Huge Dilemma! help!!

[BimmerNewbie]

So I have an e46 325i with about 73k mileage.It's a pretty old car.The interior and exterior is in pretty bad shape.And now i have a choice of doing up my present car or getting a new one.and now i need some major help.getting a new car would be nice since everything is new and still in prefect condition.but then again,it wont be a bimmer` .so im split in between keeping it and modding it or buying a new car.if it's a new car it'll be a volkswagen golf.would it be as fast and as nice to drive?if not any recommendations on what car to buy thats as good as a bimmer around the price of the volkswagen?thanks for any help

 

[mizhan]

in my biaised personal opinion, you should only replace the E46 with an E90 325i, minimum. the alternative is to re-condition the E46.. proper engine tune up, check/replace shocks/bushings, new coat of paint, refurbish rims, and perhaps change interior upsholtery.

 

[BimmerNewbie]

well yeah thats what i wanted to do.but after some thinking, wouldnt a new car be more worth it?my present car is pretty old and problems might occur in the future.

i need some more convincing :S

 

[buzzlie]

Bro,

Have driven VW but to compare Golf with E46 is no match. In term of power maybe, but comfort no, no. If u still interested with VW and comfort, please go for higher end, Passat maybe.

 

[BimmerNewbie]

in terms of power the golf gti can match the e46?

and what do you mean by comfort?

 

[chairoger]

in my biaised personal opinion, you should only replace the E46 with an E90 325i, minimum. the alternative is to re-condition the E46.. proper engine tune up, check/replace shocks/bushings, new coat of paint, refurbish rims, and perhaps change interior upsholtery.

Haha....loved the way you start your sentence dude. :top:

I am curious and sadden as to why a relatively low mileage 325i is so badly taken care off. The previous owner didnt take care of it ah. My E30 and my previous E36 definitely is in better condition. Sayang sia.

 

[mizhan]

Haha....loved the way you start your sentence dude. :top:

I am curious and sadden as to why a relatively low mileage 325i is so badly taken care off. The previous owner didnt take care of it ah. My E30 and my previous E36 definitely is in better condition. Sayang sia.

my 80,000km E46 looks healthier than a lot of E90 you see on the road. i sold my pretty 1996 E36 two years ago for 47k. my E30, well, we'll see in a few months.
thing is, neglected cars are natural phenomenon.. whereas you and me are the car-proud type, others merely maintain or mod cars without much consideration for aesthetics. there are even those who don't even bother to service their cars, albeit normally due to ignorance. not being pompous nor judgemental here.. just stating facts of car ownership.

 

[elixir]

well yeah thats what i wanted to do.but after some thinking, wouldnt a new car be more worth it?my present car is pretty old and problems might occur in the future.

i need some more convincing :S

bro, it's not about new car, old car, worth or not issue.
it's about passion, that's what BMW is all about

 

[astroboy]

Go test drive a VW GTI and u'll know. Power delivery is raw and totally not smooth, but kick u like a train crashing into your rear. Ride is harsh with the 18" wheels which you can feel every bump on the road sent thru your spine and those tail pipe humming noise can be vividly heard in the cabin.. the car wasn't build with luxury in mind. So don't expect any of it.

Bring it down to the track, it promises endless hours of fun but for day-to-day office commuting or outstation family holiday trip, u deserve something more comfortable.. :wink:

 

[mizhan]

well yeah thats what i wanted to do.but after some thinking, wouldnt a new car be more worth it?my present car is pretty old and problems might occur in the future.

i need some more convincing :S

we can aswer most of your questions, although seem to me you're quite set on the VW.

 

[3er]

Fix the E46 up. It will be far more rewarding than a Golf.

Btw, a friend bought a new Golf recently and it has since had a gearbox failure, alternator failure and a few other stuff i cant remember.... YMMV.

Btw also, do check out some of our forummers E46. It may be getting on in age but with good maintenance the car will look and feel far better than some newer cars.

 

[buzzlie]

in terms of power the golf gti can match the e46?

and what do you mean by comfort?

I know Golf got power but in term of matching, I wont be able to be that accurate.

How can I explain comfort ... hmmm the feeling of reaching you car porch after office but dont want to step down from the car. Only the Ultimate Driving Machine can give u that, hahahaaa.

I think Astroboy gave a good description.

 

[astroboy]

I have no doubt that Merc and Audi are more comfortable than BMW in general, but there's certain trade-off we can't escape in life. U want high speed stability, the suspension need to be firm. Extra layer of NVH materials and door seals will improve the quietness of the ride but such material are a weight penalty to the performance department. Which the VW GTI decided to keep them to a minimal..

This is how I would rank them, for a small saloon model.

1) Comfort: Merc, Audi, BMW, VW
2) Performance: VW, BMW, Audi, Merc

It also greatly dependent on your desire and purpose.

Looking for a weekend track car? Go for the VW. Last track day we had proved that the 325i is the slowest car on track..

Looking for comfort family prestigious cruiser? Go for either Audi or Merc.

Looking for a Sheer Driving Pleasure? Go for BMW.. :wink:

 

[VKS]

I guess it depends on personal preferrance...see which car suits you better..Golf Gti is raw so u cant expect to get much comfort on it so it suits youngsters or even as a 2nd car for a family man....E46 is a mixture of both..if u keep it standard then i can say its very comfortable with adequate power with performance...at the same time u can also turn it into some powderful machine and for sure power=money...

My opinion...get a E90 325 sports which has both characters...

 

[gOdspEed]

..i get this a lot.. always in a dilemma....whether to keep my grumpy ol lady or to upgrade her more.. or to marry another ol lady and then upgrade the other ol lady.. or to buy a newer bmw and upgrade the ol lady... or buy other bmw model and upgrade the ol lady.... waaa to many ol lady laa.. it sure give me sleepless nite.. sorry dude.. i guess misery luv company.... hehehe

 

[Bruce_Z]

Dear bimmernewbie,

Ive owned both the e46 (a 318 and a 325 SMG) and a golf GTI. OIn my view they are different animals. The bimmer a high speed cruiser while the GTI a "point and squirt" car. Acceleration wise, off course the GTI feels faster with the turbo, most people got hooked to it (as did I). But when youre at around 160kmh, the car will have no little left boost to go faster. Compare this character to the bimmer and its different.

Like astroboy said, ride wise...the GTI sucks. If you are single and no one sits at the back seats, then OK, the ride is "tolerable". If you have inlaws to ferry....well good luck on your marriage.This is where bimmers always win.

Looks wise, the GTI has looks that may not last. Droopy nose (less now on the MkVI), it doesnt look good from many angles (except the MK III in my view). The e46 looks executive, and will still look good in 10 years time (look how good an E30 or E39 still looks today). You could buy all the spare parts that you need to ensure these retain their looks for years to come.

Finally, the thing that breaks the camel's back..GTI has brakes that sucks big time.Compare this to the BMW brakes...and you'll miss the bimmer everytime. These things did it for me...

Just my two cents. In the end its up to you bro....:wink:

 

[champion]

Like what Mizhan has said, i believe you have more or less decided for the VW.
Anyway, go with what your heart tells you.....

 

[buzzlie]

Since u are into VW Golf, maybe u shud also consider another performance car, the new Alfa Mito. Got their invitation to the launch and chance to test drive a few days ago. Unfortunately cannot make it ...

 

[Guna]

Go test drive a VW GTI and u'll know. Power delivery is raw and totally not smooth, but kick u like a train crashing into your rear. Ride is harsh with the 18" wheels which you can feel every bump on the road sent thru your spine and those tail pipe humming noise can be vividly heard in the cabin.. the car wasn't build with luxury in mind. So don't expect any of it.

Bring it down to the track, it promises endless hours of fun but for day-to-day office commuting or outstation family holiday trip, u deserve something more comfortable.. :wink:

In my unbiased opinion,I beg to differ....errr..a bit

Though I've never owned either cars,I've had the opportunity to drive both of them before,more so the E46.Well,you are right,the e46 wins pretty hands down in the comfort department but it was nothing dramatic,nothing to make me go woah!! and I suppose I don't need to go on about the e46 coz you're already driving one and it's a great car(e46 owners,please take note).And then we have the VW Golf GTI(I assume that's what you have in mind)....whilst it may not be the most quietest car in it's category or the most comfortable of the lot,the sheer driving pleasure more than made up for it's little other shortcomings.I only got to try a friend's car for a very short period of time but it left an impression on me,a good one at that.The unit I tested had been only chip tuned which he said cost about 4k.And what do you get for 4K? I think the stock GTI comes with about 200hp and this chip work gave it another 40 plus horses and so now a 240+hp car that size kinda explains itself right?And have you tried one of the most imppresive feature on the Gti,the DSG gearbox? it's similar to the SMGs on the Beemers but heck of a lot smoother and quick.I was told that even Porsche adapted the DSG lately(I could be wrong here so don't hantam me please).

The GTI comes with some of the other creature comforts like Xenons and the interior finishing is top notch befitting the marque's reputation.I've came across some GTIs tuned up to 300 plus hp and all this from a 2 liter engine?!?In my opinion the the GTI is great value for money but you probably maybe saving a lot if you just mod up your e46 but if money is not an issue and if I am in your predicament...the GTI is my choice

now where is my Beemer that I love playing with