BMW E46, What to Know?

[Joey D]

So my best friend Jimmy is pretty sure he's getting one of these come summer since he's pretty much wanted one since they've been out. He has the money to buy one and he is talking about getting one from California or some southern state to avoid a Michigan car (me and him would be flying out to get it).

He's asked me, since I suppose out of everyone he knows I know the most about cars or something, to see if I could give him a run down with the car in various trim levels. He can't afford the M3, but the others are fair game. I know he wants the one with the I6, although I don't know if the I4 was ever sold in America.

So what does he need to look for? What sort of gremlins plague it? What trim level is the best? Is the AWD worth it? What's a fair price for one with modest miles?

Pretty much anything someone can tell me will be much appreciated, also what else should he look at that is similar? I've come up with the Audi A4, MB C-Class, Volvo S40, and Caddy CTS.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Duke]

Depending on if he wants 2 doors or 4, the years vary a little due to changes in model production.

The E46 sedan was introduced in m/y 1998, and the coupe joined a year later. These were designated 323i and 328i and had the older M52 6 cylinder engine (2.5 and 2.8l respectively). No 4-cylinder E46s were sold in the US. If it's in budget, I'd get a 2001 or newer car for the M54 engine.

In m/y 2001, the line got a mild facelift and (more importantly) got the new M54 engine, which is a better unit. The model designations went to 325i and 330i. The lower model stayed at 2.5l but got an increase in power; the 2.7l got bumped to 3.0l and got a bigger increase in power. With the new engine, the regular 325i makes almost as much power as the older 328i did.

My car is a 2003 325i ZSP sedan. Doug will tell you it is slow as hell, but it's not. Do I wish it was a 330i? Hell yes. Was I willing to pay $5k-$7k more for a 330i? Hell no.

As far as I'm concerned, the absolute must-haves are the ZSP Sport package and a manual transmission. The automatic is a decent, dependable unit, but it simply robs the car of a lot of the fun. I'm not just expressing my preference for MTX, either - it is much slower and more dead feeling. With the Sport package and a manual trans, it is very willing and entertaining to drive, and the powertrain should last a lifetime.

The Sport package seats alone are worth looking for a ZSP - highly adjustable and very very comfortable. Plus you get a lower stance, tweaked suspension, and wider wheels. I'd make the effort to find one. I believe after the facelift, at least, all coupes came with the ZSP package.

On the 325i you could get vinyl or leather seats. If the ad says "leather interior", look closely - it's probably BMW's "leatherette" vinyl. Only the 330i had an option for cloth-suede-like alcantara, which is nicer than vinyl and grippier than leather.

The best E46 besides the M3 is the 330i ZHP Performance package. These are coming down in price but were more than I was willing to pay when I bought my car.

I don't blame you for looking for a non-Michigan car, but I've never seen a rusty E46. Ever. You don't need to go to San Diego to find a nice one.

 

[neanderthal]

he ^^^^ pretty much nailed it.

you cant really go wrong with any of them. they were updated with more powerful engines and those are the ones you really want. the old engines arent dogs or anything, but they newer ones are just harder tinged motors that give better perfomance with no fuel consumption penalty.

 

[Joey D]

Thanks for the information Duke.

I believe he is looking in the $10,000 to $15,000 price range with factoring in $1,000 to get it here for where ever we have to go. He sort of wants to find one out in California so me and him can make a road trip of it getting back here to Michigan. The reason for getting one out of state is not so much the rust but more of our roads as they are suspension killers.

He doesn't really care one way or another on the transmission, he's not going to race it. He's an IT guy for some German automotive supply company and figured he needed something a bit more upscale then his beat up old Ford Ranger. He sits in traffic about and hour and half each way to work, which I know for me would make a manual awful, but he has a manual Ranger right now. He tells me he's rather "meh" towards it.

I'll pass along the information though and thanks again.

 

[Duke]

With $15,000 to spend he can get a nice 2004-2005 325i with low mileage - like under 40k, or he can get a same-vintage high-mileage 330i with more like 75-100k on the clock. E46 prices have plummeted now that the early E92s are showing up on the used lots.

My brother-in-law is looking at a clean, base-model 2001 325i with just over 100k on the clock. Asking price is $8500. The suspension is going to be pretty tired by that point, however, and he should budget a couple grand for all new shocks, springs, and lower control arms.

 

[slowman]

The 330i ZHP is a fantastic car. Most of the fun of the M but considerably less costly to purchase, insure, and maintain.

 

[McLaren]

Depending on if he wants 2 doors or 4, the years vary a little due to changes in model production.

The E46 sedan was introduced in m/y 1998, and the coupe joined a year later. These were designated 323i and 328i and had the older M52 6 cylinder engine (2.5 and 2.8l respectively). No 4-cylinder E46s were sold in the US. If it's in budget, I'd get a 2001 or newer car for the M54 engine.

In m/y 2001, the line got a mild facelift and (more importantly) got the new M54 engine, which is a better unit. The model designations went to 325i and 330i. The lower model stayed at 2.5l but got an increase in power; the 2.7l got bumped to 3.0l and got a bigger increase in power. With the new engine, the regular 325i makes almost as much power as the older 328i did.

My car is a 2003 325i ZSP sedan. Doug will tell you it is slow as hell, but it's not. Do I wish it was a 330i? Hell yes. Was I willing to pay $5k-$7k more for a 330i? Hell no.

As far as I'm concerned, the absolute must-haves are the ZSP Sport package and a manual transmission. The automatic is a decent, dependable unit, but it simply robs the car of a lot of the fun. I'm not just expressing my preference for MTX, either - it is much slower and more dead feeling. With the Sport package and a manual trans, it is very willing and entertaining to drive, and the powertrain should last a lifetime.

The Sport package seats alone are worth looking for a ZSP - highly adjustable and very very comfortable. Plus you get a lower stance, tweaked suspension, and wider wheels. I'd make the effort to find one. I believe after the facelift, at least, all coupes came with the ZSP package.

On the 325i you could get vinyl or leather seats. If the ad says "leather interior", look closely - it's probably BMW's "leatherette" vinyl. Only the 330i had an option for cloth-suede-like alcantara, which is nicer than vinyl and grippier than leather.

The best E46 besides the M3 is the 330i ZHP Performance package. These are coming down in price but were more than I was willing to pay when I bought my car.

I don't blame you for looking for a non-Michigan car, but I've never seen a rusty E46. Ever. You don't need to go to San Diego to find a nice one.

Nailed it on every front, esp. the 330 models. 👍

 

[///M-Spec]

I hate to sound like I'm nitpicking, since Duke delivered a great post.

BUT...

The inner anal nerd in me feels compelled to make a couple of corrections and additions.

--The E46 sedan was introduced in 1998 as a '99 model. The coupe came in 1999 as a 2000.

--Duke is correct in saying the M54 was introduced for the 2001 model year. But the sedan facelift actually came a year later for MY2002. Therefore, the 325 and 330 were available for 1 year with the "old look". The coupe did not get it's facelift until MY2004.

The differences between an '00, '01 and '02 are probably the most significant in the development of the E46, barring the ZHP package in 2003.

--The '99/00 has the old school M52TU (a carryover from the E36) and mechanical throttle linkage. Some people (not me) feel the mechanical throttle offers better response than the M54s with drive-by-wire.

--In late MY2000 (06/2000) up to late MY2001 (04/01)*, BMW changed the servotronic steering rack in all 3-series. The revised unit had considerably more assist, to aid low speed turning and was heavily criticized by enthusiasts (including me) who dubbed the cars "The Ultimate Parking Machine". The steering is still precise, but along with a large reduction in steering effort came a loss in feel. * There is disagreement from various sources about which exact production dates are involved. The dates listed here are to the best of my knowledge culled from a wide variety of sources and personal experience.

Late '01s and "Facelift" MY2002+ cars are reportedly not affected as BMW apparently responded very quickly to this complaint and slipped a "new-new" rack as a rolling change, reportedly in 04/01. IMHO, actually having driven the original ('99), soft ('01) and "new new" rack (owned an '04), the 2002+ setup is are the best of the bunch. The '01 racks were terrible. If it were my own money, I wouldn't touch an '01 unless it were retrofitted.

--MY2002 "facelift" sedans and wagons all got revised spring and shock rates, making them slightly stiffer. IMO, BMW totally nailed it with this combination and the '02+ cars are my favorite. Body control is noticeably improved and the cars have a much tighter, buttoned-down feel versus the older cars.

--MY2003 (03/03 start) 6-speeds replace the old 5-speed unit in the 330. ZHP package introduced.


Re: Power 325 vs. 330

Even though it's down about 40 hp compared to the 330i (and 50 vs. 330 ZHP), the 325i is geared more aggressively. 330s got a 2.93 rear end, while the 325s came with 3.15s (IIRC). So in day to day driving, a 325 feels plenty quick --quicker than the old 328 in fact. It's only at highway speeds (about 3rd gear) that the 40-50 hp gap become apparent.


! Check the rear subframe mounts on any E46. Some cars (probably the ones run hard) have been known to tear the mounts, causing expensive body damage. Any good mechanic familiar with late model BMWs should catch this during a PPI.


M

 

[YSSMAN]

Pretty much anything someone can tell me will be much appreciated, also what else should he look at that is similar? ...Caddy CTS....

While the BMW guys freak out, I'll be the GM nerd and tell you the Cadillac secret. They're great cars, but you've got to get late-model versions of the first gen car to get good ones. The earlier models that would be in his price range, you know, with no horsepower and no significant upgrades are certifiable "junk" compared to the 3ers of the same vintage. If I were looking at CTS models, I'd suggest going MY2005+ (3.6L model only), which severely limits your range, and pushes your prices into the $18K range.

I think the only car that you forgot to mention to him is the IS300. Which is smaller, a bit harder to find (in Michigan), but nevertheless a decent option. Well, if you're into Toyotas...

 

[Duke]

I hate to sound like I'm nitpicking, since Duke delivered a great post.

BUT...

The inner anal nerd in me feels compelled to make a couple of corrections and additions.

👍 👍 👍