs and pads all round not much change from £400-£600

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:26

Depends what youre after from a car, if youre comparing it to a Mondeo/406 etc etc there's nothing wrong with a 4 pot - its purely down to snobbery.
Obviously the 6 pots are better but the 4 pots do actually move, amazingly.

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:28

Yes it's snobbery - its snobbery that makes you buy the 318 in the first place when a Mondeo would do for half the price.

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:32

Yes you could see it that way around, alternatively you just want a well built and specified saloon and arent that bothered about performance - they're not exactly Suzuki Alto "wont go up hills" slow

Morba · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:34

most lower BMWs are low spec though, you will find better specced other cars that will feel just as good if you take your snobified glasses off ;]

to answer foxs question: why buy a car that costs the same to run as a higher spec car, instead of the higher spec car?

because some people couldnt give to ****s about performance, the fact it costs less and gives them what they want, is what matters to them ;]

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:35

Whats wrong with the 325 too? If parkers is accurate (doubtful) its 190bhp and 60 in 7s.

I know youre going to say you may as well get the 330 but theres not much difference performance wise and if you found the right car that happened to be a 325, I dont see why it should be avoided

Django x2 · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:36

There's 40bhp difference, similar economy and running costs. Ergo, buy the 330i unless the 325 is a lot cheaper.

The list Fox gave is a near as damimt accurate to a 'T'

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:37

iaind said:
Whats wrong with the 325 too? If parkers is accurate (doubtful) its 190bhp and 60 in 7s.

It is 0.7mpg more economical than the 330i. All other running costs are the same. Why bother?

I know youre going to say you may as well get the 330 but theres not much difference performance wise and if you found the right car that happened to be a 325, I dont see why it should be avoided

It'd have to be a cracking deal to be worth bothering with. The performance difference is noticeable.

monkey_boy · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:37

[TW]Fox;14652732 said:
E46's which are pointless:

316i
318i
320i
325i
318d

It's purely performance, really. Why buy a slow BMW? Why buy a 320i with 330i running costs but without the 330i performance?

Oil service: £140ish
Inspection 1: £200-£250
Inspection 2: £250-£350
Discs and pads all round not much change from £400-£600

I'm glad you're online. I was hoping to pick your brains directly.

There seems to be a significant jump in insurance costs between the 318i and the 320i but then no real jump from the 320i to the 330i. That seems to be the only sensible reason to not have a 330i to me. There doesn't seem to be any benefit to the 316i at all though.

I think I've heard about problems with the 320d, or am I mistaken?

Are the ES models that have 'sport pack upgrades' really what they say they are or they just had one or two bits bolted on from ebay or whatever?

What are the usual suspects for repairs/maintenence within two years of an 04 100k mile 330i sport? What sort of budget should be allowed to run it for 2 years excluding petrol and insurance?

I know that the majority of these have been answered before but it would be handy to have all in one place for reference.

Thanks,

Gav

G J · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:38

Is this concerning brand-new or second hand?

If brand new then i see Fox's point, another car might be more suited if power isn't a piority.

A friend bought a e36 318IS that he got some old couple a few years ago for £999, it had full bmw service history,bills,receipts and it was in very nice condition, yeah it wasn't a 6pot but at the price it was very good

Wicksta · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:40

[TW]Fox;14652856 said:
It is 0.7mpg more economical than the 330i. All other running costs are the same. Why bother?

It'd have to be a cracking deal to be worth bothering with. The performance difference is noticeable.

You can save quite a bit buying a 325i over a 330i. They are still fun to drive as well and have enough poke for most families. I guess it depends what you want with the car.

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:40

I havent driven either so I cant comment on how they feel, I'm suprised its that noticeable though as the numbers arent much different.

Its just that the 330i seems to be very popular so could be quite hard to come by - Its not unfeasible that a 325i would come up and, because they arent as sought after, you might be able to get a good deal.

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:41

monkey_boy said:
There seems to be a significant jump in insurance costs between the 318i and the 320i but then no real jump from the 320i to the 330i.

The 320i has an M54B22, the 330i has an M54B30. Other than the capacity increase and thus increased power, they are pretty much the same 6 cylinder engines. The 318i is a 4 cylinder engine.

I think I've heard about problems with the 320d, or am I mistaken?

There is a design flaw on the 320d whereby the swirl flaps on the manifold break down over time, are injested into the engine, which destroys the engine.

Are the ES models that have 'sport pack upgrades' really what they say they are or they just had one or two bits bolted on from ebay or whatever?

Never, ever, ever, ever buy an ES specification BMW. It stands for 'Extra ****'. You get no multifunction wheel, no cruise, no climate control, etc etc. It's a BMW for people who were desperate to own a BMW but were not quite high enough on the company car list.

What are the usual suspects for repairs/maintenence within two years of an 04 100k mile 330i sport? What sort of budget should be allowed to run it for 2 years excluding petrol and insurance?

You could have cooling system issues and suspension may need replacing depending on the cars life. £2000 should run it for 2 years excluding petrol and insurance but including a full set of tyres and likely repairs.

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:42

iaind said:
I havent driven either so I cant comment on how they feel, I'm suprised its that noticeable though as the numbers arent much different.

You mean the 0-60 time is not that much different.

Its just that the 330i seems to be very popular so could be quite hard to come by - Its not unfeasible that a 325i would come up and, because they arent as sought after, you might be able to get a good deal.

The fact the 330i is better is cancelled out by the uneducated misinformed opinions of your typical sub £10k BMW buyer - they think a 2.5 is cheap to run but a 3.0 isn't. Therefore there is often little difference in price.

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:43

monkey_boy said:
I think I've heard about problems with the 320d, or am I mistaken?

I cant comment on common problems but a friend of mine had one - was a lovely car with about 70k on the clock. He had to have the turbo replaced and was lucky to get it done under the aftermarket warranty as the cost was well into 4 figures. BMW told him his car had already had a turbo replaced at about 40k.

Dont know how common this is, otherwise it was a fantastic car - the 320d has plenty of poke for the average driver and will do more than 50mpg on a run.

iaind · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:46

[TW]Fox;14652916 said:
You mean the 0-60 time is not that much different.

Yes, that and top speed - the 2 performance figures you commonly get given.

I'm not doubting you, as I havent driven either, I'm just suprised

monkey_boy · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:46

What is that £2k likely to be used on other than tyres and servicing? Or is that an amount that would cover all but the most unlucky owner?

[TW]Fox · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:50

It should cover all that you could reasonably expect to go wrong with a bit of change to sort some of the suspension as its likely to need bushes at the very least.

monkey_boy · 10 Aug 2009 at 21:58

Thanks for all the replies. Brilliant to have all of the questions answered in under half an hour!

Thanks again,

Gav