E46...which year, which model? can't decide

[whykay]

h all,as introduced earlier in another section,...i am actually looking around for a good 2nd hand BMW ride..have kinda set my eyes on E46,...but when i did the research,..pening!! they are 318i 1.9, 318i 2.0, 320i, 323,..etc etc...have reading some stories and heard about some years got problem, gearbox, etc etc....aiya..lagi pening!!!so, hopefully some of the owners here can help to enlighten a bit of which year, which model is considered 'good'....my budget around less than 120kp/s : i kinda like the light blue one,....nice..:top:

 

[mizhan]

whykay.. just buy the newest with the biggest engine you can afford. can't go wrong that way.

 

[dewahujan]

E46 323 n above...

 

[Mouse]

h all,

as introduced earlier in another section,...i am actually looking around for a good 2nd hand BMW ride..

have kinda set my eyes on E46,...but when i did the research,..pening!! they are 318i 1.9, 318i 2.0, 320i, 323,..etc etc...

have reading some stories and heard about some years got problem, gearbox, etc etc....aiya..lagi pening!!!

so, hopefully some of the owners here can help to enlighten a bit of which year, which model is considered 'good'....my budget around less than 120k


p/s : i kinda like the light blue one,....nice..:top:

get a facelift 325i year 02 or 03, your budget suits that. u will still have balance of 2k, u can spray pink if u like

 

[mizhan]

a pink facelifted 330ci... now that's a thot.

 

[jeffreychung]

325i 03 . . will be the car u looking for i guess .318i will be slightly under power (depends on what car you driving now)

 

[whykay]

thanks! pink ? OMG! so lady-like la....NO WAY

btw, let say, my budget cut down to around 90k,....and for the sake of 318 only, i heard valvetronic and non-valvetronic...which one is better ?

 

[anaksarawak]

Go for E36 328 Cabrio !! You wont go wrong!! RM50-80K price range!! If E46 then go for 328!! the power will make you smile!!

 

[elixir]

thanks! pink ? OMG! so lady-like la....NO WAY

btw, let say, my budget cut down to around 90k,....and for the sake of 318 only, i heard valvetronic and non-valvetronic...which one is better ?

bro, 90k still can get 325 year 01/02 or 328. The 90k is not really the issue. it's how much time, patience and luck you have to find a good one.

for 4 potter, of course the 320 has got more power but also more problematic than the 318. Parts are also more expensive.

my advise is get the 6 potter. also, need to stanby 5k-10k just in case.

 

[whykay]

oops...sorry...a newbie here...what do u mean by 6 potter ?

 

[jarance]

oops...sorry...a newbie here...what do u mean by 6 potter ?

6 cylinders.:listen:

 

[elixir]

oops...sorry...a newbie here...what do u mean by 6 potter ?

4 potter means 4 cylinders, 6 potter means 6 cylinders

1.9 and 2.0 valvetronic are 4 cylinders.
2.0 vanos, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 are six cylinders

 

[anaksarawak]

bro, 90k still can get 325 year 01/02 or 328. The 90k is not really the issue. it's how much time, patience and luck you have to find a good one.

for 4 potter, of course the 320 has got more power but also more problematic than the 318. Parts are also more expensive.

my advise is get the 6 potter. also, need to stanby 5k-10k just in case.

I second the advice to standby 5k-10k for repair.

 

[BLack indian]

Hi to everyone.Im a newbie here,and actually interested in getting a bmw e46 version but not sure which model to get.My budget is around RM120k and below,so any of your guys advice would really appreciated

 

[johnj]

read back the posts lah bro!

 

[whykay]

6 potters...6 cylinders...then the fuel consumption high or not ? what's the average ah ?

 

[anaksarawak]

6 potters...6 cylinders...then the fuel consumption high or not ? what's the average ah ?

If you are looking for economy car guess you have to look elsewhere lorr.. Power is what you seek here. Anyway 6potters 2.8 can be as economy as 1.8 4 potters especially on highway.

 

[Vroom325]

Whykay, black Indian. If u have a budget of 120-130k. You can get a pretty good condition of 03-04 325. I am not trying to hard sell, but do explore the option at AB & look for premium selection used cars, it comes with warranty.

From what I know, If the car condition is OK with reasonable mileage, then it will be 6months covering enginer, transmission & electronic parts. If the car condition is very good with low mileage, it will be 12months, repair inclusive package except wear & tear item. It's about 5-8k more then market price, but worth the money.:listen: I have got my 325 for 1mth & I just walked out of AB today with my fan belt, pulley(the whole set), brake oil replaced, w/o paying a cent!(read my post at newbie)

At least you are pretty sure that first 6-12months u've got ur urself back up after spending your $ on deposit lah, adding new goodies & bla bla bla... :top: But good condition e46 325 is getting harder to find now. Gotta hurry up!

Also get urserlf a 6 potter if u can. The engine & muffler note will pump up ur adrenalin. Yes, with a price of petrol. I am getting about 8km/l for short range driving. Mix can go up to 8.8km/l. Tomorrow I am going back to Ipoh, guess surely no problem to get above 9km/l. My previous Mazda6, 2.0 with 4 gear.(W/O vvti) at mix is about 10km/l. So, I think I can live with it.

The original footwork setting seems soft, but the tolerance is high, it still answer to my input & I want.(at the moment)

I am still new with beemer so can't comment too much on technical side. However, interms of purhasing a beemer, explore the above mentioned option. You pay more now but this could save u more in future 6-12 months. If u buy from 2nd hand dealer & u will never know what kind of part is changed for u, even they agreed to fix for you.

 

[whykay]

hi vroom325,

what other choices they have for the AB pre-owned? i went to the website, and seems that they are selling pre-owned e90 only...or i have to walk in there , with more choices???

 

[elixir]

6 potters...6 cylinders...then the fuel consumption high or not ? what's the average ah ?

it depends. if you compare a 318 and 328 both driving at the everage speed of 160km/h on the highway, the 328 is more efficient. but if in the traffic jam or slow cruise, the 318 may be more efficient than the 328.
everagely, there are not much difference but the power..........he..he

for a 325 normal day to day drive, i get about 450-500km for Rm100 of petrol.

on highway, can get +/-700km depending on driving style.